By now, Bai Li Qing had a clear understanding of how disarmingly persuasive Yu Sheng’s “try and see” philosophy could be. The usually composed and rational director found herself accepting his barely-a-plan plan after only a few seconds of thought—because, frankly, there wasn’t a better alternative.
“I hope things go according to your ‘plan,’” Bai Li Qing said as she adjusted her posture in her chair, relaxing slightly. Her eyes were fixed on Yu Sheng. “Even if it doesn’t completely resolve the issue with the ‘Fairy Tale,’ I’d settle for it becoming stable and manageable, like most of the subsets here in Boundary City. The Fairy Tale has caused far too much damage already.”
Then, her gaze shifted to Foxy, who had been sitting quietly nearby.
“For now, let’s leave the Fairy Tale aside,” Bai Li Qing continued. “There’s sothing else I’d like to discuss—about her.”
Yu Sheng’s expression turned serious. He imdiately thought of the fox hair samples he’d handed over to Song Cheng for analysis. “What did you find? Did you locate her holand?”
The fox demon girl’s ears perked up at once, and she instinctively leaned forward, eager for the answer.
“No, we didn’t,” Bai Li Qing said, shaking her head with uncharacteristic bluntness. “Despite searching through nearly all known races and factions with ties to Boundary City, we found no match for her description of her holand. Even our biological sample analysis yielded nothing. I’m sorry, but that’s the bad news I have to deliver.”
The room fell into a heavy silence. Yu Sheng frowned, turning to Foxy. Her ears drooped visibly.
Though Foxy often claid she barely rembered her holand and wasn’t too concerned about returning, the news still left her visibly dejected.
Yu Sheng reached out and placed his hand over hers. Foxy flipped her palm up, clasping his fingers tightly with both hands.
“I’m guessing that’s not all you wanted to tell us,” Yu Sheng said, letting Foxy hold his hand as he turned back to Bai Li Qing. “What else is there?”
“There are… questions,” Bai Li Qing said, her tone calm. “Foxy, can you describe your holand in more detail? Specifically, the nas you used for the land under your feet, the celestial objects in the sky, and any associated myths or stories.”
“She might not rember much,” Yu Sheng cautioned. “She was just a kid when everything happened. She hadn’t even finished primary school, and there was that long period where she was pretty out of it.”
“I understand,” Bai Li Qing replied with a small nod. “But anything she can recall, no matter how small, might help.”
Foxy hesitated, glancing at Yu Sheng. When he nodded encouragingly, she took a mont to gather her thoughts before beginning.
Her description was a mix of familiar elents and new details—so of which she might have only recently rembered. Many of the things she ntioned were already known to Yu Sheng and had been relayed to the Special Affairs Bureau through Lin Qi and Xu Jiali. Even so, Bai Li Qing listened intently, trying to extract additional nuances or specific markers.
“We called our planet Hengyu,” Foxy began earnestly. “Before the Interstellar Era, it was also called the ‘Thirteen Continents of Yuheng,’ or just ‘Thirteen Continents,’ because there were thirteen main landmasses. Two of those continents drifted into the sky during an ancient event called the ‘Heaven and Earth Cataclysm.’ They floated above the equator.”
She paused, glancing between Yu Sheng and Bai Li Qing before continuing.
“There were these creatures called Nightmare Demons that lived on the floating continents. The textbooks said they were ancient species flung into the sky during the Cataclysm, and they mutated over generations into monsters that attacked people.”
“The immortals told us that the Nightmare Demons often ca down to harm people. So cultivators fought them and beca famous—they were written about in history books.” ????????B??s
Foxy’s words picked up pace as she delved deeper into her mories. “When the Interstellar Era began, the floating continents were turned into launch bases for celestial shuttles. Most of the Nightmare Demons were wiped out, and the few that survived beca endangered species. The immortals locked them away in places like the Demon Lock Palace and the Demon Suppression Palace, which are in geosynchronous orbit around Hengyu. You can visit them if you buy a ticket.”
