Hua didn't think much of it.
Her father was especially careful about keeping proper boundaries when dealing with the opposite sex.
Even when Hua was only ten years old, he had never hugged her.
When she was sick, her father carried her on his shoulders.
When she was too short to reach a chair, her father would sit nearby and watch as she slowly climbed up by herself.
The closest interaction they ever had was at Hua's coming-of-age ceremony.
They danced once.
Now that Hua was grown up, how could her father possibly beat her?
Hua quickly came up with a solution and waved her hand.
"It's fine. As long as the goal is achieved."
"By then, the patrol tokens will already be spent. It's not like he can make me tear it down."
"I'm in Xuling. Is he going to run all the way from the Luofu just to hit me?"
"Besides, there's the Reignbow Arbiter."
At the mention of the Aeon, Hua fell into thought.
Whether her father was acting as the Marshal or a diviner, before parting with Hua, he had mentioned the Reignbow Arbiter.
Her father wanted to broaden the Aeon's Path.
Even now, he still hadn't given up. He was even willing to become part of the plan himself, playing the role of a kept man to lure enemies onto the Xianzhou and turn them into new targets of the Hunt.
From Guanliang, Hua had also learned that her father didn't want Xianzhou people taking risks. He wanted to use Aha in place of Xianzhou citizens to help complete the plan.
Hua found it unbelievable.
According to rumor, Aha believed that joy was a right unique to intelligent life.
It sounded like a god with human nature...
But rumors were the least trustworthy thing.
Other than Akivili, how could any Aeon possess humanity or emotions?
Hua had to admit she was biased against the Elation.
The first time they met, she had just learned of her father's death, and Aha had delivered a fragment stained with her father's blood.
The second time was at her father's funeral.
Nothing good ever came from meeting that Aeon.
Thinking of this, Hua pressed for more details.
After some thought, Guanliang said, "It was the neutron gun."
After a pause, he added, "That gun... showed no signs of ever being used."
Hearing that, Hua laughed in anger and said in disbelief,
"You mean the neutron gun?"
"I spent ten billion patrol tokens and got nothing but an IOU."
"And then It used my property as a gift for Father."
Guanliang frowned.
"Ten billion? Patrol tokens?"
Hua replied casually, "Yeah. It paid them back that day."
Hua did not agree with her father's plan.
As long as a being had intelligence, as long as they had a functioning brain, they wouldn't become enemies of the Xianzhou.
Even in the worst-case scenario, if they really encountered some brainless fool, would Aha actually let Father get his way?
That Aeon was far too unpredictable.
Hua steadied herself.
Father liked Matthias the most.
Hua was second.
The Reignbow Arbiter came last.
That made things simple.
Father didn't want any Xianzhou citizen to get hurt.
When the time came, he would definitely clear the area in advance.
The businesses forced to shut down, the travelers stranded on the Luofu, the Six Charioteering Commissions working overtime, the Cloud Knights maintaining order...
The Xianzhou would have to compensate merchants afterward, reimburse travelers, and pay overtime wages to the Six Commissions and Cloud Knights...
Of course, those were all trivial expenses.
The most important thing was places like Starskiff Haven.
Every minute it was shut down would cost the Xianzhou over a hundred million patrol tokens.
How many patrol tokens would all of this cost in total? Even several hundred billion might not be enough!
For the Xianzhou, several hundred billion wasn't a huge sum.
But no matter how rich the Xianzhou was... money still had to be spent where it mattered.
On one side was Matthias, who generated profits for the Xianzhou and had been doted on by Father for thousands of years.
On the other was an Aeon who spent Its time hunting across the stars and rarely interacted with Father.
Not to mention Father, even Hua, who didn't get along with Matthias, would choose Matthias.
Research burned through money faster than anything.
Where would the Xianzhou find spare funds to help an Aeon attract enemies?
Guanliang immediately understood what she meant and handed over a document.
The cover read, [Suggestions Regarding Xianzhou Access Jades.]
Outsiders had to pass multiple layers of review before entering the Xianzhou. The process was extremely strict.
The external checks were strict, but once inside the Xianzhou, things were much simpler.
When entering the Cloud Knights or the Six Commissions, one only needed an access jade and facial recognition.
Aside from a few classified areas, an access jade granted internal access.
Guanliang sighed.
"Not long ago, I saw Aha take a healer's access jade from the Alchemy Commission."
"Let's set special cases aside."
"If we run into an Emanator-level enemy, they'll be lucky just to survive."
Guanliang knew the principle of asking for a roof when you actually wanted a window. He quietly summarized his proposal.
"Anyone who loses an access jade must report it immediately. The Cloud Knights and Six Commissions will issue an internal criticism notice, make it public for ten years, demote them for ten years, require them to reapply, undergo retraining, and attend regular counseling sessions..."
Hua skimmed through the document rapidly. Her pace slowed when she reached the survey results, then she jumped to Guanliang's final recommendation.
