Glamoth Veteran Barbecue
As night deepened, the jade-paved road leading to the Temple of the Divination Commission was bathed in a cool glow from the lights on both sides.
Qingque walked silently down the road, feeling an unusual heaviness in her legs, as if each step was dragging her toward the execution ground.
Her mind was a complete mess, frantically simulating how Fu Xuan would reprimand her once she arrived at the Grand Divination Commission. Would she be forced to copy the "Divination Commission Work Rules" ten thousand times? Or would she be hung at the bureau's main gate as a public execution for truancy?
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she was probably going to lose all 180 pounds of her weight at the Divination Commission today.
But if you ask her if she regrets coming out to play cards today—just kidding, brother—if she didn't skip work to play cards out of fear, what's the difference between that and being dead?
Halfway there, Qingque started to worry about what would happen if she got fired by the Lord Diviner for skipping work. She feared she'd be stuck wandering around Luofu with all the compensation she'd received over the years...
Wait, expulsion?
Yes, the worst outcome isn't being dismissed by the Lord Diviner, but what does it matter!
Being fired is basically like taking an extra-long vacation from which you can never return to Divination Commission, isn't it? Wouldn't that be a perfect opportunity to board the Astral Express and join Bai Luoming and the others to Trailblaze the universe?
One step to ultimate freedom to slack off!
At this moment, Qingque felt that the moment she thought of resigning, the world seemed much wider. Even the road that had seemed so long before now didn't seem so difficult to walk.
Qingque thought about it more and more and felt it made perfect sense, and even started to plan ahead. It would be too much of a loss to resign voluntarily; with nothing to her name, how could she live a carefree life on the train? She had to be fired; just imagine that wonderful n+1...
Yes, that's what we'll do!
In an instant, the gloom on her face vanished, replaced by a secret look of anticipation.
She straightened her back and walked with firm steps, as if she were going to receive an award rather than to be tried.
Of course, that was what she had been thinking until she arrived at the Divination Commission. It wasn't until she saw Fu Xuan standing in front of the Divination Commission gate that she felt a pressure that seemed to be etched into her blood, and all her previous mental preparation was completely shattered.
Fu Xuan stood quietly at the doorway, her arms crossed, her face ashen. The cold moonlight bathed her, giving her an aura of unapproachability.
The feeling of being watched by a natural enemy washed over him, and Qingque had just straightened his back, bent back again, shrank his neck, and instantly turned into a quail.
"Grand... Lord Diviner..." she greeted softly, her voice trembling slightly.
Damn it! Even though she was reborn, why does she still unconsciously feel suppressed when facing the Lord Diviner?
Fu Xuan merely glanced at her coldly, but didn't lash out at the gate. He simply parted his lips, uttered two words, and walked inside without looking back.
"Keep up."
Seeing Fu Xuan's attitude, Qingque didn't dare to delay and quickly followed him with small steps. As soon as she stepped into the main hall of the Ministry, she gasped.
At this moment, the entire Divination Commission was brightly lit, and no one was leaving work.
Normally, the workstations would be empty by this time, but now they were full of people. The sound of keyboards clicking filled the air, and there was a sense of oppression and anxiety from working overtime to the extreme.
Several colleagues passing by looked up and saw her; their eyes were filled with numbness, resentment, and a hint of pity that said, "You're doomed."
Qingque felt a chill run through her heart.
This scene is practically a public execution ground prepared for her. Today, she's probably really going to see her death.
She followed Divination Commission Fu Xuan, passing through one oppressive office area after another, until she reached the deepest part of the Grand Diviner's office, which belonged to the Lord Diviner.
The heavy door closed behind me, shutting out the almost boiling sound of keyboards outside.
The office was eerily quiet.
Qingque closed her eyes tightly, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes so tightly her knuckles clenched, ready to face her final judgment.
However, things did not develop as she had hoped, and Fu Xuan was not as furious as she had imagined.
What are you doing with your eyes closed?
At this moment, Fu Xuan looked at Qingque with her eyes tightly closed and said coldly, "Still thinking of slacking off at a time like this?"
Upon hearing Fu Xuan's words, Qingque's eyes widened suddenly. Looking at the mountain of documents, she was somewhat bewildered. She cautiously asked, "Lord Diviner... you... you're not angry with me anymore?"
Fu Xuan glanced at her coldly and said irritably:
What have you done to make me angry?
Although Fu Xuan's tone was indifferent, it sounded like heavenly music to Qingque's ears.
