Hiss~ ha.
Sylvester covered his face with one hand, trying not to let his expression become too grim, while his other hand pressed his forehead to ease the pain.
And his eyes sent an apologetic look to Fu Xuan.
"Hmph." Fu Xuan snorted lightly and holstered the antique-style pistol in her hand.
After so many run-ins with Sylvester, her reflexes had leveled up; she was no longer the girl who would blush furiously at a couple of remarks about men and women.
Now she was the girl who could, after blushing, decisively fire her gun.
Fu Xuan crossed her arms and shot Sylvester a smug glance.
This guy was always so improper—well, now he should have learned his lesson, right?
Once the pain subsided, Sylvester studied Fu Xuan carefully.
Feeling the lingering discomfort on his forehead, he reflected for a moment,
Doing something like that in public was indeed a bit inconsiderate. Hmm, next time I'll pick a place with no one around.
[Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet - Vav] had three rounds in total; two had already struck his own head—almost equating to a combo attack.
Fu Xuan activated the formation, took the shot herself, and then both of their consciousnesses snapped back to just moments earlier.
If it happened again, wouldn't this Curio effectively become a personal Anti-Sylvester weapon?
The fate of the third round was unknown, but if Fu Xuan could hear Sylvester's inner monologue, she certainly wouldn't mind firing one more.
No one should be allowed to toy with her like that without consent!
"Eh? Boss Sylvester, your moves are so fast—just now you were acting like nothing happened, and now you've pulled off such a classic 'The Thinker' pose, amazing!"
In March 7th's eyes, Sylvester had changed poses in the blink of an eye, startling her a little; she'd heard of instant teleportation, but instant posing? This was practically a talent made for the spotlight.
If I had that ability, wouldn't every photo of me be perfect?
Dreaming of that little delight, March 7th admired Sylvester a bit more.
But Sylvester wasn't so optimistic.
You should try it on your forehead too—your move would need to be even faster than mine!
But joking aside, March 7th didn't know that in her haste Fu Xuan had used [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet - Vav], so her thought was understandable.
He said, "Because of this letter, one cannot help but think deeply. From today, I will, unworthily, take a place among the Generals. Although it is an Honorary Generalship, the appointment states that the treatment equals that of a genuine General, and that is no small responsibility."
Sylvester clearly understood the significance of this appointment letter.
The Xianzhou had truly laid out everything they could to win him over.
Although it granted no practical authority, if some short-sighted fool came to attack this shop, how would the Xianzhou respond? Attacking a General would only lead to a full-scale war!
That is the real meaning of "equal treatment"—not merely in salary nor honors.
This single document essentially meant he's already enjoying the Xianzhou Alliance's highest-level guarantee; its priority far exceeded the Jade Abacus that was gifted alongside the alliance with the Astral Express.
Still, this made Sylvester a little puzzled.
Weighing the paper in his hand, he looked back at Fu Xuan: "For something this important, it was handed to me so casually? Normally, the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou Alliance, the Ten Lords, and the rest would surely convene a formal meeting, with reports and petitions at every level. If approved, the document must be issued down to every unit—going through layer after layer of procedure; a month or more would be the minimum."
"If handled by the usual procedure, indeed it would be like that," Fu Xuan nodded, affirming Sylvester's words, then added, "But when it comes to you, how could the Xianzhou Alliance possibly follow the usual procedure?"
She spoke lightly now, but recalling the correspondence with Marshal Hua had her heart racing.
As Sylvester said, this concerned a General—how could the Xianzhou Alliance be so arbitrary as to decide within two or three days and then hand the letter directly to him? Although the Xianzhou Alliance agreed on the broad direction against the Denizens of Abundance, factional rivalry and covert jockeying always existed.
Even Jing Yuan himself had faced criticism due to the Ambrosial Arbor Crisis.
How could those meddling high-ups possibly give away a General's post for free?
Even if honorary, if this Honorary General truly made demands, could the Xianzhou simply refuse on the grounds of it being "honorary"?
Impossible! Given Sylvester's present weight, the Xianzhou might not obey him in everything, but they would have to consult him on many matters.
The so-called "Honorary General" just meant that Sylvester wouldn't be able to take part in daily affairs—yet if he insisted on joining decision-making, the Xianzhou would likely have to yield.
After all, not to mention golden Curios—even a purple Curio could bring boundless benefit to the Xianzhou!
The [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet - Vav] in her hand was the best proof of that!
But among the upper ranks, there were short-sighted folk unwilling to add another seat to the decision table—a variable that might threaten their future grip on power.
Fu Xuan could only lament helplessly; the Xianzhou was vast—what could be done about a few more rats beneath the hull?
She succinctly recounted the situation on the day Jing Yuan reported the matter: "When Marshal Hua learned of General Jing Yuan's proposal, she overruled the objections and decided to handle this as a special case—immediately convening a plenary of all Xianzhou leaders. Moreover, it was the only online meeting in thousands of years."
"Isn't that essentially wartime protocol?" Dan Heng frowned on hearing this; his emotions were even more stirred than when Fu Xuan first learned the news a few days ago.
As a Xianzhouan, he couldn't be ignorant of such a level of meeting, and that made him appreciate its gravity even more.
To ensure secrecy, the first principle was that attendees personally be present.
Every decision they made could shape the Xianzhou Alliance's future; if eavesdropped on or if the signal were intercepted—allowing an impostor into the meeting—the consequences would be truly unimaginable.
Under such premises, only one exception applied: if the battlefront was too intense and attendance impossible, the Marshal could decide on the spot to send an envoy or allow online participation.
But now, all six Xianzhou vessels were safe; even the most bellicose Yaoqing was recuperating. This was one of the rare periods of complete peace since the war against the Denizens of Abundance began.
Yet in such a time, the Marshal chose to run an online meeting for everyone—disregarding secrecy rules in favor of the fastest method?
With that shock, Dan Heng turned to Sylvester, but the moment Sylvester entered his line of sight, his astonishment instantly dissolved.
Indeed, such a one-person exception was strongly discouraged in Xianzhou culture and even suppressed by their values.
But given the value Sylvester brought, even the highest Xianzhou statutes seemed less unbreakable.
He clenched the [Orb of IX] in his hand and finally understood why the Marshal had been so decisive.
A weapon that might overturn the Xianzhou—who knew how many more Sylvester might possess?
As for secrecy...
Heh—perhaps the Marshal couldn't wait to announce to the entire universe that Sylvester is a General of the Xianzhou?
No—no need for "perhaps." Once Sylvester accepted the commission, the Xianzhou's media would certainly go full throttle and broadcast the news across the cosmos.
Then street performers everywhere would, in various artistic forms, sing of Sylvester's many deeds in every alleyway.
Let everyone know that the owner of the Curio Trash Can shop is an Xianzhouan—a General of the Xianzhou!
When Sylvester donned the General's ceremonial uniform and ascended to the formal inauguration; when he faced the Xianzhou people stretching from the dais of the Seat of Divine Foresight to the horizon; when the Xianzhou populace raised their arms and roared for this millennia-rare event—
Jealous eyes across the universe would see that this was not merely Sylvester gaining supreme glory, but the Xianzhou gaining immeasurable benefit!
"Well? The Marshal's exact words were: if you can bear the Xianzhou's modest temple and humble station and deign to take the post, then anything is negotiable." Fu Xuan and Sylvester locked eyes; with something this important, she would not quarrel with him.
To be honest, she was a little nervous at heart.
For anyone in the universe, there would be no reason to refuse this appointment.
But with Sylvester, she could not be sure: his thinking—if one put it politely—was wildly imaginative and unpredictable.
It would not at all surprise anyone if he said no. For others it was honor; for Sylvester, such an identity might well be a shackle.
Her amber eyes fixed unblinkingly on Sylvester's; with the deepest longing of her life, she hoped he would give an affirmative answer.