I Never Hold a Grudge, I'm Very Magnanimous!

The Eye of the Sky was extraordinarily formidable; this was common knowledge to every citizen of Qin. Nuclear weapons were powerful, were they not? A single high-yield nuclear warhead could flatten a mountain or incinerate an entire metropolis! Yet compared to the Eye of the Sky, nuclear weapons were distinctly a tier below. The Eye of the Sky was capable not only of precision strikes and long-distance targeted assassinations, but also of wide-scale bombardment. Even so, no matter how precisely targeted an Eye of the Sky strike was, there was a limit to how small its blast radius could be. At minimum, it covered the area of a high-rise building. Therefore, if Mu Longxian activated the Eye of the Sky, the casualties would easily exceed a thousand, perhaps even reach tens of thousands. "Hmph, they're merely a bunch of insignificant weeds. Dead is dead. "Back when the Yang family's grandson died, three thousand petty officials across Feng Province were shaken to death in the fallout. "What, is my son worth less than the Yang family's grandson?" Mu Longxian's voice was thick with resentment. Back then, even civil servants had been caught in the crossfire, with over half killed or injured. The people in this shopping mall were just common rabble. If they died, they died. As for public opinion? That was simple enough to handle. They would claim the Guiran Kingdom had carried out a terrorist attack at the behest of the Guwu Kingdom. The Qinyuan Kingdom and the Guwu Kingdom had collaborated on such matters countless times before. It was nothing more than taking turns playing the scapegoat. In the past, when the upper echelon of the Guwu Kingdom flew into a rage, they had wiped out one of their own towns, causing massive civilian casualties. In the end, the blame had been pinned on the Qinyuan Kingdom—framed as an atrocity committed by Qinyuan. Not only did the commoners at the bottom fail to suspect their superiors, they had even banded together in shared hatred to confront their foreign enemy. As for any lingering suspicion... let them suspect all they wanted. The Seven Martial Stars possessed absolute control; they had no fear whatsoever of an uprising from the bottom. "My... my brother is still in that mall!" Han Kang pleaded anxiously. By this point, he too had lost his composure. "My son is already dead! What does it matter if your brother dies too?" Mu Longxian said ruthlessly. "Activate Mu-03 Eye of the Sky! Coordinates—" Mu Longxian barked his command. He had already lost his mind. With his son dead, his standing within the family would plummet drastically. Now, only by utterly obliterating Qi Yuan could he appease the burning hatred in his heart. More importantly, his mission had included eliminating Qi Yuan from the start. However, before he could finish his sentence, a voice drifted into his ears. "Are you the 'middle one' Husband spoke of, in that sequence of killing the little one, then the middle one?" The voice came out of nowhere, somewhat ethereal and lightly alluring. Mu Longxian froze, and the others in the hall were equally stunned. Without anyone noticing when, a young man and woman had materialized in the center of the hall. This pair was unmistakably the very hero and heroine from the footage they had just been watching. Shouldn't they be... about ten kilometers away? Only a few lines of dialogue had passed; how had they suddenly appeared right here? A dreadful sense of impending doom washed over Mu Longxian. He hurriedly roared, "Guards! Get in here! Arrest them!" He was genuinely terrified. Han Kang was entirely dumbfounded as well. Staring at his younger brother's acquaintance, a feeling of utter absurdity rose within him. Could that man... truly be one of those legendary figures of the Immortal Path? Although Han Kang was qualified to be present today, he actually remained largely in the dark regarding Qi Yuan's true identity. That was why he had found Mu Longxian's decision to deploy the Eye of the Sky so absurd, baffling, and difficult to stomach. Now that Ning Tao and Qi Yuan had suddenly appeared here, realization struck him instantly, and he connected everything back to the incident at the Guiran Military Camp. Qi Yuan's gaze settled on Mu Longxian, his face breaking into a radiant smile. "It truly feels amazing to have a thigh to cling to." As he said this, he even deliberately bent his waist and wrapped his arms around Ning Tao's thigh through her black dress. At this moment, however, no one had the mind to notice such antics. Looking at Mu Longxian, Qi Yuan continued, "Kill the little one, and the villain side sends out the middle one—an endless stream, remarkably united. "As for me... well, I have my wife's thigh