Sylvia and Feixiao put Yunli through her drills together. But as practice wore on, Feixiao got the itch to spar. She raised her sword and charged at Sylvia instead.
In raw strength, Sylvia had the clear edge. But this was a test of swordplay, and they were still teaching Yunli. Both held back as their blades clashed.
Sylvia's swordplay came from Mei, so the techniques were more than sound. She just hadn't spent enough time on them. Even counting every day, she'd trained for less than six months.
Her sheer power could make up for those gaps and let her trade blows with Zephyro. But if they set raw stats aside and compared skill alone, even holding her own against Feixiao spoke to the depth of Mei's sword arts. Feixiao had likely spent more time cutting down foes in battle than Sylvia had spent training.
Neither dared put much force behind their strikes. The main reason was that they didn't want to wreck the Alchemy Commission. But there was something else, too...
"Feixiao, is something wrong with your health?"
Sylvia had picked up on it halfway through their bout. Feixiao's power was strong, but something beneath it felt a little shaky.
The Ambrosial Arbor's power had also sharpened Sylvia's senses in that regard.
She'd kept her voice low so Yunli wouldn't hear. Feixiao waved a hand as if it didn't matter.
"You can tell even that? It's fine. Just a small injury. You can't fight wars every day without getting a few scrapes."
She clearly didn't plan to go into detail. Sylvia didn't believe her, but she let it drop. She didn't know Feixiao that well; most of what she'd heard had come from Jing Yuan and Huaiyan.
Still, judging by Feixiao's state, Sylvia felt that what the Xianzhou generals lacked most was raw power. The Hunt didn't seem to grant them any special tricks, either.
Once Sylvia's power of Permanence had reached a certain level, she could turn into a dragon and boost her strength by leaps and bounds. She could also control matter itself and change its properties.
The mask of Elation let her mimic other Pathstriders' auras, and even copy some of the powers of other Paths.
Those were all gifts that came when a Path's power reached a certain level. But Sylvia hadn't seen anything like that from Jing Yuan. At least, when he'd last fought and called forth the Lightning-Lord, she hadn't sensed any special powers at work.
Then there was the fact that the Xianzhou generals passed their positions down to successors. Most of their power lay in summoned beings like the Lightning-Lord. If Jing Yuan fought on his own, just how much of an Emanator's strength could he use?
Sylvia couldn't help wondering. She didn't know what Feixiao summoned, but it probably wasn't too different from the Lightning-Lord. Perhaps they couldn't make all that Emanator power their own because it had to be passed on.
Was that the price of having Emanators who could be produced in numbers, with powers that could even be handed down? After all, when other factions lost an Emanator, that was one fewer they had. When a Xianzhou general died, someone else could take their place at once.
Seen that way, perhaps the special gift the Hunt granted the Xianzhou's chosen was the power to keep passing it on. That seemed to make sense.
Yunli came pattering over, still brimming with zeal for her drills. She hadn't heard their talk, of course. Just as Sylvia thought the rest of the day would pass like this, a text from Herta threw off her plans.
[Herta: You there?]
[Herta: Screwllum and I have most things ready. Come by tomorrow.]
[Sylvia: That was fast.]
[Sylvia: Can't wait to give the Lord of Silence some trouble.]
Herta's good news gave Sylvia something to look forward to. That woman's powers might not work on her at all, but if she didn't respond, wouldn't that make her seem like an easy target?
Still, what had Herta and Screwllum prepared? Had this really been enough time? They were both geniuses, but so was their foe—and Polka Kakamond had already killed plenty of geniuses.
"I'll go take a look tomorrow."
Sylvia put her phone away and was about to give Yunli a few more pointers when Yanqing jogged over. He stopped before them and gave a proper bow.
"Miss Yunli, Miss Sylvia, General Merlin's Claw."
Feixiao studied him for a moment, then smiled. "What a well-behaved kid. Did Jing Yuan teach you that?"
"Uh..."
There wasn't much Yanqing could say to that. He faltered, looking awkward, until Sylvia stepped in to save him.
"Yanqing, did you come all this way because Jing Yuan needs something?"
"Yes! The general sent me to find you both. He'd like you to come to the Seat of Divine Foresight. He says there's something important to discuss."
