Fleeing with a Disciple in Progress / Xiaoxuan's New Year Money

"She is a true genius, outstanding in both martial arts and intelligence. I have no doubt that she can become one of the pillars of Schicksal's future. How could such a little girl be completely unaware of my granddaughter's little schemes? Her not pursuing the truth can only be because she doesn't want to, not because she is powerless to do so."

Otto spoke fluently and confidently, exuding an air of complete familiarity with everything in St. Freya.

Fu Hua's heart grew heavier, for she knew very well that Otto possessed such wisdom and ability. Even though Otto was thousands of miles away, Fu Hua trusted Otto's judgment more than her own eyes in many matters.

"I appreciate your reminder, thank you."

"You're welcome, it's my pleasure, and I'm also looking forward to her growth. I hope you can handle all of this properly."

"I will keep a closer eye on Kiana's situation. Don't worry, with me here, nothing will happen to her."

"Of course I believe in your abilities, my old friend. Let's leave it at that... To be honest, I have a suggestion. If the explosion in St. Freya is difficult to control, you might as well take that child to Great Void Mountain. Perhaps she can receive more help there."

Otto looked at Fu Hua with a smile.

Great Void Mountain is home to Ji Lin and the recently emerged Book of Cang Xuan. In a sense, it is a haven for elders, which would be a great comfort to the lonely and helpless Anqi.

Furthermore, the various actions of the Book of Cang Xuan indicate that she has some opinions about Schicksal and that the treasure is easy to fool.

Sending a well-behaved, sensible, and lovable younger person to show their face should greatly restrain that little doll and incidentally change her attitude.

Otto thought it was a win-win situation.

Fu Hua's little face showed a confused expression. She blinked blankly and asked:

"Great Void Mountain? Why?"

"This is just a suggestion. If you, my old friend, are at a loss, you can consider it. That's all."

"Okay, I've got it, thank you."

"I already said there's no need for such formalities. Alright, it's getting late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer."

Otto smiled and cut off the communication.

Fu Hua stood there, pondering for a long time. She thought about Anqi's problem, Kiana's problem, and whether Otto had any strange schemes in his words—but she couldn't figure it out.

She could only walk absentmindedly out of this deserted corner and return to Himeko's villa.

"Master, look!"

Anqi ran to the door to greet her, but her clothes caught Fu Hua's eye.

A white short-sleeved top and a black pleated skirt—a gorgeous and mysterious Rita black dress draped over the girl's petite and delicate body, highlighting her slender waist. Her snow-white skin and the black dress created a striking contrast that was impossible to look away from.

It retains its usual adorable charm, but with added retro elegance and mysterious allure—in short, it's absolutely stunning.

"It looks great."

Fu Hua praised him dryly, a gentle and indulgent smile spreading across his face.

Anqi clutched her skirt, blushing shyly as she lowered her head, like a delicate flower bud.

Kiana helped me choose it.

"Then you should thank her properly."

"Hmph! I did her a huge favor, this little bit of reward is nothing!"

What you said makes sense.

Fu Hua paused for a moment, then reached out and stroked the top of Anqi's head. The golden hair felt incredibly smooth and comfortable to the touch.

But Fu Hua felt a stinging, tingling pain in her heart.

'Anqi, what should Master do to protect you?'

Unlike Cheng Lixue back then, Anqi now seems more like an exquisite doll encased in glass in Fu Hua's eyes.

It seems beautiful, but it's actually fragile. I always feel that if I'm not careful, I'll fall and get hurt.

Fu Hua dared not leave casually anymore. She was afraid of the day when the truth would be exposed, afraid that Anqi would be destroyed by cruel reality when she wasn't paying attention.

"Master... Master? Why did you suddenly hug me?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to tell you that your master is always by your side. So don't be afraid, everything will pass."

"Master?"

"Promise your master you must take good care of yourself, okay, Anqi?"

Fu Hua looked down at the innocent little girl in her arms, feeling immense pride and tenderness, and also a strong sense of determination.

We can't afford to lose this child again. We must protect this child at all costs!

Chapter 167 Escaping with Disciple in Progress

Fu Hua began to seriously consider taking Anqi back to Great Void Mountain.

Unfortunately, it's fine to send her to fight the Herrscher, but dealing with complex psychological issues, especially those involving deadly blood feuds—sorry, that's not within the scope of the Immortal Crimson Heron's duties.

But this is not an easy problem to solve.

Kiana's condition is unstable. Whether it's due to her contract with Otto, personal feelings, or simply to guard against the resurrection of the Herrscher of the Void the Void, Fu Hua has no chance to escape.

However, just two days after Otto's proposal, Rita and Durandal arrived together and entered the gates of St. Freya's school.

"What do you mean by '--'? Why are you suddenly coming to do an inspection and audit? Doesn't Grandpa trust me?"

"That's right! Our headmaster's surname is Apolcalypse, we're all family, what's there to investigate?"

Theresa and Himeko arrived at the school gate to greet them, but both of them were drenched in cold sweat.

Regarding St. Freya's funding and discipline, there shouldn't be any major problems. After all, the two people in charge are very principled and wouldn't do anything like embezzling or being corrupt.

However, upon closer examination, some minor issues can still be identified—for example, some expenses that are nominally public funds are actually used for HOMU comics and related merchandise.

"Precisely because Lady Theresa is the Archbishop's granddaughter, St. Freya is the most suitable person to lead the inspection team! Only by thoroughly investigating and seriously dealing with the problems here can the other teams remain silent and the inspection operation proceed smoothly! Please understand if there is any inconvenience!"

"Durandal is absolutely right, and Rita also believes that under Lady Theresa's wise leadership, St. Freya will certainly be clean, won't she?"

The inspection team leader and deputy leader spoke in turn, displaying an official yet polite attitude.

Then the two leaders of St. Freya turned even paler.

They knew that those minor issues wouldn't warrant severe punishment, at most some warnings and fines, but they would definitely be posted in the post-inspection announcement for all the Valkyrie to see and comment on.

'Oh no, my dignified image is ruined!'

'Oh no, my flawless resume!'

Theresa and Himeko broke out in even more cold sweat.

At this moment, Yae Sakura, the third member of the patrol team, who had just woken up, stepped off the passenger plane, clutching her black katana and rubbing her slightly reddened eyes.

Then, Theresa froze.

"Are you... am I dreaming?"

Theresa blinked blankly, then pinched Himeko's waist.

As expected, Himeko let out a miserable scream.

"Aww!"

"Theresa, what are you doing?!"

Theresa gasped, rubbed her eyes hard, and then said incredulously:

"I'm not dreaming! But why... what did Grandpa do this time? This can't be!"

Theresa was the one who watched Yae Sakura and Hiyomaru settle their grudges and disappear together into the world of Stigmata.

The scene before her eyes filled her with utter disbelief.

Yae Sakura looked as if she had just woken up, her pretty face flushed with a beautiful blush, and she gave Theresa a bright smile.

"Long time no see, Theresa."

"Impossible! What's going on?"

"Well, a lot has happened. Anyway, I'm doing some things for Mr. Otto now, and I've come to help out this time. As you know, I'm from five hundred years ago, and there are many things I don't understand. Please forgive me if I do anything wrong."

"You're too polite, you're too polite... Eh!? ?"

Theresa subconsciously replied with a couple of words, then clutched her head, completely bewildered, even temporarily forgetting about the patrol.

At night, Fu Hua used the excuse of taking a walk after dinner to leave the house alone and go to a corner where few people go at night.

As expected, she soon saw the elegant yet slightly sultry maid emerge from the moonlight.

Good evening, Lord Fu Hua.

Rita smiled, and a delicate fragrance wafted on the breeze, like a bright and tender rose under the moonlight.

Fu Hua sighed knowingly, a hint of helplessness on her face, and said:

"Otto's arrangement?"

"That's right. His Holiness the bishop knows that Miss Kiana's situation has changed, so this is ostensibly an audit, but in reality, it's to observe her changes."

"What else did he confess?"

"He said that Lady Fu Hua can go do what she wants now. As for Miss Kiana, please don't worry, we have brought an expert to deal with this situation."

And it's not just one expert.

Durandal is an expert in suppressing combat power, while Yae Sakura's Jizo Mitama is an absolute killer of mental will.

With these two around, even if Kiana's body still contains the same restless Sirin, nothing will go wrong.

Fu Hua didn't trust Otto's character, but she absolutely believed in his abilities. Now that he had made arrangements, her biggest concern could be temporarily put aside.

"I understand what he means. Let me think about it."

Fu Hua said with mixed feelings. Although she didn't want to admit it, she was quite grateful for Otto's thoughtfulness this time, and felt indebted to him again.

'Taking Anqi back to Great Void Mountain, letting her see the mountain gate, and changing her mood can't be a bad thing.'

Fu Hua tossed and turned for a long time that night, thinking about Anqi's problem. Although she couldn't come up with a perfect solution due to her limited experience in psychological counseling, she at least reached this conclusion.

Moreover, it's rare for someone to take her place and protect Kiana. If she misses this opportunity, it's hard to say when she'll have another chance.

Having clarified the current situation, Fu Hua asked Anqi for her opinion early in the morning.

As expected, Anqi agreed, though surprised.

Therefore, Fu Hua requested leave from Theresa again.

"Alright, alright, you guys have a couple more days of fun, come back when you're done!"

Theresa's words were somewhat like trying to get rid of a plague god.

She's currently busy catching up with Yae Sakura, and even busier dealing with Durandal and Rita's audits. When she hears Anqi's name in her dizzy state, she thinks of that A-rank promotion document that's causing her so much trouble—it's just one word: headache!

Alright, let's get rid of this troublesome little devil first. Theresa really doesn't have time to think about those things.

Fu Hua returned home with the leave application form and handed it to Anqi, still somewhat dazed.

How did things go so smoothly?

It felt like everyone was pushing her to take Anqi back to her hometown!

"Master, Master, when do we set off?"

"Then let's do it as soon as possible, and set off tomorrow."

Fu Hua looked at her little apprentice, whose face was full of anticipation, smiled slightly, and patted her head affectionately.

This was, in fact, the first time she had brought Anqi back to the mountain gate.

Once we get to Shenzhou, it will be our own territory. We need to be fully prepared and take good care of this child!

Fu Hua.

Chapter 168 Xiaoxuan's New Year's Money

"Master, have some tea."

"Oh."