Huohuo aimed her gourd at Keralum, swiftly sealing it inside. Fu Xuan looked at Qingque with a relieved smile. "Qingque, thank you for turning the tide."
"No big deal, Diviner!" Qingque wildly wiggled her eyebrows.
"By the way, when you were possessed by the Heliobus, you fired me. That was for real, right? Next, I'd appreciate it if you could issue a written notice to unilaterally terminate my contract."
She excitedly rubbed her hands together. "With my years of service at the Divination Commission, I could get a hefty compensation… hehe. I've already planned it out—I'll use the money to open a card parlor, hire a few workers, live off the profits, and start a new life of leisure, haha!"
"Uh…" Sushang's eyes widened slightly.
"This Qingque doesn't even seem like the same person from earlier, does she?"
[Feels like Qingque isn't acting.]
[I'm so jealous—this is the most realistic episode yet.]
[I want that life too, opening my own card parlor, playing mahjong, and cards all day!]
[Damn it! I'm drooling just thinking about it.]
Fu Xuan was visibly stunned for a moment, then laughed it off.
"Alas, what a shame. I said a lot of nonsense earlier, and I don't remember a single word."
As if struck by amnesia, she continued, "Speaking of which, Qingque, why are you still here? Shouldn't you be on duty at the library right now?"
"What?!" Qingque's expression turned into one of silent outrage. "The Diviner's word is worth its weight in gold—how can you go back on it?"
"Of course I can." Fu Xuan's lips curled slightly. "After all, 'there will always be choices in life'—that's what you taught me, isn't it?"
"Ugh, I can't win against you. Fine, take a break. I'm off to… I mean, I'm going to work!" Qingque shuffled away like a zombie.
[Haha, Qingque's walk is exactly like me heading to class on Monday, waaa…]
[Exactly like me going to work.]
[Exactly like me facing exams tomorrow.]
[And my thesis which I didn't do]
Fu Xuan mustered her energy to inspect the surroundings, and in no time, the Divination Commission regained some semblance of order.
Seeing the Commission return to its usual state, Fu Xuan finally approached the ghost-hunting squad. "I've done many ridiculous things. I've truly lost face."
Stelle: "Good thing no one saw except Qingque."
Fu Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, I'll have to think of a way to keep her quiet…"
The next moment, she gave an awkward laugh. "Just kidding."
[Spill the tea on keeping her quiet!]
[So shippable, so shippable!]
[Haha, I second that!]
The group comforted Fu Xuan, telling her not to take it too hard. Fu Xuan nodded apologetically, preparing to return to managing the Divination Commission.
Just then, Guinaifen called out to her, intending to publicize their victory on The Xianzhou Miscellany. Fu Xuan nodded, indicating that as long as the mystical elements were downplayed, she didn't mind.
With Fu Xuan's approval, Guinaifen entrusted Stelle with the task of coming up with a title—one that would minimize the danger to avoid panic while still grabbing attention to highlight the ghost-hunting squad's victory.
A task no less challenging than exorcising the Heliobus!
Stelle shook her head helplessly, then had a spark of inspiration. "Divination System Update! The Divination Commission Drowns in a Flood of Work!"
After bidding farewell to Fu Xuan, the scene shifted to Fyxestroll Garden. Having sealed the Heliobus Keralum, the group met with General Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan couldn't help but praise them. "It seems your mission went quite smoothly. I've been browsing the various anecdotes on The Xianzhou Miscellany—very entertaining."
The ghost-hunting squad basked in Jing Yuan's praise, but Stelle quietly asked, "General, what's your view on fate?"
"Hm?" Jing Yuan smiled at Stelle. "Do you enjoy listening to storytellers or watching illusion plays?"
Stelle nodded.
Jing Yuan continued, "Whether it's storytelling or illusion plays, the endings are always predetermined. Does that mean you'd stop enjoying those stories?" He patted Stelle's shoulder. "Life and fate are the same. Whether the ending is fated or not, it's worth living through."
[Whoa, as expected of General Jing Yuan!]
[The General's got some serious wisdom.]
[That analogy is so clever.]
[A true sage—no wonder he's avoided Mara for so long.]
[The ultimate stress-resistant king!]
[Jing Yuan's thinking is so profound. Explaining complex truths with simple examples—that's real wisdom.]
[Jing Yuan's emotional intelligence is off the charts. I feel like I learn so much just watching him.]
[So, in the upcoming interactive popularity poll, we've got to vote for the General of the Seat of Divine Foresight!]
[Yes, yes! I heard they're holding a huge comic convention there too—thinking about it gets me so excited!]
Jing Yuan noticed the group lost in thought. "I won't keep you. Judge Xueyi is waiting for you at the Suppressing Evil Tower."
The group then approached Xueyi. Xueyi, sounding as if she'd been working overtime for hundreds of hours, said, "You've quelled the disaster in the Divination Commission on behalf of the Ten-Lords Commission. Your merits are outstanding, and I feel honored to share in them. I will report to the Ten-Lords and commend you all."
Huohuo nodded obediently. "Thank you for your praise, Lady Xueyi. This time, it was all thanks to Miss Qingque's help that we successfully subdued Keralum."
Xueyi sighed, looking up at the sky, her heart seemingly full of countless burdens.
"I never imagined someone as brilliant as Lady Fu Xuan could be swayed by a Heliobus. That said… I can understand her struggles. After all, we all walk our unseen paths with unwavering precision. Judges carry out the Ten-Lords' decrees, executing orders without anyone explaining their meaning… Like Lady Fu Xuan, no matter how cruel or terrifying the choices she sees, if they benefit the Luofu's people, she must choose them. Perhaps these decisions are ultimately correct and far-sighted, but as flesh and blood, we can't help but feel pain in the process of making those choices."
[I can hear it—the resentment of a worker.]
[Didn't expect Xueyi to be such a rambler?]
[Her half-dead tone combined with all that muttering—I can't hold it in!]
"Lady… Lady Xueyi…" Guinaifen's words snapped Xueyi back to reality.
"My apologies, I got lost in thought. The paperwork must be wearing on my mind. Today's matters are concluded—please rest well!"
The ghost-hunting squad exchanged smiles, then each went their separate ways.
Soon, Stelle returned to the inn. Barely lying down, the ghost-hunting squad's group chat pinged. Guinaifen shared that someone had accused her of plagiarizing their video, with an extremely unreasonable attitude. Stelle commented that drama follows fame—getting haters just proves they're truly popular.
Seeing no further activity in the chat, she put away her phone and slowly closed her eyes.
The next day, after some casual chatter, the ghost-hunting squad regrouped. Guinaifen yawned while scrolling through her phone.
"I feel like searching like this isn't very efficient…"
"Listen to this." Huohuo stared intently at her phone, reading aloud, "'A gluttonous ghost possessed a diner, barging into a restaurant and eating double their body weight in food!' …Could it be Tail's doing? Sounds like its style…"
"That's probably just someone making excuses after getting caught dining and dashing." Sushang noted she'd seen plenty of such cases while patrolling.
"How about this one…" Huohuo continued reading from her phone.
"'Restricted horror illusion play triggers supernatural events! Multiple renters plagued by misfortune within seven days!'"
Suddenly, Huohuo put down her phone, a trace of sadness in her eyes. "This reminds me of when I used to watch horror illusion plays to build courage. Tail would always pop out at the critical moment to scare me."
"Family, I think this is probably just a prank… or maybe someone's using it as a gimmick to boost the play's sales."
Stelle blinked and looked at Sushang. "What's going on here?"
Sushang gave a wry smile. "Huohuo's been scrolling through The Xianzhou Miscellany for hours. Every time she finds a suspicious incident, she asks, 'Could this be Tail's doing?'" She chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Tail must be super busy—every bad thing gets pinned on it."
Tears welled up in Huohuo's eyes, but she fought to keep them from falling. "I have a feeling Tail's still out there. But if it really is, why hasn't it come back to see me?"
"It'll come back."
Sushang offered comfort too. "I think so too. After being bound together for so many years, it's got to feel some attachment. Even if it leaves, it'd come back to say goodbye, right?"
