"I-it's true! The goddess Ayinai really is willing to take us in!"
The wonderful news had caught him completely off guard. The best outcome he had hoped for was that the Xianzhou would agree to take in some of their people, so that at least the clan's talented young people could board. As for old men like him, who already had one foot in the grave, they wouldn't be given too much trouble even if they stayed with The Family.
But what he hadn't expected was that the one who agreed to let them board wasn't a member of the Xianzhou's upper ranks, but the Aeon of Existence herself, Ayinai!
"Of course it's true. Lady Arbiter of Life has agreed to let you join the Xianzhou, but there is one condition."
"What condition? Please, tell me! Even if you don't want old things like us, that's fine, as long as our branch can carry on."
His expression was excited, and he was terrified that Xiahou Chan would change his mind. Xiahou Chan shook his head. "That's not it. You can bring all your people to join the Xianzhou, but the condition is that once you do, you must cast aside your former identities. From then on, you will no longer be members of The Family and will belong only to the Xianzhou. Can you agree to that?"
The man fell silent for a moment. Xiahou Chan was in no hurry and simply watched him quietly. He had added this condition on his own authority, but since Lady Arbiter of Life hadn't objected, it was fine.
A moment later, the man raised his head, his eyes filled with resolve. "I've made up my mind, General Xiahou. Since the goddess Ayinai is willing to give our branch a chance, I am naturally willing. I and the members of my bloodline's branch will join the Xianzhou Daiyu, and I am willing to do what little I can to help build the Xianzhou."
Seeing that he had agreed, Xiahou Chan stood and held out his hand. "In that case, welcome to the Xianzhou Daiyu. I'll inform Helmsman Qingzhu of the other arrangements shortly. For now, you can return to The Family and tell your people to pack."
The man rose and clasped Xiahou Chan's outstretched hand. "I am Qi Shige. On behalf of my entire clan, I thank the Arbiter of True Existence!"
After Qi Shige left, Ayinai appeared behind Xiahou Chan. Sensing her presence, he turned and bowed, then voiced the question on his mind.
Why take in a Halovian branch that even The Family didn't value?
Ayinai asked calmly, "What is their flaw?"
"They're easily affected by outside interference and can't use their abilities to control minds or remove negative statuses."
Ayinai nodded. "That's right. That's why their branch isn't valued in The Family. But what if they used the abilities of harmony to draw on the power of existence and assist the army in battle? How effective would that be?"
"Precisely because they're easily affected by outside interference when using the power of harmony, they can sense the power of other Paths more easily. What if they were placed in the army, where the power of existence is strongest?
"Their flaw is also their strength. Being easily affected means they can readily sense other powers. With just a little blessing from me, you'll gain battlefield healers who can replenish lost Path power at any time."
Ayinai's words left Xiahou Chan visibly shaken. As Pathstriders of existence, what they feared most was running out of power. Although Ayinai was generous with them, when a real battle broke out, there simply wasn't time to draw on the power of the Path of Existence.
If someone could draw on the Path's power to replenish them at such a time, the advantage gained would multiply.
"I see. Then we can have mobile storage tanks of Path power! When we face the Abominations of Abundance in the future, won't that make us even stronger?"
Xiahou Chan's eyes shone. What kind of burden was this? They were practically a treasure!
"I'll report this to the Helmsman right away!"
Xiahou Chan bowed, then hurried off to contact Qingzhu. On a certain planet, Qingzhu listened to his report and, without hesitation, returned to The Family's homeworld with the personal guards Xiahou Chan had arranged.
She would go and receive them herself!
The Xianzhou's evacuation order had been sent to every Xianzhou citizen's phone two days earlier. Now, the only people still outside the Xianzhou were Qingzhu and the personal guards Xiahou Chan had arranged.
Qi Shige returned to The Family and told his branch that the Xianzhou Daiyu was willing to take them in, along with the conditions for accepting them. The resistance and objections he had expected never appeared. Instead, everyone agreed without exception. Even the old diehards agreed, and they were among the first to speak up.
"Have you... thought this through? If we really agree, we'll be citizens of the Xianzhou from now on. We won't be able to consider ourselves Halovians anymore."
Qi Shige needed to make sure everyone was sincere, rather than saying one thing while meaning another.
