Chapter 679: Set Phrases

Reason String tells her she should stand up now, explain clearly, and loudly say "You got it wrong, I'm just a Salted Fish"—but her body refuses to obey, slumping in the spacious general's seat, hands on the armrests, ash‑gray long hair falling from her shoulders, a few strands sliding to her chest, her jade‑green almond eyes staring straight ahead, pupils unfocused.

"I am… a general?"

The four words bounce out of her mouth, tone cautious, as if confirming whether she misheard some huge joke.

Fu Xuan puts the tablet on the desk, hears this, furrows his brows and turns: "General, what's wrong today? Since just now you've been saying incomprehensible things."

Qingque opens her mouth to explain something, but Fu Xuan clearly gives her no chance.

Grand Diviner slams the tablet onto the desk, producing a muffled thud.

Then she crosses her arms, her pink pupils filled with—sour.

"Honestly, I still can't make sense of it."

Fu Xuan's tone carries a complaint that has been suppressed for a long time and finally found an outlet: "Why did Senior Sister Yao Guang recommend you for this general position? Why did Jing Yuan agree? Both Imperial Bow Heavenly Generals endorsed it; in the whole history of the Xianzhou Alliance, this has hardly ever happened."

She gets more and more angry as she speaks.

"And that trial. You just breezed through it, and even passed. Passing is one thing, but you also turned your hair completely white!"

Fu Xuan glances up and down at Qingque's outfit, tone uncertain whether it's sourness or concern.

Qingque sits on the general's seat, mouth slightly open, not a word can be inserted.

Her mind is operating at overload.

She knows each of these terms, but together they become a foreign language.

Fu Xuan sees her almost blank expression, the fire in his chest rises another notch.

But he probably thinks continuing is pointless, sighs, waves a hand and turns to walk out of the hall.

After a few steps he stops, throws a line without looking back: "All matters are on the tablet; remember to approve them. There's a military‑political meeting this afternoon; don't be late."

Footsteps fade farther away.

The hall now only has Qingque and Yan Qing.

Qingque sits on the general's seat, gaze blankly fixed on the direction Fu Xuan left, brain empty.

She sits there like a statue placed in the wrong spot.

After a while, she slowly pulls her gaze back, landing on Yan Qing standing in the hall's center.

Yan Qing is staring at her seriously, posture upright, holding a sword scabbard in his hand, like a neatly trimmed young pine.

Those eyes carry the youthful focus and reverence, clearly waiting for the general's orders.

Reason String finally comes back online.

Wrong.

No matter the current situation, she must first get the facts straight.

Fu Xuan just rattled off a huge list—Senior Sister Yao Guang, Jing Yuan's recommendation, Imperial Bow Trial; she understood each term, but together they turned into a tangled mess.

She doesn't even know how she became this general.

Qingque looks at the young man, her emerald eyes whirl once, thoughts start to stir.

She has never been a rule‑follower; the strongest skill she honed over years in Tai Bu Si of slacking off is extracting information from cracks.

She knows nothing now.

She needs information now.

Fu Xuan refuses to speak properly, so she'll start with Yan Qing.

This young cloud‑riding elite guard is simple‑minded; as long as the wording is right, anything can be coaxed out.

But she can't ask directly.

Must use set phrases.

Qingque clears her throat, strives to make her expression look less like a Salted Fish that has lost its dream.

She shifts her posture on the seat, crosses her legs, trying to mimic the demeanor she imagines a general should have.

She even tucks her chin a bit, half‑squints, trying to mimic the composed gaze she envisions for a general.

Then she finds she doesn't really know how to make a general's expression.

The effect is more like a gray sparrow trying to imitate a dozing lion.

Forget it, this is fine.

"Yan Qing."

The youth instantly straightens his back: "At your service, General!"

Qingque taps the armrest twice lightly, weighing her words: "This general wishes to test you."

"Please, General, pose the question!"

"Hmm—"

Qingque drags a long sound, quickly assembling the question in her mind: "First, tell me, how did General Jing Yuan step down?"

Yan Qing answers without hesitation: "Returning General, General Jing Yuan formally submitted his resignation three months ago. He said he had been stationed at Luofu for many years, and now that Luofu's overall situation is settled, it's time for the younger generation to take over. Marshal Hua approved the request, and General Jing Yuan officially retired to the background, no longer participating in daily military‑political affairs."

Qingque's face remains impassive, but inside she is screaming—three months ago?

General Jing Yuan really retired?

She suppresses the turbulent waves in her heart and continues: "Then how was this general selected?"

Yan Qing's gaze flickers with a hint of confusion, perhaps wondering why the general is testing him on things everyone knows, but his good discipline keeps him from asking further, and he still answers earnestly: "The candidate list for the successor was jointly discussed by the Six Yu. The preliminary list had six people; after the Exhaustive Observation Formation simulation filtered it, three remained. Fu Xuan was the first candidate, but did not pass. General Yao Guang sent a recommendation letter from Yu Que, recommending you."

Qingque's eyebrows twitch.

"Yao Guang… General?"

"General Yao Guang, the war‑tactics general of Xianzhou's Yu Que, Fu Xuan's senior sister."

Yan Qing nods, "General Yao Guang said in the recommendation letter that she saw your destiny trajectory in the simulation and believes you are the most suitable candidate to succeed as Luofu General. After this recommendation was submitted, General Jing Yuan also concurred."

Qingque feels numb.

Yao Guang?

The Xianzhou General of Jade Gate?

"So… there are two generals backing me?"

"Yes."

Yan Qing counted on his fingers, "General Yao Guang's recommendation, General Jing Yuan's endorsement. The joint recommendation of the two Imperial Bow Heavenly Generals carries considerable weight in the Xianzhou Alliance's general succession procedure. The Six Imperial Ministers therefore re‑examined the list of candidates, and ultimately decided that you would represent Luofu in the Imperial Bow Trial."

Qingque inhaled deeply, and tapped the handrail with a finger.

The fingertip brushed the icy wood, producing a faint thud‑thud.

"What is the Imperial Bow Trial?"

"The Imperial Bow Trial is the final test to become a Xianzhou General. Candidates must face the divine oracle projection of the Imperial Bow Director of Destiny alone, undergoing the trial within the space of destiny. The trial's content varies from person to person; no two people's trials are the same. Some say the trial points directly at the deepest obsession in a candidate's heart, while others say it is the Imperial Bow Director of Destiny personally calibrating the candidate's destiny—but these are merely rumors."

Qingque's throat moved, and she swallowed a mouthful of non‑existent saliva.

She tried to keep her voice steady: "What about my trial? How did I pass it?"

Yan Qing was silent for two seconds.