Chapter 1256: When You Find the Murderer, Then We Shall Talk

After Corax left, Salmox almost collapsed to the ground.

The Adjutant supported him.

"Sir! Are you alright?"

Salmox shook his head, his four eyes filled with despair.

"Not good... not good at all..."

He pushed the Adjutant away and turned to face the officials and soldiers who were still dazed.

"What are you all standing there for?! Seal off the entire building! Don't let a single person leave! Gather all surveillance records! Interrogate every service staff member! Find that assassin for me!"

The soldiers of the Burning Flame Guard finally began to move, rushing into the various corridors.

But Salmox knew it was already too late.

Since that assassin dared to strike in plain sight, they must have prepared an escape route.

They might never find them.

Even if they did, what then?

A warrior of a Primarch was dead.

Dead on the territory of the Ash Star Alliance.

Dead at the hands of "service staff" of the Ash Star Alliance.

How was this debt to be settled?

The military expert ran over, his face equally pale.

"Sir, we analyzed the energy signature of that energy beam. That type of micro energy gun is not a standard-issue weapon of the Ash Star Alliance. It is not even a common model in the Bode Star System."

Salmox looked at him.

"What does that mean?"

"It means the assassin likely came from the outside. Someone snuck in on purpose, wanting to provoke a war between us and the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance."

Salmox narrowed his eyes.

"Who?"

The military expert shook his head.

"I don't know. But there are not many factions capable of doing such a thing."

Salmox was silent for a few seconds.

Then he said in a low voice.

"The Keloque Empire."

The military expert was stunned for a moment.

"You suspect them?"

Salmox gritted his teeth.

"Kesi was captured by Sanguinius, and the Keloque Empire must be harboring a grudge. They want revenge but don't want to act directly, so they are playing these dirty tricks. Let us and the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance slaughter each other, and they will reap the benefits."

The military expert nodded.

"That makes sense. But there is no evidence right now."

Salmox took a deep breath.

"Even without evidence, we must first stabilize Corax. If he turns against us now, we won't be able to hold on at all."

He looked toward the end of the corridor, the direction in which Corax had disappeared.

"Prepare the best gifts, the highest protocol. I am going to apologize in person."

The second meeting had already been officially announced as canceled, with a new time to be determined.

Salmox, leading a team with the highest protocol of apology, arrived at the entrance of the East District Xiuxiqu.

They brought various gifts, precious ores, exquisite artworks, and a written statement promising to do their utmost to track down the murderer.

But Corax did not see them.

He only had Haliwusi come out to relay one sentence.

"Come back to talk once you have found the murderer."

Salmox could only leave dejectedly with the gifts.

Inside the East District Xiuxiqu, Corax walked to Sailusi's side and looked down at this familiar face.

"No one is here. You can wake up now."

"Father, your tone... it's as if I had overslept."

Sailusi struggled to sit up, and an Anya Shouwei stepped forward quickly to support his shoulders.

Corax looked at the charred bullet hole.

"How do you feel?"

Sailusi looked down at his own chest and smiled bitterly.

"Feel? Nothing serious? Though, I would prefer to go to the Ash People's cafeteria to steal their snacks or something?"

The few Anya Shouwei nearby couldn't help but laugh, but they quickly stifled it.

The corners of Corax's mouth lifted slightly.

"Stealing snacks? That would be a waste of your talent. You are the best actor; such a grand scene is meant for you."

Sailusi sighed.

"Father, your way of complimenting people is truly unique."

"Sailusi, you are very lucky. The position where that energy beam hit was only two centimeters away from your second heart. If it had been any further off, you would really be dead right now."

Sailusi grimaced.

"Two centimeters? You call that good luck? I'd call that bad luck. If it had hit my second heart directly, I would have been done for on the spot."

Corax looked at him.

"But you didn't die. You completed the Task perfectly."

Sailusi raised his head and looked at Corax.

"Father, how do you think I performed just now?"

Corax thought for a moment.

"In my opinion, overall, it was good."

Corax stood up and walked to the window.

The night outside the window remained deep, the volcano in the distance was still erupting, and orange-red Lava flowed in the darkness.

"Sailusi."

"Father?"

"From now on, until you are carried back to the ship as a 'corpse', you must not let anyone see that you are still alive. Do you understand?"

Sailusi nodded.

"I understand, Father."

Corax turned around and looked at him.

"The Ash People failed to catch the assassin, and the gift they sent was also rejected. All their attention is focused on how to appease our anger. At a time like this, if they knew you were only injured and not dead, their pressure would be halved."

Sailusi nodded thoughtfully.

"So, I must continue to 'stay dead'."

"Correct. You will be carried back to the ship as a 'corpse' tomorrow. Before then, your Task is to lie here, motionless and silent."

Sailusi grinned.

"No problem, Father. You can rest assured about my ability to play dead."

Corax nodded, then looked at the other few Raven Guard.

"You few, continue to be angry if you should be angry, and continue to be sorrowful if you should be sorrowful. You must let the Ash People see that their 'assassination' caused us to lose a brother."

A Raven Guard asked.

"Father, what if they demand to inspect the body?"

A cold light flashed in Corax's eyes.

"Refuse. Just say this is our internal affair and is not open to the public. If they persist, tell them that the warriors of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance shall not be desecrated by an Alien after death."

That Raven Guard nodded.

"Understood."

Corax took one last look at Sailusi.

"Rest well. Tomorrow, the performance must continue."

"Don't worry, Father. I promise, I won't even breathe."

At the same time, in the Xiqu Huiyishi.

Salmox slumped in his chair, his four eyes staring at the ceiling.

The room was filled with smoke.

The military expert stood by the window, pacing back and forth incessantly.

The economic expert sat in the corner, holding a Data Pad in his hand, but his eyes were unfocused, clearly not taking anything in.

The intelligence expert had all sorts of materials piled in front of him, his three eyes scanning every document rapidly, trying to find a clue within them.

The Adjutant carefully pushed the door open and entered.

"Sir..."

Salmox did not move.

"Speak."

The Adjutant swallowed.

"That... the identity of that assassin, we still haven't found it. Surveillance footage shows he last appeared at the entrance of the underground pipeline system, and then he vanished. Our search teams searched the entire pipeline network and found nothing."

Salmox sat up straight, his eyes fixed on the Adjutant.

"Found nothing? A person, firing a shot in full view of everyone, and then disappearing without a trace?"