Twelve Million Nine Hundred Sixty Thousand Possibilities

How did you know?

"I am also a member of the Star Luo Empire noble family, are you stupid?"

"Tsk... I didn't expect her to be a rich young lady."

After entering the hall, Xia Jingcheng did not go straight to the delegation to exchange pleasantries like the others, nor did she greet the nobles she knew.

She stood at the entrance, paused slightly, and glanced around the hall.

That glance was so quick that you wouldn't have noticed it unless you were deliberately observing her.

But Yun Jingheng noticed it.

Her gaze swept across the delegation members, lingering for a moment on one person.

That person was himself.

Yun Jingheng frowned slightly.

He was certain he didn't know this person and had never seen her before.

But that fleeting glance felt like a confirmation.

Then Xia Jingcheng withdrew her gaze and walked towards the center of the hall.

She wasn't heading towards the delegation, but rather towards Dai Tianling and the Empress.

As she passed by, several nobles greeted her.

"Jing Cheng, it's been a long time."

"Miss Xia, how is your father's health?"

She responded to each question, her voice soft but her enunciation clear.

Each response was brief, with a neutral tone that neither came across as arrogant nor overly friendly.

Those who greeted her didn't linger; after a few words, they naturally made way for her.

This reaction is strange.

Given her status and position, she should have been very popular among these nobles, but judging from the attitudes of those around her, respect and politeness were the dominant attitudes, with almost no warmth or intimacy.

Or rather... I dare not have.

Xia Jingcheng walked up to Dai Tianling, nodded slightly, and performed a noble salute.

Her movements were standard, but not as overly respectful as a typical nobleman's bow; rather, they carried a perfect sense of propriety—not a fraction more, not a fraction less.

Dai Tianling's expression didn't change when he saw her, but Yun Jingheng noticed that his eyebrows twitched slightly.

The amplitude was so small that it was almost invisible unless the angle was just right.

"His Majesty."

Xia Jingcheng began, "My father is unwell and unable to attend in person today, so he sent me to convey his regards to His Majesty and the members of the delegation."

Her voice was flat, as if she were stating a fact that had nothing to do with her.

"Duke Cangming is very kind."

Dai Tianling's voice was as steady as ever, "Go back and tell the Duke to rest and recover."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Xia Jingcheng bowed again, then turned to Cai Yue'er.

Cai Yue'er was talking to a Star Luo Empire general when she sensed someone approaching and turned around.

Their eyes met.

Cai Yue'er's gaze lingered on Xia Jingcheng's face for a second before she nodded slightly.

Xia Jingcheng nodded in return, then raised his wine glass.

"Elder Cai, I've long admired you. My father instructed me to offer you a toast on his behalf."

Cai Yue'er picked up the wine glass on the table and gently clinked it against Xia Jingcheng's.

"Give my regards to Duke Cangming."

"Must."

They each took a sip of their drink, the process as simple as two businessmen exchanging business cards.

Then Xia Jingcheng shifted his gaze from Cai Yue'er and slowly swept it over the direction of the delegation members.

Tang Wulin, Xu Xiaoyan, Ye Xinglan, Xie Xie, Yuanen Yehui, Wu Siduo...

Her gaze lingered on each person's face for less than half a second, politely and tactfully taking in each one.

Finally, it fell on Yun Jingheng.

This time, the stay was a bit longer than before.

Then she walked straight toward him.

"Yun Jingheng?"

"Miss Xia Jingcheng, I've heard so much about you."

Yun Jingheng's answer was neither humble nor arrogant, and his speech was neither too fast nor too slow, like a standard answer he had prepared in advance, watertight.

If she were farther away, she might not be so sure, but now that she's at this distance, she's certain.

"The most talented person in Shrek in the last hundred years."

You're too kind.

"No, what I mean is, you don't actually need to study Soul Tool. If you focus on cultivation, you could very well be Soul Saint by now."

Is this a roundabout way of insulting me?

I haven't offended you, have I? The only person I've ever bullied from the Star Luo Empire was Wu Siduo...

Yun Jingheng held the glass of orange juice and glanced at Xia Jingcheng.

"You have to cultivate some hobbies, don't you?" he said.

Xia Jingcheng smiled and said, "I am but Level 8 Soul Engineer. I once designed a difficult Soul Tool. I wonder if it would catch Young Master Yun's eye?"

As he spoke, he pulled out a Rubik's Cube-like Soul Tool.

Yun Jingheng stretched out his left hand, his fingertips gently touching the Rubik's Cube-like Soul Tool.

His movements were very light, as if he were catching a fallen leaf, or weighing a fragile antique.

The moment the Rubik's Cube landed in his palm, he felt a strange temperature.

It was neither hot nor cold, but there was a faint pulsation, as if something was slowly breathing inside.

He didn't speak, but simply held the Rubik's Cube, his eyes lowered, and waited quietly.

