Qiqi curiously tilted her little head, gazing at the elegant young woman before her.
Just a moment ago, she had been a kind old grandmother—how had she suddenly become a big sister?
"I'm glad you're alright, Immortal Lord," said Madame Ping—or rather, Ping'er—smiling as she looked at Qiu Bai.
"If you're safe, then the Lord of Geo must be as well."
"What could possibly happen to me? It's you who were worried for nothing," Qiu Bai replied with a gentle smile. He neither confirmed nor denied the supposed assassination attempt on Morax, instead speaking softly to Ping'er.
"By the way, regarding Morax and myself, please don't inform the other Adepti just yet. The time isn't right."
Ping'er nodded upon hearing this. Since the Immortal Lord did not wish to speak further, she did not press the matter.
"Rest assured, I won't tell anyone," she promised. Then, her gaze shifted to the small girl beside Qiu Bai.
"But bringing this little one along is quite interesting."
She crouched down, smiling kindly at Qiqi. "Tell big sister your name."
Still nervous, Qiqi clung tightly to Qiu Bai's pant leg.
"It's alright, Qiqi," Qiu Bai reassured her. "This big sister is an Adeptus too."
Only after hearing his confirmation did Qiqi hesitantly step out from behind him, staring up at the Adeptus with wide eyes.
"My name is Qiqi," she said.
True to her nature, True Lord Song and Waves was immediately charmed by the little girl's cuteness. She reached out and gently ruffled Qiqi's hair.
"That old granny look really didn't suit you," Qiu Bai teased from the side.
"There's nothing I can do about it—I really am old," Ping'er sighed. Adepti could change their appearance at will, but the age in their hearts remained unchanged.
"You don't look old to me," Qiu Bai remarked with a chuckle. He never understood why Madame Ping preferred her elderly appearance. If that were the case, then why hadn't Morax, who was over six thousand years old, taken on the form of an old man?
"Anyway, I brought Qiqi here so you can teach her how to use and control the Adeptus energy within her," Qiu Bai explained.
"And while you're at it, help her change into something more fitting. This outfit really doesn't suit her now."
Qiu Bai glanced at Qiqi, dressed in her familiar zombie-like attire. She hardly looked the part of an Adeptus.
"Leave it to me," Ping'er said. She took out a small teapot and turned to Qiqi with a smile.
"Qiqi, stretch out your hand and silently recite the incantation to enter."
"This teapot contains a world of its own, hidden from prying eyes. I will teach you inside," she explained, holding up the Dust Song Pot as it floated before Qiqi.
Qiqi looked up at Qiu Bai hesitantly.
Qiu Bai nodded. Trusting him, Qiqi extended her tiny hand toward the teapot and focused.
In an instant, a flash of light enveloped her, and she was pulled into the Dust Song Pot.
"Thank you, Ping'er," Qiu Bai said, smiling at the young woman in green.
The night breeze ruffled his robes. At this moment, Qiu Bai stood in the form of the Yin-Yang Immortal Lord, a sight that made Ping'er momentarily dazed.
"No wonder Cloud Retainer is so interested in him," she mused. "Now I understand."
"Well then, I'll begin instructing the little one," Ping'er said with a smile before transforming into a streak of light and entering the teapot herself.
The Dust Song Pot landed gently on a nearby table.
Seeing this, Qiu Bai nodded slightly before vanishing into a white streak of light...
...
Now, Qiu Bai was making his way toward Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
A distant streak of light shot into his body, prompting him to pause for a moment. He surveyed the bustling streets, filled with people and illuminated by glowing lanterns, then lifted his gaze toward the sky.
"With that, Qiqi's matter is settled," he thought before continuing forward.
...
At Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao sat in a chair, surrounded by her staff.
"Why isn't Qiu Bai back yet?!" she huffed, suddenly springing to her feet. "What if something happened to him?"
She began pacing anxiously, arms crossed.
"Master, in terms of universal reasoning, Qiu Bai will be fine," Zhongli remarked calmly from his seat. Given Qiu Bai's current strength, there was hardly anything in this world that could hold him back.
"And how would you know that?" Hu Tao retorted.
She slammed both hands onto Zhongli's desk, leaning in with wide plum-blossom eyes.
"What if? What if something did happen?" she pressed.
"What if he's in trouble?!"
"It took me ages to find a consultant who could save me so much trouble—I can't afford to lose him now!"
But fretting wouldn't change anything. With a sigh, Hu Tao deflated like a punctured balloon, slumping over the desk.
Zhongli, sensing something, glanced at her and chuckled softly.
"Relax, Master. Qiu Bai is already on his way back," he assured her.
Hu Tao shot him a sideways glance.
Hu Tao muttered under her breath, "Zhongli, you didn't even see anything—how do you know? Do you have 顺风耳?!" (Shun Feng Er, 'Ears of the Wind,' a figure from Chinese mythology)
"I'm back!"
At the sound of the door swinging open, Hu Tao immediately perked up, startled into standing upright.
Sure enough, the visitor was Qiu Bai.
She rushed over, her large plum-blossom eyes scanning Qiu Bai up and down for a long moment before turning to glance at Zhongli.
"No way… Does Zhongli actually have 顺风耳?" she wondered in disbelief.
Zhongli, meanwhile, turned his gaze toward Qiu Bai.
"You're back, old friend," he said with a faint smile.
Qiu Bai nodded in return.
"Qiu Bai, where have you been these past few days?" Hu Tao huffed. "You left without even telling us!"
Now that she was sure he was fine, she crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.
"Don't worry, Hall Master. Nothing will happen to me," Qiu Bai replied with a reassuring smile.
At this point, he could confidently say that aside from the enigmatic Heavenly Principles, nothing in this world could hold him back. Such was his confidence in his own strength.
"You rascal! Next time, at least let me know before you disappear," Hu Tao grumbled. "You made me worry for nothing. Oh, right! Where's the Mora? Where's the Mora?"
She widened her eyes, scrutinizing Qiu Bai's clothes, but saw no trace of the promised wealth.
Seeing her like this, Qiu Bai chuckled softly. With a flick of his wrist, a large chest materialized before her.
"Hall Master, I've been gathering herbs and selling them for money these past few days," he explained.
"There are two million Mora in this box."
Hu Tao's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"No way, two million Mora?! That's insane!"
"How much medicine did you even sell to earn this much?" she exclaimed.
"If you can make two million in just two days, I guess I don't have to worry anymore…"
Her lips twitched as she imagined the sheer amount of herbs Qiu Bai must have harvested to amass such a fortune.
"Well, Qiu Bai has put my mind at ease. But Zhongli…"
Hu Tao shot a sideways glance at Zhongli, who immediately noticed and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"It's getting late, Hall Master. You should rest," Zhongli said steadily.
"Hmph! I was already exhausted from waiting for Qiu Bai," Hu Tao yawned, stretching her arms.
"I'm going to get a good night's sleep. Zhongli, make sure everything's ready for the Rite of Parting tomorrow."
"You two should rest as well."
With another yawn, she made her way up to the attic.
Once Hu Tao was gone, Qiu Bai took a seat across from Zhongli.
"Morax, I saw Xiao today," Qiu Bai said casually, sipping his tea.
"He doesn't know who I am. I knocked him out and cleansed a small portion of his karmic burden."
"That should ease his suffering for now. Once everything is settled, I'll help him purge it completely."
Qiu Bai knew that even if Xiao's karmic debt was temporarily lightened, his constant battles against monsters tainted by the remnants of fallen gods would inevitably expose him to corruption again.
But even so, any relief—no matter how small—was worth offering.