"No wonder you're the famed Lady Bailu, your technique truly is something else!"
Daichi and Tingyun were walking along the bustling streets of the Central Starskiff Haven.
Unlike when they first entered the Alchemy Commission, there was now a small figure walking beside them Bailu, the little Vidyadhara doctor herself.
"You two sure enjoyed yourselves… ouch! My poor tail…"
The little dragon girl of the Alchemy Commission, the esteemed Lady Bailu of the Vidyadhara was holding her tail, eyes glistening with tears as she rubbed its tip pitifully.
"As thanks, let me cover Lady Bailu's fee this time!"
Daichi proudly produced a jade token.
It was the same one Jing Yuan had given him earlier, saying that whenever he needed to make a purchase, he could simply use this token and the Cloud Knight's Office would handle the rest.
"Really? Then I won't hold back!"
Hearing that someone else would foot the bill, Bailu's eyes sparkled.
She let go of her tail, lifted her small, radiant face, and looked up at Daichi with shining eyes as if to make absolutely sure.
When Daichi nodded, she immediately darted off toward a nearby food stall.
"Lady Bailu's still got plenty of energy! Wait for me, Lady Bailu!"
"Hey, don't call me 'Lady' after work hours! Just call me by name!"
"Alright, alright — wait for me then!" Tingyun laughed softly, following after her.
After all, Bailu's agreement to come along came with conditions as the Alchemy Commission's key figure and the Vidyadhara's most precious dragon, she had to be looked after carefully.
Daichi followed the two from behind watching them browse stall after stall, while he handled the payments.
He couldn't help but feel nostalgic, this scene reminded him of his high school friends.
His high school life was full of the same kind of vibrant life.
Vendors calling out, children laughing as they ran past, the chatter of pedestrians — all filled the streets with a lively warmth.
Not far ahead, Bailu was holding food in both hands one bag here, one skewer there constantly nibbling and munching while Tingyun helped carry the extras.
Tingyun held a cup of Immortal's Joy Tea and watched Bailu's cheeks puff up adorably, smiling the whole time.
"Mmm, mmm, mmm…"
Three quick bites to finish a skewer, then a sip of tea. Bailu's eyes narrowed in pure bliss, her face beaming.
"One bite of something tasty, one sip of sweet tea and a perfect day begins! If every day were like this, who'd have any worries left?"
Patting her full belly, Bailu nodded in satisfaction.
"Yup, I'm full!"
"Next, let's head to the teahouse and play!"
After circling around the stalls, Bailu led them back to the teahouse where she'd bought her tea.
Inside, not only was the storyteller Mr. Xiyan performing, but a group of local players were already deep in a session of Divine Jade Tiles.
The sound of storytelling drifted through the air today's tale was the hit story Chronicles of the Shattered Sword of the Xianzhou.
But on the other side, the clatter of tiles from several tables quickly drew Bailu's attention.
Compared to storytelling, this mind-sharpening, body-relaxing game was far more tempting to her.
The trio quietly watched a few rounds.
After a while, Daichi roughly understood the rules.
The gameplay wasn't too different from mahjong, and he was confident he could learn it quickly.
"Heh heh heh~"
Humming a cheerful tune, a twin-tailed brown-haired girl strolled in.
Finally, a break from work! She'd been waiting all day for this. Her old tile buddies were probably a few rounds in already.
Qingque bounced over to the gaming tables, greeted by familiar smiles.
"Qingque! You're late again! Don't tell me the Diviner caught you slacking off?"
"Probably tried to sneak out and got caught again!"
"Hah, same old Qingque still can't escape the Diviner's grasp!"
"Oh, you think you could do better?"
Qingque waved her hand with a grin. "You wouldn't last a day under her supervision! Anyway — still got room for one more?"
"You're too late, this table's full," said one of her friends as they placed a tile.
"But hey, maybe ask the dragon lady over there?"
They pointed in another direction ]where Daichi, Tingyun, and Bailu were observing a nearby game.
Qingque turned and immediately spotted Bailu.
"No way! That's really Miss Bailu!"
"Yup, looks like she's snuck out again. Hope she gets to play longer this time," one of the players chuckled.
But when they looked back, Qingque had already dashed off toward Bailu.
"Lady Bailu! Long time no see!"
Qingque popped up beside Bailu, greeting her enthusiastically before glancing at her companions.
"Oh! Tingyun, and uh…"
Daichi gestured to the device at his waist.
"I'm Daichi, and this is X."
[Hello.]
"Oh… uh, h-hello?"
Qingque blinked, startled. Her eyes darted toward the talking device.
"Eh?"
"Surprising, isn't it?"
Tingyun said with a chuckle.
"You'll get used to it."
Bailu wagged her tail lazily, while Tingyun tapped her chin in mild confusion.
"If I recall correctly… it's not quite the Divination Commission's off-hours yet, right? Shouldn't you be working, Miss Qingque?"
"Well, I finished my tasks for the day. So it's my free time now!"
Qingque puffed up proudly.
"Since I completed my quota within work hours, the rest of my time's mine to spend! So here I am!"
