"On the leaderboards again, huh?"
Seeing that the complete video titled "I, I really want to be Miss Jingliu's dog~!" had been uploaded by someone, with its heat and ranking rising at a rocket-like speed, Caelus wasn't actually too surprised.
The streamers of the Xianzhou still lacked a bit of flair when it came to content creation!
Qingque leaned in front of Caelus, her small face wearing a slightly sighing expression:
"I say, Old Caelus, a union between a short-lived species and a Xianzhou native won't have a good ending. You don't actually like this girl, do you?"
The video's title could have easily been changed to "Appreciation of Abstract Humanity," but having gradually become familiar with Caelus, Qingque figured this fellow slacker in the Dao wasn't actually a lunatic.
She tentatively maintained an attitude of skepticism.
Speaking of videos, Qingque recalled another video on the leaderboards from a while back where the protagonist was also Caelus.
Qingque covered her mouth with a small hand, her little head poking in front of Caelus as if suddenly struck by interest:
"Also, didn't you successfully propose to your sister before? Was that real or fake?"
"The successful proposal was real, but later I felt it wasn't worth it, so I took back the precious engagement gift. I had a fight with my fiancée, and she told me to wait for next time, saying she'd find a way to get even."
Caelus spoke nonchalantly, though his gaze was constantly attracted to the golden light emanating from Qingque's chest.
"Huh?"
Hearing this, even the genius Mahjong girl couldn't help but be stunned. It was too much for Qingque's little brain to process.
Felt it wasn't worth it?
What kind of operation is taking back an engagement gift?
And what is precious about a trash can?
"As for your previous question, firstly," Caelus pointed at the white-haired beauty with black gauze covering her eyes in the video, "I think calling her a 'girl' is somewhat disrespectful to actual girls of that age."
"Secondly, who told you I was a short-lived species?"
"Hmm?"
Her volume rose abruptly with a tone of surprise, and Qingque's eyes widened slightly in astonishment:
"Old Caelus, you're a Xianzhou native? That can't be right, how come I can't tell at all?"
The little sparrow raised her eyebrows, her gaze looking Caelus up and down earnestly.
Perhaps to outsiders, ordinary humans and Xianzhou natives looked no different in appearance, but in reality, there were differences.
For instance, Xianzhou natives' skin was extremely clean and translucent, appearing youthful with almost no wrinkles, spots, or acne, and very small pores.
However, this couldn't be used as a definitive judgment criterion.
In the vast Galaxy, there were other races possessing similar traits, and even naturally beautiful young girls among ordinary humans were the same.
Authentic Xianzhou natives could distinguish between fellow natives and Outworlders, even if the former came from other Xianzhou ships.
"Who said long-life species are only Xianzhou natives?" Caelus said with a chuckle.
"Then what kind of long-life species are you?"
Qingque quickly ran through the list of long-life species in her head. Even on a cosmic scale, the number of long-life species wasn't actually that high.
"I suppose I count as... a human."
Caelus cupped his chin and pondered for a moment, setting a temporary race for himself. Facing the cute Qingque who was tilting her head and blinking, Caelus shrugged:
"Alright, I'm not a long-life species right now, but I will be in the future... Mmph!"
Before Caelus could finish speaking, his mouth was suddenly covered by a pair of tender little hands.
"Hey, hey, hey, Old Caelus, what are you trying to do?"
Despite the discomfort of such overly familiar contact, now wasn't the time to mind it. Qingque's small face changed slightly, filled with warning colors.
"You can't just say things like that blindly!"
Qingque grabbed the clothes at Caelus's waist and pulled him toward a secluded corner, warning him in a low voice.
"Chasing longevity and coveting immortality is an unpardonable sin on the Xianzhou!"
"It's a good thing you told me today. If you talked about this with others and they heard it, they would definitely report you to the Ten-Lords Commission. You'd be in big trouble then."
The Xianzhou's Ten-Lords Commission remained vigilant against any medicine seekers attempting to find longevity. Coveting immortality was the beginning of all tragedies; the Xianzhou absolutely could not let rising civilizations or individuals repeat the same mistakes.
If it were anyone else, Qingque would definitely turn around and file an anonymous report. But with Caelus, whose personality compatibility with her was extremely high, she didn't think he was that kind of brainless person.
