Who is being conquered?

"Supreme Morality Commendation +5"

"5/100"

Busy dealing with followers of the Medicine King's Legacy, Bai Jun had no time for the system prompts in his mind. After he tied the two individuals up like stuffed dumplings, Qing Que, who was late, arrived at a hurried pace. Although her face still showed a faint blush, her expression and voice had mostly stabilized, preventing her from losing composure like she had earlier.

"Are you hurt?" Qing Que asked with concern.

Bai Jun casually shook his head, signaling her not to worry. He then crouched down and felt the Medicine Master's seals on the two individuals, which symbolized their follower status.

"The evidence is conclusive. These two are followers of the Medicine King's Legacy. Let's go hand them over to the relevant department. I remember there's a good bounty for each follower."

"I... I won't go..."

Unexpectedly, Qing Que refused his invitation, turning down a sure thing. Her gaze was fixed on the ground as she spoke.

Bai Jun was about to persuade her further, but he suddenly remembered the fundamental rule of working happily that Qing Que had told him before: even if you earn merit later, you should pass it on to your colleagues. This way, you do a favor and plant a tree to provide shade in the future.

He no longer felt conflicted or confused. With a broad smile, he ruffled her hair and happily went to collect the reward money alone.

"Idiot..."

Qing Que tidied her hair, which Bai Jun had messed up, and muttered softly with a slight blush. It wasn't that she didn't want to accompany Bai Jun; it was simply that the events that had just transpired made it difficult for her to look directly into those azure blue eyes.

To be more precise, it wasn't that she couldn't, but rather that she lacked the courage.

Carrying the two followers of the Medicine King's Legacy, Bai Jun turned and returned to Shence Mansion. After handing them over to Jing Yuan and explaining the situation, he unceremoniously pilfered the last of the Xun Di from Jing Yuan's wallet.

"Sigh, have you picked up some bad habit recently? It's like you've fallen into a money pit."

"I'm not sure myself, but my expenses have been quite high lately. The Department of Earthly Rulings pays late, so I have to find some way. Besides, I feel at ease taking this money. What, do you have a problem with it?"

Bai Jun returned Jing Yuan's wallet with a clear conscience. This was money explicitly listed on the Shence Mansion wanted posters, and he felt perfectly justified in taking it.

Jing Yuan looked at his depleted wallet with a helpless expression. Although his daily living expenses were covered by Shence Mansion, and he had no other hobbies after work besides bird-keeping and watering plants, there was nothing for him to spend extra money on. Yet, when did this habit of people snatching his wallet start?

"No, it's just that I'm curious why even the esteemed Hundred Refinements Master would worry about money. The number of people on the Luofu who want you to forge for them could form a line from Shence Mansion all the way to the Star Gate. If you wanted to, you could easily earn money that a normal operative wouldn't make in several lifetimes."

"There's a saying, 'quality over quantity.' Swords may not have flesh and blood, but people are vastly different. There are those who use famous swords to display their status and gain convenience, those who inherit good swords from their families but bully the weak, and those who wield powerful weapons but stray from the right path... While every craftsman cannot decide the fate of what they forge, it would be too vulgar to do so merely for money and fame, wouldn't it?"

Bai Jun's response was exceptionally calm. He shrugged and replied truthfully, "My principles are simple. I only give swords to the right people. Otherwise, it would be a disservice to the old man and Lord Huai Yan."

"As expected. You're just like him in this regard. No wonder you're fellow disciples..."

Hearing this familiar answer, Jing Yuan's thoughts drifted back to his first meeting with Ying Xing. He remembered that Ying Xing had also spoken to him coldly like this. Had so much time passed without him realizing it?

"What?"

Seeing Jing Yuan enveloped in an atmosphere of nostalgia and melancholy, Bai Jun felt somewhat bewildered.

"Heh, just consider it the ramblings of someone whose neck is buried halfway in the grave. But I remember that child Yan Qing seems to pester you for a sword every day. He should be qualified, right?"

Jing Yuan shook his head and naturally changed the subject. Hearing his question, a complex emotion flickered across Bai Jun's face.

"If we're talking about qualifications, Yan Qing definitely meets them. It's just... his feelings towards swords are a bit too scattered. You know, no one wants their precious daughter to be snatched away by some unknown Casanova. Similarly, I don't want the swords I forged with my own hands to be taken by someone with such a fickle heart."

"In short, if you keep swords locked away in display cabinets all day, they'll cry, you damn it!"

"Ahaha, that's true... I'll talk to him about it later."

As if imagining the future where his swords were neglected and hidden away, Bai Jun punched the air in frustration. This made Jing Yuan feel a bit awkward. After all, everyone has different hobbies and interests, and it wasn't Yan Qing's fault; he just happened to touch upon Bai Jun's pet peeve. So, with an awkward chuckle, he patted Bai Jun's shoulder, signaling him not to dwell on it, and took out a letter sealed with wax from the drawer.

"This is a letter from Old Yan. I'll return it to its rightful owner now."

"The old man's letter?"

Bai Jun took the envelope with the Zhuming pattern and opened it in front of Jing Yuan without reservation. He had expected Huai Yan to be urging him to return to Zhuming again, as usual, but he found that it wasn't that simple. His expression gradually became serious.

After all, this kind of reaction from Bai Jun was quite rare, making Jing Yuan curious about the letter's contents.

"Hmm, Jing Yuan, you promised me a month's leave after my concert tour, didn't you?"

Bai Jun closed the letter and suddenly turned to ask Jing Yuan.

"That's right. What's wrong? Did the old man say something to you?"

"The old man asked me to go out and do something. The location is some kind of space station... let me see again..." As he spoke, Bai Jun pulled out the letter to confirm. Then he said, "Oh, it's the space station 'Black Tower'."

"Ms. Black Tower?"

Jing Yuan's face showed a look of understanding. Although he didn't know the old man's purpose, since it was Bai Jun's personal matter, he didn't pry further.

Jing Yuan still had a mountain of case files to process, so after a brief exchange, they parted ways.

He returned home as evening approached.

Too lazy to cook, Bai Jun casually found a place to fill his stomach. The first thing he did upon returning home was to fix the main door again. After a tiring day, he finally had a moment of leisure.

After showering, Bai Jun studied the Mask of a Thousand Faces for a while longer. This time, he didn't detect any scent from the mask, and he didn't dare to try wearing it on his face again. After a cursory observation, he put it away.

Since he had to work tomorrow, he planned to rest early tonight. However, as soon as he lay down on the bed, his peripheral vision caught sight of the storage box on his bedside table. It contained the armguards he had specially crafted for Xue Yi that morning.

"Almost forgot about this..."

Bai Jun sat up in bed again. While he still had some energy, he decided to finish dealing with this matter to prevent various trivialities from piling up in the future.

After notifying Xue Yi via Jade Omen, Bai Jun put on his clothes, tucked the storage box containing the armguards into his embrace, and put the notebook that Han Ya had given him last time into his pocket. He left his home and walked towards the location they had agreed upon via Jade Omen.

"Ah, I'm so tired, I don't want to work."

Miss Cold Crow, whose shift was about to start, tossed and turned in bed. Her perky, shapely hips and long, slender white legs formed an incredibly alluring curve.

Her mood had been terrible these past two days, and she was completely out of sorts at work. Whenever her mind wandered, she'd recall the scene of Bai Jun kissing her sister, which only made her mood worse.

She felt she couldn't go on like this.

Suddenly, she sat up in bed, her bare feet stepping onto the cold floor. Cold Crow walked to her closet. Instead of taking out her work uniform, she reached into a hidden compartment and pulled out the clothes Bai Jun had secretly taken back the last time they went out.

Undoubtedly, these were the clothes Bai Jun had changed out of at the clothing store, and now they were in her hands.

Staring intently at the clothes in her hand, Cold Crow's breathing grew rapid. Her reason told her she absolutely couldn't do this, or she'd never be her old self again.

But the moment she imagined her sister kissing Bai Jun, the shame brought on by the intense sense of forbidden pleasure almost crushed Cold Crow's sanity...

She buried her face deep in the clothes, her breathing becoming ragged. The tips of her small, flushed ears trembled slightly, her beautiful lead-colored eyes were hazy, and her fair, slender legs were intertwined as her delicate toes scratched at the cold floor.

This would be the first time, and also the last.

"I-I can't be blamed for this... it's all Bai Jun's fault, yes! It's all his fault for forgetting to take his clothes last time. If he had remembered to take them, I definitely wouldn't have turned out like this, so it's all his fault!"

Deeply inhaling the pleasant scent from Bai Jun's clothes, Cold Crow suddenly plopped down onto the floor in a cross-legged position. Her plump thighs pressed against the ground as she let out a mournful cry, like that of a winged beast.

"It's too much, why does it smell so good? Just the scent alone is so intoxicating. If it were any more intense... I might actually die. But if I die, I won't be able to see him anymore. Damn it, this is so agonizing..."

Knock, knock—

The door was knocked upon, and at the same time, a cool, pleasant voice entered the room, "Little sister, are you there?"

Cold Crow, who had been lost in something,'s eyes widened instantly. Her voice, already strained from her ruined composure, broke through even as her nearly shattered reason returned. She immediately buried her mouth back into Bai Jun's clothes, but Xue Yi outside the door still keenly sensed something was amiss.

"Little sister, are you in danger?"

"N-no! I'm perfectly fine, sister!"

Her explanation came a moment too late. Xue Yi kicked open the door, revealing Cold Crow kneeling on the floor, hands hidden behind her back, her cheeks flushed as if covered by a veil of crimson.

"Little sister, what is this..."

"I-I, I..."

Despite hiding the clothes behind her back at the last second, Cold Crow felt her face was burning unbearably. Her reason seemed to be collapsing again, and even something as simple as speaking felt overwhelming.

"Your face is so red, do you have a fever?"

Xue Yi walked over to Cold Crow and placed her hand on her forehead with concern. This was a habit from when they were alive, but the cold sensation quickly made Xue Yi realize that she was now merely a puppet. She then put an arm around Cold Crow's shoulders and scooped her up in a princess carry, placing her on the bed.

"Rest well. I'll go ask the doctor."

"N-no, I'm fine! Is there something you need, sister?"

As Xue Yi turned to leave, Cold Crow anxiously grabbed her hand, stopping her movement. She was afraid Xue Yi would notice the clothes scattered on the floor.

"Don't force yourself..."

"I really am fine, sister!"

Seeing her little sister looking like she was about to cry, Xue Yi could only reply truthfully, "I wanted to ask you to go to the Sanyou Bookstore to pick up Bai Jun's gift for me and thank him."

But the moment Bai Jun's name was mentioned, Xue Yi immediately turned her head away. While a subtle shift of her gaze wouldn't be too noticeable, her head turn was so swift and abrupt that it seemed like she was deliberately avoiding Bai Jun's name.

Cold Crow's expression gradually froze. The anxious and shy emotions within her seemed to instantly plunge into a cold lake. She blinked dazedly and subconsciously released Xue Yi's arm, "Why..."

"I-I don't know... so I can only ask you, little sister..."

"I'm sorry, sister, I have work later and probably won't have time."

For the first time, Cold Crow refused her sister's request. She got up in a daze, wanting to put on her clothes, but for some reason, she couldn't fasten the buttons.

"Is that so... Little sister, don't push yourself. If you feel unwell, remember to consult a doctor promptly."

Xue Yi reached out to stroke her sister's hair, her hand hovering in the air for a moment before slowly falling back down. She felt it might not be appropriate now. As she turned, her peripheral vision caught the clothes on the floor for half a second, but she quickly stopped paying attention and left her sister's room.

Standing lost in the hallway, the already silent air around her seemed to grow heavier.

Xue Yi couldn't face Bai Jun's "sincerity." She didn't know how to respond, her heart unable to find an answer.

Therefore, she lowered her crimson eyes, pondering what to do. A faint, hollow whisper echoed in her mind.

