Chapter 1172: Weng Falos 3.2 (218)

"Send you over? Sure, but it costs extra."

Xing quietly looks at her: "Is the Demigod Zageles's duty to extort?"

Saifei'er snaps her fingers with a "pop": "Guess what? It really is. Or rather, it's part of my business."

"I have lived longer than most people; even if I'm not as good at making a living as Lady Aglaea, I still have some savings," Xiadie breathes deeply, eyes firm, "I… can give them all to you."

Saifei'er widens her eyes: "So can you still get by?"

"Well…" Xiadie lowers her head blankly, the words she wants to say twist on her tongue, then she swallows them with difficulty: "That's about ninety… no, eighty percent…"

"Fine, then I won't be polite: eighty percent of Xiadie's savings, plus a bottle of divine blood honey‑dew… hey, not a loss."

"Don't forget to return Xiadie's stuff to her," Xing reminds from beside.

"Ah, got it, didn't expect you, Hui Zi, to hold a grudge so much." Saifei'er pats herself, tosses a silver object lightly into Xiadie's hand, "Here, take it—!"

"Hey, gentle, gentle…!"

Xiadie carefully catches the finely‑crafted silver ring and finds a large purple gem set into it.

"But the plan changed: don't go to the bathhouse tomorrow, meet me at Aohema's city gate."

"The reason for changing the rendezvous point is…"

"Nothing much, just that I'm scared of that cold‑hearted seamstress's face. If possible, I don't want to stay a single second longer in Aohema." Saifei'er claps her hands, "Alright, the deal's done, I'll give you a ride—sky's high, road's long, get some good sleep first, you two."

"…ah!"

Xiadie gasps at the words she just uttered, and Xing feels her vision go black; when she opens her eyes again, it's already the next day in Aohema.

(Where is this… my room? How did I get back?)

(Silver coin… Saifei'er? She even covered my blanket for me?!)

Moreover, the ring Xiadie intended to give her and the bottle of divine blood honey‑dew that had been taken were both returned, along with that silver coin, pressed against her pillow.

——

Blessings for a beautiful world.

"Why do I have this weird feeling… is Saifei'er deliberately avoiding Aglaea?"

"No need to feel it, she's just avoiding her." He Zhen answered resolutely, "Saifei'er is determined not to take part in the Fire Pursuit Journey; as a Demigod, she wants to evade the divine decree, evade the prophecy… it seems a huge loss for the Fire Pursuit Journey."

"If we had replaced the scheming divine office with a golden descendant back then, would it have been better?" Akua began to let her imagination run.

"Do you think there are as many golden descendants who can take over the divine office as there are adventurers in Akser City? You still want to swap one…" He Zhen glared at the idiot‑like goddess, "…this actually involves a paradox: those willing to follow Aglaea on the Fire Pursuit Journey may not be approved by the 'Trick' Titan; those approved by the Titan may not be willing to follow Aglaea. Moreover, isn't Ke Xia Bu also such a person? He's recognized by Se Xisi yet likes to oppose Aglaea."

Hui Hui lowered her head thoughtfully, recalling the Demigods that have appeared: "Indeed… after all, besides Saifei'er, the Demigods of Law, Earth, and Sea have not shown up. For a Demigod, just diligently fulfilling the divine duties should be enough, I guess."

Akua: "But my way of fulfilling the divine office is by stealing… it wouldn't matter if I didn't fulfill it, right? It's like there's a destiny in the universe called 'Theft'; that destiny has no star god or envoy, and it's actually a good thing for the galaxy, isn't it?"

——

"Ah! The sun is shining brightly, truly a fitting moment to part."

Xing arrives at the agreed spot; Xiadie and Saifei'er have been waiting there early.

"Just the three of us?"

"Of course, a trio is the best configuration to advance to the finals. You don't have to worry about Aglaea's side; I've spoken to her—she has no objections."

She clicks her tongue, eyes shifting to Xiadie: "Tsk tsk, Xiadie… you really give me a tough puzzle. Want to travel with you, yet I can't actually touch you, what a hassle."

Xiadie lowers her head apologetically: "Sorry…"

"But do you two know? According to myth, to let the dead safely cross the River Styx to the Underworld, you must place an Oubros on their mouth or over their eyes…" Saifei'er smiles lightly, "That's the ferry fee to the Underworld. This time I won't actually charge you; I'll front it, we'll just make a show of it."

Xiadie droops her eyebrows, sighs softly: "Sigh…"

Xing places both hands on hips and asks: "How much money did you actually extort from Xiadie?"

Xiadie shows a hurt expression, feeling her heart bleed: "It's fine, not much…"

"Alright~ the swift journey straight to the Underworld, ready to depart! Give me the coin, I'm about to unleash power." Saifei'er takes the coin Xiadie handed over, "Ah, right! Before we go, one last piece of advice for both of you. Especially for you, Snail‑home Princess—"

"The wind won't wait. Rarely you get to walk the mortal world, don't waste your life. Get ready, stand firm…"

The fluttering coin spins lightly on Saifei'er's fingertip; she flicks her wrist, gently tossing the coin upward—

Xing watches the coin rise, and as it reaches its apex and begins to fall, a sudden sharp whoosh erupts nearby; Saifei'er appears with a "whoosh", and the Xiadie who had been beside her has already vanished.

Saifei'er opens her palm to her, a confident smile curling her lips: "Here you go, it's your turn."

Xing, a bit dazed, hands the warm coin to Saifei'er.

The fluttering coin is tossed again into the sky, its ascent trailing behind; Saifei'er leans slightly forward: "Don't be nervous, anyway—"

"—just a blink of an eye!"

The moment the coin falls, the world seems to hit a pause button.

The clamorous wind is stretched infinitely, dust particles floating in the air become crystal clear, Saifei'er grabs Xing's waist, turning into an elusive after‑image that tears through the air with a sharp, tearing howl.

The world ahead compresses into a radiant tunnel of flowing light, the scenery on both sides blurs into dazzling streaks racing backward. Saifei'er's silhouette darts through the light, like a bolt that cleaves the eternal night, instantly delivering Xing to the destination.

Xing, due to inertia, spins a few times in the sky; after Saifei'er steadies her, she claps lightly: "Done."

"Bye‑bye~"

Time resumes its flow; Xing, looking bewildered, meets Xiadie's gaze.

"Huh?"