While the two con artists huddled for their private discussion, the idle Mo Li had also conducted a brief exchange with the cold beauty Hu Xuan.
When Cheng Shi put away the contract and returned to Hu Xuan's side, this [Birth] Envoy candidate asked with mild surprise:
"What did you say to Long Jing? The hostility in his gaze toward
seems to have diminished."
"?" Cheng Shi blinked. "You're a mage. Since when are your senses this sharp?"
Hu Xuan laughed brightly: "My perception is probably a bit different from what you an. Rather than sensing soone's hostility, it's more like I'm sensing the probability of successfully conceiving an offspring from them."
"..."
Cheng Shi's smile froze on his face. He turned stiffly toward Hu Xuan and swallowed hard.
'Sis, could you please stop startling
at the weirdest possible monts?'
'Isn't [Birth] this terrifying? Aren't you afraid of scaring people into the [Corruption] path!'
To avoid lingering on [Birth]-related topics, Cheng Shi imdiately pivoted:
"Just small talk. Never mind that — what did Mo Li say to you?"
Hu Xuan's smile was laden with aning. She didn't press further and spoke at a volu only the two of them could hear:
"He was being friendly."
"Friendly?"
"Yes. He warned
that Hu Wei's operation might involve certain risks and told
to stay on guard.
"But what trial doesn't have risks?
"I feel like there was sothing beneath his words, but I couldn't catch it."
Cheng Shi's brow creased: "What were his exact words?"
"So casual small talk, and then he said with gravity:
"'The Grand Marshal's operation might carry so risk. It's your first ti here — be careful.'
"That was it verbatim. Did you pick up on anything?"
As she finished, Hu Xuan looked up at Cheng Shi again. Her gaze overflowed with trust and admiration — practically spelling out: 'You'll figure it out and tell
what's hidden in those words.'
"..."
Cheng Shi deftly dodged her gaze and fell into thought.
Given Mo Li's standing as a top-tier support, there was no reason for him to extend such courtesy to a [Birth] Chosen One with less experience. Not that he shouldn't "lower himself" — but the warning was far too... "basic."
It sounded more like polite small talk between strangers at low ranks. Zero nutritional value.
Based on Cheng Shi's impressions, Mo Li was a sharp, wise player — not the type to say sothing so vapid. There had to be a deeper aning. But what?
Cheng Shi ntally replayed every interaction with Mo Li but found nothing. Then he reviewed every person's behavior during the entire escape. Still nothing. Until he chewed carefully on the phrase "be careful" — and a flash of inspiration struck. What if Mo Li's "be careful" wasn't warning Hu Xuan about the trial's dangers, but about a specific person?
Who did he want Hu Xuan to watch out for?
Who?
'The Grand Marshal's operation... your first ti here...'
Was Mo Li telling Hu Xuan to watch out for Hu Wei?
He considered Hu Wei a risk?
Once the center of gravity shifted, the logic followed. Cheng Shi instantly recalled a point he'd previously overlooked: in the Grand Marshal's prayer, he'd said, "I am but a passerby struggling beyond the battlefield."
At first blush, the phrasing seed harmless. But upon closer examination, the problem was enormous.
To be matched into the sa trial, everyone had to simultaneously recite the identical prayer. For Cheng Shi, Mo Li, and the others, the wording posed no issue — they genuinely weren't [War] followers and really were passersby beyond the battlefield.
But there were two genuine [War] followers in this assembled group!
Hu Wei and Da Yi. Could these two bona fide [War] devotees really say such words while praying to their own Benefactor?
Placing oneself outside the battlefield was practically blasphemy!
'You can't just exploit [War]'s patience and blasphe right to your Benefactor's face the way I do!'
'[Fate] doesn't just tolerate — He also forgives. Does [War]?'
At this, Cheng Shi frowned. What exactly was Mo Li trying to tell Hu Xuan?
He glanced at Hu Xuan first, then casually let his gaze drift toward Mo Li — only to find Mo Li also glancing their way. Their eyes collided in an instant.
That single look confird Cheng Shi's guess. Mo Li was indeed warning Hu Xuan to watch the Grand Marshal!
'Interesting. This [Order] follower was telling two "outsiders" to be wary of his sa-path "brother"!'
'What had he noticed?'
'Or did he know sothing about Pe Laya's rebellion?'
Cheng Shi silently filed this away, then asked Hu Xuan:
"Do you know about Pe Laya? It sounds like she was a Grand Scholar of the Tower of Logic."
Hu Xuan's gaze sharpened as she nodded.
"I've heard of her. She wasn't just a celebrated Grand Scholar — she was a mber of the Tower of Logic's Erudition Presidium at the end of the Civilization Era!"
"The Erudition Presidium!?" Cheng Shi was stunned. He hadn't expected such a lofty position.
"Indeed. And she ranked rather high within the Presidium — a Grand Scholar with significant influence. But for reasons unknown, she betrayed the Tower of Logic and defected to..."
"[Folly]?" Cheng Shi frowned, suddenly thinking of Galusha, with whom he'd had several "encounters."
"No, not [Folly]. It was [Chaos]!
"She defected to [Chaos] and beca the banner that led the Death Knell Knights in their assault on Tusnat, the Tower of Logic's capital."
[Chaos]?
So this trial used a [War] prayer to enter a clash between [Truth] and [Chaos] — a recreation of the Tower of Logic's fall?
Cheng Shi raised his brows in surprise, then smiled: "Being an Envoy candidate really does open up intelligence networks."
Hu Xuan smiled back:
"It has nothing to do with being an Envoy candidate. Everything I've shared cos from the mage channel.
"It's a remarkable profession. If you take the ti to scroll through the chat logs, you'll harvest far more information than actually attending trials."
"..."
'So it was all thanks to the mage channel. Those old mages were truly sothing!'
"Anything else? Other intel on Pe Laya?"
"No. I pay little attention to [Truth] — they're far too rational, incompatible with [Birth]'s will.
"As for [Chaos], I rarely inquire either. I'm afraid His will would contaminate
and turn
into a being of chaotic procreation.
"So I'm sorry. That's all I know."
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