In one of Senti's numerous jobs, she patrolled the night market, ensuring the safety of those returning home late.
She caught a thief that evening.
After tossing the unconscious and bruised thief into custody, Kiana invited Fu Hua for kebabs—not for any particular reason; mainly because managing trade, public welfare, law enforcement, and security fell under her responsibilities.
"Can you drink?"
"The old fossil and Little Fuxi both forbid me from alcohol..."
"Aww, poor you! In that case, I'll indulge myself while you enjoy your tea, ha ha ha!"
Amidst the bustling voices at the lively restaurant, Kiana raised her cup, downed it with a gulp, and let out a contented sigh.
"Ahh! This is what life's all about!"
"...Is it really that good?" Senti held her teacup, swallowing nervously, feeling slightly tempted.
Kiana glanced sideways and draped her arm around Senti's shoulders, boldly encouraging her.
"Oh, immortal one, life is long and filled with myriad experiences. Never should fine food and exquisite wine be neglected. Are you sure you won't give it a try?"
"...Nope! If I do, that sly Zeke will surely tattle, and then both the old fossil and Little Fuxi would get furious." Senti pouted dejectedly.
As for how Zeke might find out if she drank—Little Fuxi had clearly warned her before parting ways. Senti wasn't naive; she knew well that Zeke was still closely observing her. It would indeed be surprising if he didn't keep tabs on her secretly!
While feeling naturally annoyed, Senti couldn't do much about that cunning guy for now. Since she hadn't detected any specific means of surveillance, it was best to simply ignore him.
"Well, I can't really understand your situation anyway. But cheers to you both!" Kiana laughed heartily and downed another cup with gusto.
Senti blinked, then asked blankly, "Cheers to us for what?"
"Cheers to your arrival here, cheers to the changes you've brought! Regardless of where you come from or what you seek, I genuinely thank you."
"Huh? Have you had too much? You went from being an imperial prince to just a working official, even losing your palace and treasure vault. And you're thanking us?"
"That doesn't matter. In any case, thank you! Here's another toast!"
Kiana wore an inexplicable joy on her face as she continued pouring drink after drink for herself.
The barbecue session and drinking lasted until the night market nearly shut down, with no lights left outside. Finally, with a mix of amusement and exasperation, Senti helped the tipsy Kiana out of the stall.
Remarkably, their table remained spotless, without a single leftover dish.
"Hey! Do you still remember how to get home?"
"How...how do we go? Oh, take Chenghua Avenue, then head towards Erxian... burp... Erxian Bridge..."
"That leads to your palace! Your palace is gone!"
"Huh? Out of wine already? How could it be? There's still plenty left, let's keep drinking! Ha ha ha!"
Kiana vigorously pounded Senti's back with resounding thuds.
Unfazed, Senti noticed that the stone slabs beneath her feet began to crack under the force.
"Just like my Kia, you've got quite a sturdy body."
Senti murmured quietly.
In the next moment, Kiana abruptly doubled over, retching uncontrollably before crouching down. Her eyes turned red, and large tears streamed continuously down her cheeks.
"Hey, what's wrong?!"
"I...I remember this place... It was here where I saw so many...so many people starving to death. The guards said they were peasants fleeing from famine, but even the Imperial City had no surplus food for relief... But...but my father continued hosting banquets for ministers, and maids served me lavish meals every day... It's all...all my fault."
Sniffling between sobs, Kiana recounted haltingly, her voice suddenly fading away at one point.
Senti squatted down and gently patted her shoulder.
"Hey, Kiana? Second Prince? Don't tell me you fell asleep just like this! Seriously, I really don't know where your home is!"
Rolling her eyes, Senti resigned herself and hoisted Kiana onto her shoulders.
As they were about to leave, Senti scanned their surroundings and stood silently for a moment.
"Did many people starve to death?"
"Sigh!"
A soft sigh echoed through the night. Then, with Kiana still over her shoulder, Senti headed towards the imperial palace.
In the imperial palace, within the Council Hall...
After weeks of relentless overtime, Zhuge Kongming finally managed to wrap up her immediate affairs. She promptly contacted Rita and Durandal, summoning them to meet with Zeke to discuss strategies against the Variant Beast Hound of Heaven.
While uncertain about the exact day the xenobeast would emerge, Zhuge Kongming's calculations indicated that time was running short; they needed a plan urgently.
She meticulously shared all the intelligence on the Hound of Heaven she had gathered through divination techniques and other methods. Additionally, she explained her strategy: setting arrays across various locations to lure the beast to the Deep Sea Altar, where its power could be suppressed by the boundless lunar energy of the ocean.
Finally, she turned towards Zeke, who sat quietly atop the throne—though he stifled a bored yawn—and spoke with a forced smile:
"Your Majesty, this is the current situation. May I inquire what your plans are?"
This very emperor, who had agreed to assist in eliminating the Hound of Heaven as part of their arrangement, had shown no interest in tracking the beast's developments during this period. Instead, it was Zhuge Kongming who found herself overwhelmed with intricate details and preparations.
Zhuge Kongming suspected that Emperor Zeke might be planning to freeload off her efforts!
Yet, they couldn't afford to confront him outright. The emperor now wielded the entire nation's power, and Zhuge Kongming had lost the opportunity to execute their original plan for luring and eliminating the threat. At this moment, dealing with the Hound of Heaven truly hinged on Emperor Zeke—of course, Zhuge Kongming wouldn't underestimate Senti's unfathomable strength either. However, even this immortal followed Zeke's lead!
"Have Durandal lead the army to meet the threat. With the New Army's capabilities, bolstered by Profound Gate artifacts and assistance from the Hall of Heroes, we will prevail," Zeke stated, showing signs of fatigue on his face. It seemed he had been overworking lately, barely remembering when he last slept. Perhaps he should find some time for a brief nap? Despite his robust physical endurance, mental exhaustion could still set in.
While Zeke was momentarily lost in thought, Zhuge Kongming grew visibly upset.
"Your Majesty, many lives will be lost! I've also learned about the Hall of Heroes; it's not an infinite resurrection artifact, requiring immense resources. There's no way all participating soldiers can survive unscathed!"
"As expected, you're still just a child."
"You... Your Majesty, what do you mean?"
"Why don't you ask Durandal and Rita instead? They can tell you whether this battle can be won and if it ought to be fought."
Zeke pointed at Rita and Durandal, their expressions unfazed, and remarked lazily.
Indeed, with Zeke's intervention, eliminating the Hounds of Heaven without any casualties would be feasible. He had thoroughly investigated these xenobeasts; while formidable, they were comparable to Emperor-class Honkai Beasts at most. At best, they might barely reach the level of Herrschers, but no stronger, lest the entire world bubble crumble under their power. Creatures like these could be effortlessly wiped out by Zeke.
But how could Huang State overcome its fear of xenobeasts? How swiftly could it shed the imprints of the old era and firmly establish the spirit of a new age? And how could the imperial army's dignity and confidence be securely built?
Education and propaganda could address these deep-rooted issues, but that approach would take too long, unable to keep pace with the rapidly advancing productivity and evolving social landscape. Moreover, such methods would ultimately lack tangible support.
The ideal solution, undoubtedly, was a landmark war capturing the attention and involvement of the entire Empire—a resounding victory unprecedented in history. What better opportunity than annihilating the xenobeaasts, crushing them like brittle debris?
Thus, Guanxing feared the sacrifices involved, while Rita and Durandal, I suspect, have long been impatient for this war.
"Rita, Durandal, you two..."
Guanxing's eyelids fluttered slightly as she turned to look at the silent Rita and Durandal, gradually grasping these factors she hadn't previously considered.