"Clan Head, there's no need to persuade us. After you left for the Xianzhou, the clan held a meeting. In the end, after the elders discussed it and the clan members voted, everyone agreed to go to the Xianzhou.
"Even if the talks had fallen through, none of us would have wanted to remain in the Itasumai Star System."
The elder's words met with agreement from the entire clan. They had lived in the shadows of the other branches for so long that they wanted to escape at every moment.
The Xianzhou Daiyu's arrival had given them a chance. An organization that worshipped the Aeon of Existence would not refuse to help a race that wanted to continue to exist.
Seeing the determination in his people's eyes, Qi Shige nodded, then led them in packing their belongings and preparing to leave the place where they had suffered indignities for most of their lives.
After the several thousand people had packed and were preparing to board their ships and leave, talking and laughing, a voice rang out in a flippant, disdainful tone.
"Well, if it isn't the 'famous' Qi Lineage branch of our Halovian people. What's this? Leaving Itasumai? Makes sense. You're such trash that letting you occupy this land is a waste anyway. You might as well give it to us. I bet wherever you're going is some godforsaken corner too, hahaha!"
Qi Shige turned to look. It was a young man, one who had originally belonged to their branch.
But the moment the young man appeared, the clan members present stared at him with reddened eyes. If not for him, how could they have fallen to such a state?
"Qi Xuange! How dare you come here and mock us! Isn't our present situation all thanks to you?"
A clan elder beside Qi Shige couldn't hold back his rebuke. Once, their Qi Lineage had been a branch whose glory was unmatched, but Qi Xuange's selfishness had cost the entire clan its former standing!
"Shut your mouth, old man. I'm part of the main lineage now. You lot? Heh, you're just a lowly side branch!"
"If you hadn't stolen and absorbed the clan's greatest treasure, how would we have ended up like this?!"
Their lineage had been born with a flaw. Originally, a Harmony Jigsaw, the clan's greatest treasure bestowed by an Emanator, had alleviated it. At the very least, they wouldn't have suffered the problems they did now, such as being unable to heal properly and being easily affected by interference.
But the young man before them had now absorbed that piece of the Jigsaw, completely curing his hidden ailment.
Everyone was furious, while Qi Xuange continued to taunt them. Just then, an enormous shadow in the sky blocked out most of the sunlight. They looked up and saw a colossal ship, and that shadow was only its bow.
"That's... the Xianzhou!"
Qi Xuange's eyes widened in shock. The next moment, a Starskiff flew out of the Jade Gate and stopped on the open ground before them.
The Starskiff's door opened, and a squad of Manifest Existence soldiers stepped out. They stood in neat formation on either side of the entrance, their eyes frighteningly bright.
A moment later, Qingxin emerged in a qipao. When she saw Qi Shige, she went up to him.
"You must be Clan Head Qi Shige. I'm Qingxin, the Xianzhou Helmsman's secretary. I've come on the Helmsman's orders to receive the Qi Lineage. The Helmsman is currently waiting for you aboard the Xianzhou to discuss the relocation."
"The Xianzhou! You're relocating to the Xianzhou!"
Qi Xuange's voice trembled uncontrollably. Although the Xianzhou had no Aeon's protection, it was powerful. Now the lineage he had once belonged to and looked down on most was actually relocating to the Xianzhou, while he was merely at the bottom of the main lineage. The enormous disparity made his face and ears turn red.
Qingxin glanced at him and asked in confusion, "Is he one of your people too?"
Qi Shige glanced at him and shook his head without hesitation. "No. He's just a traitor to our lineage. He has nothing to do with us."
Understanding, Qingxin looked at him. "A traitor, huh? Manifest Existence Army."
"Present!"
"Throw this traitor aside. Don't let him be an eyesore here."
Hearing the order, a Manifest Existence soldier grabbed him by the collar without hesitation and tossed him several hundred meters away like a chick.
Seeing him thrown more than a hundred meters away, Qi Shige and the others felt a surge of satisfaction.
"Please board, Clan Head Qi. There's an honored guest waiting for you at the Palace of Existence."
Qi Shige followed Qingxin aboard the Starskiff. Once the Manifest Existence soldiers had boarded as well, it took off, while the other members of the lineage headed for the Xianzhou in their own ships.