How come I'm the one being conquered?

Qing Que blinked in surprise at the shriveled little frog Bai Jun pulled out, then tilted her head and chuckled, "Oh, I thought it was something serious. Is this little thing even considered a problem?"

"Even heroes can be stumped by a penny. How is this not a problem?" Bai Jun pouted. People's joys and sorrows were not the same. He just felt the sun was a bit too high today.

Qing Que, who came from a wealthy family, proudly patted her chest and put on a condescending, indulgent expression. "Let's go, let's go. For the Imperial Jade Card Game, you just need to show up. The money can be considered a bonus, and I'll cover all your meals for the next few days too!"

Hearing such a boastful declaration, Bai Jun's expression turned solemn, almost respectful. He suddenly bent down, cupped Qing Que's small hands, and said with deep emotion, "Jun has drifted for half a lifetime, only regretting not meeting a wise ruler. If you do not reject me, I wish to pledge my loyalty as sworn—"

"Wh-what are you trying to do! Don't talk nonsense, don't talk nonsense!" Qing Que's face flushed slightly. Clearly guessing what Bai Jun was about to say, she quickly stood on tiptoe and used her small hands to cover his lips.

Qing Que's hands were soft. Bai Jun didn't struggle, just nodded obediently, indicating he would follow his boss's orders.

Perhaps because of the many pedestrians passing by on the street, quite a few people noticed Qing Que on tiptoe by the roadside, seemingly being intimate with Bai Jun. They started whispering amongst themselves:

"Young couples nowadays are so bold, starting to hug and kiss in broad daylight."

"What's this style? Young people play so wildly."

"Sigh, what a good-looking young man, and he's already been ruined."

"Youth is truly wonderful..."

Noticing the ambiguous glances from passersby, the tips of Qing Que's ears turned a shy pink. She hurriedly removed her hands from Bai Jun's lips and put some distance between them, saying playfully, "It's all your fault!"

"It's okay, have a piece of candy to calm your nerves." Although Bai Jun heard all the quiet whispers from the passersby, he wasn't in the mood to care. His hands were itching, and he only longed to play cards.

Before Qing Que could complain further with embarrassment, something hard was pressed against her lips. Trusting Bai Jun, she instinctively opened her mouth and took it in.

So sweet...

As the candy's flavor fully bloomed in her mouth, Qing Que realized what Bai Jun had fed her. Her shyness instantly melted into even sweeter happiness.

"Is it good?" Seeing little Qing Que also immersed in the sweetness, Bai Jun smiled and rubbed her little head, as if nothing had happened.

"It's delicious. Which brand of candy is this? I'll buy some later too." Qing Que nodded, curious about the brand. She felt it tasted even better than the candies sold at old shops like Daoxianglou and Qiwangge.

"Shence Mansion brand," Bai Jun said calmly.

A large question mark suddenly appeared in Qing Que's mind. She only knew Shence Mansion as the office of generals throughout the dynasties, but she had never heard of it being a candy factory.

She decided to treat it as Bai Jun's unique joke. After all, Qing Que was already accustomed to Bai Jun's occasional dry humor, and she didn't know who he learned it from.

Bai Jun was now fond of the little rich girl Qing Que in every way, wishing he could enshrine her like the Emperor's Bow of Salvation on his family's altar. Seeing that she liked the Shence Mansion candy, he decisively stuffed another handful into Qing Que's hand, adding, "Although there are no labels or dates, the quality is absolutely guaranteed, brand new and unopened. It's okay if you don't want to eat them now; just have one when you're feeling down."

Rarely experiencing such warmth from Bai Jun, Qing Que was momentarily stunned. Clutching the candies, she didn't know what to say, her heart suddenly beating a little faster. "Thank you..."

"Hmm? Why thank me? Shouldn't I be the one thanking you?" Bai Jun tilted his head in confusion, finding Qing Que a bit strange.

"N-nothing! Let's go quickly. If we're any later, there won't be any tables for the Imperial Jade Card Game!"

Watching Qing Que's flustered retreating back, Bai Jun raised an eyebrow, gradually sensing something was wrong—he had accidentally given all the candy in his pocket to Qing Que, and now he had none!

What if... he asked Qing Que for some back?

As this wicked thought surfaced, Bai Jun immediately dismissed it and began to severely interrogate his conscience.

Bai Jun, Bai Jun, how can you be so petty? It's just a few pieces of candy. At worst, he could raid Shence Mansion again after work. As long as he could make Boss Qing Que happy, he should be perfectly compliant, even if it meant giving her his heart!

"Qing Yan, why are you still spacing out? Hurry up."

Qing Que's confused voice came from afar. It was only then that Bai Jun realized how far apart they had gotten.

