Chapter 4: Summoned by Both Sides
“That’s right, you are still the commander of the Ninth Unit.”
Sonia nodded in agreement.
“The Ninth Unit has independent adjudication authority. Philomena violated orders during wartime. I plan to execute her on a chosen day. Any problem with that?”
In Su Xiao’s mouth, the phrase “chosen day” carried many implications.
“Uh…”
Sonia was at a loss for words. From the official legal standpoint, what Su Xiao said was completely valid and reasonable. The key factor was that the Ninth Unit’s organizational structure still existed.
“Commander Kukulin’s proposal has no issues. Frank, go release Philomena.”
The tall magistrate spoke, looking at Su Xiao with a smile and nodding to Sonia. He was so quick to agree because, before his departure, the old Holy King had instructed him with these exact words:
‘If Kukulin wants to protect his deputy, then release her.’
Clearly, in the art of being an old schemer, the old Holy King slightly outmatched the Moon Goddess.
Frank went to release Su Xiao’s deputy, while Su Xiao took an elevator to a heavily guarded basement, then arrived at a clothing shop, where he casually picked out a set of clothes and changed.
After waiting a few minutes in the shop, Frank, looking tense and nervous, led a young woman of about eighteen or nineteen out of the basement. She had short tea-colored hair and a sleepy expression. This was the demolition expert Philomena, Su Xiao’s deputy.
“Oh~ Commander, you got released too.”
Philomena walked up to Su Xiao, bent down, brought her head close to his, and sniffed.
“Commander, you…”
Bang!
Before Philomena could finish, Su Xiao kicked her flying, sending her crashing into a large rack of clothes.
“Ouch~ That confirms it.”
Philomena stood up from a pile of clothes, apparently having just confirmed Su Xiao’s identity.
“Hey, receding hairline, get me some food. The meals you provide are terrible.”
Philomena sat down roughly on a pile of clothes, her crude posture a stark contrast to her delicate features.
Frank, called “receding hairline,” opened and closed his mouth, touched his forehead, then headed toward the kitchen.
“Commander Kukulin, the Holy King summons you this afternoon. You must attend.”
The magistrate left this sentence in a low voice before hurrying away.
“Mr. Kukulin, the Moon Goddess summons you tonight. You must attend.”
Almost identical words. After leaving this message, Sonia also departed.
Invitations from both sides. Su Xiao now fully understood the situation. His earlier suspicions were completely confirmed. After the three empires ceased war, each empire’s power system would begin reshuffling—an inevitable result of the war’s end.
The old Holy King and the Moon Goddess were both excellent leaders, capable of guiding their empires toward prosperity. During war, they could set aside past grievances and cooperate, but once the war stopped, they had to determine who would be the true ruler.
The reason they chose to release Su Xiao was actually led by the old Holy King. He had saved Su Xiao before, and now Su Xiao was more likely to side with him.
The Moon Goddess knew that the old Holy King’s release of Su Xiao was an unavoidable outcome. So she went along with it and sent a representative. If she could win Su Xiao over, it would be a huge gain.
Given Su Xiao’s current combat power, even without his numerous titles, his strength could rank among the top three in the empire—of course, within the official system. Most powerful transcendent beings preferred to travel and roam.
“Deputy.”
Su Xiao spoke. The young deputy, Philomena, who was wolfing down noodles, looked up, pulling her plate back slightly. A strand of noodle clung to her lip, her expression saying: ‘I’ll risk my life for you, no problem, but don’t take my noodles!’
This was one of Philomena’s quirks: food guarding. Not gluttony, but pure, primal food guarding. When she ate, if anyone approached, she would emit strange, threatening growls.
Heaven knows what would happen if Bubu Wang approached while Philomena was eating—would she bite him? The image was vivid and lingered in Su Xiao’s mind.
“I’m heeere (I’m here).”
Philomena spoke in her food-guarding state, her expression wary.
“Have you heard of the Soul Speaker?”
Based on Su Xiao’s understanding of Philomena, this young deputy was relatively trustworthy. Even after being imprisoned, she insisted that the charges were her own doing and didn’t shift the blame to Su Xiao.
“Soul Speaker? What’s that? A songstress? Commander, you’re still young, but you should take care of yourself. If she’s really pretty, I’ll snatch her for you? Hmm? Oh?”
Philomena looked at Su Xiao with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She wasn’t joking—if Su Xiao actually gave the order, this girl would indeed go and kidnap someone.
Hearing the conversation between Su Xiao and Philomena, the shop owner Frank couldn’t bear to watch, muttering to himself, ‘What kind of people are these?’
“You heard what we said, didn’t you?”
Su Xiao lit a cigarette and looked at Frank.
Before Frank could react, Philomena quickly finished the noodles on her plate, because she knew it was time to work.
“What are you… talking about? I didn’t hear anything.”
Frank grabbed a staff from behind the counter, not to counterattack, but to throw it and escape.
The reason Su Xiao let Frank hear the words “Soul Speaker” was mainly to test whether Reincarnation Paradise had sent him here with nearby intelligence on the Soul Speaker.
Unbeknownst to Frank, Philomena had already appeared behind him, a piece of broken plate pressed against his neck.
“When the Commander asks you something, you answer. Say one useless word, hmm… let me think. Yes, say one useless word, and I’ll turn you from male to neutral.”
Philomena’s hand reached out, and the blade from Frank’s staff-sword was drawn, pressing against his lower body.
Frank gasped sharply, having no doubt that she would actually do it.
Su Xiao exhaled a puff of smoke, observing the clothing shop owner’s expression.
“Tell me where the Soul Speaker is, and I’ll leave with her immediately. Don’t worry, we’re not devils. We won’t really harm you. The empire has laws.”
Hearing this, Frank felt bitter but couldn’t speak. He felt that this man and woman were a devil and the devil’s lackey.
“Mr. Kukulin, believe me, I’ve never heard of any Soul Speaker, and I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”
Frank said seriously, his expression stern. As the owner of this shop, he was no ordinary person.
“Just joking with you. No need to be so tense.”
Su Xiao smiled broadly, taking a small piece of gold from his storage space as payment for the clothes.
“Mr. Frank, you’re not taking it seriously, are you? We were just messing with you.”
The young deputy patted Frank’s shoulder, her smile looking anything but sane.
“Ha, haha. You two are really… ‘amusing’ people.”
Frank, drenched in cold sweat, forced a smile as he watched Su Xiao and his young deputy, the two plagues, leave.
Su Xiao walked along the streets of the imperial capital. Pedestrians bustled about. It was noon, and the sun after the rain wasn’t too harsh. The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth.
“Commander, should we gather the others?”
The young deputy spoke. Her style was simple: receive orders, execute, kill the enemy, and retreat.