Xia Jingcheng looked at him.

Her expression didn't change, but something flickered in her eyes.

Take it, then do nothing, say nothing, just wait like that?

Should we wait for her to continue?

Xia Jingcheng remained silent for two seconds.

Don't you want to ask anything?

She finally spoke, her tone carrying a hint of compromise that she herself was unaware of.

Yun Jingheng looked up at her.

"You're waiting for me to ask."

He said, "That means what you're about to say is more important than what I'm asking. So I'll wait until you finish."

Xia Jingcheng's lips twitched slightly.

The curve was larger than ever before; it could now be considered a genuine smile.

"Good."

She said, her voice a little softer than before, "Then I'll say it."

She took a step forward, moving closer to Yun Jingheng.

The distance was too close, so close that Xu Xiaoyan's gaze sharpened, and Ye Xinglan's fingers tightened suddenly around the cup.

But Yun Jingheng did not back down.

He stood there, holding the Rubik's Cube, his gaze calmly meeting hers.

Xia Jingcheng her head slightly, her dark red skirt swirling in the light. Her voice was very low, so low that only the two of them could hear it.

"This Rubik's Cube was designed when I was fifteen. It's a level six Soul Tool, and its name is 'Lock'."

She reached out, her fingertips hovering above the Rubik's Cube, but didn't touch it.

"It consists of twenty-seven independent soul-guiding components, each of which can operate independently or be combined to form a complete soul-guiding circuit. When you turn it, different arrangements will trigger different Soul Power resonance frequencies, theoretically producing 12.96 million variations."

She paused for a moment.

"But only one change can truly 'unlock' it."

Yun Jingheng finally shifted his gaze from the Rubik's Cube to Xia Jingcheng's face.

"And then what?" he asked.

Xia Jingcheng looked into his eyes.

"After unlocking it, it will tell you a secret."

Is it possible that I'm not interested in your secret?

"I'm not lying to you," she said calmly. "I designed it, I made it, but I never turned it on. Because the person who designs it and the person who turns it on need to be two different people."

She withdrew her hand from above the Rubik's Cube, put it behind her back, and straightened her back slightly.

"This is a lesson my father taught me. A person can make a lock, but the meaning of a lock lies not in the person who makes it, but in the person who truly understands it."

She looked into Yun Jingheng's eyes.

"So I brought this Rubik's Cube with me. Of all the people who could possibly solve it, my father said you were the most likely one."

Yun Jingheng remained silent for a few seconds.

His thumb gently rubbed one of the corners of the Rubik's Cube, feeling the faint pulsation.

"Why me?" he asked.

"My father said so," she replied.

After listening, Yun Jingheng looked down at the Rubik's Cube in his palm, then looked up at Xia Jingcheng.

These words sounded harmless enough, but her answers consistently concealed her true intentions.

The fact that his Martial Soul didn't react at all means that this thing shouldn't be dangerous.

Xia Jingcheng waited for a moment and saw that Yun Jingheng neither asked any questions nor refused. He just looked down at the Rubik's Cube in his palm, his fingertips idly stroking the edges, his gaze as calm as if he were looking at something unrelated to himself.

She suddenly smiled.

"If you don't ask, then I won't say anything."

Xia Jingcheng took a business card out of her handbag, held it between two fingers, and handed it to Yun Jingheng.

The business card was dark gray, without any fancy gold foil designs, just a few simple lines of text: name, contact number, and address.

The paper has a very good texture; it's thick and smooth, like a miniature sheet of metal.

"The lock is yours."

Xia Jingcheng said, "Call me when you're untied."

She spoke casually, but the fact that an Level 8 Soul Engineer had painstakingly designed and crafted Soul Tool and then so casually gave it to someone she had just met was itself an attitude.

Yun Jingheng glanced at the business card, then looked into Xia Jingcheng's eyes.

"You're just giving it to me like this?" he asked. "Aren't you afraid I'll take it and run away?"

Xia Jingcheng tilted her head slightly, a gesture that carried a playful quality that seemed somewhat out of place with her dark red dress.

"Run? Where can you run to? The hotel you're staying at is my family's property."

Yun Jingheng: "..."

"If you don't believe me, ask Wu Siduo."

Xia Jingcheng gestured with her chin towards Wu Siduo, "Her family and my family have some connections. My family helped with the reception arrangements for this delegation."

In the distance, Wu Siduo was holding a glass of champagne, pretending not to have heard anything.

But her ears were noticeably more perked up than usual. When she heard her name mentioned, her shoulders stiffened slightly, and then she casually took a sip of her drink, not even noticing that her glass was empty.

Yun Jingheng was silent for two seconds before reaching out and taking the business card.

The moment his fingertips touched the business card, he felt a familiar sensation. This paper was not ordinary paper, but an extremely rare type of ink-conducting paper, usually used to record soul guide blueprints that needed to be stored for a long time.

