Fu Xuan very much wanted to agree immediately, but her reason reminded her that before she gave her answer, she was still the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission of the Xianzhou Luofu.
She had to be responsible for her position.
"Am I allowed to? And if I agree… will I have to leave the Xianzhou Luofu?"
Perhaps most Emanators in this universe were not directly governed by their Aeon, but the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions was a special case.
She was standing right in front of you. Asking whether she might ever need something from you almost sounded absurd, but 'Qingque' clearly wasn't the sort of Aeon who bossed people around.
Besides, even if she really needed someone to do something, there were people from the Land of Light and Amphoreus she could call upon. Honestly, it would hardly ever trouble Fu Xuan.
The main reason she came to ask was simply because she found it interesting. And because Acheron and Herta had both rejected her invitation.
As for actually making Fu Xuan do work for her—or even leave the Divination Commission—that was unnecessary.
"Of course you don't need to leave the Xianzhou. I'm not here on the Luofu to kidnap anyone."
As 'Qingque' spoke, she raised a hand and patted Fu Xuan on the shoulder, smiling.
"Then it's settled. From now on, you're one of my people!"
As she spoke, the hand resting on Fu Xuan's shoulder slowly lifted. Her index and middle fingers pressed together as she reached forward and tapped Fu Xuan between the brows.
Her fingertips touched the Third Eye embedded in Fu Xuan's forehead.
The Third Eye wasn't large, but it had been fitted precisely into the bone of her brow.
For ordinary people, it might not have been a problem—but unfortunately, Fu Xuan was one of the Xianzhou's long-life species.
The innate healing ability she had been born with clashed with the Third Eye forcibly embedded in her forehead, creating endless pain.
And now—
A power belonging to the Path of Permanence flowed into Fu Xuan's body. At the same time, the naturally rooted power of Abundance within her was drawn forth by 'Qingque'.
Although she had made an agreement with Equilibrium not to explore the complete Path of Permanence, simply combining the two like this—blending them to a reasonable and controllable degree—was basically slipping through a loophole.
The two forces slowly settled within Fu Xuan's body.
Faint pink scales began to grow around the Third Eye. They were subtle enough that one might miss them without looking closely.
This was a sign of power awakening. The strength of Permanence automatically suppressed the uncontrollable regenerative process around her brow.
Under 'Qingque's' guidance, the Third Eye—once a foreign object—was completely accepted by Fu Xuan's body as part of herself.
The pain that had plagued her for years vanished in an instant.
Freed so suddenly from endless suffering, Fu Xuan simply stood there in a daze.
It had been a very, very long time since she felt a body free of pain.
For years, Fu Xuan had forced herself to coexist with the agony, learning to live with it.
Otherwise, she would never have lasted until today. But under 'Qingque's' hand, the torment that had followed her all this time disappeared in an instant.
She could even feel the power of Abundance within her body as if it had been fitted with reins.
A force she had never been able to control was now easily within her grasp.
But this was only the beginning.
Although Fu Xuan already felt she had received far more than enough, in 'Qingque's' eyes this was barely anything.
What she had just done was simply cure Fu Xuan's suffering. The real process of granting power came next.
Normally, when an Aeon granted power, there would be some kind of vessel.
For example, the generals of the Xianzhou had their Spiritus, Nanook granted golden blood, and the Masked Fools possessed their masks.
But the Path of Permanence was a bit different, because it directly reshaped the body itself. Its power rested within the flesh.
The problem was that 'Qingque' didn't command a single Path, nor did she intend to turn Fu Xuan into some kind of dragon girl.
Logically speaking, the Masked Fools' masks would have been a good option, but 'Qingque' wasn't interested in sharing a system with Aha.
Someone as serious as Fu Xuan being mistaken for a Masked Fool would be rather awkward.
So after thinking for a moment—
'Qingque' set her sights on the Third Eye in Fu Xuan's forehead.
The thing came from Nous. In essence, it was a sophisticated computational device.
As a creation of the Path of Erudition, it could withstand the infusion of Path power, and it could also endure amplification from the Path of Elation.
And if she accidentally broke it…
Well, she could always go visit Nous personally and ask THEM to make Fu Xuan another one.
With that thought, 'Qingque' slowly poured the powers of Elation and Permanence into the Third Eye, mixing in a small amount of Equilibrium to balance them.
Just as she had expected, although the Third Eye wasn't extraordinarily powerful, it was still a divine construct. Holding Emanator-level power was more than manageable.
Meanwhile, the power of Equilibrium helped coordinate everything, allowing the Third Eye to bear and circulate those forces smoothly.
It also made it far easier for Fu Xuan to wield powers that originated from different Paths.
Soon, the blessing was complete.
The power of Elation within the Third Eye concealed the noticeable scales, returning her appearance to normal.
Only a faint white pattern—belonging to 'Qingque'—remained upon the Third Eye.