Sylvia and Feixiao exchanged a look. Sylvia guessed it had to do with the borisin. Otherwise, he wouldn't have called her over in such a rush; Feixiao should've met Jing Yuan first, with Sylvia joining them later.
Feixiao, on the other hand, looked puzzled. She was probably wondering why Jing Yuan was in such a hurry when she was still speaking with a witness. She'd only reached the Luofu today, after all, and likely hadn't heard what'd happened yesterday.
Sylvia turned and waved Yunli over. "Yunli, take a break. Do you want to come see your grandpa with me, or go have a look around?"
Yunli still had a child's outlook, but she knew General Jing Yuan probably had real business to discuss. She shook her head and put away her heavy, unfinished greatsword.
"I'll go have a look around. I'll bring you something good to eat when you're done!"
"All right. Thanks in advance."
Sylvia smiled and scratched Yunli under the chin. What a sweet kid. Old Huaiyan had raised her well.
With that thought, Sylvia stole a glance at her phone. There was still no word from the Astral Express crew. Just how late had those guys stayed up last night?
--+--
Sylvia and Feixiao followed Yanqing at a brisk pace to the Seat of Divine Foresight. As expected, General Huaiyan was there as well.
"Heh. I'm sorry my granddaughter's been giving you trouble."
Huaiyan greeted the two of them with a warm smile and an apology. Feixiao waved off his concern.
"Not at all. Your granddaughter's quite a sweet girl."
While Feixiao spoke with Huaiyan, Sylvia turned straight to Jing Yuan. "Did you call me here because you've found something?"
"Have some pity on these old bones. It's only been one night. I've barely followed the trail far enough to find a few spies."
Jing Yuan gave her a helpless look. Fu Xuan wasn't around these days, either. How was he meant to wrap up a spy hunt overnight?
"Just as we thought, the borisin have planted pawns in several major departments."
Even as he got down to business, his tone stayed as casual as ever. He seemed in no rush at all.
"They most likely slipped in during my recent purge of the Luofu. They certainly know how to seize a chance in the midst of chaos."
"So?"
Sylvia didn't really plan to get involved. Given how trouble followed the main cast wherever they went, the Express crew would probably wind up mixed up in it. But the Xianzhou wasn't helpless.
Besides, the Luofu had three Xianzhou generals on hand right now. Sylvia couldn't see this getting too far out of hand. Even an Emanator of Abundance would just end up getting beaten.
"So... I have one small request."
Jing Yuan smiled at her. "I'd like you to make a very public departure from the Luofu."
"Huh?"
Sylvia stared at him. What was that meant to mean?
"The truth is... we only managed to track those people down yesterday thanks to your arrival."
A powerful Emanator had reached the Luofu at a time like this—and she'd made it clear she was on the Xianzhou's side. Of course the hidden borisin had felt the need to discuss how to deal with her.
But yesterday's surveillance had also led Jing Yuan to an awkward finding. Sylvia's arrival had scared them.
They seemed to think that, since Sylvia had just split Penacony with the Family and the IPC, she'd stay there for a while. Surely she'd need some time to take stock of her gains. She wouldn't come to the Luofu herself—at least, not this soon.
So seeing her among the Express crew had given them quite a shock. Based on what Yanqing had learned yesterday, the borisin still hadn't agreed on whether to press on with their plan or lie low for now.
Jing Yuan thought they'd sunk too much into this to give up. They'd probably still take the risk. But what if they didn't?
What if the allies backing the borisin fled? Jing Yuan had no plans to stop after dealing with a handful of borisin.
To be safe, he wanted Sylvia and Acheron to leave together for a while. Whether they teleported back afterward or went off to deal with other matters didn't concern him. He just needed their departure to throw the enemy off.
Few people knew Sylvia could teleport over long distances. That gave them room to work.
"...And that's the situation. I'm at a loss myself, so I'll have to ask for your help."
Jing Yuan shrugged. Sylvia didn't see much of a problem with it.
"I don't mind. In fact, I already need to leave for a bit. Herta wants to see me."
She didn't go into detail. Herta's name was all she offered before turning to Feixiao.
"But what about the inquiry?"
