Presumably, that child was the "saintess" those heretics had been talking about, wasn't she?
"Oh?" Feixiao's brow arched slightly. "Since when did the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus start crowning a saintess?"
Mebius: "..."
At this point, Mebius truly did not want to speak. She was starting to suspect that her luck today had been absolutely rotten.
"Protect the Saintess!"
Very quickly, Green Hibiscus's voice rang through the underground space, filled with the sort of desperation that came from staking his life on the outcome.
Though terror was written all over their faces, the Sanctus Medicus believers still charged toward Feixiao under his command.
"A mantis trying to stop a chariot."
Feixiao did not even bother to draw a weapon. She simply lifted a hand and flicked it casually.
A violent gust exploded from her palm, sending the foremost believers flying.
Their bodies slammed into the walls with dull, heavy thuds before sliding limply to the ground, unconscious or dead.
"I mean, honestly…" Feixiao sighed, sounding almost helpless. "Pulling something like this in the middle of the night? Do you people just not let anyone sleep?"
She jumped down from the shattered ceiling, her boots clicking crisply against the broken stone floor.
"G-General Feixiao!" Tao Feng's face had gone deathly pale, his voice trembling. "W-wait, I, I'm not—"
"You're not one of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus." Feixiao spared him a glance, her eyes catching the Vidyadhara cloud-patterns embroidered on his robes. "A Vidyadhara?"
"Y-yes…"
"And what are you doing here?"
Tao Feng opened his mouth, but no words came out.
What could he possibly say now?
That he had come on behalf of the Vidyadhara dragon elders to negotiate with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?
That would be no different from asking to die.
"Not talking, huh?" Feixiao could not be bothered to waste time. She lifted a hand and tapped the back of Tao Feng's neck.
His eyes rolled back instantly, and he crumpled to the floor in a limp heap, collapsing among the unconscious Sanctus Medicus believers.
"I'll deal with you later." She dusted off her hands and shifted her gaze back to the tiny figure in the corner.
"Alright. Your turn."
She strode toward Mebius, her boots crunching over broken stone and crushed herbs.
This "Saintess of the Sanctus Medicus" was the only one among them who, after seeing her, had neither panicked nor made a single move.
Which meant something was clearly wrong.
"The Saintess of Sanctus Medicus?" Feixiao looked down at the little thing in front of her, amusement dancing in her tone. "Huh? So it's just a little kid?"
Seeing this, Mebius felt even more speechless.
This was not how the script was supposed to go!
She had only just infiltrated the enemy camp. The night had barely even started, and this whole bunch had already been wiped out.
Seriously, did the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have to be this useless? Why was it that every single time they were just about to make a move, they got crushed immediately?
The more Mebius thought about it, the angrier she became.
She had gone through all this trouble tonight, and in the end she had not gained a single grain of rice from it.
With no other option, she could only abandon the operation.
She looked at Feixiao and calmly explained, "Ahem. Big sis, I'm actually a good person. I'm not familiar with them at all."
That was right—Mebius chose to cut ties immediately.
"Not familiar?" Feixiao lifted a brow, her eyes moving over Mebius from top to bottom. "In the middle of the night, you're inside a Sanctus Medicus hideout, they're calling you their saintess, and they were willing to die protecting you. But now you're telling me you're not familiar with them?"
"Because I was abducted," Mebius answered without the slightest change in expression.
"Abducted?"
"Abducted and forced to be their saintess."
Feixiao's tone was dripping with doubt.
"Yeah." Mebius nodded as if this were only natural. "That Green Hibiscus guy said I was some chosen one and insisted on making me their saintess. I'm just a child—what else was I supposed to do?"
Feixiao stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.
"Little one, do you know who I am?"
Hearing that, Mebius smiled too. "Heh. Then do you know who I am?"
To her surprise, Feixiao actually played along. "My name is Feixiao. I'm the Heavenstrike General of the Xianzhou Yaoqing. And you?"
At that, a pair of dragon horns sprouted once more from Mebius's head.
"I am a Dragon Sovereign. Who dares lay a hand on me? And who could?"
Feixiao: !!!
Clearly startled by the sudden development, Feixiao's gaze landed on those newly emerged azure dragon horns, her pupils narrowing.
The air froze for a moment.
"You said you're a Dragon Sovereign?" The playful note in Feixiao's voice was gone, replaced by pure scrutiny.
She did not step back, nor did she relax her guard. She simply stood there, looking down at the little thing who barely reached her waist.
"I've met Bailu, the Luofu's High Elder. She doesn't look anything like you. Don't tell me you think some cheap trick is enough to fool me, little girl?"
"I'd advise you to stop struggling and come with me quietly. Otherwise, I really might have to spank you."
Mebius: ?????
In the end, Mebius restrained herself.
She truly managed not to start a fight with Feixiao.
Because her current persona was that of a lonely, well-behaved little Dragon Sovereign, and she planned on sticking around the Xianzhou for a while. So this time, she would graciously spare Feixiao.
Yes, both Feixiao and the Luofu should be deeply grateful to her.
It was her patience that had saved the Luofu from her wrath.
And so, with the title of "Saintess of Sanctus Medicus" pinned onto her, Mebius was hauled off by Feixiao to Shackling Prison.
Perhaps because of her age, or perhaps because of her supposed saintess status, Feixiao had gone out of her way to arrange a comparatively comfortable room and planned to interrogate her properly before General Jing Yuan arrived.
"Well?" Feixiao sat across from her, arms folded, staring directly at her. "I've treated you pretty well, haven't I? And you still won't talk?"
"You know, all those followers of yours have already been locked up. I'm the only one left with the patience to sit here and keep you company."
Mebius, meanwhile, had no intention of responding.
She casually looked around this so-called "comfortable room."
To be fair, compared to a cell, it did resemble an ordinary guest room. There was a bed, a table, chairs, even a teapot and two plates of pastries on the table.
But no matter how comfortable it was, that did not change the fact that this was still an interrogation room.
"I won't say a word until my lawyer arrives," Mebius said coolly.
Feixiao paused, then burst out laughing.
"A lawyer? Little one, where do you think you are? The stage of the Wardance?"
"Besides, you're a saintess of the Sanctus Medicus. Where exactly are you getting a lawyer from?"
"I told you, I'm not a saintess." Mebius calmly continued, "I was abducted."
"Abducted and turned into a saintess," Feixiao finished for her, her smile widening. "You've already used that excuse."
"It's not an excuse. It's the truth." Mebius lifted the teacup and took a slow sip.
The tea was cold, carrying a faint scent of osmanthus, but the quality was unexpectedly good.
So Feixiao really had not mistreated her—at least not in terms of refreshments.
"Little girl, how old are you?" Feixiao asked again.
"Three."
"Three?" Feixiao blinked, clearly not expecting that answer.
Mebius did look small, yes, but even by the standards of short-life species, she ought to have looked at least around ten.
Three?
Was she seriously being fed a "she's just three years old" line?
Then Feixiao seemed to reach some grand revelation.
"I knew it," she said. "You've got to be one of those old monsters that just looks young, right?"
Mebius: ?????
She had truly had enough.
She could tolerate being called little sister. She could even tolerate people calling her auntie.
But "Grandma Mebius"? Absolutely not.
"That is slander. Utter slander!"
Mebius slammed the teacup back onto the table and shot to her feet.
"I am three years old—a genuine, authentic three!"
"Who are you calling an old monster? Who are you calling a granny?"
This time her voice rose in pure outrage.
Feixiao blinked, plainly not expecting such a strong reaction from what she had thought was a casual tease.
She leaned back in her chair, its front legs lifting off the ground, looking at the tiny, prickly creature before her with open amusement.
"Oh? And a three-year-old gets this worked up when people question her age?"
"Of course I do!" Mebius retorted righteously. "That's an insult to my dignity!"
"Dignity?" Feixiao grinned. "What dignity does a three-year-old even have?"
Mebius: "..."
She inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself.
No. She could not hit her.
She was supposed to be a well-behaved little Dragon Sovereign, a noble guest touring the Luofu—not here to wreck the place.
Even if this Heavenstrike General was genuinely asking for a beating, she would endure it.
Yet Feixiao seemed to find even more "evidence" for her theory.
"If I remember correctly, you Sanctus Medicus people are all pursuing immortality, aren't you?"
"Looks like you've made some real progress. Turning back age like this… impressive."
"This body, these bones—everything about you really does look like a child. Hah. With skills like that, even I might be interested in learning."
Mebius's brows drew together again.
She was about to argue back when hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
"General Feixiao," a Cloud Knight called from outside. "General Jing Yuan has arrived."
Feixiao arched a brow and turned toward the door. "Oh? That fast?"
The door swung open, and Jing Yuan stepped inside.
He wore the same lazy expression as ever, white hair draped loosely over his shoulders, the lines at the corners of his eyes clear under the lamplight.
But those eyes held not a trace of drowsiness. They swept once around the room before settling on Mebius.
Jing Yuan: !!!!!
Feixiao, what exactly are you doing?!
At his side stood Lingsha, her face full of anxious concern.
"Little Dragon Sovereign!" The moment she entered, Lingsha hurried over at once.
Her eyes ran quickly over Mebius from head to toe, and only after confirming that the little girl was not hurt did she finally let out a long breath of relief.
"Are you alright?"
Mebius did not answer immediately.
She lowered her head. Her dragon horns trembled faintly, her shoulders hitching as if she had suffered some unbearable grievance.
And then—
"Waaaahhhhhh—!"
A world-shaking wail erupted inside the "guest room" of Shackling Prison.
It was so loud, so miserable, so heartbreaking that it seemed even louder than the sound of the giant azure dragon snapping its tail at midday.
Feixiao froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the little thing who, just moments ago, had been sitting there calmly drinking tea and negotiating terms with her. Now she had thrown herself into Lingsha's arms and was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.
"Lingsha! She bullied me!" Mebius sobbed as she accused her, her voice breaking with thick, congested misery.
"She called me an old monster! She called me a granny! She even said she was going to spank me!"
Feixiao: "???"
When exactly had she said she would spank her?
Well, alright, technically she had.
But that was a threat! She had not actually done it!
"And she said my dignity didn't matter!" Mebius continued piling it on. "And she insisted I was some Sanctus Medicus saintess and said she was going to lock me up and interrogate me!"
"I explained it and she wouldn't listen! I told her I was abducted and she still wouldn't believe me! She even accused me of being an old monster pretending to be young!"
"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her! Hurry up and teach her a lesson for me!"
Feixiao: "..."
She opened her mouth, wanting to explain herself, only to realize that every word Mebius had just said was technically true.
And only then did Feixiao realize that perhaps the whole situation was not quite what she had assumed it was.
Naturally, she immediately turned toward Jing Yuan for help.
"General Jing Yuan… this little one, she really is that Dragon Sovereign from Yuanqiao?"
Jing Yuan did not answer right away.
Instead, he let out a very deep sigh.
"She is, without question."
Then he turned his gaze to Feixiao, the helplessness in it impossible to miss.
"General Feixiao, did you inform me before acting tonight?"
Feixiao answered immediately, "No."
"I happened upon movement from the Sanctus Medicus and took the opportunity to wipe them out."
"'Took the opportunity'…" Jing Yuan repeated faintly.
To be fair, he had no intention of blaming Feixiao. He knew perfectly well that she had acted for the Luofu's sake.
But the problem was that this matter had somehow involved that little ancestor.
And judging by Mebius's current state, the two of them had clearly had a rather unpleasant encounter.
Sure enough, Lingsha was already furious.
"'Took the opportunity'?" Her voice shot up, and she could no longer suppress the anger in it. "General Feixiao, by your 'taking the opportunity,' you hauled the Little Dragon Sovereign straight into Shackling Prison?"
At that moment, one of Lingsha's arms was wrapped protectively around Mebius, who was still sniffling dramatically, while the other hand patted her back soothingly. Yet her gaze, sharp as blades, was aimed straight at Feixiao.
"The Little Dragon Sovereign is only three years old! Three! Since when has a three-year-old child ever been the saintess of the Sanctus Medicus?"
Feixiao opened her mouth, but Lingsha did not let her get a word in.
"And besides, the Little Dragon Sovereign saved so many people in Exalting Sanctum at midday! The entire Luofu knows it by now! As the Heavenstrike General, did you not bother to learn even the most basic facts before coming to the Luofu?"
"I…" Feixiao actually sounded a little guilty for once. "I only just arrived on the Luofu tonight. I haven't had time to—"
"Haven't had time to understand the situation, but had time to arrest her?" Lingsha pressed on mercilessly. "General Feixiao, I know you are decisive and hate evil, but surely you can't go around acting without the slightest regard for circumstances."
Mebius chose this exact moment to peek out from Lingsha's arms.
Her eyes were red. The tip of her nose was red. Tears still clung to her lashes. She looked pitiful enough to melt stone.
And then she softly added, "Lingsha… she said she was going to spank me…"
A perfectly aimed finishing blow.
Lingsha's expression darkened completely. "Spank you? General Feixiao, were you actually threatening to strike a child?"
"I didn't hit her!" Feixiao blurted out at once. "I just said it! To scare her!"
"To scare her?" Lingsha let out a cold laugh. "You, an Emanator and one of the Alliance's great generals, frightening a three-year-old child? Aren't you afraid of becoming a joke?"
Feixiao: "..."
Now she genuinely had no defense left.
It was absurd. She was the one who had wiped out the Sanctus Medicus hideout, the hero of the night. How had things somehow turned into her being cast as a tyrant bullying children?
Feixiao looked at Jing Yuan again, this time with open plea in her eyes.
She was the Heavenstrike General of the Yaoqing, a veteran of hundreds of years of war. She had weathered every kind of storm imaginable.
