"This is...?" Qingque curiously took the thin document from Fu Xuan's hands. However, when her eyes scanned the text on the cover, her expression suddenly froze.
Following Qingque's gaze, the document—crafted from kraft paper—bore the bold words: "Promotion Notice."
"Pro... promotion notice..." Qingque struggled to read the words aloud before reluctantly opening the folder and pulling out her own promotion notice, skimming through it rapidly.
Ahem. Fu Xuan cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and adopted a solemn expression.
"In light of Diviner Qingque's diligent and hardworking attitude in her daily duties, her unwavering dedication to the Xianzhou's interests above all else, regardless of hardships encountered..."
"As the ancients said, 'Cold weather does not freeze the laborer, and the earth does not betray the diligent.'"
"Hence, by the authority of the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission, I hereby promote Diviner Qingque to the position of Deputy Master Diviner of the Divination Commission!"
Upon hearing Fu Xuan's words, our Miss Qingque's mouth fell open in disbelief, her bright eyes wide with shock as she stared at the woman before her. At this moment, only one thought echoed in her mind: "The Master Diviner has absolutely no shame, does she?"
Qingque knew her own work performance all too well. While she wouldn't call herself lazy, she certainly wasn't diligent either.
While she ensured her tasks were completed, necessary slacking off was unavoidable. Other habits—like skipping work to play cards or browsing the Xianzhou forums during office hours—were commonplace.
Moreover, Fu Xuan had caught her red-handed many times in recent days. Yet now, she was quoting classics to praise her for being hardworking and enduring hardships? Master Diviner, how could you even say that with a straight face?
"What, do you have any objections?" Noticing Qingque's miserable expression, Fu Xuan raised a delicate eyebrow.
Heh. Trying to play games with this Master Diviner? You're still far too green. Fu Xuan's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, she was overjoyed. A closer look, however, would reveal a faint trace of amusement in her brows—like a little girl who had just gotten her favorite toy.
Sigh... Realizing there was no escaping this, Qingque let out a long sigh and shook her head helplessly. Just as Fu Xuan thought she had resigned herself to the promotion, Qingque suddenly stood up and handed the document back.
"What is the meaning of this?" Fu Xuan frowned slightly.
"Master Diviner, actually... I'll be resigning soon. So, I deeply appreciate your kindness." Qingque clasped her hands together in gratitude.
"Resigning?!" Fu Xuan's voice rose several pitches. What's going on? Why would Qingque suddenly resign? Could it be... another one of the Six Charioteers poached her?
"Where are you going? The Sky-Faring Commission? The Artisanship Commission? Or the Alchemy Commission?" Fu Xuan slammed the table and stood up, her imposing aura flaring as flames seemed to ignite in her eyes.
"Not at all." Qingque shook her head.
"Not at all?" Fu Xuan was puzzled. If it wasn't one of the Six Charioteers, then who could it be? The Interastral Peace Corporation? No—aside from herself and Jing Yuan, the number of people aware of Qingque's Emanator-level strength likely didn't exceed the fingers on one hand.
Besides, this was the Xianzhou. Even if the IPC had eyes and ears everywhere, they could only operate discreetly here. Ruling out that possibility... could it be due to Qingque's personal circumstances?
At this thought, Fu Xuan's gaze inadvertently drifted to Qingque's slightly rounded belly. Her pupils constricted sharply.
She remembered that just a few days ago, Qingque's stomach hadn't been this pronounced. Could it be...?
"Qingque, congratulations." Fu Xuan offered sincere well-wishes. Though she felt some regret, the path Qingque chose was not hers to interfere with.
Still... What would the child of an Aeon and a Xianzhou native even be like?
"Huh? Th-Thank you, Master Diviner." Qingque was momentarily baffled by the sudden congratulations. Though she didn't quite understand Fu Xuan's meaning, she figured agreeing was the right move.
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"Achoo! I-It's so cold here...!"
On the frozen snow plains, March 7th hugged herself tightly, shivering from the deep winter chill permeating the air. Beside her, Stelle—also dressed in a skirt—wasn't faring much better. Though both were bolstered by the power of Trailblazing, shielding them from the cold to some extent...
The frost on Jarilo-VI wasn't ordinary snow. Forged by the power of a Stellaron, it carried a corrosive quality beyond that of regular ice.
"Hahaha, I told you both to dress warmer. Now you know how it feels, huh?" Yun Fan chuckled, pinching March 7th's reddened cheeks. In response, the girl suddenly leaned into him, her face lighting up with delight.
"Wah, so warm! Huh? Why is it so warm around you?" March 7th exhaled deeply, her eyes widening in surprise. She realized it wasn't just Yun Fan's body—within a one-meter radius around him, the air felt as warm as early summer.
"Really?" Stelle, who had been freezing, perked up at March's words. Without hesitation, she strode over and clung to Yun Fan's other side, the two of them now hanging off him like a pair of koalas.
"Uh..." Yun Fan stared blankly at the two human accessories now attached to him. How are we supposed to continue the Trailblazing journey like this? Not to mention, Dan Heng was standing right over there.
Ahem. Dan Heng cleared his throat lightly. "I'll scout ahead first." With that, he volunteered to take point.
After advancing a short distance, Dan Heng seemed to notice something and halted before a snowdrift.
"Cloud-Piercer." He summoned his spear and thrust it forcefully into the snow.
Thud. The tip sank effortlessly into the mound, but there was nothing beneath.
Seeing this, Dan Heng shook his head. His gaze shifted to the distance, where countless snowdrifts of varying sizes dotted the endless white expanse.
"Dan Heng, did you find something?" By now, the others had caught up. March 7th tilted her head, watching as Dan Heng enthusiastically stabbed one snowdrift after another, a question mark practically floating above her.