Flame of Civilization

After talking with Zhu Tiandao for a while, Su Yu stepped out of the Xia Clan Restaurant. He felt utterly refreshed! His mood was bright and cheerful. To be frank, he did not know Zhu Tiandao well. But at a critical juncture like this, for the head of an entire prefecture to come negotiate in person—clearly rushing over the moment he received word—was more than enough. Did Zhu Tiandao need to prove anything else? Not at all! Originally, even if Su Yu decided to go to the Great Ming Prefecture, he would have done so carrying apprehension, anxiety, and confusion about the future. Now, much of that emotional weight had dissolved. The prefecture lord negotiating in person showed absolute sincerity. The greatest sincerity possible! Far more important than any promises. A ninth-stage Sunmoon Realm expert! A powerhouse bordering on Invincible, whose father was the second-ranked Civilization Master of all humanity, coming to fetch him in person—that was true sincerity. It was enough! Other things were secondary. Su Yu was confident in his ability to earn what he needed on his own; all he sought was a little time, a measure of protection, and more lenient conditions. Zhu Tiandao had promised all of it. Clear-headed and lighthearted, the stifled bitterness lingering in the depths of his heart gradually dispersed. The Human Realm was not without a pure land after all. Even if that pure land sounded a bit eccentric. Yet the Great Ming Civilization Academy from Zhu Tiandao's description—was that not precisely what Su Yu had once imagined? An assembly of scholars, debating freely, enjoying refined conversation, exploring the world, studying civilization, deciphering civilization, passing on civilization... That was what an academy of civilization was supposed to be in his mind! By contrast, the Great Xia Civilization Academy was undeniably powerful, but to Su Yu, it felt like a battlefield, an abyss, rather than a sanctuary of learning and research. With his mood lifted, Su Yu strode forward with broad, confident steps. Walking down the street, everything around him suddenly looked far more pleasing to the eye. His sea of will stirred, and his divine characters pulsed. In that moment, the persistent frustration and resentment that had clung to him slowly dissipated. The "Fire" character radiated brilliance! It thrummed! Without losing his focus, he simply kept walking. Gradually, flames seemed to ignite across his form. Outsiders could not see it, and the weak remained oblivious. Yet at this very moment, experts at the Tengkong Realm and above seemed to sense something stir. *** Inside the Xia Clan Restaurant. On the third floor. Zhu Tiandao watched Su Yu walk away, and his eyes caught the spectacle. His mouth dropped open slightly. Was that... a natural divine character? The flame blazed like the descent of a saint. In Zhu Tiandao's eyes, Su Yu had become entirely crystalline and snow-white, untouched by a single speck of dust. As he walked among the crowd, that singular cluster of flames cast its radiance in all directions! Nearby, a person who had been wrestling with a problem suddenly found the answer clear as day! Another who had hit a bottleneck felt their mind break open with sudden enlightenment! "The flame of civilization..." Zhu Tiandao murmured under his breath, utterly stunned. Was this... a natural-born Civilization Master? That divine character had only just advanced to Tier 2, yet it could already influence the minds of those around him? Su Yu had never placed much value on this "Fire" character; when he spoke of it to others before, it was merely to brush them off. Yet right now, Zhu Tiandao took it with absolute seriousness—and profound shock! *** At the same time. Within the Xia Manor. Marquis Xia stood high, gazing into the distance. He saw the scene across the city—the blaze burning fiercely, casting forth radiant light! Flames sweeping in every direction! The flame of civilization! Marquis Xia's mouth worked wordlessly for a long time. Beside him, Chief Hu's expression shifted repeatedly. After an eternity, he sighed, "We shouldn't have let him leave!" A natural-born Civilization Master! A sign of a saint descending into the world! Su Yu... what kind of heritage was he passing down? Marquis Xia's throat felt dry and parched. Discomfort, unease, and bitter frustration swelled within him. Abruptly, the light of sun and moon flashed in his eyes as divine radiance burst forth, locking onto the Xia Clan Restaurant! *Damn your ancestors, Zhu Tiandao!