[HSRGSS] Chapter 104: Baiheng's Visit

"Wow!"

Baiheng rushed over, hugging her starskiff and rubbing her delighted face against its hull.

"It's real! It's really fixed! It's exactly the same as before! No, it's even more shiny!"

"Amazing! Brother Lucian, you're incredible! You can do anything! Men who can do everything are the coolest!"

Baiheng's enthusiastic and pure praise made Lucian feel a little embarrassed—it was no wonder she was the darling of the High-Cloud Quintet.

Honestly, with so much emotional value given, who could possibly dislike her?

Lucian himself had to admit, given a little more time, he might have been moved too.

"Just a little trick, nothing worth mentioning."

Lucian smiled at Baiheng's compliment.

Over the years, Lucian had heard plenty of words of surprise and admiration, but praise as genuine and adorably naive as Baiheng's was truly one of a kind—a completely new experience.

"We're still in the middle of a fight, so hurry up." Jingliu urged from the side.

Her face remained calm and coldly beautiful as ever, betraying no emotion—but Lucian could sense it. There was a trace of displeasure in her tone.

Could Jingliu be jealous?

As Lucian cast her a faint, knowing look, Jingliu shifted her gaze toward him, meeting his eyes directly.

"Don't look at me, I'm not the type to say that sort of thing."

As soon as these words left her mouth, Jingliu turned her head away.

Lucian smiled, knowing that it was truly jealousy after all.

"Now that my starskiff is fixed, I'll just follow you two from the sky."

Baiheng laughed as she stepped into her starskiff, lifting off and hovering in the air, tailing the two sword experts from above.

On the battlefield, Jingliu descended from the sky exactly as planned, her boots stepping down on ice steps before unleashing one of the moves from the game—Moon On Glacial River.

Lucian simply waited for the stragglers, and with a single swing of his sword, all the abominations fell to their knees like lambs awaiting slaughter.

Seeing the scene, the Cloud Knights were instantly invigorated, cutting through enemies like wheat.

Needless to say, the Heavenly Ascendant's two top fighters became the backbone of the force.

From her starskiff, Baiheng watched their heroic figures with open admiration.

As she provided support from the sky, Baiheng also snapped photos to commemorate the moment.

"Oh, this one's perfect! I'm making it my wallpaper."

Baiheng had captured a stunning side profile of Lucian.

A while later, the battle finally ended with overwhelming victory and zero losses.

Lucian and Jingliu took thirty percent of the spoils as agreed and directly returned to the Cangcheng.

Meanwhile, Baiheng stood in the lineup of starskiff pilots, her heart racing.

'Right, they saved me. I need to find a time to bring a gift and thank them.'

From her parents' teaching, gratitude was something one must never forget.

===

Xianzhou Cangcheng.

Lucian and Jingliu had just returned when they saw someone waiting at their doorstep.

It was Xuanlian, the Chief Counselor of the Cangcheng's Cloud Knights.

"General, you've finally returned!"

As soon as he saw Lucian, Xuanlian hurried forward to greet him.

"It's Acting General." Lucian corrected him.

It had been a thousand years since he had served as the acting Arbiter-General of the Cangcheng.

Even though the agreement had been that he would step down once a suitable successor was found, the Six Charioteers had failed to find one for a thousand years.

Several Sky-Faring Commission Helm Masters had come and gone, but the Arbiter-General was still him.

Lucian, of course, understood well that they were doing it on purpose, dead set on forcing him to take the position.

"General, why are you so unwilling?" Xuanlian asked in confusion. "With your prestige, everyone in the Cangcheng would gladly support you."

He truly could not understand why Lucian, who had both ability and reputation, refused to become the official Arbiter-General.

Someone like Lucian was, without question, the most fitting to take the position—especially since he also possessed unfathomable methods that no one could replicate.

One that he still remembered clearly to this day was when Lucian had saved him from the brink of death after he had succumbed to mara, allowing him to keep on living.

"Simple, I just don't want to—there's no deeper reason." Lucian's expression was calm, his tone indifferent. "I know you all support me, but don't put me in a difficult position."

He wasn't foolish—this was the ideal situation.

He could enjoy the privileges of an Arbiter-General without having to face the trials from Lan.

Once the script was completed, he would leave anyway, so there was no need to bother with empty titles.