"Coming, coming," Bai Jun patted his cheeks and quickened his pace to catch up.

The so-called Imperial Jade Card Game was said to date back to the ancient empire period. It was a tabletop game comparable to Star Array Chess. However, it had drifted and been lost throughout the long history of the Xianzhou Alliance. Fortunately, a Diviner from the Divination Bureau, who wished to remain anonymous, collected and organized its rules and brought them back to modern Xianzhou. Only then did people have the chance to play this brain-burning card game that simulated celestial phenomena.

Speaking of the Imperial Jade Card Game, one must mention an interesting anecdote. Bai Jun was truly a self-taught genius. After just a few glances, he grasped the general idea, which greatly envied his fellow players at the card hall. Everyone thought they were witnessing the birth of a Jade Card genius. But who would have thought that despite learning so quickly, Bai Jun's skill didn't seem particularly high? On the contrary, every time they played, it was a back-and-forth, with no sign of genius at all.

This made people wonder, could it be that Bai Jun disdained playing the Jade Card Game with them and was deliberately holding back?

In fact, the reason was quite simple. It wasn't that Bai Jun was holding back; it was just that the Imperial Jade Card Game was too similar to Mahjong. His so-called self-taught ability was simply because Bai Jun knew a little Mahjong in his previous life, so he got the hang of it quickly. Although he repeatedly emphasized that he was not a genius, no one believed him except Qing Que.

If they didn't believe him, Bai Jun couldn't be bothered to argue anymore. He just hoped they wouldn't sign him up for any more competitions without his consent.

"Huh? Why isn't this thing moving?"

A Diviner, who wished to remain anonymous, tapped the Jade Card table and game board in front of him, suspecting something was wrong with it.

This Jade Card table and game board was a multi-functional Mahjong table that combined automatic shuffling, arranging, and dealing. It was a product of the Crafting Department, featuring magnetic levitation and a lightweight, portable design. The only drawback was its high cost and tendency to malfunction, so purchasing a Jade Card table and game board required careful consideration. However, in the card hall, there was no need to worry about this issue; if it malfunctioned, they could simply replace the table.

"You forgot to turn on the power."

Bai Jun muttered softly as he silently switched on the power. The slowly rising game board promptly interrupted Qing Que's thought of replacing the table.

With the issue of the game board resolved, the next step was to find four players. On a normal workday, calling one or two friends might be difficult, but fortunately, the crowded card hall was full of idle people, perfectly avoiding this difficulty.

"Imperial Jade Card Game standard table, two players needed!"

As soon as the words were spoken, two players, drawn by the charm of the Imperial Jade Card Game, quickly came over. However, when they saw that the initiators were Bai Jun and Qing Que, they hesitated to approach the table. After a while, they tentatively asked, "It's you two... Are you sure it's okay to be out here playing cards with us on a workday?"

"It's not the first or second time, why are you so nervous?"

Bai Jun tilted his head in confusion, wondering what they meant. He saw the two players helplessly complain:

"That's what you say, but that Lord from the Divination Bureau has been coming to catch Miss Qing Que too frequently lately, hasn't he? If you don't care, that's fine, but you should consider us more!"

There was no way around it. Whenever that short, pink-haired important figure took Qing Que away, they would often coerce the other players. One round of Jade Card Game would be ruined, and it would also dampen the other players' enthusiasm to continue playing. It was like one person spoiling the pot, and the most crucial point was that they couldn't resist. They could only tremble under the threat of the pink-haired important figure from the Divination Bureau.

Since they couldn't deal with the pink-haired important figure from the Divination Bureau, they could only settle for dealing with Qing Que. As long as they didn't play cards with her, all problems would blow away with the wind.

Bai Jun tugged at the corner of his mouth, turning his head with a helpless expression towards the culprit beside him.

"Ehehe?" The tea-haired girl stuck out her tongue slightly, smiling mischievously.

"Ehehe, my foot!"

Bai Jun, with a dark expression, flicked her head. Seeing his card partners leaving, he quickly called out, "Wait! Please, the two of you, hear me out!"

"It's no use, Brother Bai Jun. While you are handsome, that's not why we're stopping here?" The two card partners seemed resolute. Like cowboys in an old CD, they slowly walked away towards an imaginary sunset, their elongated shadows behind them highlighting their loneliness and isolation.

"Fine then, I was going to share the secrets of the Imperial Jade Card Game. It seems I'll have to find someone else..."

Bai Jun's slightly regretful voice had yet to dissipate in the wind when the two card partners, like jackals smelling meat, stopped in their tracks and turned back to look at Bai Jun expectantly.

They had heard of Bai Jun's reputation as a genius at the Jade Card Game and, like everyone else, were curious why he hid his talents. They also wondered if Bai Jun was truly a genius. Now, hearing that he was going to share the secrets of the Jade Card Game, an opportunity to verify it was right before them. Whether it was true or not, they had to listen just for the sake of his reputation.

"Is that true?"

"Absolutely!"

Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, a foxy cunning appeared on Bai Jun's face. He then reassured the two men a few more times: "Don't worry, if the Grand Diviner really holds you accountable, you can just escape with the mentality of 'let my fellow daoist die, but not me.' As for the Grand Diviner's wrath, Qing Que will bear it all."

Hiss, that actually makes sense. If it really comes down to it, it seems to have nothing to do with them.

The two card partners exchanged glances. The allure of the Imperial Jade Card Game finally overcame their rationality:

"Damn it, let's do it!"

Chapter 12: Subordinates Are Not Allowed to Kiss Their Superiors!

Normally, a round of the Imperial Jade Card Game would take three to ten minutes. If the cards weren't favorable, a round could easily drag on for twenty minutes. However, today, a full round of the Imperial Jade Card Game only took seventeen minutes. The adjacent game on the chessboard hadn't even finished, and here they were, about to start the second round.

The situation on the table had already changed drastically, and the hearts of the two card partners instantly plunged into an ice cellar, shattering completely, leaving no trace of their earlier confidence. The fact that it could bring these two battle-hardened individuals to such a state of dejection showed that the game on the chessboard had reached a point of near-total annihilation.

For some reason, they vaguely felt that this round of the Imperial Jade Card Game was not as unpredictable as it seemed. There was only one reason for this...

Absolute strength, and the loneliness that arises from it.

The strongest battle records were etched on the chessboard, and the last one standing on the battlefield was—

Another "one-fish" card landed heavily in Qing Que's hand. The decisive clatter undoubtedly announced the final winner of the round: "I won again!"

Bai Jun: o_0?

No, man, just say it if you're cheating. How many rounds have you won like this?

It seemed like Qing Que hadn't lost since the beginning. The two men beside them were almost scared stiff.

However, Bai Jun could understand them. After all, in such a situation, it was impossible to talk about "victory and defeat being a common occurrence in warfare." No one could withstand losing so miserably in one go.

"Phew, amazing, Qing Yan. I might never forget you in my life." Little Qing Que, with a proud and compassionate look, brushed aside the messy strands of hair from her forehead and looked up at Bai Jun, who had a defeated expression. This was the third time she had delivered a victory speech to him.

"Yes, yes, yes, Lord Qing Que is the strongest." Bai Jun resignedly pushed over the Imperial Jade Card Game cards, which he hadn't even managed to sort out, trying to appease Qing Que.

After winning the game, the next step was naturally to collect the stakes from the losers, which served as both affirmation for the winner and punishment for the loser.

The stakes were not the Xianzhou's patrol tokens, but interstellar peace credit points of a smaller denomination. After all, Qing Que played cards just to pass the time. The so-called stakes were just for a bit of fun; any higher denomination would be no different from gambling, which was precisely what Qing Que resisted.

No matter how small the credit points were, they were still something. Losing too much would definitely hurt, but Bai Jun, who was as poor as a church mouse, didn't seem to worry about this problem at all. When Qing Que arrived, she had already agreed with Bai Jun that he didn't need to pay if he lost; he just had to play with her.

That's what was said, but while the death penalty could be avoided, the living punishment could not. As a consequence, when Bai Jun lost, he could only obediently let Qing Que stick stickers on his face as a form of punishment.

It was a child's game, but Qing Que seemed to like it very much, so Bai Jun indulged her.

"Hehe, if you know you're wrong, then obediently accept your punishment." Qing Que happily put her hands on her hips, beckoning Bai Jun with her small hand, signaling him to hurry and bend down, otherwise she couldn't reach him.

"You, you disciple of great fortune."

Bai Jun smiled bitterly and bent down, allowing her to stick the paper strip on his face, which was already covered in them.

"This is called 'the wind blows in one direction today, and the next day it blows in the other.'" Qing Que licked her fingertip, moistened the paper strip, then stood on tiptoe and gently stuck it onto Bai Jun's cheek.

She really liked this method of punishment, as if she were turning Bai Jun into something that belonged only to her, something she discovered and possessed herself, rather than being tainted by others.

Although it was very despicable, out of her feminine instinct for possessiveness and pride, seeing the masterpiece on Bai Jun's face always made Qing Que feel smug.

After sticking the paper strip, Qing Que pinched Bai Jun's cheek before retracting her hand with satisfaction. Then, her sweet and ambiguous smile instantly vanished, and she looked coldly at the two card partners: "As for the two of you, the banker owes 2400, and the player owes 1200. No credit allowed, okay?"

The faces of the two card partners turned ashen, their brows furrowed. This was partly because they had lost quite badly, and partly because they suddenly realized that Bai Jun wasn't hiding his skills, but was genuinely bad at the game!

Alas! Does Jun truly understand cards? Does Jun truly not know cards!

From now on, if anyone said Bai Jun was hiding his skills, they would definitely elbow them and let the gossiping person taste the true essence of the "Mamba style."

It was one thing that Qing Que had absurdly good luck with cards, but even more deadly was that, based on their observation, Bai Jun seemed to be in cahoots with her while playing. This was truly the end. They were in a difficult situation and it would be good if they didn't lose everything.

"Alright, alright, let's prepare for the next round. I feel like my luck can last for a long time."

With another sum of credit points in her possession, Qing Que's mood improved slightly with the feeling of a full wallet. Just as she was eagerly preparing to challenge her highest winning streak record, a flash of pink figure in the distance dispelled this thought.

The figure was like a lingering ghost, flickering in and out of Qing Que's sight, or like a vengeful spirit suddenly disappearing. There weren't many pink-haired individuals on this Luofu, and Qing Que had seen very few. Unfortunately, her superior was one of them.

Thinking of this, Qing Que's small face instantly turned pale, and her card-shuffling motion froze in place, not daring to move for a long time.

It shouldn't be, it shouldn't be, it shouldn't be! Didn't Lord Fu Xuan go to the Divination Bureau of Yaoqing today to exchange insights? How could she possibly come here specifically to catch a mere diviner like me!

She wasn't entirely sure, so she took another look.

Qing Que mustered her courage and secretly opened her eyes, wanting to confirm whether her guess was correct.

She saw clearly this time. Her dreamlike, pink hair was neatly tied back behind her smooth shoulders. A mysterious, profound purple eye was embedded in her brow, and her delicate, cute face betrayed no emotion.

On her left, her sleeve and streamers loosely covered her entire left arm. Her right arm had a half-sheer veil draped over the upper part, while her forearm was covered by a snug white sleeve. The asymmetrical decoration on her arms left her left side exposed, unable to be covered by the jacket's single opening. This tantalizing, partially hidden asymmetry, combined with the beauty of her exposed, yet indistinct, legs, highlighted the girl's unique allure. Her long, straight legs were smoothly curved beneath the tight white pantyhose.

Ah, she's so beautiful. The only flaw is that pair of lovely, light-gold eyes, which are currently so shadowed they're a bit frightening.

Qing Que desperately wanted to cry for mercy and then turn to flee with Bai Jun. Unfortunately, how could a little sparrow understand that "even the best-laid plans can go awry"? Even her small thoughts were entirely within Fu Xuan's divine eye's scrutiny.

Her lips parted slightly. Before Qing Que could even speak, a purple phantom streaked past. Ethereal particles rapidly condensed into the shape of a magic circle, enveloping her before vanishing into a stream of light, as if nothing had happened.

"Mmm—!"

However, the very next second, when Qing Que tried to say something, she found her tongue seemingly bound by some power. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't utter a single sound.

After dealing with Qing Que, Fu Xuan's expression hadn't improved at all. Looking at Bai Jun, whose face was covered in paper slips, seemingly completely unaware of her arrival, her face grew even more somber.

Seeing Fu Xuan arrive, the two card-playing companions, who usually avoided her like the plague, were overcome with emotion. They were happier than if they had seen the Divine Bow.

"Thank you for your assistance, Ancestor Fu Xuan!"

The two companions bowed respectfully, and with the mindset of "letting a fellow traveler die so you don't have to," they immediately vanished into the void, fleeing in disarray.

Fu Xuan's brow twitched slightly. She found the title rather displeasing, but she had more important matters to attend to and couldn't be bothered with them.

"Fu Xuan?" At this moment, Bai Jun finally, belatedly, noticed something was amiss. His expression changed slightly, and he looked around frantically, still unsure if Fu Xuan had actually arrived.

This was partly because the paper slips plastered on his face blocked most of Bai Jun's vision, and partly because Fu Xuan's height was not imposing. Thus, she unfortunately fell within his blind spot. If one had to assign blame, it could only be the difference in altitude.

Fu Xuan's face was so grim it could drip water, but she still chose to endure, seemingly wanting to coax more information out of Bai Jun. She then silently made a gesture to Qing Que.

"...N-no, she didn't come, gurgle—!" Qing Que's eyes suddenly widened. She covered her mouth in disbelief, instantly understanding the purpose of the magic circle Fu Xuan had cast on her earlier.

Sorry, I swear those words weren't from my heart, my tongue just acted on its own!

Qing Que shed tears of regret, only able to silently hope in her heart that Bai Jun would notice something was wrong soon.

"That's good. Don't play such pranks next time, it's a bit scary."