Chapter 29

Xing's movements froze instantly; the vigilance and sharpness that had just sparked in her eyes, like a candle snuffed out, quickly faded.

She didn't even have time to let out a muffled groan before her body went limp, collapsing back to her original spot, eyes tightly shut, falling asleep again—even more deeply than before.

Heimu lowered his gaze and saw that the system puppet had, at some point, silently crouched beside Xing, gripping a black rubber hammer that looked incredibly miniature, pulled from somewhere unknown.

The system puppet lifted its head, gazing at Heimu with calm, inverted-cross eyes, and gave a slight nod, as if saying, "The problem is solved, ma'am."

Heimu fell silent for a moment, then a hint of approval (moral approval) appeared on his face as he elegantly raised a thumb.

(Inner thought: Nicely done!)

She quickly absorbed the last trace of golden data-stream light, feeling the warm cluster of data flow in her palm that contained complex information, satisfied and ready to seek the next target.

At that moment, she and the system simultaneously sensed sharply—a slight turning sound came from the handle of a guest room door!

Master and servant exchanged a glance in an instant, needing no words.

Heimu's form flickered like a drop of ink merging into shadow; the system puppet moved in sync, and their silhouettes flashed at the corridor's end before vanishing silently from the spot, as if they had never been there.

The carriage door linking them to their Safe House closed soundlessly, leaving no trace.

Almost the instant they disappeared, a neighboring guest room door was gently pushed open.

Walther stepped out.

His face bore a complex expression, and he even leaned on a cane.

His gaze immediately fell on Xing, who was still sleeping soundly under the cardboard box in the corridor corner.

Seeing Xing Na peacefully asleep, Walther's complex expression deepened.

He fell silent for a few seconds, then couldn't help but speak in a voice only he could hear, tinged with an indescribable guilt:

"... Sorry."

【Scene shift: Xianzhou Luofu - Snack Street】

At the same time, aboard the Luofu Xianzhou centuries later, Bai Hang was undergoing a baptism of taste and spirit.

She sat in an extraordinarily lively eatery, with a small table before her already piled high with empty plates.

From crystal-clear shrimp dumplings to steaming hot Mo Mo Rolls, from fragrant-spicy to soft-sweet Qiongshi Bird Skewers…

She almost instinctively, driven by strong nostalgia, ordered every memorable and newly discovered snack from memory.

(Inner thought: So delicious! Back when I was fighting, I never had the chance to savor these properly—just grabbing some rations and calling it a day… This is what life is really about!)

She ate with no regard for appearance, her cheeks bulging, her azure eyes sparkling with happiness, her snowy fox ears twitching slightly from satisfaction, drawing curious yet kindly glances from neighboring diners.

After devouring most of the food on the table like a sweeping gust, Bai Hang, still unsatisfied, licked the corner of her mouth, glanced at the menu's many untried categories, and waved a hand: "Boss! This, this, and this… give me three of each! To go!"

She thought, Xi Lian surely hasn't tasted these delicacies in that desolate place; bringing some back for her to try might lift her spirits.

(Inner thought: Although… so many years have passed, things and people have changed… but at least the flavor of good food seems unchanged.)

She watched the attendant busily packing, then glanced out the window at Luofu's enduring prosperity—yet now unfamiliar streets—and a fleeting hint of melancholy crossed her eyes, but it was quickly dispelled by the 'unlimited limit' black card in her hand; anyway, who cares.

Just as Bai Hang was burying herself in a plate of freshly served delicacy.

She completely missed the slight commotion coming from the eatery's entrance.

Until she felt the curtain beneath the table lightly brushed by something, and then a small, slightly cool figure swiftly slipped in, pressing tight against her leg and curling up under the table.

Bai Hang's chewing motion froze instantly as she instinctively lowered her gaze.

She met a pair of bright, sparkling eyes, like blue gemstones.

It was a little girl who looked very young, with a pair of cute, tiny horns on her head and, behind her, a thin, scale-covered tail that nervously swayed.

She wore an exquisite dress in Xianzhou style, now lifting her little face, raising a chubby finger to her pink lips, and earnestly shushing Bai Hang, her large eyes full of pleading and a hint of mischief.

Bai Hang: "???"

Her mouth still full of food, cheeks puffed, she looked bewildered at the tiny figure that had suddenly appeared beneath her table.

Whose child is this? (You guess)

How did she get in here?

Following the girl's nervous gaze, she glanced around uncertainly and noticed several adults in uniform standing at the eatery's entrance, looking somewhat anxious, scanning left and right as if searching for something, their eyes occasionally sweeping over the diners.

(Inner thought: Are they looking for her? Did this little girl sneak out?)

Bai Hang instantly understood the situation.

She looked at the pair of blue eyes beneath the table, full of spirit and a hint of pleading, and for some reason her heart inexplicably softened.

This child… gave her a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had seen her somewhere before, yet her memory clearly held no such person.

She withdrew her gaze without a word, continued eating as if nothing were wrong, even deliberately picking up a fresh bird skewer and eating it louder, using her body and the tablecloth to cleverly block the space beneath the table.

She slightly adjusted her posture, pulling down her skirt to create a larger shaded area.

Beneath the table, Bai Lu saw that the unfamiliar big sister with beautiful white fur and fox ears made no fuss, instead tacitly helping her hide; she immediately relaxed, her small face breaking into a grateful smile, and imitating Bai Hang, she stayed still and quiet.

The seekers at the entrance glanced around for a while, found no target, exchanged a few low words, then headed to other areas of the eatery to continue searching.

After a while, confirming the danger was gone, Bai Hang lightly tapped the little guy under the table with his foot, and whispered: "Hey, little one, the people have left, you can come out."

Only then did Bai Lu cautiously poke her head out, warily looking around, then she crawled out like a lively little lizard, patting off dust that wasn't even on her clothes.

She curiously sized up Bai Hang, especially his fluffy fox ears and snow‑white long hair.

"Thank you, big sister!"

Bai Lu's voice was clear and pleasant, full of the vitality unique to children: "Are you also of the Long‑lived Race? Your ears and hair are beautiful! You resemble the Fox People I know, but your color is so special!"

Bai Hang felt a little embarrassed by the little girl's frank praise, swallowed the food in his mouth, wiped the corner of his lips, and said: "You're welcome. You……came out alone? Who were those people?"

She deliberately lowered her voice to avoid attracting attention.