The next day, the Halovians settled in the Fortune Forest Realm as Qingzhu had arranged. Qi Shige was overjoyed.
This realm, dominated by the Higgs Purifying Tree and filled out by other plants native to Higgs, was unquestionably a blessed paradise to them!
If they lived there for a long time, it was very likely to change them at their roots, in every respect.
"Thank you, Helmsman Qingzhu, for settling the Halovians in such a blessed paradise. I cannot thank you enough."
He began to bow in thanks, but Qingzhu hurriedly stepped aside. She dared not accept his bow. It was not she who had arranged for the Halovians to live in the Fortune Forest Realm, but Ayinai.
After all, Ayinai had tended the Fortune Forest Realm herself. Without her consent, the realm would belong to her forever.
"No, no, no, I can't accept that. Lord Arbiter of Life arranged your people's residence. If you really want to thank her, just put her way of existence into practice."
Hearing that, Qi Shige knelt toward the Palace of Existence and bowed his head in sincere reverence.
To him, Ayinai was the light of his life, the goddess who had given his people hope of carrying on.
Qingzhu stood to the side and watched without stopping him. To be honest, she felt a little sour. Ayinai had never been this good to her.
Qi Shige rose to his feet, his expression solemn. "Having accepted Lord Arbiter of Life's kindness, we will not slack off. Starting today, the Halovians will do everything we can to care for every Purifying Tree and every plant in the Fortune Forest Realm."
Qingzhu nodded in satisfaction at his words. She usually had no time to tend the realm herself, Xiahou Chan was too busy with military affairs to get away, and Qingxin had no time to come here because she was assisting Qingzhu.
They usually sent other people over, but now that the Halovians would help take care of it, their burden would be a little lighter.
"All right, I'll leave the rest of the settling-in arrangements to you. Just be careful not to cause too much damage to the Fortune Forest Realm, okay? The Arbiter of Life said you can cut down some trees to build houses, but don't take too many."
Though Qingzhu said that, the Fortune Forest Realm was so vast that even building a gigantic palace would consume only a modest amount of Purifying Tree wood.
Palace of Existence
Ayinai sat on the sofa, looking with some impatience at the man before her, who was gesticulating and laughing out loud.
"Ayinai, tell me, if I blew up this ship, would you burst into tears? Hahaha."
"Don't look at me like that. As the two most human Aeons, shouldn't we have plenty in common to talk about?"
"Say something, Ayinai. Why aren't you talking? Have you been captivated by my dashing good looks?"
The man was none other than Aha in disguise. He had gone to great lengths to find her, and when he learned that the people aboard this ship were Ayinai's followers, he even clamored to tell the entire universe that she was aboard.
But after a round of "friendly" instruction from Ayinai, he "sincerely" declared that he would not do it again.
As for Aha, Ayinai maintained that it was best not to believe anything that came out of his mouth. At least she was only good-tempered toward people she liked, but Aha liked everyone, especially the kind who could stir up trouble.
The more trouble you could stir up, the more Aha liked you, and the closer he would get to you. Of course, having him get close to you was no good thing.
On a whim, he might appoint you an Emanator, only to suddenly revoke it when you were at your happiest. Aha had done this often enough that, in the eyes of the major factions, there were no true Emanators of Elation known to the public.
Ayinai shook her head helplessly. Just as she was about to send Aha flying with a slap, the doors of the Palace of Existence burst open, and a fist packed with the mighty power of the Path of Existence struck him in the face.
Aha: "Huh?"
The next instant, Aha smashed through the roof and flew into the sky. Ayinai withdrew the power of the Path she had been about to unleash from her fist and calmly nodded at Qingzhu, whose own fist was still raised.
"Why is that damned bastard here again? Lord Arbiter of Life, that bastard didn't do anything to you, did he?"
Qingzhu was no fool. A man who could withstand so many of her punches and was not afraid of Ayinai was certainly no ordinary person.
Was he an Emanator of Existence? Don't make your Sister Qing laugh. She had seen the impatience in Ayinai's eyes clearly, and as for who he was, Qingzhu already had someone in mind.
Aha of Elation was, like Ayinai, one of the most human Aeons. Though he fell short of Ayinai, he was indeed more human than the other Aeons, and he was the only one who could stand so brazenly at her side.
But she did not care who he was. So what if he was Aha? All she knew was that he had displeased her goddess, so she had to beat him up!
"I'm fine. Have you finished the arrangements for the Halovians?"
Qingzhu nodded respectfully. "It's done, Lord Arbiter of Life. I settled them in the Fortune Forest Realm as you instructed."
Ayinai nodded. The Fortune Forest Realm was the most suitable place for the Halovians to settle now. If they lived somewhere with Purifying Trees for a long time, their bodies would gradually be purified by the trees as well.
That was why Ayinai had arranged for them to settle in the Fortune Forest Realm.
"Things here are more or less settled. Set sail."
Ayinai looked into the distance. She could sense certain dangers quietly emerging.
"Yes! Xianzhou Daiyu, set sail!"
At the command, the massive Xianzhou Daiyu started up, its enormous hull speeding out of the star system.
Meanwhile, within the Xianzhou Daiyu's Artisanship Commission, an unactivated mechanical creation that had been hanging its head slowly raised it. A red light flashed in its eyes before it lowered its head again, pretending not to have awakened. Yet its eyes, in that fleeting flash of red, were full of violence.
Divination Commission
"Lord Diviner, what's wrong?"
Qingxin set a cup of tea on the desk before the Master Diviner, a girl of stunning beauty.
The girl propped up her head, looking troubled. Silver-white strands of hair hung over her chest, and her blue-violet eyes held a trace of impatience.
"Ahhh! What on earth did that ominous divination from a while ago mean?! I've already lost several hairs over it."
The girl slumped over her desk, showing none of the usual dignity of a Master Diviner. Qingxin smiled softly and pushed the tea closer.
"Lady Wanmeng, why don't you have some tea and calm your mind first? If you stay this agitated, you won't be able to figure anything out, will you?"
Wanmeng thought about it and decided that made sense. She picked up the cup and took a sip. The tea's delicate fragrance eased some of the frustration in her heart.
Seeing that Wanmeng was in a better mood, Qingxin asked, "Lady Wanmeng, why don't you tell me what your divination revealed? Perhaps I can be of help."
Wanmeng did not refuse. After all, Qingxin was someone she could trust completely.
"All right, I'll tell you. Listen: 'Metal runs rampant, destruction precedes renewal.' Those two lines were the result of the divination, but I don't quite understand the second one. When I got that result, I could clearly sense that the first line concerned our Daiyu, but the second one... didn't seem to be about us."
Wanmeng looked troubled. It was the second line that bothered her. Who exactly did it describe? It was driving her mad.