Chapter 2404: Chapter 2399: The Prophet Is Dead (10)
This is exactly why the sport of fishing is so irresistibly charming.
Even if the fish jumps on the hook of its own free will, it still manages to surprise you.
Having Crystal show up instead of Akasha is indeed a pretty "abstract" sort of catch.
After all, from previous encounters it was clear that not only are their personalities completely different, their relationship is actually very contentious.
But looking on the bright side, first, sheâs more suitable for the first camp, and second, she still counts as an acquaintance.
Also, while savoring this unexpected joy, itâs actually not hard for Fu Qian to understand the possible reasons behind it.
"Youâre looking for Akasha?"
Faced with that gaze from the pupil-less eyes, Fu Qian, who had just finished his welcome, leaned in mysteriously and asked.
Yes, he was the one questioning her.
The Crystal Demigodâs temper is a bit like a bratâs; if you talk nicely the information yield is actually lower, so better to blow up the topic a little.
Besides, he wasnât just talking nonsense. In Fu Qianâs judgment, this was really within the realm of possibility.
Itâs not just that the two of them are entangled in grudges; donât forget the commotion just now.
Sheâs obviously a Demigod who specializes in chilling things, so why all the threads and webs, staying hidden the whole time and pushing all the noise onto Akasha?
Is she smearing her on purpose because of their grudge?
At first glance that sounds plausible, but think about it and youâll know itâs almost impossible given Crystalâs personality.
If she wasnât trying to smear her, then since sheâs already here, whatâs the point of doing all this?
And why, when she used to be Akashaâs Blood Slave, is she the one who rushed over so promptly while the actual boss is nowhere to be seenânowhere to be seen at all.
Yes, thatâs one possibility Fu Qian had thought of.
Given how awkward things are between the two of them, for Crystal to pull a maneuver like this, that should count as a reasonable motive.
With the coming of a new era, itâs not surprising that some high-level Transcendents run into trouble.
And the Prophetâs death means that some kind of community has already fractured.
Put those together, and itâs obvious that Crystal, who clearly wants to save her friend possessed by the Spider Queen, is bound to be highly focused on Akasha.
Under those circumstances, with Akasha-related disturbances suddenly popping up here, itâs not strange at all that she rushed over.
And once she arrived, not knowing what exactly she was looking at, instead of jumping out and confronting people directly, testing the waters by playing the Spider Queen for a bit was a perfectly reasonable reaction.
Itâs just a pity that the Grand Fate Ming Emperorâs response was even worse: he simply turned around and was ready to bail.
...
"Youâre also looking for Akasha... or for me?"
As expected, Fu Qianâs question triggered a high level of vigilance.
Even though there seemed to be only one Ice Crystal sunk in those sockets, he could still feel the Crystal Demigodâs gaze flicker.
Not only did she not deny Fu Qianâs question, she even seemed to spin off into extra associations.
"Heh... itâs all the same."
When it comes to playing mysterious, Fu Qian is without a doubt at the peak of the art; at that moment he just let out a low chuckle in his throat.
"How about we let her go put some clothes on first?"
Then he even tilted his chin toward Catherine.
"...Youâre not worried sheâll run?"
Truly a relatively straightforward player; if it were Akasha, she would very likely say the current visual effect was better.
"Not worried. She knows this place pretty well; she might even bring us back something to eat."
Fu Qian didnât hesitate for even a second, fully embodying the realm of trusting the people you use, and successfully triggered a brief silence.
Whooshâ
What broke the silence was a rough breath. Crystal herself didnât move, but the next moment Catherine beside them suddenly dropped like someone cut her wire, almost falling to the floor.
Judging from her expression, she had still been aware of the exchange happening beside her.
Once her breathing quickly smoothed out, her gaze couldnât help but flick back and forth twice between Fu Qian and Crystalâs faces. In the end Catherine still kept quiet and walked off to the side with her head down.
"What do you want Akasha for?"
At this point Crystal finally spoke, and, as expected, her first step was to confirm Fu Qianâs motives.
Her tone was clearly very guardedâunderstandable, given how special the timing was.
"Honestly, nothing much. Just wanted to catch up with an old friend."
Fortunately, Fu Qian has always been good at breaking the ice, and he immediately offered a soothing line with a smile.
As he spoke he casually took off his mask, letting her see that smile.
...
Huh?
In that instant, the layers of shock in the Crystal Demigodâs eyes were very rich.
First, it was clear that the legend of Andiel hadnât vanished with the end of the last mission; she did in fact recognize this face.
Second, it was obvious that ever since his appearance, getting this mysterious man to take off his mask and confirm his identity had always been something she wanted to do, and now it had happened ridiculously easily.
And Fu Qianâs whole plan of revealing his true face for contrast was very effectiveâshe didnât seem to doubt its authenticity.
"Andiel?"
Most touching of all, Crystal even remembered the name, and as she said it her eyes kept roaming around the room, clearly recalling the meeting that had once taken place here.
Though calling it catching up with an old friend hadnât relaxed her at all; if anything, she looked even more on guard.
Which is perfectly understandable; last time he showed up nothing good happened, and this time is even more turbulent than before.
"Heh... Iâm flattered you remember an old man like me. Lady Crystal, itâs been a long time."
By contrast, Fu Qian was the picture of hearty good cheer, straightforwardly admitting it.
"It really is you? Are you actually one of the outsiders or not?"
Turns out Crystal not only remembered, she remembered very clearly.
She had no intention of making small talk and went straight for a deep question.
She didnât bother to hide her hostility either; in that moment even her hair was faintly lifting, the chill biting.
...
Everyone really has been troubled by this for a long time.
Being fixed in that faceâs unblinking stare, he had to admit the sensation was a bit special; it made one very naturally imagine scenes like having a chunk of thigh torn off.
As for Crystalâs reaction, Fu Qian didnât feel offended.
Back during that last mission, he had accepted Yuan Fangâs invitation to "pretend" to be an outsider, in order to help stabilize the emotions of the local Transcendents and prevent the wheel of the new era from rolling in too violently.
But when heâd been eating here last time, Akasha and Crystal, acting as host and co-host, had already been completely baffled by his performance, half doubting and half believing his true identity.
They couldnât even decide whether he had actually merged memories with the Clown or not.
Now he suddenly reappeared in such a turbulent time, with an entirely new look to boot, so of course it would set off all kinds of wild speculation.
Not to mention he was here "looking for someone," just like she was.
"Of course I am. This place does feel pretty nice, but unfortunately I donât have the blessing to stay here all the time."
In the end Fu Qianâs answer was very honest. With a long sigh he looked around, like heâd finally scraped together a short vacation to come visit.
"And this is all I managed to find..."
That very gesture even triggered a new development: Catherine, who had left and come back, was now dressed, and was really walking over holding a tray.
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