* In the distance, the sun and moon similarly rose, bending the void. Zhu Tiandao and Marquis Xia seemed to stand face-to-face across the expanse, though one remained in the Xia Clan Restaurant while the other stood atop the prefecture lord's manor. Marquis Xia ground his teeth! A loss! A devastating, catastrophic loss of a deal! Zhu Tiandao wore an easy smile, speaking leisurely, "Forced fruit isn't sweet. Look at that—the very moment he resolved to leave, his divine flame advanced, his mind cleared, and his resentment melted away. If you had kept him, you would have made a true enemy out of him!" Marquis Xia remained silent. Zhu Tiandao chuckled and said in high spirits, "What a treasure I've stumbled upon! That's a heritage-class divine character. If I station people around him to cultivate, it seems they'll all gain insights and breakthroughs! That's a mobile enlightenment-type divine character!" Marquis Xia clenched his teeth. *You still have the nerve to rub it in!* He was seething! Zhu Tiandao grinned widely as he watched the cluster of flames extend all the way into the distance. His smile broadened further, and in the next heartbeat, his figure vanished, leaving behind a laughing parting remark: "Xiao'er, your big brother is heading off. Don't miss me too much!" Marquis Xia ground his teeth, and with a thunderous boom, punched straight through the void! The space shattered in a shockwave, but no reply returned. Marquis Xia huffed coldly and cursed, "That bastard—taking all the spoils and acting smug about it!" Beside him, Chief Hu offered a bitter smile and said softly, "Marquis, there's no point squabbling with Prefecture Lord Zhu over this. He doesn't care about decorum anyway." Here was a prefecture lord whose shamelessness rivaled Marquis Xia's own. Marquis Xia had no shame, but he operated within certain boundaries and rules. Zhu Tiandao, on the other hand... had no rules. A man with nothing to lose could run as wild as he pleased—unburdened, strong, and backed by a towering patron. At times, Zhu Tiandao couldn't care less about any rules at all. Marquis Xia snorted. His relationship with Zhu Tiandao wasn't bad, but he simply could not stand the fellow. There was nothing he could do about it: Marquis Xia was a wild spirit in his own right, but bound by the Xia family, he could never be as uninhibited as Zhu Tiandao. It was a source of great sorrow to him—otherwise, the title of the foremost profligate among the Invincible second generation would have belonged to him. Casting Zhu Tiandao from his thoughts, he looked toward the Great Xia Civilization Academy again. Over there, a pillar of fiery radiance grew brighter and brighter! Tengkong cultivators caught a vague inkling; Lingyun experts gained faint insights; Shanhai cultivators perceived its true depth; only Sunmoon experts could truly see it for what it was. *** At this moment, Su Yu was smiling—a brilliant, genuine smile! He was about to journey far and forge a new world. The constraints of the Great Xia Prefecture, its struggles, and everything it entailed—he would keep them etched in his heart, leaving them for tomorrow. The ocean was vast enough for fish to leap, the sky high enough for birds to fly! For today's Great Xia Prefecture, he was powerless. His mentor had been banished to the Sinners' Camp, and nothing could reverse it today. His senior martial uncle harbored bitter resentment and hatred, and Su Yu could do nothing to lift that burden right now. Against all the trials of today, he had been helpless. Now, he would venture far away to begin anew. In the Great Ming Prefecture... he would be reborn. The flame of civilization burned! His willpower grew ever more luminous and pure. Like glazed crystal, like holy light, like the bodhi. His body became like clear jade, his divine apertures gleamed, and his sea of will solidified, showing signs of filling to the brim as his tiny hammer resonated with rapid tremors. At this moment, atop the Xiuxin Pavilion, Wan Tiansheng looked down upon the academy. Gazing upon that burst of firelight, a sigh escaped him—one could not tell whether it was sorrow or regret. A natural divine character! A natural-born Civilization Master! This divine character had not been sketched