Hey, I've got it!
"Mr. Bai, what do you do for work?"
Leon froze for a moment.
Qingque: "ヽ(ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ"
Aaaahhh!
Why did I ask such a stupid question?
What if Mr. Bai thinks I'm teasing him, knowing full well what he does?
What if he complains to Master Diviner?
Wahhh…
Leon kept his expression neutral, but his mind was racing.
A code phrase?
No… unlikely.
If there was a code, Purple Moonseason wouldn't have forgotten to mention it.
Nor would they test him again in such a roundabout way.
But if it's not a code, why would Qingque ask such a pointless question?
Is there some deeper meaning?
Think, Leon, you can figure this out.
"Of course, it's a great endeavor tied to the Xianzhou's future, revitalizing its glory. It's our duty to give our all, no shirking!"
To his shame, he couldn't figure it out.
So he resorted to a vague, tai-chi-style answer.
This was the Divination Commission—only a fool would admit to working for the Medicine King's Secret Transmission.
A noncommittal response should keep this mole from finding fault.
Leon had no idea that the girl before him wasn't a mole at all…
Nor did he expect that his cleverness would backfire.
In short—
She's too naive, and I'm too good at overthinking.
Hearing Leon's grandiose words, Qingque couldn't help but feel deep respect.
"Mr. Bai, that's noble! By the way, what kind of drinks do you like?"
?
A question mark popped up over Leon's head.
"I like drinking the Water of Life."
"Huh? What's that?"
"It's… you know, the Water of Life."
"…Ohh." Qingque scratched her head awkwardly and changed the topic. "Mr. Bai, are you part of the Reignbow faction?"
"What faction?"
"Uh… I mean, do you follow the Reignbow Arbiter?"
Here it comes!
Leon's eyes narrowed slightly.
Finally getting to the point.
Purple Moonseason!!
Next time we meet, I'm tossing you into a pit of itching powder until you scratch your skin off.
Still sending people to test me? This never ends, does it?
And asking this in the Divination Commission, of all places.
Fine, no holding back—let's see who dies first.
"No! I follow the Merciful Medicine King!"
Qingque: "Oh, the Merciful Medicine King, what refined taste—huh?!"
By the Reignbow, did I hear that right?
She stared at Leon blankly.
Before Little Sparrow could say more, a certain Aeon got worked up.
"Not following Aha, not following Aha… not following Aha?!!"
On the tea table, Aha, in the form of a tiny sprite, stomped their feet in anger.
If it were a real sprite creature, that cute appearance would probably make people want to grab and pet it.
Too bad…
To Leon, Aha wasn't cute—just a pest.
"You think you're worthy?"
"Wahhh, outsiders poking at Aha's heart is one thing, but how could Brother douse my fire with ice water?"
Aha, duck-like, sat on the table, clutching a handkerchief, sobbing and wiping tears, looking pitiful.
"Brother's so blunt, yet you used to be so gentle with me…"
"No love left, no love! Instead of making a fool of myself, Aha would rather be a swallow under the eaves, flapping away freely!"
"The teacup falling to the floor doesn't make as loud a crash as Aha's heartbreak!"
"Wahhh, sob sob…"
Leon's eye twitched, his wrist trembling as he "accidentally" splashed tea from his cup onto Aha.
"Ah~~ Brother's tea~~ So bold!!"
Aha licked their lips three times clockwise.
"…"
Leon felt his face flush slightly.
Could he lash out?
No, he couldn't.
Smile, smile.
This world is beautiful, the air so fresh.
Noticing the curve of Leon's lips, Qingque, oblivious to the interaction between man and Aeon, blinked a few times, as if realizing something.
That mysterious smile—he was joking…
No big deal then.
"Mr. Bai, don't tease me like that."
Qingque let out a relieved sigh.
Following the Abundance wasn't exactly illegal on the Luofu.
But it was like racial prejudice—those who followed the Abundance were naturally prone to politically correct discrimination.
Once discovered, they'd forever lose the chance for a stable government job.
"That kind of joke isn't funny. Lucky it was me. If Master Diviner heard it, in these sensitive times, it could cause unnecessary trouble."
"Just livening up the mood, Miss Qingque. Don't mind it."
Leon entered squinting-eye mode, his smile skin-deep.
On second thought, this didn't seem like something Purple Moonseason would order.
More likely, this Qingque was cautious herself, testing him privately.
"Master Diviner said diviners from Jade Gate are usually standoffish, but Mr. Bai, you're so witty."
"Not at all. People are forced into it—can't help it."
Daily question: When will Aha die?
Aha: "…I'm Brother's now, so you'll take responsibility, right? You will, you will, right?"
"Aha will watch you forever… forever! Forever and ever—"
Leon (sweating soybean emoji): "Zabudodler."
Trying to act yandere?
No self-awareness at all.
Endless sickness, not a shred of charm.
If there was any, it was definitely fake.
For the Astral Express, for the Luofu, he was breaking his heart and enduring torment.
Jumping into the Stellaron Hunters' game, playing double agent.
Scheming in a chaotic spy war, and occasionally getting toyed with by Aha.
After countless years of good deeds, how did he end up like this?
Was the next act going to be: good people deserve to be held at gunpoint?
Hearing that people are forced into it, Qingque felt a deep connection.
"So you too…"
"Didn't expect Miss Qingque to be a kindred spirit."
"Meeting too late! One more bold question, Mr. Bai—do you like playing cards?"
"I'm the man with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and the One Ring."
"Uh… I meant Celestial Jade cards~~"
"Never played, but if Miss Qingque has the chance, you could teach me."
Leon entered adaptive conversation mode.
In other words—
Speak human to humans, ghost to ghosts.
Basically, going along with whatever you want, agreeing to anything.
After chatting for a while, Qingque gradually dropped her reserve.
"Mr. Bai, in your view, what's the best work attitude for a worker? Or to be blunt, what's your attitude toward work?"
Leon leaned into his true self.
This, he knew well.
"Two words: Middle Way."
"Oh? Elaborate?" Qingque's eyes grew brighter.
Could it be…
Leon said solemnly: "If you're too good at your job, you'll get overworked. Too bad, and the boss will fire you."
"So you need the Middle Way—not too high, not too low, never easily offending anyone."
"But when the boss needs you to be reliable, you've got to deliver, giving them the sense you're actually capable."
"Learn to string the boss along, and you've got them hooked."
"What about slacking on the job?" Qingque asked again.
"Slacking must be done decisively, or don't slack at all!"
"A kindred spirit!!!"