Chapter 261

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Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

Shen Wu Xian Zhou, a civilian tavern.

Sha Jin picked up a peanut, tossed it into his mouth, chewed, and spoke:

"Fei Cui, the message has been delivered. As for how you handle it, how you do it, that's up to you."

Fei Cui nodded, not rushing to speak.

Sha Jin set down his chopsticks and added: "Your moves need to be faster now. The Market Expansion Department has made its move as well."

"Hehe~~" Fei Cui chuckled, lifted her wine cup, took a sip, set the cup down, and turned her gaze toward the window.

From this angle, she could just make out the upturned eaves of the Shen Wu Huang Gong tracing a stern arc beneath the golden sunlight.

She watched that arc, her tone carrying a hint of amusement, "Ao Si Wa Er Duo is actually betting on Xuan Ge's humanity, sending such a minor character over."

The Strategic Investment Department has already received confirmed intelligence.

The Market Expansion Department sent a man named Linden Scott, operating under the Strategic Investment Department's banner, to add stakes to the Xing Tian Wu Yi.

"I looked into that man Scott; his background is clean. Though his methods are equally unsavory, his moral baseline is solid, making him a rare clear stream."

Sha Jin raised his hand and poured a cup of wine for Fei Cui.

Also poured a cup of wine for her, the one who became Consort with just a bit of effort from Xuan Ge.

"Didn't expect you to have quite an evaluation of this Scott." Fei Cui turned her face, smiling as she looked at him.

Sha Jin rarely evaluates a person.

He came out of Shen Wu, grew up from childhood under Xuan Ge's gaze; his vision, thoughts, and ideals were all cast from the same mold as Xuan Ge's.

Upright to the point of perversity.

"Brother-in-law told me, his life has no enemies, only teachers."

"Either you gain, or you learn."

"His life has no failure, either success, or growth."

He paused, smiled, that smile holding self-mockery, and also relief:

"Linden Scott — reminds me of myself as a child, the way I used any means to gamble with Brother-in-law."

"So, your luck is truly good." Fei Cui picked up his words, lifted the cup of clear wine he had just poured, and habitually swirled it.

"Gambled out a future."

Sha Jin's luck is there for all to see.

Many people in the company privately feel someone pulled strings for Sha Jin.

No one wants to provoke the Divine Might General of those years, and by extension, the little brat beside him must be indulged too.

But Sha Jin walked step by step to today, his heels planted firm.

And that line "May the Mother Goddess close her eyes for you thrice" has long since turned from an Eweijin People's prayer into a spoken blessing used company-wide to express luck.

Sha Jin stood up, picked up the Gift Hat, and put it on properly.

The brim cast a small patch of shadow on his face, covering most of it, leaving only the corner of his mouth with a meaningful curve:

"I heard Sister say — a frail side more easily draws a certain someone's attention."

Fei Cui froze.

Who this "certain someone" is needs no spelling out from Sha Jin.

Fei Cui promptly smiled and nodded.

"May the Mother Goddess close her eyes for you thrice." Sha Jin waved his hand, turned, pushed open the private room's door, and gradually receded.

Fei Cui watched his back vanish at the stairwell.

She turned her head again, her gaze passing through the tavern once more to settle on that silent palace in the distance.

".... Looks like my intelligence was wrong." She muttered to herself.

She has seen Xuan Ge's Shura fields; they were spectacular.

Just the on-site footage could premiere in the Huan Yu theater circuit and become a massive hit.

But it is precisely because she has seen Xuan Ge's countless Shura fields that a deep-rooted impression was carved into her mind.

Xuan Ge likes them big, and likes them domineering.

So all these years she has maintained a poised, in-control posture before him.

Cooperating with Shen Wu for so many years, she hasn't made a mistake — at least not her own; if there's a mistake it's Diamond's, and the one scolded is Diamond too.

From start to finish she's been the strong woman image.

No wonder Xuan Ge has always been indifferent toward her.

She downed the wine in her cup in one gulp, the wine cup set on the table

Above Shen Wu Xian Zhou, Herta Space Station.

Hei Ta propped her cheek with her right hand, held a cup of milk tea in her left, the straw bitten flat.

She sucked while mumbling indistinctly: "Ruan Mei, you participating in this Xing Tian Wu Yi, isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Ruan Mei lifted her head, set down the second Dragon Robe she was embroidering for Xuan Ge, and spoke.

"Emperor said, a hundred schools of thought contend."

"I know, there'll be a sea of people going. But the two of us going, isn't that bullying people?" Hei Ta bit the straw, brows slightly knitted.

She felt geniuses participating, isn't that somewhat bullying people.

Ruan Mei raised a hand and tapped the air; a screen of light unfolded silently, and a dense list of names cascaded down from the top of the screen like a waterfall.

Hei Ta glanced at it and immediately felt her eyes going blurry.

Xuan Ge's imperial edict has already spread across the cosmos.

Anyone willing to compete, regardless of origin, regardless of Path, can register through the Xian Zhou's official channels.

The only restriction is the cap on participants.

If registration were wide open, even the Shen Wu Xian Zhou wouldn't be able to hold them all.

Ruan Mei performed a series of filters on the light screen; the list narrowed layer by layer, finally locking onto a few names.

Undying Realm Ramnagar.

General Jing Yuan.

General Fei Xiao.

Stellaron Hunters Silver Wolf, Ren.

Astral Express.

Lord of Silence Polka Ka Ka Mu.

Lai Gu Shi, Bai E.

Fen Feng——

Hei Ta's gaze swept down along the list; upon seeing "Polka Ka Ka Mu" she blurted out.

"Polka, how can you be so shameless?"

"Little witch, watch your words."

The voice came from behind her.

Hei Ta and Ruan Mei turned their heads simultaneously.

Polka was already sitting on the chair beside the experiment table, one leg elegantly crossed over the other, hands clasped and resting on her knee.

Hei Ta stepped down from the tall stool directly, folded her arms across her chest, and spoke mockingly: "Yo yo yo~~ Isn't this the biggest loser dog in the whole cosmos?"

"Hehe." Polka chuckled lightly; she wasn't angry.

Because from inside to out, from outside in, every single thing about her surpassed Hei Ta.

Hei Ta looked at that signature mosaic on her face, changed her angle, and continued her output:

"Polka, you're not here to throw yourself at him, are you? If so, you're underestimating Xuan Ge too much."

"Then you're overestimating Xuan Ge too much." Polka retorted coolly.

Hei Ta: "........."

Hei Ta opened her mouth; on this aspect she really couldn't refute.

"I'm here to compete because of the Erudition Venerable." Polka put away her teasing; her tone turned a few degrees more serious.

".... Yeah, the Stellar Martial Arts — all kinds of freaks and monsters have shown up." Hei Ta nodded, sat back down.

She had audience with the Erudition Venerable, but that day the machine head was like his brain was cramping; he couldn't figure out this Stellar Martial Arts no matter what.

"Let me spell it out." Polka raised a finger, pointed at Lai Gu Shi's name on the light screen, "I'm here for him."

"Lai Gu Shi? Who is he?" Hei Ta leaned close to the light screen, staring at that Zhi Neng portrait; she had not seen this person before.

"Although the Stellar Martial Arts gives rewards just for participating, the grand prize has never been revealed."

Polka's gaze swept between the two women, paused for a moment, then continued:

"If the competition starts and the final prize still hasn't been revealed — that means, can one request a favor from the Xuan Emperor?"

Hei Ta and Ruan Mei exchanged a glance.

"Conquest of a god."

"Correct." Polka lowered her finger, leaned back against the chair back.

"This is the Xian Zhou — without the two words 'Alliance'. But having a just cause has always been the Xian Zhou's style."

Hei Ta looked at Polka.

This look was different from the provocation just now; it was scrutiny, and also tacit permission.

She decided to allow this woman to stay here.

Polka is Xuan Ge's person.

From her taking the initiative to show up this time, her stance has already been made clear.

She wants to protect the Erudition Venerable, but she equally wants to protect Xuan Xing.

The Erudition Aeon absolutely cannot meet with mishap; otherwise Xuan Xing would be implicated.

And if Xuan Xing suffered calamity, even if Xuan Ge had just finished purging the Void's corruption, he would not hesitate to blow up the entire cosmos.

PS: Thanks to the boss for the extra chapter~!

Taking a day off tomorrow, I'll review the Weng Fa Luo Si plot and conveniently write some new book.

Weng Fa Luo Si should also be brought to the table.