Chapter 231: Yo, Isn't This the Sparrow God?
"Fine, fine, keep it safe." Stelle waved her hand dismissively, her expression a mix of amusement and lingering exhaustion. "But next time you see Aha, remember to stay far away."
"You do not have to tell me twice!" March 7th clutched the light cone tightly against her chest, her pink hair bouncing as she shivered. She muttered softly, her voice tinged with genuine dread, "I hope I never run into that Aeon of Elation again in my life..."
"Master Diviner, we will take our leave now."
With the immediate chaos finally settled, Stelle, Caelus, and March 7th offered their farewells to Fu Xuan.
"Goodbye..." Fu Xuan waved back with a graceful flick of her wrist, her mind clearly already racing through the endless calculations and administrative duties awaiting her attention.
Not long after departing the Divination Commission and stepping onto the bustling streets of Exalting Sanctum, the trio spotted a familiar figure. Tucked away in a quiet corner, actively avoiding any semblance of work, was Qingque.
"Yo, isn't this the Sparrow God!" Stelle leaned in close, flashing a wide, teasing grin that made the smaller girl jump.
"Shh! Keep it down!" Qingque frantically pressed a finger to her lips, her eyes darting around the courtyard like a startled rabbit. "I am slacking off on the sly, do not be so loud..."
She let out a long, aggrieved sigh, her shoulders slumping. "The Master Diviner has really gone crazy lately. She has been cracking down so hard on break times."
Relieved that no passing guards or stern-faced officials were paying them any mind, Qingque patted her chest and looked at the three Trailblazers.
"Wait, how did you know I am called the Sparrow God?" Qingque blinked, a hint of surprise breaking through her lazy demeanor.
Had her legendary skills at the Celestial Jade tables become that famous? Even the outworlder Trailblazers had heard of her glorious reputation?
"You really have the title Sparrow God?" March 7th widened her eyes, leaning in with sparkling curiosity. "Wow, that sounds so cool!"
"Ha, it is just a nickname my fellow players gave me out of love. Do not take it too seriously." Qingque waved a hand dismissively, though she completely failed to hide the smug, prideful smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I do have a few tricks when it comes to playing Celestial Jade, but it is nothing worth mentioning, really."
"Of course," Caelus chimed in, his tone dry and merciless. "Otherwise, how could you have won a round against Nous..."
Pfft!
Qingque practically choked on her own saliva, her smug expression shattering into a mask of pure horror as dead memories violently resurrected themselves in her mind.
Caelus's casual remark was an incredibly sharp blade, instantly piercing right through her mental defenses.
"Stop! Do not say another word! I beg you, do not bring that up!" She pressed her hands together in a desperate plea, looking like she was on the verge of a total nervous breakdown. "How was I supposed to know those people at the table were Aeons... and I only won a couple of rounds that afternoon!"
Just thinking about that fateful game gave her a splitting migraine.
Especially recently. After rumors spread that the Stellaron Hunters were still active on the Luofu, the number of tourists and off-worlders visiting the Xianzhou had skyrocketed. Even the IPC had dispatched more personnel to negotiate trade agreements. Qingque had been living in a state of constant paranoia, jumping at every shadow.
However, after a few weeks of realizing that absolutely no one of cosmic importance seemed to care about a slacking small fry like her, she had finally managed to breathe a tiny sigh of relief.
Yet, every single time she saw the social account of Aha, the Aeon of Elation, update its status, a cold sweat broke out on her back. She had a sinking feeling that the god of mirth would sooner or later pull something massive on her.
Why had she not realized back then that the obnoxious Masked Fool was Aha himself?
A mistake. Such a colossal, life-threatening mistake.
After the group shared a few more laughs and chatted about the local sights, Stelle and Caelus felt their phones vibrate simultaneously in their pockets.
The two exchanged a quick, knowing look and pulled out their devices to check the incoming messages.
[Anonymous]: Stelle, Caelus, come to the Divination Commission. I will send the coordinates later.
[Anonymous]: Do not tell anyone.
[Anonymous]: Yours truly, Kafka.
"March 7th, I have something to take care of. I need to head off alone for a bit," Stelle said smoothly, slipping her phone back into her pocket with a practiced casualness.
"Huh? What little secret are you two keeping from me?" March 7th tilted her head, her hands resting on her hips. "It wouldn't happen to be... something about that bad woman, would it?"
"Kafka is not a bad woman," Stelle replied, shaking her head with a perfectly straight face.
"I knew it!" March 7th threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Fine, fine, just hurry back."
