["If you had handed the Stellaron Hunter to me earlier, we wouldn't be facing this trouble now. What exactly were you thinking?" At this point, Fu Xuan suddenly paused, as if realizing something: "Jing Yuan! Could it be... did you intentionally let him escape?!"]
["Me? How could I possibly foresee things like you, Fu Qing? The Cloud Knights' failure in guarding him is my responsibility."]
[From his tone and expression alone, Fu Xuan was already certain in her heart—this "Blade" had been deliberately released by Jing Yuan!]
[However, she didn't expose him, instead seizing the opportunity to press further.]
["Hmph, I can understand. The affairs of the Xianzhou are complex, and your energy is limited. If it weren't for me holding things together below... Speaking of which, at the next Six Charioteers council, you should fulfill your promise to recommend me as the next general, right..."]
["Mhm, yes, alright, I understand. I still have important matters to attend to. I'll leave everything to the 'exceptionally talented' Fu Qing from now on."]
Feeling the almost overflowing dismissiveness from the other end, Fu Xuan puffed her cheeks slightly in dissatisfaction and abruptly ended the call with a click.
"Foreseeing things..." Yuta Okkotsu accurately picked up on these words from Jing Yuan's statement, repeating them in disbelief. "Foreseeing things... Could this also be a power of the Hunt Aeon?"
"Unlikely." Mei Mei pushed aside the white braid covering her face and opened one eye. "If the Xianzhou natives could truly foresee events, they should have been able to avoid the Stellaron disaster in advance."
"...Since they didn't avoid it, it means 'foreseeing' has conditions—and quite stringent ones at that."
Mei Mei paused before continuing, "Also, I don't know if you've noticed, but that pink-haired girl is different from the other Xianzhou natives."
"Different? Uh... her physique?" Kugisaki pondered slightly—the girl was notably short, and a certain prominent feature was tragically underdeveloped, forming a sorrowful contrast with Yukong and Tingyun, who had already appeared.
"..."
Kusakabe exhaled a slow puff of smoke, rolling his eyes in exasperation. He tapped his forehead with a finger. "You mean the eye here, right?"
"Quite observant." Mei Mei gave Kusakabe an approving smile.
"Jing Yuan called her 'exceptionally talented'... That might not just be praise but also stating a fact. If she truly possesses the ability to foresee events, it's likely tied to that third eye on her forehead."
"That thing must also be related to the Aeons, right?" Kusakabe's expression turned envious. "If we had that eye, we wouldn't need to fear Sukuna anymore."
"Not necessarily." Yuta Okkotsu shook his head. "Gojo-sensei's Six Eyes can precisely perceive the flow of cursed energy. Though it's not direct 'future sight,' it can predict an opponent's next move by analyzing changes in cursed energy—a simplified version of foresight, so to speak."
"When fighting Sukuna, the difficulty isn't 'predicting' his actions but the fact that even if you know what he's going to do... it's still hard to counter."
"Rather than envying Miss Fu's foresight, I think General Jing Yuan's Spirit Guardian is more reliable."
Yuta smiled wistfully. "That slash was something even Jingliu couldn't evade. If it could land squarely on Sukuna... we wouldn't need to be making plans here, would we?"
——
["General, it's an open secret that the Fu Diviner wants your position," Yanqing remarked from the side.]
["She's certainly capable, but she still needs to temper her disposition. Once she smoothens out her blunt temperament, I might consider retiring." Jing Yuan's words carried a hint of helplessness.]
[Seeing his master troubled, Yanqing stepped forward and volunteered: "If he escaped, we'll just catch him again. Give the order, General, and I, Yanqing, will resolve this problem for you immediately."]
["I know you're eager, but now is not the time. If you wish to earn the title of Sword Champion, you cannot act recklessly—especially not engage in armed conflict with a high-profile criminal." Jing Yuan knew Yanqing was exceptionally talented and proud, so he shook his head in refusal.]
[This only stoked Yanqing's competitive spirit further: "Does the General think I'd lose to that Blade?"]
["I'm asking you to be patient, Yanqing. Governing the Xianzhou is different from swordsmanship—progress must be made steadily to build momentum. There's a mystery here... How did the Stellaron evade the Sky-Faring Commission's inspection and the Divination Commission's calculations? And where was it placed?"]
["I say the quickest way is to capture both Stellaron Hunters and send them to the Fu Diviner for interrogation."]
["I've already entrusted this matter to the guests aboard the Express. No need to rush. Yanqing, you're the one I trust most. There are some matters I can only entrust to you. Yanqing, there's a task—"]
[Mid-sentence, Jing Yuan noticed the absence of movement beside him. When he turned, Yanqing was already gone.]
["Ah, this child... This is my fault. A young man cooped up at home for too long is bound to stir up trouble. I fear the setback he'll face this time may crush his soaring confidence..."]
"I like this child's temperament."
Serie's gaze lingered in the direction Yanqing had left. As a teacher herself, a disciple like Yanqing was truly a rare treasure.
To her, talent was important—but whether someone could reach greater heights depended entirely on their mindset and character.
What slightly displeased her was that among her disciples, few dared to challenge her—not even someone as skilled as Lernen, a first-class mage who had studied under her for decades, ever entertained the thought of sparring with her.
She liked people with desire. Desire determined a person's limits... Without desire, they were like stagnant water in Serie's eyes.
This was also why she admired Denken and made him a first-class mage. His eyes still held desire—even though he was no longer young, there were still heights he hadn't reached.
And Yanqing's desire to prove himself satisfied her greatly.
"What a perfect disciple, and a long-life species at that... He must have a lifespan of a thousand years, right?" Serie sighed regretfully. If she could open a passage between their worlds, she'd love to take Yanqing under her wing and teach him magic.
"Lady Serie, I have a question." The usually quiet Sense suddenly spoke up. "That Blade seems to have killed countless people... Isn't Jing Yuan afraid his disciple might perish at his hands?"
"Perish?" Serie's eyes took on a strange glint, as if she'd heard a bad joke.
"If he could die at Blade's hands, then he was never a genius to begin with—nor would he have earned Jing Yuan's trust to become his personal attendant."
"Just like you... Sense. If you were just an ordinary mage with superficial knowledge of magic, you wouldn't even qualify to step into this hall. Understood?"