For Hua to make such a momentous decision, Lingchen must clearly have done something staggering.
"His strength isn't merely decent. He's extraordinarily powerful, and Marshal Hua can attest to that," Jing Yuan's projection spoke up as well.
"Lord of Eternal Joy thinks very highly of Lingchen. The authority he wields over the Paths far exceeds ours, too. You must all have sensed the fluctuations when the Imaginary Wall appeared.
"He has already taken it away in its entirety."
"That's impossible! That was a genuine creation of an Aeon, and judging by the imaginary tides transmitted from it, it even surpassed an ordinary Imaginary Wall.
"Forget a single Emanator-even several together couldn't possibly take it."
Flame Court Lord, the High Elder of the Zhuming, rejected the claim outright, his face full of disbelief.
"But that is what happened."
"General Jing Yuan is correct. Mr. Lingchen wielded the authorities of both [Elation] and [Remembrance] to completely subdue the Imaginary Wall. According to Lord of Eternal Joy, given his extraordinary talent, Lingchen has probably already mastered it by now."
Marshal Hua continued, her expression grave:
"Moreover, he also brought forth the legendary residence of Lord of Fleeting Glimmers-the Pure Land."
"He's actually an Emanator of two Paths?"
Frozen Abyss Lord looked utterly stunned.
"Strictly speaking, there may be more than that. I've also seen Lingchen use other powers."
The disappearance of the pain in Fu Xuan's Divine Eye was evident from her everyday behavior, but Jing Yuan had not felt comfortable asking Lingchen about it.
He told them about it.
"In other words, he also has the power of The Plagues Author?" Flame Court Lord murmured. "Could he be an [Abundance] Emanator as well?"
"No. Diviner Fu Xuan told me that it isn't the power of The Plagues Author. This power is purer and gentler, entirely different from the [Abundance] Path. Anyone who has experienced it would understand just how vast the difference is."
"I didn't realize that guy was so powerful." Feixiao scratched her head. "And he said he wanted to spar with me. Was he just looking for an excuse to beat me up?"
P.S. I'll sign up for the national civil service exam first.
Chapter 55: But I've Never Been in Love
"Oh? Mr. Lingchen said he wanted to spar with you?"
Hua suddenly became interested.
"That's right. I invited him for a drink earlier, and he said we could do it once I had some time off. He also said we could spar then."
Feixiao did not hide anything.
Everyone broke into a cold sweat at Feixiao's mention of drinking.
Who among those present didn't know about General Feixiao's "bottomless" capacity for alcohol?
With ordinary alcohol, a single sip would probably knock her out.
"Oh, and he also said he could take a look at my condition if he got the chance."
For the Borisin, Moon Frenzy was a blessing, a gift. But for Feixiao, who possessed only a portion of Borisin blood, it was a curse-a threat of death.
One day, Moon Frenzy would utterly destroy her body, leaving her to die in agony amid indiscriminate slaughter of friend and foe alike.
"I thought Lingchen was just trying to comfort me at the time."
She and Lingchen had hit it off, so they had talked quite a lot. Once, she had let slip that she suffered from an illness and was planning to visit Bailu on the Luofu to have it examined. Lingchen had replied that he could take a look himself.
At the time, she had thought he was merely comforting her. She had never expected him to actually possess that ability.
"It seems there's a solution to General Feixiao's condition as well."
If he could even suppress being mara-struck, Moon Frenzy probably wouldn't pose a problem.
"Are you sure he said that?"
Clearly, however, Jing Yuan did not see it that way.
"Yes. Why?"
Feixiao was somewhat puzzled.
"Lingchen has been staying at Fu Xuan's residence for around five months. As for their relationship, they're practically one step away from officially becoming a couple."
Jing Yuan looked at Feixiao with a peculiar expression.
"I get along fairly well with him, too, but I've never asked him to treat me. Yet Lingchen took the initiative to treat Diviner Fu Xuan.
"What does that tell you?"
He already had one foot in the mara-struck state, yet Lingchen had turned a blind eye to it. Did that mean Lingchen was unwilling to use Purification on him and delay its onset?
No. Jing Yuan knew very well that Lingchen was not that sort of person. If he asked, Lingchen would certainly treat him.
Unfortunately, he could not think of what he could offer in return.
Putting everything together, he had reached an outrageous conclusion that nonetheless seemed highly likely: Lingchen probably had designs on his master as well. When the time came for Jing Yuan to play matchmaker, Lingchen would purify him. Of course, even if no assistance was needed, he would probably still purify him around then to delay the onset of mara.
After all, Lingchen had personally said that he knew a little about all of them.
So Jing Yuan was not actually in any hurry. He merely marveled at how clear Lingchen's objectives were.
"That Lingchen and the Diviner are closer?"
Feixiao blinked, scratched her head, and answered.
Everyone: "..."
As expected of the Heavenly Strike General, whose mind held nothing but glorious victories.
"It means he's interested in you."
General Yaoguang could not bear to watch any longer.
"Huh? Seriously? I... I've never even thought about that."
It was as though a bolt of lightning had struck General Feixiao's heart, leaving her momentarily numb.
She had once resolved to dedicate her entire life to eliminating abominations, and she had upheld that resolve ever since. Romance had never crossed her mind.
Besides, with her current personality, she would probably only find buddies, not love.
Having this dropped on her out of nowhere left her utterly bewildered.
"Ahem. Even if you've never thought about it, you could try giving it some thought and getting to know him. If you aren't compatible, that's fine, too. This isn't compulsory."
Hua covered her mouth and gave a dry cough.
The more ties Lingchen had to the Xianzhou, and the closer those ties were, the better.
Is that really something a Marshal should be saying?
Everyone felt a little numb.
"I'm actually quite interested in him myself."
After an awkward silence, Yaoguang unexpectedly chimed in.
"If he has Vidyadhara blood, or can allow our bloodline to be passed on, perhaps I would be interested as well."
Frozen Abyss Lord added her own remark.
If Lingchen's ability could free the Vidyadhara from their inability to reproduce, following him would be a small price to pay for their future.
But that was merely a passing thought. She knew very well that such a thing was impossible.
Feixiao: "..."
Fine, fine. So everyone's interested in Lingchen, then.
"The Marshal is right. General Feixiao, you can always give it a try. It won't cost you anything. If you really aren't compatible, you can address that then. Even if you don't become husband and wife, you can still be good friends."
Jing Yuan added his voice, smiling in a way that made it obvious he was up to no good.
The others might not know, but he and Marshal Hua did: in the future, that man might reach the same level as Lord of Eternal Joy.
Even if he never reached that level, being able to converse with Aha like that, gain authority over both [Elation] and [Remembrance] beyond that of ordinary Emanators, and remain free of a memetic body already demonstrated how special Lingchen was.
Binding more of Lingchen's affections to the Xianzhou could only be a good thing.
"B-but I've never been in love!"
Feixiao was starting to lose her composure.
Making her fall in love and do something so girlish was worse than sending her out to win another glorious victory.
Imagining herself acting all sweet and coy at Lingchen's side... brr!
Feixiao shuddered.
"General Feixiao, you're worrying far too much. Feelings take time to develop. You don't need to become a couple with Mr. Lingchen right now.
"Besides, we're only offering suggestions. What you do and how you get along with Mr. Lingchen are still entirely up to you.
"There's no need to feel pressured."
Lord of Heavenly Wind spoke up.
Of everyone present, perhaps General Feixiao was the only one who had failed to notice.
The others might have had their own considerations, but none of them were fools. Seeing Marshal Hua behave this way, they knew that something must have happened that she was not prepared to disclose.
And it was something extremely important-important enough that even Marshal Hua wanted a general to give things a try with Lingchen, and was willing to have several people try!
That was why none of them objected. Instead, they wanted to help make it happen.
Once it succeeded, they would surely learn what had happened in due course.
"Exactly, General Feixiao. There's no need to feel pressured. It all depends on whether you're willing. And Mr. Lingchen... is quite amorous. Even now, he may already be involved with more than two people, and there will be others later. So if you can't accept that, remaining friends is fine, too."
P.S. I've signed up. There's only one position available, and my scalp is tingling... The picture is Feixiao.
Chapter 56: Set Out Tomorrow
Hua added that clarification anyway.
After all, everyone knew what Feixiao was like. When it came to romance, even a cat might do better than her.
Besides, even if it failed, there were others who had connections with Lingchen. In a sense, this was also a way of finding Feixiao a good place to end up.
"Oh, come on. What pressure? I was just surprised to suddenly hear your reasoning," Feixiao said breezily, having already returned to normal in that short time.
"We're going to meet sooner or later anyway, and I do like the guy. But let me make this clear first: things might not be what you're imagining. Right now, I see him as a friend, and he probably sees me the same way. If we want to go any further, we may need some time to adjust to each other. We can see whether we're compatible then."
Feixiao really had not given it much thought. In the past, she had been completely focused on fighting and never considered such matters. Now, knowing that Lingchen might have other feelings for her, all she felt was curiosity. After all, she had never experienced that kind of emotion before.
For so many people to hold Lingchen in such high regard, he certainly could not be ordinary.
As for Lingchen having plenty of people around him, that was even better. She spent year after year on campaigns. If they really did become a couple, she could not stay at his side all the time. Wouldn't it be better for him to have others keeping him company?
If it worked out, she would treat it as a new experience, and she would have a companion in the future. If it didn't, she thought Lingchen would make a fine buddy anyway.
In Feixiao's eyes, her relationship with Lingchen would develop gradually. Whether they could successfully reach the other shore remained to be seen.
"Besides, maybe General Jing Yuan is overthinking this. Isn't Fu Xuan only one step away from becoming a couple with Mr. Lingchen? She's practically guaranteed to be his future wife. How could he let her keep suffering?"
"But General Feixiao, Lingchen began treating Fu Xuan as soon as he moved in."
Jing Yuan did not agree.
"Couldn't he simply have considered it payment for his lodging? An ability that seems extravagant to us might be no more than a wave of the hand to the person who possesses it. You just haven't offered him anything in return."
People always gave preferential treatment to those they liked; Feixiao did the same herself. She saw nothing wrong with Lingchen's actions. Wasn't he allowed to take a liking to Fu Xuan? Besides, Lingchen was an [Elation] Emanator, making him all the more inclined to follow his whims.
"Is that so?"
Seeing Feixiao's utterly certain expression, Jing Yuan suddenly began to doubt himself.
His observations over this period told him that Feixiao's explanation was definitely flawed. Lingchen treated Fu Xuan simply because he lusted after her.
If Jing Yuan wanted treatment himself, he would probably have to pay a considerable price.
Yet Feixiao's words seemed to make sense, too. Why? Because Lingchen was an [Elation] Emanator. Even if he found a pile of dog poop by the roadside amusing, he might well give it life.
Then, he seemed to receive a message, and his expression gradually grew serious.
"Everyone, Diviner Fu just sent me a message. She says Lingchen can face at least five or six Emanators head-on at the same time and easily kill them. Lingchen has also agreed to let her inform us of this."
"How is that possible?"