How to Repay the Favor

"Bring it on."

The invitation from Phaethon was an olive branch from the Star Palace.

The deity residing high in the Star Palace spoke earnestly, his expression solemn.

"I know you don't trust me, but that's because you don't understand the importance of this matter. Compared to the current situation, what you did to me before is nothing."

He said, "How about I swear on my pride and soul? I promise you that if you help me, the Star Palace will reward you handsomely, granting you Mortal World and placing you among us. Let us leave here first, and then Apophis will speak with you personally... You will know this is a wise choice."

These words, coming from Phaethon's mouth, surprised the Grand Speaker even more.

In my memory, even when this guy compromised, it was with an innate arrogance and contempt.

He said coldly, "It seems Kang De is very important to you."

"Now that I've come this far, there's no need to hide it from you anymore. As you said, yes."

When Phaethon mentioned this name, his soul was stirred. He finally understood why his long-lost master had issued a divine decree and mentioned Kang De.

In this era, a second Fire Thief has appeared in the Mortal World.

He said firmly, "Let me put it this way, if you have a way to kill Kang De, forget about joining the Star Palace; even if you wanted to take Apophis's position, he would give it up without hesitation! Don't think we'll go back on our word afterward—as long as you kill Kang De, none of us will dare to touch you!"

The God of the Star Palace pointed to the picturesque Tula Xiaye: "Furthermore... if you wish, this world will be preserved. Not only Council, but you could even become the king of this Mortal World! However, the blessings and glory you receive at that time will be incomparable to anything in this mere Mortal World!"

Griffin raised an eyebrow and said, "The world is saved?"

Phaethon's tone turned calm. "Want to know? Apophis will explain. Time is running out; I suggest you make your choice now."

"Will you die here, disgraced and stripped of everything by the combined attack of the Council and Kang De, scorned, imprisoned, or executed with an indelible stain, or will you venture into a wider world?"

The God of the Star Palace said in a deep voice, "Make your choice... to gamble or not! To do it or not!"

Griffin, his face grim, looked around. "Do you think you can still run now?"

"As long as you come with me, I can run away anytime."

Phaethon laughed, "If you insist on continuing to obstruct me, I will most likely not survive the siege by the Council and Kang De. But before I die, I will still leave a huge wound on this country, causing the country you are trying to protect to continue to split... So, give me an answer!"

His voice turned fierce, and he roared, "Are you leaving or not?!"

High in the sky, with a fierce wind blowing in his face, looking down at the ground, he first stepped into this city when he was twelve years old. Decades have passed, and this city, this country, and his Arcane Council.

The turbid tears were scattered by the gale, and the Grand Speaker gazed at Tula Xiaye one last time.

He shouted sternly, "Go!"

The power of the three phases manifested as frost, fire, and lightning, sweeping towards the surrounding mages.

Phaethon cackled, his body moving like lightning, radiating brilliant sunlight. Countless blazing fists of light swept out, and the two of them, one in front and one behind, broke through the obstacles and flew north!

Griffin has defected!

The three leaders of the Security Committee all paled, and the eminent mages looked at each other in astonishment, speechless.

Phaethon laughed wildly, looking at Griffin's iron-faced expression, a cruel glint in his eyes.

He pointed towards the Tower of All-Seeing.

In the mysterious sanctuary, upon hearing that Griffin had finally defected, Kaliusi was enraged, his eyes blazing with fury, and boundless hatred surged from the depths of his heart.

But at that moment, he felt as if magma was surging deep within his soul.

The executive officer let out a sudden scream. The intense sunlight pierced through his flesh and skin, unleashing a destructive radiance. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "Griffin— "

Ninth Bureau Chief Naisha-Gelin was taken aback. Her Magic Power surged, and blue waves surged like an overwhelming tide, pressing down on the energy. She cried out, "Help! An alien energy erupted, a peculiar lunar energy with an extremely high rank. I cannot suppress it by force; I need to deconstruct its properties... He cannot die!"

Griffin sensed something; his expression changed drastically, and he roared, "What are you doing!"

"To help you make up your mind," Phaethon said calmly, "And to give us another chance to survive."

The Grand Speaker, who had abdicated and defected, flew into a rage. "You! You!"

"Life and death are both predestined, not only for him, but for us as well." Phaethon quickened his pace. "If he dies, we will most likely die too; if he lives, we will live!"

These words, seemingly out of nowhere, stirred something within Griffin. He took one last look at the Tower of All-Seeing standing between heaven and earth, tears welling in his eyes once more. Could he ever return in this lifetime?

Now that the choice has been made, there's no going back.

With this thought in mind, Griffin accelerated and charged forward, the wind whipping up a roaring sonic wave. The two of them rushed towards the city's edge, one after the other, like two streaks of light streaking across the sky.

At the same time, the steel wings swept across the sky, their vector nozzles surging with intense flames as they pursued the enemy.

"Damn, I knew it."

Kang De glanced at the two fleeing figures and snorted coldly.

"They've escaped..." Even though she already had a guess in her heart, the Parrot was still filled with mixed feelings when she saw the Grand Speaker of the Arcane Council break away with the God of the Star Palace.

She said coldly, "After the Star Palace reappeared and the second Fire Thief appeared, the first rebellious king to kneel before the Star Palace... I really want to see his expression when he finds out."

Kang De shook his head like a lion. "Who?"

The Parrot pretended not to hear and pointed, saying, "Aren't you going to chase them?"

Kang De countered, "Are you sure?"

Malegith for a moment. "Two of them definitely can't beat him, but one should be enough."

"That means there's danger." Kang De thought for a moment. "The Distant Harbor needs someone to be there. A Xing can't fly, so she'll be at a disadvantage in aerial combat. Send her to replace Dong Tianming. The two of you can fight that God of the Star Palace together. As for Griffin, let the Council deal with him themselves. We're not their henchmen."

As he said this, Kang De opened the Phase Door.

Having just witnessed the Grand Speaker and the God of the Star Palace flee together, Kang De didn't immediately broadcast it throughout the city; this was called knowing when to stop... Although Griffin had escaped, the matter between Distant Harbor and the Council was far from over.

Give them face and curry favor first, and they'll feel more at ease extorting money later.

But at that moment, he and the Parrot both exclaimed "Eh!" and looked towards the Tower of All-Seeing.

Angelos has already turned back and reclaimed the Mysterious Sanctuary.

Kaliusi was covered in blood. Although the intense sunlight had not completely exploded, it was firmly controlled by Director Naisha. However, this was only a temporary suppression and could not be removed. This suppression process would only intensify his pain and subject him to torture as if he were being slowly sliced to death.

Countless tiny rays of sunlight pulsed and refracted within his body, each shift intensifying the maddening pain. The executor was paralyzed, gradually losing his senses, his thoughts, and his reason. Summoning his last vestiges of clarity, he roared, "Pursue Griffin! Join forces with Kang De! Hurry!"

The bureau chiefs, busy examining and treating the executive officer's injuries, exchanged a glance upon hearing this and sighed silently. Did they not know that they absolutely could not allow Griffin, the former Speaker of the House, to escape?

Even the giants of the Dark World within the Arcane Council could not issue this order—they had neither the authority to command the army to intercept, nor the courage to do so.

This widespread order meant announcing to the entire world that the Grand Speaker of the Arcane Council had orchestrated today's massacre and attack against Tula Xiaye, killing all the councilors, and had defected to the enemy.

This has led to unrest and instability within the military, damage to the nation's reputation and image, a loss of trust among spellcasters in the Council, and the factions represented by the council members taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble... Beset by internal and external troubles, if not handled properly, it could lead to civil war. Who will bear the responsibility for such a situation?

They are now more inclined to spare Kaliusi's life than to save Griffin.

Traitors can be secretly hunted down at any time, but now the entire parliamentary system has been wiped out, the Grand Speaker has betrayed the country and fled, and if the last remaining member Kaliusi, dies as well... the balance of power will be completely thrown into chaos!

Those within the family know their own affairs, and the three giants are well aware of the situation.

If Kaliusi dies, it means that the most important link in the power balance of the council Council be completely wiped out. In such a critical time, when the council system is rebuilt and even the Grand Speaker is re-elected, the security, military, alchemy and engineering departments and even the academics, whose powers and spheres of influence were originally firmly restricted, will try to put their own representatives in the new council and expand their influence!

