Chapter 21

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Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

The Third Warship of the Divine Martial Army resembled a colossal black whale; after nearly a month of long-distance Jump travel, it finally slid slowly beneath the vast, breath-stealing shadow of the Luofu Xian Zhou.

Xuan Ge stood before the observation window on the bridge, clad in a suit of ink-black armor that made his figure appear even more tall and straight.

He gazed at the familiar yet magnificent scene outside the window;

Countless star skiffs shuttled through the established routes like flowing light; the Yujie Gate stood towering, behind it stretched endless, brilliantly lit Xian Zhou towers and pavilions, and the circling Jianmu Remnant Shadow.

A wave of nostalgia brushed past his heart.

The Third Warship's commander was conducting a standard and efficient communication docking with the Luofu Tianshu Division.

After obtaining permission, this massive vessel began to steadily enter Luofu's airspace along the officially designated guide channel.

Finally, guided by several pilot star skiffs, the warship precisely moored at the reserved giant berth.

The hatch had not yet opened, but a neatly arrayed formation of Cloud Knights already waited quietly beside the berth.

The hatch slowly opened; first, bright light from within the ship spilled out, then a figure outlined sharply by armor stepped out.

Xuan Ge set foot on Luofu's soil — or rather, the deck.

In the shadows behind him, squad after squad of Divine Martial Army soldiers in black armor, their auras restrained, filed out, automatically forming ranks, movements neat and uniform.

Aside from the faint sound of armor rubbing, there was no other noise, echoing distantly with the solemn formation of the Cloud Knights opposite.

Standing at the front of the Cloud Knight formation was precisely that white-haired, golden-pupiled Divine Strategy General, the corners of his mouth holding his habitual lazy smile.

"Long time no see~" Jing Yuan's voice rang out with laughter, breaking the slightly formal silence.

"The Divine Might General has become... even more imposing."

His gaze swept over Xuan Ge's suit of General's armor, clearly more ceremonial and personalized than the standard issue, the Ghost-faced Beast Devouring on his shoulders, the dark purple energy cloak, and those golden eyes that, even when smiling, could not hide their sharpness.

He truly had the bearing of "the kind of Great General from storybooks who can cow the whole hall the moment he appears" — if one ignored the fact that this guy frequently goes crazy.

Xuan Ge's gaze met Jing Yuan's; the solemn aura belonging to the "Divine Might General" that he wore for the occasion almost instantly melted like ice and snow.

It was an invisible armor he only shed when facing a very few people.

"Hey—" Xuan Ge dragged out the tone, his smile becoming vivid, even a bit roguish; he quickened his pace and stepped forward.

"Divine Strategy General, you truly flatter this lowly general! Before you, I'll always be the junior, and must obediently listen."

These words were half true, half false. In terms of seniority, Jing Yuan indeed ascended to the General Position a step earlier.

Back then, if not for that upheaval, and the century-long silence that followed, perhaps the one standing here commanding Luofu would have been...

However, the world is unpredictable; a glance from the Emperor's Bow and the Destiny's Commission set him on a completely different, yet equally perfectly fitting path.

"Get lost." Jing Yuan laughed and cursed, extremely naturally reaching out and pulling Xuan Ge's shoulder into an embrace.

This action instantly shattered the sense of distance, as if time had turned back to when they were still Cloud Knight recruits, arms around each other's shoulders, sneaking off to the market to drink.

"Cut the act, you're still putting on a performance with me?"

Jing Yuan turned his head and gave a slight nod to the Cloud Knight officer behind him, signaling them to proceed according to plan, then half-dragged, half-pulled Xuan Ge, heading familiarly toward the Divine Strategy Mansion.

The figures of the two Generals soon disappeared around the corridor corner, leaving the soldiers of both armies staring at each other on the berth.

The atmosphere relaxed subtly.

The Third Warship's commander stepped forward, cupped his fists toward the Cloud Knight leading captain, and said:

"Thank you for your trouble, Cloud Knight colleagues, to guide us to the garrison camp. Also, we need to leave twenty men for the General's daily dispatch."

That Cloud Knight captain also revealed a smile, returning the salute: "Hehe, it's our duty, no trouble at all.

It's quite a coincidence; my cousin serves in your esteemed army's Second Army, and years ago I heard him speak of the Divine Martial Army's martial exercise spectacles."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to signal the way.

As the two forces began to move, the originally rigid formations also loosened slightly, and low-voiced conversations started among the soldiers.

"No way, you're from Yao Qing? Your accent does sound like it."

"My elder brother entered the Divine Martial Army's Vanguard Battalion the year before last; this time he even entrusted me with a family letter..."

"Heard your Divine Martial Army's food gets extra dishes from the Divine Might General every day?"

"Your Luofu's Jinren Lane mo bing rolls, heard the flavor is truly peerless..."

The chatter gradually increased, topics ranging from hometown specialties, army anecdotes, to martial arts sparring.

Between many Cloud Knights and Divine Martial Army soldiers, they actually managed to find countless threads of connection.

