Beloved

Looking at the unopened Cloud-Gazing Mirror, whose name was still written in the "Mirror Guide" column of the signature book, Jingtian opened the book, checked it again, and then sighed deeply.

"Yaoguang, what price did you pay?"

As soon as he finished speaking, familiar footsteps echoed from below the stone steps.

"Master." Yaoguang, dressed in an old black robe, stood under the lamp and bowed deeply to him.

Jingtian did not turn back.

"So now it's time for a showdown, right?" he spoke first. "Then let me go first. You're not from this era, are you?"

"As expected of Master, you must have seen it all along, right?" Yaoguang smiled. "Then I'll just tell you the current situation directly—Junior Sister succeeded. She changed your divination results. The Cloud-Gazing Mirror doesn't need to be unsealed, and the Reignbow doesn't need to be displayed on the Fanghu."

Jingtian's prosthetic hand landed on the Cloud-Gazing Mirror, and paused for a moment.

"To achieve one's goals with the power of the Aeon, there must be a price to pay." He turned around, looking at his disciple who had returned from who-knows-when, "Whose head will bear this price? You, her, or someone else?"

Yaoguang did not answer immediately. The sea breeze at night swept up from under the cape, making the hem of her robe cling to her legs.

"This question," Yaoguang lowered his gaze, "Will be answered when you return to the Yuque, Master."

Looking at his apprentice's reaction, Jingtian knew at a glance that she was stalling, but he quietly and simply performed a divination on the situation of his two apprentices and was surprised to find that there seemed to be no price to pay in their destinies.

"What's going on?" Jingtian Tian was surprised, but he quickly regained his composure. "If I have to pay the price myself, that's fine. Let's calculate it properly when we get back to the Yuque."

The light on the steps flickered. Neither of them spoke again.

On this side of the Starskiff, the cabin lights shone with a warm glow.

After washing up, Fu Xuan changed into clean clothes. Her hair was still a bit messy, so she simply tied it up in a simple style.

The Lord Diviner was now leaning heavily on Jingxing, his shoulder pressing against his arm, as if he had used up all his strength for the whole day.

The inkstone was still on the table, its box tightly closed, with notebooks piled on top. Jingxing's shoulders felt numb from the weight, and he rested his hands on his knees, unsure of what to do next.

He glanced back at the hatch. It was open, and even though he knew they wouldn't be seen by the people on this side, it still made him feel a little guilty.

Fu Xuan's Jade Abacus trembled on the table. She picked it up, glanced at it, then turned it over and placed it face down on the table, without mentioning who sent it or what it said.

"Now that we're back in the 'present'," the Lord Diviner suddenly asked, "What are your plans?"

"Explain this matter clearly," Jingxing said, "And then..."

"And then?" Seeing that he wasn't going to continue, Fu Xuan pressed closer, his face even more intimate. "And then what did you do?"

"Then go back, paint, and pay off your debts."

Fu Xuan looked up at him. "Eh? What debt are you repaying?"

"83 seats in the Genius Society." Jingxing sighed and explained his previous situation. "In short, although it's a bit much, considering that 'Light-Severing Sea' really gave my eyes a breakthrough, I accepted it."

Fu Xuan stared at him for a couple of moments, then casually waved his hand. "A mere 30 billion Credits, I'll cover that."

"Ah?"

"I started as a diviner on the Xianzhou, and later rose to the Diviner." She leaned back. "My allowance is usually enough to live on, so I haven't spent much of my salary. Three hundred billion Credits sounds daunting, but it's not a problem for me."

"Lord Diviner, so generous?" Jingxing raised an eyebrow. "Can I take this as payment for this trip?"

"..." Fu Xuan stared at him, "It's not a reward, you know perfectly well that's not what I meant. I just... just didn't want you to be troubled by this!"

"... Okay." Jingxing looked down at her. "What does that mean? The debt has been transferred?"

"No way!" Fu Xuan, annoyed, bit him. "After the Yuque matter is over, you'll come back to Luofu with me."

"Going to Luofu?" Jingxing asked. "And in what capacity will I go? As a tourist, or something else?"

"Of course, he is my beloved." Fu Xuan paused for a moment after saying this, buried his face in his shoulder, and said no more.

Jingxing then noticed her hair clearly. She had lost her hairpin on that trip, so he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

I'll get you a new hairpin later.

"No need," she said. "I'll buy it myself."

"Then I'll make one for you."

Fu Xuan paused for a moment, then said, "Then I want something more luxurious."

Jingxing let out an "Oh," drawing out the word for a long time. Fu Xuan didn't respond, but his shoulder twitched slightly on Jingxing's arm, probably wanting to laugh but holding it back.

Just as he was about to reply, he smelled the sweet aroma of fruit candy.

Polka Kakamond stood outside the porthole of the Starskiff, waving to them through the glass. She didn't come in, but instead passed something through the crack in the window—a thin invitation with gold thread pressed at the edges.

The paper felt softer to the touch than it looked. The gold threads shimmered under the light, and a small mechanical pattern was printed on the corner, which looked like a gear but felt smooth to the touch.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not here to tease you tonight." Polka Kakamond laughed. "Although it seems I've disturbed you, I really am just here to deliver an invitation. On behalf of Ninth Mechanism, I cordially invite you both to be our guests."

"The Ninth Mechanism?" Fu Xuan sat up straight. "Isn't that the legendary place?"

"There are some things stored there," Polka Kakamond said. "Anyway, it's fine if you don't go, but I won't be sending out a second invitation."

After she finished speaking, Polka Kakamond's figure faded away, and the sweet scent lingered in the cabin, dissipating very slowly.

Fu Xuan waited until the sweet smell dissipated before reaching out to push the window open a crack.

The invitation was spread out on the table between the two, its gold thread shimmering under the lamplight.

Fu Xuan flipped the invitation over to look at the back, then flipped it back to the front.

"An invitation from the Erudition Emanator," she said, "Would be worth a fortune to the Interastral Peace Corporation."

"This can't be resold," Jingxing reminded him.

"It was just a moment of reflection." She smoothed out the corner of the note, looked up at Jingxing, and asked, "So, are you going or not?"

"I'll have to trouble you Lord Diviner." Jingxing pushed the invitation in front of her. "Come and have your fortune told whether you should go. I'll trust your judgment whatever the result is."