Qingque: Today, I'm Here on Orders to Play Cards on the Clock

Acheron, meanwhile, planned to stay on the Luofu for a few days before leaving on her own, waiting to meet Lin Shuang again in Penacony someday.

In Acheron's view, if Lin Shuang had not been so determined to become stronger, there would have been no harm in the two of them traveling together.

But at least from their time together lately, Lin Shuang clearly cared a great deal about her own strength.

In that case, following Acheron around all the time would not be a particularly good choice.

Acheron was too strong. Objectively speaking, nearly ninety-nine percent of the dangers one might encounter in the galaxy could not even be called dangers in front of her.

Under such circumstances, it obviously would not help Lin Shuang's growth.

Besides, Lin Shuang clearly could not walk Acheron's path either.

So a temporary parting was the better choice.

"What are your thoughts on this trip to the Xianzhou?"

Acheron lounged lazily in her chair beside her. After spending this period of time with Lin Shuang,

she had regained a little more of her humanity.

While happily piloting by hand to keep up with the starskiff ahead, Lin Shuang turned and said with a smile,

"Nothing in particular. I don't mind getting involved with Abundant Doses and the Luofu's affairs, but on the surface, we're going there for fun."

"If we do run into something, great. If not, we can just treat it as broadening our horizons."

Besides, the leader of Abundant Doses was basically an open-book answer in Lin Shuang's eyes.

If anything troublesome really came up, she could just befriend Qingque, report it to Fu Xuan, activate the Grand Void Astral Compass, and work backward from the answer to the process.

Acheron nodded. She did not have much objection to Lin Shuang's thinking.

In fact, that mindset was better. The Xianzhou had been the one to ask for their help in the first place.

If Lin Shuang acted too eagerly, she might somehow end up owing the Xianzhou a favor instead. That would truly be a loss.

But Abundant Doses was not the only thing Acheron wanted to mention.

"The Luofu's Divine Foresight General is famous for his schemes, but his martial skill is no less impressive. If you get the chance, you can learn a few moves from him."

"...I know who you mean, but he's a Xianzhou general. Is that really someone I can just ask to teach me a few moves?"

Lin Shuang could not help making a face at Acheron.

Although Jing Yuan was not much in players' hands, in reality he was still a major figure.

Of course she understood Acheron's suggestion, but was Jing Yuan really someone she could meet whenever she wanted, let alone learn from?

Rather than asking Jing Yuan to teach her, she might as well pray that she could become best friends with Sushang, raise their affinity a little, and pull out some Grand Void Sword Qi.

Seeing Lin Shuang's expression, Acheron could not help reaching out and pinching her cheek.

After gently rubbing it twice, she relaxed Lin Shuang's expression. Then she pressed a finger to the corner of Lin Shuang's mouth and pulled it into a smile.

"That expression is rather ugly. This looks better."

Lin Shuang did not resist.

She was very happy that Acheron was willing to initiate physical contact.

Perhaps the care and massages from the past few days had accidentally shortened the distance Acheron kept from her.

Naturally, Lin Shuang was delighted to see this side of Acheron.

Before leaving, Lin Shuang had even specially mixed up plenty of ointments and essential oils for Acheron to use for self-care, so she could relax herself whenever she had the time.

The technique could not compare to Lin Shuang's, but the ointments she mixed could still achieve about sixty percent of the effect.

Thinking of that, Lin Shuang wanted to laugh herself.

Feeling the movement of Lin Shuang's muscles beneath her fingertips, Acheron withdrew her hand at just the right moment. With a turn of her palm, she produced a small cluster of grape-like fruit.

She began eating them one by one on her own.

"Since you are regarded as my companion now, I think that Divine Foresight General may meet you, or perhaps send a trusted subordinate to contact you. It is not entirely impossible."

Acheron made it sound simple, but Lin Shuang had no idea how to respond.

Even if Jing Yuan did send someone to contact her, there were still eight hundred mountains between that and learning a few sword techniques from him.

Shaking her head helplessly, Lin Shuang plucked a fruit from Acheron's hand and popped it into her mouth.

"We'll see when we get there. I'm more interested in buying a better greatsword on the Luofu. I really don't want to use that sword anymore."

Hearing Lin Shuang's complaint, the corner of Acheron's lips curled slightly.

She knew Lin Shuang was still dwelling on how the people from the Minghuo Merchant Group had talked about her that day.

"It sounds quite nice, though."

"How is that the same thing?"

Acheron shook her head slightly.

"What I mean is, your idea will probably be difficult to realize. In my view, that sword of yours is worthy of being called a divine weapon. It is not that the Luofu has none, but you may not be able to buy one."

"For a weapon that suits your hand and matches you, you may have better chances with the Interastral Peace Corporation."

When it came to the variety and processing of ores, the Interastral Peace Corporation, which believed in Preservation, was undoubtedly the most suitable place.

"The Corporation..."

Mentioning the Corporation naturally made Lin Shuang think of that little rich girl from the company.

But Asta did not involve herself in her family's business, so Lin Shuang could not say whether she would be able to get one.

Just then, the two of them tacitly ended the conversation.

A few seconds later, the door to the control room behind them sounded with a series of beeps.

Then the door opened, and Tingyun appeared in the doorway.

"Benefactors, Miss Acheron, this humble one has finished packing."

As she spoke, Tingyun gradually approached. Seeing the fruit in Acheron's hand, she smiled brightly.

