"Haha... Thank you for the compliment, Lady Qingque."
"However, Lady Yukong is currently waiting in the Palace of Astrum for these esteemed guests from the Astral Express..."
Tingyun looked troubled and resigned. In response, [Qingque] waved her hand:
"No worries, no worries. Actually, the General also asked me to come to the Palace of Astrum to meet some offworld guests. I imagine it must be them."
"Oh? In that case, would Lady Qingque like to enter with us?"
"No, I just happened to run into some friends. I'd like to chat with them for a bit. Since you have important matters, please go ahead and see Helm Master Yukong first."
She pointed at Elysia and the others nearby, her tone relaxed.
"In that case, please excuse us... Esteemed benefactors, please follow this humble one to see Lady Yukong."
As she spoke, led by the Foxian envoy, the Astral Express group, headed by Welt, proceeded towards the Palace of Astrum. Along the way, they occasionally exchanged glances with [Qingque], who smiled back at them.
In front of the Palace of Astrum, only passing pedestrians, [Qingque], [Jiang Qiao], and Elysia's group remained.
"Naughty Jiang Qiao, is it true what you said~? Is there really a cute pet?"
He didn't even need to look to know who had sidled up next to him. Hearing those curious words, he knew exactly how interested Elysia was.
After all, liking cute pets is practically a prerequisite for being a cute girl, right?
"It's true~"
"Like a big strawberry mochi, soft and chubby..."
"The Si Ding Ling Sha's pet... How come I don't know about this? Speaking of which, isn't that Si Ding newly appointed?"
[Jiang Qiao] looked puzzled.
"I heard it from General Huaiyan."
"General Huaiyan... Eh? You mean the General Huaiyan from the Zhuming?"
"Could there be a second General Huaiyan in the Alliance?"
"...Right. Change is coming, General Feixiao is already here, so it's not strange for General Huaiyan from the Zhuming to appear here."
"Forget it, forget it... None of this concerns me right now. But you, instead of working hard at the Seat of the Divine Foresight, why did you come over to the Palace of Astrum?"
Qingque stared 'sternly' at her 'stand-in', looking quite serious:
"Qingque, don't tell me you're slacking off again, neglecting your duties!"
As she spoke, she hid a trace of glee.
Honestly, she had wanted to do this for a long time.
Previously, when working at the Divination Commission, the Master Diviner always treated her like this, and she felt very unhappy. But after becoming Acting Master Diviner and transferring to the Seat of the Divine Foresight, Miss Qingque discovered the fun in it.
Her mindset shifted from 'I don't want to do it, someone else can' to 'If I have to do it, you're not getting off easy either'. It's true what they say—where you sit determines how you think. Having undergone this transformation, Miss Qingque, thinking of her own suffering, couldn't resist wanting the culprit to experience the pain she had felt.
"Uh... Is this some kind of game?"
"Forget it... As I just mentioned, the General sent me to make contact with those esteemed guests from the Astral Express."
"But what about you guys? Why were you hanging around the entrance to the Palace of Astrum?"
"Call it some kind of accident? I originally planned to take them for a stroll through Aurum Alley."
"Right! Nothing went wrong at the Seat of the Divine Foresight, did it?"
Qingque remembered something, her expression turning wary as she stared intently at [Qingque], questioning her.
"What's wrong?"
"Never mind that, just confess!"
[Qingque] scratched her head and briefly explained.
Essentially, things didn't go smoothly. She had offered suggestions to the Generals, but they apparently weren't accepted, and there had even been some disagreements.
Hearing this, Qingque's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and her face lit up with joy.
In reality, her reason for asking was entirely based on her own considerations.
Thinking back on her previous predicament, wasn't it entirely because she trusted this guy too much and paid no attention that she ended up in her current situation?
Therefore, the very enlightened Miss Qingque had fully absorbed the bitter lesson from before and was determined to prevent it from happening again.
Letting a certain someone surnamed Jiang take her shift was naturally acceptable, even excellent!
As the saying goes, paying back debts is only natural. This is just the interest I, Qingque, am collecting!
However, she still had to be wary of this guy pulling some stunt.
