The flames of rage burned in March 7th's chest, her pretty face flushed red as she was about to retort sharply.
"You're spouting nonsense! How could our Daziel possibly…"
Daziel raised his arm slightly, his warm palm gently covering her lightly trembling shoulder. That steady presence instantly soothed March 7th's nearly explosive agitation.
He signaled her to wait and see how things played out.
Daziel turned his face to look at the frosty Feixiao, the corner of his lips tracing a very faint, yet meaningful arc. He was smiling, yet not smiling, and his calm eyes held a chilling depth.
"General Feixiao, with these words, are you perhaps suspecting me of secretly colluding with the lackeys of Yaoshi, to commit treasonous acts?"
Daziel's tone was even, without a hint of aggression, yet each word landed like a temple bell, striking heavily upon everyone's hearts.
"Or perhaps, the intelligence that the Yaoqing's Tianbai Commission can gather is limited to this level of baseless speculation?"
The moment these words were spoken, it was as if a sharp blade had cut through the air. A muscle in Feixiao's usually cold and proud face finally twitched uncontrollably, the chill in her eyes intensifying.
"Heh, what a sharp tongue! To turn around and accuse my Xianzhou's intelligence of being inadequate?"
Feixiao's phoenix eyes narrowed as she questioned sharply, "Then how will you prove to this general that you have no connection whatsoever with the Borisin, whom everyone wishes to execute?!"
She had truly not expected that this Daziel could remain so calm and composed under her thunderous pressure, and even leisurely turn the tables, throwing the problem back at her.
Hearing this, Daziel's expression did not change in the slightest. His voice was as steady as ever, as if he were recounting an ordinary matter that had nothing to do with him.
"If you two generals are to rashly determine that I am in league with Yaoshi's ilk based solely on the presence of a heart within my body…"
"Such a judgment would be far too arbitrary, and would lack the rigor and fairness befitting a Xianzhou general."
"As for why this heart resides safely within my chest, the profound mysteries it contains cannot be explained in just a few words."
"If you two generals truly insist on delving into this matter, on tracing it back to its source, I'm afraid…"
Daziel's tone suddenly shifted, taking on an unfathomable depth, and his eyes grew dark.
"...then we would need to find a more appropriate method, or perhaps, a more suitable venue, to discuss it in detail."
The already heavy atmosphere in the Seat of Divine Foresight, because of Daziel's pointed words, suddenly became even more subtle and difficult to describe.
In Feixiao's sharp phoenix eyes, a bright light flashed rapidly, as if she were quickly weighing the pros and cons, a hundred thoughts turning in her mind.
The old General Huaiyan, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, was now also lost in a long silence. His old fingers unconsciously rubbed the antique jade thumb ring on his thumb, as if contemplating something.
Daziel's answer was, one might say, watertight. He neither directly denied nor easily admitted anything. Every word and sentence exuded an ineffable mystery and composure.
This posture made it completely impossible to guess his true cards, yet one had to take his words seriously, not daring to show the slightest contempt.
A severe interrogation that was supposed to be aimed at Daziel and March 7th seemed to be quietly deviating from its intended course, sliding towards an unknown direction.
Jing Yuan, who had been watching silently, couldn't help but let the faint smile on his lips deepen a little more, a trace of almost imperceptible approval flashing in his eyes.
Feixiao's tone suddenly sank, like the ice of the ninth abyss, making the already heavy air in the hall even more suffocating.
"The matter of the Heliobus heart is of great importance and has far-reaching implications. This general will not delve into it for the time being."
Her long, narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, the cold light shooting out like two unsheathed sharp swords, once again locking onto Daziel, not missing the slightest change in his facial expression.
"This general still has a third question that requires Mr. Daziel's answer!"
March 7th's heart instantly jumped into her throat. Her palms were sweating from nervousness, and the fingertips gripping Daziel's sleeve turned slightly white from excessive force, almost digging the fabric into his flesh.
Daziel's face remained as calm as water, as if a mountain could collapse before him without him flinching. He simply nodded slightly at Feixiao, indicating for her to continue.
"General Feixiao, feel free to ask."
Feixiao enunciated each word, clear and distinct. Each syllable was like an ice-covered pearl, viciously striking the mirror-smooth jade plate, making a clear and cold sound.
"The reason we suspect you, Daziel, of colluding with the Abominations of Abundance is not based on thin air or baseless speculation."
"Besides the fact that you can safely contain the malevolent heart of a Heliobus, there is another, more crucial piece of evidence."
