Chapter 253 - 253: That Really Is a Great Pity

Tingyun leaned against the carved wooden window frame, her slender finger tracing the smooth, cool edge of her jade scroll.

Outside the window, the endless sea of clouds surrounding the Xianzhou Luofu rushed past in a stunning display of swirling mist and golden light. She lowered her eyes, losing herself in thought for a moment. A soft, lingering smile floated onto her lips as she tapped the screen, drafting a message to Leon.

"Benefactor, this humble girl has finally woken up," she sent.

She waited for a moment, watching the screen. When no immediate reply came, she didn't mind. Her fingers continued to dance across the jade surface.

"Thanks to your timely intervention to save me, Tingyun is eternally grateful."

"I am truly ashamed to admit it," she continued typing, "but this humble girl has walked the merchant's path for many years. I always prided myself on having a sharp eye and having seen countless types of people. Yet, this time, I nearly allowed myself to become entangled in a disastrously messy account."

"If not for Benefactor's rescue, I am afraid I would have become nothing more than a crossed-out entry on Phantylia's ledger by now."

"The core principles of trade state clearly: pay back your debts, and repay kindness with absolute gratitude."

"But how should the grace of saving my life be calculated? Tingyun is truly at a loss... This is not an amount that a few crates of rare goods can offset."

She didn't care whether Leon replied immediately or not. She simply poured her lingering feelings into the device, sending them over one by one, letting the steady rhythm of her typing ground her in reality.

Meanwhile, over in the snow-swept city of Belobog, Baiheng had just received her Aether Coins. Brimming with excitement, the Foxian archer rushed straight toward the Corridor of Fading Echoes to meet up with Stelle, Caelus, and March 7th for the upcoming tournament.

Leon had also received an Aether Coin of his own, but he was in no particular hurry to start collecting data.

After taking a few minutes to fully understand the rules of this Aether Wars festival, his initial excitement waned. The collection range for the game was strictly limited to four designated zones: the Corridor of Fading Echoes, Cloudford, Herta Space Station, and the Great Mine.

, the Aether Coins were specially calibrated by the IPC. They could only absorb specific monster data from these pre-approved locations to synthesize Aether Spirits.

Thinking about it logically, it made perfect sense. If a player could truly replicate absolutely anything at will, the underlying technology would be far too heaven-defying for a simple cosmic game. Even Silver Wolf, the peerless hacker of Punklorde, couldn't casually rewrite reality to that extent without significant effort.

Leon had originally entertained a highly amusing thought: using the Aether Coin to replicate Aha. He wanted to pull off a stunt similar to the 'Critter Pick-up' event, where Sparkle had disguised herself as a Hanu Dango to infiltrate the competition.

Well, technically, it was the Cat Cake event. The Hanu Dango wasn't actually a Cat Cake synthesized with Sparkle as the genetic blueprint. It was literally just Sparkle herself, using her illusion arts to masquerade as a Cat Cake. During that entire event, the hidden anomaly only existed to cause absolute chaos, played directly by the Masked Fool herself. The resulting banter between Sparkle and Sampo had been a goldmine of pure entertainment.

Finding the idea too funny to keep to himself, Leon casually dropped the concept into the Aeons Chat Group.

"That really is a great pity," Aha replied almost instantly. "Such a tremendously fun thing, and yet the game says it can't be done!"

Through the digital interface, Leon could practically hear the Aeon of Elation laughing maniacally across the cosmos.

Fooled you, Aha thought. How could anything possibly be impossible?

If Leon hadn't explicitly mentioned it, Aha might never have directed their chaotic attention in this specific direction. But now that the fun-seeking transmigrator had planted the seed... this was undeniably a challenge. A beautiful, glorious test for the Elation.

This was simply too much fun to ignore.

Right at that moment, Leon's phone chimed with a soft notification.

He glanced down at the screen. Oh ho, it was Tingyun.

This clever little fox was truly too likable. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he tapped out a reply.

"According to the classic tropes in storybooks and romance novels," Leon wrote, "when a beautiful lady faces her savior, there are usually only two acceptable ways to repay the life-debt."

"The first kind: if the benefactor is handsome enough, the humble girl has no other way to repay him but to offer herself in marriage."

"The second kind: if the benefactor is incredibly ugly, the humble girl has no other way to repay him but to serve like an ox or a horse in her next life to repay his great kindness."

"I wonder which category I fall into?" Leon sent the message, his smirk widening into a full grin.

Lightyears away, Tingyun received the message. Reading the text, she couldn't help but cover her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she chuckled softly in her room.

"Benefactor is naturally the first kind," she replied smoothly.

"However," Tingyun typed, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "Tingyun has also heard variations of such stories. If the rescued lady is beautiful, the hero immediately says: 'Does the lady speak the truth?'But if the lady is plain-looking, the hero quickly waves his hands and says:'The lady absolutely must not do this!'"

"I wonder which kind Tingyun is in Benefactor's eyes?"

After hitting send, she rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at the glowing jade scroll. The smile at the corners of her lips deepened, bringing a vivid warmth to her delicate features.

This benefactor of hers always spoke without a shred of seriousness, treating the universe like a massive joke, yet he somehow possessed a unique charm that made a person's heart feel incredibly warm.