After all, learn from past mistakes.
In Qingque's view, regarding matters at the Seat of the Divine Foresight, there was still room for maneuver. If she performed poorly during this period, the General might reconsider, thinking the Master Diviner was the better choice after all!
And the information obtained from Jiang this time clearly aligned perfectly with Qingque's plans.
No, it could even be said... it exceeded Qingque's expectations.
She wanted to clap the other person firmly on the shoulder and loudly encourage them: 'You did great! You did great!'
Spouting nonsense in front of several Generals and causing them to raise objections – wasn't this a surefire way to leave a bad impression on them?
This way, with other Generals objecting, her standing in the General's eyes would surely be shaken... Then, maybe she'd be transferred back to the Divination Commission... No, wait! Absolutely not back to the Divination Commission!
Thinking of Master Diviner Fu Xuan, then thinking of General Jing Yuan, Qingque felt that working for the Xianzhou government was truly like being caught between a wolf and a tiger.
Compared to working for the government, it would be much better to resign, open a mahjong (Celestial Jade) parlor in Central Starskiff Haven, and become a carefree lady boss who does nothing all day... Hmm, living off that certain guy wasn't entirely out of the question either.
Although it sounded a bit unambitious, who was she? She was Qingque! The Divination Commission's number one slacker!
That guy screwed me over so badly, what's wrong with me freeloading off him a bit?
Thinking this, Miss Qingque glanced at [Qingque] and became increasingly convinced.
Opening a mahjong parlor still required arranging things, managing it... Compared to striving and working hard herself, wasn't being a freeloader and waiting for someone else to support her much more satisfying?
Mhm, not just freeload, but freeload hard!!! The kind where you force it!
Of course, the prerequisite for realizing this dream was obviously escaping this damned workplace quagmire.
Was this possibility real? She thought it was. Not only was it possible, but it held great potential!
And that possibility rested entirely on a certain someone.
"When you handle things, I can rest easy!"
Beaming, Miss Qingque patted [Qingque]'s shoulder, full of satisfaction at seeing the results.
She felt that Jiang Qiao definitely lacked experience and talent for work related to the Seat of the Divine Foresight.
Otherwise, how could he achieve such 'remarkable' results in such a short time, provoking objections to 'her' ideas from two out of the three Generals?
Although she briefly wondered if this assessment was wrong, upon reflection, it made sense.
After all, how could anyone be omnipotent? Everyone has areas where they aren't skilled, right?
The work at the Seat of the Divine Foresight and the Divination Commission are in completely different domains. Even Qingque herself found it a bit headache-inducing when she first transferred, needing guidance from the strategists within the residence.
Viewed this way, it wasn't surprising that Jiang Qiao wasn't doing well.
Thinking this, Miss Qingque felt a little happy, even gleeful.
After all, although she wasn't the proud or complacent type, as an undeniable genius, how could Qingque not possess her own persistence and pride?
It was just that she herself was somewhat detached about it and had no one she particularly wanted to compete against.
But now, 'Jiang Que' using her body had clearly become that target.
Though faint, she didn't want to lose.
Regarding 'herself', the idea of the original owner losing to a temporary driver... even Miss Qingque would naturally feel annoyed and unwilling to accept that.
And now, in the [Qingque Competition], she had clearly surpassed a certain someone.
Of course, what truly concerned her was still 'Jiang Que's' work.
Although 'Jiang Que' lost to her in terms of competence, when it came to 'screwing up', he had greatly surpassed her!
This wasn't meant as criticism, but genuine praise.
After all, her happy future, Qingque's future, depended entirely on the extent of someone's screw-ups.
Therefore, she eagerly anticipated the scale of his next screw-up, hoping he could further exercise his talent for messing things up, making the screw-up even bigger!
Don't mind my feelings, Qingque! Please, screw up even bigger!
Miss Qingque deeply regretted not being able to witness the beginning of her own wonderful future.
But no matter, I, Qingque, am already preparing to enjoy that wonderful future in advance!
