Central Star Realm, Imperial Capital.
The top floor of the towering Military Departnt building, the office was filled with a faint aroma of tea.
Yang Zheng, dressed in a black tactical outfit, bowed slightly, the sharpness in his eyebrows slightly restrained. He respectfully reported, "Marshal Lin, the Military Departnt has reached a decision — Lu Yuan, due to inadequate defense of Soul-Splitting Ice Valley leading to heavy losses for the Thirteenth Army, has been reassigned from Mingwang Planet to serve as the head of logistics for the 37th Army on Seda Star, with his military rank reduced to Major General."
The man in front of him was none other than the legendary marshal of the Royal Army — Lin Xuanqing.
Marshal Lin had a gentle Eastern face, his black hair neatly tied at the back, with strands of silver woven in, adding a touch of maturity. He rubbed the edge of the teacup with his fingers, his deep eyes calm, speaking lightly, "Lu Yuan previously investigated the corruption case of the Luo Hou clan, causing them to lose a seat in the Senate. This is the Luo Hou family’s retaliation."
Yang Zheng’s brows instantly furrowed — the Luo Hou clan, as one of the Nine Great Holy Bloods, had deep roots and a complex network of influence. They wanted to target a lieutenant general like Lu Yuan. Even with Marshal Lin’s protection, it would be difficult for Lu Yuan to escape unscathed.
The "mistake" at Soul-Splitting Ice Valley was clearly a trap set by the Luo Hou clan; otherwise, with Lu Yuan’s capabilities, he would never have made such a basic error in overseeing strategic positions.
"Marshal Lin, with Lu Yuan gone, we’ve lost the most important pillar in our plans for Mingwang Planet. We must find soone to replace him quickly," Yang Zheng said gravely, but then hesitated, "But now that the Luo Hou clan is openly challenging us, whoever we send over will have to endure their targeting and retaliation. I’ve thought it over, but haven’t found a suitable candidate yet."
Mingwang Planet is one of the eight major planets that guard the Royal star, its strategic importance cannot be overstated. Various powers are eager to plant their personnel there.
The person replacing Lu Yuan must not only possess formidable martial strength but also be adept at sches and social interactions to navigate the complex network on Mingwang Planet.
Several suitable candidates crossed his mind, but they were either in crucial positions and couldn’t be moved, or had obvious shortcomings in so areas, making it impossible for them to bear this burden.
Marshal Lin gently placed the teacup down, his voice still calm, "Lu Yuan’s position as Guardian Envoy is certainly untenable, and the Luo Hou family will undoubtedly place their own people to replace him. For now, withdraw our people stationed at Soul-Splitting Ice Valley to avoid them seizing the opportunity to settle scores. But —"
His tone shifted, carrying a hint of coldness, "Courtesy demands reciprocity. Since the Luo Hou family has moved against my people, I naturally must return the favor."
Yang Zheng’s eyes flickered, imdiately understanding Marshal Lin’s intention.
Marshal Lin held two "sharp blades": one being the Judgent Court, responsible for governing cris of Spiritualists, which even the direct lineage of the Holy Blood clans feared as a "Sword of Damocles" hanging overhead; the other, the Seventh Bureau, directly subordinate to the Military Departnt, specializes in monitoring corruption and misconduct within the military — a sharp spear inserted into the military realm.
The rise and fall of bloodline families are always tied to their influence within the military.
Compared to the Judgent Court, the existence of the Seventh Bureau is what truly terrifies these families.
Daring to target Lu Yuan, Marshal Lin will undoubtedly use these two "sharp blades" to regain ground elsewhere.
Buzz —
At that mont, the tallic sculpture in the corner of the office suddenly began to vibrate.
It was a ssenger pigeon cast in profound iron, usually inconspicuous as a decorative piece, now emitting a faint blue glow, instantly drawing the focus of both Marshal Lin and Yang Zheng.
Marshal Lin took off the tal necklace he wore — the pendant was a small star emblem, which fit perfectly into the slot on the back of the ssenger pigeon. He embedded the pendant into the slot, gently tapped the pigeon’s head with his fingertip, and closed his eyes, seemingly receiving encrypted information.
A mont later, he opened his eyes, a hint of elusive brilliance erging from them, softly murmuring, "Finally can’t sit still, huh... Moving against that brother and sister after all."
The wheels of fate began to turn.
Next, it will be up to who can laugh last in this turbulent ga of shadows.
He looked up at Yang Zheng, his tone slightly more relaxed, "Yang Zheng, I already have a candidate to replace Lu Yuan."
"Who is it?" Yang Zheng imdiately asked, two nas quickly flashing through his mind, "Is it Guan Shanyue, or Luo Nan?"
These two were the only ones he could think of, both capable and able to be deployed by Marshal Lin.
"Neither."
Marshal Lin shook his head, the corners of his mouth rare to see lifted into a faint smile, "It’s a very interesting little fellow."
Interesting?
Yang Zheng was stunned — he had followed Marshal Lin for years and had never heard him use "interesting" to describe anyone.
For him to use that word, just who is that "little fellow"?
Curiosity wrapped around his heart like vines, prompting Yang Zheng to ask further, "Marshal Lin, who exactly is this person?"
But Marshal Lin deliberately kept it a mystery, taking a sip of his tea with a light smile, "No rush, you’ll et him soon enough."
...
Silver Gray Star
Yan Qing held a gold-edged docunt in hand, standing by the window, his tone carrying a touch of sentint, "Qin Tian, your transfer order has arrived."
Qin Tian stepped forward to receive the docunt — the paper was dense and smooth, with the edges embossed with the distinctive star pattern of the Military Departnt, indicating it was a high-level transfer order.
His fingers brushed across the paper surface, his gaze quickly scanning the content, but his pupils froze when he reached the "place of assignnt."
Mingwang Planet.
He had considered the possibility of stepping onto the stage of the Central Star Realm. Silver Gray Star was, after all, a star on the Empire’s fringe, with ultimately limited scope.
But he hadn’t thought it would co so soon — Mingwang Planet, one of the eight major planets orbiting the Royal star, supposedly where the planetary core’s large star gate allows access to the Royal star within half an hour, truly making it "under the feet of the emperor."
Transferring from Silver Gray Star to Mingwang Planet was akin to moving from a small county town in the northeast to a position in the capital — an opportunity that is rarely available to anyone.
A glimr of light erged in Qin Tian’s eyes,
Silver Gray Star was indeed too small. Here, his strength growth was gradually hitting a bottleneck, while Mingwang Planet, and even around the Royal star, gathered top talents from the Nine Great Star Realms, descendants of the Nine Great Holy Bloods, core mbers of various guilds, elites nurtured by conglorates... There lay the top-tier cultivation resources, the most scarce Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, along with the most outstanding talents.
Yet, opportunities bring hidden risks.
The powers surrounding the Royal star are deeply intertwined, with the Military Departnt, Senate, Holy Blood clans, conglorates, alien forces... the conflicts have never ceased, making it far more challenging to gain a foothold there than expanding in Silver Gray Star.
"Director Yan, when should I depart?" Qin Tian scanned the transfer order again, noticing that it only stated the position but not the reporting ti, sparking his suspicion.
Yan Qing turned around, walking up to him with a more serious expression than before. He spoke slowly, "Qin Tian, before your appointnt, Marshal Lin has entrusted you with a secret mission."
"Marshal Lin?"
Qin Tian’s gaze shifted slightly — for such a prominent figure to personally assign a task, the matter was clearly not simple.
He asked in a deep voice, "What is the task?"
Yan Qing took another sealed dossier from the briefcase behind him, the flap adorned with a red "Top Secret" label. He handed the dossier to Qin Tian, his tone solemn, "You need to protect this person, ensuring her safe entry into the Royal star."
Qin Tian opened the dossier, and a photo slipped out — the girl in the photo wore a light blue dress, her features delicate, with a clean smile as pure as untainted snow, exuding an aura of innocence and charm.
Below the photo, written in neat handwriting with a steel pen, was the target of his mission for this trip.
Dongfang Mingyue.
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