Fu Xuan frowned the moment she saw the name Phantylia.
The Xianzhou Alliance didn't have much intel on this particular Lord Ravager.
They only knew she delighted in instigating civil unrest within civilizations, watching them spiral toward self-destruction.
Had she set her sights on the Luofu this time? If so, given her usual MO, which group was she trying to provoke?
The Alliance was a melting pot of three different species, boasting a massive population spread across several sprawling Flagships.
Naturally, internal opinions were often a chaotic cacophony. Even putting aside other matters, the fact that Fu Xuan had become an Emanator of a foreign Aeon while still gunning for the title of General had already ruffled some feathers.
Even Jing Yuan hadn't been spared from constant impeachment attempts due to his history with Dan Feng, Baiheng, and Jingliu.
In Fu Xuan's eyes, there were plenty of individuals and factions Phantylia could manipulate to great effect.
That was just within the Luofu; looking at the Alliance as a whole, the vulnerabilities were even more numerous.
A dangerous one indeed, she thought. Still, if 'Huohuo' planned to step in... well, she probably wouldn't take the direct approach.
[Nameless: For various reasons, I won't be killing her directly.]
[Fu Xuan: Understood.]
[Fu Xuan: Um, please try to keep the commotion to a minimum when you do act.]
[Nameless: Don't worry, I know where to draw the line. I'll just give her a good thwack from behind later.]
[Fu Xuan: That's... well, alright. I suppose that would be less disruptive.]
'Huohuo' smiled as she read the reply.
Phantylia clearly hadn't anticipated that Fu Xuan had been promoted to an Emanator. That news likely only circulated among the Alliance's top brass.
While there was a chance it might leak eventually, Phantylia certainly hadn't sniffed it out in such a short window.
If she had known this diviner had become an Emanator, she never would've been reckless enough to try her infiltration games on the Luofu.
Tucking her phone away, 'Huohuo' turned her gaze back to the gambling table.
Phantylia—disguised as Yuelong—was playing her cards while feigning curiosity, fishing for gossip about Celestial Jade entertainment.
She was subtly nudging the others at the table to ask about the Divination Commission and the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Despite being unaware that her companion was a fraud, Qingque's professional boundaries were rock-solid. She was cautious about what she shared, skillfully dodging any inappropriate topics. Seeing this, 'Huohuo' felt at ease and decided to keep playing.
As for Phantylia, she'd wait until the Lord Ravager was alone, then sneak up and deliver that "thwack." She'd already planned out how to craft Huohuo's upgrade.
She'd make a command flag for her—the kind that could transform automatically—then rip a piece of Phantylia's Heliobus essence out and stuff it inside.
It would be a smart, balanced tool for both offense and defense.
She even had a name picked out: the 'Ground-Severing Flame Flag.' Phantylia was a Lord Ravager of Destruction, after all.
Even a fragment of her true self would carry the weight of Destruction, making its offensive power peerless. At least for Huohuo, it would be second to none.
Back at the table, Phantylia felt an instinctive shiver run down her spine. Her heart skipped a beat again.
This time, it didn't feel quite as fatal as before, but it felt like some impending danger was closing in. On the surface, she remained stoic, but her internal composure was crumbling.
Once could be an accident, but this was twice.
Though less intense than the first time, it was clear someone had their eyes on her. Someone was plotting against her.
The sensation rankled.
She was always the one pulling the strings from the shadows; she never expected someone to be lurking in the dark, calculating against her.
Who could it be? According to Qingque, things on the Luofu had been peaceful lately, with nothing out of the ordinary.
Despite the hidden agendas, the game was actually quite lively. Qingque was having the time of her life, and 'Huohuo' was dominating the table—a true rising star in the world of Celestial Jade.
Eventually, after reporting for duty and logging the day's "miraculous" encounters, the real Huohuo arrived at Exalting Sanctum.
She was greeted by the sight of her double surrounded by a crowd of onlookers cheering her on.
Hearing the crowd roar things like "Huohuo, you're the GOAT!" made the poor girl cringe so hard she wanted to crawl into a trash can.
"T-This... wasn't I supposed to be keeping a low profile?" Huohuo clutched her head, shrinking into a corner to spy on her spotlight-stealing self.