This kind of paper is very expensive to produce; the cost of just one sheet is enough for an average person to eat for a month.

The fact that the Duke Cangming used this kind of paper to print business cards speaks volumes about the family's wealth.

He put the business card in his pocket, along with the ivory-white envelope.

"Okay," he said.

In short, it was concise and to the point, without any unnecessary formalities.

Xia Jingcheng glanced at him, then suddenly reached out and touched the back of his hand with her fingertips before pulling away.

It happened so fast that no one around noticed.

But Yun Jingheng could feel it; her hands were cold, and her fingertips trembled slightly, as if she were restraining something.

"Take care," she said.

Then she turned around, her dark red skirt drawing an elegant arc under the light.

This time she didn't look back. Her pace quickened compared to when she came. Her dark red figure weaved through the crowd, through the flickering lights and shadows of clinking glasses, and disappeared behind the side door.

She's gone.

The music in the hall continued, and the sounds of people talking and laughing filled every corner again, as if nothing had happened.

But Yun Jingheng stood there, holding the Rubik's Cube in his hand, with a business card and a letter in his pocket, and felt that something was not quite right.

Where did this person come from? I don't think he's even in the original story.

"She's gone?"

Xu Xiaoyan had somehow wandered over, carrying a fresh glass of juice. She sounded nonchalant, but her gaze was fixed on the Rubik's Cube in Yun Jingheng's hand.

"Um."

"Where is that thing?" She gestured with her chin toward the Rubik's Cube.

"They said it's called a 'lock,' and they wanted me to unlock it."

Xu Xiaoyan blinked, a smile curving her lips, "You agreed?"

"I didn't have time to refuse," Yun Jingheng said.

"You didn't even consider refusing?" Xu Xiaoyan bluntly.

Yun Jingheng glanced at her but did not refute her.

Xu Xiaoyan held the juice, tilted her head and looked him over for a while, then suddenly smiled. There was no teasing in that smile, but a gentle understanding.

"That's just how you are," she said, "You can't resist anything you've never seen before."

Yun Jingheng didn't answer, and put the Rubik's Cube into his pocket as well. His pocket suddenly bulged, filled with envelopes, business cards, and the Rubik's Cube.

"Isn't this too ugly? Why not put it in Storage Soul Tool?"

Xie Xie had somehow gotten close to Yuanen Yehui, holding a plate of new snacks in his hand, chewing something, and mumbling something indistinctly.

"I bet 100 that the first thing he'll do when he gets back to the hotel is take out that Rubik's Cube and study it, instead of going to sleep."

"Nobody's going to bet on this with you."

Yuanen Yehui said calmly from the side, "Because everyone will bet 'yes'."

Xie Xie choked for a moment, paused chewing for half a second, then continued chewing, "Then I bet 200 that he won't sleep until 3 a. m. while he's researching."

"I bet 500 that he'll stay up all night."

Wu Siduo walked over from the pillar, arms crossed, her tone as confident as if she were forecasting tomorrow's weather.

"Could you please stop using other people's schedules for opening a trading platform?"

Tang Wulin couldn't help but interject.

"Opening?"

Xie Xie's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! I'll be the bookmaker. Come on, place your bets!"

"1000, all night long," Tang Wulin said.

"Are you free now?" Yuanen Yehui asked without turning her head.

"I'd rather be free..."

"2000!" A clear voice came from behind Tang Wulin, filled with a joyful excitement, as if afraid others wouldn't hear it.

Tang Wulin's shoulders visibly stiffened.

"But it's clear someone isn't going to let me off the hook."

"How dare you talk like that? I'm just indulging in your nonsense, you should be secretly happy! Isn't that right, Sido?"

Wu Siduo remained silent, only nodding repeatedly.

Tang Wulin:... I know you're from the Star Luo Empire, but please don't be so quick to sell me out.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, in a brightly lit room, Xia Jingcheng stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold, gazing at the myriad lights outside.

The Soul Guidance Communicator on the table suddenly lit up, its blue light standing out conspicuously in the dim room.

She walked over, picked up the communicator, and glanced at the screen.

The name "Qianbao" popped up.

This is the nickname she saved for that person, a nickname she's had since she was very young, and she's never changed it.

The message was very brief, containing only three words:

"You saw him?"

Xia Jingcheng's fingertip hovered over the screen for a moment before typing a reply:

"Um."

"Given it?"

"Um."

You're so cold today~

"... Stop messing around, what's going on over there...?"

"Now that the banned book has been thrown away, Chen Weitao is very panicked, but he doesn't suspect us."

"Okay, be careful."

"You've always been the one who should be careful, Jing Cheng."

After reading it, Xia Jingcheng placed the communicator face down on the table, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.

The tea had gone cold, and a bitter taste spread across the tip of my tongue.

But she didn't frown; she simply savored it quietly.

Outside the window, the night sky over Star Luo City stretched endlessly.