"I have to go. There's another battle to fight."
Fei Xiao put away her phone and spoke to Aether.
"So soon?" Aether was a little surprised. He had thought it would be at least another week, but he did not expect Fei Xiao to have to leave in barely half a week.
"What exactly is the situation? Is it the remnants of Abundance again?" Aether asked.
"Yes, and this time the scale is much larger," Fei Xiao nodded.
"War is like that. No one knows when it will end or when it will begin." Fei Xiao patted Aether's shoulder, seemingly offering comfort.
"Don't worry. I'll end the war as quickly as possible. With the arrow of the former emperor's bow, I will completely eradicate them."
Seeing that Aether still looked a little worried, Fei Xiao smiled confidently. "I am, after all, Yaoqing's Arbiter-General. Haven't you heard of my deeds?"
"Be careful. Don't get hurt."
Aether reached into his clothes and took out a small jade signet, placing it in Fei Xiao's hand.
"This is a calming medicine I specially prepared for you. If your Moon Frenzy relapses and becomes uncontrollable, you can use it. The medicinal primer is made from my fresh blood, so there's no need to worry about its effectiveness."
"This is so precious…" Fei Xiao looked at the jade signet, hesitated briefly, then put it away.
"If it were anyone else, I would politely decline. But since it's you, I know you'd insist anyway, so I won't refuse. Don't worry. When I return, I'll prepare a surprise for you as well. You'd better keep yourself safe."
As she spoke, Fei Xiao gently reached up and plucked a withered leaf from Aether's hair, then gave him a heroic, dashing smile.
"General, it's time to go."
Moze appeared beside her, somewhat unsuitably, and spoke in a low voice.
"Alright. Let's go." Fei Xiao nodded, then gave Aether one last reminder. "Wait for me properly, and don't flirt around. If anything happens, contact me through the jade signet."
With that, she transformed into a gust of green wind and sped away.
Once Fei Xiao's figure completely vanished, Aether's previously calm expression instantly turned cold.
A dark shadow slowly emerged from a nearby corner and bowed respectfully. "Emanator, what are your orders?"
"There's something I need you to do. Keep your eyes sharp. The situation is tense right now, and Jing Yuan has already started to notice me," Aether said without turning around.
"First, investigate the recent movements of the mad remnants of Abundance and find out what they're planning. Second, organize personnel to go to Fei Xiao's battlefield. There's no need to intervene directly. Just add a little 'flavor' to the remnants' side."
"Yes. Your subordinate will not fail in his mission. For the Merciful One."
After responding, the shadow vanished, leaving Aether alone.
"Ah… Fei Xiao is gone. I'm so lonely…"
He had grown accustomed to being with her. Now that she had left and he was alone again, Aether felt deeply unaccustomed.
"Is this love, or just fondness…"
Aether had never been in a relationship before. Even he could not clearly define what he felt for Fei Xiao.
"Sigh. I originally wanted to live a simple, peaceful retirement, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this, especially with Arbiter-General Fei Xiao involved." Aether recalled the events of the past few days and clicked his tongue.
"A General of the Hunt falling in love with, and even marrying, an Emanator of Abundance. That would surely be a massive joke, maybe even enough to attract Aha of The Elation."
"Forget it. There's no point thinking too much. Time to head back."
…Divination Commission.
Jing Yuan listened to Yanqing's report, a rare hint of interest appearing on his usually lazy face.
"You're saying you couldn't keep up with his speed at all, and his strength was so overwhelming that you were almost knocked down with a single punch?" Jing Yuan asked after savoring Yanqing's words.
"Yes, General. These are all facts. There's no exaggeration," Yanqing replied with a nod.
"Interesting. This Aether is indeed far from simple. To nearly defeat you using only fists, feet, and speed means he held back quite a bit." Jing Yuan took a sip of tea, deep in thought.
"Ah? He held back? How could that be?" Yanqing was stunned and instinctively wanted to refute it.
"He completely overwhelmed you in both strength and speed without seriously injuring you. That shows extremely precise control over his power. To reach that level, the gap between you and him is far greater than you imagine," Jing Yuan chuckled and shook his head.
Yanqing fell silent. Aether had indeed defeated him with ease, leaving him no room to counterattack. That alone proved the vast difference in their strength.
Yanqing was not incapable of accepting defeat. It was simply that being unrivaled among his peers had made him too proud. He had grown used to invincibility, to the point that when he was utterly overwhelmed, he did not immediately consider that the problem lay with himself.
"How about it, Yanqing? Do you understand now that there are always greater heights beyond your own?" Jing Yuan said with a smile.
"This student understands, but I still have a question," Yanqing replied.
He accepted the outcome without protest, but curiosity still lingered. "General, Aether is so powerful and so young. Why not recruit him?"
Jing Yuan smiled, finished his tea, and spoke slowly. "Aether possesses such strength, yet he avoids factional struggles and chooses to hide among ordinary people in this remote corner."
"There are only two possibilities. Either he has seen through worldly affairs and only wishes to live in peace, or he has ulterior motives. The latter is far more dangerous to the Xianzhou."
"He is barely over twenty years old. That makes the second possibility far more likely."
Jing Yuan poured himself another cup of tea.
"Then doesn't that mean Aether is a serious hidden threat that must be thoroughly investigated?" Yanqing said quickly, realizing the implications.
"Exactly, but that is why we must not rush." Jing Yuan took a calm sip.
"With his strength, he has no reason to fear confrontation with me. If things truly came to blows, we would be the ones to suffer."
"The Xianzhou already faces internal and external threats. We must be even more cautious in dealing with Aether."
"Although we do not know whether he is an enemy or a friend, his close relationship with General Fei Xiao at least means he is not difficult to approach on the surface."
Yanqing felt his head spin after hearing all this. Strategic maneuvering was never his strong suit. Holding his head, he asked, "Then what do you plan to do next, General?"
Jing Yuan smiled faintly. "General Fei Xiao has already left, so I'll go and meet him myself."