Ten minutes before the meeting began, inside the lord's castle, the guild leaders from various factions gathered together.
"Isn't this the leader of the 'Love and Peace' guild? My apologies for the lack of recognition."
"A pleasure to meet you. I've long heard of the great reputation of the leader of 'A Better Tomorrow.' Seeing you today, it truly is well-deserved!"
The two raised their glasses and drank together.
"Brother Chen Lang, please look after me."
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Brother Ning, please have a seat."
Meanwhile, in a slightly brighter hall beneath the lord's mural, a youth with lake-blue pupils leaned against the wall, appearing deep in thought.
"Leader Perseus, someone said not long ago that they saw the figure of the 'Starry Witch' inside Pangard."
"Yes, I've heard many rumors of that nature. In fact, I've made some discoveries of my own. There are too many ears here; let's find somewhere else to talk."
A girl with dark red hair held a pink-haired girl's hand as they happened to pass by, pausing in place with a look of confusion.
"What is it, Meijiu?" Li Liujin asked. "Little Perseus is the leader of Winter Dawn, isn't he? Do you need me to introduce him to you?"
"That won't be necessary."
Noticing the countless gazes being thrown their way, Akabane somewhat uncomfortably put her arm around Li Liujin's shoulder and pinched the girl's chubby little cheek, speaking with a sigh of emotion.
"You really are popular, Xiao Jin. You attract attention wherever you go. I'm almost starting to envy you."
Li Liujin tilted her head, her small wings behind her fluttering slightly.
If members of the Pink Jellyfish Guardian Fan Club were present, they would surely shout in an incredibly loud and proud tone because their pink little angel was just so damn cute!
"Old Hang, I'll be keeping an eye on you. Don't even think about your Assassin's Creed pulling any more little tricks under my nose," Nan Jiamu followed closely behind the black-haired youth, muttering incessantly.
"You two have such a good relationship." A girl with chestnut hair smiled with pursed lips.
"Xinzhu, please help me drag this guy away. I'm being annoyed to death." Lu Shuhang rubbed the bridge of his nose, dark circles under his eyes.
Exclamations from not far away caught everyone's attention. Upon seeing the figure that had appeared, Nan Jiamu let out a light chuckle. "Dark Gold Rose... it really doesn't matter how many times she shows up, she always becomes the center of attention."
"Nonsense, she's the only luminous prism grade who frequently appears in the public eye." Lu Shuhang gazed at Xu Xiaoyou with a calm expression.
That day hadn't been an illusion; he really had seen her with his own eyes at the Northern Bank.
Fortunately, he had keenly sensed the danger and promptly taken the girl away from Red Heaven to return to the Kowloon ship; otherwise, that lunatic known as Deep Blue Tide definitely wouldn't have let them go.
Because of a single photograph, they had nearly invited a fatal disaster in reality.
Most of those able to attend this meeting were guild leaders, so naturally, they wouldn't lose face by being the first to proactively approach the blonde girl.
Moreover...
Shortly after Xu Xiaoyou entered, almost everyone simultaneously turned their gazes toward the figure on the lord's throne. That person had no physical body; a dark red coat was draped over a black silhouette, and a laughing mask suspended in the air. Simply by sitting there, the dangerous aura he radiated made no one willing to approach within half a step of him.
Everyone knew that Dark Gold Rose and Smiling Jazz had developed a conflict because of the Oasis City incident. Choosing the Mist Village Harbor outpost as the allied headquarters this time was the first confrontation between these two.
"I have long heard of your great name, Your Excellency Dark Gold Rose. I thought that for today's meeting, you wouldn't be willing to participate?"
"Someone invited me, so how could I stay out of it?" Xu Xiaoyou smiled.
"Wouldn't that spoil everyone's mood?"
She calmly stood and observed her surroundings, only to find that not a single person responded to her. She couldn't help but sigh at the fact that the influence of the Silent Sequence was even greater than she had imagined.
"Well said, Miss Dark Gold Rose."
