Heavenly Wisdom

In an unknown dimension, a man with long gray hair sat cross-legged in meditation before a large tree. After an indeterminate amount of time, the man slowly rose, his eyes still closed. He walked to the tree, caught a falling leaf, and idly played with it in his hand.

A green light flashed, and the leaf in the man's grasp began to emit a dazzling glow. In less than fifteen minutes, it miraculously floated back to its branch on the tree, regaining its vitality.

Green light flickered in the man's left hand, and a sphere of swirling water droplets appeared in his palm. Upon closer inspection, one could see various dynamic scenes within: a young girl with a golden ponytail and full armor, a giant dragon with six wings, a cold-faced youth with white hair...

"Oh?" The scene within one of the water droplets caught the man's attention. He frowned slightly and brought the droplet close to his eye. The man's eyes snapped open, revealing a pair of crimson irises. As his eyes fully opened, his entire aura surged.

He carefully examined the youth in the water droplet, a smile forming on his lips. "What an interesting little one. She'd be so happy if she knew her efforts weren't in vain..."

Sheng Jiu couldn't recall how many times the man in the white and blue armor had been slain by the giant sword from the sky in his dreams, but this time felt different. Just before Sheng Jiu woke up, countless white and red feathers appeared before his eyes.

Sheng Jiu's eyes shot open, and he straightened up in his seat. The passenger plane they were on had already taken off. Looking out the window, Sheng Jiu saw thick clouds.

A tissue was extended before Sheng Jiu's eyes. He took it and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Thanks, Class Monitor."

Fu Hua, sitting next to him, asked with concern, "Had a nightmare?"

"Ah, it's nothing. I've been sleeping late these past few days, so my sleep quality has been pretty bad."

"Student Sheng Jiu should really take care of his health. As a member of the Valkyrie force, having a strong physique is extremely important..." Fu Hua began to lecture Sheng Jiu again, who covered his forehead with a headache.

"Hey, lazybones, wanna eat this?" Kiana, sitting behind him, lightly kicked Sheng Jiu's seatback and slipped him a gummy candy through the gap.

Sheng Jiu took the candy and bit into it fiercely. "You're being awfully nice. What do you want?"

Kiana blushed, puffing out her cheeks and letting out a soft hmph. "Hmph~ Why are you like this? I was just feeling sorry for you and kindly giving you candy."

"If you don't say it now, you'll never get the chance."

"You!" After a brief silence, Kiana spoke somewhat coyly, "It's just... well... when we get to Shenzhou later, there'll be lots of snacks... I've already spent all my allowance, so..."

"Beep, your account has received $4000." A payment notification quickly sounded on Kiana's phone.

"Huh? Huh?" Kiana stared, dumbfounded, at the sudden large sum in her account, unsure of what to do.

"It's fine. Keep the extra for your meals tomorrow. There's more if you need it." Sheng Jiu gave Kiana a cool, departing back.

"Hehe, thanks?(?^o^?)?..." Kiana sheepishly scratched her head and quietly asked Yae Sakura beside her, "Hey, hey Yae Sakura, why doesn't that guy look like he's short on money at all?"

Yae Sakura gave a knowing smile. "I heard that Sheng Jiu secretly brings back parts of Honkai Beasts or their bodily fluids after every mission, and then sells them to the research departments of various branches at outrageously high prices. According to Bronya, Sheng Jiu's current balance is probably enough to buy a gunship..."