"According to top-secret intelligence gathered by the Yaoqing's Tianbai Commission at great cost, whether it was on the Xianzhou Luofu, or in the recently pacified Penacony…"
"You, Daziel, have, on more than one occasion, summoned a giant figure that is extremely similar in appearance and characteristics to the Emanator of Destruction, Phantylia!"
"This matter is supported by iron-clad evidence. Shouldn't you also give us, the Xianzhou Alliance, and the entire world, a reasonable explanation?!"
The moment her voice fell, the temperature in the entire hall of the Seat of Divine Foresight seemed to plummet to freezing point in an instant. A tangible, cold, killing aura emanated from Feixiao, bone-chillingly cold, making one shudder without feeling cold!
Hearing this, Daziel's lips slowly curved into an almost mocking arc, a hint of teasing in his eyes.
"General Feixiao, could it be that you have resided in the court of the Xianzhou for so long that you have become a stranger to the popular trends of the universe?"
"Could it be that the general is unaware that there is currently an entertainment game sweeping through thousands of star systems, called 'Aetherium Wars'?"
Daziel's tone was light and dismissive, as if he were just recounting a common street-side gossip. That calm and composed demeanor formed a stark contrast with the tense atmosphere in the hall.
Before his words had faded, Daziel's wrist flipped with a flourish, and an Aether Coin, shimmering with a bright silver light, leaped out as if it had a life of its own.
The coin traced a beautiful arc in mid-air, finally landing perfectly and steadily between his long, strong fingers.
In that instant, a brilliant silver light flashed, and a lifelike miniature phantom of Phantylia materialized above the coin. The details were so realistic that it was almost indistinguishable from the real Phantylia.
At the same time, a series of complex data panels, like a waterfall of iridescent light, jumped and flashed around the phantom, filled with a sense of technological marvel.
Daziel's slender fingertip lightly tapped the miniature phantom of Phantylia, his tone still calm, without a ripple.
"This game, 'Aetherium Wars,' can encode any creature a player has encountered in reality into unique Aether data through special technology."
"This Aether data can then be controlled and dispatched by the player at will within the game. In the end, it's nothing more than some illusory data streams."
"The Phantylia encoded in this Aether Coin of mine has no substantial connection whatsoever with the real Emanator of Destruction, Phantylia, who brings calamity to the universe."
As Daziel said these words, his face was straight, his heart did not beat faster, and his eyes were clear and frank, so open and honest that it was impossible to have even the slightest doubt.
Feixiao's sharp, hawk-like gaze stared intently at the flashing Aether Coin between Daziel's fingers, and the lifelike, ever-moving phantom of Phantylia upon it.
She examined it closely, not missing a single detail. Her delicate brow furrowed slightly in concentration, as if she were trying her best to distinguish the truth from the illusion.
Although the Phantylia phantom was small, both the realism of its form and details, and the characteristics of the data stream flowing around it, completely matched the presentation style of the game "Aetherium Wars."
For a moment, even with Feixiao's sharp eyes and experience, she could not find a single flaw or inconsistency.
The old General Huaiyan, who had remained silent as if he were deep in meditation, now slowly opened his old eyes, which seemed to see through all worldly things.
His slightly hoarse, yet containing a gentle power, aged voice broke the stagnant, iron-like atmosphere in the hall at the right moment.
"What little friend Daziel says is indeed not wrong."
"The game 'Aetherium Wars' is indeed all the rage throughout the universe right now. That good-for-nothing granddaughter in my own mansion is also quite addicted to it, unable to put it down all day."
"With the advanced technology of the Interastral Peace Corporation, it is not an insurmountable task to achieve such detail in encoding biological data."
Although old General Huaiyan's words were plain, they silently added immense weight to Daziel's seemingly unbelievable explanation, almost tantamount to an authoritative certification.
Feixiao still stared intently at the constantly flashing Aether Coin in Daziel's hand, the light in her phoenix eyes flickering erratically, clearly undergoing an intense internal struggle.
With an esteemed old general like Huaiyan personally vouching for him, even if she still had doubts in her heart, she could not stubbornly pursue the matter, otherwise, she would seem ungracious.
After a moment, Feixiao let out a soft sigh. The sigh carried a hint of unconcealable unwillingness and helplessness.
"Since Elder Huaiyan has personally endorsed you, this general, for the time being, indeed cannot find any flaws or strangeness in this matter."
"This third question, we'll consider you passed for now."
She waved her hand with a hint of annoyance, indicating that the matter was temporarily closed and would not be pursued further.
Seeing this, Daziel unhurriedly put away the Aether Coin between his fingers, his expression still as calm as ever, as if the heart-pounding confrontation just now had been nothing more than an ordinary conversation.
"Then, General Feixiao, are there any other questions that require my answer?"
