A Letter from Home

Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City.

Unlike Heaven Dou City, there are no large-scale soul guidance factories here, nor a towering central energy tower.

The skyline of Star Luo City is composed of gray-white stone palaces and iron-blue military towers, like an old dragon lying on the plain, with rough skin and hard bones, silent and vigilant.

As night fell, the entire city was shrouded in a deep darkness, with only the lights in the direction of the palace still shining, like a few cold glints embedded in iron armor.

The number of city defense troops has doubled compared to half a month ago.

On both sides of the imperial road outside the palace gate, there was a soldier holding a spear every ten steps, with the emblem of the Star Luo Imperial Family cast on his breastplate.

They stood like statues, even their breathing was extremely soft.

The faint sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from within the palace, but there was no trace of joy in them; the intermittent sounds seemed to be keeping time for the deep night.

Meanwhile, in the West Warm Pavilion of the Star Luo Imperial Palace, the lights were blazing brightly.

In the center of the warm pavilion stood a huge sand table, which depicted the sea area where the Star Luo Empire and Sun Moon Federation met.

Several fortresses on the Star Luo Empire side were marked with small blue flags, while those on the Federation side were marked with small gray flags.

Above the gray flag were several very thin black short tags, which were newly sent back by scouts about the Federation's additional troop deployments in the Eastern Frontier.

There were seven or eight people surrounding the sand table.

There were armored generals, civil officials in dark-patterned robes, and two unremarkable middle-aged men with bronze badges hanging from their waists—they were members of the Star Luo Intelligence Bureau.

No one spoke first; they simply stared silently at the sand table.

"The message has been confirmed?" The speaker stood directly above the sand table, about forty years old, with a thin face, high cheekbones, and deep blue eyes.

He wore a dark blue robe with dragon patterns and silver embroidery on the cuffs; he was none other than Dai Tianling, the current emperor of the Star Luo Empire.

"Your Highness, it's confirmed."

A bronze-level agent stepped forward, bowed, and said, "After the incident in Heaven Dou City, the Federal Parliament declared a state of emergency that very night."

"But their Skynet was crippled from within by an unknown force and has not been restored within three days."

"All the troops stationed in Heaven Dou City are now chasing after one person, a young Soul Master who is said to be from the Tang Sect and also possesses the Golden Dragon Bloodline."

"The Federation has already redeployed all its manpower to the northern front, leaving the south virtually empty."

"Is Skynet really down?"

A man dressed as a general asked in a deep voice, his expression revealing a hint of disbelief.

"Completely paralyzed."

The spies replied, "From Ming Capital to Heaven Dou City, the signal has been completely cut off. The Federation Engineering Department's people are still going in circles, and they can't even figure out who did it."

There was a moment of silence in the warm room.

The generals exchanged glances, and the same look appeared in their eyes.

That's the light that shines when you sense an opportunity.

"Your Highness,"

The general turned to Dai Tianling, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "The Federation is in turmoil, and the Skynet is out of order again. Their garrison in the east appears to have increased, but in reality, their deployment is completely chaotic."

"If we seize the East Sea now under the pretext of border skirmishes, the initiative will be in the hands of the Star Luo Empire."

"That's also my opinion."

Another, younger general spoke up next, his voice even louder, "Star Luo Empire has been waiting for this battle for three generations."

"The Federation occupies the fertile lands of the Sun Moon Continent, and Shrek Academy has dominated the world for millennia. Now that Shrek is gone, the Federation has lost its eyes and ears. This is a golden opportunity; how can we wait any longer?"

"Whether Shrek is truly dead or not is still inconclusive." An elderly man who looked like a civil official spoke up. His voice was soft, but it cooled the heat in the warm pavilion by a few degrees.

His hair and beard were completely white, and he leaned on an ebony cane. Without raising his head, he said, "If we rashly send troops, the Federation might panic and redeploy the forces originally pursuing the Shrek remnants back to the Eastern Frontier. Your Highness, are we confident that we can take over three states in one fell swoop?"

