Chapter 214: Dialogue

Qingque sat on the ground, her butt bruised by the forest stones and a little sore; she tilted her head up, looking at the two women a few steps away, her mind still a bit dazed.

The taller one, with gray hair and gray eyes, stood as upright as a pine; although she had just shattered the sky‑covering great sword with a single punch, her face now showed little expression, merely calmly "watching" her, that gaze… how to say, it didn't seem like she was looking at a living person.

The shorter one wore a blue‑white dress, still holding that long sword of azure flowing light, blinking with a pair of round eyes, curiously scanning her up and down; that clear, blunt stare made Qingque a little embarrassed—after all, she was still in home pajamas printed with abstract cartoon fish, her hair a tangled nest, hardly presentable.

The air was somewhat quiet, only the rustle of wind through bamboo leaves and the distant calls of unidentified insects.

Qingque cleared her throat, forcing a smile she thought friendly and harmless, raised her hand and waved:

"Um… uh, hello there?"

Li Su Shang tilted her head, stepped a little closer; at 1.5 m she was slightly taller than Qingque (1.4 m), now leaning forward, curiosity almost spilling out: "Who are you? How did you end up in the Grandmaster's secret realm? I didn't even notice when you arrived!"

Her voice was crisp, without hostility, purely inquisitive.

"Me? I'm Qingque."

Qingque instinctively gave her name, then tried to stand, brushing off grass and dirt from her pajamas, "As for how I got here… I want to know that too!"

She spread her hands, a face of innocence and bewilderment, "I just took a nap, closed my eyes and opened them, and found myself at the foot of this mountain, walked up the steps, and then saw you… uh, training?"

She chose her words cautiously, glancing past the sword in Li Su Shang's hand and then at Hua's seemingly ordinary yet spine‑tingling fist.

"Sleep? Wake up right here?"

Li Su Shang furrowed her brows, clearly finding the story too bizarre, "This place was opened by the Grandmaster using… um, divine power into a pure, clean land that ordinary people can't enter! Did you use some evasion technique? Or carry some powerful magical artifact?"

"Evasion technique? Magical artifact?"

Qingque shook her head like a rattle, "No, no, absolutely not! I'm just an ordinary civil servant of Xianzhou Luofu, nine‑to‑five… uh, sometimes slacking off, receiving my salary on time, so I wouldn't know any evasion technique. As for magical artifacts, even less so; the most valuable thing I have is the limited‑edition Thus Item: Thus Item: Thus Item: Diyuanqiongyupai I saved up to buy…"

She babbled on, trying to lower her threat level with idle chatter and self‑deprecation.

"Xianzhou Luofu?"

The ever‑silent Hua's gaze locked onto Qingque, and a series of translucent characters and data streams, like a light screen appearing from nowhere, floated into her view.

The style was concise.

【Target Entity: Qingque】

【Race: Xianzhou Person】

【Affiliation: Xianzhou Alliance·Luofu】

【Occupation: Tai Bu Si ordinary Diviner (Note: adept at slacking, playing cards, avoiding overtime)】

【Status: Consciousness projection (Source: special medium resonance; Stability: low; Can be forcibly recalled)】

【Related Entries: Xianzhou, Abundance Offspring, Patrol Hunt, Long Life's Dilemma…】

Hua's gray eyes flickered slightly.

(Xianzhou? Luofu? The one from the last simulation?)

Before she could ponder, the content on the light screen suddenly blurred and twisted, then refreshed:

【Roleplay Identity: Reclusive hermit "Immortal" of the secret realm (Reference template: high‑profile figure matching cognition)】

【Guide and teach target "Qingque" (content at discretion, must fit the "Immortal imparting skills" tone)】

【Reward (Preview: Crimson Kite Immortal Martial Arts Insight ×1)】

【Note: This target has a high chance of becoming a regular. Keep it up. — Heimu left】

Hua: "..."

The corner of her mouth twitched.

(Roleplay Immortal? Teaching? The reward is… the "my" martial arts insight from outside? And "regular"? This person… really knows how to arrange things.)

She instantly understood her situation and task.

Her gaze fell again on Qingque, who was still flustered while trying to explain to Li Su Shang what Xianzhou actually was.

"It's… a huge, huge ship! The kind that flies between the stars!"

Qingque gestured, trying to make Li Su Shang understand, "Lots of people live on it—generals, Cloud Cavalry, merchant ships, and our Tai Bu Si… basically it's huge!"