"Don't get excited."
Caelus leisurely admired Qingque's cute little face, raising his eyebrows lazily:
"I have no interest in the Xianzhou's longevity cure. That kind of longevity brings the side effect of being Mara-struck. I have plenty of ways to achieve longevity without side effects."
"Oh my, keep bragging~!"
Pouting her small mouth, Qingque didn't believe him, thinking this guy was just running his mouth.
She found that Caelus's personality existed in a state of 'Salt-Clam Duality': when he slacked off, he was more of a salted fish than she was; but when he played around, he made everyone around him speechless.
So many people in the Galaxy chased after immortality and failed to obtain it. The Xianzhou had paid a heavy historical price for what they have. Yet Caelus claimed he had a method for side-effect-free longevity—and not just one, but plenty?
Qingque would sooner believe that she had become the CEO of the galaxy-famous Celestial Jade Corporation—General Manager Qing—and made Sister Xuan serve as her secretary.
"Don't believe me? Then just wait and see. In a few thousand years, when you are the General Manager Qing of the universally famous Celestial Jade Corporation, I'll be the pretty boy kept by the CEO."
Caelus issued his sugar baby manifesto.
"Alright! If I can live until then, I'll definitely keep you!"
Qingque patted her basically non-existent small chest heroically, teasing him in a joking tone.
A few thousand years?
By then, she probably wouldn't even have ashes left!
According to the etiquette and law of the Xianzhou, before the signs of being Mara-struck appeared, the guides of the Ten-Lords Commission would take the Xianzhou native into the Hall of Karma, leaving behind their life's experiences before returning to silence.
As her words fell, Qingque saw Caelus pause, then reveal a brilliant smile.
"Miss Qingque, could you please repeat what you just said?"
Caelus took out his phone and turned on the recording function, then retrieved a gift from Asta from his ring space—the Time Capsule Phonograph.
An internet-famous product. Its slogan was 'Communicate with the you across time and the future.' As the name suggested, it was a special voice recorder.
The highest-grade limited edition could take a hit from a planet-destroying cannon without breaking!
Aside from rich bros and sugar mommies, almost no one bought this kind of product.
Qingque said, crying and laughing at the same time: "What is this? You really think I can live for a few thousand years?"
The average lifespan of a normal Xianzhou native was only 1,000 years, or a little more at most. A few thousand years was enough to die several times over.
However, seeing the phone and Time Capsule Phonograph held up to her mouth, and looking at Caelus who was staring at her with a grin, Qingque decided to play along and repeated the joke.
"I, Qingque, if I'm still alive in a few thousand years, will keep Old Caelus as my sugar baby!"
Click!
The recording and the phonograph were paused.
"Now there's evidence. Don't go back on your word when the time comes."
Caelus shook the phone and phonograph in front of Qingque's eyes, his smile turning serious.
"Don't worry, I definitely won't go back on it. Whoever goes back on it can never slack off for the rest of their life!"
Qingque didn't think much of it and directly started with the most vicious curse for breaking a contract.
Hilarious. Never mind a Xianzhou native; in a few thousand years, even a Vidyadhara would have reincarnated several times.
Click!
"Very good, I recorded that sentence too."
Caelus's smile became even more brilliant: "Little Sparrow, let me tell you some good news."
"What good news?"
Qingque pulled out a Celestial Jade tile from who-knows-where, twirling it in her hand as she blinked at Caelus.
"I can completely cure the Mara-struck condition. I won't say eternal immortality, but letting you live for twenty thousand years is no problem."
"Hahaha, that joke is even funnier than the last one."
Chatting and laughing, the two walked out one after the other. Because the topic Caelus joked about earlier was relatively sensitive, Qingque dragged him to a very secluded corner.
"By the way, regarding Celestial Jade..."
Since she didn't get to eat the meal Caelus treated her to this time, she might as well start discussing the grand plan. Qingque had long since told Caelus that she was the mysterious diviner.
As soon as Celestial Jade tiles were mentioned, the salted fish aura on the girl in green dissipated a little, and she began chattering non-stop.
Just as the two were about to leave the alleyway.
