"Mhm, okay, I get it. So, Caroline, you feel that Xing is hiding something from you."
"And even though you have no proof, you think it might have some negative effect on you, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
After hearing the whole story, Jing Liuli was silent for a few seconds before suddenly clapping her hands.
"I get it!"
Perhaps due to her excitement, Caroline heard a muffled thump from the data terminal.
The sound was like something heavy hitting a soft surface, which made Caroline curious.
"What's wrong, Liuli? Did something happen over there?"
"N-nothing. Just… just a pillow accidentally fell on the floor…"
Jing Liuli's voice was a bit muffled, and she was taking sharp breaths. It was clear that something had happened, but she was pretending everything was fine.
Caroline frowned. Based on her subconscious data analysis, the muffled thump had a certain weight to it that didn't sound like a "soft pillow" at all. It sounded more like someone, out of overexcitement, had accidentally fallen off their bed and landed hard on the carpet.
On the other end of the data terminal, a certain someone was on the floor rubbing her butt, wincing in pain, with tears almost falling from her eyes. But to maintain her image as a "life mentor" and "New Federation's top celebrity," she stubbornly refused to say anything.
She was truly suffering for the sake of her reputation.
To maintain her glorious image, Jing Liuli deliberately cleared her throat and said in a cheerful voice, "Caroline, don't mind me. I bet Chen Xing is in some kind of trouble, but she's too embarrassed to tell you, so she's being all hesitant about it."
"Is that so…"
Although the two of them were only talking via voice chat, Caroline felt as if she could see Jing Liuli's confident face through the cold data.
"Of course it is!"
Before Caroline could finish her sentence, Jing Liuli added in a decisive tone, "Caroline, think about it. With Xing's stubborn personality, if she wasn't in some very tricky situation, would she be talking to you late at night for no reason?"
"And from my years of experience, the problem Xing is facing this time is definitely not a combat-related one."
"Otherwise, with her strength and personality, forget about talking to you late at night, she'd probably be busy scattering her enemy's ashes right now!"
"…"
Although Jing Liuli's tone sounded a little foolish, Caroline had to admit that when it came to "Chen Xing Studies," Jing Liuli was truly a professional.
Because she had been bullied by Chen Xing since she was a child, she was indeed the person among the children of the stars who understood her the most. Her understanding was even deeper than Chen Xing's own younger brother, Chen Kong.
A non-combat-related problem?
Caroline's mind suddenly brought up something her master, Anite, had unintentionally mentioned years ago about Chen Xing's special "Star Core: Bloodflame." Everyone thought that the core of Chen Xing's "Bloodflame" was the blood in her body. But only a very small number of people knew that her true Star Core was the "Demonic Sword" that she always carried with her.
Due to the special nature of the Demonic Sword, Chen Xing had always faced a very tricky problem. The Demonic Sword needed to constantly fight and devour the souls and blood of its enemies to grow. However, the more enemies the Demonic Sword devoured, the greater its influence on Chen Xing would be. And once the balance between her and the sword reached a certain tipping point, there would only be two paths left for Chen Xing.
One path was for her to completely subdue the Demonic Sword.
The other was for her to be subdued by the Demonic Sword.
According to Master Anite, Chen Xing would only be able to completely subdue the Demonic Sword and achieve true "human-sword unity" after completing a "Nirvana." But this process was too dangerous, so much so that even he, the strongest Star Envoy of his time, couldn't say whether Chen Xing would succeed.
If she succeeded, it would be a joyous outcome. But if Chen Xing failed, things would get very troublesome. Because at that point, she would be completely enslaved by the Demonic Sword and become a "sword slave" with no emotions, who only knew how to kill.
And Chen Xing's talent was so powerful that if she became a "sword slave," she would likely become the most powerful "disaster" of the New Federation in the past fifty years.
So, to prevent this from happening, when Chen Xing decided to have that crucial battle, there had to be a "supervisor" with her to eliminate her the moment she failed.
Although Chen Xing's talent was astonishing, Caroline thought it would take at least five years for her to reach that point, assuming nothing went wrong in the meantime.
Chen Xing's abnormal behavior tonight must be because she wanted her to be that "supervisor."
But she felt it was a cruel thing to ask of her, which was why she hesitated for so long and never said the words.
With that thought, Caroline said, "Thank you, Liuli. I think I know what Xing is hiding from me now."
"Huh? What is it?"
"That's not something I can tell you. It's Xing's private matter, after all."
"Hmph, if you won't tell me, I'll go ask her myself!"
With that, Jing Liuli angrily hung up the data terminal. The feeling of her best friends having a secret she wasn't privy to was more unbearable than not getting an extra bowl of pudding! She had to find out what the secret was, or she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight!
[Late at night, Steam City, Gear Tower]
[Inside the luxurious room arranged for Chen Xing by the Star Envoy Association]
After her call with Caroline, Chen Xing came to the window. Her eyes, which were always sharp, were now covered with a thin layer of confusion. She looked at the Demonic Sword on the sword stand and reached out to touch the ancient yet sinister scabbard.
"A choice between life and death…"
Chen Xing whispered, then gripped the scabbard tightly.
Clang!
As Chen Xing pulled the Demonic Sword out, she held it vertically in front of her. The dark red blade reflected her crimson eyes. The confusion in her eyes had long since faded, replaced by a fiery madness.
"…Do you want my body? Then you'll have to see if you have what it takes."
Hearing this, the Demonic Sword began to tremble violently. The sound of metal clashing together, like a humanized "cackle," mixed with the intense "will to fight" within the blade, reaching the deepest part of Chen Xing's soul.
Sensing the Demonic Sword's thoughts, Chen Xing smiled.
But her smile wasn't one of excitement; it was one of mockery. It was a raw, naked mockery of the Demonic Sword's unrealistic fantasies.