Growth Heavenly King slowly tapped his fingers against the sword hilt, and the sound of metal and stone softly striking echoed through the hall.
His brow twitched slightly as he said in a deep voice:
"What my second, third, and fourth brothers said all makes sense. Naturally, it would be best if we did not show ourselves. That way, even if mortals grew suspicious, they would never trace it back to us four brothers.
As for how the gods of the Heavenly Court might view this..."
He paused, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Our Ministry of War raising its own military provisions has long been an open secret. Even if this reaches the Great Celestial Venerable, the Marshal will bear the burden for us..."
Before Growth Heavenly King could finish, the impatient Vast-Vision Heavenly King was about to speak again, but he was stopped by a raised hand.
"Fourth Brother, do not rush. Let your elder brother finish."
Growth Heavenly King continued, "However, what Second Brother and Fourth Brother said is equally reasonable. If we do not appear and simply let the Five-Direction Plague Envoys break the array, then even with Third Brother's Dry-Sky Musical Array guarding its core, there will still be variables. Especially that banner-wielding brat in the lower realm—neither his fortune nor his methods can be measured by ordinary reason. If we leave him unchecked, disaster may arise."
"Eldest Brother worries too much." King Who Upholds the Nation gently stroked the jade-green pipa in his arms. Its strings rang of their own accord, and his voice brimmed with certainty. "My array possesses infinite mysteries. Let alone mortals, even the Five-Direction Plague Envoys will never be able to break it. After all, the divine arts and methods of those four not only fail to restrain me—they are