"Alright, I won't bring it up again, but the Alliance has sent many reminders—what excuse should I use this time?" Xuanlian asked helplessly.

Lucian thought for a moment before answering.

"Tell them the new general candidate sacrificed themself while saving others, so a new election is needed."

"Fine…" Xuanlian sighed helplessly, then left.

"Master, you can't keep stalling like this forever..." Jingliu said, her tone slightly worried.

"You're right, but I won't need to stall forever." Lucian nodded calmly, his face serene and indifferent. "Well, maybe not much longer..."

"Master, that's what you said five hundred years ago..." Jingliu quipped with a sigh, then gracefully headed inside the house.

Near the sofa, she removed her shoes and socks, then shed the armor from her clothes, revealing her fair, slender legs and pale shoulders to Lucian.

No matter how many times Lucian saw this scene, he never grew tired of it.

"I'm going to bathe."

Jingliu spoke casually before stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Oddly enough, she never locked the door.

Meanwhile, as usual, Lucian went to the courtyard, stretched out, crossed one leg over the other, and hummed a tune, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

===

A few days later, Baiheng actually came to visit, holding a gift bag in each hand.

As soon as they met, she was smiling brightly, just like always.

"I didn't know what you two liked, so I picked something myself."

Baiheng stuffed a gift bag into each of Lucian's and Jingliu's arms.

Lucian and Jingliu opened their bags, only to find a bottle of wine inside each one.

For Lucian, it was an expensive bottle of Starwhirl Amber—worth several million strale.

For Jingliu, it was a bottle of Black Abyss Rainbow—equally valuable.

Such expensive gifts honestly weren't strange.

Given that Baiheng's family was a family of travelers, her family was truly wealthy.

"Just so you know, I bought these with my own money. They're from me, not my family, okay!"

As if guessing what Lucian might think, Baiheng quickly added the explanation while gesturing animatedly.

"Hmm, then I'll have to try this wine you emptied your wallet for."

Lucian didn't bother with ceremony and brought out glasses directly, inviting Baiheng to drink together.

Jingliu enjoyed fine wine but wasn't obsessed with it.

Of course, she had tasted both kinds before, but like Lucian, she pretended she hadn't—to respect Baiheng's feelings.

In the end, the three sat in the courtyard, drinking and chatting happily.

"Brother Lucian, what's your favorite wine?"

Baiheng asked casually, her cheeks flushed—she was clearly tipsy.

Lucian thought back over the wines he had tasted throughout the years for a moment, then answered.

"If I had to pick, it'd be Starfish Vintage from the Abyssal Star. Yes, the name sounds funny, but the flavor is unique. It's just that there's been a civil war there lately, so production's scarce."

"Oh..." Baiheng blinked her large eyes before turning to Jingliu. "What about you, Sister Jingliu? What's your favorite?"

"Stardust Tears." Jingliu replied casually.

"Ah, that's rare too..." Baiheng sighed, propping her chin on her hands. "I mean, the planet where the ingredients come from is occupied by the borisins, so there hasn't been much lately."

"If it's unavailable, I just won't drink it. No big deal." Jingliu remarked casually as she set down her glass.

If she truly wanted it, she could always follow Lucian, tear through the borisins, and take the ingredients back.

"Well, it's already late. I should get going." Baiheng wiped her face to stay alert. "Can I come drink with you two again next time?"

"Of course. Anytime you're free." Lucian smiled slightly. "By the way, where are you headed? Give me the coordinates."

Upon hearing this, Baiheng gave the coordinates of her family's home in the Yaoqing, and in the next instant, Lucian sent her back with Absolute Hit.

In the blink of an eye, Baiheng was at her home doorstep.

"Wow... Brother Lucian, you're amazing..."

===

In the end, after that visit, Baiheng did not appear again for a long time.

It was not until two years later, on an otherwise ordinary afternoon, that the doorbell of Jingliu's house rang again.

However, it was short this time—just two chimes before stopping.

Upon hearing it, Lucian walked over and opened the door, but the moment it swung open, he froze.

It was Baiheng, but she didn't look... well.

At this moment, her forehead was wrapped in a thick bandage and her face was pale, yet her eyes still shone brightly.

"Hey, Brother Lucian!" Baiheng flashed a dazzling smile that was almost blinding. "I brought you Starfish Vintage—have your tastes changed?"