from an outline or condensed through sheer text of will; it was born naturally from the mind, a true innate divine character. With this, all eight of Su Yu's divine characters had successfully advanced! Every single one was now Tier 2! Within his sea of will, the divine characters circled in dazzling brilliance. The "Fire" character, previously the weakest of them all, now showed signs of becoming the primary character. Su Yu had never formally designated a core character, choosing instead to cultivate each as if it were primary. Yet now, the other characters faintly orbited the "Fire" character like stars surrounding the moon. Even the first character he had manifested, the "Blood" character—already nearing Tier 3—circled around this fiery core. Under the gentle burning of its light, each divine character grew increasingly pure and lustrous. Not only that, but his origin apertures were undergoing changes as well. Of his 320 origin apertures, 80 had already fused into five composite apertures, bringing him to fifth-stage Wanshi. Only yesterday had Su Yu broken through to fifth-stage Wanshi. Yet today, another 16 origin apertures were rapidly aligning and fusing. Under the illumination of the divine flame, the fusion progressed at astonishing speed. As for his divine apertures, he had opened 106 previously. Now, the 107th was steadily opening. *** Inside the academy. Su Yu walked on, step by step. Merged into his shadow, the Shadow race expert and the Water Person resting upon his body both felt the warmth of that fire. The flames did not physically exist in the material world, yet they burned within their seas of will. The shadow twisted, and water mist rose! It was not torment, but a form of cultivation, comprehension, and sudden enlightenment. The Water Person and Shadow had been grievously injured; through the long years, their very foundations had been impaired. Yet in this moment, there were faint signs of recovery. Neither Shadow nor the Water Person uttered a sound, yet both felt the shift profoundly. Su Yu... was a monstrous talent! The flame of heritage! The flame of civilization! Was this an omen? Or was it merely an extraordinary trait unique to this particular divine character? Su Yu did not dwell on the matter. His thoughts were clear, his mood was splendid, and everything felt right. The firelight gradually drew inward and faded away. In that single moment, Su Yu seemed subtly changed. He had become gentler. A moment earlier, with stifled resentment unresolved, an unapproachable chill had clung to him, blended with the baleful aura from slaying two Tengkong experts, causing many to view him with dread. Now, however, Su Yu felt clear and unburdened. The bitter gloom had vanished, leaving behind an impression of warmth and approachability. *** When Xia Qing saw Su Yu, her very first instinct was that Su Yu was a good person! A genuinely good person! An involuntary sense of closeness rose within her, leaving her somewhat spellbound. Xia Qing snapped out of it quickly, her heart trembling slightly. Why did Su Yu feel different from before? "Brother Su... did you break through?" "No." Su Yu chuckled and added, "One of my divine characters advanced, that's all. I only have eight divine characters, and now they're all Tier 2!" *Only* eight divine characters! That single word was enough to make someone cough up blood. Eight characters was already a massive number. And all of them were Tier 2! Most importantly, he wasn't a Tengkong realm cultivator—he was only in the Yangxing Realm! Xia Qing sighed inwardly, deeply shaken. A true genius, a peerless talent—even among the God and Demon races, such figures were rare. Perhaps only the Origin Demon Race and the Primordial God Race could produce a freak like him. The Human Race's standing among the top ten races was indeed well-earned. "Brother Su, you asked to see me..." Su Yu wore a calm smile. "Princess Qing might already be aware of my predicament. Right now, I need greater strength! But I don't dare leave the academy, and though I need to improve, I have no immediate path forward. Before, I wanted to wait a little longer, but now it seems I can't afford to wait." He smiled and continued, "So, I want to explore a site for treasure. I received word that a certain location might hold treasures capable of helping me rapidly reach the Tengkong Realm. I want to check it out." Xia Qing's brow arched slightly. "Treasure hunting?" *He means exploring ruins!