Feixiao took a deep breath, her full chest rising and falling slightly, as if she were trying hard to calm her churning emotions.
"For now… there are no more questions."
Her tone was tinged with an imperceptible fatigue, and perhaps a hint of helplessness.
"My level of civility probably ends here."
Old General Huaiyan's wrinkled, aged face slowly turned to the Feixiao beside him, his gaze peaceful and profound, without a trace of emotion.
"Then, General Feixiao, how do you think this matter should be concluded?"
"The many puzzling points in the report previously submitted by the Luofu, have they now all been given a relatively reasonable explanation?"
Hearing this, Feixiao fell into a brief contemplation. Her sharp gaze swept back and forth between Daziel and March 7th, as if making a final assessment.
"Mr. Daziel's answers just now were clear and logical, and could be considered self-consistent."
"Although there are still some details that are difficult to comprehend and not entirely clear…"
"But judging from the intuition this general has honed over many years of battle, it seems… there is nothing too improper."
However, her tone suddenly shifted. Her originally relaxed gaze suddenly became incomparably sharp, like two tangible cold beams of electricity, shooting straight at the silent Jing Yuan, who had been sitting in the center.
"But! The three questions this general just raised, their true purpose was not just to question these two nameless guests from the Astral Express!"
"More importantly, it was to take this opportunity to convey a certain message from the Xianzhou Alliance high command to you, General Jing Yuan, and to the entire Seat of Divine Foresight of the Luofu!"
The moment these words were spoken, the already eased atmosphere in the hall instantly tensed like a fully drawn bowstring. Everyone's gaze, without exception, converged on General Jing Yuan's calm and steady face.
Feixiao's voice, at this moment, suddenly turned cold. Each word seemed to be wrapped in frost, carrying an absolute authority that could not be questioned.
"First, the remnants of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus were able to become so deeply entrenched within the Xianzhou Luofu, growing in secret to such an extent, yet you, the Six Charioteers, sat idly in your high positions, numb and indifferent, completely unaware, allowing them to grow into a powerful force and poison the Xianzhou! Such negligence is the crime of [Dereliction of Duty]!"
"Second, a taboo object like the Forge of Creation was accidentally shattered, leading to the escape of the Heliobus, which even reached the Shackling Prison, bringing disaster to all life! After the crisis erupted, your handling was inadequate, your response slow. You instead easily entrusted the heavy responsibility of quelling the disaster and saving the Xianzhou to a mere outsider! You even allowed him to easily touch the root of desire, which could have caused an even greater disaster! Such recklessness is the fault of [Irresponsibility]!"
"Third, the Xianzhou Luofu had just experienced two heaven-toppling disasters, the calamity of the Ambrosial Arbor and the Heliobus rampage. At a time when everything was waiting to be rebuilt, instead of thinking about diligent governance and recuperation, you insisted on going your own way, spending huge sums of money to hold the grand 'Xingtian Enwu' ceremony, pushing the internally and externally troubled Xianzhou Luofu back into the storm of universal public opinion, attracting unnecessary suspicion and slander! Such thinking and action is the act of [Lacking Judgment]!"
Three charges, each word piercing the heart, each charge as heavy as a mountain, weighing down on everyone's heart, so heavy it was almost hard to breathe. The air in the hall was so thick it seemed to solidify.
Old General Huaiyan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. His voice was a few shades lower than before, carrying a hint of barely noticeable gravity.
"General of the Sky-Faring, these words of yours, are they your personal opinion…"
"...or do they represent the judgment of the [Ten-Lords Commission] from the Xianzhou Alliance?"
Hearing this, a profound, inscrutable curve touched Feixiao's lips, her eyes dark and unreadable.
"I think that from the moment this general stepped into this hall of the Seat of Divine Foresight, my intentions were already made clear enough."
"The questions I raised, the charges I listed, may not necessarily be equivalent to what I truly believe in my own heart."
She lightly kicked the hot potato back to the crowd, her posture subtle, making it difficult to grasp her true intentions.
A barely perceptible ripple finally appeared on Jing Yuan's face, which had been as calm as an ancient well.
He slowly put down the teacup he had been rubbing in his hand. The bottom of the porcelain cup clinked lightly against the tabletop, the sound exceptionally clear in the deathly silent hall.
Jing Yuan's voice was still gentle, yet it carried an unquestionable, steady power, slowly echoing in the hall.
"The power of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the depth of their infiltration on the Luofu, and the length of their plotting, indeed far exceeded my initial expectations. In failing to detect their conspiracy in time, I am indeed at fault and cannot shirk my responsibility."
