Chapter 786: Comfort

His gaze fell on Huo Huo, the petite Fox People girl who always speaks timidly; the Ten Kings Office made her an agent?

He tried to affix the title "Ten Kings Office head" to the trembling little Fox People before him, and the picture in his mind was a pitiful creature buried under paperwork with only two ears sticking out.

Then he thought of Fu Xuan.

A respectable person. Reliable.

At least far more reliable than Jing Yuan's style of secretly letting a disciple grope his thigh under the table during meetings.

Dan Heng had just let the thought into his mind when his mouth twitched again; how did it come back again?

The current leadership of Luofu: Acting General Fu Xuan, Su Shang—who appeared from nowhere—taking Yan Qing's position, Qingque, a card‑playing slacker, overseeing Tai Bu Si, a young dragon girl heading the Dan Ding Office, and an Apprentice Judge trembling on the dock about to take charge of the Ten Kings Office.

Dan Heng raised his hand to cover his forehead, feeling the optimism he had when first arriving at Luofu—"though the situation was tense, it should still be controllable"—being pressed and rubbed away inch by inch.

Luofu's future—he really didn't dare to think further.

Sai Fei Er's peripheral vision caught Dan Heng's hand over his forehead; her cat ears twitched happily twice, and her Tail swished behind her in a smooth S‑curve.

She stretched lazily, raised her arms over her head, arched her waist slightly backward, the tight suit outlining a supple curve, and her golden long boots tapped the ground.

Then she crossed her hands behind her head and kept walking forward, her steps light as if she'd just unwrapped a small dried fish.

Dan Heng followed behind, his steps noticeably heavier than before by more than one level.

The sound of his boot soles on the dock's stone slabs went from crisp to sluggish, each step feeling like it was crushing his shattered worldview.

His gaze landed on Sai Fei Er's swaying cat Tail ahead, but his mind was filled with the muffled hum of Jing Yuan's half‑cut recording earlier.

He tried to shift his attention elsewhere.

The dock's wind, the distant sound of the Star Chariot, the rhythm of Huo Huo's short legs on the stone slabs—anything works, as long as it can push that image out of his mind!

The wind blew in, carrying the dock's distinctive oil smell.

In the distance a Star Chariot was landing, its engine's low hum like a huge bee buzzing far away.

A few wooden crates were stacked by the pier, and a gray‑white mechanical bird perched on a crate corner, cocking its head at the three passing people.

Dan Heng saw all these details, but it was as if a layer separated him; every external piece of information that entered his brain was automatically filtered, except every word that sprang from Sai Fei Er's mouth could precisely bypass the Firewall and strike the core of his thoughts.

That's terrifying.

Dan Heng mentally labeled the cat‑ear girl: dangerous element.

Not because of her combat ability—though that move just now was indeed astonishingly fast—but because of her mouth.

That mouth can make a mentally normal adult start doubting the accuracy of his own Memory, and can shake a Cognition that has been upheld for centuries from its very foundation.

That's scarier than any sword or spear technique.

Sai Fei Er walked ahead, then suddenly stopped.

Dan Heng almost collided with her Tail, but braked in time.

Sai Fei Er turned, hands clasped behind her, tilted her head back and looked at him.

In her gem‑blue eyes reflected the dock's dim yellow light, and the curve of her upturned mouth hid a sly anticipation.

"Dan little bro,"

She spoke, her voice sweet as if wrapped in honey, "Are you worrying about Luofu's future?"

Dan Heng was stunned for a moment.

He instinctively wanted to shake his head, but Sai Fei Er's eyes stared straight at him, and the feeling of being seen through made his neck stiff.

Sai Fei Er reached out and patted his shoulder twice.

Her hand wasn't large, but the force of the pat was solid, like a cat pressing its paw on you.

"Cheer up. Isn't this also pretty good?"

Sai Fei Er's cat ears tilted to one side, "According to what I know, although those now in charge are all the younger generation and may lack experience, if you look at it from another angle, this is Luofu's future core strength. Taking a few losses and stepping into pitfalls now will make us seasoned later, right? You can't expect those old guys to stay in their positions forever, can you?"

Dan Heng turned his head to look at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The words themselves weren't problematic; indeed, each generation has newcomers rising—that's normal turnover.

But hearing it from Sai Fei Er always made him feel there was a hidden pit behind it.

Sai Fei Er seemed to read his thoughts, stepped back, spread her hands, making an innocent "you're accusing me" expression: "I'm being serious! Look at Qingque, usually slacking off but has risen to the Diviner position in Tai Bu Si; he can't have zero skill, right? And Bai Lu, the medicine‑dragon girl—her title is just a name? When she flicks her dragon tail, the medicine cures the illness. I haven't seen Su Shang, but to replace Yan Qing's role, her swordsmanship must be solid. As for Huo Huo—"

She pointed at Huo Huo, who was still looking down and wiping her eyes (though not a single tear came out), and said, "Look at that serious gaze, that responsible attitude! The Ten Kings Office trusts her; why should us outsiders worry?"

Huo Huo's ears reddened from the praise, she lowered her head and squeezed out a tiny "Sai Fei Er sister…" from her throat.

Dan Heng was silent for a few seconds.

Then he sighed, mixing together all the Absurd, helplessness, and worries about Luofu's future that had piled up since earlier, and spat them out.

He had to admit that Sai Fei Er's words did make sense.

Although the cat's way of speaking made one want to roll one's eyes, setting aside the odd rhetoric and exaggerated expressions, there was nothing fundamentally wrong with what she said.

These people may be young, but being promoted in their respective fields implies they have the corresponding strength and experience.

He's just been away too long, that's all.

These youngsters now appear inexperienced and unreliable, causing worry, but who didn't come from inexperience?

He comforted himself in his mind:

Fu Xuan is a respectable person, reliable.

Bai Lu's medical skill is fine.

He doesn't know Su Shang or Qingque, but since they could rise, it shows they have ability.

Huo Huo—well, Huo Huo at least looks quite obedient.

Dan Heng felt his mindset was crawling back in a slow and arduous way.

Although not yet fully back to the original height, he had at least risen from the valley floor to mid‑mountain.

Sai Fei Er watched his expression shift from gloomy to overcast, her eyes narrowed into two crescents.

She clapped her hands, Snap! a crisp sound rang across the dock: "Alright! Since Dan little bro has calmed down, let's change the subject!"

Dan Heng's expression, upon hearing the words "change the subject", caused his scalp to suddenly tighten, as if an invisible claw were gripping his throat.

He hadn't had time to open his mouth to stop it, when Sai Fei Er's mouth was already in motion.

Once this machine is powered on, it cannot be stopped without external interference.

"Actually,"