"Now, take these array calculation data and distribute them to each group. Preliminary results must be compiled by tonight. No one is allowed to leave work until it's finished."
Although Fu Xuan's workload was outrageously large, Qingque, who found herself to have escaped a calamity, felt as if she had been granted a pardon.
Without saying a word, she rushed forward, picked up the pile of documents that almost buried her, and turned around at lightning speed, saying...
"Mission accomplished!"
Before she could finish speaking, she had already opened the office door and dashed out, afraid that Fu Xuan might change his mind at any moment.
The office door closed again, Guiji.
Fu Xuan stood there for a long time before slowly sitting back down in the large divination chair. She tilted her head back, leaned against the chair back, and looked through the huge floor-to-ceiling window at the night sky of Luofu, which was lit up by countless Starskiff lights.
Her previous aloof demeanor vanished in an instant.
Her gaze as she stared at the night sky gradually lost focus and dimmed. Her eyes, which usually sparkled with shrewdness and calculation, were now filled with an indescribable emptiness and weariness.
She let out a long sigh, a sigh filled with resentment and grievances that no one knew about.
She was indeed furious, but that fury wasn't directed at Qingque, who was slacking off.
What truly broke her defenses was the news she had previously seen in Jade Abacus.
Since her rebirth, she has been constantly divining and planning, believing that the scheme she has devised, which has consumed a great deal of effort and energy, is extremely intricate.
She thought she had everything planned perfectly, but she never expected that while she was still making her plans, the Herta on the other side had already overturned the table and declared ownership!
What does it mean to be the first to act? This is what it means to be the first to act.
A strong sense of resentment and frustration welled up inside me.
But Fu Xuan quickly suppressed these emotions.
As the Divination Commission and future general of the Xianzhou, she never admits defeat!
Fu Xuan opened his eyes again, the dimness in them fading, replaced by a rekindled and even more intense desire to win.
Now that she's lost the jackpot, there's no need to dwell on it anymore, but she absolutely cannot give up the second place!
Luofu, Exalting Sanctum, a bustling night market street.
On March 7th, holding a bottle of newly bought Immortal's Joy Tea in one hand and tightly holding Bai Luoming's hand with the other, she flitted through the bustling crowd like a joyful butterfly.
A bright smile graced her face, and her eyes reflected the dazzling lights of the street, sparkling like a galaxy filling the entire summer night.
Bai Luoming followed behind her, having completely transformed into a ruthless bag-carrying machine.
His arms were covered with bags of all sizes. Inside were freshly baked dragon beard candies, uniquely shaped toys, and several sets of new clothes he had just picked out on March 7th to take back to the train.
Although his appearance was somewhat comical, he showed no impatience as he watched March 7th 'March 7th cheerful figure, and even occasionally cooperated with her by letting her take photos of the trip.
"Luo Ming, what are we going to eat later?" March 7th turned around, looked up at him and asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Huh? Haven't we already eaten so much? We've eaten so much on the way here."
Upon hearing this, March 7th opened her eyes wide, looked at Bai Luoming in disbelief, and exclaimed:
"Oh dear, those are just snacks, how can they compare to a proper meal!"
"... Whatever makes you happy," Bai Luoming said with a hint of helplessness.
"Hehe, let's go eat later..."
He stopped halfway through his sentence on March 7th, then turned and looked at an inconspicuous corner of the street.
Following her gaze, Bai Luoming saw a shop.
The shop's facade was somewhat dilapidated, standing out from the brightly lit shops around it, but the rich aroma of meat wafting from inside was irresistible, making one's mouth water.
The shop sign is a weathered wooden board with several large characters engraved on it in a vigorous and powerful style.
Glamoth Veteran Barbecue.
March 7th's eyes lit up immediately, and she excitedly pointed to the shop. "Bai Luoming, let's eat this! It sounds amazing!"
Bai Luoming looked up at the signboard, his eyebrows involuntarily twitching.
Glamoth veterans?
He muttered to himself.
Wasn't the Glamoth Iron Cavalry wiped out by the insect swarm long ago? Even if there were survivors, they should be eking out a living somewhere in the universe. How could they possibly run off to the territory of the Xianzhou Alliance and open a barbecue restaurant so openly?
It's mostly just a marketing gimmick to ride the wave of popularity.
It's outrageous, yet it fits the abstract nature of this universe perfectly.
Although he felt the idea was unlikely, Bai Luoming didn't spoil her mood by looking at March 7th's expectant eyes.
He smiled and nodded, then freed one hand to take March 7th's hand.
"Okay, whatever you say."