Qingque let out a mischievous chuckle and ducked right behind 'Huohuo'.
Seeing this, Fu Xuan couldn't help but roll her eyes at the girl.
"I know you're looking for time off. Come over and sign this; I'll give you two days."
"Whoa... Are you still the same Master Diviner? Two whole days?!"
Qingque's eyes widened as she looked at Fu Xuan in sheer disbelief.
"If you're not satisfied, I can change it to half a day instead."
"No, no, no! I'm satisfied, totally satisfied! Hehe, here's your signature..."
Qingque briskly handed over the document. Once she saw Fu Xuan pen her name, her entire demeanor brightened like a burst of sunshine.
She whipped around toward 'Huohuo', uncontrollably throwing her hands up as if to pounce into a hug to vent her excitement:
"Hehe, Boss, I love you to death! I'm free—!!"
"Qingque! Mind your image within the Divination Commission!"
"Uh, haha..."
Stopped in her tracks by Fu Xuan's sharp reprimand, Qingque froze awkwardly with her hands still raised.
She met 'Huohuo's' gaze with a sheepish grin, feeling a wave of heat rush to her cheeks.
Standing behind her, Fu Xuan sighed helplessly.
She knew Qingque was immensely talented, but with this lack of decorum, how on earth was she supposedly more fit to be a General than Fu Xuan herself?
Ever since Fu Xuan had learned of Qingque's future possibilities, she had been observing this subordinate—who was always preoccupied with slacking off and playing cards—with newfound seriousness, all while balancing her promotion and training.
Fu Xuan hadn't breathed a word of this thought to anyone.
But when she first heard that the position Qingque would inherit was that of her own senior sister, Yao Guang, her first thought was:
What exactly did Yao Guang see in Qingque that made her pass over her own junior sister for this successor?
After their interactions during this period, however, Fu Xuan could confirm that Qingque's talent was indeed the real deal. It was just her personality that Fu Xuan found impossible to manage.
It wasn't that Qingque was bad at her job; if anything, every task handed to her was finished flawlessly. But it was that "good enough is enough" attitude that Fu Xuan simply couldn't stand.
Fu Xuan knew she shouldn't hold others to her own exacting standards, but even by a commoner's yardstick, this girl was squandering her gifts.
She was the type who could achieve double or even multiple times the results of others in the same timeframe.
Yet, Qingque preferred to spend only a fraction of her energy to reach a result that barely kept pace, then used the remaining time to slack off and enjoy herself.
The girl wasn't even interested in getting a hundred percent before slacking; her philosophy was "sixty is a passing grade, and that's plenty."
If it weren't for the power 'Huohuo' had granted her earlier, and the assistance from Yao Guang after the secret was out, Fu Xuan didn't know how long it would have taken to find where Qingque's limits truly lay.
Especially after Fu Xuan learned that Qingque's acquired ability was cloning.
She had barely restrained herself from contacting 'Huohuo' to ask for a similar power.
And seeing Qingque's "persistence" in using those clones just to play cards, Fu Xuan felt a twinge of envy toward the girl's carefree nature.
She even began to speculate if it was precisely this lightheartedness that had caught Yao Guang's eye.
After all, her senior sister had acted quite nonchalant herself after learning she might face a major crisis in a few decades.
Based on the face 'Huohuo' had taken when transforming, the version of Qingque who became General wasn't particularly old—certainly not a hundred years older than she was now.
Meanwhile, her senior sister Yao Guang was nowhere near the onset of Mara. For a succession of the General's seat to occur in such a short window on the Yuque...
On one hand, Fu Xuan cared about what traits in Qingque were being valued. On the other, she pondered what event would befall the Xianzhou Yuque in the future to cause Yao Guang's abdication.
Using the power 'Huohuo' had given her, Fu Xuan relied on her Third Eye to collaborate with Yao Guang. Their combined calculations pointed toward the Phantasmoon Games of Planarcadia.
According to the timeline, the next Phantasmoon Games were indeed scheduled for several decades from now. The timing matched.
But because it involved an Aeon's game directly under Aha, Fu Xuan couldn't glean any further useful information beyond the name.
Initially, Fu Xuan had been anxious and worried. For a Xianzhou General in their prime to suddenly step down, it usually implied a tragic fall.
But Yao Guang wasn't just calm; she was actually looking forward to it. There wasn't a hint of concern for a life-threatening crisis in her eyes—only the thrill of "seeking fortune amidst danger."
To that, Fu Xuan was utterly speechless.
The succession of a General was a matter the Xianzhou Alliance couldn't take lightly, but with no further leads, they couldn't make extensive arrangements. They could only send people into Planarcadia for long-term investigation and preparation.
Fu Xuan didn't intend to report these matters to 'Huohuo'. These were classified secrets of the Alliance, and as a matter of professional ethics, it wasn't right to disclose them to an outsider.
