With heavy dark circles under his eyes, Yu Xian trudged into the Divination Commission beside Qingque, ready—or rather, forced—to start another day of work.
The sun was dazzling. He was dying inside.
Listlessly, Yu Xian stared out the window, sighing yet again.
Such was life. No matter what happened the night before—no matter how exhausted he was—he still had to drag himself to work like nothing was wrong. Otherwise, he'd have to face Fu Xuan's special brand of affection:
salary deductions, canceled bonuses, or being "randomly" assigned the most miserable jobs in the Commission.
Sigh…
Last night, he and Qingque had simply gone too far—mentally exhausting, physically draining, and now painfully evident in his every movement.
But really, what could he have done? When things had escalated that far, it would've been absurd to push her away just because he had work the next day.
Yawning, Yu Xian rubbed his sore lower back and immediately regretted letting his thoughts drift.
A wave of embarrassment crept up his neck.
"Seriously… how does someone that short have that much stamina?"
He thought back to the night before. He clearly had the upper hand at first. Yet somehow, by the end, he was the one exhausted and gasping while Qingque was still perfectly fine.
That second half of the "battle" had turned into a complete reversal—Qingque, tireless and merciless, had pinned him down and taken control.
Damn it!
Yu Xian scowled.
He was a Masked Fool, strengthened by the Pathstrider's blessing—how could he possibly lose to her in stamina?
Then it hit him.
"Oh. Right. She's Xianzhou native—born under the Abundance's blessing."
He slumped in defeat.
Ah, Xianzhou natives. Long-lived, tireless, absurdly resilient.
In lifespan, Qingque would outlive him tenfold. In endurance, her body recovered faster than he could tire out.
Was this the unbridgeable gap between short-lived and long-lived species?
No.
No way. This was just a temporary setback. One day, when he ascended to Abundance Emanator, he'd repay this humiliation in full.
When that time came, with an Emanator's immortal stamina, he'd turn the tables—and she'd be the one begging for mercy for three days and three nights.
Thud.
A sudden sound snapped Yu Xian out of his spiraling thoughts.
A steaming cup of coffee had just been set down firmly on his desk.
He blinked.
No one in sight.
Then he looked down.
Pink hair. Small stature. Severe expression.
"Master Diviner…? You brought me coffee? I'm honored, truly—"
Fu Xuan crossed her arms and huffed. "Hmph. You look half-dead. I foresaw this would happen after whatever you were doing last night. If I didn't intervene, you'd slack off all day."
She pushed the cup closer, eyes narrowing. "Drink it. It's to wake you up—and to regulate your health."
Yu Xian tilted his head. "Regulate my health? With coffee? Don't tell me, Master Diviner, you… added some kind of tonic to it?"
"Tch. As if you deserve that," Fu Xuan snapped, rolling her eyes.
Honestly—what was wrong with this man's imagination?
She, the Master Diviner of the Luofu, was buried in work day and night. With chaos brewing across the ship, she barely had time to rest, let alone fuss over one low-level clerk's condition.
And yet… she had still found time to check on him. To personally bring him coffee.
That alone was an act most diviners would faint over.
But this idiot actually thought she'd drugged it?
Ridiculous.
Still, even as she glared at him, a quiet sigh escaped her.
She had, in fact, prepared that coffee herself—after stopping by the medical clinic. She had the medicine added. Quietly.
Medicine to strengthen the body, to keep his fragile, short-lived form from collapsing too soon.
Because if Yu Xian were to die young—no, prematurely, by Xianzhou standards—it would be a loss not only for Qingque, but… for her as well.
After all, she could already see it clearly: Yu Xian was a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. In time, his divination ability could surpass even her own.
It would be a waste to let such a talent fade away.
---
Fu Xuan rose onto her toes and leaned forward, one hand braced on Yu Xian's desk as she patted his shoulder with the other.
Her voice softened.
"I simply value your talent, Yu Xian. I won't let something as trivial as poor health ruin it."
She paused, her tone turning calm but proud.
"I've already seen your future. As long as that frail, short-lived body of yours doesn't betray you, you'll become a diviner whose power even I cannot match."
A faint smile touched her lips, eyes shining with expectation.
"Both you and Qingque have the potential to surpass me one day. But Qingque is still immature—it'll take her centuries to reach that level."
She straightened her posture, her gaze steady.
"So, a few years from now, when the time is right, I intend to pass down the title of Master Diviner, along with the Omniscia on my brow… to you."
"Under your divination, the trillions of lives aboard the Luofu will surely sail toward a brighter future."
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A/n: While I am a new translator, I have a Patreon! While it may be a bit empty right now both this and the other book on my page has advanced chapters posted on patreon.
patreon.com/deadlygoober