The Loser Appears, Xu Jiujiu

Two days later, in a mountain range within the Star Luo Empire.

Zhang Lexuan stood at the entrance of an abandoned mine, not a single drop of blood staining the hem of her clothes.

Behind her, several black-robed corpses lay scattered across the depths of the mine, while the lingering silver moonlight slowly dissipated from the ground.

Di Qiuxi leaned against the stone wall at the mine entrance. Seeing Zhang Lexuan emerge, she raised an eyebrow. "That fast?"

"They were only a few evil soul masters. It didn't take long." Zhang Lexuan brushed a bit of dust from her sleeve.

Di Qiuxi nodded and pushed herself away from the wall.

"Mm, since the mission is complete, let's continue toward Star Luo City."

"Let's go."

The two then left the mine and headed toward Star Luo City along the road.

Zhang Lexuan walked ahead, while Di Qiuxi trailed half a step behind her.

After they had not gone far, Zhang Lexuan suddenly said, "Liu Lin will learn everything someday."

Di Qiuxi did not stop walking. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that when he reaches a certain level of growth in the future, he'll learn what happened to us in our previous lives."

"Looks like you didn't know that. But how did you meet Liu Lin ahead of time?"

Only after seeing Zhang Lexuan nod did Di Qiuxi understand that she had not known.

Out of her trust in Liu Lin, Di Qiuxi told Zhang Lexuan about her own future.

However, after learning of it, Zhang Lexuan merely nodded, an oddly peculiar smile appearing on her face.

"Sure enough, these girls are just little fry right now. If they were their future selves, I might be afraid, but right now? I can play with them while laughing."

"Your Sister Xuan never intended to crush them with an overwhelming advantage, but they're just too adorably foolish right now. Sister Xuan will gladly accept this."

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the future Zhang Lexuan spoke to her present self.

Seeing that her future self knew Liu Lin was still alive, her mindset changed ever so slightly as well.

She was rather speechless about this change. It seemed she had become a little bad.

Still, both Liu Lin and the current Zhang Lexuan were in exceptionally good moods, and even their cultivation speed increased as a result.

Outside, Di Qiuxi looked at Zhang Lexuan's strange smile, her eyes full of confusion.

"What's wrong with you? Why do you look like that after hearing my story?"

Zhang Lexuan tilted her head and glanced at Di Qiuxi. "It's nothing, little Qiuxi."

"It's just that when you see me in the future, you'll have to call me sister. After all, he and I in the future already..."

"And you..."

Knowing that Di Qiuxi did not possess many memories of the future, Zhang Lexuan immediately felt like teasing her.

Di Qiuxi's steps paused for a moment. Recalling what Bear Lord and Di Tian had said, the corners of her lips curled slightly.

"Are you declaring your claim over him? You're quite straightforward."

Zhang Lexuan did not respond. She merely watched Di Qiuxi perform in silence, amusement filling her gaze.

Seeing that Zhang Lexuan did not answer, Di Qiuxi's cheeks puffed up in anger.

"And you probably don't know this, but after we came back from the Star Dou Forest last time, Liu Lin talked to me for a long time in the Sea of Consciousness."

"What did he say again? He said, 'Wife, where do you want to go after taking human form?'"

"I said I wouldn't go anywhere. I'd just follow him. He smiled and said okay. See? Some people don't say it out loud, but they made their choice long ago in their hearts."

Zhang Lexuan glanced at her, feeling that Di Qiuxi was far too inexperienced, but so as not to embarrass her too badly, she still smiled and said:

"After saying all that, aren't you just trying to make me back off?"

"If he had truly made his choice in his heart, why would he accept my ring?"

"Because he didn't dare refuse the ring you gave him. He was afraid you'd tie him to the bed in the middle of the night." Di Qiuxi shrugged.

Zhang Lexuan choked on those words. A faint blush rose to the tips of her ears, but she quickly regained her composed expression.

"Looks like he told you quite a lot. Did he tell you that outside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, I kissed him once? He didn't dodge."