Watching Qingque and 'Huohuo' depart, Fu Xuan dove back into her work.
She kept 'Huohuo's' earlier advice in mind, but much of why Fu Xuan was this way stemmed from her past. Obtaining the Third Eye had made pain her constant companion, and her master's prophecy had made reality hard to face.
Burying herself in work was partly a search for a way to change her destiny, and partly a way to numb herself and escape reality.
Though her fate had been shattered and her pain had vanished, habits built over hundreds of years weren't going to change overnight.
--+--
On the other side.
Walking out of the Divination Commission with 'Huohuo', Qingque asked about the real Huohuo.
"When is that Foxian lady, the real Huohuo, coming?"
"She's still reporting on her work. It'll take a bit longer. You..."
"Cards! I must play cards immediately!"
Qingque was blunt and didn't hesitate for a second. It wasn't that she only loved cards, but she had been playing far too little lately.
She could always squeeze in some time to read a casual book, but card games required a solid block of time. The measly breaks she had been getting felt less like quenching a fire and more like fanning the flames.
'Huohuo' laughed. This was exactly the Qingque she expected.
The two of them headed to the parlor in Exalting Sanctum that Qingque frequented. Thanks to the rise of Celestial Sparrow Entertainment, the parlor had expanded significantly in a short time.
Seeing Qingque arrive, many regulars chuckled and called out to her as "CEO Qingque."
'Huohuo', following behind, drew plenty of stares. She didn't mind; after all, very few people would recognize Huohuo's face here anyway.
Qingque simply introduced her as a new friend she'd met recently, and once she mentioned they were there to play, most of the onlookers dispersed.
Lately, Qingque had brought many people into the hobby—mostly staff from the Divination Commission or the Seat of Divine Foresight.
'Huohuo' was more than happy to join in. She sat down at the table with a smile and started playing.
It was clear that while Qingque was the talk of the town on the Luofu lately, her name still didn't carry as much weight in this parlor as Celestial Jade itself.
At most, people would drift over to watch or chat when she rotated out of a game.
The real Huohuo hadn't messaged her yet. Just as 'Huohuo' thought she'd be playing for a while longer, a woman entered the parlor and appeared behind Qingque.
The woman glanced at 'Huohuo' sitting next to Qingque, then smiled and placed a cup of Immortal's Delight by Qingque's hand.
"Qingque, back at the tables again today, I see."
"Oh! What a rare guest! I thought you said you were buried in medical studies at the Alchemy Commission. You actually have time for cards?"
With that, Qingque turned to 'Huohuo' with a smile to introduce her:
"Let me introduce you. This is Yuelong. She's from a remote world, studying at the Alchemy Commission. Her skills are top-tier—a very tough opponent."
"Hello. Nice to meet you."
Yuelong reached out a hand toward 'Huohuo' with a beaming smile, her eyes sparkling with a carefully masked curiosity.
"..."
'Huohuo's' expression turned subtle as she curled her lips into a faint smile, briefly shaking the woman's hand.
"Hello, I'm Huohuo."
Phantylia... is her luck just terrible today?
She should have stayed put in the Alchemy Commission.
To think she'd be out wandering, and of all places, right in front of her. The kicker was that she actually knew Qingque. That was... surreal.
Since she had made contact with Qingque, there was no way Fu Xuan's Third Eye hadn't noticed something. Before being empowered, Fu Xuan might have missed it, but now she was an Emanator—and a multi-Path hybrid one at that.
Fu Xuan might not see the true form immediately, but she definitely should have sensed that something was off about this "Yuelong."
Is there another plan in motion? I'll ask Fu Xuan later.
Thinking this, 'Huohuo' withdrew her hand and smiled at Yuelong. "Want to take the next round? I could use a break."
"Sure, thank you, Miss Huohuo," Yuelong replied with a friendly smile, every gesture radiating approachability.
She quite convincingly let her gaze flicker toward the flaming tail behind 'Huohuo', showing a perfectly measured amount of curiosity.
A masterclass in acting.
A moment later, the round ended. 'Huohuo' stood up, yielded her seat, and retreated behind Qingque to watch. Meanwhile, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Fu Xuan.
[Nameless: Do you know a person named Yuelong?]
[Fu Xuan: ...]
[Fu Xuan: I do. She hasn't bothered you, has she?]
[Nameless: Not really. She came to play cards with Qingque. Just checking.]
[Fu Xuan: I see. I was planning to see what she's actually up to and gather more intel. So far, I only know she belongs to the Destruction, but her specific identity is unclear.]
[Nameless: It's Lord Ravager Phantylia. She appeared on the Abundance battlefield before.]
[Fu Xuan: ...]
[Fu Xuan: Understood. Do you want to make a move?]
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL