Tingyun twitched her ears, then cupped her hand beside her mouth, leaning in close to whisper:
"I've heard that the general plans to crack down harder on the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. He might even use this incident as a reason to extend an invitation to you, benefactor. You should be careful."
Her warm, moist breath, carrying the lingering fragrance of freshly brewed tea, lent her an added air of scholarly refinement.
She deliberately leaned closer to Sylvia, almost as if she meant to press her entire body against her, creating an intimate and alluring atmosphere.
If they weren't currently at the Sky-Faring Commission, Sylvia would've definitely grabbed that big, fluffy tail of hers and given it a good rub.
"You're worried about me? You should be more concerned about yourself. If the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are targeting you, it definitely won't stop at just kidnapping and extortion."
Sylvia's firm tone piqued Tingyun's curiosity.
"Does the benefactor know something about this?"
"Are you familiar with the Lord Ravagers?"
"Lord Ravagers? You mean the heralds of the Ruin Author? This humble one doesn't know much... Only that there are seven in total, but not their names."
Tingyun pondered briefly; she truly knew very little about this subject.
Then, her expression shifted slightly. She lowered her voice again, leaning close to Sylvia's ear to ask in a hushed, urgent tone:
"Could it be... that there's an Emanator of Destruction behind the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus this time?!"
Even someone as well-traveled as Tingyun couldn't help but change color at this.
After all, the Emanators of Destruction were notorious, their legends speaking only of ruin. Had they set their sights on the Luofu now?
"Aren't you even going to doubt it?"
"This humble one believes her benefactor wouldn't joke about such matters."
Tingyun's answer came without hesitation, so swift it almost felt like she was trying to convince herself, making Sylvia glance at her with surprise.
"Why is the benefactor looking at this humble one like that?"
"I know that one of the Emanators of Destruction is a life form similar to a Heliobus. That particular one is skilled at operating from the shadows to destroy civilizations before dispatching armies to reap the spoils. The Disciples' actions resemble her methods quite closely."
As she listened, Tingyun grew puzzled. After all, the identities of Emanators were notoriously difficult to uncover.
How did her benefactor know such detailed information? It was rather curious.
But everyone had their secrets, and Tingyun naturally wouldn't press further.
As for the Heliobi, she had read about them in some miscellaneous texts, so she nodded and said: "This humble one will be careful. Thank you for the information, benefactor."
Sylvia didn't particularly care whether Tingyun truly believed her. She intended to repeat these words when she met Jing Yuan later.
The Master Diviner could verify her stance and discern the truth.
She wasn't worried about Jing Yuan refusing to help. If anything, since Phantylia had set her sights on the Luofu, Jing Yuan would have to thank her for the intelligence.
"It's nothing. Let's not dwell on that for now. I recall you mentioning before, Tingyun, that you used to frequently visit the Alchemy Commission for massages?"
"My, could the benefactor be jealous?"
Upon hearing this, Tingyun burst into laughter. Then, unhurriedly, she explained:
"The one who gives this humble one massages is Lady Bailu of the Alchemy Commission, known as the Healer Lady. Lady Bailu's hands are quite small, but her skill is extraordinary. In this humble one's opinion, she ranks second."
As she spoke, Tingyun cast a glance at Sylvia, seemingly hoping she would take the bait. Sylvia, however, merely smiled, lowered her head to take a sip of tea, and nibbled on a pastry.
This earned her a series of light, playful thumps from Tingyun's delicate fists.
Tingyun, never much of a fighter, didn't possess much strength anyway—it came off more like coquettish whining.
Then, seizing the perfect moment to stop, Tingyun ceased her tapping and glared at Sylvia as if offended.
"The benefactor is truly wicked, deliberately ignoring my cue and leaving this humble one embarrassed."
"Ah, how could that be?"
"Could it be that the benefactor wishes to meet the Dragon Lady?"
Of course, Tingyun wasn't actually angry. A quick turn of her eyes and she'd guessed why Sylvia had suddenly brought this up. Sylvia saw no need to hide it either and stated plainly:
"I've heard some rumors, so I am a little curious. But would it be appropriate for an outsider like me?"
"The Dragon Lady is a physician. What physician would turn away guests? The benefactor need not worry."
As she spoke, Tingyun paused abruptly. This time, her folding fan tapped Sylvia beneath the chin, while her other hand held a pastry up to Sylvia's lips.
Her cunning fox ears twitched restlessly, and her tail went thump-thump-thump against Sylvia's slender waist.
"Being cooped up in the Sky-Faring Commission handling official business every day lately has been so stifling. It's enough to drive one mad. How about another day, the benefactor takes this humble one out for a stroll to relax a little? I could conveniently take you to meet the Dragon Lady then."
Sylvia grimaced slightly, her waist tickling unbearably. She squirmed a few times but couldn't escape the tail's assault.
Left with no choice, she reached out and grabbed the large, fluffy mass of tail fur.
"Ah~ Benefactor…"
Tingyun's face flushed crimson. With her tail captured, her assertive demeanor instantly softened, all her previous bravado vanishing.
Fortunately, they were shielded by the table, with a wall behind them, so no one noticed what was happening in this corner.
Otherwise, people might surely wonder what Sylvia was doing to Tingyun.
"Your tail fur looks a bit messy. Let me smooth it for you~"
Sylvia blinked innocently, playing dumb, then deliberately steered the conversation away from the tail.
"So, in a couple of days when you're free, we can go out for a stroll?"
"…"
Tingyun stared at Sylvia pitifully, but Sylvia remained completely unmoved, even going so far as to rub the tail more vigorously a few times.
"This humble one agrees, alright? Please, benefactor, let me go…"
Hearing this, Sylvia blushed a little herself. What kind of talk was that? What kind of talk!
If anyone overheard, where would she hide her face?
Feeling unsatisfied, Sylvia gave the tail a few more firm rubs before finally releasing Tingyun.
--+--
After leisurely enjoying afternoon tea at the Sky-Faring Commission, Sylvia was just preparing to leave when she suddenly received a message from Qingque.
[Qingque: Girl, what in the stars did you DO today?! The old Master Diviner wants me to take you to the Seat of Divine Foresight TOMORROW to see the general (ΩДΩ)?!]
Even through the screen, Qingque's shock was palpable.
She'd just spent the day playing Celestial Jade—how had her foreigner friend suddenly been elevated to meeting the Luofu's highest authority at the Seat of Divine Foresight?
If Qingque hadn't hastily cast a divination for the next day's fortune, she'd have thought her card-playing buddy had committed some celestial crime.
Sylvia chuckled. Tingyun, catching a glimpse of Qingque's name, asked curiously:
"Is Miss Qingque inviting you to play cards again?"
"No. Fu Xuan has asked Qingque to take me to the Seat of Divine Foresight tomorrow."
While replying to Qingque's message, Sylvia continued speaking to Tingyun:
[Sylvia: Fu Xuan didn't tell you? It's nothing really. I just taught a few brats a lesson, and it turned out their parents were Cloud Knights. So I ended up dealing with them too.]
[Qingque: ?]
[Qingque: Don't scare me like that, sis. You'll make me doubt my professional skills. Is tomorrow going to be super unlucky or something?]
[Sylvia: What nonsense! What kind of nonsense is that? I did you all a favor by taking care of those Cloud Knights. Your general will be thanking me tomorrow.]
[Qingque: ???]
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.