Fellow townsmen, old acquaintances, even blood brothers divided between the two armies.

The Xianzhou Alliance shares the same breath and branches; population flow, bloodline fusion — this found its most intuitive embodiment in these two most core military forces.

The solemn reception quickly turned into a slightly noisy yet vibrant journey together.

Inside the Divine Strategy Mansion, the atmosphere here was completely different from the clamor outside.

When Xuan Ge was brought into his study by Jing Yuan.

The first thing that met the eye was that broad General's desk — atop it, clean and spotless, not a single pending official document.

Xuan Ge raised an eyebrow, walked unceremoniously to the desk side, fingers brushing across the smooth tabletop, emitting a faint friction sound.

He turned his head to look at Jing Yuan, who was at the door instructing attendants to prepare wine and dishes, his tone full of understanding teasing:

"Jing Yuan, oh Jing Yuan, the desk empty and bare... looks like tonight, you've made up your mind not to return until drunk?"

Jing Yuan did not walk toward that main seat symbolizing the General's authority, but dragged over a comfortable armchair from the side, placed it right beside Xuan Ge, and sat down next to him.

"Hehe~ So many years unseen~" Jing Yuan personally lifted the teapot warming on the small stove, poured clear tea into the empty cup before Xuan Ge, hot steam rising.

"If we don't drink to our heart's content, wouldn't that waste this hard-won reunion?"

He set down the teapot, raised his eyes to look at Xuan Ge, and his smile held the kind of teasing only old friends understand: "Rest assured, the alcohol you like, I've always kept in stock. Enough to last."

Xuan Ge picked up that cup of tea, blew on the heat, and took a sip.

Upon entry, a returning sweetness — it was Jing Yuan's consistent taste.

He set down the teacup, fingertips tapping lightly against the rim, and suddenly smiled, his smile carrying a thread of penetrating sharpness.

"Jing Yuan~" he drawled: "With me, still using official-speak, not telling the truth?"

The hand Jing Yuan was about to lift the tea with paused slightly, then he chuckled and shook his head, that smile gaining a few more parts of genuine helplessness, and also setting down a bit of the "Divine Strategy General" mask.

"Ah... looks like I've been a general too long, some rhetoric really is carved into the bones, accidentally slips out. My fault."

"The alcohol I like is either the Marshal's clear wine, or Dan Feng's treasured You Long Du, you brat... hehe~~"

Xuan Ge laughed and pointed at Jing Yuan; during the Yun Shang Five Xiao period, he often dug out You Long Du from Dan Feng's hands to drink.

Because that was the wine he had treasured and kept from his previous life, the vintage extremely old.

Exposed by him, Jing Yuan's face showed no awkwardness, but rather a kind of "as expected, can't hide it from you" relief.

He picked up his own cup of tea, slowly drank it all, then sighed: "You, still this sharp. No, not sharp, you just know me too well."

And when Jing Yuan said the alcohol you like, I've always kept in stock, he was really saying, Dan Heng's matter, help me.

Jing Yuan did not answer immediately; he turned the empty teacup in his hand, as if weighing his words.

But a moment later he gave up, still feeling he should wait until Xuan Ge had seen Dan Heng before speaking.

"Let's not talk about this first. You personally running to Luofu this time, could it be... you're really here to poach from me?"

Jing Yuan raised his eyes, golden pupils flashing with understanding and a touch of helpless amusement.

"Xuan Ge, how long have we known each other? That little thought of yours, I can smell it across the Xing Hai."

"Cough cough!" The tea Xuan Ge had just sipped nearly choked into his trachea.

He set down the cup, stared wide-eyed at Jing Yuan: "What words! Jing Yuan, your words hurt brotherly feelings too much! Am I, Xuan Ge, that kind of person?"

Xuan Ge attempted to strike a righteous and stern posture: "This is reasonable talent flow and optimized allocation. The Shen Wu Xian Zhou is precisely thirsting for talent."

He put on a painstakingly persuasive expression: "Jing Yuan, you also wouldn't want, because I have no talent to use, to bitterly toil in the General's Mansion facing documents on patrol every day."

Jing Yuan, listening to this set of "Xuan Ge-style" rhetoric that couldn't be more familiar, finally couldn't help but raise a hand to prop his forehead, laughing out loud.

"Stop, halt." He made a pause hand gesture, his face genuine dumbfounded amusement.

"Xuan Ge, let's reason. Look at me."

Jing Yuan pointed at himself, then spread his hands.

"I, Jing Yuan, the dignified Luofu Divine Strategy General, up to now, haven't even found a single Yun Qi Xiao Wei.

Luofu's various bureaus and departments, relations tangled and intricate, pull one hair and move the whole body.

My side is a clever housewife unable to cook without rice, you're good, directly wanting to come to this poor farmer's house to borrow seed grain?"

He leaned forward, drew close to Xuan Ge, voice lowered, carrying sincere helplessness:

"You coming to Luofu to poach people, you're serious?"

"Uh..." Xuan Ge was choked speechless by Jing Yuan's string of retort-and-counterattack, defending-by-attacking words.