"Why did you stop talking? Continue, Old Caelus."
Listening to Caelus explain the functions and gameplay of the Cornucopia, God of Wealth, Mouse, and Cat tiles he had mentioned before, Qingque's eyes lit up.
The sudden cut-off in his voice made Qingque slowly turn her head, looking at Caelus behind her in surprise. She saw Caelus had backed up and was peeking around the corner, secretly watching a certain direction.
"What's wrong?"
Qingque leaned close to Caelus, following his gaze.
It was a somewhat haggard-looking Outworlder man, dressed in ordinary blue Xianzhou attire.
As her confused jade-green eyes looked over, Caelus shrugged and explained: "That person seems to have heard part of our conversation. The way he looked at us just now was a bit off."
"Huh? He didn't hear our jokes and prepare to report us to the Ten-Lords Commission, did he?"
Qingque's small face changed instantly.
"No, I used a little trick to investigate. That man sold all his belongings just to come to the Xianzhou to seek the longevity cure. The result, I don't need to say."
"But this man didn't give up. He has been thinking of ways to find and contact opportunities for longevity."
"He seems to have actually gotten lucky and waited it out. A mysterious person contacted him, saying they had a way for him to obtain longevity. Today is the day both parties trade for the longevity cure."
After Caelus finished speaking, Qingque's face was full of bewilderment.
No, you call that 'investigating a little'?
When did you investigate?
How did you investigate?
"My special ability."
Caelus saw Qingque's confusion.
Using Fenghuang Down to invade and browse the memories of an ordinary person was simply devoid of any difficulty!
Qingque scratched her head.
With her lazy personality, she didn't want to actively take on responsibilities outside her duties. For this kind of thing... reporting it to the Ten-Lords Commission should be the end of it.
The key was, it might be too late to report it now!
Because of the Stellaron, the turmoil of the Mara was rising everywhere. Many judges of the Ten-Lords Commission had likely been dispatched, and mobilizing a judge would take quite some time.
Unexpectedly, such a thing was hidden beneath the chaos.
"Sigh, longevity..."
After a long while, Qingque could only sigh with emotion.
"Let's follow him and take a look." Caelus wanted to see what the so-called longevity cure was.
"Alright." Although Qingque didn't want to participate in extra work, at a time like this, there was no other way.
The middle-aged Outworlder man was very vigilant, but he was just an ordinary person; it was impossible for him to discover Caelus and Qingque trailing him.
After following the middle-aged man through seven twists and eight turns, Caelus and Qingque saw him walk into a hotel swaying with pink lights. The two looked at each other, their expressions turning strange.
"They're actually meeting in this kind of place?"
A pink heart was printed on the hotel's signboard.
—Love, until this body withers.
It was unmistakably a Love Hotel!
"Ah, this... are we still following?"
Seeing the hotel emitting a pink, ambiguous atmosphere, Qingque appeared somewhat at a loss for a moment.
"Follow." Caelus dragged Qingque in without a second word.
The hotel receptionist was a Xianzhou young lady. Seeing the grey-haired young man walk in, she displayed a business smile:
"Hello, may I ask what kind of room you would like, guest? Do you have any special requirements..."
Coming to this kind of place, there was no possibility other than getting a room, so the receptionist asked directly.
However, when she saw the petite girl following behind Caelus with a slightly flushed face and looking somewhat awkward, she froze.
After a moment of silence, the receptionist picked up her Jade Abacus and dialed the number for the Realm-Keeping Commission. Taking two steps back and covering her mouth with her hand, she spoke in a whisper that was nonetheless serious:
"Is this the Realm-Keeping Commission deacon? There's someone here luring an underage girl to get a room..."
"Who are you calling underage, hey!"
Being in this kind of hotel with a man for the first time, Qingque was originally a little shy, but hearing that, she immediately jumped up in protest.
She took out her Jade Abacus from her pocket, her small hands becoming a phantom as she operated it. Two seconds later, she slapped the Jade Abacus, now projecting her identification, onto the front desk and yelled with considerable dissatisfaction:
"I'm just a little lacking in height, I'm not underage, don't look down on people!"
As she said this, Qingque did her best to stand on her tiptoes to make herself appear taller.
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