Chapter 55

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

The Shenwu Second Army fleet descended upon the planet where Ruan Mei was located.

Ruan Mei raised her gaze, her eyes sweeping across the Shenwu warship fleet that blotted out the sky before her......

The hulls were pitch-black, the bows emblazoned with golden spear-tip patterns, aligned in neat rows, their momentum majestic; even the wind seemed driven back a few degrees by the fleet's oppressive might.

Ever since she agreed to Xuan Ge to go to the Shen Wu Xian Zhou, she knew this Divine Might General would dispatch troops to receive her.

But judging by the look of things now, this "courtesy" was truly carried out to the fullest extent......

Before the flagship's gangway, a tall, straight figure strode quickly toward Ruan Mei.

He wore black armor, his cloak and battle skirt hanging down, fluttering slightly in the wind.

Beast-swallowing pauldrons on both shoulders were ferocious; more than a dozen golden lines were inlaid on his breastplate, crisscrossing, each symbolizing a high-ranking military rank in the Shenwu Army, exuding a stern, awe-inspiring dignity.

This person was precisely the Shenwu Army Second Army Commander, Qin Qiong.

He saluted Ruan Mei with a solemn fist-and-palm salute, the movement standard and crisp, the etiquette not lacking in the slightest.

Only on that handsome face was there not a shred of superfluous expression, only the iron hardness and composure unique to a soldier, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, neither servile nor overbearing.

"I am the Shenwu Army Second Army Commander, Qin Qiong."

"By order of the Divine Might General! Leading the entire Second Army's officers and soldiers to welcome Lady Ruan Mei."

His voice was resonant, carrying the unique clang of a soldier.

Qin Qiong knew clearly in his heart that this trip was not only for the Sky-Deficit Syndrome of the Xianzhou's myriad people, but also an order personally instructed by the General; the etiquette must be carried to the utmost, without the slightest oversight.

Qin Qiong turned sideways and made an inviting gesture: "Lady Ruan Mei, please board the ship."

She tilted her head slightly, glancing at Qin Qiong before her; a trace of shallow surprise flashed through her turquoise-gem-like eyes.

The Path Energy coiling around this person was actually quite profound, absolutely not comparable to ordinary Path walkers.

The corners of Ruan Mei's lips curved into an extremely faint arc, her tone calm and unruffled: "You've had a hard trip, Commander Qin."

As her words fell, she turned and stepped onto the gangway, her figure graceful and composed, the hem of her cyan cheongsam swaying gently with her steps, silver-thread plum blossom patterns glimmering faintly under the starlight.

After Ruan Mei boarded the Second Army flagship, Qin Qiong raised his hand to signal, and the Second Army fleet swiftly adjusted formation; once the heading stabilized, a pale blue jump light-halo rippled across the hull surfaces.

Ruan Mei stood before the flagship's porthole, gazing at the star sea rapidly receding outside the window, her fingertips lightly pressing against the icy glass.

Judging by this Second Army fleet's speed, in no more than half a month she would be able to arrive at the Shen Wu Xian Zhou.....

Simultaneously, the Shen Wu Xian Zhou, the Divine Might General's Grand Hall.

The news sent by the Second Army that Ruan Mei had already boarded, Xuan Ge had received long ago.

Only at this moment, his attention was entirely absorbed by the light screen before him on the right; he had no mind to ponder the matter of Ruan Mei's boarding at all.

On the light screen, the image froze on a young man.

The man wore a vintage Western suit, black long hair casually tied behind his head, a few stray locks falling on his forehead, amber eyes full of wild arrogance, a flamboyant smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.

He brandished a long sword that was entirely crimson, a faint red light coiling around the blade.

Xuan Ge looked at this face, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

Fingertips tapped lightly on the documents, his tone carrying a few parts helplessness, yet also hiding a few parts familiarity:

"My dear madman brother......"

This person, he would recognize even if he turned to ash.

One of the Cloud Upper Five Braves, the Hundred Forging Ying Xing of the Artisanship Commission, and also the good buddy who back then proactively joined him in scheming against Dan Feng Wine in all sorts of ways, and was forced alongside him and Jing Yuan to stir up countless troubles.

Fei Xiao sat in the seat below Xuan Ge's, a standard professional smile hanging on her face, her gaze falling on Xuan Ge's face, feigning confusion as she spoke:

"General, do you happen to know this person?"

She knew perfectly well in her heart that the person projected on the light screen was Ying Xing, and was even clearer about Xuan Ge's old friendship with him.

After all, the data on the Cloud Upper Five Braves, especially that related to the Divine Might General, the Interstellar Peace Corporation had long since researched thoroughly.

Her Strategic Investment Department had just reached a preliminary cooperation with the Divine Might General, so naturally she could not offend this overbearing General because of Ying Xing's matter.

Her coming this time was precisely carrying this "confusion," to probe Xuan Ge's attitude.

To see whether he wanted to protect Ying Xing and handle this matter personally, or let the Corporation take action to dispose of it.

Xuan Ge's gaze moved away from the light screen, landing on Fei Xiao, sweeping across the formulaic smile on her face, raising an eyebrow as he asked:

"Hunting a Stellaron?"

He looked at the brief information marked below the light screen, muttering in his heart: "How did Ying Xing start doing Xing Xiao's job?"

