Why am I the one being won over?

Then, finally, the time for parting arrived.

Huai Yan's room was on the left side of the intersection, while Bai Jun had to leave Shence Mansion on the right to get home. Standing at the crossroads of the corridor, about to say goodbye, Bai Jun hesitated for a long time before telling Huai Yan what he had kept hidden in his heart for so long:

"By the way, sir, I saw Yingxing at the Herta Space Station..."

Bai Jun pondered this matter for a long time and finally felt that perhaps he shouldn't keep it from Huai Yan, or from this old man who was originally Yingxing's master, even if what he was about to say might hurt him.

"You... you saw him?!"

The hunched back that had turned to leave suddenly trembled. Huai Yan's aged body looked even thinner now. He stopped and stared wide-eyed at Bai Jun with disbelief.

"How is that Yingxing now?"

"He seemed perfectly fine... though I'd like to say so too, but when I fought him, I discovered he had fallen into Mara-struck Body, and he's now a member of the 'Stellaron Hunters.' I've done some research on him privately, and his current codename seems to be 'Blade.'"

"..."

Bai Jun's voice softened. Facing the old man who slowly lowered his head, exuding an aura of grief, and fell into silence, Bai Jun didn't know how to comfort him.

"Feel sorry..."

Finally, Bai Jun said softly.

Chapter 171 The Fiancée Comes Knocking?

The next morning, the Divination Bureau

As the sweltering heat lingered in his breath, and the icy chill melted away, giving way to wisps of white mist, Bai Jun had already left home and arrived here alone.

He raised his head, rolled over from his position on the railing to a reclining position, and rested his arms on the railing while gazing up at the sky.

The eastern horizon was still far from dawn, and the west, north, south, and overhead were still shrouded in darkness. Although a long time had passed since the start of a new day, it was not yet time to call it morning.

In Bai Jun's line of sight, one can overlook the vast urban area of other grotto-heavens from the enormous aerial pavilion of the Divination Bureau. Most of the lights scattered like stars in the sea have been extinguished, making the city gradually quiet. The only brightly lit areas are the buildings in the center of the Starskiff Haven in front of him, extending to the surrounding area—a bustling area with rows of teahouses and restaurants, a commercial street adjacent to the east, and the Astral Gate that extends continuously from the northwest to the north and south, operating day and night.

Bai Jun yawned, gazing absently at the magnificent landscape of Luofu, where several lights had been extinguished.

He closed his eyes, as if surrendering himself to the cold morning air, as if recalling the conversation from the previous night.

"The matter of Yingxing can be traced back to about seven hundred years ago. Perhaps you have already heard about it from your fellow disciples. I have no intention of hiding this from you, but... I don't know how to bring it up. Even after so much time has passed, I still cannot let go of the memory of that child."

Huai Yan's shoulders trembled for a long time, like old and rusty gears bowing their heads and sighing. He slowly raised his head and saw that Bai Jun had become speechless.

That's natural; even without being told, Bai Jun is self-aware.

It's doubtful anyone could be so optimistic as to tear open the deepest wounds in their heart and expose that bloody side to others.

"Bai Jun, you and Yingxing are very similar, in every way..."

Under Bai Jun's gaze, the old man, his expression a mixture of sorrow and nostalgia, drifted into memories and slowly recounted his past.

It was a Short-lived species boy whom Huai Yan rescued from the flames of war and dust after his hometown was Destruction by the Buli person. Amazed by the boy's extraordinary talent, he lamented his tragic past and the fact that he was trapped by his past. In the end, Huai Yan took him in.

This world is perfectly imperfect, and life will quietly bloom among the already softened soil and branches.

The storyline mirrored Bai Jun's situation, so from the moment Huai Yan saw Bai Jun on the battlefield, he resolved to save Bai Jun no matter the cost...

Huai Yan rescued Bai Jun, and in the early days of Zhuming's life, he was also the one who loved Bai Jun the most. Even though countless people advised Huai Yan to give up this idea and stop focusing his attention on other races to avoid being hurt again, Huai Yan refused them all.

Whether this stems from pity or empathy born of similar circumstances, or from genuine compassion, remains unknown. Only one thing is certain: even if this affection is betrayed a thousand times, the Huai Yan heart will never waver, nor will it succumb to worldly rejection, disgust, or prejudice.

After a while, Huai Yan spoke again:

"You share his stunning talent, though your personalities differ from Yingxing's, and your ways of treating people are quite different. But I can see that beneath your cold hearts lies a gentle kindness. Of course, I don't mean you are his shadow or a substitute. Your talent is far more amazing than Yingxing's, and you are not as arrogant as Yingxing. You always get along well with others, and even Flamecourt Lord speaks highly of you."

Even though those around him initially harbored doubts about Bai Jun and consciously kept their distance from him, which initially caused Huai Yan a lot of headaches, in less than two years, Bai Jun dispelled the prejudices of others through his own efforts and personality. In this respect alone, Bai Jun was far superior to Yingxing.

Moreover, unlike Yingxing, who was only half-baked, Bai Jun was equally amazing in swordsmanship and knife skills. Not to mention, he seemed to have exceptional insights into governance and people's livelihood. Flamecourt Lord even talked about this with Huai Yan alone.

If Yingxing is a once-in-a-millennium genius in the field of "forging," then Bai Jun is an all-rounder who is equally amazing in many fields.

The two share remarkably similar circumstances, possess exceptional talents, and are even identical in that they are Short-lived species. If they hadn't lived in the same era, Huai Yan might have suspected a karmic connection between them from past lives.

"You might be confused as to why I took you as my disciple in the first place. After hearing what I'm saying now, you might wonder if I lumped you all together, treating you as a shadow of Yingxing, or a replacement... No, I didn't have such thoughts at all when I took you as my disciple."

Huai Yan looked down at the luxurious carpet spread out beneath his feet, and in a deep voice unlike any he had before, he opened his heart to Bai Jun for the first time.

"I once said that it is gratifying for the Cloud Knights to stand out at the pinnacle of victory, but it is far more valuable for them to pass on their skills, allowing them to flourish and benefit others. Even if it is deception or hypocrisy, as long as you sincerely want to learn this skill and swear that you will not use it to harm the world, and that you are only focused on walking the righteous path, then I will impart all my knowledge to you, even if the initial intention of this intention is entirely out of personal need."

Huai Yan saw through Bai Jun's thoughts at a glance, but he still agreed to Bai Jun's request to become his apprentice, and that was the reason.

Subsequent events proved that Huai Yan's choice was correct. Even with unparalleled talent, Bai Jun never used his forging skills to satisfy his own desires. He did not forge weapons to amass wealth, nor did he become obsessed with forging to the point of madness. He remained steadfast on his path as always.

"So, what I want to say is that you and Yingxing are my most proud disciples, and will always be my most beloved and proudest children. I'm sorry, perhaps I am indeed getting a little senile, and now I can't even speak clearly anymore..."

Huai Yan tightly closed his trembling lips and slowly shut his eyes.

When Bai Jun first met Huai Yan, the old man, who had spent his life in the military and never bowed his head, shed a few lines of turbid tears.

My thoughts drifted back to the present. I looked up at the horizon to the east, where a pale halo of light pierced the gray sky. The rising sun climbed over the eastern wall of the Divination Bureau, injecting new vitality into the gradually bustling courtyard.

Under the gentle sunlight, the flowers and plants planted in the flowerbed swayed constantly, and the blades of the windmill kept turning.

"Has it gotten this late without us even realizing it...?"

There's no need to check the time; the angle at which the artificial Sun rises is enough to roughly determine that it's around six in the morning, time to start work.

Bai Jun, who had been lost in thought, straightened up, stretched his arms, and yawned for a long time, pulling himself out of his hazy and confused state of mind. He then turned and headed towards the Assignment Hall.

Today is Bai Jun's first day working at the Divination Bureau, so it's understandable that he arrived at work early.

As for the work assigned to him by Fu Xuan... it was roughly similar to the work of a strategist in the Shence Mansion. He stood in the Assignment Hall and wandered back and forth between the Matrix of Prescience, mainly to convey the information of the array to the Grand Diviner Fu Xuan and to share some of her work.

It's strange, but it seems that since Yaoqing, Bai Jun's job has mostly been like this.

But he's doing it so well now, so he doesn't really care...

The central courtyard, seemingly encircling the central magic circle, gradually rose with a slow, unhurried murmur. The first batch of diviners and officials preparing for the event arrived in a scattered manner, their yawns and drowsy chatter mingling together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Bai Jun arrived at Fu Xuan's office first. Fu Xuan seemed to have been waiting for Bai Jun for a long time. As soon as she entered, she saw Fu Xuan sitting in a chair facing the mirror, her back to the door, muttering to herself, "Haha, Bai Jun, are you ready to be my slave?", "Yesterday's events were just an accident!", "Do you have romantic feelings for Qing Que?", "Can't I?" and other strange phrases.

