Time returns to the present.
Black Herta set down her cup and looked at Tribbie: "Cipher has gone to experience her new life. So, Tiresias, what about you?"
Her gaze held a hint of inquiry within its calm, "You have gained freedom; you don't need to stay here forever. You can go out and see the Xianzhou, or other worlds."
Hearing this, Tribbie paused slightly, then a gentle yet somewhat playful smile spread across her face.
She set down her teacup, clasped her hands on her lap, tilted her head slightly, and countered in a tone that was mildly spoiled, "What, does 'Mom' not want me to stay by your side?"
Black Herta: "..."
Tribbie watched Black Herta's briefly frozen expression, the amusement deepening in her eyes. She even pursed her lips deliberately, putting on a slightly wronged look.
The corner of Black Herta's mouth twitched visibly this time.
Looking at the girl before her—who possessed a serene demeanor yet suddenly used such a form of address and expression to 'tease' her—Black Herta felt helpless.
(When did... Tribbie become like this too? Could it be... she was also influenced by Cipher?)
Of course, she didn't say this out loud.
Finally, Black Herta just sighed, her tone returning to its usual flatness, but imbued with a hint of indulgence she hadn't even noticed herself: "Suit yourself. But you should find something to do. Staying in the carriage all the time will get boring."
She raised her hand and made a gesture in the air, and a light screen appeared. Many images and pieces of information began to flow across it—the basic chronicles, important events, and key character overviews of another world, the "Honkai" world, filtered and organized by the System.
"How about,"
Black Herta looked at Tribbie, "I accompany you to look at stories from other worlds? For instance, a world completely different from ours, yet also full of struggle and sacrifice."
Tribbie's eyes brightened slightly. She dropped her joking expression and nodded seriously.
She shifted her position, sitting closer to Black Herta, and fixed her gaze on the light screen.
"Sounds good."
She replied softly, "I look forward to it, Mom."
Black Herta was silent again for a moment, deciding to ignore the form of address for now.
The morning mist had not completely dispersed, and the long street was somewhat deserted.
Jingliu, clad in simple white robes and blindfolded with black silk, held her ever-present Erhu. As usual, she quietly appeared beneath the eaves at the street corner where Baiheng typically set up her stall.
The visibility here was decent, allowing her to observe the movement of the stall without drawing too much attention.
She expertly positioned the Erhu, adjusted the tension of the non-existent strings, and then drew the bow.
The mournful, lingering music flowed out once more, jarring with the gradually awakening market, yet strangely blending into the background.
Her gaze didn't seem focused on the instrument; instead, it pierced through the sparse morning mist toward the spot where the stall cart should have been set up, displaying various novel trinkets.
A quarter of an hour passed.
Half an hour passed.
Usually by this time, the Foxian vendor "Bai Xing," who always wore round Sunglasses, would have already opened for business, even greeting the first batch of regular customers warmly.
Today, however, that spot was completely empty.
Only marks on the ground, dampened by dew, proved that a stall cart was frequently set up there.
Jingliu's playing ceased abruptly after the final, drawn-out trailing note.
She silently put away the Erhu, her movements still steady, but the already desolate aura around her seemed to solidify even further.
The expression beneath the black silk blindfold was indiscernible, revealed only by the meaning conveyed through her tightly pressed lips.
(Is it a coincidence? Is she avoiding me? Or... did something happen?)
She didn't linger. Picking up the Erhu, she turned and merged into the growing crowd, heading not toward her temporary residence, but toward the area where Baiheng's small courtyard was located.
Before long, that unassuming courtyard came into view.
The courtyard wall wasn't high, but it was planted with some flourishing Spiritual Flora, whose branches and leaves were lush.
Jingliu did not rashly approach the main gate.
Like a true phantom, she used the cover of the morning mist and the alleyways to slowly move around the exterior of the courtyard, her gaze like a cold probe, attempting to glimpse the situation inside from different angles.
However, she soon noticed something unusual.
The architectural layout of this small courtyard and the surrounding plant life appeared casual and natural, yet several key vantage points were cleverly blocked by the visual blind spots created by the corners of the courtyard walls, the angles of the eaves, or dense tree crowns.
No matter which preset position she looked from, her line of sight was always perfectly obstructed, allowing her to see only a small, irrelevant patch of ground or wall inside the courtyard.
Jingliu stopped in the shadow of a narrow alley, facing the courtyard.
(Before... I actually didn't notice this detail.)
She recalled that her last stay was at night, and her attention was focused more on "Bai Xing."
Observing specifically in the daylight now, she realized that this small courtyard, though seemingly ordinary, held a carefully designed sense of concealment.
Was this intentional, either by "Baiheng" or the person behind her?
Since she couldn't see, she would knock directly.
Jingliu stopped concealing herself, stepped out of the shadows, and walked with steady steps toward the tightly closed courtyard gate.
Beneath the black blindfold, her expression was inscrutable.
She wanted to see why she was absent today.
Inside the small courtyard.
The atmosphere was completely different from the outside, one could even say it was a bit... lively.
Baiheng sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, letting out a long sigh, finally able to rest.
Beside her, System was comfortably holding a cup of hot tea, sipping slowly, as if the turmoil before her had nothing to do with her, purely enjoying the rare morning tranquility.
Cipher, sitting across from Baiheng, had just finished the last bite of a Bun contentedly. She picked up the tea Baiheng had poured for her, gulped it down noisily, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand without any pretense, and clapped.
"Alright! I've pretty much memorized all those 'Precautions,' 'Xianzhou Basic Laws,' and 'Low-Profile Conduct Guidelines' you mentioned!"
Cipher stretched widely, her Cat Eyes sparkling with eagerness, "Don't worry, I know how important this is. I won't cause big trouble for you and Mu Zi!"
Baiheng looked at her carefree demeanor, like the whole world was hers to roam, and couldn't help but rub her faintly aching forehead.
The happiness was real—the joy of seeing another Chrysos Heir break free from their constraints and appear alive before her was indescribable.
But the headache was also real.
Cipher's flighty personality and her novel attitude towards this world made her practically a walking bomb of uncertainty.
This wasn't the Master sending her a helper; this was clearly dumping a major problem that required constant vigilance!
"Sigh..."
Baiheng sighed helplessly, "It's good that you know. The Xianzhou is not like other places; there are many rules and many capable people, especially in places like the Ten Kings Court and the Divination Commission..."
"Relax, relax~"
Cipher waved her hand, cutting off her worries. Then, changing the subject, she looked at Baiheng with bright blue eyes, "Oh right, is there anything you need help with? I can't just eat and stay here for free, can I? That would be embarrassing!"
She spoke with righteous confidence, as if she wasn't the one who had just devoured two people's worth of breakfast like a whirlwind.
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