After an inadvertent display of casual flexing at Herta City, 'Georios' once again left that chibi-proportioned Aeon vessel behind.
Ruan Mei and Herta decided to continue their research at their own pace. After all, the methods 'Georios' employed were fundamentally non-human; trying to mimic them was an exercise in futility.
However, when Herta heard that 'Georios's' next stop was the Xianzhou Luofu—intending to take a section of the Ambrosial Arbor's root system before returning to the boundaries of IX—her expression grew notably somber.
Fortunately, she didn't lash out in the end. She simply told 'Georios' to hurry up and go wherever she was going, and to stop being an eyesore.
To 'Georios', who had already categorized Herta as a classic tsundere, these words carried zero sting.
In fact, she found it quite adorable. It was a shame she couldn't say that out loud; if Herta knew she was being thought of in such a way, she'd likely explode on the spot.
Anyway, after bidding farewell to Ruan Mei and Herta, 'Georios' gave Jing Yuan a heads-up and set off for the Luofu.
Out of politeness, and because they weren't particularly close, the Phase Flame didn't plunge directly into the Luofu's delve. Instead, it manifested outside the starport, drifting inside at a leisurely pace.
The welcoming party this time was a bit unexpected.
Yingyue, the High Elder of the Luofu, was anticipated—after all, his presence was required to open the seal on Scalegorge Waterscape.
But the tiny figure standing beside him, Fu Xuan of the Divination Commission, was a surprise.
The moment Yingyue saw 'Georios', he didn't waste words. He stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Yingyue, High Elder of the Luofu, greets Madam Bai Ming."
"It has been many years, hasn't it? But why the formal bow? I don't recall ever saving your life," 'Georios' said with a smile, looking at the current Vidyadhara High Elder, who had once been human.
Yingyue was a man of few words and struggled to find a concise way to explain his feelings.
"The kindness shown all those years ago... I never found the chance to thank you in person. This is long overdue."
Standing to the side, Fu Xuan remained silent. She hadn't been on the Luofu for very many years, but as the Master Diviner, she had heard whispers of the past.
There hadn't been much overlap between Yingyue and Madam Bai Ming, but it was common knowledge that without her intervention back then, the fates of those individuals would likely have been far more tragic.
'Georios' didn't press the issue.
If he wanted to bow, let him; it wasn't as if it cost her anything.
"Fu Xuan, Master Diviner of the Luofu Divination Commission, greets the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions."
Unlike Yingyue, this was Fu Xuan's first meeting with 'Georios'.
Even though Jing Yuan had told her she could just use her name, Fu Xuan insisted on the formal title, her tone heavy with respect and a certain, indescribable yearning.
"There's no need for those titles to my face. Just call me by my name."
"..."
Fu Xuan pursed her lips, thought it over, and finally nodded in agreement.
The three of them soon boarded a pre-arranged starskiff, quickly leaving the port and flying toward Scalegorge Waterscape.
On the skiff, Fu Xuan offered a brief explanation.
She and Yingyue would accompany 'Georios' throughout the trip to ensure no "short-sighted individuals" caused any trouble.
Even today, the Vidyadhara were not entirely united in their stance toward 'Georios'.
There were still extremists who resented the decisions made by Xuanquan. While they weren't a serious threat, there was always the risk of them disturbing her peace.
Hence, Fu Xuan's presence. She could provide early warnings and let the Cloud Knights handle any disruptions.
Yet, for some reason, Fu Xuan kept stealing glances. She would pretend to look away, then sneak a peek out of the corner of her eye before quickly snapping her gaze back.
Or, during conversation, her eyes would wander, drifting away from 'Georios' only to drift back moments later.
It was obvious she was trying very hard to suppress her emotions and maintain her cool, but she wasn't quite succeeding.
It was... a bit strange. Fu Xuan didn't usually have this kind of personality.
Is it because of my status as the 'Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions'? Is she just uncomfortable? 'Georios' figured that was the most likely explanation.
Most people didn't have experience hanging out with an Aeon, and the default reaction was usually one of stiff reverence.
Plus, it was their first meeting. 'Georios' was familiar with Fu Xuan, but the feeling wasn't mutual. Nervousness was only natural.
With that thought, 'Georios' viewed Fu Xuan's unease with gentle indulgence.
If she had just arrived in this world and suddenly had to share a starskiff with Nanook to give him a tour of the Space Station, she'd be a nervous wreck too.
As for Yingyue, he was a man of few words, mostly just nodding along with Fu Xuan.
Amidst this slightly awkward atmosphere, the trio arrived at Scalegorge Waterscape.
Yingyue took two steps forward, his draconic features becoming strikingly pronounced.
A turquoise dragon tail emerged from behind him as his Cloudhymn Arts beckoned an invisible force, causing the entirety of Scalegorge Waterscape to tremble.
'Georios' watched Yingyue with curiosity. In the original timeline, Bailu hadn't inherited the full suite of powers and couldn't control the seal until Dan Heng's return. But Yingyue seemed different.