As she spoke, Foxy’s tone grew more animated. “When the Celestial Beings arrived, they built sothing called the Navigational Beacons near Hengyu. We went on a field trip to see them once. They’re these huge glowing orbs surrounded by structures even bigger than the Demon Suppression Palace.”
“The immortals said the beacons help Hengyu stay aligned with the Celestial Beings’ Star River. Without the beacons, Hengyu would drift out of the Star River’s path and get lost in the vacuum of space.”
“The Navigational Beacons are the brightest things near us, aside from the sun—oh, and the sun was sothing the Celestial Beings helped tow into place…”
Foxy’s words tumbled out in a stream of vivid imagery, her narrative becoming increasingly fragnted and surreal. So of what she described sounded so fantastical that Yu Sheng had to strain his imagination to follow it.
Irene, on the other hand, gave up halfway through. “Is she even speaking a real language?” she muttered, poking Yu Sheng in the arm.
“Just pretend you understand,” Yu Sheng replied, brushing off the doll’s hand. “You’re breaking my concentration.”
Foxy finally fell silent, having recounted everything she could recall. Bai Li Qing blinked, as if shaken from deep thought. The typically stoic director took a mont before speaking.
“You said your howorld, Hengyu, has to follow the Star River,” Bai Li Qing repeated slowly. “And if it falls behind, it would drift into the vacuum of space. Am I understanding this correctly? Your planet is… in so kind of navigational state?”
Foxy nodded matter-of-factly. “Yes.”
“And your sun is part of this… controlled navigation, rather than its natural orbit?”
“Yes.”
For a few monts, Bai Li Qing simply stared at the table, her expression uncharacteristically blank. It was a rare sight—a ntal reset for the director.
After a long pause, she finally looked up. “Do you rember the events surrounding your arrival in the Night Valley? What happened when your celestial shuttle crashed? What did you see or hear?”
She hesitated, then added gently, “I know it might be difficult for you to recall, but this information is important.”
Foxy tilted her head, considering. “It’s not so bad anymore. It’s been a long ti,” she said softly. “I was young, and the adults were protecting , so I didn’t understand much. I do rember soone shouting that we’d hit a fissure. Then the celestial shuttle started spinning, alarms blaring…”
She paused again, then added, “Later, I overheard adults saying sothing about ‘entering a danger zone’ and ‘ignoring recent travel warnings.’ It sounded like the shuttle’s navigation system malfunctioned and led us into a dangerous area. Then it collided with so kind of rift…”
“That’s all I rember,” Foxy finished, scratching her head. “Sorry.”
Bai Li Qing appeared deep in thought again.
Yu Sheng and Irene exchanged glances, both silently observing the director’s reaction. Yu Sheng suspected Bai Li Qing had ford a theory—her questions seed unusually specific.
Finally, Bai Li Qing broke the silence. “The celestial shuttle you ntioned… is it still in the Night Valley?”
“Yes,” Foxy replied. “It’s stuck halfway up the mountain, buried in dirt and rocks. When my benefactor helped clear the area, the whole mountain shifted. The wreck’s probably buried even deeper now, but it’s tough—it won’t break.”
“The main structure is intact,” Yu Sheng confird. “I’ve seen it from a distance, but the terrain there is tricky. The Hunger’s collapse caused severe landslides, and I haven’t had ti to excavate it for closer study.”
Bai Li Qing’s expression beca serious. “Do you rember
ntioning that the Special Affairs Bureau would like to investigate the Night Valley? I’m officially renewing that request. We’d also like to examine the celestial shuttle.”
Yu Sheng remained quiet, weighing her words. Bai Li Qing continued, “I understand the valley is under your control. In a way, it’s your ‘territory.’ We’re willing to offer a fair exchange—na your terms, as long as they’re reasonable.”
Yu Sheng thought carefully.
He glanced at Foxy, sitting quietly beside him. Then at Bai Li Qing, whose calm deanor held a hint of anticipation. Lastly, at Irene, who seed completely zoned out—well, she didn’t count.
With a sigh, he said, “I do have so requests. Actually, do you have anyone in the Bureau who knows anything about farming or livestock?”
Bai Li Qing blinked. “…What?”
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