No—absolutely impossible! Feixiao's past could not have been any easier than her own. She too must have obsessions she cannot let go of. There's no way she would put herself before those she's lost!
That was Jingliu's conviction as one who had walked the same path. If she had obtained such a pill and chose to cure her own Mara-Struck body instead of saving her comrades, she wouldn't need anyone else to strike her down—she would take her own head with her own blade out of shame!
Jiaoqiu's brows furrowed sharply, his amber eyes snapping wide open.
Just like Jingliu, all three of them in this room shared similar scars of war. Having known Feixiao for so long, he believed he understood her better than most. And yet—never, not once, had he imagined that she would put herself as the first choice.
Something was wrong. This wasn't the Feixiao he knew. Who had swayed her?
Jing Yuan's disciple? Impossible. That man didn't have the wit for it.
Then... could it be the owner of that trash can shop?
Using the pill to treat Moon Rage—certainly a fine choice. But why would that shopkeeper push her to such a decision? What was his purpose? What reason did he give to change her mind so drastically?
Jiaoqiu could no longer hold his silence. He spoke each word clearly and slowly.
"General, how do you intend to use it?"
Feixiao answered without hesitation, voice calm and confident.
"This pill will be used to reinforce the future."
"Reinforce... the future."
Jingliu did not immediately respond. She didn't question Feixiao's decision either. Her obsession inevitably dragged her thoughts back to the past.
If I had possessed such a pill back then... if I could have saved Baiheng in time, how much tragedy would have been undone? If that were so, the Luofu of today... would be an entirely different place.
Just as Feixiao had said, reviving the dead only condemned another powerful soul to live in pain. But using it for the future—especially at a decisive moment, for a critical person—could save countless lives.
Feixiao's decision filled Jingliu with genuine admiration.
It was an entirely rational choice—yet completely inhuman. Who among all beings, when given the chance, would reject the temptation of reunion, just to leave it for a future they might never witness?
Even if their loved ones no longer belonged to this world—who could truly forsake the chance to speak to them again, face to face?
There are those who would destroy an entire world to resurrect their wives, uncaring whether that fragile woman could bear the sin of such a sacrifice.
And there are those who, knowing full well that they have become monsters, still awaken their sleeping child—though the child, upon learning the truth, would break apart in terror. They would still do it—hiding behind a grotesque mask, whether to shield the child's eyes, or merely to comfort their own hearts.
But then—who could say a husband, a father, should simply stand idle and accept fate?
The strength of obsession cannot be bent by reason. She admitted she could never do what Feixiao had done.
And so now, in Jingliu's eyes, Feixiao seemed nothing short of divine.
This time, it was Jiaoqiu who took a deep breath.
Everything Jingliu thought of—he had thought as well.
The General's decision was flawless. Her foresight, her restraint—beyond admirable.
Yet there was one thought he could not shake, one that ran deeper than Jingliu's.
He clasped his hands and spoke respectfully.
"General, forgive my impertinence... but may I ask—who was it that guided you toward this decision?"
He had followed Feixiao long enough to know her inside and out.
And though he wished she were the perfect leader, he was also grateful she was not. Feixiao's humanity was one of her greatest strengths—and her greatest weakness.
That same humanity would never allow her to treat this elixir so coldly.
Whoever had guided her, that person was not only capable of reaching a completely rational conclusion, but also persuasive enough to make Feixiao change her mind.
What gave this person such wisdom? What right did they have to speak for the Xianzhou?
Jiaoqiu asked himself in silence—and found he could not answer. If even he could not do it, how could that person?
And yet... if someone could even dissolve the General's obsession—perhaps... perhaps that person might heal his own heart as well.
Feixiao chuckled lightly and said with ease, "Just that guy who sells trash cans—Sylvester."
"I see."
Jingliu nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing that calm and matter-of-fact expression on Jingliu's face only deepened Jiaoqiu's confusion.
He ventured a guess. "Is he... some renowned debater?"
"No," Jingliu shook her head. "But he once persuaded me to make peace with Stelle, and with the Imbibitor Lunae. I... agreed."
Jiaoqiu's eyes flew wide—perhaps wider than they ever had in his life.
He knew well the current state of the High-Cloud Quintet—dead, scattered, estranged. Even during their last secret meeting, they had spoken like strangers.
And yet this man had not only enlightened General Feixiao, but also mediated between the High-Cloud Quintet—and succeeded?!
More than the Curios he had shown, Jiaoqiu now found himself intrigued by Sylvester himself.
It seemed he might need to buy two trash cans tomorrow.
…
Seat of Divine Foresight.
Jing Yuan sat in the foremost seat, listening to the rhythmic click of footsteps. He knew then that the last of the Six Charioteers had finally arrived.
A young girl stepped in, the sound of her heels sharp and clear.
Her sleek black hair flowed to her waist; her black-and-white attire set off her porcelain-like skin. Her features were alluring yet softened by the pure, gentle air of an older sister next door. From the roots of her limbs to the tips of her fingers, her skin shifted into a fiery red hue, the faint pattern of scales betraying her lineage—
A red dragon of the Vidyadhara, once exiled from Luofu in her youth as part of a long-buried case.
The Marshal had assigned her as head of Luofu's Alchemy Commission, though none could fathom the reasoning—was it mistrust toward Jing Yuan, an infiltrator placed within, or an attempt at reconciliation for past regrets? No one knew.
Lingsha strode into the room and seated herself in the only empty chair.
"Apologies, everyone. The Alchemy Commission is still rebuilding from chaos, so it took me some time to get away."
Fu Xuan nodded, her voice even. "Given the calamity that struck the Ambrosial Arbor, it's understandable. The Alchemy Commission suffered the worst, after all."
Her words spared Luofu some dignity—but everyone knew the truth. The Commission had been riddled through with spies.
Grand Craftsman Gongshu said, "General, you summoned me in haste—surely it must be for something urgent?"
From the Realm-Keeping Commission, Huifu asked, "Could it be... the Borisin?"
Responsible for the Xianzhou's public order and its countless affairs, his concern was that, with the Martial Exhibition approaching, someone might stir up trouble.
"It shouldn't be that," Yukong mused, shaking her head. "Could it be... another top-tier Curio?"
"Exactly so."
Jing Yuan's voice was steady, carrying across the hall. He produced a large, multicolored egg, and beside it, a small device the size of a Jade Abacus.
"These are two blue-tier Curios. Yet the potential they hold—could raise the strength of the entire Xianzhou Alliance to a new level."
"Blue-tier Curios?"
Fu Xuan frowned slightly. She had handled such items before—like the [Teleportation Scroll].
Useful, yes—but unless every soldier had one, claiming it could raise the Alliance's power as a whole was far too bold.
Lingsha's voice was gentle yet firm, cutting straight through doubt.
"General Jing Yuan, might you be exaggerating? My time in Luofu has been short, but I've heard rumors of the Lordly Trashcan. Even blessed by the Divine Bow, with seven Generals as Emanators—can two blue-tier Curios truly elevate the Alliance so far?"
The other Charioteers exchanged uneasy looks.
Blue-tier Curios? For an advance like that, they would need several gold-tier ones, at the very least.
Faced with their skepticism, Jing Yuan smiled faintly.
"Have you ever considered," he said, "that there might exist a world—vast as the cosmos itself—awaiting our exploration?"
At those words, the hall erupted in collective astonishment.
"What do you mean? Another world?!"