White Bones Cannot Tell, Abundance Is the Most Heartless

After saying goodbye to Yunli in Bright Heaven, Jingxing returned to his guest room and began packing.

Once his luggage was packed, he still couldn't resist trying the brush again by the light in the guest room.

The first thing to appear on the paper was Zhuming at night. Whether it was the furnace fires or the distant mountains, a few strokes captured their essence.

Jingxing channeled his qi, his wrist moving more and more smoothly. Before he knew it, the tip of his brush turned and began painting something else: a section of corridor pillars, half a window, and a beauty leaning against it.

By the time Jingxing came to his senses, his heart was pounding.

What had appeared on the paper was Robin getting ready before a mirror. He had clearly been painting a landscape, yet without realizing it, he had shifted to a meticulous figure painting.

"I actually got distracted." Jingxing smiled and shook his head. He pulled out his phone, took a picture, and sent it to Robin.

[Jingxing: Fresh off the brush. What do you think?]

Perhaps because she was busy, the message didn't show as read. Jingxing put the brush back in its case, then placed the case on top of his suitcase.

If he had only been fifty percent confident before, Jingxing now had an eighty percent chance of winning Herta's approval with his paintings.

After packing, Jingxing went to the front courtyard to say goodbye. Huaiyan was still sitting beneath the eaves, hammering an ore in exactly the same rhythm as on Jingxing's first day there.

Jingxing stopped and bowed deeply. "General Huaiyan, I've come to take my leave. If there's anything you need my help with in the future, please don't hesitate to contact me."

"Leaving already?"

"Thank you for looking after me, General," Jingxing said. "For the Light Cone, and as for General Tianji, please pass along my thanks to her."

"She's very busy and might not have time to listen to that." Huaiyan set down his hammer and looked up at him with a smile. "But I'll be sure to pass it on."

Though his face was full of smiles, there wasn't a trace of one in his eyes. "Jingxing, I gave you this Light Cone to help you gain the ability to defend yourself as quickly as possible. But nine out of ten shortcuts in this galaxy lead to the Abominations of Abundance in the end."

"The saying 'grant all sentient beings whatever they seek' makes the Plagues Author sound compassionate, but the gifts They bestow are nothing less than curses to mortals. Though the Plagues Author has never taken the life of any being, the Abominations of Abundance They enlightened have committed no fewer sins than the Antimatter Legion."

"If one day I learn that you've fallen and become an Abomination of Abundance..." The smile vanished from Huaiyan's face. "No matter where you flee, I'll pursue you and put an end to your misguided path."

"I'll remember that." Jingxing's expression turned serious. "I'm not interested in what Abundance has to offer, and the path I've stepped onto isn't the Path of Abundance either. Please rest assured."

Huaiyan nodded and picked up his hammer again. "Go on. Herta may be considered one of the more approachable members of the Genius Society, but she's not easily fooled. In your situation, you'd best give it your all."

Before boarding, Jingxing treated Yunli to Qiongshi Bird Skewers as promised.

They went to the same old restaurant with the red lanterns by the Martial Arts Arena. Yunli ate much more slowly than last time, swallowing each piece one by one, as if savoring it.

Only after she swallowed the last piece did she seem to have gathered her thoughts. "In a few star calendar years, the Luofu will hold the Wardance Ceremony. They'll invite skilled fighters from all across the galaxy."

"Are you going?" Jingxing asked.

"Of course." Yunli's eyes lit up. "I'm going to show everyone that our Zhuming's swordsmanship is no weaker than anyone else's."

"Then you'll definitely get your wish."

Yunli rapped on the table. "You have to go too."

"Me? I'm definitely not signing up." Jingxing laughed. "I'm an art student. But if you compete, I'll definitely go and cheer you on. If you win, I'll give you a portrait."

Yunli rolled her eyes at him and tapped her bamboo skewer against the rim of her plate. "You've already beaten me. Why the false modesty?"

At the docks in Bright Heaven, Yunli stuffed the packed Qiongshi Bird Skewers into Jingxing's arms. "Who knows when you'll set foot on a Xianzhou again? Have a safe trip."

Jingxing was about to say something else, but she had already turned and left. Old Iron knocked against the stone pavement a few times, and Yunli's figure soon disappeared into the crowd at the docks.

Under the Cloud Knights' direction, the Chasing the Moon lifted off. The entire Zhuming Xianzhou slowly grew smaller outside the porthole, until it shrank into a lotus lantern glowing with firelight, drifting in the sea of stars.

After setting the course, Jingxing sat on the sofa, took out the Cloud-Washing Ink-Tracer again, and snapped a few pictures to send to Robin.

[Jingxing: This is the paintbrush I had made in Zhuming. Isn't it beautiful?]

This time, Robin replied quickly.

[Robin: It's beautiful... Which master made it? You used it to paint that picture above, didn't you? Your painting really is amazing.]

[Jingxing: Yunli of the Furnace Palace made it for me. During my few days in Zhuming, she first gave me a few lessons with her sword, and then I went to the Furnace Palace and watched her swing a hammer for two days.]

[Robin: Miss Yunli? I've heard her name. If I remember right, she's General Zhuyuan's granddaughter. She must have put a lot of thought into making such a beautiful brush for you herself.]

Jingxing sensed something unusual, and sure enough, before he could reply, Robin's next message popped up.

[Robin: So what do you think of Miss Yunli?]

[Jingxing: She's straightforward and likes to fight with bold, sweeping moves. But she's also very kindhearted, rather like a heroine in a novel.]

[Robin: ...You're very observant.]

[Jingxing: Occupational habit, I guess. I do paint portraits, after all.]

[Robin: What about me, then? What kind of person am I in your eyes?]

Jingxing gripped his phone, his heart beating faster and faster as he racked his brains for the right words.

[Jingxing: An approachable superstar, a kindhearted beauty, and a friend I can trust.]

Who wouldn't want to take things further with her? But until he had settled his debt to Herta, Jingxing didn't want to take their relationship to that point. He had good reason to believe that if he did, Robin would produce thirty billion Credits to pay it off for him. But then his authority as a husband would be undermined...

Not seeing the description she wanted, Robin sent an angry chibi sticker.

[Robin: (#Robin_angry) That's mean. You know perfectly well what I wanted to hear.]

Over the next few days, Jingxing kept to a regular routine. Only when Azure Star came fully into view outside the porthole did he send a docking request to the Herta Space Station.

What he received, however, wasn't docking clearance, but a question from Herta.

[Herta: What? You've already gotten the curio?]

[Jingxing: Sorry, not yet. I came this time to find inspiration on Azure Star.]

[Herta: Hmph. You're certainly taking it easy. Come straight to my office in a moment.]

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this...?" Jingxing muttered as he looked at Herta's message.