Chapter 126: Cooperation Agreement

One day later, a tablet inscribed in regular script with "Position of the Guiding Goddess Little Xiao Lingdang" was placed in the central position; Feng Xue lit the eternal lamp with the most formal rites and offered three sticks of incense—this completed the An family's ritual process.

As Little Xiao Lingdang began taking control of the house-ship, Feng Xue called Sara into the living room.

Although the dog still mindlessly circled around, Sara seemed to sense the coming storm, but Feng Xue gave her no chance to ask—he spoke directly:

"I think we need to talk."

"It's about the agreement going forward, isn't it?" As Sara asked with a tone of certainty, the dog beneath her seemed to receive a command and sat still, motionless.

"Correct." Feng Xue nodded calmly:

"Although I have some need for your disguise ability, you should understand it's not essential—after this resupply, I already have the foundation to permanently leave civilized society; if absolutely necessary, I can even return to the Weather Goddess and acquire a few natives, then brainwash them using the same method I used to control the Blood Eye, making them replace me in contacting the civilized world."

"Isn't it risky to confront me before even leaving Anyan Island?" Sara used an unusually human tone—Feng Xue shook his head:

"This is a test. Whether to expose me here is your choice, and I will judge your behavioral logic from this moment. If you intend mutual destruction, now is your final chance. If you wish to continue talking, I expect honesty—tell me what you've been hiding."

"What do you want to know?" Sara's tone turned mechanical again, but Feng Xue didn't care—he spoke directly:

"You and your host are being hunted by someone—why? And what exactly is the condition of your host? I need to assess the risk of continuing cooperation with you. Of course, even if you choose to reveal everything, we still need an agreement—not your AI agreement, but a covenant sealed through Little Xiao Lingdang, witnessed by a deity, requiring both you and your host to sign."

"If you're willing, we can continue talking. If not, that's fine—I'm not someone who kicks a man when he's down. You can choose to stay on Anyan Island, or I can send you back to the Weather Goddess's divine realm. Hmm, you may also pick any location within a five-hundred-kilometer radius, and I'll transport you there. I recall your original goal was the Titan Island Chain, right?"

Sara made the dog's head lift, meeting Feng Xue's gaze. After a moment, she spoke:

"Can you tell me the terms of your agreement?"

"Of course." Feng Xue nodded:

"My basic demands are mutual non-harm and confidentiality—this is bidirectional. I can guarantee I won't leak your secrets or harm you. Don't think you can play with wording—deity covenants don't care about clauses, only intent. All subjective 'understandings' will be taken into account. And because Little Xiao Lingdang herself became a deity from electronic code, her covenant's binding power extends to programs—don't think your AI can bypass it."

"That's reasonable." Sara nodded, then gave her response:

"Due to privacy protocols, I cannot disclose core information, but I can tell you that those hunting us are from the Reed Family—one of the eleven surviving clans of the Blue Lake Island Chain. This family worships a minor Hunting Deity capable of using divine arts like tracking and hunting, but the range is limited; beyond the Emerald Island Group, these abilities are nearly useless."

"The family's strongest warrior is a Phantom Beast Tamer with one foot already in the Excellence tier—his strength equals that of a Navy Vice Admiral, placing him among the third-tier powers of this sea."

"But before he ascends to Excellence or a second near-Excellence warrior emerges, he won't risk leaving the Blue Lake Island Chain and exposing his family to annihilation. So if you travel with us, the threats you'll face are merely outstanding-tier Reed Family members and bounty hunters drawn by rewards."

"I cannot reveal your host's identity, but you already learned it from the Blood Eye. What I can tell you is that during our escape, we used stimulant drugs rich in antidepressants, causing hormonal imbalance in the host—seventeen natural days are needed to complete metabolism."

Feng Xue nodded slightly at this, but pressed further:

"Why are they hunting you? If it involves privacy, no need for details—just tell me: is it for profit, or to eliminate you completely?"

Upon hearing this, Sara hesitated for a moment. After five seconds, she shook her head:

"Cannot say."

"Good. I understand." Feng Xue nodded. Though she said "cannot say," she had essentially said everything. He assessed the risks and benefits, then said:

"If you have nothing else to add, call your host over to sign the covenant."

"Wait a moment—I need to clarify the wording of the agreement. Though you base the covenant on divine witness, as an AI, I require clear logic." Sara interrupted Feng Xue. He understood this was the dog asserting its right to negotiate covenant terms—he neither agreed nor refused, only gave a "go ahead" expression.

Sara clearly read Feng Xue's thoughts, yet spoke directly:

"You must do your utmost to ensure the host's life safety, and in return, I provide knowledge and technical assistance. On this basis, both sides guarantee no harm and no disclosure of secrets—is that acceptable?"

"No problem," Feng Xue said, then asked about time. Sara didn't hesitate—since for her, as long as Feng Xue agreed to cooperate, time was the least important factor; they could renew anytime they wished.

So she said bluntly:

"Twenty days remain until the previous mutual aid agreement expired. This covenant adds some clauses but doesn't alter the core content—we'll sign for the same duration as the mutual aid agreement, then decide later whether to renew."

"Then it's settled." Having secured Sara, Feng Xue exhaled in relief. This AI had always felt elusive to him; 相比之下, her host seemed more like an AI. But regardless, now both sides had reached a basic cooperation intent—a good start.

As for whether Little Xiao Lingdang truly had the power to enforce the covenant… it didn't really matter. Feng Xue only needed to detect Sara and Feina's reactions the instant the covenant was broken.

As long as he knew when it was violated, he had ample time to react—whether fleeing by luck or using a substitution technique, both were easily achievable. The subsequent punishment was secondary.

(End of Chapter)