The parliament had collapsed; everyone from top to bottom was dead, and no one could stop it.

This will lead to a power struggle, as each faction fears that other factions will take the opportunity to grow stronger, so they can only fight desperately to take more and more. Therefore, fierce infighting and even civil war may occur!

Therefore, Kaliusi cannot die.

At least with him around, at least with him presiding over the reconstruction of the legislature, all factions will believe that everything can be done in a fair and just environment, without worrying that anyone will secretly take advantage of the situation to gain power... Therefore, they are willing to sit down and listen to the coordination and arrangements, rather than fighting tooth and nail for every penny.

"We must save him!"

Angelos shouted to the hunters, "Quickly, go and fetch the Origin Mages from the Life Department..."

Naisha gritted her teeth and said, "I'm afraid it's too late!"

Everyone was shocked and looked at the executor, Kaliusi. The promising star of tomorrow was now a candle in the wind, his suppressed radiance flickering violently. Each impact and expansion intensified the executor's pain, and his miserable appearance was so terrible that even the hard-hearted mages could not bear to look at him.

This is not the ending that an upright person deserves.

The mysterious sanctuary is littered with corpses and rivers of blood. The nation's supreme leader plotted a massacre and brazenly defected. The Senate executive officer is about to lose his life. This signifies that the nation, which has undergone drastic changes, is about to face a civil war-like power struggle. War may break out, and countless lives will be lost. This great and glorious nation is about to face a heavy future... Moreover, there is a powerful enemy who possesses Forbidden Spell and is watching with predatory eyes.

Everyone was gritting their teeth; the atmosphere was cold and heavy.

Just then, a high-ranking monk's exclamation broke the silence. Everyone was startled and looked over angrily, and then they heard a calm voice coming from afar.

"I can save him."

The figure of the Dragon of Cathay emerged from the Phase Gate.

The spellcasters were initially surprised and nervous, but then their eyes revealed a complex expression.

Kang De smiled faintly, "What, you don't believe me?"

"..."

Well, how should I put it?

--It's because you don't trust us!

The mages of the Security Committee watched Kang De, who had just jumped out, with subtle glances, while also keeping an eye on the Phase Gate not far above their heads.

The Dragon of Cathay of China was clad in a suit of armor covered in magical runes and patterns, the origin of which was unknown. Beyond the armor, a layer of invisible battle armor, resembling the dragon's body, was formed by a radiant holy light. And beyond that, there was another layer—this one was even more outrageous, a layer of armor woven from scales, not just layers of pressed, curved plates, but rather Phase Gate of varying sizes!

Layer upon layer of infinitely extending Phase Gate are forged together like a kaleidoscope, distorting phases and shifting space. At first glance, they seem unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, they are extremely terrifying. This Phase Armor is simply outrageous, and the skills and abilities it contains would make even the most arrogant spellcasters feel ashamed.

--And it makes me so angry!

Fully armed to the point of being here, their faces practically screamed, "I don't trust you. I think you'll turn on me and harm me. I'm so afraid of dying!" The insult was off the charts.

In addition, a spatial portal opened near the heads of all the mages present, and large tubes, each with a diameter larger than their heads, were pointed at the spellcasters' heads.

Director Angelos slowly said, "Master Kang De."

"He's dying, and you can't save him. Let me try."

Kang De walked towards Kaliusi, and the spellcaster blocking his way was terrified as the layers of phase armor gleamed as it hurtled towards him.

The third bureau chief, a middle-aged gentleman with a white, beardless face, had an even more somber expression. He coldly asked, "What if you can't save him?"

Kang De looked at him like he was a dumbfounded bird. "Then he's dead."

"..." Since taking charge of the Fifth Bureau, no one dared to speak to him like that anymore, but looking at the other party's intimidating Phase Armor, the brightly lit Forbidden Spell in the sky, and the two women who appeared with Kang De, exuding astonishing auras, the middle-aged gentleman snorted, "My question is, if Executor Kaliusi dies during your treatment, what are your plans?"

"Is that even a question?" Kang De replied, "Of course, it's to see if a cowardly, rambling fool like you dares to shamelessly and recklessly shift the blame onto me."

That's incredibly damaging.

Moreover, the same words have different effects on different people. If you yell "fuck your mother" at a street thug, he'll probably be completely unconcerned. But if you say the same thing to a high-ranking official, he'll likely feel deeply insulted and will make you pay.

The middle-aged man flew into a rage, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. Kang De merely sneered, "Want to fight me? You idiot! What do you think I'm doing here in Tula Xiaye? Helping old ladies cross the street?"

"... Alright, that's enough!"

Seeing Executor Kaliusi on the verge of death, Director Naisha shouted, then turned to Kang De with a composed expression and said, "Honorable Grand Forbidden Spell Master, Dragon of Cathay Destruction, please save Executor Kaliusi's life."

Kang De chuckled lightly, walked up to the executive officer, squatted down, and pressed his hand against his chest.

"Saving him was easy, but how do you plan to repay this life-saving grace?"

As he said this, he glanced at Naisha in front of him, and as was his habit, he politely scanned and admired her for a moment. Wow, a charming and sophisticated young woman, not bad, not bad.

Director Naisha felt a sudden jolt when she heard those words and looked at Kang De.

Then I was left speechless, both amused and exasperated.

Although she was extremely beautiful, she was old and one of the three leaders of the Security Committee. She held a high position and wielded terrifying power. She was one of the rulers of the dark world, and her reputation was only associated with terror, long since devoid of any connection to beauty.

The last man who dared to flirt with her died a long time ago, turning to dust.

Who would have thought that today would actually happen...

This Dragon of Cathay truly lives up to its reputation as a debauched and audacious creature; it actually dares to set its sights on me?

She hesitated, unsure how to begin, but Kang De didn't seem to be bargaining with her. Without him making any move, the surging, boiling divine light of the sun within Kaliusi flowed into his palm like rivers flowing into the sea.

The foreign energy that had been residing in the body had dissipated and subsided, and the pain had also disappeared.

Naisha's face lit up with joy as she continued to heal Kaliusi's injuries and maintain his life force.

The two surrounded Executor Kaliusi, so close that Naisha could see the true face of the Dragon of Cathay right before her eyes. Its face was unbelievably young. This was the same person who had shaken the continent multiple times, wielded unparalleled power, and could even force the great powers to compromise and yield on his own.

Kaliusi's assessment was correct... This man was indeed a peerless genius.

Naisha's heart stirred slightly.

She was not young, but for the strong, age did not mean much. As one of the leaders of the Council's security department, she had also studied Kang De in depth, learned about his terrifying methods of seducing women and his records, and carefully analyzed Kang De's sexual fetishes.

The conclusion is that Kang De was probably extremely obsessed with women of high status, which was probably a kind of compensatory psychology, craving the pleasure of having powerful and high-status women under his control.

Now it seems they probably see me as prey too?

Director Naisha has her own career, ambitions, and aspirations, and of course she doesn't want to be this playboy's plaything or trophy. However, if it's just a one-night stand, she wouldn't be too opposed. After all, such a powerful and outstanding person wouldn't stoop to such a low level, and the fact that he can seduce so many excellent women one after another suggests he must have some extraordinary abilities, which piques her curiosity.

With this thought in mind, her eyes lit up as she looked at the Dragon of Cathay.

The scene that Kang De had anticipated—of him gazing at himself—did not occur.

Cathayan are watching Executor Kaliusi.

The executive officer slowly regained consciousness, blinked weakly, and saw the Cathayan before him.

The pain was gone, the footsteps of death were receding, and a lingering warmth seemed to remain in his chest. He looked at the person before him, with black hair and the appearance of Cathayan.

Kaliusi whispered, "Kang De?"

Kang De nodded and replied, "Yes."

"You saved me?"

"Right."

"... Thanks."

"You are Executive Officer Kaliusi, and it seems you are the last survivor of the parliamentary system. If you die, the political balance of the Council will be immediately broken, internal strife will be imminent, the losses will be incalculable, and there is even a possibility of civil war breaking out. Even if I don't take advantage of the situation, you will still be severely weakened."

Kang De said, "Saving you was easy, but how will you repay this kindness?"

Before Kaliusi could answer, he heard a loud gasp of astonishment from beside him.

Director Naisha instinctively uttered, "Huh?"