to cling to. "I'm not afraid of you being united; I'm afraid of you not being united. Otherwise... wouldn't that mean, well, that I wouldn't have an excuse to wipe out the whole clan?" Clinging to a thigh was no mere figure of speech for Qi Yuan; he was a man of action who truly clung to it. Right now, speaking strictly in terms of the power of this current body, he was far behind Ning Tao. Naturally, clinging tightly to his wife's thigh was the best course of action. Qi Yuan's voice was perfectly calm, sounding exceedingly flippant. A faint blush inevitably surfaced on Ning Tao's earlobes. "After killing the middle one, I will accompany Husband... to kill the old ones." With those soft words, she gently raised a palm. The arrogant, haughty demeanor vanished from Mu Longxian's face, instantly replaced by sheer terror, his eyes wide like those of a dying dog. "No—" Only when the threat of death was pressed directly against him did he seem to understand that all living beings were equal before mortality. He wanted to beg for mercy, but tragically, he could not utter a single sound. At that very moment, his physical form fractured. All of his modern technological defenses were as flimsy as nothingness. He shattered, yet remained unbroken, collapsing straight onto the floor. Every trace of breath was gone. The assembled high officials and dignitaries all began to tremble. For the first time in their lives, they felt so utterly powerless. Ever since climbing to the pinnacle of society, their mindset had shifted. It was as if the entire world were a chessboard, and they were the players holding the pieces. Everything had to unfold according to the rules they set down. The populace was nothing more than pawns. As for... the wrath of a common man? That was nothing but a joke. Among powerholders like them, who didn't wear a nanobot defense suit? Backed by layers of security, there was simply no such thing as an enraged commoner splashing blood across five paces. Aside from rival chess players, the only thing they ever had to worry about or fear was choosing the wrong political faction. Yet now, their courage was completely broken. For the first time, they realized there were still things in this world far beyond their control. At that moment, Ning Tao's gaze swept over the officials present, her expression radiant as starlight. "You... you as well... and you... There is killing intent in your eyes. You belong to the dead man's clique... So you may all go die." Like King Yanluo crossing names off the Ledger of Life and Death, whoever Ning Tao pointed to perished on the spot. In the span of just a few breaths, seven high officials collapsed lifelessly in the room. The remaining officials froze where they stood, holding their breath, not daring to utter a single word. Han Kang stood rooted to the floor, his head buzzing violently. Among the seven dead officials, three belonged to the Provincial Cabinet. One of them was his direct superior—someone he ordinarily had to look up to with utmost caution and deference. Yet now, that man had been felled like a dead dog. How could shock and terror not flood Han Kang's heart? Qi Yuan and that enchanting young woman were terrifying to such an extreme. "I suddenly feel like reciting a poem," Qi Yuan remarked, a sudden poetic inspiration striking him as he pondered thoughtfully. "'The inner storehouses burn to brocade ash; along the Heavenly Avenue, trampling the bones of ministers and lords.'" Though the officials present had never heard this couplet before, their faces drained of color. They were educated men; naturally, they understood the grim imagery behind those words. "A fine poem... a truly magnificent poem..." The head of the Provincial Cabinet stepped forward unsteadily, offering trembling praise. Truth be told, even when facing the scions of the Seven Martial Star families, he had never stooped to such fawning adulation. Han Kang also hurriedly stepped forward and chimed in, "An exceptional poem, blending scene and sentiment perfectly. Mr. Qi... possesses immense talent." Seeing this, three or four other officials also rose to shower him with praise. It was as if showering praise on Qi Yuan's verse might induce him to spare their lives. Their lavish flattery made Qi Yuan feel rather embarrassed. "I didn't write this poem." Qi Yuan was very honest; he never liked claiming credit for someone else's work. Blue Star hadn't been destroyed yet; if he was caught plagiarizing poetry, wouldn't that be social suicide? "The cadence of your recitation, rising and falling with such resounding weight, carries the true demeanor of a sage!" another official chimed in, seizing the opportunity to suck up. Hearing that, Qi Yuan was amused. "No wonder ancient emperors loved flatterers so much." Just then, Qi Yuan shifted his gaze toward the secretary standing beside Han Kang. "Why don't you offer a bit of flattery too, so I can have a good laugh?" The secretary's expression instantly turned more agonizing than tears, his body trembling uncontrollably. "Don't be scared. I'm a very positive, uplifting person; I never hold grudges. "Even though you claimed last time that Wuyun Pavilion belongs to your family, you were merely stating a fact. That can't be helped. The only person to blame is me... for being poor, lacking the ability to buy Arch Star. "Otherwise, I would have retorted right then and there." Upon hearing Qi Yuan's words, the secretary turned ashen, wearing a grimace uglier than weeping. "Mr. Qi... this lowly one was wrong!" The secretary wished he could travel back a few days just to tear his own mouth to shreds. What kind of madness had possessed him to spout such nonsense back then? "Don't make that face. You weren't wrong. You were right—it's just that I lacked the ability... Sigh, reacting like this makes me look like some petty brute who resorts to violence whenever he loses an argument, doesn't it?" Qi Yuan could not help but say. He had always been very reasonable. Whenever reason could prevail, he would never resort to force. Convincing people through reason! Yet in this secretary's wild imagination, had he been cast as some bloodthirsty maniac who slaughtered entire households? Seeing his reaction, the secretary collapsed limp to the floor, too terrified to speak. "Sigh." Qi Yuan sighed again. "I still prefer the wild, untamed arrogance you had when we first met. "It's a pity that in just a few days, society has smoothed down all your sharp edges. You've had it rough." The people in the room wanted to laugh, but none dared to. The secretary looked as though his own mother had died. "Well then, everyone, farewell! Now that the middle one is dealt with, I must accompany my wife to kill the old ones." Qi Yuan wrapped an arm around Ning Tao's slender waist. Ning Tao was about to carry him straight to the Imperial Capital. If he didn't hold on tight, traveling there would be much slower. Seeing them about to depart, the head of the Provincial Cabinet hurriedly called out, "Mr. Qi, please wait!" "Oh? What is it? Are you going to flatter me on his behalf?" Qi Yuan glanced back at the secretary slumped on the ground. Every pair of eyes instantly darted toward the secretary, sending an icy chill down his spine. Qi Yuan continued, "I have always been a reasonable man. Don't go demoting him just because he's upright and refused to flatter me. "Although there was a bit of friction and bad blood between us, that's our personal grudge. I will slap his face myself one day—none of you are allowed to meddle!" Qi Yuan had already resolved that once he gathered enough money, he would buy Arch Star outright. When that day came, he would whip out the planet deed, slap it against the secretary's face, and declare arrogantly: "See that? The whole of Arch Star is mine. So what if Wuyun Pavilion belongs to you?" Qi Yuan remained immersed in his fantasy of the future, growing happier the more he thought about it. Such daydreams naturally brought joy, rather like an underdog fantasizing about finally embracing the goddess of his dreams. At this moment, the cabinet chief spoke up: "Mr. Qi, our royal family of Qinyuan bears only goodwill toward you. It is merely that there are corrupt elements at the top of the empire. This entire operation directed against you was nothing more than the Mu family bringing ruin upon themselves." The Qinyuan Kingdom was ruled by the royal family, yet in certain respects, the Seven Martial Stars wielded authority even greater than the throne. This head of the Provincial Cabinet belonged to the royalist faction. The royalist faction's stance toward Qi Yuan was one of conciliation and recruitment. "Oh, I'm well aware of that. "Am I some sort of bloodthirsty fiend? Would I go around exterminating every single person belonging to the Seven Martial Stars? "No, I am a very kindhearted person. I believe in repaying kindness with kindness and avenging grudges with retribution. At most, I'll just slaughter the entire Mu family." The assembled officials kept their heads bowed, several of them sharply inhaling a breath of cold air. The Mu family in the Imperial Capital alone numbered an estimated several thousand. Counting the remaining branch lines, their total count surpassed ten thousand. Thus, upon the towering tree that was the Qinyuan Kingdom, all manner of blood-suckers were perched. And wiping out the entire Mu family didn't count as bloodthirsty? "You people have seen too little of the world. I once knew someone who was truly