Even if Bai Jun answered that he was going nowhere, it would not have helped. They had already fixated on the word "belonging"; no matter what he said now, it no longer mattered.
What can I say?
For the next thirty minutes, Bai Jun had no memory of how he endured it. By the time he came back to himself, he was curled up in a corner, looking utterly dead inside.
Meanwhile, the three big shots—Jing Yuan, Yukong, and Fu Xuan—had finally grown a little thirsty. With perfect unspoken coordination, they went to the water dispenser one after another to rehydrate. Their attitudes had clearly softened as well; at least they could now speak to one another normally.
Though the topic of conversation had already twisted into another dimension entirely.
"Listen, my Yan Qing really is hardworking. At such a young age, he managed to become a Vanguard through his own abilities. Back then, even I was still studying swordsmanship under my master."
"Hmph. In terms of cleverness, Qing Que under my tutelage is no less impressive. At such a young age, she can reconstruct the technologies of ancient nations from just fragments of classical texts. That kind of talent is surely no worse than your Yan Qing's, is it? And she is adorable, too."
"No, listen to me. My Tingyun is the most impressive..."
It had become a parents' meeting devoted to bragging about their children. Bai Jun seized the opportunity, held his breath, and sidled toward the door one step at a time like a crab. His eyes remained fixed on the three of them the whole time. Just as he was about to touch the doors of the Divination Bureau, a voice froze him where he stood.
"Bai Jun! You tell us—which of these three children is the best? Wait..." Yukong turned around and happened to spot Bai Jun's half-extended arm by the door. Her expression immediately became subtle.
"Hey, hey~ I surrender."
Bai Jun promptly raised both hands. Under the pressure of their gazes, he obediently returned to his original spot and gave an exceptionally diplomatic answer. "All right, honestly, I think my Lady Bailu is the best..."
"If you try to please everyone, you might end up pleasing no one, you know?"
Cornered by the three of them again, Bai Jun swallowed. Seeing that they were determined to reach a conclusion over something like this, he said weakly, "Before that, may I ask if you have heard about what happened in Aurum Alley yesterday?"
He was obviously changing the subject again, but Jing Yuan seemed to realize something. "Aurum Alley? You mean... the Mara-struck Body incident."
Information flowed remarkably efficiently through Shence Mansion. What had happened yesterday afternoon had been laid out on the desk in full detail by that evening, and Jing Yuan had naturally reviewed it.
He knew that Bai Jun had resolved the matter. Because of that, Jing Yuan understood that Bai Jun's question was not without reason.
Bai Jun nodded, took out the diary wrapped in kraft paper from his robe, and recounted everything that had happened yesterday. This included many details not recorded in the case file, as well as the most crucial point—
"I learned from that child about an organization..."
"You mean the Medicine King's Legacy?" The moment Jing Yuan spoke those words, Yukong and Fu Xuan's expressions turned grave as well.
After confirming it from Bai Jun's face, Jing Yuan put away his lazy smile and nodded as though he had expected it. "When I reviewed the case report last night, I was wondering where that child Qiu Zhou had obtained the medicine... So it was exactly as I suspected."
"Can you tell me about this organization?" Bai Jun handed the diary to Jing Yuan and asked the question that had troubled him all night.
Jing Yuan took the diary and was about to explain when Fu Xuan jumped in first. "The Medicine King's Legacy is rather complicated. It cannot be explained clearly in a short while. How about this? Come back to the Divination Bureau with me. We have intelligence on the Medicine King's Legacy stored there."
At first, Bai Jun saw nothing wrong with that. It was perfectly normal for the Divination Bureau, which handled intelligence, calculations, and information, to possess records on the Medicine King's Legacy. So he agreed without a second thought, completely missing the shocked looks on Yukong and Jing Yuan's faces.
Fu Xuan turned around, doing her best not to let Bai Jun see her suppressed smile, then continued, "Ahem, good. Hurry and come with me!"
"Actually, the Divination Bureau has information on the Medicine King's Legacy..." Yukong added faintly.
"Shence Mansion is no worse," Jing Yuan chimed in.
"But he agreed to me first!" Hearing the competition in Jing Yuan and Yukong's words, Fu Xuan immediately grabbed Bai Jun by the wrist and forcibly dragged him away in front of them.
Jing Yuan and Yukong watched the short pink-haired girl recede into the distance. One gave a helpless wry smile, while the other let out an unwilling sigh.
"The thing I regret most now is assigning Bai Jun to work at the Divination Bureau for a time. Ah, forget it. Better to fear a thief's thoughts than a thief's theft. Let Fu Xuan have him for today."
Jing Yuan, who had a deep understanding of Bai Jun's character, stretched lazily. He was not particularly worried about Bai Jun being poached. What truly deserved his consideration now was the Medicine King's Legacy.
Though Yukong was reluctant, she did indeed have official duties to attend to. After some thought, she decided she would talk to Bai Jun about changing jobs when she had the time.
In the past, the Xianzhou Alliance had gone through a period of crisis in faith. Among the people at that time, all sorts of beliefs flourished.
For example, belief in the Aeon of The Preservation had once become the mainstream faith among intellectuals and merchants.
But the Aeon of The Preservation was an Aeon who paid little attention to mortals. In truth, They did not suit the pragmatic nature of most ordinary Xianzhou people.
There was also a considerable number of people who went against the tide and persisted in their faith in the Abundance.
They firmly believed that the actions of the Denizens of Abundance did not accord with the Apothecary's will, and that the existence of Mara-struck Bodies was merely the result of the Apothecary's will not being properly carried out. These people called themselves the "Medicine King's Legacy."
For a long period of history, the "Medicine King's Legacy" had not been a notorious organization. They had once welcomed doubts openly, established numerous clinics, and helped the poor. To most Xianzhou people who had long abandoned their faith in the Apothecary, the actions of these old believers were pitiable and laughable, but not especially hateful.
However, after the outbreak of the Third Abundance War thirty years ago, some people harboring ulterior motives blamed the disasters of the Lord of the Plagues on the ruthlessness of the Aeon of The Hunt and the Xianzhou Alliance. From there, they developed the ambition to overthrow the Xianzhou.
The "Medicine King's Legacy" founded by the so-called "Leader" was entirely different from the old Medicine King's Legacy. They loudly preached their obsession with immortality and their hatred for the Aeon of The Hunt. This was not a revival of an old faith, but a new creation wearing the corpse of the old one.
"The Medicine King's Legacy currently causing trouble in the Xianzhou Alliance is a criminal organization that adopted an ancient name and has existed for less than thirty years. Jing Yuan has organized many suppression campaigns over the years, but none have reached a conclusion."
On the way to the Divination Bureau, Fu Xuan explained the origin and deeds of the Medicine King's Legacy by Bai Jun's side. To match her pace, Bai Jun deliberately slowed his steps. Upon hearing that none had reached a conclusion, he asked in confusion, "None reached a conclusion? Does the Medicine King's Legacy really have the ability to contend with the Cloud Cavalry?"
"How could they? Though the Medicine King's Legacy supposedly has tens of thousands of followers, they are ultimately just a rabble. They are hardly a force to be reckoned with."
"Then why...?"
"As I just said, the people of the Xianzhou have always retained the custom of believing in other Aeons. Whether it is the Preservation Sect, the Erudition Sect, or the Medicine King's Legacy, they are fundamentally all of the same vein, rooted in primitive worship of Aeons. The Medicine King's Legacy can be destroyed, but it cannot be eradicated. Once the time is right, the remaining ashes will reignite."
Without realizing it, Fu Xuan had walked ahead of him. Though she lacked height, when she grew serious, the presence she exuded was no less dependable than Jing Yuan's.
"Without the Medicine King's Legacy, perhaps the Apothecary's Legacy will appear after some time. So long as people live, faith in Aeons will never cease. And since the Luofu has only recently escaped centuries of turmoil and gained a brief chance to recover, it is truly unsuitable to launch a massive campaign. I imagine Jing Yuan has considered this, which is why he has never resolved to purge the remnants of the Medicine King's Legacy on a large scale."
It was around noon, and only a few guards stood sparsely outside the Divination Bureau. When they saw Fu Xuan, the previously slouching guards immediately straightened up and put on the appearance of working diligently.
Under normal circumstances, Fu Xuan would have given these slackers a good dressing-down. But as she was enjoying her conversation with Bai Jun, she did not pursue the matter and simply walked inside with him while continuing to talk.
After Fu Xuan and Bai Jun left, the guards scratched their heads and continued chatting. "The Master Diviner was actually smiling. The sun really rose in the west today."
"Shh! Be careful she does not hear you, unless you want to make trouble for yourself!"
"True enough. Let us get back to what we were discussing. Can fried tofu even be eaten without shrimp oil sauce?"
"Your taste is really picky, sir. But speaking of which, where is that new girl whose name has something to do with a bird? She is already three minutes late for the shift change. Does she even want this job anymore?!"
P.S. I revised the synopsis. If anyone has any good ideas, feel free to tell me~
Take Off Your Armor, Take It Off!
Fu Xuan usually worked in the Divination Bureau's council hall, carrying out daily divinations and reports around the divination nexus alongside numerous diviners.
But that did not mean she did not have an office. It simply was not especially useful. Under normal circumstances, it was used to store her personal belongings or for brief rests when she was tired. Most of the time, however, it was basically used to pile up the case reports she urgently needed to finish.
Fu Xuan had intended to let Bai Jun rest in the hall while she tidied up a little, but Bai Jun clearly did not care about such things and walked straight inside.
His reasoning was simple. How messy could the room of such a pretty girl possibly be?
The moment Bai Jun opened Fu Xuan's office door, the mess inside left him dumbfounded.
The floor before the half-open window was a complete mess. The desk was piled with documents, while disordered sheets of paper lay like fallen leaves scattered by the wind, each claiming its own territory. The coffee cup beside them had long been emptied, with several dried streaks still left on its surface.
The trash can in the corner overflowed with crumpled paper balls and empty packaging boxes of all sizes. Sticky notes covered the walls, filled with blurry reminders and things yet to be done.
Calling it a mess would be an understatement—it looked more like a wastepaper recycling station!
Bai Jun tried hard to close his mouth, which had kept falling open in shock, then looked at Fu Xuan beside him with a somewhat peculiar expression.
"Ahem, I am usually very busy with work and rarely come here. Over time, it just... just... Anyway, help me clean it up. Then I will help you find the Medicine King's Legacy files." Fu Xuan's little face reddened as she tried to explain herself. In the end, even she could not keep making excuses, so she merely tugged at Bai Jun's sleeve and spoke softly in embarrassment.
Then she crouched down with her petite body, like a shy little rabbit, lowering her flushed face with all her might as her small hands quickly gathered the documents scattered across the floor.
...She was rather cute.
Rarely seeing her like this, Bai Jun resisted the urge to take out his Jade Omen and snap a picture. He silently bent down and helped her clean up the office, tossing the paper balls near the trash can so they could be gathered and taken out later.
A beautiful girl really was a beautiful girl. If it were an ordinary person, a room this messy would have long developed an unpleasant smell. Yet Fu Xuan's office had no such problem. There was even a faint fragrance in the air, making it impossible to feel any disgust.
As Bai Jun picked up case report documents from the floor, his hand suddenly touched a piece of silk caught between the papers. It was soft and light, yet delicate—like silk. No, it was practically like the finest silk from the Yaoqing.
Out of curiosity, Bai Jun slowly pulled it out from between the papers.
At that moment, Fu Xuan happened to lift her head. The instant she saw the snow-white silk garment in Bai Jun's hand, patterned with intricate designs, her pale golden eyes gradually widened. Shock and embarrassment flickered in her pupils—it was her spare pair of pantyhose.
"G-Give it back!"
A blush instantly flooded Fu Xuan's cheeks. She swiftly grabbed one end of the pantyhose and snatched them from Bai Jun's hand.
Bai Jun blinked in confusion and stared at his hand. He instinctively clenched his now-empty palm, as though feeling for the last remaining trace of its touch, but he quickly realized what it had been.
"Say it. You did not see anything."
Fu Xuan suddenly grabbed Bai Jun's sleeve. Her voice was low and trembling, her words carrying both the fragile sweetness of embarrassment and the stubbornness of anger.
"What are you talking about, Master Diviner? I was only picking up the documents on the floor." Bai Jun raised both hands with great tact. His clear eyes gave no one the slightest flaw to pick at.
Fu Xuan lowered her face. Her fingers, clenched tightly around his sleeve, seemed to be struggling to conceal her nervousness and shyness. Yet her faintly trembling shoulders, reddened earlobes, and fair neck tinged with pale pink still gave away her feelings.
A moment later, she readjusted her mindset. As though nothing had happened, she turned her little face away and continued gathering the documents from the floor.
For the next while, Fu Xuan deliberately refused to speak to him as though sulking. Even when their eyes occasionally met, she would intentionally turn away, leaving him only with a haughty, tsundere back. Bai Jun did not even know where to put the files he had sorted.
"Fu Xuan, are you angry?"
Bai Jun placed the sorted documents on the desk, walked behind Fu Xuan, and gently poked her shoulder.
When no one else was around, Bai Jun no longer addressed Fu Xuan with distant official titles or formal phrasing. Fu Xuan had always found that quite pleasing. She gave a soft snort, turned around, and cast him a speechless glance with her beautiful pale golden eyes. "No. Why would I be angry?"
"It is good that you are not angry... By the way, where are the Medicine King's Legacy files?" Seeing that she could still communicate normally, Bai Jun felt relieved enough to get to the point.
"Tch, so you really were just fooling me. Take it!"
Realizing she had been tricked, Fu Xuan clicked her tongue in extreme displeasure. She pulled a thick chronological compilation from the bookshelf and tossed it to Bai Jun.
Bai Jun steadily caught the material, briefly flipped through several pages to confirm it was correct, then prepared to leave. "Thank you. Then I shall take my leave first."
"Wait! Do not go yet."
Just as Bai Jun's left leg was about to step out of the room, Fu Xuan suddenly called out to him. Under Bai Jun's puzzled gaze, she asked somewhat hesitantly, "Are you certain you do not want to return to the Divination Bureau? I can guarantee that the salary and benefits here will be much better than anywhere else."
What Fu Xuan had said that morning was not a lie. The Divination Bureau truly lacked qualified successors now, and the fact that its only promising prospect was a lazy slacker was even more undeniable. This matter had been giving her quite a headache. If she inherited the general's position someday in the future, the post of Master Diviner would inevitably become vacant. Who would she pass it on to then?
After thinking it over, she felt that among the people she knew, Bai Jun seemed to be the only reliable option. At the very least, during the time he had previously been transferred there, she had genuinely witnessed his capabilities.
His abilities were indeed outstanding on another level, but his shortcomings were equally obvious—
"I refuse."
That was right. This guy was even more laid-back and better at slacking off than Qing Que.
The last time Bai Jun had been transferred to the Divination Bureau, he had solved an urgent problem for the time being. But the terrible thing was that he had corrupted Qing Que as well!
This time, Fu Xuan received the same unchanging answer from Bai Jun. Still, it was within her expectations. She sneered as though she had anticipated it and turned back to sit securely in her seat, which was propped up by several books. "Fine, let us put that matter aside for now. Let us talk about yesterday."
"Yesterday..."
"That is right. Explain why you took Qing Que out to play cards again, and why you even dared stand me up yesterday afternoon!" Her calm, gentle voice instantly rose. Fu Xuan's little face darkened as she angrily slapped the desk, causing the coffee Bai Jun had just made for her to spill again.
"The coffee spilled again."
"...Are you my mother or something? Be serious!"
"But I just wiped your desk clean."
"...Sorry." Faced with Bai Jun's innocent and aggrieved expression, Fu Xuan ultimately lost heart and admitted defeat. Muttering under her breath, she took out a cloth and wiped the desk clean.
As the saying went, the first push was strongest, the second weakened, and the third ran out.
Fu Xuan more or less understood that feeling now. After wiping the desk, it was difficult for her to summon the same emotions when she looked up at Bai Jun again. She could only sigh helplessly and skip over the matter. "Forget it. I will forgive you this time. But if you dare do it again, I definitely will not let you off!"
Little did she know, she had said nearly the exact same thing to Bai Jun four times already. Yet every time, Bai Jun managed to muddle through.
Bai Jun secretly rejoiced, though his expression remained as clear as ever. "Worldly affairs are tangled, and matters rarely go as intended. I hope Master Diviner Fu Xuan may grant me some time, so that I may slowly arrange a proper meeting."
After saying that, he stepped back a few paces, hugged the chronological compilation tightly to his chest, and prepared to take his leave.
"Wait, there is one more thing!"
Fu Xuan lifted her coffee and stopped Bai Jun once again. Annoyed, she said, "Take off your armor."
"Huh? Why..." Bai Jun froze for half a beat, thinking he had heard wrong, and cautiously asked again.
"Do not ask so much. Take off your armor! If I tell you to take it off, then take it off!" Fu Xuan took a sip of coffee and urged him in an inscrutable tone.
Bai Jun quickly understood the situation. He took off his outer robe and inwardly lamented, Why is my fate so bitter? I only agreed to come get some information, yet I have fallen into a pit of fire. Whoever you are, come save me quickly. I still have people to meet—but delay even a moment, and my life is over!
Though Bai Jun was troubled, he still kept an eye on Fu Xuan in her seat.
"Take it off, take it off, take it off!"
Seeing that he had spent so long taking off only one outer robe, the short pink-haired girl had already run out of patience. She jumped down from her chair and personally pulled open his upper garment, revealing Bai Jun's upright, solid body and clearly defined muscles.
Before you continue