His Cloudhymn magic flowed smoothly, and he bypassed the complex seal on his first try. Aside from his aura being a notch weaker than a "true" High Elder, he didn't seem much different from Dan Feng.
Did the Transmutation Arcanum that Imbibitor Lunae messed with actually result in a 'Critical Success' this time?
"Did you inherit the High Elder's powers along with all those messy memories?"
"No. I never met the Dragon of Permanence in my dreams. This Cloudhymn magic... I learned it myself."
So, Yingyue's answer confirmed it wasn't a total success. Aside from his innate power, he hadn't inherited the memories. He had simply mastered the Cloudhymn arts through sheer talent.
"Fair enough. I thought the Transmutation Arcanum might have actually worked perfectly for once."
"..."
Both Yingyue and Fu Xuan met that comment with silence. On the Luofu, that incident was a taboo subject not to be spoken of lightly. Only someone like her could bring it up so casually without anyone daring to object.
Seeing that neither of them was biting, 'Georios' realized talking to herself was boring. She shrugged and headed deeper into the Waterscape.
The process of retrieving the Ambrosial Arbor root went smoothly. Or rather, while the root was withered, it wasn't entirely dead.
The Luofu had been very proactive in purging the lingering Nihility energy from the ship back then, which meant the root hadn't been thoroughly eroded and still retained some vitality.
She wondered if a Stellaron could still revive this particular root.
As 'Georios' cut a medium-sized section and tucked it into her silver ring, she pondered the limits of a Stellaron's power.
Maybe I should find a Stellaron and try to jumpstart this thing?
Eh, I'll worry about that later.
Musing over her plans, 'Georios' followed Fu Xuan and Yingyue out of Scalegorge Waterscape. Once the seal was resealed, Yingyue excused himself, citing business with the Vidyadhara, and took his leave.
'Georios' had intended to depart as well, but Fu Xuan invited her to the Seat of Divine Foresight.
"Long time no see, Madam Bai Ming. Was your trip to the Luofu satisfactory?"
Jing Yuan was there to greet them, a familiar easygoing smile on his face.
"Satisfactory enough. Master Diviner Fu is quite efficient; I like her style."
The moment the words left her mouth, Fu Xuan uncharacteristically showed a hint of embarrassment. The blush on her face was faint but unmistakable.
This left 'Georios' even more confused. If Fu Xuan was nervous because of her status, that was one thing—but she wasn't the type of person to get flustered over a simple compliment. Was this normal?
Perhaps the confusion on 'Georios's' face was too obvious. Jing Yuan looked at Fu Xuan, then back at the puzzled 'Georios', and a mischievous glint entered his eyes.
"Madam Bai Ming might not be aware, but Fu Xuan's mentor was the Master Diviner of the Xianzhou Yuque. That mentor once prophesied that they would die at Fu Xuan's own hands."
"Wait—Jing... General!!"
Fu Xuan seemed startled, snapping her head up to glare at Jing Yuan, nearly forgetting her formalities in her panic.
Jing Yuan simply maintained his smile and gave her a look.
"Diviner Fu, rather than being so coy, it's better to just speak plainly. Madam Bai Ming doesn't visit the Xianzhou often; you might not get another chance to say this to her face."
"..."
Fu Xuan went silent and nodded, though her face remained flushed.
At this point, 'Georios' realized exactly where Jing Yuan was going with this.
"That day, when the Denizens of Abundance pressed their advantage, the Alliance's divinations couldn't find a single path to survival for the Fanghu. But Diviner Fu came up with a plan: to use the Cloudpeer Telescope to summon a strike from the Reignbow Arbiter."
"The price for the Reignbow's descent is immense. Not only would the Fanghu suffer devastating losses, but the person operating the mirror would have no chance of survival."
"And the only one capable of operating it was the Yuque's Master Diviner. In other words, if you hadn't stepped in that day, the Yuque's Master Diviner would have died because of Fu Xuan's plan."
Jing Yuan paused, giving 'Georios' a knowing wink. "So, to her, you are the person who changed both her destiny and her mentor's. And at that time, you hadn't even ascended to Aeonhood yet."
"..."
As Jing Yuan finished, Fu Xuan took a deep breath and turned to look at 'Georios'.
"I apologize. Since that day, you have been nothing short of a savior in my heart. Being able to meet you today... my emotions were a bit difficult to restrain. I am deeply grateful to you for saving the Fanghu, and for saving my teacher."
"At the same time, you made me realize one thing: the fate of this world does not always follow a single path."
The look Fu Xuan gave 'Georios' was complex.
Most notably, she had dropped her usual self-referential "this Master Diviner" for a simple, humble "I."
This massive departure from her usual persona made 'Georios' think Fu Xuan was truly precious.
If it weren't for the fact that they had just met, she probably wouldn't have been able to resist pulling the Master Diviner into a hug.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL