The light tea on the stone table had already gone cold.
Jingliu's silence lasted so long that Baiheng could almost hear the drum-like pounding of her own heart.
She lowered her head, her azure eyes staring at her intertwined fingertips, waiting for the expected interrogation, fury, or worse—a final farewell.
However, when Jingliu spoke, though her voice remained cold, it had strangely calmed down, as if a raging blizzard had passed, leaving behind only a vast and lonely snowfield.
"I understand."
She said, her black blindfold turning slightly toward Madam Herta. "Thank you... for saving Baiheng. Though the method... is beyond my understanding."
This opening statement left both Baiheng and Cipher stunned.
Jingliu continued, her tone blunt and stripped of intense emotion. "The past is gone; I am the one unable to let go of my obsession. Baiheng has a new path, new... bonds."
She paused, seemingly weighing her words. "In that case, if you act within the Loufu and require a martial solution, or need someone familiar with the old rules and hidden paths... I can assist you."
This wasn't total understanding, but rather more like a battle-hardened swordswoman making the most pragmatic choice after assessing an unchangeable reality—entrusting part of the safety of someone important to her to the mysterious and powerful variable before her eyes.
Madam Herta nodded slightly, a flash of realization crossing her purple-black eyes.
In a way, Jingliu's reaction was more ideal than she had anticipated.
It bypassed pointless conflict and explanation, jumping straight to the level of cooperation.
This fit Jingliu's behavioral pattern of 'prioritizing problem-solving over venting emotions,' even if her heart might have been in turmoil.
"Is... is that okay?"
Baiheng looked up, the rims of her eyes reddening, her voice trembling with disbelief.
She had imagined countless terrible scenarios, but she never expected Jingliu to be so... 'reasonable'.
Jingliu didn't answer her directly. She simply stood up, her black robes brushing against the frost-covered stone stool.
"It's late; I should be going."
She turned to Baiheng, her tone softening slightly. "Baiheng, for the coming period, I might truly disappear for a while. There are some things... I need to settle alone."
Then, she looked at Madam Herta again. That gaze through the black blindfold carried heavy weight as she said clearly, word by word, "She... I leave her in your care."
Having finished, she didn't wait for a response. Her figure suddenly dissipated, leaving only the lingering chill in the courtyard.
Silence fell over the small courtyard.
"Uh..."
In a rare show of emotion, Madam Herta's lip twitched slightly as she pressed a hand to her temple. "What's with that tone, like she's leaving her final words..."
She knew exactly what Jingliu intended to do—the ruthless person who had caused the 'Propagation God-Lord' incident in another timeline had likely made up her mind now.
But this 'entrusting the orphan' attitude still gave her a subtle, strange feeling.
"Mas... Master..."
Baiheng, however, let out a complete sigh of relief. Her whole body went limp as if her bones had been removed, a look of relief appearing on her face. The tears pooled in her eyes finally rolled down. "That's great... truly great... Thank you!"
She was genuinely terrified that if Jingliu had remained stubborn, she would have clashed with her unfathomable Master.
"Alright, alright, dry those tears."
Cipher leaned in, using the fluffy tip of her Tail to brush against the back of Baiheng's hand in an attempt to comfort her. But her cat ears suddenly twitched sharply, and her large blue eyes fixed curiously on Madam Herta. "Wait! Mu Zi, your hair... has the color changed?"
Following her mention, Baiheng noticed it too.
Under the sunlight, Madam Herta's long hair, which had originally been a grey-white like a faded star, had quietly turned into a deep brown. Though it was still smooth and lustrous, the color was indeed different.
Not only that, the small, eerily shaped skull pendants that had hung around her neck had been replaced by a simple, ancient-looking miniature key with a dull golden sheen, resting quietly between her collarbones.
Madam Herta raised her hand, twirling a strand of her now-brown hair between her fingers. A faint, playful smile played on her lips.
"Just a necessary disguise."
She didn't explain much. Letting go of her hair, her gaze swept over Baiheng and Cipher. "For the two of you, the next task remains unchanged. Baiheng, continue acting as Cipher's Loufu tour guide and take her to 'experience life' properly. System will stay here to assist you and maintain contact."
Her words were calm yet carried an unquestionable finality, revealing nothing of her own specific plans.
"Eh? Mu Zi, where are you going? Are you not coming with us?" Cipher asked, blinking.
"To work."
Madam Herta gave a baffling answer, and her figure began to slowly fade like an image dissolving into the air. "Remember, keep a low profile. Contact System if anything happens."
As her voice faded, she had completely vanished from the courtyard, leaving only System, who had been quietly sipping tea as if everything was under control, and Baiheng and Cipher, who stood facing each other with heads full of questions.
Afternoon in Exalting Sanctum was bustling with people, and the breeze stirred by the rising and falling of various starships brushed through the streets.
Qingque, wearing a relatively formal Divination Commission uniform, was leaning bored against a carved pillar, waiting for the time to meet with the Astral Express Crew.
She held that blue-and-white jade tiles in her hand, her heart fluttering as she reviewed the points Fu Xuan had emphasized about having a 'proper attitude.' She was calculating whether to take them for lotus root cakes first or for some Floating Goat Milk... Just then, a figure passed through the crowd not far ahead of her.
It was a woman wearing the sleek light armor of the Cloud Knights. Her long brown hair was tied into twin Tails on either side, and she carried the distinct, valiant aura of a soldier.
The profile of her face was sharp, and her golden eyes looked exceptionally bright under the Xianzhou sun.
Qingque's gaze inadvertently swept past and then suddenly froze.
(That... that face... that hairstyle...)
(No, it's impossible, right?!)
A name almost uncontrollably escaped her lips: "Li... Sushang?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but in the noisy background, it seemed to reach that person's ears with precision.
The brown-haired Cloud Knight paused and turned around with some confusion, her gaze locking onto Qingque under the pillar.
With a questioning look on her face, she walked over.
"Miss," her voice was crisp and straightforward as she pointed to herself. "Were you calling me? Do we know each other?"
Qingque snapped to her senses, nearly breaking into a cold sweat.
She saw the other's full face clearly—it was indeed eighty or ninety percent similar to that grand-disciple from her dream!
But looking closer, there were still slight differences in the person before her, such as... the chest.
"Ah! No, no! Sorry!"
Qingque immediately shook her head like a rattle, a smile that was awkward yet polite plastered on her face. "I got the wrong person! I'm truly very sorry! I just thought... you looked a bit like a distant relative of mine, haha, hahaha..."
She laughed dryly, trying to muddle through.
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