Evan was this close to ranting.
If he didn't already know what kind of person Qingque was, he might've actually believed those ridiculous rumors.
Qingque becoming the Grand Diviner?
Please.
Fu Xuan only had to leave the Luofu for a routine report at the Yuque, and Qingque would already be clutching her head and crying about overwork.
Let her be the Grand Diviner?
Might as well make her the General instead.
Evan glanced around the street.
The Abundance abominations had already been swept clean.
Ten-Lords Commission judges were stationed everywhere, moving in squads with Cloud Knights in tow.
At the same time, large numbers of Cloud Knights were plastering wanted posters along the streets.
A full-scale manhunt.
Target: Kafka.
"Ten point eight billion credits…" Evan muttered.
Honestly, to him, Kafka's bounty was even more tempting than a Stellaron.
Though… she was Stelle's mom.
Yeah. Forget it.
You don't scam your own people.
Blade, on the other hand, should still be locked up in the Shackling Prison, right?
If Evan remembered correctly, treasure chests in that place only showed up after physically visiting and unlocking the map.
…Later.
For now, he might as well find March and Stelle.
Weren't they hanging around the plaza near the Divination Commission?
As Evan approached the plaza, he spotted a short figure standing near a gaming hall, pointing and gesturing animatedly.
Nearby, March 7th and Stelle were sitting with their arms crossed, clearly unimpressed.
"Hey!" Evan called out.
"You two look real busy."
"March? Stelle?"
"Huh—?! Evan!"
March practically jumped up. "You're finally here!"
"This Imperial Jade thing is sooo boring! Look at my face—paper slips everywhere!"
"All Qingque's fault!"
"Qingque?" Evan raised an eyebrow.
His gaze fell on the short girl standing in front of them.
Small frame.
Relaxed posture.
That unmistakable slacker aura.
Qingque.
One of the people credited with popularizing Imperial Jade across the Xianzhou—though to be precise, she hadn't invented it. She'd merely dug it out of ancient texts and reorganized the rules.
The game itself dated all the way back to the Imperial Era, before the Xianzhou ever set sail.
Still, being able to unearth something like that during work hours while slacking off…
That took talent.
"I'm Qingque," the short girl said, hands on her hips.
"What—wanna try Imperial Jade?"
"Imperial Jade?" Evan scoffed.
"What's so fun about that? Ever heard of Fight the Landlord?"
"It's way more fun. Wanna try a round?"
Play cards with Qingque?
Yeah, no thanks.
Did she know that Seele was nicknamed Little Qingque?
Qingque with five skill points: This is a gamble, my friend!
Four points: We can still push it!
Three points: Three more chances!
Two points: All or nothing!
One point: We're already here!
No Ultimate: Total loss, my friend.
Who in their right mind gambled with her?
"Nope. Hard pass."
"Fight the Landlord?" Qingque's interest was instantly piqued.
"What's that?"
"You see," Evan said smoothly,
"the biggest tragedy in life is not being able to play Imperial Jade alone."
"But Fight the Landlord? You don't even need four people."
"Way more fun."
"Wanna learn?"
"I can teach you~"
Qingque wasn't tall—just a bit taller than Hook or Bailu.
Honestly, she could probably blend into the Pepeshi crowd without issue.
And considering she'd lived this long and still hadn't grown any taller…
Yeah. That ship had sailed.
"…I kinda want to learn," Qingque admitted after a moment.
Then she nodded decisively.
"I, Qingque, the Sparrow God of the Xianzhou—what could I not learn?"
"If I can dig Imperial Jade out of ancient books, Fight the Landlord is nothing!"
"Alright then," Evan grinned.
"Fight the Landlord—initiate!"
"Huh? Already? I'm not ready yet!"
"March, Stelle—come on. I'll take you three at once."
Before either of them could protest, Evan conjured a full deck of cards with a casual flick of his hand.
Within minutes, all three of them were staring at him intently.
"Wait… we're really starting?"
"I don't even know the rules!"
"You'll learn as we go!"
Imperial Jade could wait.
If you were going to learn a game, Fight the Landlord was the way to go.
After a quick explanation, the Sparrow God caught on frighteningly fast.
"I won!" Qingque laughed.
"Pay up, pay up!"
"Seriously?" Evan stared at her.
Qingque, reaching her hand out expectantly, looked utterly smug.
"She's not even on the Path of Nihility or Elation…" Evan muttered.
"She's definitely Erudition."
Most Xianzhou natives walked the Path of The Hunt—even Fu Xuan did, despite her game counterpart leaning Preservation.
But Qingque?
She knew every book in the Divination Commission.
Sharp mind. Incredible memory.
Just… terminally lazy.
In a place like the Divination Commission, you didn't get to slack off unless you were actually competent.
"Hey!" March protested.
"I don't even know the rules yet!"
"Same here!" Stelle nodded.
"We're not playing anymore," March huffed.
"Miss Qingque, don't you have something important to do?"
"Important?" Qingque blinked.
"Playing cards is important."
Just as she was about to drag them into another round, Evan's eyes shifted.
At the end of the street—
A small figure stood in the shadows of an alley, looking distinctly unhappy.
Bailu.
The current Dragon Lady of the Vidyadhara.
"Lady Bailu, it's time to return," a Vidyadhara attendant said gently.
"You've been away from the Dan Shu Division too long."
"With the Stellaron incident ongoing, the elders won't be pleased."
"…I know," Bailu sighed.
She craned her neck, gazing longingly toward the gaming hall where Evan and the others were laughing.
Ever since her birth, she'd been confined to the Dan Shu Division.
The elders didn't like her—but because she was the Dragon Lady, they had no choice but to raise her.
She'd heard the previous Dragon Sovereign had violated Xianzhou law… which was why she existed now.
Day after day, trapped inside the Dan Shu Division.
Only General Jing Yuan ever visited her.
So boring.
She'd finally snuck out today—
and then the Stellaron crisis happened.
Now it was back again.
…She was not happy.
Just as she turned to leave—
"Hey! It's that little dragon girl!"
March's voice rang out.
Bailu froze.
Then she saw March, Stelle—and Evan—walking toward her.
"Little sister?" Evan raised an eyebrow.
"Hey now, I'm taller than you. Call me big sister."
"…Big sister," Bailu said obediently.
"Ohhh, so good!" March beamed.
"Why do you look so down?"
"Stellaron trouble," Bailu replied softly.
"And the news says there are bad people on the Luofu."
"You should head back too. It's dangerous right now."
"We know, we know," March waved it off.
"But we were invited by Grand Diviner Fu Xuan to help out."
"So we can't leave just yet."
"…I'm kinda jealous," Bailu admitted.
"Well, I should go back now. The elders will scold me if I don't."
She turned reluctantly, holding her attendant's hand.
But the attendant didn't rush her.
It was rare for Lady Bailu to have friends outside.
Letting her chat a little longer couldn't hurt.
While Bailu talked with March and Stelle—
Evan's gaze drifted toward a pavilion not far away.
And in his mind, a familiar name surfaced.
Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
The leader—Dan Shu.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito