I cosplayed as the battle-damaged Azure Sparrow and got caught by the Immortal Boat!

Chapter 19 The Sky Has Collapsed

The atmosphere at the reimbursement office of the Tabuan was as heavy as if it were frozen.

Holding the burning expense report, Huixing's fingers trembled and her voice wavered: "Tai... Taibu-sama... are you sure?"

This bill... was fraudulently obtained through iris and fingerprint verification!

She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound more firm: "Ten million, five hundred and eighty-six thousand patrols!"

"This...this much money, we really won't pursue the person who stole it, and we even...we'll reimburse her?!"

Fu Xuan sat upright behind the desk, calmly sipping his tea. "Hmm."

Oh no, the Taliban's sky has fallen.

"But...but..." Huixing was about to cry, "What if the higher-ups find out?"

The people in the Audit Department are not to be trifled with! Your Excellency, I really cannot stamp this document!

Besides, I usually do calculation work, and I only started doing accounting part-time recently because of a staff vacancy. You can't...”

"Huixing," Fu Xuan put down his teacup, his tone tinged with helplessness, "What are you thinking?"

The reimbursement process is legitimate, and the purpose is clear. What's there to be afraid of?

She stood up, walked to Huixing, picked up the form, and signed her name in a flamboyant manner.

Then—in Huixing's despairing gaze—he picked up the official seal belonging to Huixing on the table.

"My Lord, that's my seal—!"

"Thump."

The bright red seal fell steadily, like a verdict.

As Huixing stared at the seal, her vision went black, as if she could already see her future:

Bound hand and foot, he was led to the dock with a sign hanging above his head that read "Accomplice to Corruption," while his colleagues from the Bureau of Apostles pointed and whispered among themselves...

Oh no, my world has collapsed!

"My career... is over..." she murmured, her legs going weak.

Fu Xuan shook his head as he looked at her, then put the expense report away: "This matter is settled, you can go back to your work."

Huixing didn't know how she drifted out of the reimbursement office. She only remembered the complicated looks from her colleagues—a mix of sympathy, curiosity, and schadenfreude.

Soon, rumors began to spread at an alarming rate in the tea room of the Tabuan.

"Have you heard? Qingque has racked up a huge gambling debt, over ten million!"

"Really? Where did she, a mere librarian, get the nerve?"

"Absolutely true! It's all over the reimbursement office; it was the Grand Diviner who personally signed and stamped the receipts to settle her account!"

"Hiss—no wonder! Have you noticed that Qingque hasn't been playing cards lately? She's been spending all her time with the Grand Diviner. That newly created position of 'Grand Diviner's Personal Assistant' is practically tailor-made for her!"

"So that's how it is! No wonder he was suddenly promoted... It's like he sold himself into servitude to pay off a debt!"

"That's not all! Just a few days ago, someone saw the Grand Diviner being carried in a princess carry by Qingque! The Grand Diviner blushed at the time!"

"My goodness... so the Diviner has a taste for this?"

"Shh—keep your voice down! But seriously, don't you guys think...it's actually pretty cool?"

"..."

The rumors grew increasingly outrageous, and by the time they reached Qingque's ears, they had become the absurd story that "Tao Bu Fu Xuan spent millions for love, kept Qingque as a mistress, and forced her to work to pay off her debts."

Qingque, who had finally managed to sneak out to play cards, held the Imperial Jade Token in his hand and listened to his card-playing friends' "whispers," his forehead veins throbbing.

"What do you mean by selling myself to pay off debts... It's clearly me being dragged around by the Grand Diviner every day to process official documents, I'm even dreaming about approving files!"

She growled in grief and indignation, but her voice was drowned out by the knowing glances of her fellow card players.

"The only one who would stick a sticker on the Taibu Association is Qingyuan!"

A few days later, on her day off, Huixing, her heart pounding with anxiety, arrived at the Shence Mansion with unsteady steps.

She wrote another letter of complaint last night—this is the seventh one.

As a loyal junior diviner of the Taibu Si, she simply could not stand idly by and watch this “blatant cover-up of massive credit card fraud”!

As soon as she stepped into the front hall, she heard the voice of the diviner coming from inside.

"So, you're the one who wants to expose me?"

Fu Xuan's voice was calm and even, yet it sent a shiver down Hui Xing's spine.

She looked up and saw three people sitting in the hall: General Jingyuan had a smile on his face as he watched a show.

Fu Xuan Taibu remained calm, with a semi-transparent blue kite projection floating beside him—resting its chin on its hand, looking over with bright eyes, its face full of "this is going to be interesting" expression.

Jing Yuan smiled and asked, "What is your opinion on this matter, Minister Fu?"

"I'm very busy. You came all this way just for something so trivial?"

Huixing stared blankly at the general in front of her, the unperturbed Taibu, and Qingque beside him.

Before Huixing could recover from her shock, Jingyuan continued, "No, I think it's worth it for ten million patrol coins to make her happy."

Ten million patrol arrows...and that's all?!

Huixing felt her worldview crumbling. Had the Immortal Boat Alliance, from top to bottom, really become this corrupt?!

The general personally intervened to settle the score for the diviner's "little lover"?!

The Immortal Boat Alliance's sky has fallen!

"This young lady, Huixing," Jingyuan's voice pulled her back to reality. His smile was warm, but his eyes were meaningful. "Seven consecutive letters of complaint, each word written with blood and tears, she has persisted to this day."

"Fu Qing, why don't you... explain it to her in detail?"

No! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to know the shady details of those high-level deals! The more I know, the faster I'll die!

Huixing screamed wildly in her heart.

"General, you are wise!"

She blurted out, her voice trembling, "Your subordinate... Your subordinate suddenly feels that there must be more to this than meets the eye! It was due to my inadequate investigation, I shall take my leave now—"

"I think," Fu Xuan slowly stood up and walked towards her, his divine eyes calmly shimmering, "that her spirit of not fearing power and persevering is quite worthy of cultivation."

Cultivation?! Is this the prelude to silencing me?! Are they going to "cultivate" me in some desolate star system to mine minerals?!

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, each step feeling like stepping on the heart of the star.

The death knell! This is the death knell that tolls for me!

Fu Xuan stopped three feet in front of her, before he could speak—

"Thump!"

Huixing knelt down straight and began to kowtow frantically, the sound of her forehead hitting the ground clear and loud: "Grand Diviner, I was wrong!"

I was so wrong! I didn't know anything! That expense report was stamped by me while I was sleepwalking!

Qingque and I are completely innocent! Those rumors were all made up by me! Please spare my life!

I have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise—oh no, I'm not married yet—but I also have a tank of goldfish waiting for me to feed them!!

Fu Xuan: "...It's not what you think."

Huixing kowtowed repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! Whatever you say, that's what it is! Qingque is your long-lost younger sister!"

That ten million was your dowry for her! You and Miss Qingque were having a serious academic exchange—!

"That's enough." Fu Xuan rubbed his temples, feeling that explaining to this person was more tiring than deducing the stars for three days and three nights. "You can leave now."

Huixing suddenly looked up, her eyes gleaming with a light of relief: "R-really?"

"Before I change my mind..."

Huixing scrambled to his feet, backing away as he tried to force a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Thank you, Lord Taibu! Thank you, General! Thank you, Qingque!"

I'm leaving right now! I'll disappear immediately! I promise I'll never write another complaint letter! I wish you and Miss Qingque a long and happy marriage!

The moment she uttered the last word, she turned around and unleashed her fastest speed ever, disappearing as a blur outside the gates of the Shence Mansion.

The hall was completely silent.

After a long while, Qingyuan's projection finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, which quickly turned into a fit of uproarious laughter:

Hahaha—My Lord Diviner, look how scared she is… even the phrase "May you have a long and happy marriage" came out! Hahaha!

Fu Xuan's temple throbbed slightly. She glared at Qing Yuan, then looked at Jing Yuan: "General, do you find this interesting?"

Jing Yuan coughed lightly, his fist pressed against his lips, but the smile in his eyes was unmistakable: "Fu Qing, you seem to have...scared her quite a bit. Aren't you going to explain?"

Fu Xuan sighed, sat back down, and picked up his teacup with a somewhat dejected expression: "I thought I had found a promising talent who was not afraid of power and adhered to his principles."

Perhaps with careful nurturing... but it turns out to be a fool who scares himself.

Jing Yuan countered, "I think it's not necessarily all her fault."

For example, Fu Qing, shouldn't you sometimes be a little more flexible in your handling of government affairs?

Jing Yuan smiled and shook his head, looking at the still giggling Qing Yuan projection: "Miss Qing Yuan seems to be enjoying this scene?"

"Of course!" Qingyuan wiped away the tears of laughter. "It's even more interesting than Qiong Guanzhen's divination! But seriously, Lord Taibu, if you don't clarify this soon, this rumor might spread to other immortal ships."

I've even come up with the headline for those interstellar tabloids—"Shocking! The Tabu of Rafu..."

Fu Xuan: "...Shut up."

Or perhaps "A Deep Dive into the Secrets of Luofu's High-Ranking Officials: The Untold Love Triangle Between the Diviner and the General"?

Jing Yuan: "...Miss Qing Yuan."

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore." Qingyuan waved her hand with a grin. "But, Lord Taibu, if you're going to reimburse me, then just reimburse me. Why don't you explain it clearly?"

Look how scared our little Huixing is, she's almost scared out of her wits!

"How do you intend to explain your actions?" She tucked the accusation letter into her sleeve. "And perhaps reveal some details about the Luofu catastrophe to sow discord?"

Oh, speaking of which, it's related to Yao Qing. I heard you cried during this divination...