Yaoguang: Well Said, but I Refuse

The journey from the alley to the General's Residence wasn't far. Jingxing ahead, with Fu Xuan trailing behind. The two walked uphill along the street.

At first, Jingxing paid attention to the pre-war street scene—recruitment notices, Starskiff carrying weapons, and red ribbons nailed to the eaves. But soon he lost interest in these things.

An old man carrying a load on a shoulder pole walked towards them. Jingxing stepped aside, but the old man walked straight through him, his shoulders, load, and steps seemingly passing through a fog, straight through Jingxing.

Jingxing stopped, raised his hand, and waved in front of the old man: "Old man—"

The old man seemed not to hear him at all and walked away. Immediately afterwards, two more teams of Cloud Knights ran past him, ignoring Jingxing and Fu Xuan as well.

Undeterred, Jingxing walked to a roadside stall selling sesame cakes and reached out to grab the stack of cakes. His fingers almost poked the cakes, but the smiling stall owner still ignored him.

He withdrew his hand, stood in front of the stall, and made faces at the stall owner, who still didn't react.

"We can't be seen." Jingxing turned to look at Fu Xuan.

Fu Xuan raised her hand and tapped it lightly in front of her eyes a few times, as if she were divining. After a while, her brows furrowed. "When Polka Kakamond came just now, we could be observed, but now we definitely can't..."

"Why? Haven't we already 'landed'?" Jingxing asked, puzzled. "That little girl and her mother clearly saw us..."

"It seems that her presence just now was only temporary." Fu Xuan thought for a moment. As a top student from the Jade Abacus Xianzhou, her science grades were among the best back then. "Polka Kakamond is, after all, Emanator and receives the will of the Omniscient Heavenly Lord. It's normal for her to recognize you and me across timelines. But these people around us don't have you in their Remembrance, so naturally they can't see you either."

Jingxing was stunned for a moment. "Isn't this Schrödinger--?"

He stopped talking. He had originally intended to say "Schrödinger's cat," but Jingxing quickly realized that there was no such person as "Schrödinger" in this universe.

"But that raises another problem," Fu Xuan pouted. "Although I've already gone to Luofu to take up my post, the people of Yuque shouldn't be completely unaware of me. Why can't they detect me either?"

Jingxing pondered for a moment, "After all, you followed me in. Is it possible that our existences have been confused into one at this point in time? If someone can't observe me, they naturally can't observe you either?"

Fu Xuan was silent for two seconds. "It seems very likely that only if you can be seen can I be seen."

Jingxing glanced at her. He wanted to make a joke, but seeing Fu Xuan's serious expression, he didn't say it in the end.

We've arrived at the General's Residence.

The mansion gate has three layers of flying eaves, with two rows of bronze bells hanging from them. Six Mingke Guards adorned with jade ornaments, stand on either side, resembling six pillars.

Fu Xuan stepped forward and habitually raised his chin. "Excuse me, I am Fu Xuan, the Divination Commission Luofu, requesting an audience with General Rongtao."

The captain guarding the gate didn't even blink.

A gust of wind came from the street corner, ringing a string of copper bells under the eaves. The sound of the bells drifted over Fu Xuan's head, as if she were not standing there at all.

Fu Xuan's hand froze in mid-air, and Jingxing noticed that her shoulders tensed—this was the first time she had shown such an expression since landing at this point in time.

Jingxing could roughly guess the reason. After all, Yuque was where she grew up, and the general was her Senior Sister. Perhaps she could go in and out of this gate every day when she was a child, but now the gate doesn't recognize her.

Fu Xuan stood still, gazing up at the plaque of the General's Residence.

When she first became an apprentice, every time her master came to the General's Residence to see her Senior Sister, she would follow behind him, running to catch a glimpse of Senior Sister. Whether chatting, playing games together, or discussing their master's topics, Fu Xuan always benefited greatly from her Senior Sister.

At that time, the Mingke Guards would look down at her, then greet her with a smile.

Back then, Fu Xuan felt she knew this place like the back of her hand. But now, the door no longer recognized her.

"Let's go," Fu Xuan turned around, forcing a smile. "They can't detect my presence, so let's just go in."

The atmosphere inside the General's Residence was more tense than on the street.

In the corridor, servants hurried along carrying documents; in the hall, several people argued incessantly around a huge map, which was projected by the Jade Abacus and covered with flags, red and black, arranged from the corners to the center.

The entire mansion was like a wound-up machine, with every gear constantly turning.

But just like outside the door, no one could see them.

The two swaggered past the lobby. The people inside were speaking in hushed tones, but Jingxing still managed to catch a few words—

"The allied forces of Abominations of Abundance have already converged outside Fanghu."

"The Alliance is deploying military forces; as expected, we're in charge of strategic planning again this time."

"But the general has been refusing visitors lately, and won't see anyone. We don't know what's going on."

"Perhaps the general is engrossed in divination?"

"Has Senior Sister always kept her doors closed to visitors?" Fu Xuan muttered to himself, "Could it be that Senior Sister...?"

Jingxing continued, "Perhaps General Yaoguang is sorting out his thoughts?"

Considering the Grandmother Paradox, there should not be two Yaoguang at the current point in time.

The two simply walked through the main hall, entered the backyard, and passed through door after door until they finally found their target in a quiet, secluded courtyard in the northwest corner.

Yaoguang, dressed in a very plain robe, sat at a stone table in the courtyard. A map was spread out on the table, with a small copper coin pressed under the corner.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and smiled.

"As expected, he didn't break his promise." Clearly, unlike the others, Yaoguang, who possessed Remembrance of Jingxing, could detect his and Fu Xuan's presence.

Jingxing stood at the courtyard gate and suddenly realized that none of the words he had prepared on his way there were of any use.

The Jade Knot in his arms, pressed against his chest, seemed to grow warm the moment he saw her.

"General Yaoguang, we've come to pick you up." He pursed his lips and said.

"Don't call me General anymore." She waved her hand. "Anyway, no one but me can hear what you're saying. Just call me Yaoguang from now on."

Fu Xuan stepped forward and gave a proper bow. "Senior Sister."

Yaoguang looked at her, his smile softening for a moment, "Junior Sister, long time no see."

"How long have you been here?" Fu Xuan asked.

"About half a month," Yaoguang said. "And you, how long did it take the Alliance to decide to send you back?"

"About a week," Jingxing replied, taking out the Heavenly Wisdom Jade Knot, holding it in his palm, and handing it to Yaoguang.

"Just as we promised, we've come to take you home," he said.

Fu Xuan also spoke up, "Senior Sister, come with us."

Yaoguang stared at the Jade Knot for a long time. She reached out her hand, her fingertips lightly touching the Jade Knot, then withdrew her hand.

"You can keep it for now," she said with a smile. "If it goes back to me, I'll be nailed back to 'the present.' But I don't want to go back right now."

"Huh?!" Fu Xuan and Jingxing were surprised that Yaoguang refused to go back, and their eyes widened.

"Could it be that, Senior Sister, you..." Fu Xuan stood up, "... you want to try to change the past?!"