"However, the subsequent outbreak of the Heliobus disturbance was rooted in the accidental shattering of the Forge of Creation. This matter should fall under the jurisdiction of the Ten-Lords Commission. After the Heliobus got out of control, I also personally led the Cloud Knights at the first opportunity to provide swift aid, doing my utmost to control the spread of the disaster."
"In this matter, I believe I have done my best and have a clear conscience."
He paused slightly, his deep gaze calmly sweeping over the various expressions of the people in the hall, before continuing in a clear voice.
"As for the 'Xingtian Enwu' ceremony mentioned by General Feixiao… how could I not know the great risks of holding such a grand event at such an extraordinary time, of opening the doors to thieves and inviting wolves into the house?"
"However, risk and opportunity often go hand in hand. In crisis, there are often unexpected turns of events."
"The seemingly calm waters of the Xianzhou Luofu have, in reality, been stagnant for far too long. It is time to take this opportunity to thoroughly stir this stagnant water."
"Only in this way can we make all the hidden dregs and remnants that have been lurking beneath the surface rise to the top, to be exposed under the bright light of day! And it is also a good opportunity to use thunderous means to clear the murky waters, to wash away the dust, and to reshape a bright and clear future for the Xianzhou Luofu!"
Jing Yuan's tone was calm and unhurried throughout, each word a gem. Every syllable exuded an absolute confidence and magnificent spirit of a master strategist in control of the overall situation.
After hearing Jing Yuan's impassioned speech, a flash of unconcealable admiration involuntarily appeared in Feixiao's sharp phoenix eyes.
"The General of the Divine Foresight is indeed a man of culture. With just a few words, he has quoted classics and is comparable to a walking encyclopedia of Xianzhou idioms. This eloquence and vision, this general… likes it very much."
However, her tone suddenly shifted. The trace of admiration from before instantly vanished, replaced by an even colder chill.
"But, it is very regrettable. Since the day the detailed report on the calamity of the Ambrosial Arbor and the Heliobus was submitted to the Xianzhou Alliance headquarters, the entire Alliance has been filled with various rumors and baseless speculations against the Luofu, and against you, General Jing Yuan."
"Even within the Xianzhou Luofu itself, there are many pedantic and ill-intentioned people who have submitted memorials directly accusing you, General Jing Yuan, of dereliction of duty and negligence, which ultimately led to the resurgence of the Ambrosial Arbor calamity, nearly causing a monstrous disaster!"
An invisible pressure, like a tidal wave, once again surged towards General Jing Yuan, and the atmosphere in the hall once again solidified.
Jing Yuan's expression remained unchanged. He even gave Feixiao a faint smile, a smile that held a hint of all-seeing understanding.
"Then, in your opinion, General Feixiao, how do you view this flood of public opinion?"
He lightly kicked the extremely sharp question directly back to his imposing colleague.
Feixiao's sharp phoenix eyes stared intently at Jing Yuan. In the depths of her eyes, complex emotions fiercely intertwined and churned—there seemed to be struggle, there seemed to be weighing.
After a long time, so long that the air seemed to freeze, the sharp, piercing, almost tearing aura that had been emanating from her since the beginning, like a receding tide, slowly withdrew.
"Since we are both Sky-Faring Generals in charge of a Xianzhou ship, we naturally know better than anyone how difficult it is to sit firmly in this chair that symbolizes supreme authority."
Her voice, at this moment, surprisingly, carried a rare hint of understanding and approval that seemed to come from the bottom of her heart.
"In Feixiao's view,"
Feixiao continued, her tone so peaceful it was unbelievable, a complete contrast to her previous imposing demeanor.
"Those so-called accusations and memorials, those attacks and criticisms from all directions, are all nothing more than the meaningless buzzing of short-sighted flies, not worth a single mention."
"How can onlookers, separated by the boundless sea of stars, thousands of light-years away, truly know what kind of heart-stopping events have occurred on the Xianzhou Luofu? Only you, General of the Divine Foresight Jing Yuan, know best the myriad dangers experienced, and the profound significance behind them that could affect the future direction of the entire Xianzhou Alliance."
These unexpected words, like a clap of thunder on a clear day, made the hearts of everyone in the hall who heard them tremble violently. They were all stunned, their faces showing looks of disbelief.
Hearing this, the corners of Jing Yuan's mouth, which had been tightly pursed from bearing immense pressure, finally relaxed slowly, forming a relieved, genuine smile.
"For General Feixiao to say so, I… am completely at ease."
March 7th, who had been forcibly suppressing her anger all this time, could no longer hold it in. The feeling of being played with erupted like a volcano!
She put her hands on her hips, her willow-like eyebrows standing on end, her almond eyes wide. She glared fiercely at Feixiao, whose expression had now softened, her voice crisp and loud, filled with the anger of being trifled with.
