"Hahaha, since we're just hanging around, let's go for a few laps outside—"
Click.
The reception room's door was pulled open from the inside, and a petite girl with purple hair stepped out. From the pointed ears atop her head and the fluffy tail behind her, it was clear she was a Foxian.
What stood out most was her pair of clear, bright eyes. If Jing Yuan hadn't heard her earlier words, he might have instinctively thought she was an innocent, pure-hearted girl.
But alas, this girl didn't seem as simple as she appeared.
"I'm Jing Yuan, disciple of the Luofu's representative Jingliu, and I extend my welcome once again to our friends from the Yaoqing," Jing Yuan said, stepping back and politely clasping his hands in greeting.
"Hi, hi! I'm Baiheng, a pilot from the Yaoqing, just turned one hundred this year. And you…"
Baiheng flashed a sincere smile, proactively reaching out her hand—
At that moment, Jing Yuan thought to himself: Sigh, I misjudged this girl earlier. Her speech was a bit odd, but at least she's enthusiastic…
Baiheng walked past Jing Yuan and grabbed Jingliu's hand. "If you're older than me, you can call me Little Heng or Heng-Bao; if you're younger, you can still call me Little Heng or Heng-Bao."
"I heard from your disciple your name is Jingliu? Wow, such a pretty name! Can I call you Liu-Bao?"
"Me…? Um, sure, you can call me whatever you want. I'm just bad at remembering nicknames… hehe."
"Wow—Liu-Bao, you talk so cutely!"
"R-Really? Then I'll say a bit more. I'm Jingliu, I'm Jingliu, I'm Jingliu…"
"Wow—Liu-Bao, you smell so nice!"
"R-Really? Then come closer and smell some more."
"Wow—Liu-Bao, your skin is so soft!"
"R-Really? If you think it's soft, go ahead and touch it. Touch wherever you want, I don't mind."
Jing Yuan: …
He'd heard before that the Yaoqing was full of "vixens," and at first, he didn't think much of it. The Yaoqing was Foxian territory, so what's wrong with having lots of vixens?
Now he understood what "vixen" really meant.
Seeing his dimwitted master about to be swept away in three seconds flat, Jing Yuan hurriedly stepped between them, smiling. "Miss Baiheng, with the Martial Exhibition Ceremony approaching, as the hosts, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to get too close with the participants. Please understand."
Though he didn't want to meddle with Jingliu, considering her nighttime persona might flip out and use this as an excuse to yell at him, it'd be an unwarranted disaster.
He had to step in, at least until he could consult her nighttime self's opinion.
Interrupted by Jing Yuan, Baiheng wasn't annoyed. She propped her chin, sizing him up: white hair, good looks, eloquent… plenty of strengths, but sadly, he's a guy, not someone she could…
"Just kidding~"
Baiheng tilted her head with a smile, hands behind her back, looking innocent. "I just arrived at the Luofu and wanted to make a friend. No problem, right?"
"Of course not. Making friends is one of my favorite things…"
Thud, thud, thud…
—"Oh no, what do I do…"
At that moment, heavy footsteps approached again. General Huaiyan, the muscular old man, returned alone, looking dejected, like a lonely widower.
Jingliu tilted her head curiously, then stepped forward, looking up at Huaiyan. "Grandpa, what's wrong? Did something happen? My disciple can help you solve it."
"Sigh, my disciple got upset with me and ran off somewhere. He's so young—how's he supposed to navigate this unfamiliar place? What if he runs into traffickers? Sigh, I'm such a failure as a master…"
"Sigh, I'm getting old, my legs aren't what they used to be, and I've got muscle atrophy. I can't keep up with youngsters anymore, sigh…"
How kind-hearted was Jingliu? She immediately comforted him. "It's okay, Grandpa. Even if you can't catch up to your disciple, my disciple can!"
Jing Yuan, standing nearby: ???
Jingliu: "Grandpa, let me help you rest first. We'll find your disciple, heave-ho—"
"Eh? Grandpa, you're so heavy, I can't even move you."
"Good child, you're such a good child. I'll leave this to you then."
"…?"
Jing Yuan was dumbfounded. How, in just a few sentences, did some inexplicable burden fall on him?
"Jing Yuan, I just met a really pitiful grandpa. His disciple went missing, and I thought…"
Jingliu watched Huaiyan leave, then walked about seven or eight meters back to Jing Yuan to recount what had just happened.
Jing Yuan covered his face. "Master, you were talking right next to me. I heard everything."
"Then let's get moving!"
Jing Yuan let out a "tch," suppressing the urge to snap at his master, and patiently explained, "Master, do you think I'm the only Cloud Knight left alive on the Luofu? When someone's kid goes missing, there are Cloud Knights specifically assigned to handle that. Worst case, the Divination Commission can deal with it!"
"But didn't you say the Xianzhou's virtue is to respect the elderly and care for the young?"
Of all things, you remember that… Jing Yuan felt his blood pressure rising. "Fine, if you just want to do a good deed, that's one thing, but why dump it on me?"
Am I some kind of deputy leader of a knight order? Do I have to handle every lost cat or dog?
Besides, if a kid runs away from home, why bother? They'll come back on their own soon enough.
Jingliu answered confidently, "If I were half as useful as you, why would I need you? Isn't it because I'm too useless that I need your help?"
Jing Yuan was speechless.
Jingliu's logic was flawless. If she went looking for someone on her own, Jing Yuan's workload would go from finding one person to finding two.
If he ignored her, she'd get lost herself.
But he couldn't ignore her either, because if his daytime master got lost, his nighttime "master" would make him pay.
"Liu-Bao is truly beautiful and kind-hearted!"
Baiheng exclaimed, taking Jingliu's hand. "If we're looking for someone, count me in. I just arrived at the Luofu, so I'm happy to wander anywhere."
Jing Yuan finally gave in, sighing. "Fine, fine, let's go. There are plenty of Cloud Knights near the reception venue. A quick ask around should find the guy."
…
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
"Ohhh, Dan Feng, that outfit is so majestic! This silk! These scales! That outfit must've cost a fortune, right?"
"Heh, just over a million credits."
"My gosh, no wonder you're our Dragon Sovereign—so bold, so rich!"
"Of course. A Dragon Sovereign's wealth is passed down through generations. Over the years, even the spare change is enough for an ordinary person's lifetime expenses!"
"Sigh, too bad. With the Dragon Sovereign's reincarnation cycle, us regular Vidyadhara don't stand a chance in a lifetime."
On the roadside, a boy with dragon horns was surrounded by a crowd of Vidyadhara, treated like the center of the universe. His demeanor was haughty, unaffected by the surrounding flattery.
After all, he was the Dragon Sovereign.
The Dragon Sovereign was lofty, exceptionally skilled, and wealthy beyond measure.
The Dragon Sovereign had the pride and majesty of a Dragon Sovereign—
Duang!
As the boy was still immersed in his inner monologue, a figure suddenly rushed out from around a corner, crashing hard into him.