"In a sense, it's your true self. Or rather, only people who truly know what they want to do and what they're doing have faith... It lets you know where you're heading, so you won't lose your way or drift with the tide. It can give people tremendous strength, enough to dare to remake the world, and help them make the right choice at a critical moment, sacrificing their lives for a just cause.
"In my world, the country I once called home was dragged into war by invading devils. There were anguished cries and shattered buildings, and our civilization stood on the brink of collapse. But because of their faith, soldiers kept stepping forward as others fell, paving a road to rebirth with their own bodies.
"Xiaoqian, you asked me whether faith matters. It does, and it doesn't. It's a person's freedom, and a person's choice.
"You're still young, so it's hard for you to understand your mother's choice. But remember, today's flames burn for a tomorrow that may not be perfect, but is better than yesterday. The glory of the Xianzhou was never forged by ordinary, complacent people. It was forged by true heroes like your mother."
No matter how much he explained faith to an eleven-year-old child, she could only grasp it vaguely.
But at least it would plant a seed in her heart.
"In the surging torrent of history, only heroes endure.
"And only conviction endures."
Lingchen set Xiaoqian down and patted her head.
"Your mother found her true self because she saw something. Perhaps when Xiaoxi grows up, you'll understand your mother's choice too.
"And now, her faith has turned her into a star. She'll always be watching you from the sky."
The night breeze swept past, lifting Lingchen's hair.
Fu Xuan stared blankly at Lingchen, as though seeing him for the first time.
The little girl stared at him too.
Although she still couldn't understand her mother's choice, this big brother was right. Once she grew up, she would know why.
And now... she glanced toward the shade of the tree. Specks of light dotted the ground beneath it. That was where her mother had given
her the teddy bear. Perhaps those tiny specks of light were the longing her mother wanted to share with her.
It was just that, because her mother had become a star, she couldn't understand what her mother was saying.
If, in the future, she could become a star too...
Chapter 75: You Meanie!!!
The little girl felt she had found faith too. She wanted to follow in the stars' footsteps. Perhaps she would see her mother waving to her there.
"Thank you, big brother. Xiaoqian knows what to do next now.
"It's just a shame Xiaoqian is still little. But if you're willing, big brother, Xiaoqian will definitely marry you."
The little Foxian girl gazed at Lingchen with sparkling eyes, eagerly awaiting his reply.
Fu Xuan's gaze sharpened, instantly locking onto Lingchen. Some people looked young but weren't actually young. This girl, however, really was eleven. This really could land him in jail! Lingchen broke into an awkward sweat. He didn't recall having any special appeal to little girls.
"You're still young. Let's talk about that once you've grown up and understand what real feelings are."
Honestly, Lingchen thought Xiaoqian might be the girl's nickname, because her whole design looked like that of a future playable character.
He took out a cup of milk tea and placed it in Xiaoqian's hands.
"Thank you, big brother. Pinky promise!"
Xiaoqian accepted the milk tea and held out her soft little hand.
Lingchen glanced at Fu Xuan beside him.
Fu Xuan huffed.
"What are you looking at me for? The little girl wants a pinky promise with you~ But you'd better remember what will and won't get you arrested."
"You're even jealous of a little girl?"
Lingchen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"All right. Pinky promise."
As their pinkies hooked together, Lingchen used the energy of [Purification] to clear the little Foxian's negative condition.
This girl had come close to becoming a Self-Annihilator.
That was also one of the biggest reasons Lingchen thought she was a future playable character.
Ordinary people didn't get that chance.
After the pinky promise, Xiaoqian spotted two female Foxians anxiously searching for her.
"You can't take back a pinky promise~ Xiaoqian has to go now. Bye, big brother.
"Goodbye, Lord Diviner."
With Fu Xuan present, the two Foxians didn't scold Xiaoqian. Judging by their expressions, though, they probably wouldn't have scolded her even if Fu Xuan hadn't been there.
After all, without a truly gentle heart, one couldn't work at the orphanage for the children of Xianzhou soldiers. That was a strict requirement.
"I never thought you had that skill."
On the way back, Fu Xuan looked at Lingchen in surprise.
"What skill?" "That girl is very clever. She has a promising future."
Fu Xuan was considering something again.
If possible, having the girl join the Divination Commission in the future wouldn't be a bad idea.
At first, she had thought the girl understood what Lingchen was implying. Apparently she hadn't, but she had understood his intentions.
That was no simple feat.
"According to research, the human brain undergoes a slight evolution every ten years."
"Where did you hear that?"
Fu Xuan was rather speechless.
The Xianzhou had received a "blessing." Who knew how long it would take for them to evolve again?
A genius or two did emerge every so often, though.
"News from beyond the heavens."
Lingchen smiled.
"Speaking of which, did she believe she was a child of the stars?" "By general rational standards, the atoms that make up our physical bodies really did come from stars.
"Besides, what does it matter whether she is or isn't? As long as she believes she has a connection with the stars, that they watch over, illuminate, and listen to one another, and that her mother has become a star to protect her, that's enough."
"Aren't you afraid she'll discover the truth someday?" Fu Xuan was rather speechless. Now this man was quibbling over words.
What if the girl couldn't take it in the future and went astray?
"The little Foxian is very clever. When she learns the truth, that will be when she gains understanding and sees things clearly. By then, I imagine she'll have made her own choice. Besides, she might already know the 'truth' and have chosen to follow in her mother's footsteps."
Lingchen looked up at the sky. He raised a hand, blocking his own view and obscuring the sky before his eyes.
"After all, the stars aren't far from us."
Fu Xuan's heart trembled. She seemed to understand what Lingchen was saying.
