Chapter 147: The Divination Commission

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Qingque and Bailu seemed to have a good rapport.

Despite the young dragon girl's mistake, Qingque didn't hold it against her, simply smiling as the incident was brushed aside.

During their journey on the star ferry,

Bochang sat by the window, listening to the conversations around him while quietly gazing at the night sky outside, remaining silent.

Luofu Immortal Continent was akin to a colossal spaceship, resembling a planet in size.

It truly was immense.

As Bochang traveled, Pascal and Sophia also moved alongside, often losing contact multiple times, especially near the Seat of Divine Foresight where communication became exceptionally challenging.

After all, they were limited to operating within the Central Starskiff Haven.

To gather information about other celestial realms, they relied heavily on flying animal companions.

Whenever Bochang ventured too far away from them,

the communications would become highly unstable.

Stelle, seated across from Bochang, noticed him continuously staring out the window and decided to join him in observing the scenery.

Night had fallen.

Visibility outside was low, with only darkness stretching as far as the eye could see.

After watching for a while, Stelle felt bored and suggested, "How about... we play cards?"

"Cards? What kind of cards, is it Diyuan Jade Tiles? Do you know how to play that too?"

Upon hearing the word 'cards', Qingque immediately perked up, her card-playing itch resurfacing.

Bochang, overhearing their conversation, snapped back to attention.

"No... by playing cards, Stelle means poker. We don't actually play Diyuan Jade Tiles. However... there's another similar game we do know, Mahjong..."

"Mahjong? Sounds interesting, tell me more?" Qingque's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

Bochang proceeded to explain...

"Mahjong... based on the rules you described, it seems to share quite a few similarities with Diyuan Jade Tiles."

After listening to the explanation, Qingque nodded thoughtfully.

Pung, Chow, Kong...

These terms were all too familiar to Qingque.

"Although we didn't bring a set of Mahjong tiles, but... my phone has an app for it. You can take a look."

Bochang handed over his smartphone.

In the vast universe, card games were as numerous as fish in a river—countless varieties existed.

Although Emperor Jade Tiles also featured terms like "pong" and "chow," their tile faces and rules differed significantly from those of Mahjong.

Bochang let Qingque try a round using the Mahjong app on his phone before retrieving it.

"Bochang, let's exchange beacons so you can send me the software," suggested Qingque, pulling out her own smartphone.

The Mahjong enthusiast's phone case was teal, featuring an image of a white chicken holding a salted fish at the back—a nod to her laid-back attitude.

Bochang added her as a friend and sent the app across.

Meanwhile, March 7th had already taken out a deck of playing cards and said, "Bochang, done chatting? If ready, let's play some cards."

With a single deck, the maximum number for a game of Farmer's Bridge is four players.

March 7th, Welt Yang, Stelle, and Bochang formed the perfect group size.

Serval, Bailu, and Qingque could only watch, as they had never played before and weren't familiar with the rules. Even Serval's prior experience was limited to Mahjong.

After letting the other three observe a few rounds of "Fight the Landlord"...

Bochang and his friends began taking turns, ensuring everyone could participate.

As newcomers, Bailu and Serval were quickly outmatched, with Qingque not faring much better initially. However, she swiftly grasped the game's mechanics and soon started holding her own against the others.

The sounds of card games echoed continuously within the star ferry.

Once familiar with the rules, seeking to add more excitement, Qingque proposed using Credits as stakes.

In Luofu Immortal Continent, the currency was called Strale, and it had already transitioned to digital form.

Unfortunately...

Being outsiders, March 7th and her companions only carried Credits.

Bochang spread his hands helplessly and said, "Apologies, but I don't have any Credits on me."

Stelle nodded in agreement.

As recent recruits to Astral Express, it was entirely normal for them to lack Credits.

March 7th smiled slightly.

"I actually have quite some Credit; would you like to borrow some?" Bailu, sitting next to Bochang, patted her chest confidently and said, "No need for others' help, I've got plenty."

"Great, then I'll rely on your generosity." Bochang nodded, feeling somewhat as if he were being taken care of financially after his response.

Qingque gave him a peculiar look.

Bochang quickly explained, "It's General Jing Yuan who instructed Bailu to cover the expenses, and later, the Seat of Divine Foresight will reimburse her. I'm not trying to scam a child out of their money."

Upon hearing this, Bailu puffed up her cheeks and retorted, "Bochang, I am not that little anymore! If you don't believe me, I can transform and show you my true size."

"No, no, no... I already know how big you can get, so please don't change," Bochang hastily interjected, preventing the dragon girl from transforming.

Curious about her transformation ability, Qingque asked for more details, but unfortunately, this secret remained unrevealed.

With that brief interlude concluded, the card game of "Landlord" resumed.

Qingque dominated at the table, accumulating a significant amount of Credits.

Bailu and Serval suffered heavy losses and decided to cut their losses promptly.

The remaining players were March 7th, Bochang, Stelle, Welt-Yang, and Qingque, continuing their fierce competition.

Time swiftly passed by.

As they approached the Divination Commission, everyone paused the game.

March 7th neatly collected the cards back into the deck.

Feeling elated after winning substantial Credits, Qingque kindly warned, "Just giving you all a heads-up, once we're inside, don't wander off randomly... Although you're guests of the Diviner, she detests those who disregard rules and ask prying questions... Be careful not to upset her."

"We're just observing an interrogation, and we'll leave once it's over," Welt replied.

Bochang, puzzled, asked, "Even if we see something intriguing, we can't inquire about it?"

"Probably because asking too many questions is seen as bothersome," March 7th answered.

As they conversed, the star ferry arrived at the entrance of the Divination Commission's sanctuary.

Tingyun's voice echoed, "Honored benefactors, the star ferry has docked at the Divination Commission. You may now disembark."

Under Qingque's guidance...

The group approached the entrance of the Divination Commission.

Red walls framed by azure gates, the commission's doors were entirely made of metal, with a peculiar circular mechanism serving as the central lock.

Standing before the tightly shut door, Qingque looked troubled.

This door had never been locked before, but suddenly today it was, without any prior notice to bring the key.

Bochang and the others found themselves blocked outside the Divination Commission's entrance.

A moment of silence fell over the scene.

[Dating Options have been activated.]

[Option One: Take charge: "It's just a door, let me handle it." - Completion Reward: Obtain item, Universal Key, capable of opening any lock. Note: This type of item will...]

[Option Two: Since unable to open the door, why not climb over? Suggest: "Come on, I'll help you all climb over." - Completion Reward: Obtain random item, ranging from small as a matchstick to large as a star destroyer. Note: This type of item will...]

[Option Three: Stay silent and allow Qingque to find a solution. - Completion Reward: Obtain random skill.]