To everyone's surprise, a voice rang out from the upper left. They watched as an old man slowly walked out, supported by a cat-tailed boy at his side. The old man's face was aged, and he was dressed in a deep black brocade robe. A ring on his finger was set with a gemstone, and his staff was adorned with stardust. Though his aura was waning with age, it still carried an invisible majesty.
Xu Xiaoyou recognized him: Tzirshu, the leader of the King's Clan guild.
The old man cleared his throat with a cough and tapped his scepter on the ground, triggering ripples of starlight. Inside his pitch-black sleeves, it seemed as if dark and deep gates were hidden, with a twisting vortex threatening to pull in the gazes of everyone present.
Xu Xiaoyou's eyes fixed on the gemstone on his staff, shaped like a translucent black plum blossom. If she wasn't mistaken, this old man was the King of Clubs of the Dawn Society.
No wonder Tao Shier had emphasized to her before that their Dawn Society had considerable influence in Oasis as well.
The King of Clubs of the Dawn Society was Tzirshu, the leader of the third-largest guild in Oasis, the King's Clan.
"You are right."
Tzirshu looked directly at Smiling Jazz on the throne without any hesitation, his weathered eyes reflecting the reflection of the entire castle.
A simple sentence, yet it made the other guild leaders feel as if a heavy burden had been lifted. They quickly began to echo Xu Xiaoyou's words.
"Yes, yes."
"Since Excellency Dark Gold Rose is magnanimous enough to let bygones be bygones, we should also show our stance."
Tzirshu's attitude made his position clear, which served as a way to resolve the awkward situation for Xu Xiaoyou. Since the leader of the third-largest guild had spoken, the rest of the shrewd players naturally understood the principle of being tactful. This way, they wouldn't offend Smiling Jazz nor would they cross Dark Gold Rose. Why wouldn't they do it?
"Cough, cough." The old man's physical condition didn't look very good; the cat-tailed boy beside him was full of worry.
"I told you, I could handle the matters here. Your body..."
"Don't worry, Yan'an."
The conversation between the two echoed through the castle, sparking thoughts among the crowd.
They had long heard that the leader of the King's Clan had been forced to immerse himself in Oasis because his real body had suffered an irreversible, severe injury. After so many years, his real body had already severely atrophied, and he could never leave that immersion pod again. A virtual barrier separated him from his lover forever.
His spirit had also dwindled day by day, leaving him to only quietly wait for his death to arrive.
Smiling Jazz gave a cold snort and said nothing more. After a brief silence, the castle hall became lively once again.
Xu Xiaoyou arched an eyebrow as she spotted a familiar figure in a corner of the castle. It was the leader of 'Flaming Brocade Meteor.' She stepped forward with a playful look at the corner of her mouth.
"Yo, we meet again, Ms. Vieraya."
The girl with brown hair and a purple dress looked flustered the moment she saw her. Her gaze wandered, and her hands nervously gripped the hem of her skirt.
"R-really, why would I see you in a place like this? Haha, what a coincidence."
"Since we're both S-rank employees of the company, why be so restrained? We're on equal footing. Don't worry, my greatest virtue is my magnanimity; I won't hold past matters against you."
"Isn't that right, the thirteenth seat of the Universal Academic Society, the three-time champion of the Universal Research Moon-Catching Competition, and the former elder of the Starry Gallery—the Genius Little Viya?"
Vieraya's fingertips gripped her dress so hard they turned white, and she nearly bit her own lip until it bled.
This annoying person was asking questions she already knew the answers to!
If the Starfall family hadn't strongly insisted that she represent them at this meeting, she wouldn't have come even if she were beaten to death!
Who could have imagined that the arrogant, penniless person who had no one in her eyes back then would transform into the Dark Gold Rose, worshipped by countless people?
Last time they met, this person was just a normal S-rank employee of the company, just like her.
In the blink of an eye, the other party was already on equal footing with the big boss of Universal Heavy Industries and her own direct superior, "Deep White Midnight" Elias White-Night. Telling this to anyone would make them look at her like she was an idiot!
Just what on earth had the other person gone through!
Rate on N.U.