* *Going to claim a heritage?* He clearly felt his strength was insufficient and wanted another boost. It seemed he hadn't fully harvested the ruins yet. That made sense; Su Yu was simply too weak. Before reaching the Sunmoon Realm, it was nearly impossible to absorb an entire inheritance. "What does Brother Su propose?" Su Yu said with a smile, "I'd like to invite Princess Qing to come along—but you must bring your Dao Protector!" His expression turned serious. "I'm worried about... danger!" "Danger?" Xia Qing feigned ignorance. "Is it far?" "Not too far..." Su Yu hesitated for a second. "Near a small town—close to Nanyuan City. Princess Qing might not be familiar with it, of course." *I know it!* Xia Qing's heart pounded! *I know it—your hometown! It really is there!* She had suspected it was somewhere nearby all along! "Nanyuan?" Xia Qing looked puzzled. "I think I've heard of it. Aren't you... from Nanyuan?" Su Yu nodded. "I discovered the location of this treasure long ago, but I never went to claim it... well, not deep inside, at least. I loitered around the perimeter. It was too dangerous. When I was young, I went there with my father to gather medicinal herbs..." Xia Qing processed the clues rapidly! Medicinal herbs! When he was young! A mountain? Or a ravine? It wasn't inside Nanyuan City, but in its vicinity—no wonder nobody had discovered it to this day. Xia Qing hesitated and said, "Brother Su, you mean... there will be danger once we leave?" Su Yu struggled internally for a moment before nodding. "Yes, there will be. I'm very worried, which is why I need help! Of course, I'm not going unprepared. My grand-teacher tamed a Shanhai realm great demon. I'll bring that Shanhai demon with me. But I'm afraid one Shanhai demon won't be enough, and it might not be entirely obedient. I need someone to deter it!" Su Yu paused before continuing, "I hope Princess Qing keeps this between us. The reason I'm turning to you is... you aren't human. To be completely candid, I'm not afraid of you seizing my treasure, because you have no way to occupy it permanently. But others... the human heart is unpredictable. That includes the Xia family, the Hu family, the Wu family, and the Zheng family. Treasures stir greed, and they have powerful backgrounds. If it were seized by them, I'd never get it back!" Su Yu said earnestly, "I won't treat you unfairly, Princess Qing. If you agree, I will grant you ten thousand merit points and present you with a Profound-rank cultural weapon. If you have other requirements, name them!" A lavish offer! Ten thousand merit points and a Profound-rank cultural weapon. That price was more than enough to hire a Shanhai expert. Xia Qing's doubts evaporated instantly. So that was it: because she belonged to the myriad races, she couldn't establish a permanent foothold in the Human Realm. Su Yu couldn't carry the entire ruins away in a single trip, so he figured he had to find someone incapable of annexing them. Anyone else, including his allies in the Wu family, might seize the ruins for themselves. Xia Qing weighed the logic—it was sound. Conventionally speaking, she would never dare seize it; even if she did, the Cloud Tiger race lacked the authority to hold it. Occupying someone else's ancient ruins inside the Great Xia Prefecture... that was suicide! Provided Su Yu remained alive, that is. If he died without anyone knowing, then... of course, she would still have to return to the academy, unless a clan elder faked their death and hid inside the ruins. Various thoughts raced through her mind. Xia Qing said in a grave tone, "Brother Su, I am naturally willing to help you. But to tell the truth, if members of our myriad races leave the academy, we're bound to attract attention! Even the Great Xia Prefecture's authorities will notice!" "And without a suitable pretext, we can't leave at all." Su Yu nodded. "I know. That's why I've prepared a pretext. In my hometown of Nanyuan, there has been recent demon activity and disturbances caused by the All-Races Sect. The locals are too weak. As a genius who came out of Nanyuan, it makes sense for me to return!" Su Yu's eyes flickered. "I've already contacted people to stir up a little chaos in Nanyuan. As a hometown prodigy, I'll head back, and I'll issue an open mission with no restrictions on who can accept. You can join the team, and everything will follow naturally!" Xia Qing was slightly surprised, but thinking it through, it was an excellent plan! A crisis in Nanyuan! Su Yu returning home was completely logical. Having left Nanyuan not long ago and now possessing formidable strength, answering a plea for help from his home city was only expected of him. In fact, it would look like his hand was forced! He had no choice but to return! Framed this way, his departure wouldn't seem suspicious at all; rather, it would make Su Yu appear helpless. Everyone knew that leaving the academy right now was dangerous and ill-advised, but he had to go, lest people condemn him for abandoning his home! That was almost certainly Su Yu's angle! Xia Qing hesitated, then said, "I'm worried about the All-Races Sect... All right, don't look at me like that; my Cloud Tiger race doesn't run any cults. I'm worried those fanatics will target you. And then there's the Single Divine Character Faction at our academy... Are you certain they won't make a move?" "When I came to the human realm, I brought two clan elders—one Lingyun and one Shanhai. However, academy regulations state that only one may leave the academy grounds with me at a time. The other must remain behind as a... hostage, so to speak. Do you understand, Brother Su?" Su Yu nodded. "I understand!" The human race needed to ensure that foreign experts didn't run off together to hide in the wild mountains and rivers, so keeping one behind was standard practice. Su Yu smiled. "One Shanhai is enough. I have a Shanhai great demon on my side as well, giving us two Shanhai experts in total. I refuse to believe anyone would mobilize three or four Shanhai combatants just to deal with me! If you don't mind my asking, what stage is your Dao Protector?" "Third stage of the Shanhai Realm!" Xia Qing replied promptly. "What about yours?" "The same!" Su Yu said with a helpless sigh. "Originally, its strength was far higher, but my grand-teacher drew countless batches of its blood, causing its cultivation to decline significantly. That's all it has left now." Xia Qing felt a pang of gloom. The Cloud Tiger race was also a demon race. Drawing blood, domesticating, taming... Hearing such terms left a bitter taste in her mouth. Su Yu did not seem to realize the sensitivity of the topic—or perhaps humans simply never cared about such sensibilities. Suppressing her discomfort, Xia Qing maintained her smile. "Two Shanhai experts should be sufficient. But what if the Shanhai senior you bring suddenly turns on you? Brother Su, we'd be in terrible trouble!" Su Yu frowned, thought about it, and nodded. "That is a possibility. I didn't even put a beast-taming ring on it..." "What?" Xia Qing was stunned. *You didn't use one?!* His sheer audacity baffled her! Her thoughts raced. *What reckless confidence! Does he genuinely believe the demon won't betray him? He didn't even use a beast-taming ring!* Su Yu waved it off nonchalantly. "It's fine. My grand-teacher tamed it thoroughly; nothing will go wrong! Of course, hearing you mention it does make me a little uneasy. If it really turns rebellious, that would be bad. But..." Frowning, he muttered under his breath, "Aside from you, I can't find anyone else to trust. The human heart shouldn't be tested lightly; I don't want to turn allies into enemies for nothing. Elder Wu Yuehua and the others are trustworthy, but I wouldn't dare test them with... such treasures." "What about Director Chen?" Xia Qing asked. Su Yu shook his head. "I can't bring my senior martial uncle. I'm only going back on a rescue mission. Others don't know about the Shanhai great demon, and as for you, bringing a Dao Protector is standard procedure. But bringing my senior martial uncle along... what would that look like? Any fool would guess something was up!" Xia Qing's eyes flickered. "Then what about finding a few more classmates from the Myriad Races Academy to help?" "Out of the question!" Su Yu shook his head firmly. "The reason I trust you, Princess Qing, is that we've interacted before, and I pride myself on having a decent eye for people. You stood up for me earlier and offended the Single Divine Character Faction. As for the others—frankly speaking, I'm not an idiot; how could I trust them completely?" Every word reinforced the impression that he placed his trust in her alone. Xia Qing put on