I could be!

The livestream chat was in chaos.

So was the scene itself!

When Jiang Yao first started making milk tea.

The Soda Bean Juice and cooled Hot Floating Mutton Milk made quite a few people think about backing out.

Mostly because Xianzhou locals and outworlders who had been around for a while knew just how outrageously awful those two things were.

But...

For some inexplicable reason.

More and more people flocked to Aurum Alley to see what was going on.

Which made those who wanted to leave decide to stay.

All they could think was, Why not watch a little longer?

We've already waited this long, haven't we?

And sure enough, they weren't disappointed!

Before long.

That overpowering stench was replaced by a fragrance beyond words!

Everyone was utterly intoxicated by it.

Even Auntie Gao, who had been observing, learning, and taking notes beside him, put down her pen.

She breathed in the fragrance.

This time wasn't too bad. The technique was simple, and at least it didn't look difficult.

But those ingredients...

Uh, never mind.

Only someone like Jiang Yao, who didn't care about money and had no interest in it, could afford to splurge like this.

What sane person used astronomically expensive tea leaves to make Hot... no, Iced Floating Mutton Milk?

Wasn't that getting your priorities completely backward?

Still, amid that rich fragrance.

Auntie Gao briefly cast her worries aside and quietly savored this peaceful moment.

She was certainly enjoying herself.

Yan Cui, on the other hand, was suffering.

Guys, does anyone get what I'm going through?

I was only gone for one night.

And the next morning, I couldn't even get into my own shop!

Seriously, what happened?

Maybe it was because she'd already used up her good luck securing that family of Shatang birds.

So, according to the law of conservation of luck.

It was her turn to be unlucky.

And sure enough.

Carrying the little Shatang bird—the big ones were being shipped.

From the moment she arrived in Aurum Alley, the crowds along the way kept her immobilized for a solid ten minutes.

Yan Cui initially thought the Xianzhou marshal really commanded respect, and rightly so.

But when she finally squeezed her way to the front and realized the crowd seemed to be centered right beside her own shop, she was a little stunned.

According to reliable sources.

The Xianzhou marshal was sampling snacks in Aurum Alley.

So, by normal logic.

The marshal's location should have been the most crowded spot, right?

All right, then.

Now, could someone tell her.

That person at Auntie Gao's stall.

Who exactly was he?

Or rather, Hey, handsome, who are you?

I'm not seeing things, am I?

I'm definitely not seeing things, right?

Seriously, dude.

Pfft.

Marshal.

Could a woman really disguise herself as a man that convincingly?

Yan Cui was dumbfounded.

She had inched her way forward, reaching the back of the crowd.

She'd assumed the marshal was there. It was a shame her shop wasn't open, costing her the chance to host the marshal.

But even having the marshal next door would bring honor to her humble establishment.

At that point, Guinaifen was the only person in the fan-shaped area in front of the stall.

Jiang Yao had given her permission to film.

Everyone else was lining up properly.

But because of the layout, there wasn't much room for the people at the very front.

The people farther back hadn't thought much of it at first, until they caught that enticing aroma and began joining the line.

As a result, the line grew so long that those at the back had no idea what was happening. The place was practically packed solid.

After overcoming countless obstacles, Yan Cui finally reached the heart of it all.

And immediately froze in disbelief.

She was certain she wasn't seeing things.

She was certain the marshal was a woman.

But...

She could accept Jiang Yao being Marshal Hua of the Xianzhou.

But could someone tell her why Jiang Yao was making snacks?

So the person supposedly sampling and improving the snacks was you all along?

Yan Cui hesitated to approach.

She truly couldn't bring herself to move forward.

Jiang Yao, an outworlder.

Both last night and right now, a foxian woman from the Sky-Faring Commission had been accompanying him.

Was it appropriate for a man and a woman to spend that much time together?

Surely the Sky-Faring Commission didn't indulge in something as sordid as using beauty to curry favor?

Case closed!

They must both be the same gender!

Without a doubt, Phantylia, wearing Tingyun's face and clothes, was incredibly gorgeous.

So Jiang Yao was a woman!

Yes!

That's right!

Jiang Yao must be a woman, hahahahaha!

And another thing, there was a dragon girl at Jiang Yao's feet!

Look at that dragon girl's lovestruck expression.

Didn't that prove something?

Yan Cui had seen through everything!

However...

All jokes aside.

And all silliness aside.

That smell... Hiss.

It smelled so good!

"Hm? Yan Cui, you're back? Oh, the ingredients are here too. Thanks!"

Jiang Yao had already finished improving the Hot Floating Mutton Milk.

All that remained was to wait for it to cool.

That was why he noticed Yan Cui, who stood out from the crowd.

Everyone else had only brought their mouths. She had brought ingredients too.

Yan Cui's lips worked hesitantly as she slowly approached. "Ah, ah, you're welcome, you're welcome. Um... handsome... no, no, beautiful... are you... the marshal?"

So much for seeing through everything!

After the way Jiang Yao ate last night, you're telling me he's the Xianzhou marshal?

That's complete bullshit!

But reality...

Yan Cui had already decided to bury every secret from last night deep in her heart.

"..."

"I... could be."

Jiang Yao was honestly speechless at these sneaky bastards.

What on earth had happened for the rumors to turn him into the Xianzhou marshal?

Was the next step draping him in imperial robes while he cried, "You've really done me in!"?

Phantylia: "???"

Bailu: "???"

Guinaifen: "???"

Livestream chat: [???]

Question marks swept across the entire screen.

A bold suspicion arose in everyone's minds: You're not actually the Xianzhou marshal, are you?

Wait, seriously? For real or for fake? O.o

Meanwhile.

Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan, who were heading to Aurum Alley while watching the livestream, wore expressions of utter bafflement mixed with horrified disbelief.

Given how quickly they handled things.

Of course they already knew all that chatter about Marshal Hua of the Xianzhou visiting Aurum Alley to sample snacks and mingle with the people was nothing but rumor!

Naturally, they had also identified the culprit whose crimes were too numerous to record...

Well, those two expressions weren't really meant to be used that way.

But they genuinely found the whole thing so absurd that misusing them once was perfectly acceptable. Wouldn't you agree, former wanderer of the cosmos?

Oh, right.

When Jiang Yao received the message and headed to the Luofu, his identity had already been registered.

And the source of all evil.

Guinaifen's livestream!

Originally, since they knew it was a rumor, it only needed to be dealt with. There was no need to bother either of them.

But as luck would have it.

Fu Xuan had performed a divination.

The fluctuations lay between Kan and Li, with many variables...

In plain language, it wasn't a good time for official business or overtime.

If that had been all, it wouldn't have mattered.

The key lay in the latter half of the divination.

In other words, what came after "many variables."

The reading was: good fortune and ill fortune coexisted!

In other words, something might happen on Jiang Yao's end.

Something that could even directly affect the Luofu!

That was why Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan had set out together.

To see just what was going on.

But before they even arrived.

They heard Jiang Yao say that line in front of Guinaifen's camera:

"I could be."

You could be what?

The Xianzhou marshal?

Seriously, dude, that's what you're going with?

What are you plotting?

You want the marshal of our Xianzhou Alliance to step down and hand you the position?

Really, it would have been fine if he was only joking.

The key.

Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan always had a feeling.

If someone had the nerve to say it, someone would fucking believe it!

"General, what do you think?"

Fu Xuan asked in a grave voice.