Luofu, Seat of Divine Foresight.
Fu Xuan sat before the divination platform the general had specially installed for her. On the jade abacus in front of her was a message she had just received.
[Cecilia has arrived on the Luofu, but has not reported to the Divination Commission. Her current whereabouts are unknown.]
At the sight of it, Fu Xuan frowned.
This Cecilia had clearly said she would be visiting today, so why had she arrived and then failed to report in?
She pinched her fingers and cast another calculation, trying to determine the other woman's location from the scattered clues she had on hand.
But the result only left her more perplexed.
Her location… at the Starskiff Haven?
That area had already been sealed off. It was crawling with Abundance monstrosities. What was she doing there?
As Fu Xuan was still mulling it over, another short message lit up on the jade abacus.
[The Astral Express has arrived and is currently on its way to the Seat of Divine Foresight.]
Fu Xuan's brows drew even tighter together.
The Astral Express—the Nameless of the Path of Trailblaze—had come too?
What in the world was going on with the Luofu lately? Why was every faction under the stars converging on it?
First there was the unresolved Stellaron crisis, then the Cecilia that Wen Liang had pushed onto her, and now the Astral Express as well…
Fu Xuan had the growing feeling that there had been far too many strange incidents on the Luofu recently.
Just as she was about to cast another divination, the doors to the Seat of Divine Foresight suddenly opened.
A tall figure strolled in.
"Lady Fu, why are you sitting here all alone, looking so troubled? Have you run into some difficulty?"
The newcomer spoke in a lazy tone, his steps unhurried, his long ash-gray hair hanging loose over his shoulders.
It was none other than the Divine Foresight's general of the Luofu, Jing Yuan.
Fu Xuan glanced up at him and said irritably, "What's this? The general finally remembered that this is his Seat of Divine Foresight?"
Jing Yuan chuckled, walked to her side, and casually picked up a dossier from the desk. "How could I forget?"
"I only just got back. I haven't even had time for a sip of water, and I hear your side is lively today, so I came to take a look."
He paused, then turned his golden eyes toward Fu Xuan with a half-smile.
"I hear you've invited a physician from outside?"
Fu Xuan's hand stilled for a moment. "General, did you not read the message I sent you on the jade abacus? I already reported this to you."
And not only that—he had even replied with a "Got it"!
At that, the smile on Jing Yuan's face froze for a brief instant, then he gave a light cough as if nothing had happened. "Well… matters have been rather busy lately. Quite a backlog has piled up on the jade abacus."
Fu Xuan looked at him expressionlessly. "So the general didn't read it at all. You simply replied 'Got it' on reflex?"
"…Lady Fu overthinks."
"Heh."
Fu Xuan was too annoyed to pursue the matter further. Instead, she said, "The physician's name is Cecilia. Wen Liang recommended her. According to him, her medical skill is practically miraculous—she can even deal with mara."
Jing Yuan arched a brow. "Mara?"
That was not exactly a topic one spoke of lightly.
But when he thought of a certain old friend who had only recently returned to the Luofu and was now languishing in Shackling Prison, Jing Yuan suddenly felt that perhaps this could become an opportunity for release.
After setting the dossier back down, he did not continue questioning her about the physician. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, Lady Fu, did you know that things seem rather lively in Starskiff Haven today?"
Fu Xuan's brow twitched. "What exactly does the general mean?"
"Why, the guests from the Astral Express, of course. Yukong already informed me. They're a famous faction across the galaxy, after all—that's why I hurried back."
Fu Xuan nodded.
So that was it. The general had returned because of the Nameless?
That made sense, really. Over the past few days, he had been nowhere to be seen, while all matters across the Luofu had been left entirely in her hands.
And what about the general himself?
A perfect absentee manager. He might as well hand over the general's seat to her already!
The more Fu Xuan thought about it, the angrier she became, though because of their respective positions, all she could do was grumble inwardly.
Jing Yuan seemed not to notice her mood in the least and continued his leisurely pacing through the hall.
"Lady Fu, I hear the disciples of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have been very active recently?"
"Yes." Fu Xuan suppressed her irritation and answered seriously. "The Realm-Keeping Commission has already arrested some of them, but there are still more hidden in the shadows. Those rats—"
Before she could finish, the main doors of the Seat of Divine Foresight opened again.
A cool, clear voice sounded from outside.
"General, the guests from the Astral Express have arrived."
The newcomer was Yanqing, Jing Yuan's disciple and the Luofu's prodigious young swordsman.
The boy stood straight and proud, a sword at his waist. There was an unmistakable edge of arrogance in his bearing, though before Jing Yuan he remained entirely respectful.
Jing Yuan raised his brow. "Oh? Speak of the devil and he arrives this quickly?"
Turning toward Fu Xuan, he said with a smile, "Lady Fu, would you care to come and meet them with me?"
Fu Xuan rose to her feet and smoothed her sleeves. "Since they are guests of the Luofu, naturally I will receive them."
A short while later, in the main hall of the Seat of Divine Foresight—
March 7th, Star, and Welt stood inside, taking in the grandeur of the building.
At their side were Cecilia and Jingliu.
Yes—Cecilia and Jingliu had come along as well.
After all, as far as Cecilia was concerned, this visit to the Luofu was always going to involve contact with the authorities sooner or later.
As for Jingliu?
Originally, she had had no intention of coming. She had yet to reunite with Luocha, and the leverage she had prepared was still nowhere on her person.
But there was no helping it. She was weaker than Cecilia, so for now she could only follow wherever the other woman led.
In any case, the current general of the Luofu was once her disciple. Since when did masters fear their disciples?
As the group waited, a lazy voice drifted in from deeper within the hall.
"Welcome to the Luofu, friends of the Astral Express. Jing Yuan regrets that he was unable to greet you personally. I hope you will forgive the discourtesy."
Jingliu looked toward the source of the voice, her expression blank as she stared at the face ahead—familiar, yet also strangely unfamiliar.
And Jing Yuan, of course, had already noticed Jingliu.
The moment he stepped into the outer hall, his gaze fell upon that cold white-haired woman.
At a single glance, his steps slowed.
That figure. That posture. That sword-like presence, sharp as ever even though it was being deliberately restrained.
Far too familiar.
This was… his master?
But how was that possible? Since when had his master joined the Nameless? How had he heard nothing of it?
And then Jingliu was the one who broke the silence first, offering Jing Yuan a greeting.
"It has been a long time, Jing Yuan."
"…Yes," Jing Yuan replied softly. "It has been a long time, Master."
Join here to read ahead.
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