Could she ever show her face in Exalting Sanctum again? If someone recognized her on the street, she'd probably just keel over and die of embarrassment.
'Huohuo,' caught up in the thrill of the game, had almost forgotten they were waiting for the real deal.
Even after getting the message, she played a few more rounds before realizing Huohuo should have arrived by now. After all, the starskiff ride shouldn't have taken this long.
Then, she spotted her—the real Huohuo, acting so suspicious in the corner across the street that she was actually drawing more attention to herself.
"..."
'Huohuo' barely stifled a laugh. Watching the social anxieties of others could be quite entertaining.
"Qingque, that's enough for now," she said, tapping the girl's shoulder and gesturing toward the street.
Qingque and Yuelong both looked up, spotting the green-haired "matcha cake" acting all shifty.
"Pfft... isn't that even more conspicuous? Alright, alright, my friend is here. I'm out after this hand."
Yuelong's brow furrowed. Others might have missed it, but she saw it clearly.
The green-haired Foxian crouching across the street looked exactly like the 'Huohuo' standing next to her.
Not just the face, but the clothes, the accessories, even the Heliobus disguised as a tail—everything was identical.
There was a problem. A big one.
Even if they were twins with a weird obsession for matching outfits, what was the deal with the Heliobus on the tail? As a Heliobus herself, Phantylia knew exactly what that ghostly fire represented.
The odds of identical twins being attacked by Heliobi at the same time, saved at the same time, and both having only their tails consumed were non-zero, but practically impossible.
A realization struck her—a possibility she hadn't dared to entertain before.
It was common knowledge (at least to her and the Alliance) that the newly ascended Aeon of Elation loved wearing other people's faces. And this Aeon had been particularly active around the Xianzhou Alliance lately.
Was it possible that one of these two Foxians was the Aeon in disguise?
Phantylia couldn't be sure which was which, but either way, she was now within a lethally close range.
Against the power of an Aeon, there was nowhere to run. For all she knew, they had seen through her long ago and were simply watching the "show" for a laugh.
Her expression nearly broke; a cold sweat broke out across her forehead.
Yet, she didn't dare make a move. As long as the other party hadn't acted, she might have a chance, but if she blew the whistle now, all bets were off.
She forced down her terror, silently playing her cards, hoping to wait until Qingque led the others away before making her own plans.
As for running now? Absolutely not. In a crowded area, the other party might hesitate, but if she bolted for somewhere secluded, she'd be served on a silver platter.
Phantylia finished the round as if sitting on a bed of nails, praying to whatever powers remained that she would be ignored and allowed to survive the day. She cursed her past self for choosing the Luofu.
She knew this was where the "target" first appeared. Why had she been so stubborn? She felt so disconnected from her past decision-making that she wanted to travel back in time and slap herself.
The game ended. Qingque stood up, vacating her seat.
"Let's head out."
"You could keep playing, actually. I can go meet her myself," 'Huohuo' suggested.
"Aw, if the boss is leaving, I'm leaving too! Besides, you said Huohuo struggles with a lot of internal stress. I think introducing her to a hobby is a great idea."
Qingque, a girl who never let stress touch her, felt a sudden surge of responsibility to "fix" Huohuo's social anxiety.
She decided to find a quiet spot and teach her a few rounds of Celestial Jade. Three players were enough for a tutorial.
"You head over first then," 'Huohuo' said, without explaining why.
Though puzzled, Qingque was nothing if not obedient. She chirped a goodbye and headed toward the real Huohuo. But while Qingque was all smiles, Phantylia was anything but.
The two of them had arrived together, and now the one with zero combat ability was being sent away first.
Why?
"..."
Before Phantylia could speak, she realized the other two players at the table had also stood up and left. Even the onlookers shifted their gaze away, acting as if the now-empty table didn't exist.
Phantylia's heart sank.
It's over. Am I even making it out of this parlor alive?
"Honored Aeon, I..."
The words had barely left her mouth when—BOOM! Flames erupted, and her physical form turned to ash, revealing her true Heliobus state.
The intense heat drew the eyes of the people nearby, but they showed no fear.
They merely grumbled about the heat, muttered that the green-haired Foxian looked like an exorcist about to start a fight, and quickly cleared the area to give them space.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL