Who is being conquered?

Su Shang blinked, pointing at herself in surprise. "Huh? What are you talking about, senior? I just got here."

Cloud Knights: Black person asking questions.jpg

Meanwhile, looking at his own front door not far away and thinking about how he could soon lazily roll into his own bed, Bai Jun felt a touch of emotion.

As he walked into the hallway, his hand, which was reaching into his pants pocket to get his keys, froze. Realizing he was wearing a skirt, he silently withdrew his hand. Moreover, looking at his own dilapidated front door, it seemed there was no need to open it anyway.

"Really, I'll have to fix the front door later... Hmm?"

Bai Jun's expression changed slightly. He didn't remember leaving the front door ajar. If someone he knew had come to his house, they would have greeted him. So the answer was obvious—a thief had broken in!

Without making a sound, he picked up the fake Xuanyuan that came with the fox mask transformation effect and quietly entered his house.

Realizing the thief hadn't left and was even in his room, Bai Jun's eyebrows shot up in anger, and he kicked open the room door.

After acting as a security guard in front of the Divination Bureau for several days, Captain Qing Que finally managed to sneak away while Fu Xuan wasn't paying attention. She eagerly ran to the Department of Earthly Rulings, intending to find Bai Jun to play.

She had planned to surprise him, but after hearing from his colleague that he was on holiday today, Qing Que followed the route she remembered to Bai Jun's house. As soon as she arrived at his doorstep, she saw the door, which was so broken it looked like it had just survived a catastrophe.

Qing Que hadn't even done anything, and the door creaked and fell to the ground. So she had no choice but to go inside, wanting to ask Bai Jun what was going on. However, after searching the room, she couldn't find Bai Jun. This made Qing Que, who had expected Bai Jun to be sleeping in his bed, feel troubled, so she had to sit there and wait for him to return.

"That's strange, he should be back by now... why isn't he here yet?"

Qing Que was wearing a cool summer outfit today, revealing her fair and delicate shoulders. Her soft brown hair was tied into a cute bun. She was lying on the bed, bored, scrolling through Jade Omen, her long, fair legs dangling in the air.

Waiting was too boring, so she sat up and curiously looked around Bai Jun's room. After a quick scan, she found that Bai Jun's home was too desolate. The entire room seemed to have only a row of books on the bookshelf, and the rest of the places were too clean.

Even under the bed, there were no "boy things" like she had imagined.

With a plop, she threw herself onto Bai Jun's bed again, lazily rolled around twice, and buried her face in the quilt, thinking his bed was quite comfortable and smelled nice...

Just then, a loud noise suddenly came from the doorway: "What impudent scoundrel dares to cause trouble here—!"

"Waaah—!"

As the door was kicked open, Qing Que, who was about to do something sneaky, suddenly lifted her face from the quilt, her small face flushed red. She waved her hands, trying to explain, "No, listen, listen to my defense... Huh?"

"Qing Que?"

Qing Que and Bai Jun's eyes met. The first to break the brief silence was Qing Que, who threw a green Imperial Jade Card Game from her pocket. She put her hands on her hips and pointed at Bai Jun, who looked like Su Shang, shouting, "Who are you, daring to trespass into a single man's residence!"

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that! And is this your house? Why can you say something like that so naturally!"

"What nonsense are you talking, you hooligan! And how do you know my name?"

Ignoring his retorts, President Que frowned and immediately decided to turn Bai Jun over to the authorities!

Chapter 64: Did You Catch Aha? (4k2)

"Uh, you mean... you're actually Bai Jun, but because you accidentally touched a mask of unknown origin, you've become like this?"

"Yes, you have to believe me!"

Qing Que, who should have been the guest, sat on the bed as if she were the owner, resting her chin on her left hand and crossing her fair legs. She listened to Bai Jun's explanation and nodded thoughtfully.

"I see... I understand."

Then, under Bai Jun's touched gaze, she reached out and pinched his cheek, sneering as if she had seen through everything:

"I thought I just caught a petty thief, but I didn't expect you to be a repeat offender. You can tell such a lie with a straight face. Come on! Let's go surrender."

"Surrender my foot! If anyone should surrender, it's you for trespassing!"

Seeing Qing Que's face full of disbelief, Bai Jun knew this wouldn't be easily resolved without presenting some convincing evidence. He sighed and pointed to the bookshelf in the corner of the room:

"In the third column of that bookshelf, from left to right, are 'Introduction to Surface Treatment Technology,' 'Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering,' 'Metallurgy and Heat Treatment,' and 'A Record of Ancient and Modern Swords.'"

Qing Que checked them one by one and found that what he said matched the books on the shelf exactly. Her suspicion was greatly reduced. After all, among the people she knew, besides Bai Jun, no one else seemed to buy these books. However, this couldn't be considered complete proof of trust...

As if sensing the lingering doubt in Qing Que's eyes, Bai Jun shrugged and continued, "The last time you played the Imperial Jade Card Game with me, you stuck thirteen small pieces of paper on my face, and then Fu Xuan caught you and punished you by making you stand guard at the Divination Bureau."

"Wow, Jeanne d'Arc eats mud... No, wait a minute!"

Qing Que changed the subject, stood up, and moved closer to Bai Jun. Her mischievous smile made him feel uneasy. "One last question, what day is my birthday? If you were Bai Jun, you'd definitely know."

"...I confess, Officer Que, just arrest me."

"So decisive! Uh, no, we've known each other for so long, and you don't know? And you didn't even try to bluff?"

Looking at Bai Jun, who had given up struggling and was lying on the floor, resigned to his fate, Qing Que exclaimed loudly.

"You never told me about this! And if you don't know, you don't know. Bluffing and getting it wrong would only make people suspicious!" Bai Jun, who had completely given up and was lying on the floor, flipped over like a salted fish, replying calmly.

However, his familiar tone and attitude were the best proof of his identity in Qing Que's eyes.

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Tell me carefully what happened." Qing Que sat down on the floor like him, poked his cheek, and asked curiously, "And your transformation effect is too amazing... the skin temperature, touch, and even the smell have all changed."

"I don't know. The most troublesome thing for me right now is how to undo this state."

"Ultimately, why did you turn into this appearance, and what's your relationship with the original owner?" Qing Que narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone deepening slightly when she mentioned the last question.

"Just a junior I happened to meet while passing by today." Bai Jun had already prepared a response for this question.

He sighed and rubbed his hair in frustration. "As for why I look like her, it's probably because she happened to touch the mask right before I put it on. So I'm thinking maybe the mask's transformation effect is related to this."

"A mask of unknown origin, powerful transformation abilities, an irreversible state... It all sounds like the work of an Aeon, perhaps Lord of Joy again?"

The Aeons are mysterious, high-level beings, each presiding over different "Paths." They can travel freely between the stars, controlling the erasure of reality. Even a sliver of their power possesses the immense might to reshape worlds.

They rarely interact with mortal civilizations. Take the Aeon of The Hunt, the Emperor's Bow, for example. Its speed is so great that very few observations of its true form exist, making even the related data on Xianzhou incomplete.

Though people know little about most of them, a few Aeons frequently appear in the mortal realm. Setting aside the Aeon of Abundance and the Aeon of Preservation, the most famous is undoubtedly the notorious Aeon of Joy, Aha.

Compared to the previous two, this one is truly a handful. No Aeon is as troublesome as Aha. It's utterly oblivious, unpredictable, and does whatever it pleases. There's nothing Aha wouldn't dare to do. Once, it even turned an insect with underdeveloped brain functions into a Messenger.

Qing Que had heard many stories about Aha during her time at the Divination Bureau. She knew it was a chaotic god whose actions were driven purely by mood and amusement. As far as she knew, those blessed by Joy gained unimaginable power, but their fates were usually grim. Once Aha grew bored, they would fall into a state worse than death. And Bai Jun's current symptoms...

"Qing Yan, you haven't caught Aha, have you?"

"Lord of Joy? I doubt it. I don't feel any power of Joy within me."

Bai Jun's expression grew slightly serious. He sat up and examined his body again. Even with Primordial Suihuang present, Aha was too terrifying, and he had to be cautious.

"Lady Fu Xuan is an expert on these matters. Ah, but she's visiting the Institute of Omniscient Matter at the Jade Palace for observation and study today... Huh? How about I take a look for you?"

Bai Jun, who understood that unusual occurrences often hid something sinister, held up Qing Que as she eagerly leaned towards him. Though he said nothing, his suspicious gaze spoke volumes.

"Oh, regardless, I'm a legitimate Diviner, and things have reached this point. We have to try everything, even if it seems hopeless!"

"It's 'try everything,' not 'treat a dying horse as if it were alive.' Hearing you say that makes me even less inclined to let you divine!"

Finally, after much persistent pleading, Bai Jun decided to trust Qing Que for once and see what she was up to.

She closed her eyes and muttered some arcane terms Bai Jun couldn't understand, then slowly opened them. With a confident air, she commanded, "Alright, take off your clothes."

"...Huh?"

"Is there something strange about that? I remember Lady Fu Xuan divining like this too." Qing Que tilted her head in confusion, her clear eyes leaving Bai Jun speechless. Because she was right; Fu Xuan did divine that way.

If it were in the past, Bai Jun would have complied immediately. But the current situation was different.

"I refuse. Let's think of another way."

Bai Jun's answer was firm. Hearing this, Qing Que realized the current situation was indeed inappropriate. Besides, she wanted to examine Bai Jun's body, not another woman's. So, she waved her hand dismissively.

"Then why don't we ask General Jing Yuan? Perhaps he can see something too?"

That was a good idea. As a distinguished Messenger of The Hunt, Jing Yuan's experience and strength were trustworthy. If there were any signs of Aha, even if Jing Yuan couldn't detect them, there was still the Divine Monarch.

However, the reality was—

"I apologize, but neither the Divine Monarch nor I have detected any power related to the Path of Joy. It's unlikely that the Lord of Joy is causing trouble here." Jing Yuan, sitting at his office desk, clasped his hands and shook his head with regret.

"And please, don't joke with me about such matters. The Luofu's affairs cannot afford any delays, not even for a moment... So, are you truly Bai Jun?" Jing Yuan picked up his long-cold teacup and asked calmly.

But for some reason, Bai Jun could detect a hint of amusement in Jing Yuan's voice, as if he were just teasing him. So, Bai Jun retaliated without hesitation, mimicking someone drunk as he gazed affectionately at the ceiling, "Ah, those years, like unrecoverable, illu-, illu-, illu-sions..."

"Pfft—! Cough, cough, cough, that's enough! Qing Que, escort them out quickly!"

Leaving Shence Mansion and walking back, Qing Que, who had been unable to interject, finally asked curiously, "What were you just saying? I've never seen General Jing Yuan get so agitated before."

"It's nothing. I was just imitating how he acted when he was drunk and singing on my rooftop."

Bai Jun shrugged smugly. He had plenty of Jing Yuan's embarrassing past moments, and this was just the tip of the iceberg. He even remembered Jing Yuan's browsing history on Jade Omen, but he didn't mention it, or Jing Yuan would have surely exploded.

Qing Que clasped her hands behind her back, walking silently beside him, a serene and gentle smile gracing her lips, unnoticed by him.

In the past, she thought she was attracted to Bai Jun's looks. After all, humans are visual creatures, and Bai Jun's appearance indeed fit her preferences. It wasn't something to be ashamed of. But now, it seemed it wasn't that superficial...

For example, his smile. She really liked his smile, and even though he wasn't in his original form now, that hadn't changed.

For example, his aura. Everyone has their own presence, and being around Bai Jun always brought a sense of tranquility, like a gentle breeze caressing a calm lake. This soul-deep serenity couldn't be faked.

For example, she enjoyed seeing his slightly flustered, helpless expression when she teased him, or his tsundere behavior where his actions contradicted his words. These aspects constantly captured her attention.

Like the scorching sun, he was always radiating dazzling light and a sense of security. Even if his demeanor was cold and unapproachable on the surface, he was still gentler than anyone else.

Although this fact made her shy and reluctant to admit it, her heart had indeed been drawn to him.

Yes.

Her heart was completely captivated by this man.

Admitting this made her feel suddenly enlightened, as if a gentle breeze had entered her heart, like finding a hidden treasure, and she felt a lightness all over.

If it were in the past, she might have pouted stubbornly and turned her face away in annoyance, refusing to admit this fact. But now, openly admitting she had fallen completely in love, a calm smile bloomed on her face, one she hadn't expected herself.

Passing through a deserted alley, Bai Jun had deliberately chosen this route to avoid meeting Su Shang herself.

Bai Jun, walking ahead, suddenly stopped. Qing Que, lost in thought, bumped into him unexpectedly. Before she could react, Bai Jun pulled her into a narrow corner beside them.

Such a narrow corner shouldn't have been able to accommodate both Bai Jun and Qing Que. Fortunately, he was currently the same height and build as Su Shang, allowing them to stand face-to-face.

A flood of information surged through Qing Que's mind. In the midst of their ordinary daily lives, so unexpectedly, so abruptly—

And was it her imagination, or was Bai Jun getting taller? Her delicate, cute face rapidly flushed. Not just her cheeks, but her ears, neck, and even her whole body trembled and grew hot. Shyness gradually replaced her reason.

"Shh... Be quiet for a moment."

Bai Jun quickly covered Qing Que's shy squeal with his hand, simultaneously casting his gaze towards two furtive figures not far ahead in the alley. He held his breath, faintly hearing their conversation:

"Medicine King's compassion, what did the higher-ups say?"

"Medicine King's compassion, the Cultivator stated that it's not advisable to act rashly during this period. Everything must prioritize the bigger picture. In short, focus attention on the upcoming concert tour. As for the specifics, that's not for us to know."

"The Medicine King's compassion, cough cough cough... The new Cultivators in our area are really stingy. Do you, do you have any more medicine? My body's stem cells can't hold on much longer..."

"The Medicine King's compassion, alas, just hold on a little longer. Once we connect with those Vidyadhara, we won't have to worry about medicine."

Eavesdropping on the conversation between the two followers of the Medicine King's Legacy without alerting them, Bai Jun didn't want to alarm them. Instead, he focused on a few key pieces of information: "The touring concert, those Vidyadhara..."

It seemed General Jing Yuan's worries weren't unfounded, and those Dragon Masters were also getting restless.

After organizing his thoughts and watching their receding figures, Bai Jun prepared to slip away to deal with things, only to find he couldn't move.

Looking down, he realized then that the transformation effect had disappeared, and he had returned to his normal state.

This should have been a good thing, but the problem lay precisely here—

The space that was previously enough for him and Qing Que to stand facing each other now felt cramped as his body returned to normal. Qing Que's small body was pressed against the wall, her mouth covered by him. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, radiating a blush-inducing, heart-pounding warmth. They were so close he could easily feel her breath.

The girl's cheeks were flushed a burning red. She lowered her head slightly, her long eyelashes trembling, obscuring her beautiful, dazed eyes.

"S-sorry..."

Bai Jun hastily released her. Freed from the pressure, the girl could finally gasp for air. Her rapid, hot breaths met the slightly cool air of the alley, creating wisps of white mist.

For some reason, Bai Jun seemed to hear bursts of clownish laughter in his ears, coupled with the coincidental timing of his ability failing.

This was bad. Now he couldn't help but suspect if he was truly being targeted by Aha.

ps: The slice-of-life chapters are about to end. After the touring concert, we'll have the much-anticipated reunion between Hajyan and the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire (fog).

Chapter 65: Swaying Between Sparse Friendship and Admiration

"Ding—"