Jing Yuan seemed perfectly at ease, watching as the sparrow-tailed girl, Qingque, trailed behind with her head lowered like an ostrich hiding from the world.
With a hint of playful mischief, he remarked, "And the one following behind is the diviner who escorted our guest here, Qingque... am I right? Thank you for your hard work."
"Eh? Ah, no, not at all, it was nothing really, just showing the way..." Qingque truly hadn't expected to be singled out, and for a moment, she stumbled over her words.
Could a lowly diviner like her really speak directly to General Jing Yuan like this?
Fu Xuan, standing nearby, had seen enough. She didn't even need to think to know he was probably doing it on purpose.
Ahem. "Qingque, come over to my side."
"Yes, yes!"
Never before had Qingque found the Master Diviner's summons so melodious and welcome.
If not for the inappropriate setting, she would've immediately placed an order for ten cups of Immortal's Delight Tea, each loaded with extra sugar.
Sylvia watched, amused, as Qingque darted behind Fu Xuan to hide and make herself invisible.
"Alright, now that everyone is present, regarding the outcome of yesterday's incident..." Fu Xuan directly took control of the conversation, not giving Jing Yuan any opening to speak, lest he start rambling again.
Yanqing, standing to the side, proactively stepped forward. "Regarding the disposition of the Cloud Knights, allow me to explain to Miss Sylvia."
Having stayed up all night, a trace of weariness still lingered in Yanqing's eyes.
"The main instigator from yesterday was named Song Li. He retired from the Cloud Knights fifty years ago and later joined the Realm-Keeping Commission."
"Although he was no longer a Cloud Knight, his conduct was egregious. Furthermore, investigation revealed multiple prior offenses. Therefore, he was judged according to military law. The other accomplices have all been discharged from the military and imprisoned in the Shackling Prison."
"The individuals involved and the final judgments will be publicly announced on the Xianzhou Luofu's public platform."
"The Xianzhou Cloud Knights and the Six Commissions will conduct strict internal reviews to resolutely prevent such a malicious incident from recurring."
Yanqing was clearly deeply dissatisfied with this incident; he couldn't accept that such individuals existed within the Cloud Knights.
Fortunately, the General was determined to conduct a thorough investigation, so his tone lacked any sense of frustration.
Jing Yuan, standing nearby, gave Yanqing a satisfied nod before speaking up. "Might I ask if young friend Sylvia is satisfied with this outcome?"
"Yanqing and the Master Diviner are guided by great righteousness. Simply following the Xianzhou's laws is sufficient." The smile on Jing Yuan's face widened, and he made a gesture of invitation.
"Excellent. This farce has made us look rather foolish in front of you. Both Lady Fu and I believe we should offer you some compensation. Lady Fu likely mentioned this to you yesterday. I wonder, young friend Sylvia, what are your preferences?"
Sylvia thought for a moment. Truthfully, she didn't have any major demands at present. It might be better to let this debt of favor remain owed for now.
"It wasn't much of a disturbance for me. Rather than considering my preferences, General Jing Yuan, you might better use that effort to consider how to care for those on the Xianzhou who are in greater need of help."
Though not explicitly stated, Jing Yuan, who already knew the whole story, naturally understood that Sylvia was referring to the Incomplete Ones.
For Sylvia, she currently lacked any pressing needs. But if she could leverage Jing Yuan's influence to encourage the entire Xianzhou, from the top down, to provide more societal care for the Incomplete Ones, then those truly in need might lead better lives for centuries, even millennia, to come.
Simultaneously, Sylvia's reputation would skyrocket among the upper echelons, and the Xianzhou would still owe her a favor.
If the Xianzhou's reforms proved more successful in the future, the value of that favor could increase even further.
'That's how debts of favor work, isn't it?'
'And if Dan Shu learned this was the result of my efforts, her favorability would definitely shoot up another notch.'
'Still counting on drawing that card a few more times from Dan Shu.'
"Ha ha ha— In my opinion, it is you, young friend Sylvia, who possesses great righteousness. However, as the General of the Xianzhou, I would feel remiss if I didn't offer our guest some compensation. I've heard you are skilled with greatswords. How about I gift you a weapon, in my personal capacity?"
Sylvia's eyes lit up. She hadn't found the time to visit the Artisanship Commission and spend money yet. If Jing Yuan was offering her one, that sounded perfect.
"Then I thank General Jing Yuan."
"Mmm~ Then after we finish here, I'll personally accompany you to the Artisanship Commission. We can discuss your preferred style on the way..."
Ahem, ahem— "General! Let's attend to the main matter first."
Seeing Jing Yuan was immediately about to go off-topic, Fu Xuan finally couldn't hold back. She cleared her throat dryly, glared, and called out 'General,' urging him to finish the important business first.
"Alright, alright. My, Lady Fu, you're as impatient as ever." Jing Yuan smiled wryly and pulled the conversation back on track.
"Well, there are some other small gifts we can discuss with young friend Sylvia later. For now, let's focus on the main matter."
Seeing Jing Yuan's expression grow slightly more serious, Sylvia couldn't help her curiosity. Was there something else to discuss?
"What main matter?"
"Naturally, it concerns the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and that mysterious Emanator. And also... I wonder if young friend Sylvia has heard of the Heliobi race?"
Fu Xuan, standing to the side, pursed her lips. She knew it! Jing Yuan was just asking directly!
"Oh— The Master Diviner recognized it after seeing me yesterday, didn't she? It's true, there is a Heliobus within me, supplying me with power. The specifics are complicated, but it's similar to how the Xianzhou once sealed the Flint Emperor on the Xianzhou Zhuming, harnessing the Heliobus for energy."
Yanqing, hearing this, nearly lost his composure. Qingzu, who had been silent until now, looked as if her eyes were about to pop out of her head.
'Listen to that. What understatement.'
They spoke of sealing the Flint Emperor to power the Xianzhou Zhuming, but conversely, they were also using the entire starship as the seal. And here this person was, carrying a Heliobus sealed inside her body like it was nothing.
'The principle was indeed the same.'
But this was like comparing Xianzhou natives to the Abundance followers—just hearing the principle made them sound similar, but the reality was worlds apart.
An entire starship versus a portable, miniaturized device? They were not on the same level.
'Not at all!'
The Xianzhou could seal a Heliobus with a single person, but that was only sealing it. To forcibly harness a Heliobus's power against its will still required large-scale equipment.
The technological gap between these approaches was incalculable.
Jing Yuan also showed a surprised expression. Sylvia's words had truly caught him off guard. However, no one present pressed for further details.
Instead, Sylvia continued along this line: "Since General Jing Yuan mentioned Heliobi, it so happens I have some information regarding the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. I wonder if the General would be interested?"
"Oh? What important information does young friend Sylvia have?"
Instead of answering directly, Sylvia blinked at Jing Yuan.
Seeing this, Jing Yuan chuckled. "Very well, very well. My, young friend Sylvia, you are quite the character. If this truly concerns the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, then let it be considered that the Luofu owes you another favor. How does that sound?"
"The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are connected to a Lord Ravager, named Phantylia. Her true form is also that of a Heliobus."
No more needed to be said. The expressions of everyone present, be it Jing Yuan or Fu Xuan, instantly turned grave.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.