But this?
This was completely new.
A three-year-old child was bawling her eyes out and accusing her of bullying.
And on top of that, the child in question was some Yuanqiao Dragon Sovereign.
And on top of that, Jing Yuan clearly was not planning to help her much.
And then—
"Waaahhhhhh—!"
Mebius's crying rose another octave, loud enough to shake dust loose from the ceiling.
"Lingsha! I want to go home! I don't want to stay here! That mean auntie is going to spank me!"
Mean auntie.
Feixiao's eye twitched.
She was not exactly young anymore, yes—but hearing herself called "auntie" by this tiny creature still dealt disproportionate damage.
"Little Dragon Sovereign, please rest assured," Lingsha said gently, continuing to comfort her. "Even if the other party is the Heavenstrike General, Lingsha will absolutely seek justice for you today."
Even while speaking so softly to Mebius, she stared at Feixiao with unmistakable meaning in her eyes.
With no other option, Feixiao could only turn once more to Jing Yuan and ask for help.
"General Jing Yuan, won't you say something for me?"
Jing Yuan, however, could only inwardly sigh.
There was nothing he could do.
To be honest, he was on Mebius's side.
True, he understood Feixiao's temperament very well, and he knew perfectly well that Mebius had absolutely embellished the story.
But the fact that Feixiao had frightened Mebius was undeniably true.
Over the past week, Jing Yuan had already formed a first impression of Mebius.
This was a pitiful child onto whom an entire Xianzhou had placed its hopes.
And she was only three years old. She had even helped the Luofu suppress the Borisin at midday.
How was Feixiao, a great Heavenstrike General, supposed to justify bullying a little child like that?
The trouble was that Feixiao, too, was a guest of the Luofu, and tonight's actions had also been for the Luofu's benefit.
So even if Jing Yuan was inclined to take Mebius's side, at least outwardly he had to keep both sides balanced.
At last he stepped behind Mebius and said, "What happened today was our Luofu's failure as hosts. Miss Mebius was frightened, and for that I apologize."
He paused and turned to Feixiao, helplessness in his tone.
"And General Feixiao has only just arrived and did not understand the circumstances. That is how this misunderstanding came about."
It was a beautifully neutral statement—giving Feixiao an escape route without openly blaming either side.
But Mebius had no intention of letting Feixiao off that easily.
Still peeking out from Lingsha's arms, her eyes red and wet, her voice hoarse and thick from crying, she muttered:
"She still hasn't apologized to me."
Feixiao: "..."
Jing Yuan's gaze shifted to her.
Lingsha's gaze shifted to her.
Even the Cloud Knight peeking in through the doorway had turned his eyes toward her.
Feixiao took a long breath.
"Sorry. I misunderstood you. You are not the saintess of the Sanctus Medicus. It was Green Hibiscus who abducted you first."
"And?" Mebius asked immediately.
"And?" Feixiao repeated blankly.
"You said I was an old monster. You said I was a granny. And you said you'd spank me." Mebius counted each charge off on her fingers. "You haven't apologized for any of those."
Feixiao: "..."
She took a very, very deep breath, then let it out slowly.
"I should not have called you an old monster."
"Mhm."
"I should not have called you a granny."
"Mhm."
"And I should not have said I was going to spank you."
"Mhm."
Only then did Mebius nod in satisfaction. She wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve and finally stood up straight from Lingsha's embrace.
The tears had vanished so quickly it was as though she had a switch hidden somewhere.
Watching that, Feixiao felt an indescribable sensation rise in her chest.
She had the distinct feeling she had just been thoroughly acted by a three-year-old.
But she did not dare say that aloud.
If she did, the little thing might very well cry the roof of Shackling Prison down.
"Enough. Since the misunderstanding has been cleared up, let us leave it there," Jing Yuan said at the right moment, stepping in to smooth things over.
"Lingsha, take Miss Mebius home and let her rest. It is late. I will personally visit tomorrow to make amends."
Lingsha nodded, then bent down and lifted Mebius into her arms.
Mebius did not refuse. On the contrary, she cooperatively wrapped her arms around Lingsha's neck and rested her head against the hollow of her shoulder, looking so obedient it was almost unbelievable.
So obedient, in fact, that she seemed like a completely different person from the little tyrant who had just shaken the room with her crying.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
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TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
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I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter250)
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Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
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Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248
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Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 145
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
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I Can Copy Unique Skills 115
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Checking In in Demon Slayer 85
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100
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Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 80
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 57
The Uma Musume Who Became 55
I'm Definitely Not the King of 60
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I, the Elden Sword Saint 27
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I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 20
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