Thanks for _______ ________ and Nefasturis for becoming as Supporters!
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Seeing Jing Yuan finally speak, Sylvester silently set down his chopsticks.
So, it's finally starting? The Hunt's general earnestly persuading the Aeon of Elation—now this is a show that couldn't be missed.
"Is that so?"
Haha scratched her head. Even though she had drunk quite a bit, she wasn't fooled by just those two simple lines.
"I think the atmosphere in Luofu is great—peaceful and harmonious. It doesn't look anything like something that's been 'unstable for a long time.'"
Then, her brows lifted as if she had discovered something amusing. With a teasing grin in her eyes, she said, "Ah~~ General Jing Yuan, you wouldn't be trying to sweet-talk me into leaving just because you find me an eyesore, would you?"
Seeing her counterattack so neatly, Sylvester chuckled inwardly.
Clearly, Haha wasn't blind.
And just like Aha's true body, once she decided you were deliberately steering her, she would absolutely argue it to the bitter end.
Now Jing Yuan was in trouble. Still, he surely hadn't failed to anticipate this much, right?
Sylvester reached across the wine jar, poured himself a cup of tea, and downed half of it in one go.
What a show. What a show.
Sure enough, Jing Yuan was prepared. He let out a long sigh, his face heavy with concern. "Sigh! I don't fear Miss Haha's laughter. Since we're already drinking merrily today, I might as well speak freely!"
With that, he drained the wine in his cup in one gulp, as if truly pouring out his heart with alcohol.
This bold and candid display actually made Haha doubt herself a little.
Did I… misunderstand him just now?
Jing Yuan spoke again. "To be honest, the current Luofu can be described as teetering on the brink."
"Not long ago, the Ambrosial Arbor incident erupted. The Alchemy Commission rose in large-scale rebellion, and only with the aid of the Astral Express did we barely preserve peace."
"Now the aftershocks have yet to fade. Externally, the Destruction Emanator Phantylia watches us like a tiger, weaving a spy network and ready to strike at any moment. Internally, the Dragon Masters and the short-sighted among the other Xianzhou suspect me of harboring ulterior motives and constantly impeach and attack me."
"Should these internal and external threats erupt together one day, Luofu falling from the universe would not be impossible. Sigh!"
The more Jing Yuan spoke, the more pained he appeared. He lifted the wine jar and poured for himself again, swallowing another cup of strong liquor before everyone's eyes.
That bleak, storm-battered demeanor made it impossible not to empathize.
He smiled bitterly and sighed, "Sitting in this general's seat feels like walking on thin ice."
So mortal struggles were actually this thrilling?
Looking at Jing Yuan like this, Haha almost felt guilty for what she had said earlier.
With a conflicted expression, she said, "Walking on thin ice, huh… then… how about I give you a heated butt cushion?"
"Uh…" The Six Charioteers, who had thought success was at hand, fell into stunned silence. Gongshu nearly sprayed his drink.
Was that even appropriate?!
"Hng~~"
Nearby, Sylvester did his utmost to hold back his laughter.
But it wasn't because of Haha's erratic thinking—on the contrary, though she was still offbeat, she had clearly been fooled by Jing Yuan.
Ahem. Observe the game in silence. Observe the game in silence.
Jing Yuan hadn't lied—he had simply omitted every advantage and spoken only of the disadvantages.
Most plainly, Luofu currently had nearly a handful of Emanator-level combatants. If Phantylia truly dared to attack, the Six Charioteers' smiles would stretch to their ears.
This only worked because Haha had just arrived, hadn't closely observed Luofu, and lacked the ability to do so thoroughly.
If Aha's true body were seated here, THEIR eyes would be full of nothing but "Go on, keep lying."
Sylvester smiled and took another sip of tea.
He had thought Jing Yuan's chances were slim once Haha noticed something amiss, but who would have expected such a sudden reversal?
Those centuries Jing Yuan spent as General hadn't been wasted. If Fu Xuan wanted to succeed him, she still had a long way to go.
He watched the spectacle from the side, completely relaxed.
But Jing Yuan, upon hearing Haha's words, was now left with nothing but black lines across his forehead.
Miss, could you read the room a little? Even if you can't read the room, at least connect the dots in what I'm saying.
It's already this dangerous here—shouldn't your first instinct be to run?
Left with no choice, he continued playing the role of the tragic general and forced a bitter smile. "Thank you for Miss Haha's kindness. However, that cannot change my predicament."
"On the contrary, your status is exalted. If anything were to happen to you one day, not to mention the Joyseeker's true body coming to demand justice—even the wrath of Elation's followers would spell tragedy for us."
With that, he clasped his fists and bowed deeply. "I respectfully ask that you relocate elsewhere—to avoid mortal danger and to dispel disaster for us. If you truly do so, the Seat of Divine Foresight will certainly provide resources, and the people of Luofu will be endlessly grateful!"
Hearing this, Sylvester nodded inwardly.
These words were well-reasoned and convincing.
Their sincerity aside, what mattered more was that they preserved dignity while laying out tangible benefits.
Seeking advantage and avoiding harm was instinctive to all beings, and no one wanted their followers used as cannon fodder.
Not to mention the added bonus of free travel expenses—there was nothing to fault in the courtesy.
After all these heavy hints, if it were any other Aeon's incarnation sitting here, refusal would have been nearly impossible.
"I see… that does make sense…"
Haha pinched her smooth chin, hesitation written all over her face.
What this tall, white-haired guy said wasn't wrong. Besides, even if there were no danger here, leaving wouldn't be a bad thing.
But…
"Eh, I have an idea!" Haha raised one hand beside her head and laughed. "Why don't I just invite my true body over and wipe out all of Luofu's enemies?"
"That way, everyone stays safe, and the followers of The Hunt and the Elation fun-lovers can all be like one big family."
The more she spoke, the more she felt her idea was brilliant.
She proudly quoted ancient Xianzhou prose, "Thus both dilemmas resolve themselves—would that not be beautiful?"
You absolute f**king genius!
"Ahem." Jing Yuan's heart jolted at those words. His breathing faltered, and the corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably.
How did it loop back around again?!
Not only was the small one not leaving—she wanted to bring the big one too?!
My lady, are we afraid of Phantylia? We're afraid of you!
He waved his hands in panic. "N-no, no. Mortal disputes—how could we dare trouble the Joyseeker to act personally? Humanity must strive on its own. It is better that we handle such matters ourselves."
"Hmm… alright then."
Seeing Jing Yuan insist so firmly, Haha found no reason to continue pushing.
She then said with mild regret, "What a shame. I just built up some popularity, and now I have to start all over again."
"That's no problem!" Jing Yuan, terrified that Haha might reconsider, hurriedly struck while the iron was hot and even lined up her next destination.
Suppressing the joy in his heart, he spoke in what seemed like an impartial tone.
"The Interastral Peace Corporation—vast in people and territory, abundant in wealth—is a dominant power in the universe. Even all the Xianzhou combined cannot compare to the extent of its dominion."
"As long as you reveal your identity, merchants will surely recognize your value and spare no expense to promote you widely. At that point, would you still fear being unable to gather strength?"
"There is a corporate branch in Aurum Alley. If Miss Haha has made up her mind, I can send someone to make the introduction."
…
Aurum Alley, Interastral Peace Corporation - Xianzhou Luofu Branch.
"Achoo!"
Aventurine rubbed his nose in confusion.
Could his level of strength really allow him to catch a cold? Or was someone thinking about him?
No—if someone was thinking about him, why did his back feel so chilly?
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