Although the pink-haired girl harbored incredibly complex feelings about Kafka, she had to admit the woman had actually helped them out this time around.
But regardless of the circumstances, she, March 7th, would always stand firmly by Himeko's side.
Down with Kafka. Stelle and Caelus belong to the Astral Express.
Meanwhile, far away from the Xianzhou Luofu.
[Herta]: Hey! You, why did you disappear again halfway through our chat?
Herta crossed her arms, her delicate puppet joints clicking softly in frustration. Just as they had exchanged a few interesting theories, Leon had vanished into thin air again, leaving her itching with unresolved curiosity.
As one of the brilliant co-founders of the Simulated Universe project, Herta shared a burning desire to dissect and explore the deepest mysteries of the Aeons.
This massive project was originally established to analyze the Aeons and their respective Paths, and it had been progressing at a steady, predictable rate.
But recent, universe-shaking events made her realize that the Aeon data previously imported into the Simulated Universe might be fundamentally flawed. At the very least, the real Qlipoth would never cast their gaze so loudly and dramatically upon a mortal world.
She began to seriously wonder if it was time to completely overhaul the Aeon parameters within the Simulated Universe.
[Ruan Mei]: Herta, did you need something?
Leon did not reply to the message, but Ruan Mei did.
[Herta]: It is nothing, just asking about the progress of The Swarm Disaster.
[Herta]: Also... I could not find Leon earlier, so I wanted to ask if he was with you.
In a quiet, elegantly decorated cabin aboard their current vessel, Ruan Mei shifted her gaze toward the man lounging comfortably beside her.
"What is it?" Noticing her gentle stare, Leon looked up from his relaxed position.
"Herta is looking for you," Ruan Mei said, her voice smooth and calm.
"Oh, I see it now." Leon chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "She wants to know how I got Qlipoth to cast such a grand, obvious glance at Cocolia and the others back on Belobog. I told her I just mentioned it to Qlipoth in passing, but she refuses to believe me."
He shrugged his shoulders, putting on a perfectly innocent expression.
He was telling the absolute truth, but unfortunately, the genius puppet simply refused to accept such a ridiculous reality.
"If it were me... I would not believe it either." Ruan Mei shook her head, a light, melodic laugh escaping her lips.
After all, in the collective understanding of the entire cosmos, Qlipoth only cared about building their celestial walls, completely ignoring everything else in existence. Even a peerless genius like Herta was inevitably influenced by this deeply ingrained cosmic impression.
"Herta sent a video call request. Should I take it?" Ruan Mei asked, her fingers hovering over the holographic terminal.
"Either way is fine with me." Leon stretched his arms high above his head, popping a few joints. "By the way, we are almost at the Luofu, right?"
"Yes, almost. The docking application has already been submitted to the Xianzhou authorities," Ruan Mei confirmed as she tapped the screen to connect the call.
A handsome, knowing curve formed at the corners of Leon's mouth.
I have to say, Yukong's administrative movements are quite fast. Leon turned his head, looking out the viewport into the endless sea of stars. At this speed... I guess we will make it just in time?
Perhaps Tingyun might even get to see the last of her own funeral relics?
A moment later, Herta's familiar virtual image materialized before the two of them.
"Hi, it is the first time I have seen you in this specific form, Herta." Leon smiled, his eyes brightening slightly at the holographic projection.
"Leon, you really are here..."
Herta stared through the screen at Ruan Mei and Leon standing side by side in the cozy cabin. For some inexplicable reason, a highly subtle, highly irritating feeling suddenly popped into her synthetic heart.
For some reason, she felt a strange, entirely illogical sense of being cuckolded.
Strange.
She shook her head sharply, tossing aside the inexplicable human emotion.
"Let us not talk about that. How is The Swarm Disaster coming along?" Herta demanded, cutting straight to the professional chase.
Hearing the project's name, a very faint, beautiful smile appeared on Ruan Mei's elegant face. A researcher's characteristic focus and intense interest flickered in her serene eyes.
"The expansion module for the Simulated Universe is progressing smoothly. Data calculations are currently eighty-seven percent complete." Her voice was steady, carrying the weight of absolute academic confidence. "It is time to enter the active testing phase."
"I know, I know. I will contact Stelle and Caelus right away. They should be more than happy to help run the simulations." Herta waved her hand dismissively before turning her sharp gaze directly onto Leon. "By the way, you too. Leon, I hope you can participate in the testing as well."
She paused for a fraction of a second, her tone suddenly carrying a much deeper, calculating meaning.
"After all, you are a... very special sample."
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