Lucian cleared his throat, then declared loudly, "You must be my fated wife!"
[Option 1 completed. Reward obtained: 50% reduction in pain when Rover smacks the back of your head.]
The two women were stunned by his words.
Then, Changli withdrew her hands and chuckled softly, as if asking herself, "Destined? How many things in this world are truly destined?"
Rover, her face darkening, stepped forward, ready to deliver a sharp knock to Lucian's head.
Suddenly, Lucian snatched the paper umbrella from Changli's hands.
Changli, feeling the emptiness in her grasp, froze for a moment. The light rain dotted her skin before she finally snapped back to reality.
When she looked at Lucian again, he had already turned away, gazing tenderly at Rover.
"Rover, this umbrella is my gift to you."
[Option 2 completed. Item obtained: 'Under the Umbrella'.]
[Under the Umbrella: Shares its name with the fungi 'Under the Umbrella' found in Jinzhou. When you and another person stand beneath this umbrella together, you cannot be attacked by the person under the umbrella.]
Changli: "?"
You're giving her my umbrella as a gift?
Rover's hand, poised to smack the back of Lucian's head, paused mid-air. She took the umbrella and smirked coldly.
"Using someone else's belongings to gift me—doesn't seem very sincere, does it?"
Lucian shook his head. "Not at all, Rover. I'm merely practicing the path to success!"
Rover frowned. "The path to success?"
She was puzzled. How did taking someone else's things to give to her relate to success?
Lucian immediately explained, "Rover, think about it. Changli holds the position of Counselor—doesn't that make her my senior?"
Rover hesitated. Lucian was Jinhsi's intelligence officer, and Changli was not only Jinhsi's most trusted confidant but also a Counselor. So, technically, Changli was his senior.
"...I suppose so."
Lucian nodded in satisfaction. "This is what we call 'borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha.'"
"Using a senior's belongings to nurture our relationship—I'm standing on the shoulders of giants to cultivate our love, ensuring its success!"
"Isn't that sincere enough?"
Rover stared blankly for a moment before flushing with anger. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Just as her hand was about to land on Lucian's head, he swiftly pulled out 'Under the Umbrella' Guest from his system inventory and opened it.
Both Rover and Lucian were now sheltered beneath the umbrella, and Rover's hand froze in place.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring it down on Lucian's head.
Rover: "?"
Lucian was ecstatic. With this umbrella, I'll never have to fear Rover's head-smacks again!
The 'Under the Umbrella' was also a paper umbrella, adorned with ink-wash paintings.
But then—
Changli's soft voice came from behind. "Silver-tongued devil."
Her right hand reached past Lucian's back and, while he was still basking in his triumph, snatched the umbrella away.
Lucian: "?"
The next second—
"Ow!"
The moment the umbrella left his possession, Rover's hand struck his skull.
"System! Why wasn't the pain reduced?!"
[Because she didn't hit the back of your head—she smacked the top of it.]
Lucian: "..."
"What kind of stupid restriction is that?!"
Rover looked thoughtfully at her hand, then suddenly had an epiphany.
It must have been because of that umbrella.
When Lucian opened it, she couldn't hit him—but once Changli took it away, she could again.
Rover had never seen Lucian with this umbrella before. Did he just obtain it after pulling that stunt?
This guy is impossible to figure out...
Changli held the umbrella over her head and smiled. "While it's true that, by rank, I am your senior, I'm hardly a 'giant.'"
"Still, I'm flattered you'd describe me that way."
Her fair fingers traced the umbrella's handle, sensing an inexplicable, almost magical energy emanating from it.
She couldn't quite put the feeling into words.
After examining the painted patterns on the umbrella, Changli chuckled.
"I quite like this umbrella. Since you took mine, it's only fair I take yours."
"That's the principle of equivalent exchange."
Lucian: "?"
He wasn't sure this exchange was very equivalent.
After all, Changli's umbrella was just an ordinary paper one.
But mine is a divine artifact that stops Rover from hitting me!
Lucian forced a laugh. "How about we trade back?"
Rover and Changli spoke in unison: "No."
Lucian: "..."
If 'Under the Umbrella' had been a normal umbrella, Rover wouldn't have cared.
But now that she knew its secret, there was no way she'd let Lucian have it back—not when it could prevent her from smacking him.
As for Changli, her interest was piqued by the umbrella's peculiar nature. Combined with Lucian's recent... activities in Jinzhou, she couldn't help but be curious about him.
Starting with his strange items seemed like a good way to learn more.
My reward was stolen within two minutes of getting it!
Lucian seethed with indignation, feeling utterly bullied by these two women.
Ignoring Lucian's sulking in the rain, the two walked to the pier, gazing at Mt. Firmament in the distance.
"Rover, how much do you know about Mt. Firmament?"
Rover shook her head slightly. "What kind of place is Mt. Firmament?"
After hearing about its mysteries from the locals, she had grown increasingly curious.
Especially since both Jinhsi and the Sentinel seemed to be there now.
Her own identity was tied to it—she couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.
Changli smiled faintly, her voice gentle and unhurried as she began to explain.
"Have you ever heard this tale?"
"Once, a woodcutter ventured deep into the mountains and came upon two immortals playing chess. He became so engrossed in watching their game that he lost track of time."
"When he finally returned to the foot of the mountain, he found that centuries had passed in the outside world."
Lucian suddenly appeared behind them, having recovered from his earlier distress.
"You're talking about that tale?"
Changli turned to him with a smile. "It seems Mr. Lucian is familiar with the story."
She nodded slightly. "In other words, the mountain in the tale was a hidden realm—where time flowed differently from the outside world, nearly standing still. The woodcutter spent half a day there, yet a hundred years had passed beyond its borders."
"Mt. Firmament is a similar kind of place."
Lucian fell into thought.
The legend was often used as a metaphor for the passage of time and the impermanence of life.
The story Changli recounted was no different.
But Mt. Firmament's current state seemed far more complex.
After all, the tale didn't mention any deities like the Sentinel.
As if reading his mind, Changli continued softly, "However, unlike the legend, entering and leaving Mt. Firmament comes at a cost."
"If I were to enter the mountain at dawn and spend a single day inside, by the time I emerged, my lifespan would have shortened by the equivalent of ten days in Jinzhou."
"And now... the situation at Mt. Firmament may be even more complicated than before."