The atmosphere in the conference room became exceedingly awkward for a time.
Neither Jing Hongchen nor Xu Tianyao spoke again. Both had argued themselves red-eyed.
If they kept going, they would hurt their relationship, so they both chose to shut up.
Just then, Kong Deming, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them at last.
Those aged yet profound eyes seemed capable of seeing through the human heart.
"Tianyao."
"Since you are so resistant to this matter, you must have your own ideas, or perhaps other concerns."
"Tell us."
Hearing Kong Deming speak, Jing Hongchen immediately reined in his emotions, while Xu Tianyao's expression likewise turned solemn.
He could clearly sense that in the mere year that had passed, his grandfather's aura had seemingly become even more unfathomable than before.
Clearly, over the past year, Kong Deming's cultivation had advanced another step.
Even now, Xu Tianyao had not fully figured out what Kong Deming meant.
Logically speaking, since Jing Hongchen dared so openly to push him to contend for the throne, Kong Deming, who stood behind him, could not possibly have been unaware.
In a sense, Kong Deming had very likely acquiesced to, or even supported, Jing Hongchen's plan.
Yet what truly puzzled Xu Tianyao was that, even after he and Jing Hongchen had argued for so long, Kong Deming had never given a clear stance.
That was also why he had been unable to make up his mind.
After all, the reason he had never truly agreed to Jing Hongchen's proposal was not because he lacked the ambition to fight for the throne, but because he had been waiting for a clear statement from Kong Deming.
Only with the support of the Sun Moon Empire's foremost Soul Engineer would he have the confidence to truly overturn