Li Su Shang listened, bewildered: "A ship? Flying between stars? Aren't stars hanging in the sky? How can you fly through them? And, what is the universe?"

Qingque was stumped, scratched her head: "Eh? The universe is… the place where everything exists… a very big space? Ah, how do I even explain that to you…"

She was a bit frantic, feeling like she was explaining interstellar travel to someone from antiquity.

"Xianzhou Luofu…"

Hua spoke, her voice pulling both of their attention back.

Her tone carried a timeless calm, "I have heard of it in passing. A colossal vessel bearing the people of longevity, roaming the boundless Star Sea in search of a Patrol Hunt, yet also… trapped by the Abundance 'gift', a place struggling to survive."

Qingque's eyes lit up: "Right, right! You… uh, senior? You know about it?"

She muttered to herself, this "Immortal" truly was well‑versed, even nailing the plight of Xianzhou in a single phrase.

Hua, however, did not pursue the topic, but shifted, her gaze like an ancient well fixed on Qingque: "This place is my secluded secret realm, protected by external seals. You, a mere mortal with no cultivation at all, how could you unknowingly breach it? Moreover, your form is ethereal, like a soul yet not a soul, like a dream yet not a dream."

Qingque was taken aback, the little self‑comfort that "this is probably a dream" beginning to waver.

She looked down at herself, pinched her arm—there was sensation, yet undeniably a vague weightlessness, unlike a solid body.

"I… I don't know either."

She answered honestly, genuine confusion on her face, "It feels like a dream, but no dream is this clear— even a stone bruising my butt hurts? Senior, you say, is this truly a dream?"

She asked subconsciously, only after speaking feeling a bit foolish—asking a character within a dream whether it's a dream?

Hua quickly weighed in her mind regarding this baffling young woman before her.

Directly exposing the truth? Inappropriate.

Forcibly taking her as a disciple? Even more absurd.

The other party was clearly quite cautious.

She remained composed, following Qingque's words, speaking in a slightly mystic tone: "It is dream and not dream, residing in the heart."

She paused, seeming to scrutinize Qingque, "Though not an ideal material for martial training, your spirit platform is still fairly clear, and your mind rather clever."

Qingque blinked, didn't quite understand, but she grasped the phrase "an excellent material for those who don't practice martial arts" and promptly nodded: "Senior, please judge! I've been clumsy since childhood, get out of breath after a few steps, never won a fight! I'm suited to sit in an office to do divination… uh, handle paperwork!"

Hua's eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness, then continued in that lofty manner: "The land of Xianzhou appears peaceful, yet the remnants of Abundance's curse remain, demonic shadows hide, and the Star Sea is not forever tranquil. Having an extra skill at one's side is never a bad thing. Even if you cannot go to battle, strengthening the body and, in emergencies, modest self‑preservation, is also fine."

As she spoke, the System Light Screen visible only to her quietly displayed two options:

【Yes: guide her to attempt the basic introduction】 / 【No: return her consciousness】.

Hua's mind steadied slightly.

It is clearly not the time for teaching; the other party's mind is elsewhere, and forcing a stay would backfire.

She chose 【No】, but did not execute it immediately.

"My words end here. Cause arises and ceases; it cannot be forced."

Hua's voice slowed a bit, carrying a detached "as you wish" tone: "Consider it yourself. If you feel this place is a dream, then return. If you feel there is fate, perhaps we may meet again another day."

Qingque listened, stunned, while the little abacus in her mind clicked noisily:

(Strengthen the body? Self‑preservation? Just hearing this is exhausting… there's a great Diviner, a general, if the sky falls a tall person will hold it up, and I, Xiao Bu Zhe, am better off safely goofing off. But this senior seems quite formidable, speaks mystically, maybe truly a recluse master? Forget it, too troublesome, I'll go back first! This place is oddly unsettling.)

She immediately piled a smile on her face, clasped her hands and said: "Thank you, senior, for your guidance! I feel… it's getting late, and I'm still dazed, so I probably can't learn much. How about we first… return? What do you think, senior?"

Hua looked at her deeply, his gaze seeming to pierce her "let's slip away" thought, but he did not expose it, merely gave a slight nod: "Fine."

Just as Qingque exhaled in relief, feeling the surroundings begin to blur, as if ink washed by water were fading, Hua's Calm voice sounded again, imprinting clearly onto her consciousness that was about to depart:

"Oh, right. My name is Hua."

……