Perhaps he was too focused, so much so that he didn't notice Bai Jun knocking and entering. It wasn't until Bai Jun awkwardly coughed twice against the doorframe that Fu Xuan noticed Bai Jun's figure. When he came to his senses, he was already furious.

"Bai, Bai, Bai Jun!?"

Unwittingly implicated, Bai Jun could only be pushed out the door by Fu Xuan, whose face was flushed and steam was rising from his head.

Afterwards, Bai Jun stood at the door idly waiting for a long time. During this time, he could hear loud stomping and the walls shaking from being pounded inside the office. Finally, Fu Xuan composed himself and walked out with steady steps.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Excellency... It's nothing, let's go quickly, we're about to start work."

The moment Fu Xuan met Bai Jun's deep blue eyes, a large blush would rise on her face, which had finally regained its cool demeanor. Her voice trembled as she avoided Bai Jun's gaze, and she walked to the front, not daring to look at Bai Jun. She quickly led Bai Jun to the Matrix of Prescience.

The space here is more spacious than other places. The huge circular floor is covered with light and shadow projected by the Matrix of Prescience, while rows of bookshelves and long wooden tables are arranged in a semi-circle, surrounding the array projection located deep inside.

A large number of diviners had already begun their work early, and the scene included people of all races, including the Xianzhou native, Foxkin, and the Vidyadhara, numbering around twenty. Bai Jun knew many diviners in the Divination Bureau, but unfortunately, he didn't know anyone in this hall.

As soon as Bai Jun and Fu Xuan stepped into the hall, the uniformed diviners all turned their attention to the two of them.

"Today, as planned, we will continue to observe and record the operation of the Matrix of Prescience... However, before that, I need to introduce our new colleague."

When they heard Fu Xuan's soft voice mention Bai Jun's name, the other diviners looked at Bai Jun with curious eyes, and they could almost hear comments like, "He's so handsome," "Is he Lady Fu Xuan's boyfriend?" and "Speaking of the rumors from yesterday, could it be—"

The instant he heard those words, Fu Xuan coughed twice forcefully and cast a terrifying gaze in the direction of the sound, instantly silencing any further gossip.

Fu Xuan introduced Bai Jun to the others, and the simple welcoming ceremony came to a close amidst enthusiastic applause.

Then, when Fu Xuan spoke to announce the official start of work, the whispers and restless atmosphere that had been in the hall immediately disappeared.

As the name suggests, the job of the Divination Bureau was to observe, record, and predict major events that would occur along the route of the Luofu flagship. This was a job that, unlike the Artisanship Commission and Alchemy Commission, required exceptional rigor and meticulousness.

Seeing the serious expressions of the other diviners, Bai Jun couldn't help but try to join in as well. Although most of the work was not difficult to handle, Bai Jun had to put aside some of the more technical issues for the time being. Fu Xuan was busy with other things, so Bai Jun had to leave them to others.

While everyone was fully focused on their work, there were a few exceptions. The Mingyue teller would occasionally glare at Bai Jun's back with resentment.

This scene had been repeated countless times, and Bai Jun was completely baffled.

In stark contrast to Mingyue Yue's attitude was the petite fortune teller named Huixing. Seemingly to ease the tension between the two, she would always push up her glasses, smile broadly, and take the initiative to chat with Bai Jun, explaining the things he needed to pay attention to at work.

This subtle and strange state persisted until the half-hour break this morning.

"Hey, Mr. Bai Jun, what did you do for a living before you came to the Divination Bureau?"

"Mr. Bai Jun, is there anything you don't understand? I can answer it for you."

"Brother Bai Jun, I'd like to ask what your relationship is with Lady Fu Xuan. It's not gossip, I'm just curious~"

The crowd, or more accurately, the women in the hall, swarmed over. They were attracted by Bai Jun's outstanding appearance. Some came over to try to strike up a conversation, while others were simply curious and wanted to gossip. They surrounded Bai Jun from all sides. Fu Xuan sat not far away, hesitating whether he should send those women away.

"Mr. Bai Jun, someone is looking for you outside? I saw you were working and didn't want to disturb you, so I had her wait outside the gate for half an hour."

Just then--

The voices of other diviners could be heard outside the hall. Upon hearing her words, Bai Jun was stunned.

"Someone is looking for me? Does that person have any specific characteristics?"

