Yu Lian couldn't help muttering, "That's why I've always said you should've hacked them in advance."
He figured the nano-machine ghost from the Enlighteners' era was probably at the Sade Fortress now, cosplay-watching the action and enjoying the show.
Then he heard a familiar voice beside him. "So why didn't you hack them yourself? Isn't that what your golden whistle is for? Besides, I'm a fair, rigorous, and impartial AI designed to guide intelligent civilizations. I never take sides."
"Fair?" Yu Lian was stunned.
"Fair." Xiao Hui's voice was serious and cautious.
"Rigorous and impartial?" Yu Lian asked again.
"That's a relative concept. Naturally, I'm the one who gets to decide." Xiao Hui's voice sounded perfectly frank.
Yu Lian considered it for a moment. He decided that any more sarcasm would be too much, so he gave her a thumbs-up. "The Gray Queen is always right! Come to think of it, I thought you were back at the fortress watching the action."
"You have to watch from up close to really enjoy it." Xiao Hui didn't bother hiding her nature as a mischief-loving robot. She giggled. "You over-energetic, leaping-about psychic monkey actually made it back from the Empyrean! Tsk, tsk. You even wanted to personally guard the spatial rift."
"I had no choice. I'm the only one in the fortress who can do it. Even the strongest person besides me, my nominal niece-disciple, is still a little green. I'm the only one who can shut down the passage from this side of the Empyrean the instant the Empire activates its spatial array, preventing the Root of a Thousand Eyes from descending on the fortress," Yu Lian said proudly.
"And then what? If they really activate it ahead of schedule, are you planning to fight that Empyrean lord and die together?"