With the hostage candidate chosen, Bo Yikao handed all the forces under his command over to Ji Fa.
Then he took the gifts Ji Chang had prepared, along with a letter expressing his loyalty, and set out for Zhaoge.
At the top of the Enlightenment Tea Tree, Styx, Dream Spirit, Nuwa, and Houtu quietly watched Bo Yikao make his way toward Zhaoge, falling into a faint silence.
Nuwa was even somewhat downcast as she said, "Master, how has the Human Race become like this? How could father and son, brothers, scheme against each other so ruthlessly?"
Those involved were confused, while outsiders saw clearly. Immersed in the façade of a loving father and filial son, affectionate elder brother and respectful younger brother, Bo Yikao had resolutely decided to give up his chance at obtaining this opportunity.
But how could Nuwa and the others, who had been watching this scene all along, fail to see through it?
From the Star Observation Platform onward, Ji Chang and Ji Fa, father and son, had already set their sights on Bo Yikao.
They were prepared to sacrifice Bo Yikao's future to secure a better opportunity for Western Qi.
Everything that happened afterward was merely going with the flow. Even without Shen Gongbao's words,
Ji Chang would have found another way to send Bo Yikao to Zhaoge as a hostage.
As for Ji Fa, where was there any brotherly affection?
If everything had not proceeded so smoothly, Ji Fa would probably have done everything he could to make Ji Chang send Bo Yikao away.
That way, he could seize control of Western Qi's authority. Nuwa even felt that if Ji Fa's own strength had been sufficient,
he might have overthrown Ji Chang, occupied Western Qi himself, and then sought the final opportunity.
This scheming beneath