Chapter 124: Contact

Chen’s offering of grilled Qiongshi Bird skewers successfully diverted March 7th’s attention. For the moment, at least, he stopped pestering Chen about the Hook Adventure Team.

However, the boy’s obsession with that pair of fluffy fox tails was clearly far from over.

The three of them squeezed their way to the front of a bustling skewer stall, the air thick with savory smoke. They watched as the vendor expertly grilled the well-marinated Qiongshi Bird meat, turning it over the flames until it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and sizzling with rendered fat. The aroma was intoxicating; both March 7th and Chen found themselves swallowing hard in anticipation.

Even though Qiong wore a mask, her gaze was firmly locked on the grill, tracking every movement.

Just as the skewers were nearly done, March 7th gave Chen a gentle nudge with his elbow. He lowered his voice, putting on a pleading, pitiful smile that was almost cartoonish in its sincerity.

“Chen~ My dear Chen~ Please transform one more time, just for a little bit!” he begged. “Let me touch your tail! I promise I’ll only touch it once, and I’ll be super gentle!”

Chen, who was eagerly awaiting his extra-spicy skewer, replied without even turning his head. “No. That was an apology gift for my precious Qiong. It is sacred and inviolable.”

“Stingy!” March 7th’s cheeks puffed out in a pout. “Qiong already got to touch it! What’s wrong with me touching it once? Aren’t we good buddies?”

“Who’s your buddy?” Chen shot him a sidelong glance. “And how could Qiong touching it possibly be the same as you touching it?”

“How is it different?!” March 7th protested, his voice rising in indignation.

Just then, the vendor handed over their freshly grilled skewers. Chen gratefully took his extra-spicy portion, the chili flakes glistening under the stall’s light. But just as he was about to take a triumphant first bite, a hand, quick as lightning, clamped down on his wrist.

“Let me touch your tail, and I’ll give you this super-spicy skewer!” March 7th offered, holding up his own plain, unseasoned skewer with his other hand as if presenting a priceless treasure.

“Dream on!” Chen grunted, trying to twist his wrist free.

The two of them immediately fell into a back-and-forth tussle right in front of the stall. One insisted on touching the nonexistent tail, while the other adamantly refused to give in. Their movements weren’t large or aggressive, but the combination of their grimacing faces and the gentle tug-of-war was enough to draw amused chuckles from the vendor and other nearby customers.

Qiong, holding her own skewer, quietly took half a step back to avoid getting caught in their squabble. She watched the two of them roughhousing, her gaze lingering for a moment on the spot where March 7th’s hand was gripping Chen’s wrist. Then, she suddenly took a small step forward, extended her free hand, and gently patted March 7th’s shoulder.

“March,” she said, her voice slightly muffled by the mask. “Your skewer is going to get cold.”

“Huh? Oh!” March 7th instinctively turned to look at his skewer, his grip on Chen’s wrist loosening for a fraction of a second.

It was all the opening Chen needed. He yanked his hand back, quickly took a huge bite of his extra-spicy skewer, and immediately let out a sharp gasp, his eyes watering from the heat. Despite the self-inflicted pain, he didn’t forget to give March 7th a smug, triumphant raise of his eyebrows.

March 7th stomped his foot in frustration. He shot a glare at Chen, then looked down at his own skewer, which was indeed starting to cool. With no other choice, he gave up with a resentful sigh and took a fierce bite of the meat, chewing on it as if he were biting Chen himself.

Qiong withdrew her hand, continuing to eat her own skewer in small, delicate bites. Beneath her mask, the corners of her mouth curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

Before the little tail-related commotion had fully settled, the communication terminal in Chen’s pocket vibrated. He pulled it out and saw a brief message from Ms. Welt.

[Return immediately. The Divination Commission has sent someone.]

Chen’s eyes lit up. He stuffed the remaining half of his skewer into his mouth, mumbling through a full cheek to March 7th and Qiong, “Let’s go, let’s go! Aunt Yang is calling us to gather! The Divination Commission sent someone, probably to question us!”

His mind was already racing, a single name echoing in his thoughts. ‘Kafka! The five-star catalog! This time, no matter what, I have to find a chance to touch… I mean, make contact!’

March 7th hurriedly finished his own skewer and wiped his mouth. “Finally, some real business! Let’s go!”

The three of them wasted no more time. Following the location data sent by Ms. Welt, they quickly made their way toward the meeting point—a relatively quiet small square on the edge of the Exalting Sanctum.

When they arrived, they found only Ms. Welt standing there, her head bowed as she studied a jade-colored datapad in her hand.

“Aunt Yang!” Chen called out, jogging over to her. “Where’s the person from the Divination Commission?”

Ms. Welt looked up, adjusting her glasses. She turned the screen of the jade sign toward the three of them, displaying a photograph. It appeared to be a street scene, showing the corner of an inconspicuous signboard.

“The other party didn’t appear directly,” Ms. Welt’s voice was as steady and calm as ever. “They only sent this photo and a set of coordinates.”

“The coordinates point to a location here in the Exalting Sanctum,” she continued. “They require us to go there on our own.”

March 7th leaned in for a closer look and immediately exclaimed, “Huh? This place… isn’t this that Card Parlor we passed by earlier?”

Chen squinted at the image. It really was. The corner of the signboard in the photo belonged to the exact same Card Parlor he had sneaked into earlier to disguise himself and give Qing Que a good scare.

“A Card Parlor?” Ms. Welt’s brow furrowed slightly. “The Divination Commission’s contact arranged to meet at a Card Parlor?”

“Maybe… to avoid drawing attention?” Chen stroked his chin, a hint of a mischievous smile playing on his lips. ‘Or,’he thought,’that contact person… just happened to be slacking off there?’He suppressed a chuckle.’Wow, that Qing Que kid. After I scared him off earlier, he actually snuck right back to the Card Parlor? He’s got some nerve.’

“Let’s go. We’ll find out when we get there,” Ms. Welt said, putting away the terminal. “The other party chose this place for a reason. We’ll simply proceed with caution.”

The four of them set off once more. Following the guidance of the coordinates, they headed back toward that very same Card Parlor.

Meanwhile, inside the Card Parlor, business was slow. Only a few scattered tables were occupied, with just one table at the very back still hosting a game.

Qing Que had a snack stick dangling from his lips, his hands skillfully arranging a set of cards. His face had returned to its usual lazy, relaxed expression.

“Qing Que, you’re really something else,” the card player across from him teased. “Weren’t you just scared out of your wits by some little Grand Diviner and ran all the way back? How’d you sneak back here in the blink of an eye? Aren’t you afraid of getting caught again?”

Qing Que spat the snack stick out with a soft “pah!” and snorted. “Caught my foot! I went back and thought it over carefully. I even asked a few buddies I know. The Divination Commission doesn’t have anyone named Xuan Fu at all! He’s not on the list of new Apprentice Diviners, either! That little girl must have been impersonating someone!”

“Oh, so you got tricked?” another player at the table laughed. “No wonder you looked so pissed when you came back. What, now that you know it was a fake, you’re not scared anymore?”

“Scared? Now I’m angry!” Qing Que rolled his eyes and played a card with a sharp snap. “How dare she impersonate someone from the Divination Commission just to scare me! And she made me lose money! Next time I run into that kid…” He gritted his teeth. “I’m definitely going to show her my real card skills, win until she’s crying, and then make her worship me! Let her know that the Luofu Sparrow God isn’t just a title! Hahahaha!”

He seemed to have already pictured the scene of his glorious victory, laughing triumphantly.

“Yeah, right. Why don’t you try winning this round first?”

The card game continued. Qing Que temporarily pushed the annoying little imposter from his mind and focused on the tiles in front of him.

Outside the Card Parlor, Chen and the others had arrived at the entrance. Looking at the familiar scene under the dim, yellow light filtering from within, Chen couldn’t help but feel the corner of his mouth twitch.

Well, this contact location was certainly… down-to-earth.

Ms. Welt stopped them at the curtained doorway. “This is the place. I’ll go in first to check on the situation. You all…”

“Let’s go in together, Aunt Yang,” Chen interjected. “Since they chose to meet here, going in together shows our sincerity. But… it’s a bit noisy inside, so everyone be careful.”

He was mainly reminding himself not to let his expression slip if he saw that Qing Que kid the moment he walked in.

The four of them lifted the door curtain and stepped inside. The familiar mix of stale air, low chatter, and the clacking of game pieces washed over them.

Chen’s gaze instinctively swept toward the table at the very back.

Sure enough, that familiar gray-haired, ponytailed figure was still there. He was holding a card, his brow furrowed in concentration.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]