"Lady Xue Yi? Lady Xue Yi, what's wrong? Is there a problem with your mechanisms?"

A green figure appeared before her, shaking its hand with concern. Huo Huo had actually noticed Xue Yi standing dazed in the hallway but had hesitated to approach out of fear before slowly moving closer.

"I'm fine."

Xue Yi quickly broke free from her confusion, returning to her usual expressionless, indifferent state. Looking at the little one in front of her, she suddenly asked, "Huo Huo, do you remember Bai Jun, whom you met briefly last time?"

"Oh? I remember him clearly!"

"Tail, shut your mouth! Lady Xue Yi, I remember."

Ignoring Tail's interruption, upon hearing Huo Huo's reply, Xue Yi nodded and placed her hand on the girl's soft hair, her tone softening by a third. "That's good. I'd like to ask Huo Huo to go to Sanyou Bookstore to find him and pick up his gift for me."

"Eh!? Me, me... No, no, no, I absolutely can't!"

Huo Huo's pretty face immediately shook like a rattle. Her fingers, adorned with band-aids, fidgeted nervously with the hem of her clothes, and she lowered her head, afraid to agree.

"Go away, go away! What do you know, you little brat? Hurry up and leave! I don't want to spend tonight catching those boring evil spirits with you again!"

But before Xue Yi could speak, the tail behind her suddenly got excited. The green flames flared up a bit, forcibly carrying Huo Huo into the sky and flying towards the area above Yōqiú Prison.

"Waaah! No, I don't want to!"

Chapter 66: Facing Huo Huo's Tears, the Great Tail's Choice Is... (4.5k words)

The long flute that signaled the time in Changle Heaven sounded once, and the sky had already darkened.

The moon had unknowingly hung above the lights of countless homes. The bustling streets were a little less vibrant and a little more desolate.

The market on the Luofu was different from other regions. Usually, within a blessed land, areas for morning and night markets were specifically designated. This way, it would be convenient for market management, and it would also avoid disrupting the normal schedules of residential areas. In Changle Heaven, most people's nighttime activities were concentrated around Jiren Alley.

As for the shops on the main streets of the blessed land, they had long since closed their doors. Along with the crowds of people getting off work, they had returned home. As a result, the streets now only had unmanned convenience stores, and occasionally a few scattered pedestrians could be seen coming and going.

Bai Jun, sitting on a bench near the Sanyou Bookstore, watched the street where pedestrians were gradually disappearing and let out a long yawn.

"So sleepy, so cold, I want to sleep..."

The cool night breeze seeped into the lining of his clothes, making him involuntarily shrink his neck.

The time displayed on his watch was 21:37. It had been more than half an hour since he last chatted with Xue Yi. Although they had only agreed to meet at Sanyou Bookstore, waiting like this wasn't ideal, so he prepared to ask Xue Yi about the situation through Jade Omen.

As soon as he opened Jade Omen, a voice came from the other end of the street. Bai Jun looked up, his gaze sweeping over a certain green figure, and his eyes became confused.

The green-haired little fox girl walking on the street had been looking around nervously from the very beginning. Every time she opened her mouth to say a few words to someone, she would quickly be startled by the rustling of the wind and tremble, covering her head.

Bai Jun's memory was consistently good, especially after seeing her tail burning with green flames, he immediately recalled her name. It seemed to be Huo Huo? He remembered she was a little Underworld Emissary who followed Xue Yi and Han Ya. The tail behind her was quite a powerful Suiyang.

Although he didn't know why she came here, he figured it must be related to Xue Yi. Bai Jun, who had been zoning out while leaning on the bench, immediately got up and walked straight towards the little Underworld Emissary.

At this moment, Huo Huo's attention was entirely on her tail, and she didn't notice the figure walking towards her.

"I, I, can I not go? That Bai Jun, he, he's so strong, I feel like he's much stronger than Lord Xue Yi, it's so scary..."

"I'm just asking you to go say hello and get something, not to go fight him with real swords and guns. Besides, are you an ostrich? You always shrink back when something happens, why are you so cowardly!"