The moment Jing Yuan addressed Jingliu the way he did—
the Seat of Divine Foresight fell into instant silence.
Yanqing was the first to freeze.
The young sword prodigy's eyes widened as he stared at Jingliu, then at his general in disbelief.
His master's master?
Wouldn't that make her his grandmaster?
Fu Xuan was stunned too.
All the formal words she had prepared got stuck in her throat, and shock was written all over her delicate face.
The former Sword Champion of the Luofu. The legendary swordswoman. The one said to have fallen into mara long ago and vanished without a trace—
Jingliu?
March 7th and Stelle exchanged baffled looks, having no idea what was going on.
Only Welt pushed up his glasses, wearing an expression that clearly said, So it really is as I thought.
Meanwhile, Cecilia stood to one side, watching this master-and-disciple reunion unfold with great interest.
"Master really has been gone for a long time," Jing Yuan said at last, recovering his composure quickly, though his voice still carried a trace of complicated emotion.
And that wasn't all. He had just noticed something else, something rather astonishing.
His master's condition seemed... remarkably good?
As the general of the Luofu—and an elderly one at that—Jing Yuan was intimately familiar with the aura of mara.
Yet this master of his, who had already entered mara eight hundred years ago, now seemed astonishingly lucid.
He had only ever sensed this sort of state in General Huaiyan.
At that moment, Cecilia finally spoke.
"You must be Lady Fu, the Master Diviner. Hello, my name is Cecilia. Wen Liang introduced me."
"So you're Cecilia?" Fu Xuan finally snapped out of her daze.
But if she was the physician Wen Liang had invited, why was she together with Jingliu?
Yes—both Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan had already noticed.
From the subtle way the five of them were positioned, it was obvious they were not all one single group.
"Mhm. A few things happened on the way, so I was delayed for a bit."
"And as luck would have it, I happened to run into Miss Jingliu here. She was in a little trouble, so I lent a hand."
The moment she said that, Jing Yuan understood.
He immediately turned to Cecilia.
"So you're Miss Cecilia."
"After hearing Lady Fu speak of you, I've been looking forward to your arrival."
Fu Xuan was dumbstruck.
Looking forward to her? Since when? Didn't you not even bother reading the message on your jade abacus?
But Jing Yuan had already strode forward, his face full of warm enthusiasm, and cupped his hands politely toward Cecilia.
"I've long heard of your name. Lady Fu said you possess heaven-shaking skill and can treat mara. Seeing you in person today, I can tell at once you are no ordinary woman."
Cecilia looked at the Luofu general, who had suddenly launched into full performance mode, and let the corners of her lips curl upward.
Looks like Jing Yuan had guessed it too—her current master's condition had something to do with her.
"You flatter me, General. I'm only a physician. I'm not that miraculous."
Jing Yuan did not press the matter. He only gave her a meaningful look, then turned toward Fu Xuan.
"Lady Fu, as one of the pillars of the Luofu, would you and Yukong be willing to take full responsibility for receiving our guests from the Astral Express?"
Fu Xuan understood immediately. Though she was a little annoyed that this hands-off general was once again dumping trouble onto her—
considering that Jing Yuan really did seem to have personal business to attend to, she said nothing.
"Since it is the general's आदेश, I will naturally comply." Fu Xuan accepted, then turned to Welt and the others. "Since you've come from afar, why not accompany me to the Divination Commission and rest there for a while? As it happens, I also have some matters regarding the Stellaron to discuss with you."
Welt adjusted his glasses, glanced between Jingliu and Jing Yuan, then nodded. "Then we will trouble you, Master Diviner."
March 7th was still confused. Tugging at Stelle's sleeve, she whispered, "What is going on? That ice-cold big sister is actually the general's master?"
Stelle replied blankly, "The older someone is, the messier their network of relationships gets."
"You say that like you're young."
"...Fair point."
The group followed Fu Xuan out of the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Yanqing remained where he was, looking from Jing Yuan to Jingliu, clearly unsure whether he should stay or leave with Fu Xuan.
"Yanqing," Jing Yuan said, "stand guard outside. Without my order, no one is to enter."
"Yes, General."
Yanqing accepted the command and withdrew. But before leaving, he couldn't help sneaking one more glance at Jingliu.
So this was the legendary former Sword Champion?
The swordswoman who had supposedly stood unrivaled on the Luofu eight hundred years ago?
A flicker of yearning flashed through the young swordsman's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and respectfully shut the doors behind him.
Inside the hall, only Jing Yuan, Jingliu, and...
Cecilia remained.
Jing Yuan looked at Cecilia, curiosity in his gaze.
By all rights, this should have been a private reunion between master and disciple. The physician ought to have excused herself.
Yet, considering that she might well be the one who had saved his master, it felt inappropriate to simply leave her standing there.
"Master, this Miss Cecilia...?"
Jingliu fell silent for a moment, as though considering how best to explain her current relationship with Cecilia.
But Cecilia answered first.
"I'm Jingliu's guardian. She's under my care now."
The expression on Jing Yuan's face instantly became rather colorful.
"Guardian?"
For a moment, he felt like his brain had stopped working.
"Master... what exactly does Miss Cecilia mean by that?"
Jingliu glanced at Cecilia expressionlessly, but did not deny it.
She only said flatly, "...For the moment, that is indeed the case."
That nearly made Cecilia laugh out loud.
Looks like her PUA efforts over the past few days really had paid off.
See? Jingliu could now openly acknowledge her guardian status in front of others.
Wonderful. Congratulations all around.
On the other hand, Jing Yuan still looked like he hadn't fully processed it.
"Miss Cecilia's methods are... truly extraordinary."
Cecilia smiled gently. "You overpraise me, General. Jingliu just happened to need help, and I just happened to be able to provide it. That's all."
"That's all?" Jing Yuan cast Jingliu a long, meaningful look.
Jingliu met his gaze without expression.
Master and disciple locked eyes for a moment before Jing Yuan was the first to look away.
"Very well." He sighed softly and lifted a hand. "Since Master does not wish to say more, then I will not force the matter. Only..."
He paused, then looked at Jingliu seriously.
"I would still like to know why Master has returned this time."
The question was far too direct—so direct that the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew heavy.
But there was no helping it.
As the general of the Luofu, Jing Yuan could not allow personal feelings alone to make him overlook Jingliu's return.
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 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
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 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
Uma Musume: From Beginner 26
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