By now, Scotty was scared out of his wits. After his life flashed before his eyes,
he no longer had the courage to look up. He just kowtowed frantically, begging for mercy.
"Madam Herta, I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Please, spare me!"
"Yes, yes! And the loser's punishment—I'll do it right now!! This is the ending I deserve!"
Then Scotty started barking like Peppy.
Herta just yawned and casually raised her magic key.
"No!! Please, no!!"
Scotty immediately fainted from terror.
Herta's cold, contemptuous gaze faded.
"March 7th. When Scotty wakes up, make him apologize to Meme."
"Okay! Me and my two masters will stay here and wait."
With a thought, Herta dismissed her magic key. Just as she was about to leave, she reminded March 7th again.
"Short pink-haired girl. You remember my advice, right?"
March 7th nodded frantically.
"Don't worry, Madam Herta. I'll never forget it as long as I live."
"Good. See you."
Ruan Mei glanced at Herta and asked softly,
"What exactly did you tell March 7th?"
"Nothing. Oh, I heard a new dessert shop opened in Changle."
Ruan Mei couldn't help but ask,
"Do you care about that?"
"How could I, the great Madam Herta, possibly care? Fine. If you won't go, I'll go alone."
Herta cracked one eye open to observe Ruan Mei. I refuse to believe you don't care.
Seeing Ruan Mei still perfectly composed, Herta gritted her teeth, grabbed her arm,
and without giving her a chance to protest, dragged her out of Aurum Alley toward Changle.
---
At the same moment, back at the Star-Gazing Terrace, Fu Xuan yawned and slowly opened her eyes.
The backlash from her Matrix had been temporarily sealed by Ruan Mei. For the first time in ages, she felt utterly unburdened—completely at ease.
Even in her dreams, that slacker Qingque had been working diligently, not daring to slack off for a moment.
When Fu Xuan instinctively checked her omens, she found countless missed calls and messages.
Huixing: Grand Diviner, where are you?! Something terrible happened at the Divination Commission—and across the entire Luofu!
Li Sushang: Grand Diviner, how did a falling tree hit me while I was standing guard?! Quick, calculate my fortune for me!
...
Reading these messages, Fu Xuan realized something major must have happened while she slept.
She turned to Bailu, who was playing jade tiles with the Qingque Cake nearby.
"Bailu. What happened?"
Bailu waved a hand, smiling.
"Don't worry, Grand Diviner! With Madam Ruan Mei and Madam Herta here, nothing can go wrong on the Luofu."
"No, I must ask Qingque about this."
Bailu set down her jade tiles.
"Grand Diviner, all the problems at the Divination Commission? Qingque already handled them."
"As for the other commissions? Madam Herta took care of the aftermath."
Fu Xuan's eyes went wide.
"You... what did you say? What did Qingque do?"
"She fixed everything at the Divination Commission."
Fu Xuan instinctively looked toward the Changle parlor. No sign of Qingque.
"Where is Qingque now?"
"Starskiff Haven."
Fu Xuan looked confused.
"What's she doing there?"
Bailu answered without thinking.
"Playing jade—I mean, Grand Diviner, she already fixed everything. It's off-duty hours now. Please don't ask."
Fu Xuan closed her eyes and activated her Matrix of Perscience, synchronizing with the Grand Divination Matrix of Perscience back at the Commission.
The divinations regarding Herta and Ruan Mei remained blank.
But she witnessed it: the terrifying power of Erudition clashing with the Stellaron Hunter Silver Wolf. Because someone glanced at someone else, Silver Wolf was utterly crushed.
And Qingque—single-handedly resurrecting the paralyzed Divination Commission. Even the Grand Divination Matrix of Perscience was reconstructed through her deductions.
Fu Xuan was stunned. Qingque's abilities... her intellect... surpassing even hers?
Fu Xuan gasped. A terrifying possibility crossed her mind.
All those times General Jing Yuan put off handing me the reins... Was he not waiting for Fu Xuan? Was he waiting for Qingque?!
Fu Xuan stumbled. Bailu rushed to steady her.
"Grand Diviner? You don't look so good."
Fu Xuan waved a hand, pale.
"I'm fine. I need a moment alone."
"Oh... alright."
When Bailu left, Fu Xuan gritted her teeth. She'd just gone back to her homeland to report to General Yaoqing.
And in that short time, she first encountered Herta—whose power dwarfed even the Grand Divination Matrix of Perscience.
Then, while she slept, Qingque single-handedly turned the tide at the Divination Commission.
Fu Xuan clenched her fists, then slowly released them. How could she face Qingque now—someone who'd hidden her true abilities, someone far surpassing her?
Could she still scold her for slacking off like before?
The moment she closed her eyes again, memories of the past flooded back.
---
[The Divine Foresight]
"General Jing Yuan! When will you finally hand over the Lightning Lord to me?"
"Mm."
Jing Yuan yawned, nodding vaguely.
Fu Xuan brightened. Just as she stepped forward to press him, she heard soft snoring.
This is the one hundred twenty-first time he's brushed me off.
And Yanqing, standing nearby, showed her no respect at all.
"Lady Fu, if you want to be General, you should work on that habit of putting people to sleep when you talk."
---
[The Divination Commission • Library]
"Qingque! Slacking off and playing jade tiles again?!"
Fu Xuan grabbed Qingque by the ear.
"Ah! Grand Diviner! I won't do it again! I really won't!!"
"Hmph! The way you say that, there's definitely a next time. I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
---
[Earlier Today • The Divination Commission • Grand Divination Matrix of Perscience]
Qingque stood calmly, directing everyone.
"Huixing, adjust the Luofu's projected course first. Halt all omen calculations."
"Ah?! You... you're going to do this yourself?!"
"Can one person really replace the Grand Divination Matrix of Perscience's deductions? Even the Grand Diviner couldn't do that!"
Faced with their skepticism, Qingque just smiled confidently.
"Trust me."
They exchanged glances. Huixing nodded first. The others had no choice but to follow.
"Alright."
Qingque, alone, reconstructed the Grand Divination Matrix of Persicence's deductions—and restored normal function to the Commission and the entire Luofu.
Hundreds of thousands of omens were repaired in an instant.
---
The memories ceased.
Jing Yuan's repeated evasions—keeping her from becoming General.
And Qingque, slacking off time and again, hiding her true abilities. All that talk about only pursuing the average and passing?!
She was the biggest fool in all the cosmos.
"I... I'm such a fool. The General's position... the Divination Commission's Grand Diviner... Qingque... None of this should be mine."
Fu Xuan slowly closed her eyes.
Around her, Mara began to seep forth, mingling with the despair of her Matrix's Erudition.
Step by step, she descended into the abyss.