"Grand Secretary Xu."

Dai Tianling finally spoke, his voice calm and deep, like well water in the night, "I didn't say we had to send troops immediately. I just felt that it was time to send someone to contact Shrek."

Everyone was taken aback.

"You want to contact Shrek?"

The young general frowned. "Shrek is struggling to survive themselves. What do they want with them?"

"We're looking for them, of course, because they're not dead yet."

Dai Tianling turned his back, walked to the other side of the sand table, and tapped the Shrek City location very lightly with his fingertips. "Do you think that the people who can destroy the Skynet like this are ordinary forces?"

"Their core is absolutely fine."

"Skynet is one of the Federation's deepest trump cards. Besides Shrek, who has the ability, the guts, and the reason to take it down? The Tang Sect? The Spirit Pagoda? Or the Holy Spirit Cult?"

His voice suddenly turned cold when he mentioned the words "Holy Spirit Cult".

The white-haired old man raised his eyes. "Your Highness suspects that the Holy Spirit Cult is also involved?"

"It's not doubt, it's certainty."

Dai Tianling looked up at the cold, white moonlight streaming in through the window. "Some people within the Federation used the massacre of Shrek City to send a message to the council, saying that ' the Holy Spirit Cult has gained momentum.'"

"Now that Skynet is down, Federation military orders can only be transmitted using old-fashioned wired networks and human-powered cavalry."

"If anyone takes the opportunity to cause trouble at the border, even if it's not us, we will still be held responsible."

As he said this, he suddenly turned around, looked at the seven or eight people, and his gaze was like a sharpened knife. "So we can't just think about sending troops."

"What we need to do is, while the Federation is still blindfolded, send people to Heaven Dou City to find out who is left in Shrek and who destroyed Skynet."

"If necessary, join forces with them. If that doesn't work, at least find out which side they'll take next."

No one spoke in the warm room anymore.

Although the young general was unwilling, he ultimately did not refute it further.

Grand Secretary Xu nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied with the Regent's restraint today.

The candlelight flickered gently on the sand table, casting long and short shadows of the blue and gray flags.

Dai Tianling took one last look at the sand table and said softly, "Who is the best candidate? Gu Mei, who will marry into the Ye Family of the Sun Moon Federation."

The warm room became eerily quiet for a moment.

The generals exchanged bewildered glances, not expecting their eyes to fall on a woman from the Star Luo Empire was already married.

Grand Secretary Xu slowly narrowed his eyes, as if retrieving an old story from the depths of his memory, and then his expression changed slightly.

"Your Majesty, are you referring to... Ye Xinglan's mother?"

"Exactly."

Dai Tianling turned around, the candlelight casting several deep shadows on his thin face. "Back then, when Gu Mei married into the Ye Family of the Federation, after Ye Xinglan awakened the Stargod Sword, Gu Mei always refused to let her touch the sword. Do you know why?"

Grand Secretary Xu continued, "Because Ye Xinglan's talent is too outstanding. Once the Stargod Sword is unleashed, the Federation will inevitably use her against them. Her mother fears that she will become a tool in the Federation's hands aimed at the Star Luo Empire, which is why she suppressed her swordsmanship."

"Good."

Dai Tianling nodded, his voice slow and deliberate, "Gu Mei is a smart person, and so is Ye Qing'an. They are all too aware of the rift between the Star Luo Empire and the Federation."

"A daughter with the Star Luo Empire blood, if she grows up in the Federation and happens to awaken the Stargod Sword, will be drawn into it whether she likes it or not."

"But in the end, she went to Shrek," said Grand Secretary Xu.

"The Stargod Sword is no ordinary Martial Soul; it cannot be suppressed. He loves his daughter very much, and likewise, he loves his wife."

"Therefore, Ye Qing'an did the opposite and prevented her from wielding a sword in the Federation."

"Rather than staying within the Federation and being brought under its control, it's better to send Federation far away. Shrek is separate from both the Federation and Star Luo Empire, making it the only place that can protect her without forcing her to take sides."