bloodthirsty. "If it were him in my place, he would probably slaughter every single person on Arch Star surnamed Mu," Qi Yuan said. "I am exceedingly benevolent. I only kill the primary culprits... well, and anyone harboring hostility toward me." Having said his piece, Qi Yuan simply vanished into thin air. By his ear, Ning Tao's sultry voice drifted softly. "Husband, I heard them say that the Eye of the Sky is quite formidable. Would you like this servant to take you up there... and tear the Mu family's Eye of the Sky to shreds?" "Mm... sounds good." Qi Yuan nodded, tightening his grip around Ning Tao's waist. After all, he was afraid of falling. Back in the hall, now that Qi Yuan had left, the remaining officials let out long, shuddering breaths and slumped heavily to the floor. While Qi Yuan had been present, the tension had been so agonizing that it felt as though their heads no longer belonged to their shoulders. At this point, the provincial cabinet chief turned toward Han Kang and demanded, "What on earth was that all about?" He was referring, of course, to Qi Yuan questioning the secretary. The secretary remained limp on the floor, his eyes hollow, having not yet recovered his wits. Han Kang hurriedly explained, "About that..." He reported everything that had transpired back then in full detail. Internally, he could not help but curse his subordinate. Why did this secretary have to have such a loose tongue, insisting on blurting out such provocative nonsense? However, the cabinet chief's eyes lit up. "Your younger brother... is close with him?" Han Kang's mind raced, a surge of excitement rising within him. He continued, "A few days ago, when the Mu family prepared to move against Mr. Qi, my brother caught wind of it through some unknown channel and warned Mr. Qi in advance." "Splendid!" The cabinet chief slapped his own thigh, pure delight washing over his face. "Well done! Hurry, tell me everything about your brother and Mr. Qi." Seeing this, Han Kang knew this was his golden opportunity. Since he had already offended the Mu family, he might as well board this grand ship before him. "My brother and Mr. Qi are both martial artists..." Han Kang recounted everything he knew to the cabinet chief. The chief's eyes grew brighter and brighter. "It's excellent that we have this connection... It's just..." Recalling something, his expression turned troubled once more. "The Eye of the Sky... The Eye of the Sky commanded by the Seven Martial Star families... is far too terrifying. "No, I must report to His Majesty immediately. We have to stop the Mu family from deploying the Eye of the Sky!" *** The Imperial Capital. The most prosperous metropolis in the Qinyuan Kingdom. Inside the Mu residence. An elderly patriarch sat upright in the primary seat, his face dark as a thundercloud. Flanking the old man stood numerous middle-aged men, all wearing equally grim expressions. He glared at the Seventh Prince and Gongyi Cai, his face etched with displeasure. "Are the royal family and the Gongyi family truly intending to meddle in our Mu family's affairs?" The old patriarch's voice bristled with fury. The royal family had declined to the point where they could not even rival any single branch among the Seven Martial Star families. The Gongyi family had fallen even further; had they not retained control over a single Eye of the Sky, they would have been purged from the Seven Martial Stars long ago. Facing the Seventh Prince and Gongyi Cai, Patriarch Mu showed not the slightest hint of courtesy. The Seventh Prince rose to his feet. His voice was cultured and full of poise, entirely unfazed by Old Master Mu's hostility. "Old Patriarch Mu, any matter can be resolved by sitting down and talking. Recklessly deploying a superweapon like the Eye of the Sky harms the nation and easily sparks broader conflict." Old Master Mu sneered. "It seems to me your royal family has taken a liking to him and wishes to recruit him! "Hmph! He murdered my grandson! If we let him off just like that, how is our Mu family supposed to hold its head high among the Seven Martial Stars? "You want to sit down and talk? Simple enough. As long as he kneels before me, surrenders everything he possesses, and severs both of his arms, this matter will be put to rest. "Otherwise... the Eye of the Sky will surely rain down upon him." Old Master Mu was thoroughly enraged. If they did not take decisive action against Qi Yuan this time, where would the Mu family's dignity lie? How would the other families of the Seven Martial Stars view them? As soft persimmons ripe for the picking? The Seventh Prince replied in an unhurried tone, "Patriarch Mu, according to the treaty signed between the Seven Martial Stars and the royal family, the deployment of a weapon on the scale of the Eye of the Sky requires an official petition submitted upward, which must receive royal approval. "If Old Patriarch Mu intends to move against Mr. Qi, please abide by the treaty." Decades ago, when the royal family had not yet fully declined and still possessed a measure of authority, they had signed such a treaty with the Seven Martial Star families. Nowadays, however, with the royal family's decline, many of the Seven Martial Star families treated the treaty as little more than scrap paper. Or rather, some would follow the procedure by submitting an application, but the royal family typically merely went through the motions and never dared refuse. Bringing up this treaty now was a demonstration of the royal family's resolve to recruit Qi Yuan. It was also meant to make the Mu family wary of the royal family, thereby averting the deployment of the Eye of the Sky and ending the confrontation. "Heh." Old Patriarch Mu sneered with contempt. "The treaty? The royal family? When we, the Seven Martial Stars, acknowledge you as royalty, you are royalty. "If we do not acknowledge you, how are you any different from a stray dog on the roadside? "Without an Eye of the Sky of your own, does the royal family... even deserve to be called royalty?" Old Patriarch Mu tore away all pretense, dropping every semblance of civility. Decades ago, a man had married a royal princess. Young and exceptionally promising, he had been regarded as a rising star of the royal family, and the crown had poured immense resources into supporting him in hopes of restoring the throne's former glory. Yet who could have foreseen that in the end, that very man would usurp control over the royal family's final three Eyes of the Sky? It sounded absurd and utterly bizarre, but it was the undeniable truth. Only after losing all access to the Eyes of the Sky did the royal family truly fall into terminal decline. At this moment, Old Patriarch Mu gave the Seventh Prince no face at all, completely ripping off the mask. And what he said was the truth. The royal family existed in name only. Their reach extended across a mere handful of provinces. As for the military? They did not command a single military district. Nor did they possess an Eye of the Sky. What was such a royal family, if not a glorified mascot? Hearing Old Patriarch Mu's humiliating words, no matter how refined the Seventh Prince's upbringing was, a flicker of resentment flashed through his eyes. He clenched his fists until his fingernails dug into his flesh, but when he raised his head, a smile remained plastered across his face. "Old Patriarch Mu, the world has undergone great upheaval, and the Immortal Path is reviving. Mr. Qi can be considered a forerunner upon the Immortal Path. If he remains alive, it will benefit us all. "Furthermore, the Eye of the Sky cannot be used indefinitely. Once its energy reserves are depleted, replenishing them is exceedingly difficult. Therefore..." "Hmph! The authorization for the Eye of the Sky rests in my hands; I will use it however I see fit! "Oh, I nearly forgot—a certain royal family couldn't even keep authorization over its own Eyes of the Sky, having them swindled away by an outsider! Haha!" Old Patriarch Mu laughed mockingly, completely disregarding the dignity of both the royal house and the Gongyi family. "And you, Gongyi Cai—if your Gongyi family doesn't pull itself together, I fear that within a century, you will end up just like the royal family, losing authorization over your very last Eye of the Sky." Patriarch Mu turned his venomous tongue on Gongyi Cai, disdain dripping from his eyes as he scoffed, "Only weak rats... huddle together in packs." As the head of one of the upper three clans among the Seven Martial Stars, Old Patriarch Mu was entitled to speak so arrogantly. Even daughters of prominent families on Can Star would choose to marry into the Mu family. It was no exaggeration to say that among the ten most powerful individuals on Arch Star, he occupied a seat. "Mu Series Eyes of the Sky 01 through 13, heed my command: operate at full capacity, initiate war mode..." Old Patriarch Mu gave the order directly. His body was outfitted with all manner of nanobots. The cipher to control the Eyes of the Sky was his voice, specially modulated so that it could neither be duplicated nor disguised. Its network was also completely isolated from the public internet. "Command One: activate the Heavenly Eye, locate Qi Yuan's position!" Old Patriarch Mu continued issuing his commands. Today, he would show the world that the authority of the Mu family was not to be challenged. Yet right at that moment, a synthesized mechanical voice rang out: "Command execution failed. Unknown error encountered."