"Thank you for your assistance, members of the Astral Express. I am the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission—Fu Xuan. The fugitive shall now be handed over to me."
The Xianzhou Luofu, Stargazer Navalia...
After an 'exhilarating' battle, Kafka of the Stellaron Hunters, realizing she was outnumbered, ultimately chose to surrender voluntarily and submit to arrest.
"Master Diviner of the Divination Commission? Such a tiny one?" March 7th stared incredulously at the pink-haired girl standing before her, who was a full head shorter than herself.
If she remembered correctly, the Divination Commission was one of the Six Charioteers, equal in status to the Sky-Faring Commission, right? So why was the leader of such an institution a little girl?
"March, mind your manners," Welt quickly interjected. Though they were guests who had come to assist, speaking so disrespectfully on someone else's turf was hardly appropriate...
Just as Welt had anticipated, Fu Xuan—who had always detested comments about her height—crossed her arms and frowned in displeasure upon hearing March 7th's words.
"Oh? Do you have some grievance with this one's stature? How about this—shall we settle it with a spar?"
"Ah? N-no, no! My apologies, that was out of line. Sorry, Master Diviner Fu Xuan!"
Realizing how impolite her words had been, March 7th hurriedly apologized. She had merely blurted it out in momentary surprise.
Joking aside, Fu Xuan had risen to prominence among the tens of billions of residents of the Xianzhou Luofu to become the head of one of the Six Charioteers. Her strength was absolutely not to be underestimated. Unless March pulled out the bow Yun Fan had gifted her, she probably wouldn't stand a chance.
"Hmph. Since you've apologized sincerely, this one shall make an exception and forgive your rudeness this once. Should there be a next time, do not blame this one for being unsparing."
With a light snort, Fu Xuan turned and left Stargazer Navalia with the captured Kafka in tow, leaving the Astral Express crew with 'dignity.'
"Hahaha... Sorry about that. The Master Diviner isn't usually like this. She just really dislikes it when people mention her..." The speaker glanced surreptitiously in the direction Fu Xuan had departed. Only after confirming she was gone did they continue in a hushed tone, "...mention her height."
"Got it, got it..." March 7th scratched her head awkwardly. After all, she had been the one to speak out of turn.
While March 7th chatted with the stranger, Welt seemed to notice something. His gaze lingered on the girl for a moment before he finally spoke up. "Might I ask who you are, miss?"
"Me? I'm Qingque, just an ordinary diviner from the Divination Commission. I'm in charge of managing and organizing the books."
Indeed, the newcomer was none other than Qingque. For some reason, despite being in the middle of a paid long vacation, she had suddenly received a summons from Fu Xuan, demanding she assist in apprehending the Stellaron Hunter.
Worse still, Fu Xuan hadn't even given her a chance to refuse. Reluctantly, and with great sorrow, Qingque had to tear herself away from Yun Fan's warm embrace and return to her nine-to-five grind.
"Just an ordinary diviner from the Divination Commission? My apologies for overthinking things." Welt shook his head slightly.
"Mm. Here's my contact info, as well as Master Diviner Fu's. She left in such a hurry that I think the old—ahem, esteemed Master Diviner probably forgot to provide it. If you have any questions, you can reach out to her directly. Of course, you could also contact me, but... hehe~ I'd recommend just going straight to the Master Diviner."
After finishing her business, Qingque skipped merrily out of Stargazer Navalia, heading home. Now that the Stellaron Hunter had been captured, did that mean her involvement was over? If so, then—
Buzz buzz…
A vibration came from Qingque's pocket. After some fumbling, she pulled out her brand-new Jade Abacus.
The moment she saw the message on the screen, her cheerful expression crumpled into one of utter despair.
"Huh...? No way..."
Meanwhile, back at Stargazer Navalia, the Trailblazer team...
"Mr. Yang, what's wrong? Was there something off about that person just now?"
After Qingque left, Stelle—who had been quietly observing—noticed Welt's troubled expression and stepped forward to ask.
"Nothing major. I was just thinking... the Xianzhou Luofu truly lives up to its reputation as one of the universe's greatest powers. It's a place where dragons and tigers hide among the common folk."
"Dragons and tigers? You mean... that diviner named Qingque?" Stelle stroked her chin, as if piecing something together from Welt's words.
"Precisely. Unless my eyes deceive me, that diviner named Qingque is likely far stronger than Fu Xuan, the Master Diviner herself."
"Eh?!" x2
March 7th and Stelle's eyes widened simultaneously as they gasped in shock. An ordinary librarian diviner was stronger than the Master Diviner? Was this like those 'hidden masters in the library' from novels?
"Indeed, this diviner named Qingque is likely a Emanator-level powerhouse, much like the Arbiter-General Jing Yuan. No wonder Jing Yuan claimed they were fully prepared."
With two Emanators holding the line, forget a Stellaron—even if a Lord Ravager were to descend upon the Luofu, the ship would have the means to suppress them. In hindsight, the Astral Express's assistance was little more than icing on the cake, not a lifeline in desperate times.
"Then, Mr. Yang, where do we go next?" March 7th's voice pulled Welt out of his thoughts. After weighing their options, the elder man finally spoke. "We've completed Jing Yuan's request. Let's return to the hotel for now. As for matters on the Luofu... we'll observe and wait."
——————————————
"La la la~ la la la~"
The next day, in Penacony's Dreamjolt Hostel, Yun Fan was happily preparing for his outing. Though this was merely an energy avatar that didn't require grooming, he still preferred the sense of ritual.
Witnessing this scene, our dear Miss Sparkle lounged on the sofa with her legs crossed, her eyes filled with disdain and scorn.
"Tch. You really are a scumbag, huh? The moment you get a new lover, you forget the old one. What, has it only been a few days, and you've already coldly abandoned me to chase after that wingéd girl from the Annihilation Gang? Is Sparkle not sexy enough for you?"
Hearing this, Yun Fan's humming paused. He turned to Sparkle with a peculiar look, his gaze sweeping over her before he curled his lip slightly and resumed his incomprehensible tune.
"Tch!"
Though Yun Fan didn't say it outright, Sparkle understood his meaning perfectly. A vein pulsed on her forehead as she seethed inwardly: Fine, fine! You dare look down on Sparkle like this? Just wait—when you go on your little 'date' with that wingéd girl, I'll make sure you regret it!
Once Yun Fan left, our dear Miss Sparkle rose from the sofa and rummaged through a pocket dimension, pulling out an outfit she hadn't worn in ages.