"Isn't the punishment too severe?"
Guanliang disagreed.
"The Xianzhou's punishments have been too light."
"How is this any different from a Cloud Knight losing their weapon?"
"Xianzhou people are long-lived species. If you only punish them for a year or two, how will they ever learn?"
Forget demotions and salary reductions.
Even docking them for a thousand years...
So what?
This was the Xianzhou Alliance.
As long as they were Xianzhou citizens, as long as they could breathe, they would have patrol tokens.
After a moment of thought, Hua said, "Send another copy to the strategists at the Marshal's residence."
The strategists at the Xuling Marshal's residence were responsible for helping the Marshal handle government affairs.
They would refine the proposal according to the needs of the Cloud Knights and Six Commissions. The new rules would then be added to the revised regulations.
Once approved at the senior leadership meeting, the regulations could be implemented a month later.
The Cloud Knights and Six Commissions all served different functions.
Take the Cloud Knights, for example.
They couldn't exactly be expected to worry about their access jades every second while fighting battles.
Or take the Sky-Faring Commission.
They managed the Xianzhou's airspace, controlled its navigation, and handled foreign trade.
People in those positions needed to travel in and out of the Xianzhou frequently.
For that reason, the Xianzhou had simplified their entry and exit procedures.
If they lost their identification credentials and access jade, and some idiot capable of changing appearances and willing to oppose the Xianzhou impersonated them...
Considering this possibility, Guanliang submitted the proposal.
On the other hand, he didn't trust the Elation.
Aha hadn't used the neutron gun while keeping it.
What did that prove? That the Aeon had feelings and sincerely regarded Zero as a close friend? That It didn't want to use the neutron gun to take anyone's life?
In the end, it was just a whim of the Aeon's.
Zero had clearly hesitated for a moment back then.
Later, he had inexplicably said something about how someone who only approached him through avatars didn't count as a true friend.
What? Was Aha supposed to approach humans with Its real body? Create avatars to help Lan attract enemies alongside Zero?
Guanliang wasn't one of the Marshal fanatics.
He knew Zero's antics couldn't be blamed on the Aeon.
Zero had too many prior offenses. Thousands of years ago, he already enjoyed provoking assassins.
If bumping into an Aeon could attract enemies for Lan... that guy would definitely put himself in danger.
There was no helping it. Guanliang was the Chief Strategist.
As the saying went, ring the bell for as long as you're a monk.
As long as he remained the Chief Strategist of the Xianzhou Marshal's residence, he would continue serving the Xianzhou.
Guanliang did everything he could to place obstacles in front of enemies who might not even exist.
He had done everything he could.
What happened afterward was no longer his concern.
Hua rubbed her forehead.
"If it comes down to it... we'll open another realm for the Reignbow Arbiter."
Want to attract enemies? Fine.
Do it inside that realm.
The corner of Guanliang's mouth twitched.
'Hua, how many realms does each flagship even have?'
'You're indulging Zero a little too much.'
Hua sighed softly.
"That's just the kind of person Father is."
Hearing this, Guanliang sighed as well.
Yes.
That was Zero.
A person like him was destined to succeed.
The two exchanged a glance and silently skipped the topic, turning instead to discussing Zero's wedding.
Although it was supposed to be a wedding for Zero and Jingliu...
There was actually very little for them to worry about.
Thousands of years ago, the generals had already hired professionals to prepare numerous wedding plans.
After learning of Jingliu's existence, they had been overjoyed and made preparations long ago.
Even the ingredients for the wedding banquet had already been specially raised.
Hua's thoughts jumped around.
Thinking about ingredients led her to think about Father's daily meals, which led her to think about his health.
The wealthiest people in the universe constantly monitored their health.
To stay healthy, they spared no expense.
Every family employed dedicated medical teams and nutritionists.
Every meal placed on the table and every weekly exercise routine was managed by professionals.
Without warning, Hua said, "We need to prepare a medical team and nutritionists for them."
"And schedule regular health checkups."
The moment the words left her mouth, the two looked at each other instinctively.
There was no way Zero would attend medical appointments on schedule.
Guanliang said irritably, "Leave that matter to the Sword Champion."
Hua pulled back her wandering thoughts and returned to the main topic.
"Next are the guests..."
She froze for a moment and looked up at Guanliang.
He was frozen as well.
Last time, they had forced themselves to stay strong while arranging that person's funeral.
This time, it was his wedding.
A slight smile appeared on Hua's lips.
An idea struck her, and she quickly began filtering through possible outside guests.
Yes.
Guanliang was absolutely right.
Who could resist having Father call them "Dad"?
Who could resist taking advantage of Father?
Father didn't want his identity exposed, but she could certainly mislead outsiders.
Smiling, Hua spoke faster.
"Let's finish the official business first."
"Then we'll go to the banquet hall."
Guanliang obediently opened the office software.
Before nightfall, the two of them, along with a group of guards, boarded a starskiff and headed to the venue.
The place had originally been a private garden belonging to Xianzhou nobles. After Daiyang became the Luofu General, ownership changed hands.
She had originally wanted to expand it and turn it into Father's palace.
Father thought it was too extravagant, so Daiyang changed her explanation and claimed it was for hosting foreign guests. Only then was it approved.
During her tenure, Daiyang gradually built more than a hundred buildings in different styles.
Most of them had been paid for out of her own pocket.
Officially, the place was used to host foreign guests.
In reality, before Daiyang stepped down, Father was the only person who had ever stayed there.
It was a palace belonging solely to Father.
Only after someone else became the Luofu General was the place officially put into use.
Hua looked out the window at the setting sun that had not yet disappeared and couldn't help sighing inwardly.
'Thank you, Father.'
'Thank you, Cloud Knights.'
'Thank you for not conquering the universe.'
Otherwise, how could she possibly have time to watch a sunset?
As the lakeshore drifted backward outside the window, she noticed a list of rules beneath a welcome sign.
Drooping willow branches blocked much of the text.
One line was especially clear,
Pets were prohibited.
The starskiff happened to stop.
Dan Feng strode toward them.
The attendants behind the High Elder carried empty black bags that seemed to have originally contained various musical instruments.
Dan Feng gave a slight nod.
"Marshal."
The two groups greeted each other and soon parted ways.
After arriving, Hua looked over the somewhat empty venue.
"I almost forgot. There's also that cat."
"What's the wedding schedule? Is there a ring-bearing segment?"
Daiyang, who was responsible for wedding preparations, let out a deep sigh and handed her jade device to the two of them.
The screen displayed the ceremony schedule.
Aside from essential elements like exchanging rings and toasting guests, Zero had cut everything else.
Chanzhen crossed her arms and sighed as well.
"A wedding ceremony like this is a little too..."
She stopped herself before saying "simple."
Guanliang thought to himself, 'What exactly would satisfy you Marshal fanatics?'
'Do you need a hundred years of pre-wedding promotion, announcements across the entire universe, and then a wedding that lasts ten years?'
After skimming through the plan, Hua asked, "What about the flowers?"
Chanzhen replied,
"They just arrived on the Luofu. They're being conditioned."
Daiyang added,
"The lighting, photography, and music have all been confirmed. The ingredients are being raised, the gift packages are ready. The only thing left is the invitations."
The group reviewed the entire wedding process from beginning to end. After confirming everything was correct, Hua suddenly looked at them and asked,
"Didn't Matthias come?"
Daiyang shrugged.
"He's busy attending classes."
Hua frowned instinctively.
'This concerned Father. Why hadn't Matthias appeared?'
'Could it be... Father was teaching a class?'
Guanliang only wanted to retire.
At this point, there were just a few remaining messes to clean up.
Seeing that everyone had finished discussing the wedding, he quickly asked, "Are the photos ready?"
Daiyang nodded repeatedly and sent over photos of herself and her colleagues.
Guanliang looked down and immediately felt dizzy.
'Why do all of you look so much like him?!'
Chanzhen held her face in both hands and giggled.
"We edited the photos using Daddy's face as a reference."
"That way, anyone who sees them will know we're family."
As soon as she finished speaking, her smile vanished and she pouted.
"If we weren't worried about Daddy's reputation, we'd have changed our surnames too."
Hua, "..."
The current Marshal, who had the greatest right to call him Father and share his surname, quickly ended the topic and brought Guanliang back to her temporary residence to finalize the guest list with her subordinates.
After the invitations were sent out, she walked out of the study.
Out of habit, Hua went to the stone table beneath the maple tree in the courtyard and began typing on her jade device.
She carefully reviewed the message before sending it to all the guests.
The message contained only the time and location. It didn't mention her relationship to the bride and groom.
Don't ask.
There was simply a happy event in the family.
If outsiders mistakenly thought Zero was a younger generation...
Well, there was nothing Hua could do about that.
After all, Father didn't want his identity exposed.
As she thought this, a smile appeared on her lips.
She keenly heard footsteps behind her.
It was Guanliang.
Turning around, she saw him hand her a sheet of paper.
She looked closely.
It was a resignation letter.
Her fingertips trembled slightly. The paper felt as heavy as a mountain.
Like a child learning to read for the first time, she stared at the words "resignation" on the page.
She opened her mouth and quietly asked, "When did you write this?"
After a thousand years, Hua once again revealed a trace of vulnerability.
Guanliang's heart softened.
"Hua, you've done very well."
"This isn't your fault."
"I wanted to resign more than five thousand years ago."
He reached out and rubbed her head.
"From the sound of it, he wants to go see the other Xianzhou ships."
"You should go see them too."
Guanliang patted Hua's shoulder and said seriously, "Let him see your Xianzhou."