He was completely different from her other savior.

When she had messaged Ruan Mei to express her gratitude, the scholar had only replied with a sterile, clinical phrase: "Do not dwell on it. It was no trouble."

Short, precise, and devoid of emotion. She truly treated her words like precious gold. But Tingyun understood the dynamic; after all, the other party was a renowned member of the Genius Society. Empathy was rarely their strong suit.

Just as her thoughts drifted, the jade scroll lit up again.

"Does the lady speak the truth?" Leon replied.

Tingyun let out a sudden "pfft" and laughed aloud, the melodious sound echoing through her quiet quarters.

"Benefactor saved this humble girl's life," she answered, her tone shifting to something softer, more genuine. "From now on, this life is entirely at your disposal. I will be there whenever called upon."

"As for offering myself in marriage... if Benefactor's grand estate lacks a decorative ornament that knows how to talk, pour tea, and laugh, Tingyun could certainly make do."

"An ornament is fine too," Leon shot back instantly. "My place is massive. It can easily fit such a large, clever fox."

"Tingyun has no objections to this arrangement."

"There is a hidden restaurant on the Xianzhou where the braised beef is absolutely superb," she continued. "Paired with their aged osmanthus wine, even an immortal wouldn't trade the experience for anything. If Benefactor ever has the time, Tingyun is at your service to guide you there, anytime."

"I'll hold you to those words," Leon replied. "Take good care of your injuries for now."

Tingyun stared at the final message, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

"It is this humble girl's greatest fortune that Benefactor was there to save me."

"But Benefactor can rest assured, this humble girl will not be too bothersome."

"Just occasionally... occasionally sending a message to ask if Benefactor has eaten properly, if you've slept well, or if you've been swindled by any shady merchants."

"The principles of trade state: repay kindness with gratitude, and let that gratitude flow continuously like a steady stream."

Leon stared at his screen for a second before typing: "...Just how many obscure rules are there in your so-called principles of trade?"

"Quite a lot," Tingyun answered playfully. "This humble girl spent three whole years memorizing them all."

"Alright then, you take your time reviewing your textbooks."

"Farewell, Benefactor."

After sending the final message, she gently tucked the jade scroll into her silken sleeve. The radiant smile on her lips refused to fade, lingering long after the screen went dark.

Outside her window, the golden hues of twilight were slowly bleeding into a deep, starry night, and the sea of clouds surged like a tranquil ocean. A cool evening breeze brushed past the windowpanes, gently stirring the soft tips of her hair.

She gazed out at the deepening night sky, taking a slow, deep breath. Suddenly, her chest felt incredibly full.

It's good, she thought, closing her eyes. Being alive is truly good.

Back in Belobog, Leon smiled to himself and slipped his phone into his pocket.

There was a very good reason people always claimed Foxian spirits were masters of enchantment. Chatting with Tingyun was effortlessly pleasant, a perfect mix of wit and warmth.

"Mr. Leon... is there something urgent you need to attend to?"

Bronya's soft, hesitant voice suddenly broke through his thoughts.

Leon snapped back to his senses, realizing his footsteps had slowed and he had unknowingly fallen several paces behind his companion.

Bronya stood a short distance ahead on the snow-dusted cobblestones, the heavy fabric of her elegant coat swaying gently in the freezing wind. Her crystalline eyes fell on him, carrying a trace of imperceptible loneliness and quiet doubt.

Clearly, taking this walk through the city was a rare, perfect opportunity for the two of them to be alone. Yet, burdened by her duties as the Supreme Guardian, she didn't quite know what to say or how to act around him in a casual setting.

And seeing Leon frequently checking his phone and smiling at the screen... could it be... that being alone with her was simply too boring for him?

The mere thought made Bronya's chest tighten with a sudden, unfamiliar wave of upset.

"It's nothing urgent at all," Leon said smoothly. He completely ignored his phone, closing the distance between them with a few quick strides. His smile was warm and entirely focused on her. "Let's go, let's keep walking. Belobog has become so wonderful under your careful guidance—it's honestly surprised me a little."

He looked down at her, his gaze sincere and unwavering.

"Is... is that so?"

Bronya was slightly startled by the direct compliment. A faint, rosy blush quickly rose to her pale cheeks, contrasting beautifully with the snowy backdrop.

Feeling the weight of Leon's attentive gaze, Bronya didn't find it impolite in the slightest, nor did she feel any of her usual defensive rejection. Instead, a deep sense of shyness washed over her, causing her heart rate to quicken beneath her heavy uniform.

"As long as Mr. Leon is satisfied with the city's progress... that is good," she murmured, lowering her eyes to the snow-covered path. Her voice was incredibly soft, almost as if she were afraid of disturbing the fragile, intimate atmosphere building between them.

Meanwhile, crouching behind a nearby frost-covered alley wall, Seele watched the entire exchange. The Underworld fiercely gripped the handle of her scythe, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she ground her teeth together so hard they threatened to shatter.

Time, however, did not stay for anyone's jealousy, and the seasons flowed forward like melting ice water. As the old year unfurled its thousand layers of brocade across the cosmos, one could only hope to take their dreams as their horses, riding the wind and waves of youth into a bright, uncharted future.

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