"So after all this, after going around in such a big circle! In the end, this was just about your own internal conflicts and power struggles among you Xianzhou people!"
"So you all put on that imposing act before, looking like you wanted to eat us alive, just to use us as pawns, to play with us for fun, is that it?! How can you Xianzhou people bully people like this!"
The little girl's pink cheeks were flushed red with anger, her chest heaving violently from her rapid breathing. She was clearly aggrieved to the extreme.
Feixiao turned her head to look at the furious March 7th. On her usually cold and hard face, a rare expression of apology actually appeared.
"This matter, it is indeed this general who did not consider it thoroughly beforehand and has offended you. I hope Miss March 7th can forgive me."
"Now that the relevant testimonies have all been completed, you may all come and go freely within the territory of our Xianzhou Luofu. The Luofu will treat you with the highest courtesy, and will not dare to show the slightest neglect or disrespect."
She nodded slightly, her posture lowered. She seemed quite sincere, a complete contrast to the high-and-mighty Sky-Faring General from before.
March 7th opened her little mouth. The huge pile of rebukes and complaints she had prepared, in the face of the other party's sudden, sincere apology, seemed to have nowhere to be vented, and were forcibly swallowed back down.
"That… that's just… it?!
She looked at the still calm and composed Daziel, then at the smiling General Jing Yuan, her little face filled with disbelief and confusion.
The tense atmosphere from before, which had almost torn people apart, how… how could it just dissipate so easily, as if it had never happened at all?
This change was too fast!
In the Seat of Divine Foresight, the air, which had been slightly relaxed by the previous war of words, had not yet flowed for more than a few breaths.
"Hold on! This matter absolutely cannot be concluded so hastily!"
A sharp male voice, hoarse yet carrying an unignorable anxiety, suddenly tore through the brief silence like a sharp arrow, making one's heart jump.
Everyone's gaze followed the sound in unison. In the reception area to the side of the hall, a figure stumbled out.
It was a fox-man dressed in an elegant strategist's robe. His fluffy, soft pink hair was slightly disheveled, and his handsome face was now twisted with extreme anxiety and a deep plea, his eyes bloodshot.
"This subordinate… this subordinate is Jiaoqiu."
The fox-man rushed to the center of the hall in a few quick steps. As his robes flew, he bowed deeply to the people in the high seats, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"I am currently a field medic under the command of the Yaoqing's [Sky-Faring General] Feixiao, and also one of the general's aides."
Jiaoqiu's voice was not loud, but each word seemed to be squeezed from between his teeth, carrying a heavy weight, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.
"Jiaoqiu is well aware that on such an occasion, with the generals making their decisions, there is no room for a mere subordinate like me to speak. However… however, this matter is of great importance…"
Feixiao's already softened phoenix eyes suddenly narrowed, a cold light shooting out. Her tone was as cold as ice as she sharply rebuked, "Jiaoqiu! How audacious! Retreat at once!"
The fox-man named Jiaoqiu's body trembled violently at this sharp rebuke, his thin shoulders shaking slightly.
But not only did he not retreat a single step, but as if he had made some kind of decision, he suddenly straightened his slightly thin back, his voice abruptly rising several degrees, carrying a desperate resolve.
"Today, Jiaoqiu dares to make an impertinent request to all of you, and to Mr. Daziel!"
Jiaoqiu's crimson vulpine eyes now burned with an almost insane fire, staring intently at the calm Daziel, as if he were the only piece of driftwood in a vast sea.
The moment these words were spoken, the air in the entire hall of the Seat of Divine Foresight instantly solidified!
General Jing Yuan's hand, which was holding his cup, paused slightly. The corners of his lips quirked up almost imperceptibly, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
The old General Huaiyan, who had been silent all along, also slowly turned his aged head, a glimmer of inquiry in his cloudy old eyes.
Jiaoqiu's breathing became heavier and more rapid, his chest heaving violently. His voice, from extreme earnestness, took on a heart-stopping tremor, almost like a plea of blood.
"My lord… General Feixiao… she is… terminally ill! Her life is in imminent danger!"
"This subordinate… this subordinate has exhausted my efforts, poring over countless ancient texts and secret records of the Xianzhou Alliance, searching the universe for rare prescriptions and strange medicines, all to no avail!"
"Until… until these past few days, I finally found a clue in a fragmented ancient scroll… the only chance of survival, the only antidote to reverse this fatal affliction, is very likely… very likely hidden within… the heart of that Borisin beast, the Heliobus!"