Dai Tianling walked to the sand table and slowly traced an arc along the location of Shrek City with her fingertip. "They won their gamble. Ye Xinglan not only grew up safely, but also became one of the strongest among the younger generation of Shrek."

The young general frowned. "She may not have much affection for the Star Luo Empire. If we ask her, will she help us?"

Whether she'll agree or not is still up in the air.

Dai Tianling said calmly, "But don't forget what Shrek is. Ye Xinglan isn't alone. She grew up at Shrek Academy and has a childhood sweetheart named Yun Jingheng by her side."

The moment those three words were uttered, the air in the warm room tightened even more.

"Yun Jingheng..."

Grand Secretary Xu repeated in a low voice, as if savoring the weight of the name, "Son of Yun Ming, the Sea God Pavilion..."

"Therefore, as long as anyone tries to contact Ye Xinglan, Yun Jingheng will definitely find out. Once Yun Jingheng finds out, the Sea God Pavilion will find out."

Dai Tianling said, "This is both a disadvantage and a advantage."

"The downside is that we can't hide it from Shrek. The upside is that we didn't want to hide it in the first place. Rather than going around Shrek to find someone, we might as well let Shrek know we went."

"They need outside help right now, so we're taking the initiative to reach out to them and see what Shrek's management thinks."

"What if they see us as enemies?" a general asked in a deep voice.

"Therefore, to find Ye Xinglan, we cannot use our official status; we can only do so through Gu Mei's family letter."

Dai Tianling took out a tiny silver tube from her sleeve and placed it beside the sand table. "Gu Mei is Ye Xinglan's biological mother. It's only natural for a mother to write to her daughter."

"Once this letter reaches Ye Xinglan, it's in Shrek's hands. We don't need her to give us any answers immediately; we just need her to know that Star Luo Empire has never forgotten her."

After listening, Grand Secretary Xu remained silent for a long while before slowly saying, "Your Highness's move seems restrained, but it is actually dangerous. If Gu Mei is willing to deliver the letter, she will be dragging the Ye Family into it."

"If Ye Xinglan responds, Shrek might find itself in a more unpredictable position between the Star Luo Empire and the Federation. However, if things go wrong and Shrek thinks Star Luo Empire is trying to use her disciple, then it will backfire."

"Therefore, I will only offer one sentence, without revealing the truth, making any promises, or exerting any pressure."

As Dai Tianling spoke, she looked at the bronze-ranked secret agent, "Tell Gu Mei that Star Luo Empire's old friend misses her. Whether she sends a message or not is up to her. Whether Ye Xinglan responds or not is also up to her. We're just opening the door a crack."

He spoke very softly, like a gentle breeze in the night.

Grand Secretary Xu said no more.

Although the generals still felt that the plan was roundabout, they also admitted that there was no better way at the moment.

The Federation's Skynet had just gone haywire, and if Star Luo Empire were to make a high-profile attempt to contact Shrek, it would only give the Federation an excuse.

Using a letter from home to test someone is the lightest, yet also the most insidious, tactic.

Go ahead.

Dai Tianling concluded by turning her gaze back to the sand table, "Go find Gu Mei. Remember, only go through the channels of the Gu Family acquaintances. If the Federation or the Spirit Pagoda discovers this first, don't send her."

"Yes." The spy acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Outside the warm pavilion, the wind picked up.

The lights of the distant palace flickered in the wind, like a solitary tower suspended on a sea of ink.

Dai Tianling walked to the window and looked up at the northern night sky.

The moon was completely swallowed by the clouds, with only a few extremely thin stars twinkling through the gaps, cold and otherworldly.

"The bloodline of the Star Luo Empire, the sword of Shrek."

He murmured something under his breath, his voice almost inaudible in the wind, "Add a son of the Yun Ming, and if this thread can truly be connected, perhaps there's another solution to this chaotic world..."

"But, the relationship between Gu Mei and Ye Xinglan... isn't that good."