Yes, that was the feeling. Sparkle's feeling.
??? This guy really was a bastard.
Sparkle gritted her teeth, only to realize there seemed to be nothing she could do.
Whether it was strength or status, Lingchen completely outclassed her.
But the great Sparkle would never admit defeat.
"Hmph, you said we were doing a maid scene. The great Sparkle kindly played along, and you still hit me."
"If you really hadn't spent five hundred thousand of my Credits, that is."
"You actually noticed?" Sparkle stopped covering her butt. After all, it had only been superficial pain, and for a Pathstrider, it had already faded by now.
Lingchen curled his lip disdainfully.
"Do you think my phone is just for show?" The phone Fu Xuan had given him was already connected to the Luofu's network.
So, when Sparkle bought things, provided enough evidence that she had a close relationship with Lingchen, and then charged the bill to him, he received a text notification.
Luckily, he still had Silver Wolf's card from before. Once he knew where the charge came from, he simply paid it off.
"Who told you not to give me an expense allowance
?"
"That's why I didn't hold it against you. Besides, you should be able to feel the changes in your body, right?" Money was secondary. Silver Wolf could get it with a few taps, and he now had an Alliance credit card with unlimited spending, too.
Lingchen admitted that Sparkle did have qualities that attracted him. Mostly, he had wanted to find out how her butt felt compared to Silver Wolf's.
But he needed an excuse, or Sparkle would be absolutely delighted.
Recalling the places he had touched while gaming with Silver Wolf, Lingchen nodded inwardly.
These girls were surprisingly well endowed.
Sparkle froze at his explanation. She really hadn't noticed earlier; she had been planning to act pitiful and squeeze another few hundred thousand Credits out of him.
Now that she checked, it really was... not only had the old hidden injuries she had accumulated while seeking amusement disappeared, but even her spirits had improved.
She felt terrifyingly powerful now, as though she could ride the God of Elation around looking for fun.
"Were you helping me just now, then?" "Of course. I'm a respectable man."
"No matter what, you're my future wife. Naturally, I have to put some care into it."
Lingchen answered with a perfectly straight face.
"Fine, fine, let's call it that. After all, darling is always right~!" Sparkle approached Lingchen and held out her small, pale hand.
"What?" "My allowance? I came here empty-handed."
"Didn't you spend five hundred thousand? I won't ask where that money went. Consider it your allowance."
"So, I'm very sorry, Miss Sparkle, but you won't be getting any funding for a while."
"Huh? But then, then..." "You won't starve. You can come back for meals, and I'm sure you have plenty of ways to get money."
"As long as you don't cause too much trouble, do whatever you like."
"Also, I can give you a tip. There's an organization called the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus here on the Luofu. With your abilities, you'd probably find them yourself in a few days."
"I think the Luofu's leadership would give you a hefty payout if you rounded them all up."
"Forget it. Just thinking about it sounds boring."
Sparkle shook her head.
A bunch of ignorant followers of [Abundance] were less entertaining than stealing masks from the Mournful Actors.
Watching those people cry as they tried to reclaim their masks, all while refusing to use the Path powers bestowed by the God of Elation-now that was fun.
"How could it be boring? Think about it. You take control of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. Then, just when they think success is within reach, they discover they've actually been following the road of [The Hunt] all along, and their final steps will lead them into [Destruction]. What expressions would they make? What would they think?"
The current Disciples of Sanctus Medicus were entirely different from the organization they had once been, but they still included people who genuinely believed in [Abundance].
Unfortunately, you've taken the wrong road. To relieve my boredom, you can serve as entertainment.
Some members of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus might have been innocent when they first joined, but afterward, none remained innocent except the spies-and even the spies would have to do all sorts of things to atone for their sins.
After all, some of the medicines they consumed contained living Vidyadhara marrow, and that substance came from members of the Vidyadhara.
"Well? I found this entertainment especially for you."
"That does sound a little interesting!" For Sparkle, secretly changing their "work itinerary" wouldn't be difficult. It would merely take some time.
And judging by what Lingchen had just said, the Xianzhou probably wouldn't move against those people for the time being, so she had time.
"Then the great Sparkle will give it a try."
Sparkle couldn't help letting out a soft hum.
The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, a faction of [Abundance]-Sparkle had only dealt with Borisin before, but those fellows belonged to the Danlun Temple and seemed to worship [Equilibrium].
Either way, they were terribly boring.
"So the great Sparkle can make little moans, too."
"Darling, your mind really is filthy."
Sparkle's eyes shimmered. She raised her hand and shook the bell on its back in front of Lingchen.
"Wake up, darling. It's still daytime. You can't do that~" "I never said what I meant. You're the one who jumped to that conclusion."
Sparkle didn't argue. Instead, she gave a couple more soft hums.
P.S. Please boost the stats! Let's go, let's go~!!
Chapter 64: Checking in Again, Fusing a Blank Card. "Feixiao?!" "Lingchen!" "You're here."
"I'm here. Here, Marshal Hua asked me to bring you this Taixu Swordsmanship."
Feixiao answered each of Lingchen's remarks straightforwardly and immediately handed over the Jade Abacus containing the swordsmanship.
