"I just remembered something I need to tell you."
At the Seat of Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan opened his eyes, having been resting with his eyes closed and his chin propped on one hand. He seemed to have just woken up.
"Looks like I interrupted your rest." Ye Yan felt rather embarrassed.
Jing Yuan looked up and studied Ye Yan, his tone feigning deference. "When an Aeon comes calling, how could I refuse?"
"Oh, spare me that routine. So what if I'm an Aeon? I was human before I ascended, too. Why bother with all this nonsense?"
Being an Aeon was nothing more than an optional [identity]. Right now, Ye Yan only wanted to slack off and coast along.
"I wouldn't dare."
Jing Yuan still vaguely remembered the scene when Ye Yan first arrived on the Xianzhou Luofu.
What kind of Aeon showed up, unleashed their aura, and announced their identity right away? Not even the Lord of Eternal Joy ([Elation], Aha) would do that!
That had been the first time in Jing Yuan's life that he had faced an Aeon at such close range.
It was a sensation he never wanted to experience a second time, like sinking into endless darkness.
Later, Ye Yan himself had even said that his power had actually been suppressed, and that this was merely a fabricated avatar.
Before an Aeon's immense power, even an Emanator seemed so insignificant.
The Reignbow Arbiter's boundless divine grace could easily wipe out the Abominations of Abundance and pierce a galaxy with a single strike.
Fortunately, Ye Yan was one of the more approachable Aeons, the sort who answered every request. He was also absolutely true to his word: if he said he had come to the Luofu to retire and slack off, he would do nothing unrelated to that. Only then had Jing Yuan relaxed.
There was also the fact that he was on rather good terms with their own Aeon, and had reportedly even helped provide the precise location of The Plagues Author.
Seeing how harmless Ye Yan looked to gods and beasts alike, Jing Yuan had said little else and arranged for someone to get him a shop.
Who would have thought an Aeon enjoyed running a milk tea shop? He had learned something new.
"Oh, you're all going to kill [Abundance] eventually anyway. I was just letting you get used to it ahead of time. How did it feel to face an Aeon?" Ye Yan asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jing Yuan gave a wry chuckle without offering any comment.
"By the way, keep an eye on that little fox from the Minghuo Merchant Guild. You might just catch a pawn of [Destruction]." Ye Yan left it at that. "Bye now~ Don't miss me."
"The forces of [Destruction]..."
Jing Yuan felt as though someone had spoiled the plot for him.
Sky-Faring Commission, ferry landing.
"Judging by your attire, Lord Ye Yan, are you heading out for a trip?"
Tingyun flicked open her folding fan, her tone gentle.
"I'm pretty sure I've been wearing this for the past few days..." Ye Yan was puzzled. Was this sly fox really that sharp?
"Mengming told me~"
"It's not time for you to visit the [Sleepless Earl] yet... You were fishing for information!" Ye Yan caught on. Looking at Tingyun's mischievous smile, he felt somewhat helpless.
The little fox had grown up. She even knew how to trick information out of him now.
"Alas~ Every time you come to see little old me, Lord Ye Yan, isn't it because you're going on a long journey? There really isn't any need to guess."
Tingyun feigned a sigh, then moved a little closer and sniffed him.
"Such a strong milk tea scent... Just how much have you been drinking, Lord Ye Yan...?"
Tingyun naturally knew that Ye Yan was no ordinary person. He had looked like this for as long as she could remember. After all these years, time had left no trace of wear on him whatsoever.
So this was a Pathstrider of [Eternity]...
"I run a milk tea shop. I have to make so many cups of Immortal's Joy Tea every day. Of course the smell is strong." Ye Yan found himself a reasonable excuse.
Hearing this, the corners of Tingyun's mouth twitched. It wasn't as though she had never visited his shop. Did Ye Yan not know what his own shop was like inside?
As everyone knew, most Foxians were naughty and mischievous as children, and very endearing. Tingyun had been an exception. She had been well-behaved since childhood, and cute to boot.
But even the most obedient, well-behaved child had curiosity. Passing that shabby milk tea shop every day, anyone would start getting ideas.
One stormy night, Tingyun had gathered her courage and pushed open the tightly shut shop door.
No one would have expected that this milk tea shop had merely put up a closed sign without locking its door at all.
That's a security risk, little Tingyun thought. The shopkeeper was awfully careless. Wasn't he afraid some villain would sneak in to steal things in the middle of the night?
It really couldn't be locked, because Ye Yan lived in the shop and had nowhere else to stay.
Finally, after spending another few minutes mentally preparing herself, little Tingyun took her first step.
Hmm...
It's a little dark in here. I should have brought a flashlight.
Tingyun was not afraid. At her age, she was curious about everything. There was a reason people said Foxian children were mischievous; some even took great delight in tearing their homes apart.
Stepping into the darkness, Tingyun kept feeling as though someone was watching her from a corner.
But even after exploring the entire shop, she saw no sign of the shopkeeper.
With her search yielding nothing, this operation could only end in failure.
After returning home, Tingyun discovered an extra bottle of milk tea on the table. Young as she was, she thought little of it, assuming her parents had bought it for her.
The main reason milk tea was called Immortal's Joy Tea was that it tasted good. Little Tingyun couldn't resist taking a few more sips.
Only after drinking until her belly bulged did she realize that the milk tea in the cup showed no sign of diminishing at all.
Only then did Tingyun realize something was wrong. This seemed to be a cup of...
Milk tea that would never run out.
Unfortunately, it was already late. If she didn't go to sleep, her parents would scold her. She still had to follow that much of the rules, so Tingyun put the milk tea back on the table.
The next day, Tingyun woke up early, only to see her father and mother talking to a casually dressed man.
"I just run a milk tea shop, and you two want me to teach your child to fly a Starskiff?"
"Madam Yukong recommended you. She said that when she was young, you took her through eighteen red lights in a row..."
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, no need to bring up the past. But let me clarify: she only ran six red lights. I raced through the other twelve myself."
"With your Starskiff skills, if you could teach her, she would surely be able to achieve great things at the Sky-Faring Commission someday."
"We really have no other options left. We asked you here to give it one last try. If it doesn't work out, we'll stop thinking about it and let her find her own way."
"All right."
The handsome young man looked toward little Tingyun, who was peeking out from behind the wall. He picked up the milk tea on the table and walked toward her.
"Why do Foxian children all have pointy ears?" The man looked down at Tingyun and took a sip of milk tea.
Something miraculous happened. He broke the sorcery of the never-ending milk tea!
"So amazing..." Tingyun murmured, staring at the milk tea in his hand.
If milk tea like this were put on the market, it would surely earn quite a lot...
Thinking further, this never-ending milk tea could even serve as a return gift when trading with other worlds.
And so, another dazzling new star appeared in the Luofu's trading history.
Recalling that experience, Tingyun still found it unbelievable.
She had only met Ye Yan because of that cup of never-ending Immortal's Joy Tea.
The power of [Eternity] truly was amazing. It could even work on drinks.
"As long as I wish it, anything and everything can become [Eternity]."
Ye Yan smiled and pinched Tingyun's cheek, then quickly withdrew his hand.
A sealed reserve of energy silently entered Tingyun's body.
"Bailu told me to do it. Every time she finishes giving you a massage, you pinch her cheeks in the name of [equivalent exchange]. She can't get away from the Alchemy Commission, so she asked me to help her get 'revenge.'"
"Lord Ye Yan, has no one ever told you that you're bad at lying?"
Tingyun sighed. Still, she really did do that, and she would also hold Bailu's tail without letting go.
One shouldn't go making careless claims. She was helping the Lady Dragon take care of her tail~