Feixiao's heroic face was now ashen, then turned pale. Her full chest heaved violently from suppressed anger and an ineffable embarrassment. She sharply interrupted, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Jiaoqiu! Shut up! Do not… do not speak nonsense here and mislead everyone!"
She was clearly at the end of her rope, yet also flustered from having her secret exposed.
But Jiaoqiu seemed to turn a deaf ear. His knees went weak, and with a "thud," he knelt heavily on the ground, the hard jade tiles making a dull echo.
He still stubbornly faced Daziel's direction, his voice hoarse and mournful.
"My lord's words earlier were offensive, but it was because she had no choice. And given her pride and status as the Sky-Faring General, she would never lower herself to ask you, Mr. Daziel, to investigate the heart."
"But Jiaoqiu is different! My life is worthless, not worth mentioning!"
He suddenly lunged forward, slamming his head on the ground. His forehead collided with the cold, hard tiles with a sickening "thump," and blood immediately seeped from his brow.
"I implore Mr. Daziel to show great compassion, to grant a sliver of life, to save my lord! To save the Xianzhou Yaoqing!"
"Afterwards… afterwards, no matter what price must be paid, no matter what astonishing compensation and gratitude the Xianzhou Yaoqing must give to the Nameless, we…"
"The Xianzhou Yaoqing will bear it all! Even if it means giving everything we have, we will not hesitate!"
Jiaoqiu prostrated on the ground, his thin body trembling, yet his low and hoarse voice was filled with a sharp, unquestionable fierceness and resolve.
Feixiao's face turned from green to white, anger, shame, helplessness, and a deeply hidden despair churning in her sharp phoenix eyes, finally turning into a sigh that was almost inaudible.
"I… have made a fool of myself before you all."
Feixiao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the churning emotions in her heart, trying to maintain the last bit of decency as a general, but her voice was still filled with an unconcealable difficulty.
"Hold on, General Feixiao."
A clear and calm voice, unhurried, sounded at just the right moment, interrupting Feixiao's unfinished words.
The gazes of everyone in the Seat of Divine Foresight, as if pulled by invisible strings, all converged on the source of the voice—Daziel.
Daziel's expression was still calm, his deep eyes like a dark pool, showing no trace of joy or anger, as if the shocking turn of events before him had nothing to do with him at all.
"This aide of yours is indeed a rare example of loyalty and devotion. It is moving."
Daziel's gaze, as if casually, turned to the complex-faced Feixiao. A faint curve formed on his lips, but his eyes held a hint of intriguing inquiry.
"The hidden illness you carry, General Feixiao, I have heard a little about it before."
"As for this Heliobus heart, to be honest, it is not something indispensable to me. Keeping it is of little use, and discarding it is no great loss."
"If… it can truly be of some benefit to your condition, if it can save your life…"
This was true. After all, a blessing that wasn't even at the Emanator level, besides making his body slightly more energetic and his vitality more vigorous, this Heliobus heart really had no other use.
The curve on Daziel's lips deepened slightly, a hard-to-read dark light flashing in his eyes. His words were shocking, earth-shattering.
"Then, a mere heart, giving it to you is… no big deal."
"Wh-what?!"
Feixiao had not yet recovered from her shock when March 7th beside her couldn't hold back and cried out in alarm. Her voice was so high with disbelief that it cracked, even taking on a sharp edge!
March 7th's big, watery eyes widened, staring at Daziel as if trying to see a flower bloom on his face.
"Daziel! Are… are you insane?! That's… that's the spoils of war you barely survived, risking your life to get from the Heliobus!"
"How can you… how can you just give it away so lightly?!"
"And… and this woman! This Feixiao! She… she was so imposing and unreasonable to us just now! You… how could you…"
The young girl's pink cheeks were puffed out, her chest heaving violently from her rapid breathing. Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice was tinged with an aggrieved sob. She was clearly heartbroken to the extreme.
Daziel turned his handsome face slightly and leaned towards March 7th's small ear. His warm breath brushed her sensitive earlobe, making the little girl shiver.
"It's alright, March."
Daziel's voice was extremely low, like a lover's whisper, audible only to the two of them, carrying a reassuring magnetism.
March 7th's body stiffened slightly. She looked up at Daziel with her big, watery eyes.
In the depths of Daziel's deep, star-like eyes, a profound, inscrutable dark light was now flashing, making it completely impossible to see what he was thinking.
After gently calming the emotional March 7th, Daziel turned his gaze back to the still deeply shocked and confused Feixiao.
At this moment, Feixiao's sharp phoenix eyes were filled with incredible disbelief and deep confusion. She clearly had never expected Daziel to be so…
so easily agree to such a request, which was almost tantamount to cutting off his own flesh to feed a tiger.
The faint curve on Daziel's lips now deepened a little, revealing a hint of amusement and teasing.
"However…"
Daziel's tone suddenly shifted, now laced with a hard-to-read laziness and playfulness, like a cat about to play with its prey.
"This matter… is, after all, of great importance, and it concerns your privacy, General."
"If… it is truly necessary to inspect this heart, to explore its mysteries…"
Daziel's gaze, like a physical weight, with a hint of subtle aggression, lightly swept over Feixiao's tall, straight, and exquisitely curved body.
That gaze was deep and inscrutable, as if it could easily pierce through all her armor and disguise, straight to the depths of her soul.
"Then… it must be done by you, General Feixiao, alone, dismissing all others… with me, in private."
"I wonder… General Feixiao, are you… willing to agree?"
The end of Daziel's sentence lifted slightly, carrying a deep, one might even say… ambiguous provocation, and an unquestionable sense of control.
In the hall of the Seat of Divine Foresight, the air, in that instant, seemed to have been completely sucked out, once again solidifying like iron, so oppressive it was almost suffocating!
On Daziel's face, at this moment, was a clear expression of someone who had everything in the palm of his hand, completely under his control.
In the depths of his calm eyes, there was a chilling, unfathomable darkness.
Feixiao stood rooted to the spot, her heart as if being tossed by a monstrous wave, churning violently, almost overwhelming her reason.
She stared intently at Daziel, trying to read even the slightest hint of his true intentions from his handsome, almost demonic face.
However, Daziel's face was calm, like a thousand-year-old, unmelting frozen pool, deep and dark, not revealing a single emotion.
Jiaoqiu, who was prostrated on the ground, now suddenly raised his head. In his eyes, which were slightly pale from blood loss, an incomparably ecstatic and hopeful light burst forth, as if a drowning man had grabbed a life-saving straw.
"General! This… this is a god-sent opportunity! General…"
Feixiao suddenly raised her hand, her gesture decisive, stopping Jiaoqiu's excited, unfinished words.
Her long, narrow phoenix eyes now narrowed slightly, like a female hawk poised to strike, with extreme vigilance and prudence, locking onto Daziel.
This man named Daziel, his thoughts were so deep, his methods so unpredictable, far more terrifying than she could have ever imagined!
"…A private… inspection?" Feixiao's voice, due to the intense turmoil of her emotions, was somewhat hoarse and dry. Each word seemed to exhaust all her strength.
Daziel nodded lightly, the smile on his lips not diminishing in the slightest, instead becoming even more profound and inscrutable.
"Precisely."
"The secrets hidden within this Heliobus heart, its dangers and mysteries, are far beyond what ordinary people can probe and bear."
"Without absolute privacy and focus, the slightest carelessness could lead to unimaginable consequences."
"General Feixiao, your decision… what is it?"
This seemingly simple condition was like an invisible chain, a sweet trap, placing all the initiative firmly, unquestionably, in Daziel's hands.
General Jing Yuan, who had been sitting upright without moving as if he were an outsider, now had the faint smile on his lips deepen a little more.
Old General Huaiyan's withered hand, which had been stroking his white beard, also paused slightly. In his cloudy old eyes that had seen through the world, a barely perceptible sharp glint flashed by.
March 7th still pouted her pink lips, her face full of reluctance and worry, but seeing Daziel's confident, in-control appearance, she could only forcibly suppress the anxiety and doubt in her heart and choose to trust his judgment.
Feixiao was silent for a long, long time.
In the entire hall of the Seat of Divine Foresight, you could hear a pin drop. Only the suppressed breaths of the crowd rose and fell in the deathly silent air.
Feixiao could clearly feel the gaze from Jiaoqiu, which was almost burning through her back, burning with endless anticipation and pleading.
She could even more clearly feel the attitude from Daziel, which seemed gentle and polite, but actually carried an irresistible, powerful pressure and desire for control.
Finally, Feixiao slowly, deeply, took a breath. That breath seemed to have drawn out all the air in her chest, and also seemed to have made her make some kind of desperate decision.
"Fine."
A single word, incomparably clear, sonorous and forceful, carrying a hint of desperate resolve.
"This general… agrees to your condition."
The smile on Daziel's face, the moment he heard this word, became brighter and more brilliant, like the first melting of ice and snow, the blooming of flowers in spring.
"Excellent, excellent."
"Then, the specific time and place will be decided entirely by you, General Feixiao."
Daziel's posture was still calm and composed, elegant and proper, as if he were just going to an unimportant, even somewhat ambiguous, ordinary date.