To the side, Ling Sha was holding a teacup, a gentle smile on her face; hearing this, her delicate frame tightened imperceptibly, a trace of hard-to-detect wariness flashing through the depths of her eyes.

Good thing, the General spoke of a Stellaron, not Xing Xiao.

In the turn of an instant, she had recovered her composure.

Ling Sha sat quietly to the side, listening quietly, doing what a Chief Strategist ought to do.

Xuan Ge collected his thoughts, his gaze returning to Fei Xiao, his tone restraining a few parts of its casualness:

"Miss Fei Xiao, stop beating around the bush; tell me, just how much loss did his rampage cause your Corporation?"

Hearing this, Fei Xiao's heart instantly understood — the Divine Might General was making it plain he intended to protect Ying Xing.

The smile on her face remained proper and composed as she spoke unhurriedly: "General jokes; there is no great loss, merely some commotion neither big nor small."

She paused, then added a sentence, her tone carrying a few parts smoothness:

"Of course, we must also thank Mr. Ying Xing and his organization for helping us 'take away' that Stellaron, saving us the trouble of dealing with it ourselves."

"Hehe~" Xuan Ge chuckled lightly, shaking his head slightly.

Just causing a bit of a commotion?

I'm afraid they nearly wrecked the company's Division on that planet entirely.

On the light screen, Ying Xing and that purple-haired woman, the two of them joining forces, overturned the company's armed forces left on that planet.

As for that Stellaron... Xuan Ge understood clearly in his heart; the company was either secretly researching it, or wanted to use it to "make a wish," harboring ulterior motives.

As for the new organization Ying Xing had newly joined, why they wanted to seize the Stellaron, he currently did not know.

Xuan Ge withdrew the smile from his face, his whole body instantly emanating a General's imposing bearing, his tone turning serious:

"Miss Feicui, speak directly."

Feicui, seeing this, slightly bowed her body in a salute, her posture respectful: "General, the company has a matter it wishes to ask the General for help with."

She knew the General did not want to beat around the bush, wanting to resolve this matter once and for all.

Taking a deep breath, Feicui opened her mouth to ask: "General, do you know of the events that occurred in the Lacertis Nebula?"

Xuan Ge raised an eyebrow, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Lacertis Nebula? He seemed to have heard this name before.....

Before he could open his mouth to ask, Ling Sha softly rose, explaining to him:

"General~ The Lacertis Nebula is being suppressed by an Equation; currently, 97% of the regions within the nebula have fallen into a state of paralysis."

Her tone was steady, her logic clear, speaking word by word:

"On the company's side, this Equation has been defined as the handiwork of the Monarch of Extinction, and they have given it a codename, called Iron Curtain."

Xuan Ge, hearing this, his gaze returned to Feicui, raising an eyebrow and asking: "Feicui..... was this an idea you gave to the company?"

Feicui's body stiffened, answering truthfully: "Uh... General, it wasn't me...."

She knew clearly in her heart that the General's tone was clearly somewhat displeased; if she didn't clarify things, she was afraid she would incur the General's displaced anger.

"Not you?" Xuan Ge sneered, his tone full of sarcasm.

"Then did Diamond's brain short-circuit? Is this how Equivalent Exchange works?"

Xuan Ge paused, his tone becoming even more impolite:

"Have all your company's higher-ups come to the Shen Wu Xian Zhou's Alchemy Commission to register, and let Ling Sha give them a thorough diagnosis to see if they've all caught madness!"

Feicui, hearing these words, the smile on her face became somewhat unsustainable, yet she did not dare to refute, only able to hurriedly explain:

"General, it is not so. The company's meaning is to ask the General to help investigate the truth of the 'Iron Curtain' Equation. After all....."

"After all, you feel this matter involves the Monarch of Extinction, correct?"

Ling Sha suddenly spoke, interrupting Feicui's words, her tone still gentle, yet carrying a trace of unquestionable dominance.

How could she not know Feicui's thoughts?

The company clearly knew of the ambiguous relationship between Xuan Ge and Xing Xiao, and wanted Xuan Ge to go ask Xing Xiao!

This! Is something she absolutely will not allow!

Ling Sha raised her eyes to look at Feicui, a gentle smile still hanging on her face, but the depths of her eyes held dense fury:

"Miss Feicui, the General will soon personally welcome Lady Ruan Mei, and discuss with her the matter of curing Sky Deficiency Syndrome; affairs are busy.

This Lacertis Nebula matter, the General will naturally go investigate in the future."

Feicui looked at Ling Sha, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes.

She was somewhat puzzled why Strategist Ling Sha would interrupt her.

She just wanted to lessen some pressure on the Divine Might General; after all, judging by rumors, Xuan Ge asking Xing Xiao was undoubtedly the most direct, most effort-saving choice.

After all, Xing Xiao is also one of the Monarchs of Extinction, and most likely knows about the 'Iron Curtain' matter.

Feicui asked no further, only able to press down the confusion in her heart, silently nodding.

She could see that Strategist Ling Sha's attitude was very firm.

And......

Feicui glanced at the Divine Might General, seeing a bewildered expression on his face as well, she felt relieved.

Xuan Ge looked at Ling Sha beside him, her whole body emanating the aura of a superior, giving him a fright.

Xuan Ge then looked at Feicui with her composed posture, a trace of embarrassment flashing across his face, he hurriedly cleared his throat, smoothing things over:

"Uh.. cough cough, yes, Miss Feicui, Ling Sha is right."