The shopkeeper pulled out his vibrating phone with a trembling right hand, only to find that the number on its screen consisted of eleven Xs!
His hand shook in fright, and the phone fell to the floor. He hurried to get up, but his legs gave out, leaving him slumped on the ground.
He had been about to beg for mercy, but several Cloud Knights had already arrived at the shop in those few brief moments.
"Your shop is suspected of selling prohibited goods. Come with us."
"W-wait!"
But no matter how the shopkeeper tried to argue, the Cloud Knights simply hauled him away without the slightest delay.
Watching the man's utterly distraught expression, Zhang Xiu gave a crooked smile, then left the shop with Yaoshi.
The moment he stepped outside, he spotted several shopkeepers watching the commotion. The sight of him and Yaoshi frightened them into retreating into their shops and slamming their doors shut.
Zhang Xiu felt rather helpless at the sight. He wasn't the sort to abuse his authority. If that shopkeeper hadn't been asking for trouble, he wouldn't even have bothered.
Still, it didn't matter. If the shops on this street were shut, couldn't they just go to another street?
The two walked past the street corner, only to run straight into Bailu.
"Huh? You still haven't been dragged back?" Zhang Xiu asked, puzzled by the thoroughly unhappy look on Bailu's face.
"Hmph, how could I possibly get caught that easily? What about you two? Didn't you say the general gave you a mission? What are you doing here?"
"This is called surveying the people's livelihoods~ Want a Qiongshi Bird Skewer? Or something else? My treat."
It wasn't hard for Zhang Xiu to guess Bailu's predicament. She had snuck out without any money, and now she could only gaze longingly at the food she couldn't afford.
"Really? But there isn't much I can help you with..." Bailu's brows drew together, her expression a little embarrassed.
"Because you're adorable, and seeing you put me in a much better mood~ So don't worry about whether you can help us~" Zhang Xiu smiled and patted her head.
Meanwhile, Yaoshi had already brought over three Qiongshi Bird Skewers and some snacks from a nearby stall.
They sat by the roadside, looking out at the rather quiet street as they chatted, laughed, and ate.
Faced with the two of them looking so at peace, Bailu couldn't help airing her grievances. "Adults always say that once I grow up, I can play whatever I want. But the adults at the Alchemy Commission don't have any time to play either."
"Because the adult world has so many things to consider and so many responsibilities to shoulder. Even with the strength to venture out into the world, they still run into all kinds of setbacks."
"By the time they're old and everything's finally in order, they no longer have the spirit to chase everything they wanted to pursue when they were young."
Her simple words left Zhang Xiu deep in thought, recalling his own past. "People experience suffering, then learn to grow..."
At those words, Bailu and Yaoshi slowed their eating, and silence settled over them for a moment.
"But suffering is just suffering. It isn't something worth singing praises about. If we have to grow to cope with this world, then no matter how you look at it, isn't that the world's fault?" Zhang Xiu chuckled, then stood and patted his legs.
"I hope you're happy every day, Bailu. We should get going." He took out his phone, which displayed a message from Stelle calling everyone together.
"Goodbye." Yaoshi took a box of fries and placed the remaining snacks in Bailu's arms, then waved her right hand lightly in farewell.
"I don't really understand... but I hope you're happy every day too." With that, Bailu held her Qiongshi Bird Skewer between her teeth and waved vigorously at the two of them.
"I recognize the place in this picture. It's just up ahead-a Mahjong Parlor."
"Oh, looks like everyone's here. Why are you still following us, Miss Tingyun?" Zhang Xiu strolled over, still chewing his last fry.
"My orders were to stay close to all of you. Oh dear, do you find me such an eyesore?" Phantylia covered her lips with her fan, a wounded look in her eyes.
"Don't worry... I'll be returning to the Sky-Faring Commission to await orders shortly. I certainly won't spoil your mood."
"No, no, of course not! You've helped us so much, Miss Tingyun. We can't thank you enough." March 7th waved her hands repeatedly, then shot Zhang Xiu a fierce glare. "What's your problem?"
Zhang Xiu puffed out his cheeks and turned his face aside, ignoring March 7th's reproach. It wasn't as though he could simply expose Phantylia's identity and start a fight, was it?
For every slight he suffered today, Zhang Xiu would repay that bitch with one sword strike after another later.
"All right, let's get moving. It wouldn't be good to keep the Diviner waiting too long." Welt stepped in to mediate, easing the tension.
On the way to the Mahjong Parlor, he unobtrusively moved beside Zhang Xiu and asked quietly, "Have you noticed something?"
"Ah, yes. There's something very wrong with that Tingyun... Welt, your suspicions were right." As Zhang Xiu answered, his gaze remained fixed on the departing Phantylia.
Even after thinking it over, Welt couldn't identify anything wrong with Tingyun. But out of trust for his companion, a deeper wariness naturally rose within him.
"In that case, I'll warn the others later..." Welt adjusted his glasses, then left Zhang Xiu's side with a calm expression.
At that distance, Phantylia should have been able to catch their conversation, but Yaoshi had already used path power to interfere with her senses.
Before long, the group arrived outside the Mahjong Parlor and noticed four people standing at the entrance playing mahjong.
One of them, a brown-haired girl, was still muttering something...
"Even if the sky over the Divination Commission falls, the Lord Diviner will hold it up. Her venerable self may be short on height, but her abilities reach the heavens."
"I'm not here just to fool around, either. I'm following her orders to wait here for honored guests. Time is precious, you know. This is called slacking off without neglecting work."
"Excuse me, are you Qingque from the Divination Commission? Your Diviner told me to tell you to stop slacking off." Zhang Xiu walked up behind her.
"Oh my heavens, huh?!" Qingque's eyes widened. Abandoning even her tiles, she turned to look at them.
"Ah, hahaha! Hello, everyone! One look at your distinguished faces tells me you must be the Divination Commission's honored guests!" She grinned, looking utterly carefree.
Seeing her like that, Stelle felt her own mischievous streak stir. "You wouldn't want the Diviner to find out you're slacking off, would you?"
"Oh dear~ Sorry, I'm sorry! I did originally plan to wait for you..." Qingque glanced aside and spotted a change in the situation on the mahjong table.
"Hey, um, pong!" Her delicate hand darted out, and she laid down two of her tiles.
With that situation resolved, Qingque turned back to the group. "It's just that the area nearby has been taken over by people from the Earth-Balance Commission. It's terribly noisy..."
"Chow!" She turned back yet again and played a tile.
This time, she went even further. She didn't turn around at all, merely staring fixedly at the mahjong table as she spoke. "I thought, if I met you all somewhere so noisy, wouldn't that... My turn? Kong!"
At the sight, March 7th's lips parted slightly and her features tightened as she silently looked at Stelle beside her.
"...Wouldn't that spoil the mood? Better to use this free time to take you all on a tour of the Exalting Sanctum, and let you experience the Xianzhou's national pastime along the way-Imperial Jade mahjong."
She focused all her attention on the game. If she hadn't been speaking, no one would have thought she was talking to Zhang Xiu and the others.
"Just let me... finish this hand... I win!"
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