Weir City was unusual tonight. Perhaps it was the heavy clouds brought by the worsening war with the northern Barbarians. Perhaps it was the magic tower being activated to its third level for the first ti in ninety years.
There was a faint tension in the air.
Atop that magic tower, Night Owl stood in her long magical robes, deep hood drawn, before two strange crystal-like magical orbs.
Inside each orb was a version of Night Owl. One was conducting the month-end settlent for Li Wei and the others. The other was conducting a settlent for Liang Yuzhi — or rather, attempting to persuade Liang Yuzhi to leave Li Wei's territory.
The scene was unsettling.
"This is a Six-Star Concealing the Sky with One Hand Card. Take it — and you can dissolve your partnership with Li Wei and leave cleanly. Widow, you don't need to wade into this ss."
In one of the orbs, Night Owl was pressing her case.
"Isn't Li Wei your subordinate — and half your disciple? He's achieved such remarkable results. Shouldn't you be pleased? Why does it feel like you're trying to undermine him? Jiang Xinran — if you've been coerced, blink twice."
"Ha. Widow, you're too funny. Six months ago, I genuinely had high hopes for him. I threw him into this Pioneering Mission as a supporting act — to temper him, settle his character. I planned to properly cultivate him after this mission, thinking he'd be genuinely useful in ten years. But I don't eat leftovers. Whatever you two have already had your hands on — no matter how excellent — I'm no longer interested."
"We haven't 'had our hands on' him. And he's not leftovers."
Liang Yuzhi raised her head calmly, trying to read Night Owl's expression — but her Inspiration was no match for Night Owl's, and she couldn't tell whether the woman was speaking truth or lies.
"That doesn't matter. When I decide you've touched sothing, then you've touched it."
"Isn't that just being unreasonable?"
"And what if it is?"
"You lost sothing."
"Ha — still can't hide anything from you, can I, big sister? Yes, I took a significant loss. Because of you and the Scorpion Queen, plus this Li Wei, a very carefully laid plan of mine has gone up in smoke."
"You should know — what I needed was the position in the Tax Departnt. A certain count there will be stepping down in about two years, which would have aligned perfectly with the end of the Pioneering Mission. A seamless transition."
"But Li Wei, with your help, ended the competition early. Now I've been reassigned to Thorns Pass — the front line of the war against the northern Barbarians. A vacancy just happened to open up there. Lucky . Even being given the position of Chief Casting Witch of the Ministry of Magic's Weir City Branch as compensation doesn't make up for what I lost."
"Most importantly — I had arranged everything for Hathaway. Even if she only ca in second, I had arranged for her to take over the position of Deputy Chief Internal Affairs Officer. I had negotiated terms with the Logistics Departnt, the Tactics Departnt, and the Comrce Departnt. Everything was in place."
"Then Li Wei killed Scar Glenn, and the Comrce Departnt turned on imdiately. Now Chu Wushuang from the Comrce Departnt is about to beco Chief Internal Affairs Officer. Everything I built has collapsed. Tell , big sister — did I take a big loss or not? I didn't personally order Hathaway to send Lu Ziming to raid his camp — I've already been more than fair to him. Since when does a subordinate undermine their superior like this?"
"As far as I'm concerned, Li Wei is now a discarded piece. His territory won't survive — it'll collapse within six months. Big sister, I know your personality is strange, but deep down you still value the friendship from when we fought side by side. I'm not asking anything of you. I just want to pull you out of this. I still need a deputy at Thorns Pass. Co with . Sisters reunited after thirty years, fighting side by side again — wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"No. I refuse."
Liang Yuzhi didn't hesitate for a mont.
"And I also refuse to settle. All of my earnings are to be credited to Li Wei's account — that's an available option under the rules, and you can't change that."
"Furthermore — go ahead and send Lu Ziming to raid the camp. If he doesn't die, I'll take your surna."
"A discarded piece! You've got so nerve! You old bat — what right do you have to call him a discarded piece? Let tell you — you're the one who was discarded. Abandoned by us thirty years ago, abandoned by your own disciple now, and there'll be more people abandoning you in the future!"
Liang Yuzhi's words were vicious and precise — a few sentences that nearly broke Night Owl's composure.
Knowing she couldn't win the argunt, Night Owl simply went silent and withdrew from the settlent.
—
At the sa ti, in another dinsional space, Li Wei, Li Yue, and Night Owl sat in a triangle.
The atmosphere was slightly awkward.
Li Yue's expression was cold. Night Owl's was calm. Only Li Wei wore an expression of serene innocence, giving nothing away.
As for "talking" — what was there to talk about?
You've been promoted, My Lord. I've repaid whatever debt I owed you. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will have a new Chief soon. New leadership, new loyalties. You can't look after , and I can't look after you. Let's just part on good terms and leave it at that.
Li Wei wasn't particularly disappointed. He could understand Night Owl's choices — there wasn't much wrong with them. In the end, he had simply grown too fast. Her strategic planning hadn't kept pace.
So expecting him to feel profound gratitude toward her was equally unrealistic.
Of course, Li Wei's mind was already clear as a mirror, and he had made sure to equip the Fla Baron title beforehand — just in case.
Li Yue, sitting beside him, spoke first, with a pointed edge to her voice.
"Congratulations. Third-Order Casting Witch, Guardian of Thorns Pass — should I be addressing you as Countess now? And by the way — Li Wei belongs to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. With the new Chief Internal Affairs Officer not yet present, and with players who haven't arrived yet, conducting the six-month settlent unilaterally seems a bit irregular, doesn't it?"
Well then.
Li Yue really didn't pull her punches.
Li Wei watched with great interest from the sidelines. He enjoyed a good show.
Of course, his mind was perfectly pure. A Third-Order Casting Witch's Inspiration was considerably sharper — there was no point in being foolish. Zhang Jinjun's lightning bolt was a recent reminder.
But Night Owl didn't engage Li Yue in a fight. She looked at her quietly for a mont, then sighed softly. "Little Yue, since when did your tongue get as sharp as the Widow's? I'm here conducting the settlent properly — there are no procedural issues. In fact, I'm here to help you. You've been spending too much ti around the Widow."
"Oh, how touching — you're here to save . From the dear little sister who stabbed three hundred and eighty-eight tis in the back. Thank you, but I don't need saving."
Li Yue rejected it without hesitation.
"Don't be stubborn. I still need a deputy at Thorns Pass. You could co help — I've even handled the paperwork."
Night Owl continued calmly.
"I'll pass. I couldn't possibly aspire to such heights."
Li Yue gave a cold laugh and remained unmoved.
Night Owl sighed and looked at Li Wei. "Talk to her. I may no longer be Chief Internal Affairs Officer, but I'm not going to harm you. I know you've built a deep bond over these six months. You're settled now — with the Widow's help, the next two years will be smooth. But Li Yue is in a different position. Her territory is gone. When she returns to Weir City, she won't even have a place to stay. Do you want her sleeping in a dormitory?"
"Weir City is expensive. Living there is no small matter. Her training, equipnt repairs and upgrades — none of that cos cheap. In four and a half years she'll be heading into Cross-Border Missions again. Li Wei, if she's your friend, talk her out of this stubbornness. At her age — what is she holding onto?"
Li Wei was caught off guard. Night Owl was asking him to persuade Li Yue? What was she playing at?
"Li Wei, keep your mouth shut. You don't know anything about this, so don't get involved. Jiang Xinran — enough talk. I'm waiting for my settlent."
"That temper of yours."
Night Owl gave a helpless sigh. With a casual wave of her hand, the magic mirror behind her began to display every key mont of Li Yue's participation in the Pioneering Mission over the past six months.
At first the playback moved quickly, then slowed. When it reached the battle against the Fla Duke, Night Owl watched with particular attention, her expression growing increasingly strange. When it reached the special boss kill, she finally couldn't help but glance at Li Wei — a flash of genuine shock in her eyes.
When the settlent concluded, Li Yue received one Silver Clearance Token and the equivalent of 31,500 standard gold coins.
Taxes were due, of course.
Interestingly, Li Yue produced a certain Duke's Honor dal, which exempted 20% of her tax burden. She ultimately walked away with 18,900 standard gold coins.
The amount was substantial — because Li Yue's contributions in the final two months had been genuinely enormous, and the Universal Gold Card submission had been distributed proportionally among all family mbers.
Before she left, Li Yue pressed 10,000 standard gold coins into Li Wei's hands without a mont's hesitation. He didn't even have ti to refuse.
In an instant, Li Yue dissolved into grey mist and left the world.
Only Li Wei and Night Owl remained in the dinsional space.
"Li Wei — do you need to settle?"
"My Lord — do I need to?"
Li Wei turned the question back. Of course he didn't need to settle. Once all the others had settled, everything remaining was his. He only needed to pay the required 60% tax. All rewards were included — nothing would be missing, including the previously donated Universal Gold Cards, which would continue to accumulate. There were still two more Radiation Storms coming. He'd have more than enough.
"Ha — I almost forgot. You're effectively a Three-Star Lord now. Work hard. Three-Star Lord isn't an ending — it's only a beginning. I may no longer be in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but the old hands there will still look after you, for my sake. I look forward to hearing good news from you again soday."
"And — if you ever find yourself struggling in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you're welco to co find at Thorns Pass."
With that, Night Owl gave a slight smile and departed gracefully. The settlent ended — perfunctory, anticlimactic, a poor match for the grand entrance she had made.
'Sothing feels off. Why wasn't Second Aunt able to participate in the month-end settlent?'
Li Wei thought about it for a mont but couldn't work it out, so he let it go.
The strange grey mist had already dissipated. The five of them were still sitting at the dining table, as if nothing had happened.
But Li Yue, Li Feng, Liang Yuying, and Zhang Jinjun had all settled and left.
And from now on, headquarters would no longer be sending anyone to supplent his numbers.
It felt strange, for a mont. Like a student who had suddenly graduated. No more parents watching over you. No more teachers supervising. No more ever-present threat of elimination to worry about. No more monthly Plot Kills for entertainnt. No more Monthly Main Tasks.
From this mont on, Thomas, Leon, Zhao Xuanxuan, and Zhao Guozhu were four freshly independent rcenaries.
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