I was still floating in mid-air, mentally reassuring my host about my premium service quality, when suddenly everything went blurry. Both my host and the pink-robed woman at the base of the steps vanished, leaving me bobbing alone in empty space like a very confused digital tumbleweed.

“…”

Something was definitely wrong. I opened my mission panel.

I’d served all kinds of hosts before—essentially parasitic partnerships where I stuck to them like glue, sharing their every move. Never once had I been ditched like this.

The mission panel was also blank. No hints, no error messages, no helpful tooltips. Just digital emptiness.

I maintained my composure for a few moments, then filed another error report with the main system. From my database, I pulled up a blank interface and typed in “[Map]” at the top.

As the Transmigration Department’s most outstanding employee, I never backed down from a challenge.

After carefully scanning and recording the hall’s layout, I floated upward, my silver form passing through the palace roof and continuing skyward until I reached a good vantage point.

Beneath the vast heavens, wind stirred the clouds. Below the clouds, green mountains stretched endlessly, with palace buildings nestled against the slopes. Waterfalls cascaded down cliff faces while white cranes called out, spreading their wings to soar through the mist.

Beyond the mountains, all that lush greenery suddenly condensed into a sprawling city of green tiles and red roofs, dotted with peach blossoms and willow trees that seemed to stretch to the horizon.

I stared at the magnificent scenery as my map interface rapidly constructed itself, capturing the entire landscape in the blink of an eye. Looking at my inadvertent sightseeing results, I silently dragged the scenic screenshots to a separate folder and refocused on work, starting from the main hall and scanning outward to build a comprehensive activity map for my host.

Just as I finished mapping the area around the main hall, a dialog box popped up in front of me.

[Warning: Approaching 100-meter distance limit from host]

Crap! I’d almost been caught slacking off.

My data core flickered with silver light. Workplace negligence meant performance deductions and affected my ratings! I dove down with a sharp “whoosh,” zipping around frantically within the hundred-meter radius. While passing a certain mountain peak, I made an emergency stop and landed outside a vermillion pavilion.

Wangshan Pavilion.

I quickly scanned the pavilion and surrounding mountain scenery into my map, then casually flew inside and settled on Seraphine’s shoulder.

Found her.

In just that brief time, she’d completely changed outfits. Gone was the floor-length gown, replaced by a lighter outer robe in pale colors. The golden crown had been removed too, with gorgeous peonies tucked into her hair instead.

The pink-robed woman from the hall sat across from her, brewing tea with downcast eyes and a smile. “Lianshan Sect is far from its former glory. Before Xue Bufan was crippled, perhaps the sect had hope of revival, but unfortunately…”

She chuckled softly while pouring tea for Seraphine. Despite her smile, her tone was utterly cold. “The cultivation world is full of practitioners, but those with exceptional spiritual roots are incredibly rare. Where would Lianshan Sect find a second Xue Bufan?”

Seraphine sipped her fragrant tea, gazing out at the pavilion’s scenery with a detached expression. The pink-robed woman watched her face carefully and smiled. “Of course, Lianshan Sect’s affairs have nothing to do with Luanyang Palace. But Palace Lord, you’re still too softhearted. Even without compensation gifts, what could anyone say?”

A white crane landed beneath the pine trees outside, walking over with elegant steps before stopping behind the gauze curtains, tilting its head to peer into the pavilion. Seraphine suddenly flicked her finger, sending a droplet of tea water straight at the crane’s head.

The crane cried out in alarm, flapping its wings as it fled back to the pine trees. Its flustered retreat made Seraphine laugh out loud.

“Palace Lord!” the pink-robed woman called out pointedly.

“Mm.” Seraphine snapped back to attention with a charming smile. “Me, softhearted?”

“A few compensation gifts can honor the sisterly bond between grandmother and the former Xue family matriarch, settle our karmic debts with Lianshan Sect, and silence gossiping tongues—what’s there for me to regret?” Seraphine held her teacup delicately, speaking with measured calm. “Now that my engagement with Xue Bufan is broken, Luanyang Palace and Lianshan Sect can only be said to not have completely fallen out. What deeper friendship could there be?”

The pink-robed woman fell silent for a moment before speaking. “True enough, but when the Xue family head requested Phoenix Fire and was refused by Palace Lord, perhaps Lianshan Sect harbors resentment.”

“Tch.”

Seraphine shot Siyi an impatient glance. “Siyi.”

Siyi startled and immediately lowered her head. “Yes.”

“You understand the significance of Phoenix Fire to Luanyang Palace better than anyone. When all the sects united against the Nine Heavens Sect, even when the former Palace Lord was on death’s door, she never used the Phoenix Fire. Compared to mother, would I hand over Phoenix Fire to an outsider?”

“The Xue family knew absolutely that Phoenix Fire would never leave Luanyang City, yet they dared request it from me. Did they think I wouldn’t refuse?” Seraphine tilted her teacup, watching coldly as tea spilled onto the ground. She sneered. “After Xue Bufan was crippled and the Xue family knew he was beyond medical help, naturally they wanted to extract his last bit of value.”

“I’m at Great Perfection Golden Core stage, Xue Bufan is now a cripple—our engagement was impossible from the start. With Lianshan Sect’s declining fortunes and no way to climb higher, they were counting on Luanyang Palace breaking the engagement first so they could demand compensation.”

