"You absolutely have to keep this photo! If you delete it, I'll cry!"
Under Jingliu's icy, indifferent gaze, Lumina set the "bestie selfie" she had just taken as Jingliu's phone wallpaper. After handing the phone back with a pitiful plea, she swaggered away with a flourish.
"What a strange person..."
Once Lumina had completely disappeared from sight, Jingliu lowered her head to look at the wallpaper on her phone.
Whether it was due to the original composition of the photo or Lumina's adjustments, the wallpaper perfectly captured both of their faces and figures.
Lumina smiled, tilting her head slightly toward Jingliu, their shoulders pressed tightly together. Anyone looking at the picture would assume they were close best friends.
"..."
Jingliu stared at the wallpaper for a long moment, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face. Ultimately, she chose to ignore it, letting the image remain as her phone's background.
"I hope we won't be enemies next time we meet..."
Opening her photo album, Jingliu gently brushed her fingers across the image, as if caressing Lumina through the screen, and murmured softly.
With a quiet sigh, Jingliu put her phone away and watched the people hurrying through the Starskiff Jetty, still bustling despite the Stellaron disaster. A wave of nostalgia washed over her.
Centuries ago, a certain white-haired fellow had inexplicably dragged her from her home to this very place...
"Enough... The past is like smoke, dissipating like clouds."
With these words, Jingliu turned and left the Starskiff Jetty, her retreating figure carrying an air of solitude.
"Places with people are... unbearably noisy."
The clamorous marketplace was no place for a wandering swordswoman.
"Well, General, didn't I tell you the truth?"
"Ha ha! On behalf of the Cloud Knights and the entire Xianzhou Alliance, I, Jing Yuan, extend our deepest gratitude to Miss Lumina for her assistance with the Phantylia incident."
Inside the Seat of Divine Foresight in the Exalting Sanctum of the Xianzhou Luofu, Lumina and Jing Yuan sat facing each other.
"As a Lord Ravager, Phantylia seeks to plunge countless citizens into Destruction, utterly collapsing the Luofu and transforming it into a paradise for Voidrangers."
"Regardless of the circumstances, Lumina could never turn a blind eye to such a threat."
Lumina took a sip of tea, smiling faintly. Her every word radiated genuine concern for the people of the Luofu.
"Miss Lumina is truly benevolent. The Xianzhou is fortunate to have your assistance."
Jing Yuan chuckled heartily, picked up the teapot, and personally refilled Lumina's cup, showing his utmost respect.
"General, you flatter me. Lumina's contribution is but a drop in the ocean compared to the might of the Xianzhou Alliance." Lumina shook her head modestly, then lowered her gaze to the tea in her cup.
The crystal-clear tea shimmered like a rippling mirror, reflecting Lumina's peerless beauty.
"Now that we know the Lord Ravager Phantylia has appeared on the Luofu, does the General have any countermeasures prepared?" Lumina asked casually, as if the question had slipped out unintentionally.
"A countermeasure?" Jing Yuan's expression remained unchanged. He chuckled softly, his voice languid and unhurried. "Just a Lord Ravager. Even when she lurked in the shadows, she couldn't inflict any real damage on the Luofu. Now that she's out in the open, she's even less of a threat."
"The Xianzhou Alliance's unchanging mission for millennia, and the sharp blades we wield—it's time we turned them toward a new target!"
Though Jing Yuan's tone was nonchalant and his voice calm, a palpable aura of authority radiated from his words.
"Is that so? Truly worthy of the Xianzhou Alliance," Lumina remarked, casting Jing Yuan a sidelong glance.
Jing Yuan's words were meant as much for Phantylia as for himself.
To put it bluntly, despite Lumina's extensive assistance to the Luofu, Jing Yuan still didn't fully trust her.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say this:
Jing Yuan might personally trust her, but as the Divine Foresight General, he couldn't afford to. After all, the title of Emanator of Abundance was far too sensitive for the Xianzhou Alliance.
If the Luofu weren't currently beset by internal and external crises, Jing Yuan would likely have shadowed Lumina around the clock, watching her every move.
Never mind. It doesn't matter.
Since Jing Yuan wasn't foolish enough to trust her, Lumina decided she wouldn't play along with him anymore. Shrugs
Perfect! On the other side, there was that airheaded Phantylia, the big-chested bimbo who believed every word she said. Smirks
With that thought, Lumina lost all interest in talking to Jing Yuan. She drained her teacup and prepared to leave.
"Miss Lumina, please wait a moment. There's something else I'd like to ask you," Jing Yuan said hastily, noticing her movement.
"Hmm?" Lumina paused, turning to look at him with a puzzled expression. "Oh, you want to ask about Jingliu, don't you?"
Reading the expression on Jing Yuan's face, Lumina knew exactly what he wanted to ask. She settled back into her chair, a smile playing on her lips as she waited for him to speak.
"Yes," Jing Yuan nodded, then continued, "My master hasn't returned to the Luofu in centuries, yet she comes back now, under these circumstances... I feel deeply apologetic."
Jing Yuan shook his head and sighed heavily.
"If you feel so apologetic, why not apologize to her in person?" Lumina suggested, deliberately avoiding the real question she knew was on his mind.
"If you don't ask, I won't tell—it's a time-honored tradition, after all," Lumina said with a playful smile.
"Mm, I understand," Jing Yuan replied, his expression unchanged. He sighed again and added, "But as the Divine Foresight General, I've been exceptionally busy lately and unable to leave my post."
"Miss Lumina recently met with my former master, Jingliu, and I was hoping to inquire about her well-being."
"How has she been lately?" Jing Yuan asked casually, as if simply making small talk.
However, Lumina, who knew the full story, could see straight through his superficial composure and into his true intentions.
With that, the amusement she had momentarily lost with Jing Yuan suddenly returned in full force.
"Jingliu is doing wonderfully! We were just playing games together at the Starskiff Jetty earlier."
"Oh, right!" Lumina suddenly exclaimed, feigning realization. "Since Jingliu is your master, shouldn't you, as her disciple, reimburse me for the phone I bought her?"
Lumina tilted her head at Jing Yuan with an innocent smile, her expression betraying no hint of mischief.
Jing Yuan: ...
-
PS:
After completing the 2.5 storyline, it turns out Luocha and his companion weren't the ones who brought the Stellaron here...
So, what Lumina said to Luocha earlier...
[Clown Lumina.jpg]
Lumina: Waaah! ｡ﾟ(T□T)ﾟ｡~~