Chapter 669: Retrieval

Qingque buried her entire face in her palm, her voice muffled through the fingers, sounding embarrassed as if she wanted to slip into a crack.

Cleaning the battlefield? What gives a slacking Diviner like you the nerve to say that?

Where on earth did she learn that pose? Did the gray‑haired woman in her dream teach it? No, right? Does Great Void Sword Qi even have that move?!

Her face flushed so much it felt like it might catch fire.

She crouched down, curling into a tiny ball, hands clutching her head, replaying the scene in her mind over and over; the more she thought, the more ashamed she felt, the more she felt it wasn't her.

What kind of person am I usually?

Who was that calm, unruffled guy who annihilated three demon‑shadow bodies with a laugh just now? Was it really her?

No. Absolutely not. It must be that jade plaque.

Or… maybe something else.

Qingque shook her head vigorously, temporarily shaking those awkward memories out of her mind.

She fished the jade plaque from her sleeve and examined it back and forth.

The fish on the plaque sat peacefully, its eyes round and looking rather innocent.

Qingque stared at the fish for a while, then slipped the plaque back into her sleeve, stood up and brushed the dust off her clothes.

Forget it, I won't think about it.

Anyway the demon‑shadow bodies are dealt with, the people ran away, and the Cloud Cavalry probably won't chase her with questions—probably.

She inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, feeling the heat on her face finally subside a little.

Then she suddenly wondered about something: that inexplicable urge to pretend earlier—what was that about?

Qingque tilted her head, furrowed her brows, thought for a while, but couldn't figure it out.

The sounds of the Cloud Cavalry clearing the battlefield drifted from outside the alley—clashing weapons and low chatter among officers—carried by the wind, sounding as if from far away.

Qingque rose onto tiptoes, glanced outside the alley, confirmed no one had noticed her, then slipped a few steps deeper into the lane.

Sunlight leaked through the eaves above, casting a thin Light Pillar onto the bluestone floor, dust drifting slowly within it.

Qingque stood beside the Light Pillar, brown strands still dotted with a few droplets splashed from the huge fish, sparkling in the light.

Where should I go?

She slipped both hands back into her sleeves, resumed her usual carefree demeanor, though her steps were noticeably quicker than usual.

Slip away, slip away; this place isn't fit for staying.

Qingque muttered softly as her figure vanished around the alley corner.

The street noise behind faded, leaving only wet patches that hadn't dried and a few Cloud Cavalry members still dazed.

Perspective shift.

Heimu leaned against the sofa armrest, one leg crossed over the other, the violet‑black skirt slipping down from her knees, lace trim trembling faintly in the virtual screen's cold light.

The screen froze on the moment Qingque crouched in the alley, covering her face.

The Xiao Bu Zhe from Tai Bu Si squatted beneath the mottled wall base, ears reddened to the point of bleeding, face buried in a palm, shoulders trembling slightly.

Heimu watched the scene, a slow smile curling her lips.

Gray‑white hair slipped from her shoulders, a few strands hanging above her violet‑black eyes.

She propped her cheek, tapped her chin twice, the smile bearing a hint of laziness and an indescribable satisfaction.

"Turning Qingque into General Qing later on would actually be a nice thing."

The voice was low, as if muttering to herself, the ending slightly rising with a pleasant tone.

Heimu shifted her posture on the sofa, crossing the other leg as well; the deep‑purple Lolita dress fabric glimmered softly under the light.

She glanced at the screen again.

Qingque was still crouched there, finger poking the fish Tail on the jade plaque, her face burning red.

That embarrassed, bewildered look was a world apart from the swagger she showed when she tossed the plaque on the street.

Heimu withdrew her gaze, turning to the other screen beside her.

The screen still displayed the previous Retrieval State, several data streams scrolling slowly across a translucent interface, purple‑red dots flickering intermittently, as if stuck at a Node.

"How's the situation?" Heimu asked.

The system stood beside the screen, the Purple-haired Doll's silhouette outlined in a faint purple‑red glow within the data streams.

It was closing its eyes, the light in its pupils racing like a high‑speed processor.

Hearing Heimu's voice, the system reopened its eyes.

The purple‑red pupils withdrew from the data streams, turning toward Heimu, its expression unchanged—still calm.

"Further Retrieval is still needed."

Heimu's mouth twitched.

How long has this Retrieval been going on?

Since the world‑pause began in Winterwood City, the system has remained in this state, data looping round after round, still yielding "further Retrieval".

The gazes of the Three Great Star Gods converged, world Rules tangled into a knot; trying to tease out a thread was indeed not something that could be solved quickly.

Heimu lowered her hand from propping her chin, patted the sofa armrest, then rose, leaning on it.

The Lolita dress's hem swayed lightly as she stood, the deep‑purple lace pattern flashing under the light like ripples on water.

Heimu lowered her head to smooth her attire, flattening the sleeve folds and adjusting the collar, moving at a measured pace.

"Then you keep retrieving here."

Heimu lifted her hand, waved casually, "Notify me when Retrieval succeeds."

She turned and walked toward the other side of the carriage, steps unhurried, high heels clicking crisply on the floor.

Halfway she halted, turned her head sideways, gray‑white hair sliding aside, revealing half of her profile.

"I'm going for a walk to clear my mind."

In the end there was a sigh, forced out of the nose, with a hint of helplessness and a hint of resignation.

"Alas—these days living is truly exhausting."

Heimu stretched out a hand and casually sliced through the air before her.

A crack opened in the wall of the carriage.

A faint violet‑black glow shimmered along the edge of the fissure; inside was a region that was neither clearly light nor dark, like a folded space.

Heimu stepped forward and walked in.

The fissure sealed behind her, silent and soundless.

In the next instant, Heimu appeared in the corridor of the Star Dome Train.

The train's corridor was empty, the soft lights spreading over the dark floor and the light‑coloured walls.

The doors of the side carriages were tightly shut, without a sound, and no silhouettes were visible.

Heimu looked left and right.

Both ends of the corridor were quiet, not even a footstep.

Xing, Dan Heng and Walter were on Xianzhou Luofu, San Yue Qi was trapped in the Mirror World of Winterwood City, and the whole train now had only Jizi and Pam left.

Heimu walked forward.