Siyi nodded. Luanyang Palace would inevitably break the engagement. The higher a cultivator’s level, the longer their lifespan, while mortals lived less than a century. If the Palace Lord truly married Xue Bufan, when she entered closed-door cultivation—sometimes three to five years, sometimes thirty to fifty years—she’d emerge to find her handsome young husband had become white-haired and elderly while she remained beautiful as ever…

“I don’t need to compromise myself to that extent for a good reputation. Besides, Xue Bufan’s fall from heaven’s chosen son to ordinary mortal, unable to step foot in the cultivation world—how could he bear such a gap? We’re doing each other a favor.” Seraphine’s laugh was cold. “By that logic, he should be thanking me.”

Siyi couldn’t help but smile. “Palace Lord speaks truly. Siyi was being foolish.”

“But human hearts are unpredictable. Xue Bufan used to get whatever he wanted in Lianshan Sect, but looking at the current situation, it seems anyone can look down on him now. So much for family bonds being anything but heartless.” She sighed as she spoke.

Seraphine’s lips curved as she stared at the wet tea stains on the ground, saying quietly: “What do I care about others’ feelings or lack thereof? However heartless they are, can they match the heartlessness of the Way? However deep their feelings, when tribulation lightning comes, can they take the strikes for me?”

Fireworks scatter easily, flames die and smoke dissipates—in Seraphine’s eyes, so-called love was nothing but an illusory reflection in water.

Siyi laughed at Seraphine’s words, pouring fresh hot tea and teasing: “I see clearly now—setting aside Luanyang Palace and Lianshan Sect entirely, you have absolutely no feelings for Xue Bufan.”

Seraphine glanced at Siyi with an expression somewhere between disdain and something indescribable. Even without setting aside the two sects, she and Xue Bufan had only met twice total—what feelings could there be? She had deeper feelings for that stupid crane outside the pavilion.

All because of grandmother’s arranged engagement, creating a pile of troublesome issues and costing her so many gifts—what a complete loss!

Floating between them while holding a data teacup, I observed Seraphine’s expression and recorded it in my files, naming it: “Not My Problem If You Die.”

Siyi took out a jade gourd to refill the teapot, when something occurred to her. “Earlier in the main hall, I noticed the Xue family wanted you to select a new husband from among Lianshan Sect’s members. Though Palace Lord refused directly, clearly many people covet the position of Luanyang Palace Lord’s dao companion. What are your future plans?”

Seraphine’s face showed complete indifference as she sipped her tea and laughed lightly. “As I said before, if you can’t even match my strength, what makes you think you can marry me? Do you take me for some three-year-old who can be coaxed with candy?”

Siyi nodded, counting on her fingers. “Palace Lord rules Luanyang City, possesses unparalleled beauty, and has cultivation talent that stands proudly above all others. When I count through the younger generation in the cultivation world, those who could match Palace Lord in family background, appearance, temperament, and talent… I can barely count a handful. Should Palace Lord look to the older generation?”

“Why must I marry at all?” Seraphine said irritably. “Instead of worrying about my marriage prospects, you might as well go bother the King of Hell.”

“My future dao companion is probably waiting to reincarnate at the Bridge of Helplessness right now.”

“…Palace affairs are numerous. Allow me to take my leave first.” Siyi drained her teacup, stood to bow to Seraphine, and departed with a shake of her head.

Seraphine stared at her retreating figure, then let out a derisive laugh after a long moment.

Wangshan Pavilion was built on a peak between the main hall and the treacherous mountain summit. From the left you could see the sea of clouds, from the right the waterfalls, ahead lay the palace city, and behind rose the high peaks. Mountain breezes blew gently, stirring the golden-red gauze curtains hanging from both sides of the pavilion, and ruffling the hem of Seraphine’s robes.

Her smile had vanished at some point, and she stared silently at the immortal crane pacing back and forth beneath the pine trees.

One system was equally silent.

After Siyi left, I’d been circling around Seraphine, trying to figure out how to properly greet my host. This had never happened in my previous work assignments—I’d always naturally transitioned into the greeting phase. With that step postponed, I still hadn’t found the right moment.

My silvery-white form made another circuit before floating in front of Seraphine.

The woman who’d been so imposing in the great hall now wore a cold expression, her slender finger dipping into the teacup to flick a string of water droplets into the air.

The dark clouds blocking the sunlight were pierced by the droplets, and several beams of golden sunlight broke through the heavy cloud cover to illuminate the mountains.

Seraphine rose and walked out of the pavilion, the golden phoenix embroidery on her robes seeming to come alive as she moved, the proud Palace Lord stepping into the light.

Brilliant sunlight enveloped her, igniting the flames in her eyes while the peonies in her hair paled in comparison.

“Luanyang Palace, Lianshan Sect, Phoenix Fire…” Seraphine murmured, spreading her arms wide.

The sun-split dark clouds suddenly released a torrential downpour. The white crane beneath the pine trees cried out, spreading its wings to soar high, flying toward the distance clothed in light and rain.

Seraphine whispered: “Immortality.”

She clenched her raised hands into fists, her clear eyes burning with unwavering determination beneath long lashes.

A little lightbulb dinged above my hovering silvery-white head.

Perfect! I got it! I understood!

This was the moment.

My silver-white data core whooshed in front of Seraphine, materializing fully.

Brilliant sunlight immediately enveloped my silver form as my cold mechanical voice reached Seraphine’s ears.

“Greetings, dear host. I am Golden Finger System, and I have come for you.”

“I will do everything in my power to fulfill your wishes—whatever they may be, Echo will make them reality!”