The next day.
Jingliu let out a soft yawn as she slowly opened her eyes. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as memories of those early days after she first became Kanzaki's disciple surfaced unbidden. Life had felt so much simpler back then. She would wake from even the shortest nap feeling completely refreshed, her body restored to its peak condition. But now every muscle ached with a deep, unrelenting soreness that reminded her just how far she had pushed herself.
Still, there was no returning to the past. The only path left was forward.
With practiced grace, Jingliu rose from her bed, dressed in her usual neat attire, and prepared herself for another day of rigorous training. She had allowed herself only three days of rest and refused to waste even a single minute more. Her preparation for the upcoming campaign could not slacken for even a moment.
Time passed in a blur. Before she knew it, she was once again assigned to an expeditionary team, setting out on another mission to exterminate the Abominations of Abundance.
Ever since she learned that the Borisin war leader had fallen by her master's hand, Jingliu had witnessed firsthand how drastically the enemy's situation had shifted. The Borisin, once an incredibly troublesome force that fought with terrifying coordination, had grown noticeably weaker after losing their leader. Their individual warriors remained formidable, but the various tribes now harbored deep suspicions toward one another and rarely cooperated anymore.
During fierce battles with the Cloud Knights, the Borisin packs would suddenly grow more vigilant the moment they detected other hunting groups approaching. It was as if they feared betrayal from their own kind far more than annihilation at the hands of the Xianzhou forces.
The reason was painfully simple.
With no supreme leader to unify them, the Nest Fathers of the different tribes were acting on their own ambitions. Each one sought to claim the position of the new war leader. Yet to rule the Borisin, one needed more than raw strength. They required an overwhelming bloodline pressure, a single howl powerful enough to suppress the entire race. Without that natural dominance, winning the loyalty of the packs was nearly impossible.
The Divination Commission had already calculated that, for a long time to come, no new war leader would emerge among the Borisin… unless Yaoshi decided to intervene directly.
The Divination Commission could peer into countless futures, distinguishing truth from illusion and the fixed from the changeable. As long as the prerequisites existed, they could always produce a result. Yet the moment an Aeon became involved, all predictions turned into an unknowable fog.
Even the Reignbow Arbiter could not foresee when or where Yaoshi's mercy might descend upon the galaxy.
It would come as no surprise if another Emanator appeared among the ranks of the Abominations of Abundance. Just the thought of it sent a chill down one's spine.
A single Shuhu had already forced the Xianzhou Alliance to pay a devastating price. If another Emanator were to arise, who could say whether two more Xianzhou ships might be lost forever?
Because of this lingering fear, every Xianzhou vessel had intensified its efforts to hunt down the Abominations. It was not simply that they feared an Emanator's power. What they truly dreaded was the irresistible allure these beings held over the other Abominations of Abundance. An Emanator could grant life in ways that defied all logic, awakening the consciousness of an entire planet and transforming it into an immortal monstrosity.
With the precedent of Shuhu still fresh in their history, the Alliance had no choice but to plan for the worst.
Kanzaki's leave had finally ended. He could be deployed on missions at any time.
At present, however, the Xianzhou was sailing through a vast allied star zone that spanned eight star systems. Although this civilization was not as powerful as the Xianzhou Alliance, it still possessed enough strength to stand against medium-scale forces of the Abominations of Abundance. As a result, the region remained relatively peaceful.
When the Xianzhou Alliance's flagship passed through, the allied civilization sent out warm signals of friendship, offering temporary docking rights for cultural exchange if needed.
The Xianzhou, however, was currently operating on the front lines of the Abomination hunt and had no immediate need to stop for rest or reorganization. After deliberation among the Six Sovereigns, they decided to dispatch a high-level diplomatic delegation to visit while the flagship continued onward at its current speed.
Even so, at their present cruising velocity it would still take at least a full year to completely traverse this star zone. Expeditionary operations had therefore been reduced by more than half, leaving many veteran Cloud Knights feeling somewhat restless and unaccustomed to the slower pace.