The whole process was brisk and forceful, as though she had rehearsed it beforehand.
"Hey, you're not usually this stiff and formal."
Lingchen looked Feixiao up and down a few times in puzzlement.
Her white hair stirred gently in the Luofu's breeze, fading into cyan at the tips. Her fluffy fox ears looked wonderfully inviting to stroke.
Her outfit suited her usual style, too. She certainly didn't look as though someone had swapped her out.
Fortunately, they were at Fu Xuan's home. Had they been outside, that shout from Feixiao alone would probably have drawn plenty of attention.
"What's gotten into you today? Are you nervous because this is our first meeting in person? Here, have some tea to soothe your throat."
"Not really. But you actually do drink tea."
After Lingchen pointed it out, Feixiao also felt that her behavior had been far too conspicuous.
Everyone had merely said that Lingchen liked her. Why had that made her so nervous?
Now that they had met, Lingchen was acting perfectly normal. Daji had clearly been overthinking it. They were good buddies, good friends.
She took a sip of tea to settle her nerves.
After all, she had headed straight here upon arriving on the Luofu and hadn't even visited the Seat of Divine Foresight yet. She was still full of energy.
"Of course. Every word I say when we chat is sincere. Not a single lie."
Lingchen pretended to look hurt.
"That doesn't sound like something an Emanator of [Elation] would say."
Feixiao teased him.
They had already held a meeting and knew quite a bit about Lingchen.
Likewise, they knew he could use other powers, too.
But what Jing Yuan had subsequently reported to the Marshal had truly been shocking.
Feixiao recalled how furious the Frozen Abyss Lord had been upon hearing what the Luofu's Vidyadhara Vidyard Elders had done.
Putting herself in his position, she would probably have been furious, too.
"But I'm also an Emanator of [Remembrance]."
"Really? You still don't seem much like one to me. Memokeepers all collect memories, but you don't seem interested in that."
Feixiao relaxed completely.
Sure enough, whether online or in person, being around Lingchen always helped her relax.
Lingchen poured himself a cup of tea and laughed.
"Aren't I collecting them right now? Precious memories."
Feixiao froze for a moment, then immediately changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, you said I was acting differently from usual. What sort of personality do you think I normally have?" "Strong, humble, straightforward, perceptive, resilient, openhearted-and, of course, a little cute."
"I'm not nearly as wonderful as you make me sound."
Feixiao hurriedly took another sip of tea, trying to hide her fluster.
No way. Could Lingchen really have feelings for me?
"How aren't you? Who hasn't heard of General Feixiao's reputation for great victories? That's strength. You never beat around the bush or dress up your intentions when we chat. That's straightforwardness. You keep defeating the Denizens of Abundance while also maneuvering among the higher-ups. That's perceptiveness..." "All right, all right, I admit it. If you keep
"praising me, I'll really get embarrassed."
As Lingchen listed his examples one after another, Feixiao genuinely couldn't keep her composure.
Especially when she saw him solemnly raise his hand to count them on his fingers. Her cheeks flushed even more.
"Look, General Feixiao is blushing. Isn't that cute?"
With a look of "amazement," Lingchen pointed at Feixiao's cheeks and even handed her a mirror.
"I concede. You're the head of [Elation]."
No normal person could say all that without a shred of embarrassment on their first meeting.
Yet Lingchen had said it without batting an eye.
Feixiao had to admit she admired him a little.
For his sheer shamelessness, of course.
"Diting is the head of [Elation], not me."
??? Although Feixiao had no idea what Lingchen meant, she wisely chose not to ask.
"Speaking of which, how are your martial techniques? I said I wanted to spar with you. If you don't mind, there's no time like the present."
Wouldn't that hurt like hell?
"Are you sure? I use a war scythe."
While Feixiao answered, Lingchen also checked in.
[Ding! Checked in before Feixiao, the current general of the Yaoqing Xianzhou. Reward obtained: Lynx Character Card]
A Lynx Character Card? Lingchen was a little surprised.
Honestly, this card didn't seem to be of any use to him.
Besides, Lynx's lines didn't seem to offer much he could say, and they didn't suit him, either.
Lingchen was an Emanator of [Elation], but that was a side job. He wasn't a full-time amusement seeker. He still wanted to retain at least a tiny shred of dignity.
Forget it. Better to get the pain over with. Fuse it.
Whatever Lynx's Path was, there was a superior alternative. In that case, he might as well exchange it for a blank card.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained one Blank Character Card.]
In an instant, Lingchen, who had just stopped agonizing, started agonizing again. Like a synthesis game in which he had collected all but the final fragment needed to fuse a character card, he suddenly wanted to check in and get some more junk.
After all, even setting aside the other character cards he had obtained through check-ins, the second Herrscher of the Void Character Card he had received while teaching Yanqing swordsmanship and the Herrscher of Wind Character Card he had obtained upon first meeting Sparkle were both quite useful.
I'd better fuse the Emperor Rupert I Character Card I got from checking in with Qingni. Using that thing would definitely be toxic.
If he started spouting those anti-organic statements, wouldn't he end up opposing every organic life-form?
Although "Organic life-form, it is already too late" did sound pretty cool, that wasn't where his ambitions lay.