After leaving Jiang with some ambiguous encouragement, the radiantly smiling Miss Qingque systematically led Elysia and the others towards Aurum Alley. To celebrate the wonderful day to come, a good feast was clearly unavoidable!
Jiang Qiao just needed to work diligently and busily. Taking Elysia and the others to Aurum Alley for a big meal and a leisurely vacation, I, Qingque, had much more to consider!
Watching the back of Qingque (in Jiang Qiao's body) humming a little Xianzhou tune as she led Elysia and the others away, the girl ([Qingque]) shook her head helplessly, sighed, and then stepped into the Palace of Astrum.
Interacting with the Astral Express crew wasn't as difficult as imagined. After all, things had already deviated significantly from the original plot.
The Xianzhou hadn't currently suffered the Stellaron disaster or sealed itself off. Additionally, with the ongoing open Luminary Wardance event, they weren't overly sensitive to the Astral Express's arrival.
Especially since the Stellaron Hunters were currently in a state of near dissolution.
"Helm Master Yukong, Qingque, what are your thoughts?"
On the projection, Jing Yuan's figure appeared, asking the two.
Yukong shook her head: "They genuinely seem to just be here for the Luminary Wardance."
"The reappearance of the long-dormant Astral Express in the world already signifies something in itself."
[Qingque]'s concise answer brought a particularly satisfied smile to Jing Yuan's face.
Seeing the minute and knowing the implications – for a General commanding a Xianzhou ship, a sufficient sense of crisis and sensitivity to events are indispensable.
In fact, this was precisely what he felt both Fu Xuan and Qingque lacked.
This quality is partly talent, partly the sediment accumulated through time and experience.
Fu Xuan was too young, and coming from the Divination Commission, she had inherent shortcomings in this area.
Qingque was simply young and lacked experience.
"However, compared to external forces, General, Helm Master Yukong, perhaps we should pay more attention to our dear envoy lady."
"Envoy... you mean Tingyun? Is... there something wrong with her?"
Yukong looked puzzled and shook her head: "From my observation, Tingyun is no different than usual. I fear you might be overthinking."
As she spoke, there was a hint of faint displeasure in her tone.
After all, Tingyun was part of the Sky-Faring Commission, and their relationship was quite close. Questioning Tingyun was, to some extent, questioning her and the Sky-Faring Commission.
"...Lady Yukong, concern can cloud judgment..."
"...Have you discovered something?"
"Mm."
"Although she hides it very well... from the very first moment I met her, I could sense a trace... of distinct malice emanating from her."
"Malice... This..."
Yukong frowned.
It wasn't that she didn't believe it, but she came from a military background and was experienced in worldly affairs. If there truly was malice, she likely would have seen through it at first glance.
But judging by the General's expression, the matter didn't seem entirely baseless.
The girl spoke softly, hinting: "I've heard that under the command of Nanook, the Ruin Author, there is a Lord Ravager who excels at infiltration and fabrication, possessing the nature of a Heliobus."
"Now that change is imminent, General, Helm Master Yukong, I urge you to treat this with caution."
Yukong, not one to disregard others' opinions, heard this information, and her expression instantly became grave. Her tone turned serious: "...Phantylia?... If a Lord Ravager has infiltrated the Luofu at this time, the consequences would be unimaginable. I have also heard tales of that Lord Ravager under the Ruin Author... Whether it's true or not, this is a threat we must guard against."
"What a coincidence. Right now, there happens to be an expert on the Xianzhou who is quite adept at dealing with Stellaron Flares..."
[Qingque] said suggestively.
Although Jiang Qiao could roughly determine that the fox was likely Phantylia in disguise, the matter was critical. A Destruction Emanator infiltrating the Xianzhou still required some 'proof'.
Of course, rather than proving something himself, guiding them to see for themselves was clearly a more suitable method, and perfectly suited for the current situation.
"Haha, you young child... Very well, this old man will go take a look."
"If it's nothing, then so be it."
The hearty laughter gradually faded, and the old, weathered voice became calm, yet carried a hint of authority:
"But if it truly is a pawn under that Ruin Author..."
"This old man, when it comes to dealing with Heliobus, still has a bit of experience."