The remaining campaign missions were often located dozens of light-years away from the flagship at minimum.
Jingliu paid little attention to the distance. As long as she met the eligibility requirements, she would always volunteer for battle without hesitation. She wanted to grow stronger more desperately than anyone else could possibly understand.
In just four months she had already completed two medium-scale campaigns. She would rest for only two days before throwing herself into the next mission. Her fierce and resolute attitude left a strong impression on the officers in charge of operations.
Combined with her outstanding combat ability and her cold, ethereal beauty, she naturally drew the admiration of many Xianzhou men. When they realized that Jingliu never responded to their advances, quite a few women began to admire her as well.
Yet no matter how many people admired her, it was nearly impossible for anyone to truly get close to her. Even forming friendships proved extremely difficult.
The highest level of connection one could hope to achieve with Jingliu was that of comrades-in-arms. Nothing more.
The few surviving Cloud Knights who had come from Cangcheng understood her demeanor better than most. After losing her home and her entire family to the Abominations, her heart had been consumed by an endless, burning hatred. Very few people could ever hope to enter that frozen heart of hers.
This latest campaign lasted longer than usual. Nearly half a year passed before they finally achieved victory, liberating two secondary star systems from the grip and plunder of the Abominations.
On the star skiff returning to the Alchemy Commission, Jingliu listened expressionlessly as her comrades voiced their complaints.
"…How unlucky. We actually ran into a Wingweaver ambush. Otherwise we could have returned a month earlier."
"What can you do? Their homeworld was destroyed by the Antimatter Legion. Those bird-like mercenaries have been drifting across the galaxy ever since, taking whatever jobs they can find."
"They're like persistent ghosts that refuse to leave. Luckily there weren't that many of them this time. With our numbers it could have turned dangerous."
"If the Wingweavers had come in full force, it would have become a large-scale operation. A Vanguard would have been sent to lead it, and we wouldn't have been involved at all."
"By the way, Jingliu… you've long since met the requirements to join a Vanguard-led team. Why do you keep signing up for these medium-scale campaigns?"
The conversation suddenly shifted toward her. Several pairs of eyes turned in her direction at once.
It wasn't just them. Many of her comrades had been curious about this for a long time.
She showed no fear of death, yet she almost never took extended breaks after missions. Instead she threw herself into one expedition after another without pause.
"…"
Jingliu remained silent. A faint shadow flickered deep within her crimson eyes.
Seeing that she had no intention of answering, the others tactfully dropped the subject. No one accused her of being arrogant or aloof. Anyone who had fought beside her on the battlefield knew this was simply her nature.
She was the very definition of an ice beauty. Throughout an entire campaign one might rarely hear her speak a single unnecessary word. Yet for all her coldness she never hesitated when it came to saving her comrades or cutting down Abominations.
Every person aboard this star skiff had, directly or indirectly, been saved by her at some point.
The rest of the journey passed in silence.
After completing the post-mission inspection, Jingliu boarded her personal star skiff and sped back toward the Training Grounds at full velocity.
She never expected what awaited her.
The moment her skiff hovered above the Training Grounds, she happened to glance downward… and froze.
There, in plain view, was Hanya lying completely naked in Kanzaki's arms.
"…"
Jingliu's excellent eyesight captured every detail with painful clarity.
Not only was Hanya bare, but her master was wearing nothing but a pair of training pants. His well-defined, powerful upper body was exposed, glistening with sweat from intense physical exertion. The same sheen of sweat covered Hanya's skin, which had taken on a striking flush of white and red.
Below them, Kanzaki gently wrapped an outer garment around Hanya's body with careful, patient movements. He then lifted her in his arms and carried her toward the house, his expression incredibly soft and attentive.
Witnessing this scene and instantly understanding what it meant, the light in Jingliu's crimson eyes gradually dimmed. An uncontrollable deeper shade of blood-red began to spread across them.
So… Master is only not gentle to her…