"Even without Tail, Huohuo's still an amazing judge," Guinaifen said, giving a thumbs-up. "All our successful missions prove that."
Huohuo looked at Guinaifen with gratitude. "Ugh, thank you, Miss Gui. I'm really embarrassed by your praise. Without your help and encouragement… These days working with you all have made me more confident bit by bit. But I can't help thinking back to the days when Tail was still around… Back then, I was just a useless coward, hiding at the slightest sign of trouble. Tail would always mock me while cleaning up my messes…"
[Three sentences, and she's back to talking about Tail.]
[You wanted to split up, so we split up, and now you want me back…]
[Who the heck is sending voice messages?]
Suddenly, Huohuo shouted, holding up her phone. "Ah! Everyone, look at this!"
"Did you find Tail?"
Huohuo summarized the forum post for the group: a Cloud Knight seemed possessed, uncontrollable even by a dozen others. With her forty-plus years of experience as a judge, she was certain it was related to a Heliobus. No time to waste—let's move out!
…
Soon, the group arrived at the scene, where several Cloud Knights were surrounding another.
"Stay back, it's dangerous!" one Cloud Knight barked. But the next moment, she spotted Sushang.
"You're… Sushang? Judge… why are you with the Ten-Lords Commission?"
Sushang: "Explaining would take too long. Let's deal with the issue at hand first."
With the ghost-hunting squad's help, they successfully subdued the frenzied Cloud Knight.
Soon, the Cloud Knight, regaining consciousness, opened his eyes, gasping for breath.
"I feel… like all my strength's been drained…"
Huohuo crouched beside him, asking seriously, "Sir Cloud Knight, are you okay? Can you answer a few questions? Do you remember what happened to you?"
The Cloud Knight rubbed his head. "I vaguely recall something… let me think… Today, we got a report of a creature causing trouble in the Alchemy Commission. The captain sent me to deal with it. But what happened after… it's like a dream, so strange. My weapon suddenly started talking to me… It critiqued my swordsmanship, saying this move was all show, that stance lacked strength. It told me to relax and let it guide my blade in battle."
Hearing this, Sushang felt a strong sense of déjà vu. "Sounds like my mom…"
The group half-opened their eyes, casting glances at her. Sushang laughed awkwardly. "No, I mean, this is definitely related to a Heliobus!"
After the brief interruption, the Cloud Knight continued recalling. "I followed its instructions, letting it take control, and I actually felt my swordsmanship improve. But it said I was too dull, a hopeless block of wood. It wanted to find a new disciple to pass on its skills."
The Cloud Knight suddenly sat up straight. "That's when I noticed a kid with a sword staring at me."
Stelle gasped. "A kid with a sword?"
Sushang's brows furrowed. "There are plenty of kids on the Luofu who train in martial arts from a young age, but one carrying a sword?"
"Sis!" Guinaifen swallowed hard, looking at Sushang. "I hope we're not thinking of the same person."
But the Cloud Knight's words shattered their hopes. "Then I realized that kid was the General's protégé, little brother Yanqing."
Sushang slapped her forehead. "Ugh, I was hoping I guessed wrong."
The Cloud Knight's voice was filled with guilt. "Hearing my sword say that, I got upset and, somehow… I ended up attacking Brother Yanqing."
"I'm guessing you're both unharmed…"
The Cloud Knight said self-deprecatingly, "He went easy on me. I couldn't even follow his movements before I hit the ground. Then I saw something bizarre—Brother Yanqing seemed to be talking to his sword, then turned and left without looking back. My weapon… it never spoke again."
At this, the ghost-hunting squad realized what was happening. "Oh no!"
[We're done for! If Yanqing's possessed by a Heliobus, it's over!]
[Is Yanqing that strong? Didn't he lose to all five of the High-Cloud Quintet?]
[Bro, you really think Yanqing's weak? He could beat 99% of people into the ground. It's just that he keeps running into that 1% who are absolute monsters. None of those five from the Quintet are normal!]
[Makes sense when you put it that way.]
Heliobi are adept at manipulating minds. If one has tampered with Yanqing's psyche, things could get very dangerous!