Noticing Lan's gaze shifting toward her, the 'Qingque' smiled and gave a casual wave.
"Just borrowing the image of a certain future General of the Yuque, don't mind me."
"..."
Lan was momentarily speechless.
Could a dignified Aeon not find something productive to do? Had she been infected by Aha's nonsense?
To think that despite being an Aeon, she'd still mess around with these mortal playthings.
Whatever.
Lan withdrew THEIR gaze.
Bai Ming wasn't a bad person, and besides, this wasn't the first time. Since it would likely pass in a while anyway, Lan didn't pay it much mind.
Compared to that previous incident where a Lightning Lord had been blackened by the Propagation, simply copying a Kālacakra Skyplume this time was practically nothing.
Seeing Lan look away, Bai Ming waved goodbye once more.
She glanced at her panel:
--+--
[Roleplay System]
[Name: Bai Ming (Qingque)]
[Lifespan: ∞]
[Transformable Characters: Big Herta, Acheron, Celenova, Jingliu, Ruan Mei, Sparkle, Hertatomb, Lord Ravager - Jingliu, Young Herta, Robin, Artoria, Cipher, Georios, Cyrene - Fuli (Charging: 23.2%), General of the Yuque · Qingque (Active)]
[Available Pulls: 8 (65.2%)]
--+--
At the thought of what was to come, 'Qingque' couldn't suppress a snicker.
She wondered if little Qingque would still be able to slack off peacefully at the Divination Commission once the name of "Boss Que" resounded throughout the Luofu.
Amused by her own mischievous thoughts, 'Qingque' ignited the Phase Flame with a smile and set off for the Xianzhou Luofu.
This time, however, she didn't notify Jing Yuan. Instead, she chose to keep Qingque's face and simply wander the Luofu.
While she was at it, she figured she'd head to the Divination Commission and try to kidnap Fu Xuan.
The moment she landed, 'Qingque' looked around. Above the heads of everyone in her sight, omens of fortune and calamity flickered.
Lately, the Luofu had been quite peaceful; for the most part, the signs were auspicious. Even the occasional unlucky soul didn't seem to be in any real danger.
After all... not only had Dan Shu's best friend survived, but her congenital defects had been cured. With the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus losing their leader, there was practically zero chance of them resurfacing in the world.
Dressed in Luofu-style attire and wearing a local face, 'Qingque' walked through the crowds completely unnoticed.
She drifted all the way to where the parlor stood in the game, only to find that the game being played on the Luofu wasn't Celestial Jade yet.
Was it not promoted yet, or had Qingque not managed to recreate it?
'Qingque' stood on the sidelines for a while. The gambling itself was dull, but the onlookers were discussing some rather interesting topics.
"Hey, did you hear? A few days ago, the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions manifested at the Alchemy Commission and cured someone of congenital blindness and deafness. Word on the street is that some alchemist begged for it in person for their friend."
"That sounds fake as hell. That's a literal Aeon we're talking about. Clearly, the Arbiter simply couldn't bear to see human suffering and stepped in to help."
"What do you know! My neighbor is an alchemist at the Commission; he told me himself!"
"Psh, so what if he's an alchemist? Tons of people were at the Alchemy Commission that day. How many actually saw the Arbiter with their own eyes? I bet your neighbor is just blowing smoke!"
Even though several days had passed, many people on the Luofu were still buzzing about the Originium curing blindness and deafness.
Initially, 'Qingque' had only intended to treat the blindness, but since it all boiled down to inputting information into the brain, she had fixed the deafness along with it.
According to the chatter, Dan Shu and her friend had reported directly to Jing Yuan. Using the General's name, the news of the Originium had been spread among those with physical disabilities.
Naturally, the name of the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions was promoted alongside it. As a result, nearly every hot topic on the Luofu lately revolved around this.
'Qingque' didn't care much for the titles. She was busy thinking about what else she could add to the Originium, which was currently just an empty shell.
Leaderboards and rewards were a possibility, but researching the Elation Equation was just too difficult. She needed to add other forms of entertainment to keep the momentum going.
Celestial Jade was a solid choice. Or perhaps she could introduce card games or pet battle games, using the Originium to construct lifelike holograms.
As for the rewards, that was easy enough.
Blindness and deafness weren't the only ailments in the world. There was a mess of various conditions out there; while the universe had sophisticated solutions for most, not everyone could afford the medical bills.
So, she could offer something like "Wish Points." They could be used to cure illnesses, gain wealth, and so on—all of which could be achieved through the power of Elation.
As long as the rewards weren't too outrageous, it wouldn't be a problem.
She had plenty of ideas, but the workload was too much for 'Qingque' to handle alone. She needed to start a company and experience the life of "Boss Que" for real.
Step one: Kidnap Fu Xuan.
Step two: Find the real Qingque and drag her into the business.
With that, 'Qingque' turned and left the parlor, hailing a starskiff to head toward the Divination Commission.
Meanwhile, Fu Xuan, who was buried in work at her desk, suddenly paused.
Her Third Eye had caught a glimpse of some very strange imagery.
For reasons unknown, a rookie diviner from the Commission named Qingque had come to her door, asking if she wanted to become her Emanator.
Then, things got even weirder.
The Third Eye, which should have been flawlessly accurate, could only show fragmented images this time. She couldn't even make out the specifics of the conversation.
"...Has my Third Eye malfunctioned?"
Fu Xuan touched the eye on her forehead. The endless, throbbing ache above her brow was the same as ever.
The moment she looked away from anything involving Qingque, the visions returned to their usual clarity.
This led Fu Xuan to a certain conclusion: Qingque herself was definitely the problem!
But what was so special about this girl?
Fu Xuan's impression of Qingque was merely that of a newcomer at the Divination Commission.
She had decent potential, but as a fresh face in the workplace, she was clearly suffering under the weight of her duties.
While Fu Xuan's meticulous nature had allowed her to spot the anomalies in Qingque's past transcripts, it only proved the girl was clever. It didn't yet prove she could handle the Commission's workload.
In Fu Xuan's eyes, if the girl could adapt, she'd be a fine talent. If she couldn't take the pressure, Fu Xuan would simply have to advise her to find work elsewhere.
"It's a pity that everything regarding Qingque has become a blur. I suppose I can only wait for her to arrive in person to find out what's going on."
Fu Xuan chose to stay put. Since the Third Eye hadn't shown any signs of danger, she would wait right here and see what unfolded.
As for the bit about becoming an "Emanator" mentioned in the visions... Fu Xuan didn't take it to heart.
Such a thing was far too ethereal. There was no way a lowly diviner could have anything to do with that.
Pushing the anomaly aside for the moment, she returned to processing the day's mountain of divinatory results.
About one system hour passed.
Fu Xuan, deep in her work, suddenly felt a surge of intuition. The moment she had seen in her vision had arrived.
She instinctively looked up toward the door of her office.
There, she saw a girl clad in green—Qingque—walking toward her with a beaming smile.
Though many diviners were coming and going, everyone recognized her as one of their own. They assumed Qingque was just looking for Master Diviner Fu for some errand, so no one paid her much mind.
As she drew closer, the images in Fu Xuan's mind became increasingly fluid. Soon, a new vision surfaced: the scene of the girl introducing herself.
"Hi there. Recognize me? It's Bai Ming. You know I like changing faces to get around; it's more convenient."
Madam Bai Ming?!
Fu Xuan, usually the picture of composure, couldn't help the excitement that flared across her face.
She had actually come to the Divination Commission to find her in person. Just the realization made Fu Xuan's breathing turn heavy. It was the thrill of being favored by a being she deeply admired.
Soon, 'Qingque' stood before Fu Xuan.
Seeing the complex gaze in Fu Xuan's eyes, she gave a cheerful wave and spoke the exact words Fu Xuan had foreseen.
Hearing them in reality sent a jolt through Fu Xuan.
"I... I understand. You... Please follow me, this isn't the right place to talk!"
Excited as she was, Fu Xuan knew there were too many eyes and ears here. If word got out that the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions had personally visited the Divination Commission, who knew what kind of chaos would erupt?
Ignoring any sense of personal space, she grabbed 'Qingque' by the hand and hurried toward the chamber housing the Matrix of Prescience. It was relatively quiet there, and no one would be lingering near the core.
Once they reached the Matrix, Fu Xuan finally let go and looked at 'Qingque' with cautious anticipation.
She understood the meaning of the vision now. Was she really going to be invited to be her Emanator?!
The thought made Fu Xuan's heart hammer against her ribs.
She wanted to say yes. Even though she was the Master Diviner of the Xianzhou Alliance, she found herself wanting to accept the invitation from the person she admired so much.
"So, um... what brings you to the Divination Commission?"
Fu Xuan's voice was a bit shaky.
'Qingque' found it a little precious. The formidable Master Diviner from the game was acting surprisingly docile in her presence.
"I wanted to clear my head on the Luofu, so I figured I'd stop by for a chat. Are you busy? If you are, we can talk after you clock out."
"..."
Fu Xuan desperately wanted to say she wasn't busy at all, but the reality was that her work was piled high as a mountain. While she could squeeze out some free time, she didn't want to let her work stagnate for the sake of personal desire.
"Looks like you're swamped. I guess our chat will have to wait until tonight. However, there is one more thing we can do right now."
'Qingque' looked at Fu Xuan, whose heart rate spiked.
Is it coming?!
As Fu Xuan waited with bated breath, 'Qingque' pointed a finger at herself and asked:
"Fu Xuan, do you know where the diviner Qingque is right now? I have something to discuss with her as well."
"...Eh?"
Fu Xuan's mouth hung open slightly as her cheeks turned a deep, rapid crimson.
She realized she had just been completely full of herself, and her entire being began to steam from the sheer embarrassment.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL