Divination Chamber, The Xianzhou Luofu
Fu Xuan stood with her eyes closed, the third eye on her forehead glowing faintly. In the darkness of the divination array, a dim speck of light slowly brightened into a pale blue hue—a fledgling bird spreading its wings toward freedom. Yet unlike Firefly's radiant marker, this one remained veiled, its conditions unmet.
Not yet time.
The Luofu's Master Diviner gazed skyward, resolve hardening in her eyes. The indecisive Fu Xuan of the past was gone. Now, she would claw through hell itself for Anming's sake, even if it meant burning her reputation to ashes. Let the masses scorn her—what use was their approval if Anming stood by her side?
As she exited the chamber, she found Huohuo snoozing outside, fox ears twitching as she hugged a stack of scrolls.
"Huohuo."
The young Foxian jolted awake, scrambling to attention. "M-Master Fu! Are we… skipping work at the Ten-Lords Commission again?"
Fu Xuan patted her head. "A future judge need not fret over trivial absences. Consider this… strategic training."
"But… but rules—"
"Rules?" Fu Xuan's smile turned sly. "Did the legendary Qingque, future Sword Champion of the Luofu, care for rules? This is called flexibility."
Huohuo's tail wagged. "So… no绥园 today? Just… learning from you?"
"Precisely. Now, let's fetch some xingyu bobo."
Huohuo's eyes sparkled. Master Fu is the best!
Aboard the Astral Express
Qingque flopped dramatically against a window, mourning her vaporized star skiff. "Why do skiffs fly? To taste freedom… only to explode tragically!"
Anming placed a hand over his heart. "For skiffs, we offer our hearts!"
March 7th facepalmed. "You two are insufferable. Just ask Anming to buy you a new one!"
Qingque perked up instantly. "Custom skiff? With auto-mahjong tables?"
"Full Diyuan Qiongyu edition," Anming vowed.
Qingque clasped his hands. "Bless you, Master-in-Law! I'll handle Fu Xuan's nagging—just keep the skiffs coming!"
Nearby, Stelle flexed a pillow. "Ready for my Dragon Uppercut technique? Even Nanook's gonna catch these hands."
As the Express hummed to life, Anming glanced back at Jarilo-VI's receding snowfields. Soon, grass would reclaim that frostbitten soil—a future not of certainty, but hope.
Post-Credits Scene
In a dimly lit office, Fu Xuan unrolled a scroll detailing Anming's imminent arrival. Her lips curled.
Soon, my love. This chessboard awaits its queen.