Withdrawing her fingers, 'Qingque' looked at Fu Xuan, who still had her eyes closed as she felt the new power within her.
The stern tension that usually sat between Fu Xuan's brows had completely disappeared.
It seemed… perhaps Fu Xuan hadn't been born so serious and strict after all.
Most likely, the endless pain she had endured year after year had simply never allowed her to show a relaxed expression.
Thinking of that, 'Qingque' gently massaged the space between Fu Xuan's brows with her thumb.
This Master Diviner was truly ruthless—especially toward herself.
Pain itself wasn't the worst thing, but unending, constant pain with no end in sight was unquestionably a form of torture.
The fact that Fu Xuan had endured it for so long while remaining functional was almost frightening.
Perhaps sensing the touch on her forehead, Fu Xuan slowly opened her eyes.
She looked slightly dazed, as if she believed she was dreaming.
After all, it had been so long since she'd felt her body this light.
So long that the present moment felt more like a dream than reality.
Compared to the power she had gained, the disappearance of pain moved Fu Xuan far more deeply.
She looked at 'Qingque', who stood before her smiling while gently massaging her brow.
Her lips parted, but for a moment she didn't know what to say, because Fu Xuan had never imagined the problem within her body could be resolved so easily.
And it wasn't like the power of Elation simply suppressing her pain by force. Instead, the power of Permanence had tamed the Abundance at its root, even strengthening her control over it.
Though called the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions, most people—including Fu Xuan—believed 'Qingque's' power leaned primarily toward Elation.
Yet the moment she acted, she displayed immense power from both Permanence and Abundance.
Fu Xuan could clearly sense that the strength 'Qingque' had granted her contained four different Paths.
Elation and Permanence made up the majority, while Abundance and Equilibrium formed the smaller portion.
Permanence and Abundance strengthened the body itself. Elation greatly amplified the Third Eye's abilities, while Equilibrium acted as the mediator.
Together, the four Paths circulated harmoniously between the Third Eye and her body.
Fu Xuan had the feeling that if she fully activated the Third Eye now, it might rival a minor Nous on the Xianzhou Luofu.
And if she unleashed her physical strength completely, she might even transform into a dragon outright.
But Fu Xuan didn't test either power.
The pain she had endured for so many years had vanished all at once, and the taut string she had kept drawn for so long suddenly slackened.
The exhaustion buried deep inside her surged up like a tide.
Fu Xuan only felt terribly tired now. She just wanted to lie down immediately and have a proper, normal, unburdened sleep, but 'Qingque' was still standing before her.
Whether as the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions or simply as a guest, Fu Xuan felt she had to arrange things properly before resting.
Yet 'Qingque' clearly saw through her intentions.
So at her fingertips, the power of Remembrance quietly emerged, guiding Fu Xuan gently into sleep.
She reached out and caught Fu Xuan as her strength gave out and her body went limp.
Holding the sleeping Fu Xuan in her arms, 'Qingque' looked at the peaceful expression on her face—the faint smile even curling at the corners of her lips.
She couldn't help smiling too.
"Have a good dream."
After sending those words into Fu Xuan's dreams, 'Qingque' lifted her in a princess carry and walked into Fu Xuan's bedroom.
The room was very tidy. The bed looked so neatly arranged it was as if no one had ever slept in it.
The desk in the room, however, bore heavy signs of use.
'Qingque' couldn't help but wonder whether Fu Xuan had actually rested properly at all over the years.
Or perhaps, with the Third Eye tormenting her constantly, she hadn't truly slept—only found ways to knock herself unconscious and call it sleep.
Shaking her head with a quiet sigh, 'Qingque' placed Fu Xuan gently onto the bed.
She held Fu Xuan's slender ankle and removed her shoes, revealing equally small and delicate feet.
The white stockings produced by the Xianzhou were seamless—even between the toes—and the fabric felt absurdly soft.
Of course, 'Qingque' wasn't some kind of pervert. She simply admired the craftsmanship for a moment before setting Fu Xuan's feet down.
But removing her shoes alone wasn't enough.
Fu Xuan's hair ornaments, the decorations on her body, and even the top connected by cords were all beautiful—but clearly unsuitable for sleeping.
So even though it felt slightly intimate—
For the sake of Fu Xuan's first peaceful sleep in years, 'Qingque' reached out and removed the accessories and dress from her.
She didn't touch the inner garments, though.
Even if Fu Xuan was technically now one of her people, they had only met a few times. There still needed to be a sense of boundaries.
After folding the removed clothing and ornaments neatly to the side, 'Qingque' checked once more to make sure nothing she wore would interfere with her sleep.
Only then did she tuck Fu Xuan under the covers.
As for 'Qingque' herself—
Since she was already here, it would be strange to go out and find another place to stay.
Fortunately, Fu Xuan's residence was spacious enough.
So 'Qingque' simply found a guest room and went to rest there herself.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL