They could talk; they could always talk. Chuyao was never afraid of chatting with anyone.
Even if the other party was Chu Cang.
Taking advantage of the mealtime, the two sat at opposite ends of a long table. They were quite far apart, but the environment was quiet enough that it did not interfere with their conversation.
Xu Chuyao carried her large tray, which held three meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, white rice, and soup. She had a very healthy appetite.
In contrast, there was only one bowl of noodles in front of Chu Cang.
“Miss Xu, this may be the first time we have spoken, but there has long been a connection between us,” Chu Cang said.
Xu Chuyao had just taken a mouthful of rice. She was amused by his words. “Are you talking about that organization you lead in secret?”
If spending one year beating the Supreme Society and the Clown Gang until they ran with their tails between their legs counted as a connection, then they certainly had a deep history.
Chu Cang’s expression did not turn angry; he remained calm and composed. “Precisely. Miss Xu, you have clashed frequently with my subordinates. Your growth along the way has been accompanied by battles with them, which can be considered a form of destiny.”
“There is such a thing as that kind of destiny?”
“During the Pacification War, the world fought its own separate battles at first, but eventually, the many armies merged into one. Many of my old friends today are those I became friends with only after we fought,” he paused. “According to the Old Speaker, Miss Xu possesses the spirit of the Pacification War. That is what we have in common.”
Having spent a lifetime struggling in the shadows, Chu Cang was naturally more capable of swallowing his pride than Wen Shengqing.
Xu Chuyao did not know what he was planning. “General Chu, you didn’t call me here today just for food and drinks, right? You must have something on your mind?”
Chu Cang pulled back his lips, forcing a smile that was as friendly as possible.
“I know that Miss Xu is not someone who kills without mercy. After the incident in the Downtown Area a few days ago, you drew a clear line between yourself and Marshal Wen and the others, no longer interfering in the matters between us. Since that is the case, could we perhaps make a verbal agreement?”
He put down his chopsticks and gestured to himself. “I can be the first to guarantee that I will never act with hostility toward you or your people.”
‘Good grief, so this is what he was waiting for.’
Xu Chuyao curled her lip inwardly. ‘What’s the use of your guarantee? I don’t have that ability of yours. Everyone knows a verbal agreement with Chu Cang is just a one-sided, unequal contract… Oh, wait, nobody actually knows. Only Wen Shengqing and I know now.’
‘He doesn’t even know that I know.’
“General Chu should probably take those words back. The world is unpredictable — who knows what will happen in the future?” Xu Chuyao pursed her lips. “But I truly do not want to be involved. If I hadn’t been sought out by Marshal Wen and pushed to the forefront by the Old Speaker… *Sigh*.”
She had not wanted to, but since it had already happened, the phrase “had not wanted to” no longer carried any weight.
She buried her head in her food after that, not giving him much of a chance to speak. After finishing, the girl offered a brief greeting, picked up her tray, and left.
Failing to trick her into signing an agreement made Chu Cang’s expression turn sour. He did not know if Chuyao was being habitually cautious or if she had already sensed his ability and was intentionally on guard.
However, he did not have time to dwell on it, because a moment later, a councilor under his command rushed over and said anxiously:
“General Chu, things have gone wrong! We have clashed with them outside!”
Chu Cang frowned. “Who?”
“It’s Zhou Tian and Peter Mo.”
—
The incident happened very suddenly. The two had been driving out to handle some business and unexpectedly encountered each other on the road.
Outside the Council Spire, there was a stretch of highway several kilometers long where the road was wide open, and everyone usually kept to their own side. However, if two people were heading in the same direction, things could become troublesome because they had to watch the road.
During this period of driving side-by-side, Peter Mo was the first to lose his patience. He had encountered one setback after another over the past few days and was already bursting with frustration. Seeing Zhou Tian now, he viewed him as a soft target and began to mock him.
“Do you know, Zhou? If a turncoat who serves two masters like you existed back in the Spirit Age, they would have drowned you in a pig cage.”
As a brute from the era of chaos, he had no idea what the actual conditions of the Spirit Age were; he was merely piecing together rumors he had heard to be as disgusting as possible.
Zhou Tian slammed on the accelerator, but his car could not shake the other man. He could not help but retort, “I am only looking for a way to survive. Unlike you, I understand that being with a ruler is like being with a tiger. Besides, the one you are flattering is a tyrant. If you meet a violent end one day, don’t blame me for not warning you.”
It would have been better if he had stayed silent, but as soon as he replied, Peter Mo became even more energized. “Listen to you! Marshal Wen has promoted so many people, so why is everyone else living just fine while your faction is the only one having problems? Sometimes you should look for the reason within yourself instead of trying to drag us down with you.”
Zhou Tian regretted it, knowing he should not have paid him any mind. The more you talked to a gossip, the more they ramped up.
But it was too late.
Peter Mo floored the gas, his car swaying back and forth next to the other. He rolled down the window and shouted at the top of his lungs:
“You said I’d meet a violent end and that you’d warn me, so go ahead and warn me! Come on, tell me! Which day will I die?”
Having reached his absolute limit, Zhou Tian exploded and slammed his elbow against the steering wheel.
“It’s today!”
*Boom!*
The two sedans collided on the highway and exploded instantly. The vehicle heat damage triggered the immunity mechanism of the Spirit Power Users. However, even without the immunity, they would not have been injured — because both of them were at the Fourth Stage!
*Rumble!*
Two violent surges of Spirit Power blasted the burning vehicles apart. They did not undergo Elemental Transformation because they still remembered the temporary meeting from a few evenings ago — specifically, the Old Speaker’s displeased expression.
If they got carried away in the heat of battle and destroyed a large section of the highway or even affected nearby civilians, they would certainly be punished.
Furthermore, Zhou Tian’s mission for this outing was originally to clean up the aftermath of the events from a few days ago.
“What are you doing!” a loud roar came from the distance. “Peter Mo, you sycophant, get away from us!”
Zhou Tian’s colleagues had arrived. But they weren’t the only ones; the people from the other side had also reached the scene.
“Marshal Wen and our group have always been here. You are the latecomers! You’re the ones who should get lost!”
The two sides argued more and more fiercely, their words becoming increasingly foul, but no one made a move yet.
They all knew that with their level of destructive power, a fight would turn into a massive spectacle. But since things had already reached this point, no one was willing to back down; they couldn’t just withdraw their forces like this.
Either the other side had to back down first, or… they had to wait for a powerful figure to arrive and settle the situation.
—
Back in the restaurant at the Council Spire, half of the noodles on the table remained untouched.
But Chu Cang no longer had an appetite.
A subordinate used a mobile phone to transmit the live footage of the scene, making the situation clear at a glance.
“I heard Marshal Wen has also received the news,” the subordinate whispered. “Should we head over?”
Chu Cang looked out the window. It was noon, and the sun was blazing.
“Let’s go.”
He had to take the risk and try to test out Wen Shengqing’s Fifth-tier Rules.
Naturally, Xu Chuyao also received the news of the commotion on the highway.
‘Are the two sides fighting? Good, good. Excellent news. It’s finally happening.’
‘Why am I still taking a nap? I need to get over there and see this.’