"The new, free Qingque has arrived!"
She spun once playfully, then pointed at an empty table.
"You three have been watching for a while, huh? How about we make a table of four?"
"Divine Jade Tiles? Yes, yes!" Bailu clapped eagerly.
Though she hadn't played before, just watching had been fun actually joining in sounded even better.
Tingyun smiled gracefully.
"I don't mind joining, but I've only played a few times, so please go easy on me."
Daichi nodded.
"Same here first time for me."
"No worries! I, Qingque the Great, will personally teach you everything you need to know!"
she said, thumping her chest confidently.
A few rounds later…
Tingyun placed her tile with a soft smile.
"Hmm… this should mean I've won, right?"
"Ah?" Qingque froze.
Bailu jumped up excitedly, her tail swishing as she knocked over her tiles.
"I won too!"
"Ah??" Qingque blinked in disbelief.
"Win."[Win.]
Daichi and X looked at Qingque's discarded tile, then calmly declared victory.
"Ah???"
"Won." "Won!" ["Win."]
Qingque stood frozen, mid-motion, as if struck by lightning.
This wasn't just a loss — this was a Psychological assault!
Three newcomers, four consecutive defeats. Her pride… shattered!
"Divine Jade Tiles is so much fun!"
Standing proudly on her chair, Bailu beamed.
Not only had she gotten to eat to her heart's content, she'd also discovered a wonderful new game tonight's dreams were sure to be sweet.
Tingyun gently waved her fan.
"Thank you for being so gracious, Miss Qingque. Thanks to you, we've learned how delightful Divine Jade Tiles can be."
"Ha… ha-ha… happy to… share the joy…"
[Daichi, is Miss Qingque okay? She looks… emotionally compromised.]
Daichi coughed.
"Let's just say… she's taking it hard."
Indeed, Qingque looked like her very soul had left her body.
But before anyone could say more—
"Qing—que—!"
"Eep!"
That voice — unmistakable. Color instantly returned to Qingque's face as she jumped in alarm.
Behind her stood a woman of similar stature, long pink hair tied into twin loops resembling rabbit ears, an emblem like an eye on her forehead, and an aura colder than ice — Fu Xuan, the Diviner Supreme herself.
"D-D-D-D-Diviner Lady Fu Xuan!"
"So, Qingque… enjoying your little game?"
"O-Of course, Lady Fu Xuan!"
"Oh? Even after four straight losses?"
"Ah… that…"
Tears welled in Qingque's eyes as she threw herself at Fu Xuan's leg.
"Lady Fu Xuan, please don't rub it in!"
She the restorer and so-called greatest player of Divine Jade Tiles had been defeated four times in a row… by beginners!
Four times!
If word got out, she'd never live it down.
People would point and say, "Isn't that the Qingque who lost four times to newbies?"
Her reputation — ruined!
Fu Xuan sighed softly.
"Since you've finished your work, I'll let this one slide. And don't worry, no one but us will know what happened here."
After all, everyone else was still busy with their own matches.
"Really?!"
Qingque immediately let go of her leg and bolted off in a blur.
"Honestly… faster than a rabbit."
Fu Xuan muttered, shaking her head.
Her gaze then turned to Bailu.
"Bailu, your attendant has been looking everywhere for you."
"Ah? Already? Time's up?"
Bailu looked up at the now-dim sky and let out a small, disappointed whine.
"In that case, allow me to escort Lady Bailu back."
Tingyun offered, taking Bailu's hand. She could tell Fu Xuan wasn't here just for Qingque.
"Ever the perceptive one."
Fu Xuan murmured as she watched them leave.
"If only Qingque were half as sharp…"
She sighed again.
"Such potential, that girl… wasted on laziness."
Then, turning back to Daichi, she sat down gracefully.
"Now then, it's just us. A formal introduction — I am Fu Xuan, Diviner Supreme of the Luofu Divination Commission."
"I already know your names, so let's skip the pleasantries."
Resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands, her eyes flickered between Daichi and X.
"Before you two appeared on the Luofu, my divination revealed a certain future one where Luofu was devoured by a colossal beast."
Her voice was calm, yet her words heavy with foreboding.
"In that vision, every being on the Luofu even the General's divine companion was swallowed whole by the creature."
"The mastermind behind it… was the Antimatter Legion."
Daichi frowned.
"So, you're asking X and me to face this 'colossal beast'?"
Fu Xuan shook her head firmly.
"No. That wasn't my point."
"In that vision… neither of you appeared at all."
"Neither of us?"
Daichi's hand instinctively rested on the X Devizer.
"Exactly. Which means your presence here has already erased that possible future."
She stood and looked at them both with a rare softness.
"So your arrival… gives me a strange sense of reassurance."
"Wait, Lady Fu Xuan."
Daichi called as she turned to leave.
Fu Xuan paused.
"Yes?"
"Can you tell me what that beast looked like?"
Fu Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly as she recalled.
"It resembled a massive, fanged serpent long, grotesque, standing upright on two hind legs. Its body… multicolored and chaotic. But what struck me most was its mouth — wide enough to devour anything."