He didn't remember making any promises with anyone. His initial guesses were Tingyun, Sushang, or Huo Huo, but then he thought that they should be busy with work or unable to come out at the moment. As for Hanya Yukong and the others, that was even more absurd. If they really had something to do, the diviner outside the door wouldn't stop them.

In other words, the person outside the door is a friend who is unemployed and has no legal status...

Just as Bai Jun was wondering who the visitor was, the fortune teller outside the door spoke up with an embarrassed voice, "Um, she... she said she's your fiancée."

"W-what?! Where did he get a fiancée?!"

Before Bai Jun could speak, Fu Xuan, who had been eavesdropping for a while, couldn't help but shout out first.

"You secretly got married behind my back, fine, but when did you get a fiancée? Do you really think I'm that despicable?!"

"Lady Fu Xuan, what are you saying... If it's just a joke, then let it go now, but everyone is listening."

Ignoring the surprised and shocked gazes of the others in the hall, she strode aggressively to Bai Jun and questioned him in an interrogative tone.

Upon hearing this, Bai Jun silently broke out in a cold sweat. He suppressed the urge to complain, wanting to clarify and explain himself and the other party under the shocked gazes of everyone in the hall. However, Fu Xuan, caught in a nameless rage and jealousy, completely abandoned all other thoughts.

"I don't care! Just tell me, what am I to you?!"

Fu Xuan roared angrily, and in the next instant—

"Ahhh, so Lord Fu Xuan really is connected to Bai Jun!"

"My God, what a tragic love story! I never imagined that Bai Jun was such a womanizer, juggling multiple relationships, while Lady Fu Xuan became the pitiful victim. And he even thought Bai Jun was a reliable man! Since that's the case, he might as well just play along with him."

"Waaah, Lady Fu Xuan has actually fallen into the clutches of love, a plaything placed in the hands of this despicable man~"

"Mingyue, please stop exaggerating..."

The petite fortune teller adjusted her glasses, looked at the already chaotic hall, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

PS:

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Chapter 172 You Bad Guy!

"The coffee here is excellent, and the hot cocoa is also very good. I often visit in my spare time."

As Bai Jun listened to Fu Xuan's introduction, he sighed and pulled out a chair to sit down.

The reason for this situation was naturally the argument just now. After the Divination Bureau, who rarely lost his temper, briefly vented his Fu Xuan, he calmed down a bit and, on the grounds that "it is not appropriate to talk here," forcefully brought Bai Jun and the guy outside who claimed to be Bai Jun's fiancée here.

"The important thing is that I have some connections with the manager here, and this place is much more comfortable than those noisy and vulgar restaurants. Order whatever you want."

That's true. As the menu was pushed onto the table, Bai Jun looked around and briefly observed the environment. Although the coffee shop in front of him was not large, it was very clean and tidy, with various potted plants. His first impression was indeed that it was clean and tidy.

The air was filled with a faint sweetness and the rich aroma of steaming milk, while ground coffee beans danced in the sunlight streaming through the window.

This little shop is located on a corner of a street about 300 meters outside of the Divination Bureau. Among the countless shops on this narrow street that stretches from north to south, this is a very pure coffee shop. Unlike other shops, it doesn't add any so-called role-playing or localized features to its menu.

This shop's signature dish is black coffee made by freshly grinding coffee beans on-site.

There's also hot cocoa with added milk and sugar, which is either loved or hated by some, making it incredibly sweet and high in calories.

This was a shop frequently visited by diviners from the Grand Diviner's Divination Bureau. Because the Divination Bureau's work required exceptional mental focus and the working environment was rather oppressive, both diviners and officials would often order a hot drink to refresh themselves during their spare time.

Fu Xuan was one of the customers; she would always come after lunch to order a coffee, or tell her boss in advance before working overtime at night.

What surprised the boss today was that her visit was a little earlier than usual, and unlike her usual solitary self, she was sitting at the same table with two other guests, seemingly discussing something seriously.

"So, could you please explain what you meant when you said that in front of the Temple of the Divination Bureau?"

Fu Xuan picked up his cup as if nothing had happened, elegantly enjoying his coffee with plenty of sugar and milk. Then, he slowly turned his gaze to the third person besides Bai Jun.

The girl sitting opposite me had long, black, shoulder-length hair and a pair of adorable, watery eyes like a chipmunk. Combined with her sweet appearance, she could easily evoke a protective instinct in others. Without hesitation, she ordered a large serving of hot cocoa and enjoyed the sweetness to her heart's content.