"Thank you for your understanding, Lady Herta," Wei Qing replied without changing expression.
"Your wisdom and broad-mindedness are, in themselves, a kind of Beauty worth appreciating."
"Spare me." Herta gave a soft snort, as though she'd already built up immunity to flattery.
With that, she offered the still-hovering Stellaron one final glance, then turned and walked away.
The faint sense of isolation dissolved with her departure. The surrounding chatter flowed back in, as if that brief conversation with a Genius Society member had never happened.
Firefly edged closer to Wei Qing and whispered, her eyes scanning the crowd warily.
"Senpai… did she really leave?"
"She left," Wei Qing nodded. "That narcissist guards her time like a dragon hoards treasure. Just checking whether the fish would bite is already generous—there's no way she'll camp here."
He swept his gaze across the heavily guarded museum, then let it settle on the Stellaron displayed at the center of the hall.
"The bait is real, and the fisherman is patient and professional." He didn't say the rest out loud.
Unfortunately… this fish only came to watch the spectacle. It's not biting.
The system had conveniently issued a side quest to "take the Stellaron," but Wei Qing suspected Luofu had already evaluated him. If they genuinely intended to deal with him, this place wouldn't be as simple as it looked.
He wouldn't be surprised if they'd lined up off-field support too—other Xianzhou ships, additional containment arrays, or a layered trap that only triggered the moment he made a move.
Firefly tugged at his sleeve.
"Then where are we going next?"
She had a bad feeling that if they lingered, they'd run into even more "old acquaintances" of his.
She'd assumed his Luofu persona had been some isolated loner archetype.
Instead, it was starting to look like he'd had an entire friend list.
Wei Qing put on a thoughtful pose, then snapped his fingers.
"Since we're already on the Luofu, we can't miss the famous Star Skiff Harbor. I've heard the sunset there is a peerless spectacle—an absolute match for a Knight of Beauty's refined tastes."
He spoke at just the right volume to let a few "ordinary tourists" nearby overhear.
"Come, A-Xing. Let us capture the pure beauty of Star Skiff Harbor's falling sun."
With that, he led Firefly out with the crowd—exactly like tourists who'd come for the scenery and nothing more.
Not long after they left, deep inside the museum, in a concealed monitoring room—
General Teng Xiao stood with his hands behind his back. On the massive screen before him played the live feed of Wei Qing and Firefly's departing silhouettes.
Herta's figure hovered nearby as a holographic projection, her expression half-amused.
"You're just going to let them walk?" Teng Xiao asked, voice steady and unreadable.
"And what else?" Herta replied lazily. "They have valid permits, the Divination Array cleared them, and on paper they're just a Knight of Beauty with… questionable aesthetics and an annoying talent for talking."
"Oh, and his sister who doesn't like speaking."
She arched an eyebrow.
"What—because of a hunch, you're going to detain lawful tourists? The Luofu's the Luofu, not a backwater pirate port."
Teng Xiao's brow tightened.
"But their timing is too convenient. And that 'Knight of Beauty'…"
"Talks too much?" Herta cut in, her tone lightly entertained. "Yeah. But it's annoying in a consistent way. Everything he said—even if it sounded like nonsense—loops back into a clean self-contained logic that fits his identity."
"People like that are either genuinely cracked… or forcing the act so hard it becomes a second skin."
She paused.
"I know you prefer the second interpretation. But right now? You have no proof."
Teng Xiao fell silent.
He understood exactly what she meant—because Mirrorliu had already given him a piece of the puzzle decades ago:
Back on Jarilo-VI, Sam's true identity was a girl who looked young. She and Qingzhou had posed as siblings.
And now—right after Luofu "issued the challenge"—a new brother-sister pair conveniently arrived.
Brothers and sisters were common. Pathstriders were not.
Still, Teng Xiao couldn't justify a brute-force detainment. Luofu had the power to throw its weight around, sure—sometimes even the right to be arrogant.
But doing so here would only spook whatever was in the water, and potentially trigger diplomatic fallout. "Knight of Beauty" carried weight in certain corners of the galaxy, for better or worse.
At length, he gave an order.
"Continue surveillance. They're still on the Luofu. If Qingzhou is here, he'll slip eventually."
"The Stellaron is right here. With Qingzhou's temperament, I don't believe he can truly resist."
Herta shrugged.
"Suit yourself. Just don't expect too much. That guy…" Her lips curled faintly. "He's sharp. He might honestly be here just to watch the show."
Her hologram flickered, preparing to cut the connection.
"Oh—one more thing."
She added it like an afterthought, eyes gleaming.
"Keep an eye out for whether the Luofu starts trending that seven-color Mary Sue hair and glassy 'crystal eyes' look. I'm suddenly thinking…"
"It might actually be kind of… good."
Before Teng Xiao could respond, her projection vanished.
Teng Xiao stared at the empty space for a beat, expression complicated. Then he exhaled and refocused on the screen.
"Notify the Divination Commission. Increase covert monitoring of that Knight of Beauty—quietly. No overt pressure. No alerts."
"Report any anomaly immediately."
"Yes!" A Cloud Knight behind him moved to leave.
"General, hold on." A bright, familiar voice came from the doorway.
Teng Xiao turned.
Baiheng was leaning against the frame, a sly smile on her face.
"Oh?" Teng Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. "Baiheng. What is it?"
She bounced into the monitoring room, tail swishing with confidence.
"Let me handle the 'Knight of Beauty.'"
Teng Xiao lifted a brow.
"You? This requires patience and subtlety. Can you manage that?"
"Oh, come on, General—don't stereotype me!" Baiheng put her hands on her hips, grin widening. "I'm the Tianbo Division's ace. Tracking and counter-tracking are literally my bread and butter."
She tilted her head, eyes glittering.
"Besides… isn't it most appropriate if I'm the one who goes in?"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter155)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter172)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 158
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 144
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 165
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 140
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 120
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 95
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 80
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 50
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 40
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 50
Still playing traditional Honk 30
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