Recalling Aha's words, she thought that perhaps Lingchen would go chasing the stars too.
"But speaking of which, our Xuanbao didn't exactly shine back there."
"I was giving you an opportunity."
"Were you?"
"Of course. It was only a trivial matter, after all. There was no need for me to intervene."
Fu Xuan folded her arms haughtily, but a blush rose on her cheeks.
She was a Diviner, not a specialist in this field or a kindergarten teacher. All she could do was perform cold, unfeeling divinations every day like a machine. Naturally, she wasn't all that comfortable dealing with children.
She just hadn't expected Lingchen to have such a talent.
"Yes, yes. Our Diviner is like a Doomsday Beast, doing the same work every day and then roaring at Qingque. I understand."
"Y-you're the Doomsday Beast! I do it for the Luofu!"
Then came remarks such as, "The Luofu would fall apart without me," "This is for the Luofu's future," and "The Divination Commission without the Diviner's hard work would be like a fish without gills."
Although she had a point, seeing Fu Xuan's flushed face as she tried to prove herself was so adorable that Lingchen's lips curled upward.
That instantly sent Fu Xuan into a fit of embarrassed anger.
She wanted to curse at him, but her exceptionally high moral standards held her back.
After racking her brains, she couldn't come up with anything useful besides "meanie."
Remembering Lingchen's comparison, her eyes lit up, and she promptly said, "You're a Warp Trotter! All you do is eat, drink, play, and take your bird out for walks. You never do any proper work. You only know how to attract girls' attention, and before anyone notices, you zip from one place to another!"
What kind of strange comparison was that? Combined with Fu Xuan's voice, Lingchen actually found it rather cute.
Still... "Good thing it wasn't a Wubbaboo or Diting or something. Aha is the real Diting, after all."
Lingchen nodded in satisfaction.
That left Fu Xuan utterly speechless.
"Aren't you angry?" "Why would I be? Look at you, pouting with your brows knitted and your hands on your hips.
"Tsk, tsk. Xuanbao, even your insults sound like you're acting cute."
"...Lingchen!!" Fu Xuan fell silent for a moment, then shouted his name.
"What is it, babe?"
"You meanie!" ... "What are you going to do? Lady Sparkle is no pushover!"
Inside Lingchen's room, Sparkle wore a Peacekeeper's uniform and held a cute little pistol printed with a red cartoon design, looking "terrified."
P.S. Thanks to No.
For the monthly votes.
Thanks to Shiyukong for the monthly votes.
Thank you to all my dear readers for your support.
I'm preparing for the 2025 national civil service exam and can only squeeze in time to write, so updates aren't on a fixed schedule, and there isn't all that much-roughly seven thousand characters. Sorry!
Chapter 76: As Expected of the Masked Fools
Her upper half was a little better. Sparkle had something there, but not all that much.
Besides, the upper half of the Peacekeeper uniform was rather elaborate, so it looked fairly ordinary.
But her lower half was another story. Although Sparkle had a small frame, that little frame held ample curves. Encased in the Peacekeeper's leather trousers, several creases stretched taut along the fleshy insides of her thighs, like abyssal depths shaking Lingchen's will, which was as firm as an Aeon's, and drawing his gaze.
With that combination,
although Sparkle was playing a righteous Peacekeeper, merely looking at her lit an unnamed sacred flame in his heart. The stark contrast had even Lingchen thinking that three years in prison wouldn't be so bad.
"Sparkle, haven't you already made your choice?"
Lingchen looked at Sparkle with delight. Yes, that was exactly the expression. Although Sparkle was playing along with him, she really was the one who fired him up the most.
"How come I didn't know I'd made a choice? Hmph. You must have had your eye on Lady Sparkle's beauty for ages, and today you finally couldn't suppress the devil in your heart anymore. You want to show Lady Sparkle what you're capable of, don't you?" As one of the Masked Fools, Sparkle had indeed been a little flustered when Lingchen first brought her here. After all, from what she had observed, Lingchen should have been the sort to build up feelings first.
One look at the girls on the Luofu made that clear. Tingyun, Fu Xuan... it had been the same with every one of them.
So why was he so impatient when it was her turn?
Could her earlier remark really have struck a nerve? "But once you have Lady Sparkle, you can't have anyone else, you know~" "Hmm? That confident?" Lingchen raised an eyebrow. Wasn't Sparkle implying that she could handle him all by herself?
"Hehe." Sparkle gave a smug little hum, twirled her gun, and wagged her left index finger at Lingchen. "Darling, I've done my research too. Judging by the look of you..." She sized Lingchen up, then shook her head.
"Small fry, small fry!" Since she wasn't getting away today anyway, once she relaxed and stopped feeling nervous, Sparkle began provoking Lingchen again.
"Heh. I hope those words don't come back to bite you."
Lingchen sneered and walked straight toward Sparkle, ready to teach her a thorough lesson! The power of [Elation] sealed off the surrounding space. Inside that space, where nothing could escape, Sparkle finally experienced regret for the first time in her life.
"As expected of the Masked Fools."
The next day, a refreshed Lingchen headed straight to Aurum Alley. He was going to give himself a proper treat today.
As for Sparkle, after provoking Lingchen and passing out trembling under the onslaught of his Emanator-level Path power, she still hadn't woken up.
"Although she hasn't had breakfast, she ate so many cream puffs during last night's late-night snack. Cream is very nutritious, so she probably doesn't need breakfast."
Life was unpredictable-a piece of jade had collided with a gold brick! He hadn't expected the decision he had already made to be completely overturned within just a few days.
Sparkle truly had feelings for him. He had felt that especially clearly during their battle.