a moved expression, yet cautioned, "Even so, the Shanhai senior on your end might not be reliable, and if we run into real trouble, my side only has one Shanhai expert, who won't be able to hold off multiple foes alone. Brother Su, it's too dangerous!" She pressed further, "You killed strong experts from the Single Divine Character Faction; do you really think they'll pass up an opportunity to retaliate? And you created the aperture fusion method. I know the All-Races Sect all too well: the other major races will never let a talent like you keep growing. They will certainly strike, and they might send Shanhai cultivators!" "If we encounter two Shanhai foes, it might be manageable if nothing goes wrong. But if something happens and your Shanhai senior turns on us, my clan elder might be formidable, but two fists can't fight four hands." Su Yu frowned deeply. "Let me think about it. Princess Qing, please keep this confidential for now. Do not leak it, and do not inform any other students from the myriad races. I've laid out the general plan, but I need to consider whether to bring anyone else into the fold..." Xia Qing suggested, "Or I could just not tell them! When you post the mission, anyone will be free to accept..." "Not members of the Single Divine Character Faction!" Su Yu interrupted. Xia Qing nodded. "Even without them, other students might sign up. If necessary, I'll register, and some students from the myriad races might join my group. Once the roster is set, we can disclose details as we see fit. What do you think?" Su Yu's brow furrowed. "They can't be people who oppose me or align with the Single Divine Character Faction, otherwise we're asking for trouble!" "Naturally not!" Xia Qing smiled. "If I sign up, the ones joining me will certainly be my close friends." Su Yu said with a frown, "I won't be able to afford that much pay. Let me... consider this further. I still think two Shanhai experts are enough. I'm only going to the border of the Great Xia Prefecture, not the All-Heavens Battlefield. For a mere Yangxing cultivator to travel with two Shanhai protectors is already the absolute limit." Su Yu's reasoning held weight. No matter how talented he was, traveling with two Shanhai escorts was treatment fit for the son of a prefecture lord. Even if their enemies tried to muster Shanhai cultivators, they couldn't gather a large force on short notice. If too many Shanhai experts assembled, the Great Xia Prefecture authorities would have flagged them long before! Still, Xia Qing felt uneasy. Bringing only one Dao Protector felt inadequate. Su Yu had a Shanhai great demon on his side. It had likely been stronger than third-stage Shanhai in the past; even after dropping in rank, its combat strength would still outmatch an ordinary third-stage Shanhai expert. As for whether she would help the Single Divine Character Faction or assist Su Yu, she had not made up her mind even now. She could only act as the situation demanded! "When does Brother Su plan to set out?" "Not right away," Su Yu explained. "At the very least, I must wait until my senior sister secures her place in the Top 100. My presence serves as a deterrent! Only after that will I make my move. Over the next few days, I can still make some preparations." "That works. I'm ready whenever!" Xia Qing said with a laugh. "Brother Su's trust truly flatters me!" Su Yu offered a self-deprecating smile. "I prefer to speak plainly. I also... took into account that your Cloud Tiger race isn't particularly strong. If the academy were full of God or Demon powerhouses, I wouldn't dare trust them either." The more bluntly he put it, the more reassured Xia Qing felt. *Exactly! Our Cloud Tiger race isn't powerful; we are weak, which is why you can trust us.* "I understand what you mean, Brother Su. Even if we go, and even if other students from the myriad races join us, I'll scout candidates from smaller races for you. If anyone from a major race with a Sunmoon expert wants to join, I will seek your permission first!" Su Yu nodded and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "My apologies... I didn't mean any offense, I just wanted to be as cautious as possible. Please forgive me, Princess Qing." "It's completely understandable!" Xia Qing laughed. "If Brother Su had no plan at all and acted carelessly, I would be the one worrying, and I'd have to reconsider whether to go at all to avoid walking into trouble. Your thoroughness is for our collective safety." It was only natural for Su Yu to think things through! If he had blundered off toward the ruins without preparation, she would have been terrified. That would either be suicide or a trap. Now, Su Yu had calculated every step: the crisis in Nanyuan, his return home, posting the mission, her accepting it, bringing along a Shanhai demon, and roping in a princess from a smaller race... Every angle had been considered with meticulous care. His motive for leaving, his objective, and his security were all accounted for. Ordinary people wouldn't suspect a thing, and even if they ran into minor trouble, two Shanhai experts could handle it effortlessly. Xia Qing reflected that even if she had planned it herself, she could hardly have been more thorough than Su Yu. Even her background had fallen within his calculations. As she pondered this, Su Yu paused, then added, "Princess Qing, since I trust you, I should lay out some harsh truths in advance. We are friends, and I don't want any unpleasantness later on. I'm offering ten thousand merit points and a Profound-rank cultural weapon precisely so this doesn't rely purely on sentiment. If you happen to see anything, I hope you won't spread word of it. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction may have declined, but my grand-teacher should be advancing to the Sunmoon Realm very soon!" He fixed her with an intense gaze. "If a Sunmoon expert goes all out without regard for consequences, Princess Qing should understand that the Cloud Tiger race cannot bear that weight." Xia Qing took no offense; rather, it made her feel even more at ease. A carrot and a stick—that was classic human behavior. Offering sweet incentives without backing them with a warning would lack the sharp edge of a true genius. A threat was only natural. Xia Qing smiled and nodded. "Brother Su trusts me. If I didn't want to go, I would have refused outright, and I would still have kept your secret. Since I agreed, I certainly won't do anything to cause a misunderstanding. Just as you said, my Cloud Tiger race is weak, and we hope to maintain a long-term alliance with humanity!" Su Yu let out a long breath of relief! He cupped his fists. "Please don't take it to heart, Princess Qing. I simply prefer to address potential contingencies up front, without targeting anyone personally. Once this succeeds, I'll properly apologize to you!" "No harm done!" "Princess Qing is truly magnanimous!" Su Yu smiled, checked the time, and stood up. "Then I will take my leave. Over the coming days, keep an eye on the Mission Office postings. I won't come contact you again, lest anyone notice something amiss. As for other students from the myriad races... once people have signed up, we can gather openly, and I'll decide whether to inform them." "Good, that is the safest way!" Xia Qing nodded, smiling as she saw Su Yu off. Once he was gone, she sank into deep thought. Su Yu was no reckless brute; his schemes were razor-sharp. Two Shanhai experts were genuinely enough. The critical question lay with her: what choice should she make? Should she inform the Single Divine Character Faction? Or should she use this opportunity to do Su Yu a major favor? Xia Qing felt a headache coming on, torn with indecision. It was a difficult choice. If she truly befriended Su Yu and helped him this time, she would likely have a complete falling-out with the Single Divine Character Faction in the future. "Second Grandpa... what do you think I should do?" An elderly figure flickered into view and said in a low, raspy voice, "I will follow whatever Your Highness decides! As Su Yu said, even if we truly find the ruins, we might not be able to claim them. However, obtaining some inheritance doesn't strictly require annexing the entire site. Whichever side we cooperate with, there are pros and cons. Decide for yourself, Your Highness; this old servant will act strictly on your command!" Xia Qing did not speak further, leaning back against the sofa in deep contemplation. Should she tell the Single Divine Character Faction or not? The Single Divine Character Faction almost certainly had no idea that Su Yu had a Shanhai expert in his corner. Right now, across the vast academy, aside from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, she was probably the only one who knew.