Di Qiuxi nearly burst out laughing. "Alright, alright. If we keep talking, it'll be dark before we know it."

"You like him so much—just how much do you like him?"

The future Zhang Lexuan was stunned for a moment upon hearing that question. Then, in a resolute tone, she answered it.

"I like him enough to use my last wisp of divine consciousness to gamble on a future where he would like me. What about you?"

Di Qiuxi also fell silent for a moment. "I like him enough to share half of my power of destiny with him."

The two looked at each other, and neither spoke again.

Then Di Qiuxi suddenly smiled and shook her head.

"Forget it. I won't argue with you anymore. We crossed time and space to come back and find him, yet we're still fighting over him here. Isn't that embarrassing?"

Zhang Lexuan's lips curved slightly at that. "It is pretty embarrassing. But I won't go easy on you."

"I don't need you to."

Di Qiuxi quickened her pace and walked ahead of her, glancing back at her.

"Come on. Let's tell that princess first. She has no idea how worried she must be."

Zhang Lexuan led Di Qiuxi straight to the Star Luo Imperial Palace.

With her status as Shrek Academy's senior disciple of the inner court, the palace guards did not stop them, merely sending someone ahead to announce their arrival.

Eunuch Liu soon came out to greet them and led the two into the hall where the emperor handled official affairs.

Xu Jiawei, who was working at the center of the hall, rose to his feet upon seeing them and said with a smile, "You two are inner court disciples of Shrek Academy. May I ask what brings you to my Star Luo Imperial Palace?"

"I wish to see Princess Xu Jiujiu. A friend of hers asked us to come find her."

As Shrek Academy's senior disciple, Zhang Lexuan merely lowered her head slightly in a gesture of respect toward Xu Jiawei.

"Very well. Have Eunuch Liu take you there. I still have state affairs to attend to."

Hearing them, Xu Jiawei waved a hand, signaling Eunuch Liu to lead them away.

"Then thank you, Your Majesty. We'll be going now." With that, the two followed Eunuch Liu out of the hall.

As he watched their departing backs, Xu Jiawei's tightly furrowed brow eased slightly.

"Perfect. The arrival of those two may be able to comfort Jiujiu."

"But Liu Lin... are you alive or not? I truly do not want to lose you."

During the time Liu Lin had been missing, Xu Jiawei had sent people to search throughout the Star Luo Empire, yet they had found no trace of him.

The prolonged strain had left him utterly exhausted.

He had finally pulled an SSR as a guaranteed drop, only for it to vanish like this. How was Xu Jiawei supposed to endure that?

Xu Jiujiu sat on a chair in a side hall, still wearing clothes she had not changed for several days. Her long golden hair hung loose around her, and her eyes were badly red and swollen.

Hearing footsteps, she raised her head. She was stunned when she saw Zhang Lexuan, then her gaze shifted to Di Qiuxi behind her.

She did not recognize this golden-haired, red-eyed girl, but the aura emanating from her made her frown tightly.

Zhang Lexuan told her that Liu Lin was still alive, as well as the fact that he could not return for now.

After she finished, Di Qiuxi added a few more words.

She said he was safe, but needed time—perhaps a year, perhaps two.

Xu Jiujiu did not speak immediately after hearing this. She lowered her head and remained silent for a long time before asking in a hoarse voice, "Who are you? Why do all of you know where he is, but I'm the only one who doesn't?"

Looking at her, Zhang Lexuan decided to tease her and said, "I'm his future wife. I reversed time and returned from another timeline to find him."

Di Qiuxi understood what she meant and added from the side, "Hehe, I'm his future wife too."

Xu Jiujiu stared blankly at the two before her.

The golden-haired, red-eyed girl possessed a noble bearing, with the faint pressure of the dragon race surrounding her.

The black-haired woman in white was cool and ethereal, her brows and eyes carrying the composure accumulated through the years.

She suddenly felt like a clown. So her itchy nose these past few days had not been for no reason.