The next day.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains, spilling into the room. Seated on the edge of the bed, Bai Heng rested his chin in his hand, staring thoughtfully at a faint red stain on the sheets.
In a certain sense, could this be considered the 'bloody disaster' that the Diviner, Fu Xuan, had warned him about?
Well, perhaps not exactly.
On Bai Heng's shoulder, a faint bite mark still remained.
It was an inadvertent wound left behind when that former Sword Champion of the Luofu, the lady Jingliu, had mustered all her strength, summoning a torrent of ice to subdue that formidable evil dragon.
If one really had to categorize it, it could technically count as a kind of bloody disaster.
Just as Bai Heng's thoughts began to drift, Jingliu emerged from the washroom. Already fully dressed, her silver hair was tied back with a cerulean ribbon. She first glanced at the bite mark on his shoulder, then averted her eyes, forcing her tone into its usual calm facade.
"Don't worry. I'll take responsibility."
Bai Heng: ???
'While I'm thrilled to hear you say something that sounds like you're offering to be my sugar mommy, A'Jing...'
'Isn't this a bit... backwards?'
'Let's not forget, in yesterday's epic battle that nearly ground the great Dao to dust, I was the one standing tall at the end.'
'Shouldn't I be the one making the victorious declaration upon waking?'
Ahem. Well, Bai Heng wasn't one to fuss over such formalities. It was just that faced with Jingliu's statement, he was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
After a moment of silence, he finally nodded and uttered, "Alright..."
--+--
Starskiff Haven, Xianzhou Luofu.
It was late spring on the Luofu, the temperature perfectly pleasant—neither too hot nor too cold. The streets were as crowded as ever, filled with the incessant cacophony of hawkers' cries and storytellers' tales.
Bai Heng walked through the bustling crowd with Jingliu, hand in hand, side-by-side, just as they had over seven hundred years ago.
As for whether Jingliu might be recognized by the Cloud Knights... there was truly no need for concern.
The previous day, Bai Heng had looked into the records and learned how Jing Yuan had handled the aftermath following their departure from the Luofu. Both Bai Heng, the former Chief Alchemist of the Alchemy Commission, and Jingliu, the Sword Champion, were officially recorded as missing persons, not deserters.
This outcome was largely due to two factors.
First, the Cloud Knights who had been wounded by Jingliu during her Mara-struck state hadn't actually died. They had merely been... temporarily transformed into living ice sculptures. Once the ice melted, they were back to being hale and hearty.
Second, Jing Yuan had pulled all the necessary strings, successfully concealing the truth of Jingliu's descent into Mara.
Thus, in the official records, Jingliu remained the former Sword Champion of the Luofu, untainted by the stain of desertion.
As for Bai Heng himself... records pertaining to him, the mysterious sixth member of the High-Cloud Quintet, had only just resurfaced with the conclusion of that simulation. It was unlikely he'd attract immediate attention.
Regarding their simultaneous disappearance, the most popular theory circulating online went something like this:
—Bai Heng, Chief Alchemist of the Alchemy Commission and one of the High-Cloud Quintet, who summoned the golden rain that turned the tide during the Shuhu war, went missing while reassigned to the Xianzhou Yaoqing for a frontline operation.
—His betrothed, Sword Champion Jingliu, upon hearing the news, ventured out alone to search for him. From that day forth, both vanished without a trace.
One could only say...
The netizens are always reliable, capable of concocting perfectly plausible explanations.
Even Bai Heng, as one of the parties involved, couldn't find a single flaw in their story!
Revisiting their old haunts, Bai Heng and Jingliu wandered through the Starskiff Haven again and again. They naturally indulged in whatever could be bought or eaten along the way.
Although...
It was all paid for with Bai Heng's own Credits.
As for Jingliu, who had boldly declared "I'll take responsibility" that very morning, her purse contained a paltry two or three Credits.
Her level of poverty was almost on par with Bai Heng's when he had first arrived on the Luofu. This harsh reality shattered Bai Heng's brief dream of being kept by a wealthy lady.
Then again, it made sense. Jingliu was no longer the Sword Champion, received no official salary, so it was normal for her to be broke.
After more leisurely strolling, Jingliu gently tugged his hand, and this time, they came to a stop before the doors of the Divine Foresight.
"Shall we go in?" Bai Heng asked, glancing at her.
"Since we are here, naturally we should." Her tone was even, but her words left him baffled. "Besides, I said this morning that I would take responsibility."
'Take responsibility...'
'What does that have to do with visiting the Divine Foresight?'
Before Bai Heng could puzzle it out, Jingliu had already taken the lead, stepping into the Divine Foresight.
--+--
Meanwhile, inside the Divine Foresight.
The drowsy-looking General of Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan, his white hair tied in a high ponytail, stood before his desk. His half-lidded amber eyes scanned the pages of a book with an air of boredom.
It was a record concerning the High-Cloud Quintet.
In recent days, following the conclusion of the story displayed on that screen, a small, dormant memory had been stirred from the depths of his mind. Along with it came related records he had never seen before.
This had piqued Jing Yuan's curiosity.
He had once believed the events shown on that screen were stories from another world. But now, with these memories surfacing, he began to entertain a different theory.
The means to erase someone's traces and seal away the memories of others—in this entire cosmos, only one being could possibly achieve such a feat.
—The Aeon of Remembrance, Fuli.
But why would they do such a thing? Could it be that the Bai Heng from his memories possessed some unique quality?
"Diviner Fu Xuan, what are your thoughts?" Jing Yuan looked up and asked with a light laugh, addressing the faint, bluish holographic figure projected beside him.
"General, have you grown so senile as to believe my Third Eye can even discern the intentions of the Aeon Nous? It seems you should consider abdicating your position to more capable hands sooner rather than later."
"Mhmm, yes, alright, noted~" Jing Yuan responded cheerfully, casually doling out his usual empty promises to Fu Xuan. "I merely wished to hear your opinion on the matter."
"I have no opinion to offer. Besides, if you truly wish to know something, General, why not simply go and ask your 'Brother Bai Heng' yourself?"
"Oh, wait. Shouldn't you be addressing him as 'Grandmaster' now, General?"
"Hahaha, Master Diviner, we cannot change titles so recklessly. We must first seek the consent of the person in question~"
No sooner had Jing Yuan's words faded than a cold voice drifted in from the entrance of the Divine Foresight.
"I, for one, see no issue with it."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.