Hearing this, Jiaoqiu was overjoyed, so excited he could hardly contain himself. He repeatedly bowed to Daziel, his words incoherent.
"Thank you, Mr. Daziel! Thank you, Mr. Daziel, for your great kindness in saving her life! This kindness and virtue, the Xianzhou Yaoqing will never forget for all eternity!"
Feixiao glared fiercely at the composed Jiaoqiu. Only then did Jiaoqiu, as if waking from a dream, quickly compose the ecstatic expression on his face, but the joy and excitement in his brow could not be hidden.
March 7th quietly moved to Daziel's side, lowered her voice, and whispered in his ear with deep curiosity and a hint of imperceptible worry.
"Hey, Daziel, you guy… what are you really planning?
"You're just giving her that Heliobus heart so easily? What if… what if she takes it and then turns on you, or…"
Daziel extended his long fingers and, with a hint of doting, lightly flicked March 7th's smooth, full forehead, the gesture intimate.
"Don't worry."
"When have I ever made a losing deal?"
In the depths of Daziel's eyes, a dark light, like that of a top predator toying with its prey, flickered dangerously, making one shudder.
Feixiao forcibly calmed the still surging waves in her chest. Her gaze became sharp and complex again as she stared deeply at Daziel.
"Tonight, at the third quarter of the Zi hour, I will personally wait for Mr. Daziel in the reception chamber exclusively for the Xianzhou Yaoqing."
"At that time, within the quiet room, there will be… only you and me."
Daziel smiled and nodded lightly, his voice gentle yet carrying an unquestionable certainty.
"It's a deal."
This sudden, earth-shattering turn of events had completely changed the flavor of the originally severe interrogation of Daziel and March 7th, leading it in a bizarre direction that no one could have predicted.
No one could have foreseen that the situation would develop to such a dramatic, so unbelievable a degree.
Seeing this, General Jing Yuan cleared his throat lightly at the right moment, breaking the subtle and tense atmosphere in the hall, his voice still gentle.
"Hehe, since all misunderstandings have been cleared up, and it was not easy for our two Nameless guests to come from afar, why not stay on our Xianzhou Luofu for a few more days to enjoy the scenery of the Xianzhou."
"In a few days, the 'Xingtian Enwu' grand event will officially begin. At that time, there will also be many rare and strange sights worth seeing."
Daziel's gaze turned to the smiling General Jing Yuan, a modest smile also on his lips as he graciously accepted.
"In that case, thank you very much for your gracious invitation, General Jing Yuan."
"March and I will definitely linger on the Luofu for a while to fully experience the customs of the Xianzhou."
Hearing this, March 7th's little worries and doubts were instantly swept away.
The thought of being able to play freely on the bustling and beautiful Xianzhou Luofu again, to taste all kinds of long-coveted delicacies, brought an expression of incomparable excitement and anticipation to March 7th's cute little face.
"That's great! Yay! The specialty snacks of the Luofu, and all those new and interesting things, I've been missing them so much!"
Feixiao and Jiaoqiu, after reaching their agreement, respectfully took their leave from General Jing Yuan, old General Huaiyan, and the others.
Before leaving, Feixiao's complex phoenix eyes once again stared deeply, unblinkingly, at Daziel.
Her gaze contained so many ineffable emotions—gratitude, vigilance, confusion, and also a hint of…
a strange anticipation that even she herself had not noticed.
Daziel met her gaze frankly, his eyes clear, without flinching, a faint, inscrutable smile always on his lips.
After the figures of Feixiao and Jiaoqiu had completely disappeared beyond the heavy gates of the Seat of Divine Foresight, old General Huaiyan, who had been silent all along, finally slowly turned his head. His old eyes, which sparkled with the wise light of one who had seen through everything, looked at Daziel and spoke slowly.
"Little friend Daziel… you truly are… deeply hidden, a sight to behold."
In the old general's aged, hoarse voice, there was a hint of sincere admiration and a certain ineffable complexity.
Hearing this, Daziel just smiled modestly, his posture neither servile nor overbearing.
"Elder Huaiyan overpraises me."
"This junior just happened to be at the right place at the right time, and pushed the boat with the current, doing a small favor to help someone. It's not worth mentioning."
General Jing Yuan beside him was now also gazing at Daziel with deep meaning, the smile at the corner of his lips growing even more profound and inscrutable.
"Hehe, I'm afraid… little friend Daziel, the deep meaning and scheme hidden behind this 'favor to help someone' of yours is by no means as simple and pure as it appears on the surface."
Daziel just smiled and said nothing, keeping all his unfinished words, all his earth-shattering secrets, deeply hidden behind his deep eyes.
A storm, it seemed, had subsided.
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