The other two generals had finished their brief chat a while ago and had heard every word Jing Yuan had said. Feixiao answered without a pause.
"Oh, that won't be a problem. I trust you, Sylvia. Besides, the other members of the Express crew are still here, aren't they?"
Sylvia wasn't sure where that sudden show of trust had come from. When she looked over, Feixiao even gave her a wink. Beside her, Huaiyan just chuckled, as if he'd expected this all along.
"All right, then."
If the person in charge had said so, what else could Sylvia say? She turned back to Jing Yuan.
"I'll head to Herta Space Station later, then. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but if anything comes up, you can contact Acheron."
This trip wasn't just about testing a new version of the Simulated Universe. They'd be looking into the Lord of Silence, too. On top of that, this version was a rushed DLC, and they'd have to stay on guard against her the whole time.
Who knew how many rounds of bug testing they'd have to get through? Sylvia had already braced herself to be away for ten days, or even half a month.
For Mei, the trip would mostly be a holiday. She'd also help keep watch for the Lord of Silence. They didn't know how strong Screwllum was in a fight, and Herta's real body wasn't at the station.
If they really faced the Lord of Silence, Sylvia wasn't sure she could keep her from getting away on her own. Having Mei there would put her at ease.
--+--
Sylvia didn't stay at the Seat of Divine Foresight for long. She checked a few points in Jing Yuan's account and showed them the Ambrosial Arbor's power.
She'd thought Feixiao would have a few more questions. But after a brief explanation, none of the three generals seemed surprised. If anything, they seemed moved.
They all agreed that Aha was as hard to fathom as ever. Then they turned around and heaped praise on Sylvia. She had no idea why these generals placed so much trust in her.
Yet, as always, she'd forgotten what her status now meant. Before she'd become an Emanator, Mei had pushed her around every day. After she'd become one, Mei still pushed her around every day.
'Did becoming an Emanator even do me any good?'
All that 'humiliation' at Mei's hands had left Sylvia with a faint sense of doubt. Most of the Express crew, the Stellaron Hunters, and the others hadn't changed how they treated her, either. Living in that sort of world day after day, she hadn't really felt the weight of her new status.
But that was how Sylvia saw it. From Feixiao's point of view, this was a new Emanator who'd risen by taking down Phantylia and Zephyro. Her willingness to help with the Xianzhou's inquiry was already a great courtesy.
She'd even shown them her powers to support her account. That act alone made her stance clear. Feixiao wasn't a fool; even if Sylvia had been rude, she'd have smoothed the whole thing over.
Whatever they chose to do about Jing Yuan later, she'd never challenge Sylvia's evidence to her face. And Sylvia was easy to get along with, without a trace of airs.
Unless the generals had lost their minds, they wouldn't upset such a welcome ally.
With that settled, Sylvia left the Seat of Divine Foresight and headed to the inn where the Express crew was staying. The others had finally woken up. When she told them she was going back to the space station, March 7th looked a little wary.
Bailu, on the other hand, wanted to tag along. But this trip was to deal with Polka Kakamond. To be honest, Sylvia didn't even want to bring Mei, for fear of dragging anyone else into danger, much less Bailu.
"Keep up your training. I'll be checking your progress when I get back."
Sylvia patted Bailu's head. The little healer nodded.
"I know! I'll train hard."
Lately, Bailu had been full of drive to learn. Maybe it was because her strength had grown so fast, or maybe it was because she'd finally broken free of her restraints. Sylvia looked forward to the day she'd come into her own as High Elder.
"By the way, it's fine if you want to go back to seeing patients at the Alchemy Commission. But if anyone from the Preceptors comes looking for you, don't give them the time of day. If they go too far, you can just give them a beating."
"I know, I know."
Bailu nodded with a sigh. She wasn't an actual child. Did Sylvia really need to remind her of that?
Before, she hadn't been strong enough to fight them, and she'd had no one to back her up. Now she had someone this powerful on her side, and her own strength had soared. Why would she still obey every word the Preceptors said?
Dan Heng stood nearby, looking as if he wanted to speak. After a moment's thought, he added one last piece of advice.
"...If you can't beat them, remember to call for backup."
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL