Fu Xuan had fallen into a state of confusion.
With her current state of mind, she was unsuited for divining fortune and misfortune.
Her very existence was to predict auspicious and inauspicious events for the people, to discern good from ill. From the course of the Xianzhou down to the policies of the people's livelihood, decisions were being made at every moment, steering this colossal ship through the unfathomable waves of fate.
Yet now, Fu Xuan herself did not know where her own judgment would lead her.
But resigning from the post of Grand Diviner was absolutely impossible.
The replacement of such an important position, without a just and necessary reason, would cause turmoil throughout the Xianzhou.
Moreover, the Xianzhou was not peaceful at present; conspiracies swirled and undercurrents churned in the shadows.
Therefore, Fu Xuan decided to give herself a vacation.
Fu Xuan stood before the Star-Rail Astrolabe of the Divination Commission, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the silver-threaded trigrams on her cuffs, the starlight in her eyes uncharacteristically dim. She turned to face her subordinate, who stood waiting with a bowed head. Her voice was as cool as ever, but it carried a trace of imperceptible sluggishness.
"This Seat must enter closed-door cultivation for several days to comprehend the anomalies in the star-rails. All matters within the commission shall be handled temporarily by all of you according to the Celestial Regulation Scroll, Chapter Seven."
"If you encounter an undecided divination... you may burn the 'Insight Incense' to inquire of heavenly secrets. Be cautious and do not make arbitrary judgments."
"Elder, take this command talisman and assume the duty of patrolling the Matrix of Prescience."
Finally, Fu Xuan's stern gaze fell upon Qingque in the corner, her tone seemingly laced with ice.
"Qingque, you are to maintain the daily operations of the great matrix. If the matrix's core deviates by even a hair's breadth—think about how this Seat usually disciplines you."
Qingque thought to herself, Is the Grand Diviner seeking personal revenge under the guise of official business?
But she could only step forward and accept the order with a bowed head.
After all, maintaining the great matrix was a task for the most ordinary of Diviners like herself.
Although Qingque could counter with, "Grand Diviner, you wouldn't want what happened in that other world to be known, would you?" using such a threat too often would diminish its deterrent effect.
It could even backfire.
For now, the best outcome was for the two of them to interact as if "nothing had ever happened."
If she had to endure some petty hardships, so be it.
Hmph, hmph, if worse comes to worst, I'll just get my revenge in Lord Ye Feng's world, she thought.
After settling the affairs of the Divination Commission and sending a coded jade abacus message to the General to report the situation, Fu Xuan began her "closed-door cultivation."
But though it was called "closed-door cultivation," it did not actually involve imprisoning herself within a meditation chamber.
Fu Xuan understood that doing so would only allow her "inner demons" to flourish.
The best method now was to travel abroad, using a journey to cultivate her true self.
Simply put, it was to travel and relax her mind.
It sounded like she was slacking off, but for the extremely responsible Fu Xuan, how was this not another form of tempering?
The experience was no easier than the "tempering" Qingque had subjected her to with the red rope in the pavilion.
But, it was a necessary step.
If she could not quiet her mind upon her return, then perhaps she would truly have to start looking for a successor ahead of time...
On the night before her departure, Fu Xuan performed one more divination for herself.
However, the tortoise shell cracked, and a fragment cut her fingertip.
Her expression grew solemn, the golden trigrams in her eyes shattering inch by inch.
"One dares not divine to the end, for fear of Heaven's capriciousness..."
"It is not the stars that are lost, but the one who holds the scales."
The Grand Diviner stood at the center of the trigrams, the star charts on her robes resonating with the matrix's patterns.
Fu Xuan sighed and boarded the long-voyage starskiff.
Passing through the Jade Gate, the colossal Xianzhou became a backdrop against the cosmos.
Fu Xuan rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the real starry sky. A thought couldn't help but surface in her mind: Now that I've left the Xianzhou, will I still be able to go to Lord Ye Feng's world?
Immediately after, Fu Xuan felt ashamed for even having such a thought.
Really, what if I can? What if I can't?
But speaking of which, a large part of the reason she was leaving the Xianzhou to "cultivate her mind and body" alone in the cosmos was to avoid that scoundrel Qingque.
However, the proud Fu Xuan was unwilling to admit this.
She would not admit it, not even to herself.
Fu Xuan shook her head, dispelling the damp-like悸动 from her heart.
Although this trip was a "vacation," it also had a purpose.
Ruan Mei.
A scholar of gentle and elegant temperament, member #81 of the Genius Society.
Ruan Mei was an expert in the field of life sciences. Fu Xuan had once read a quote from her: "Humans overestimate logic too much; clinging to rationality will make one a slave to emotions."
How to control her emotions was precisely the problem Fu Xuan urgently needed to solve.
Of course, there were many experts in emotional regulation in the universe. For example, the Memokeepers, who could "erase" any sorrow, or the clocks on Penacony that could directly regulate emotions.
However, none of these met the Grand Diviner Fu Xuan's standards.
A wise one who has met Dr. Primitive must naturally "seek guidance" from someone of equal qualification.
More importantly, Fu Xuan believed that people like them would "keep secrets." Even if they perceived the reason for her disquiet, they would turn a blind eye.
Furthermore, according to her calculations, Ruan Mei was also a potential ally of the Xianzhou.
As a recluse who rarely appeared in public, there were few records of Ruan Mei's appearances. The fact that her trail had left even a faint trace on the Xianzhou was proof of this.
Even on this journey, Fu Xuan's heart was still with the Xianzhou.
But she didn't know Ruan Mei's location. She could only travel among the stars, relying on scattered records and a roughly divined direction.
If she could find her, that would be for the best.
If not, then she would truly treat it as just a trip.
---o---
"Tsk tsk tsk, how did you get to full?"
Ye Feng looked at the pink progress bar above Kiana's head and couldn't help but laugh teasingly.
It was late at night. Mei, filled to the brim with essence, had already fallen fast asleep.
Ye Feng helped the wobbly Little Bug to the bedroom next door.
"..."
Kiana bit her lip, saying nothing.
Her face was flushed, and her body was trembling, as if from extreme anger.
"Little Bug, I wasn't wrong, was I? You're just a little yellow bug who gets excited seeing Mei in that state."
"...N-No, I didn't!"
"Then how did the progress bar get full? Hmm?"
"I—"
Kiana instantly thought of something, and her throat seemed to constrict as she fell silent.
Because everything had been fine before.
Alright, she was a little excited seeing Mei, but it was definitely not as depraved as that dog bastard Ye Feng made it sound.
The progress bar had been consistently suppressed below one-fifth.
Kiana was very clear on this point.
As for when it had skyrocketed...
She was also very clear on that.
It was when she saw Ye Feng "submit" to Mei that Kiana's progress bar became completely unstoppable.
So, what could Kiana say?
Could she say it was because she got excited seeing him?
Absolutely not!
What a great shame and humiliation!
The honor and glory of the Kaslana family were weeping!
Although Kiana had a childish temper, Ye Feng could be quite understanding.
He looked at Kiana's constantly trembling body and couldn't help but think of the restraint Little Bug had shown these past few days.
Ye Feng patted Little Bug's head and said gently, "Holding it in is bad for your body."
"Ha?"
"Damming is inferior to dredging, and dredging is inferior to guiding."
"??"
"It means: when dealing with a problem, one should prioritize channeling over blocking. But channeling is inferior to actively guiding, allowing things to develop naturally and harmoniously. In short, suffer whatever you must, but don't suffer from being pent-up. Little Bug."