Over the last three days, Wei Qing took the time to wander the Luofu again.
This place he'd lived in for nearly three centuries.
The Xianzhou Luofu was hosting a long-awaited grand celebration. Starskiffs crisscrossed the skies like weaving threads, envoys and guests from across the Alliance gathering in droves. The starport and districts like Changletian were livelier than ever—noisier, brighter, more prosperous.
It was as if the ancient Luofu were making the most solemn preparations for an era about to begin.
For once, Wei Qing had "stolen" a few days of leisure.
He didn't stay in the General's Manor grinding through the ever-growing mountain of documents. Instead, General Teng Xiao waved his hand and blocked everything for him, calling it "letting the old man stand the last watch properly."
Wei Qing put on plain clothes, and just like when he first arrived three hundred years ago, he walked the streets without a destination.
The marketplace of Changletian was still boisterous. Storytellers spat out words with flying foam, performing freshly invented routines about "General Wei Qing slaying Shuhu," whipping the crowd into roaring applause.
At the Artisanship Commission in the Central Starskiff Hub, the smiths hammered without pause—apparently rushing to craft something for the festivities.
In the Cloudford, vendors shouted warmly, their wares more dazzling and plentiful than usual.
From afar, Wei Qing glanced toward the Artisanship Commission. Yingxing was probably buried inside again, working himself to the bone—maybe forging some kind of succession gift for him.
As for Dan Feng, that guy was likely still pulling overtime to restore the seal at the Abyssal Verge.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, Wei Qing also paid a visit to the two geniuses—Herta and Ruan Mei.
After all, their help to the Luofu really had been significant, and he'd already promised cooperation and research support.
But with the succession ceremony imminent, he had "important duties" on his shoulders. There still wasn't time to play "lab rat."
In the end, under Herta's furious interrogation, Wei Qing could only grit his teeth and make one last guarantee:
After the succession ceremony was over—so long as he remained the Luofu's general for even a day—
he would unconditionally cooperate with any research they wanted to conduct.
At last, he climbed up to a high platform near the starport and leaned against the railing, looking out.
The boundless star sea unfurled before his eyes. Vast ships drifted like migrating whales.
Below, the Luofu—this immortal vessel carrying countless years and stories—was breathing again with vigorous life.
"Three hundred years ago, when I first came here, all I wanted was to find some quiet corner and coast through life," Wei Qing murmured, the corner of his mouth lifting into something complicated. "Who would've thought… I'd coast and coast—and end up coasting into becoming this ship's boss."
Fate really was absurd in a way that made you laugh.
"Yo! Isn't this our soon-to-be-inaugurated Great General Wei Qing?" a bright, playful voice rang out behind him. "Why are you up here sighing at the stars all by yourself?"
No need to turn around. It was Bai Heng—and as usual, she'd brought company.
Sure enough, when Wei Qing turned, Jingliu's cool, composed figure was there, along with Jing Yuan's face—lazy smile included.
"You practicing for the loneliness of being a general?" Jing Yuan teased, a bag of snacks from Changletian dangling from his hand.
Wei Qing turned with a grin. "Yeah. I'm trying to brew that 'standing above all, chilled to the bone' aura. Shame you three ruined it."
Bai Heng giggled. "Oh, spare us. Like we don't know you. Want us to really let you 'chill' and see how long you last?"
Jing Yuan took a bite, talking around the food. "Exactly. Don't make your Yuan-bro laugh. But hey—after this, we're gonna have to rely on you to look after us, you know?"
"You're going to be the Luofu's general. Shouldn't you raise our pay?"
"Shameless." Wei Qing laughed and pretended to kick him.
Jing Yuan dodged like a fish and slipped behind Jingliu.
Jingliu stood with her arms folded over her sword, and for once, there was the faintest smile on her face. "Ignore them. How do you feel?"
The question came out of nowhere, but Wei Qing understood perfectly—she meant the weight of taking the general's seat.
"Honestly," Wei Qing let the joking fade a notch as he looked down at the bustling Luofu, "it doesn't feel real. Like the moment this burden drops on my shoulders, my days of slacking off are—gone forever."
"Greater ability, greater responsibility," Jingliu said, concise as always. "With the Luofu in your hands, we're all at ease."
Bai Heng scooted closer and slapped Wei Qing on the shoulder. "Exactly! From now on, we're eating and drinking good under General Wei Qing!"
"Jingliu'll be your number one hitter. Jing Yuan can be your scheming advisor. Me… I'll wave the banners and cheer, and record your heroic bearing!"
"Oh—and Yingxing and Dan Feng, those two. Hmph. Those two little scrubs can just follow me around."
Jing Yuan poked his head out from behind Jingliu. "Hey, hey—why am I the 'scheming advisor'? I could be the peerless prodigy!"
"Because you look like the type who'd slack off the moment nobody's watching," Bai Heng shot back, completely righteous.
The two of them dissolved into another round of bickering and laughter.
Then Jingliu spoke again, her tone quieter.
"What's wrong with you?"
Wei Qing blinked. "Huh?"
"I can feel it," Jingliu said. "Your mood today isn't right."
She paused, then added more plainly, as if she were labeling a sword stance. "You don't look… happy."
Wei Qing forced a smile, a little awkward. "Maybe it's just that—even now—I'm not ready to be a general."
Jingliu didn't understand. "But this was decided long ago."
From the day she first met Wei Qing—back when she taught him the sword—she'd already known Teng Xiao was grooming him as his successor.
Looking at it now, the general's judgment had been right.
The boy from back then had become one of the most terrifying existences in the entire universe.
"Yeah," Wei Qing echoed softly, something unreadable hidden in his voice. "It's been decided a long time."
"It's just…" He trailed off, then continued, quieter. "When it finally arrives, it still feels sudden. Like an exam you've prepared for forever—no matter how well you studied, your heart still pounds right before you walk into the room."
He turned toward the three friends beside him—only to realize that, at some point, two of them had vanished without a trace.
He didn't bother chasing them down.
Instead, he asked Jingliu a question that sounded almost random.
"Jingliu… if I hadn't come to the Luofu back then, what do you think I'd be like now?"
Jingliu hesitated, puzzled, but answered sincerely in her own way.
"Were you aiming to become a roaming patrol ranger?"
She looked him over and said with rare certainty, "It fits you."
"With your temperament… if you hadn't come to the Luofu, you probably would have become a patrol ranger."
"Unbound. Drifting through the star sea. Drawing your blade when you see injustice… That suits the laziness and chivalry in your bones."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 126)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter134)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 87
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 79
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 73
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 49
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 45
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 45
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 31
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 27
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 26
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