Keeping Carl Is Useful

"Sacred Knowledge Vault connection successful. Beginning location of Angel Leng."

"Location successful. Select target star."

"Selection complete. Beginning stellar energy charging." The familiar, icy voice rang beside Angel Leng's ears.

"Ten percent!"

"Thirty percent!"

"Seventy percent!"

"One hundred percent! Charging successful. Angel Leng, you are authorized to execute Heavenly Blade Judgment."

In the blink of an eye, that pleasant voice sounded in Angel Leng's mind. The slight curve of her lips formed a smile that looked demonic to the Taotie.

"Scum, go meet your god of death. The flames will cleanse your sins."

As her words fell, a sun-bright radiance turned into a towering pillar of light and struck the Taotie's small warship directly.

Seeing the incoming light, the Taotie all stopped what they were doing and stared blankly out the windows.

The Taotie commander, sitting frozen in the command chair nearby, slowly raised his face, reddened by the light. Looking expressionlessly at Angel Leng in the distance, he said:

"Roast Goose, you really have some nerve, using Heavenly Blade Judgment on my little warship! I@%#...@￥#..."

However, as the last trace of Heavenly Blade Judgment's energy faded, not a single intact component remained before Angel Leng.

Clearly, without an energy barrier, the small warship offered no resistance beneath Heavenly Blade Judgment. This was never a weapon meant for enemies of their level. Under the high-energy flames, their warship was even more fragile than paper.

"Heavenly Blade Judgment complete. All enemies eliminated."

"Very good, Leng. You may return now."

Hearing Kaisha's majestic voice, Angel Leng's expression turned solemn. "Yes, Queen. However, I have a question."

"Hmm? Let's hear it."

Within the solemn and majestic Angel Hall of the Angel Nebula, Kaisha sat upon the angels' throne. Hearing the hesitation in Angel Leng's voice, she seemed to grow interested and quietly listened to her question.

"I don't understand why you have us keep watching those people in the Styx Galaxy. Carl is merely a stray dog who fled in defeat. Under her command are only Astral Civilizations unfit for the stage, such as the Taotie and Giant Wolves."

After saying that, Angel Leng hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"Moreover, they have been spreading the name of death throughout the universe. Forgive my bluntness, but a dozen high-ranking angels could completely wipe out the Styx Galaxy. Why?"

"Why do I allow them to run rampant in the Styx Galaxy, is that it?"

"Please forgive me, Queen. That was not what I meant." Angel Leng hurriedly tried to explain.

"It's fine. You are not the only one who has had this question over the years. There are matters you cannot understand for now, so I cannot tell you much. You need only remember this: Carl has never been alone. I need to observe her existence."

"You mean...?"

"All right, collect yourself and return. Yan and Azhui need to head to the Chiwu Star System. Something interesting has happened there, and the other missions will be left to you."

"Yes, Queen. For justice, I shall not hesitate. I will depart at once."

Then, with a flutter of her wings, she became a streak of light and swiftly vanished from where she stood.

As seasons came and went and falling leaves marked autumn, an uninvited guest arrived today at Yuan's village in a desolate star system on the other side of the universe.

Several armored soldiers, each carrying a heavy longsword, arrived at the village and ordered the village chief to gather everyone except for a few elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people.

"By decree of the City Lord, Wusong City will dispatch twelve thousand people this time in response to the kingdom's conscription. Your village has forty slots to serve the king. You have one day."

"Forty people? Why forty? Didn't ten or so people used to be enough?" Upon hearing this, everyone present grew anxious.

"This is the City Lord's order. There is nothing I can do."

After saying that, the lead soldier could not bear to watch the farmers below cover their faces and weep from time to time. He had done this sort of thing many times and knew what awaited them.

But he had no choice either. He could only obediently carry out his orders. Otherwise, it would be someone else taking pity on him.

"One day is the City Lord's mercy toward you. Report to your village chief. Tomorrow at noon, I will come and take you away."

"But there are hardly any people left in our village!" Ignoring the grief-stricken voices below, the soldier continued announcing the order in a firm tone.

"Women are forbidden from participating. Men under fifteen and over sixty-five are exempt from conscription. No matter what, the numbers must be met. Otherwise, you should know the consequences."

Then he looked at them with a dark expression and spoke a cold, merciless sentence. "Sorry. For every person missing, one person dies. Heads count toward the quota too. Choose for yourselves."

After saying that, he and the others behind him did not wish to look at the scene any longer and quickly left the village.

"Go home and make your preparations. Eat, drink, and say your farewells to your families." The sixty-five-year-old village chief looked at his granddaughter beside him and bent slightly.

"But Village Chief, there's no one left in our village."

"That's right. Even if every man of eligible age goes, it still won't be enough. We can only send the children, but they're barely ten years old."

"Waaah..."

Before long, sorrowful cries rose and fell across the village square.

"Enough! We old folks aren't dead yet. What are you howling for? It's annoying as hell." Several white-haired elders arrived in response, their faces full of impatience.

"Grandpa Joel, you're already over sixty. We can't..."

Before they could finish, the old man raised a hand to cut them off. He and the other old men behind him all wore deep frowns and grim expressions. Joel slowly said, "Enough. This isn't your place to speak. If we don't go, are we supposed to rely on those children?"

With a casual wave, he led four or five people behind him over to the village chief.

"Village Chief, count us in."

"That's right, Village Chief. We're already in our sixties. We've lived long enough. We can't really let the children go."

"Ah!" As the village chief, he said nothing more and merely let out a deep sigh. Then he began recording their names on the spot.

Before long, however, a new problem emerged. There truly were no people left in the village. Even with all the grandfathers in their sixties stepping forward, they were still two slots short.

At that moment, everyone looked at one another, unsure what to do. Just then, the troubled village chief spotted Yuan, who was silently watching from the edge of the crowd.

"Come here, child."

"Me?" Yuan pointed to himself.

"That's right."

Yuan did not think much of it. Upon hearing the village chief's response, he slowly walked forward.

"Yuan, it has been many years since Zorya brought you back, hasn't it?" Everyone in the village knew he had been picked up by Zorya, and of course Yuan knew it too.

Zorya had never deliberately hidden the matter. After all, in these turbulent times, it was already a luxury for a child to grow up healthy.

"Mm, more than ten years."

"I'm sorry. The village has not been doing well these past years. We failed to give you a good environment, and today we have to make you fill this quota."

As he spoke, he looked at Yuan with apology.

"You are the only child in the village of the right age. The others are too young and do not meet the requirements."

"But even with me, it still isn't enough."

"Heh. Calling you over already leaves me too ashamed to face Zorya again. And I don't even know how many times I have sent people away like this. It is time for me to atone."

As he spoke, he casually waved his hand.

"If these old fellows can go, why can't I? I'm only sorry to you. I do not ask for your forgiveness, only that you do not blame Zorya.

"She did not bring you back with any bad intentions. It was simply that circumstances were beyond us. None of us expected the kingdom to suddenly demand so many people. Every plan was thrown into chaos."

Yuan fell silent. There was nothing to say. Just as the villagers now had no choice, neither did he.

Not to mention that he had some attachment to the village where he had lived for more than a decade—even if he were willing to run, what would happen to his elderly grandmother?

"I agree. But I hope you do not let my grandmother know. Just say that I went up the mountain to gather herbs and disappeared. And in the future, the village can help look after her."

Hearing Yuan's answer, the village chief nodded.

"I understand. If we say you disappeared while gathering herbs, there may still be hope that you survived. It will give her something to hold on to. Don't worry, I will arrange everything. After all, she is not the only one with family. We all have families. All right, disperse. Go home."

After waving away the villagers around him, his hunched figure slowly headed home, holding his granddaughter in his arms.