"Miss Acheron, did the fruit this humble one had delivered suit your taste?"

Acheron's fingers paused faintly around the fruit. Then she turned her head slightly toward Tingyun and nodded.

"Not bad."

"As long as Miss Acheron is satisfied."

After exchanging greetings, Tingyun came over and sat near Lin Shuang.

"Thank you both for agreeing to this humble one's presumptuous request. This humble one and the Minghuo Merchant Group will remember your kindness."

As for dealing with others, the taciturn Acheron naturally left it all to Lin Shuang.

So Acheron said nothing, allowing Lin Shuang to take the initiative and respond.

"To have Tingyun of the Minghuo Merchant Group owe us a favor over something that happened to be on the way, there was naturally no reason to refuse."

Qingque: Today, I Was Ordered to Play Cards on Company Time

Several days passed after they arrived at the Xianzhou...

Holding a booklet titled "One Hundred Authentic Xianzhou Sayings Even Outworlders Can Learn," Lin Shuang declined the guide Yukong had arranged.

She wandered around near Changle Heaven alone, leisurely flipping through the little booklet in her hand as she walked.

The booklet used small scenarios to explain or demonstrate various sayings.

Lin Shuang found it somewhat childish, like an elementary school English textbook.

Still, it felt quite novel.

It was just right for Acheron, though, so before leaving, Acheron had specifically taken the booklet with her.

She said that if they got the chance next time, she would properly accompany Lin Shuang on a tour around the Xianzhou.

Lin Shuang just did not know whether Acheron would still remember this booklet the next time they met.

With that thought, Lin Shuang took out her phone, snapped a picture of Changle Heaven, and sent it to Acheron.

But the message showed as unread, and Acheron was not online for the moment.

When an Emanator crossed the galaxy alone, she would not necessarily follow the Trailblaze routes.

And when traveling through the galaxy alone, without a ship's signal amplifier and receiver, it was difficult for a portable phone alone to get a stable signal.

Acheron had specifically warned her about this before leaving.

So Lin Shuang did not mind. After sharing what she was doing, she put her phone away.

Lin Shuang had no particular objective in coming out alone today. Changle Heaven was simply lively, and she remembered that one could play Emperor's Jade here.

In other words, mahjong.

That inevitably made Lin Shuang's hands itch a little.

After all, during holidays and festivals, she would always play a few rounds with relatives.

And back in college, if her roommates or friends knew how to play, they would occasionally gather for a few winning hands as well.

Having ended up somewhere so unfamiliar, finding a place on the Xianzhou that felt familiar was truly a comfort to Lin Shuang.

And something like Emperor's Jade made Lin Shuang all the more eager to investigate it.

As for whether she would run into Qingque while playing cards, she had not thought that far ahead.

There was only one place with card tables in the game, but Emperor's Jade was quite popular on the Xianzhou. Naturally, there could not be only a few tables like in the game.

The real Changle Heaven was also hundreds or thousands of times larger than it was in the game.

The place bustled with voices and activity. People came and went everywhere, and lively shops lined the streets.

Running into one particular person here was more or less wishful thinking.

Lin Shuang stopped a few passersby who looked like Xianzhou natives to ask for directions, then found the nearest card hall.

Before she even reached it, Lin Shuang could hear the loud sounds of shuffling and stacking tiles.

Players and spectators gathered together, each chatting among themselves. Their voices were not too loud, so it was not particularly noisy.

After going inside and looking around, she found that most were Xianzhou natives and Foxfolk, with few Outworlders dressed unlike the Xianzhou style.

The Xianzhou people generally did not have flamboyant hair colors, while Lin Shuang had white hair and wore clothes unlike Xianzhou fashion.

So the moment she stepped inside, she attracted quite a few looks.

At the same time, amid the mixed sounds of card play, one voice caught Lin Shuang's attention.

"Ah, self-draw! I win—! My luck's really good today. Again, again."

A voice she had heard countless times in the game immediately stood out amid the crowd's clamor.

Turning her head, Lin Shuang saw a girl seated at a card table, dressed in green with a black knitted inner layer, who caught her attention.

Her brown hair was tied into twin tails behind her head, with a white pom-pom tied onto them that added a touch of playful cuteness.

The girl was currently grinning as she pushed all the tiles in front of her down, clearly having won that round.

The others at the table took out money while saying helplessly,

"Qingque, you've been playing here since early this morning. Winning this hard, aren't you afraid Master Diviner will catch you again?"

"Hey, what are you saying? Today, I was ordered by Master Diviner to play cards on company time. Play as much as you want!"

While collecting the money, Qingque puffed out her chest and waved grandly, wearing an expression that said, All the world's joy is right here. She looked both punchable and adorable.

"Oh, come on. Did you sleep so muddleheaded yesterday that you mistook a dream for reality? Master Diviner would let you play here from morning to night?"

"You were already at the card table first thing this morning. You probably did not even check in at the Divination Department, did you? Be careful, or Master Diviner will personally arrest you again."

As the tiles automatically stacked themselves, one of the other players could not help complaining.

They had all known one another for a long time. How could they not understand Qingque's situation?

She was an expert at slacking off. In any other department, she would have had an easy time, yet she had somehow ended up in the Divination Department.

Master Diviner only needed to calculate with her fingers to catch Qingque red-handed.

Because of that, they had even been fortunate enough to see the true face of the current Master Diviner, Fu Xuan, up close.