"The Corporation is a partner of the Xianzhou Alliance. Please don't worry about us leaking any information."
Jade chuckled, assuming he was still on guard.
"I can assure you that no third party will know of this conversation today, besides the two of us."
Her meaning was clear: he could speak his mind freely.
"For the sake of the inevitable War of the Gods to come."
"I believe the Corporation should maintain a friendly alliance with the Xianzhou and prepare for this eventuality. Wouldn't you agree?"
Jade said meaningfully.
She had to probe the attitude of this eighth Heavenly General.
The fact that he didn't remain on any of the Xianzhou flagships as a safeguard, but instead roams the cosmos alone to hunt Destruction...
...shows that the Xianzhou Alliance is no longer willing to be held back.
After all, without a Heavenly General presiding over each of the six Xianzhou flagships, they'd be extremely vulnerable to a surprise attack.
This newly appointed Heavenly General must be a new approach for them.
With power rivaling the Marshal's, he's certainly a top-tier Emanator.
In other words, he will serve as the Xianzhou's purest enforcer.
No longer will they mobilize grand armies; instead, one man will carry out the vengeance of The Hunt to the very end.
This model will drastically enhance the Xianzhou Alliance's deterrence abroad.
Without the restraints of protecting the Xianzhou's citizens, he would have nothing left to hold him back.
When facing enemies, it's a fight to the death—either you die, or I do.
Given the vengeful nature of The Hunt,
if they truly operate solo, their madness is on par with that of Destruction.
From now on, anyone who wants to provoke the Xianzhou Alliance will have to think twice.
Because now, there's a real mad dog that will hunt you down until you're dead.
'However, this does present an opportunity for the Corporation...'
Jade thought to herself.
The Corporation's relationship with the Xianzhou Alliance has always been good.
If we present our attitude and position correctly,
give them whatever they want, we can then borrow their blade to kill our enemies.
Use another's Emanator to eliminate more of Destruction's Lord Ravagers.
This is undoubtedly the clearest and most advantageous choice, with no downsides.
There are four Paths that will push the galaxy toward the Finality, and Destruction is one of them.
The War of the Gods is for the purpose of eliminating Destruction,
or rather, to prevent the prophecy of the Four Finalities from coming to pass.
"What are you talking about? I came here to discuss a deal. What are you trying to do?"
Leon, in fact, had never considered working with the Corporation.
He was only here to give them a warning.
Besides, what did the War of the Gods have to do with him? He'd never even heard of it.
He'd rate it as nothing more than a minor squall on the path to godhood.
"...Alright."
Jade was quite confused, but she could only play along.
She couldn't understand why he kept pretending to be a Galaxy Ranger.
He might be able to fool a young girl,
but they were all adults here; they were well aware of each other's identities.
There was no need to feign ignorance.
What deal? It was just an excuse for her to build a good relationship with this Heavenly General on behalf of the Corporation.
Probing him about the War of the Gods was the main objective.
When she brought up those words,
her underlying intention was to see if his act of killing Celenova could be considered a declaration of war by the Xianzhou Alliance against Destruction.
"As I said before, the Corporation's philosophy shares similarities with that of the Galaxy Rangers."
But since he was in the mood for a deal, the Corporation could naturally draw up a contract on the spot.
"Since we are like-minded partners."
"Why not allow the Corporation to contribute to the 'Ranger' operations of Mr. Miracle God?"
Jade quickly formulated a potential deal in her mind.
"You eliminate oppression and injustice, and the Corporation will provide aid to the people who have suffered."
To put it bluntly, it was a carbon copy of the Corporation's collaboration with Robin.
After all, they were both essentially doing the same thing, with the shared ideal of bringing peace to the cosmos.
"Doesn't sound bad."
Leon said casually, "But no thanks."
"A rabbit's head doesn't save everyone."
He was here to power-level himself to godhood.
Saving people was just a side effect; he couldn't get his priorities backward.
If anyone dared to question his motives for not saving everyone,
Leon would only have three words for them.
—So what?
"Come talk to me about after-sales service for the large cups and up. For anything medium-sized or smaller, I only handle the rescue."
As the saying goes, a gentleman does not save everyone.
The same goes for the rabbit's head.
"They're responsible for staying alive. The rest has nothing to do with me."
"And I don't mean to slander you, but I really hate dealing with capitalist dogs."
A true knight-errant despises the lackeys of the imperial court. That's a must-have trope in any wuxia story.
"I only came here to tell you one thing."
Leon said as he rose from his chair.
"I am an Emanator of the Galaxy Rangers."
"Everything I do represents me and me alone. Don't go attributing my actions to the Xianzhou Alliance or any other Rangers."
"I don't accept any commissions."
"I only do what I want or what I feel needs to be done. For example, bringing a miraculous comeback to a losing battle on the brink of defeat."
With that, Leon walked towards the exit.
"However, I've always lived by the principle of 'I won't attack unless attacked first.'"
The automatic door blocking his path opened according to its programming.
"If the Corporation insists on cleaning up after me, then suit yourselves."
That was the last thing he said.
Leaving Jade sitting alone and silent in the room.
Soon, a small electronic screen abruptly rose from the table.
An androgynous black silhouette appeared on the screen.
"A very independent Heavenly General."
A processed, mixed electronic voice sounded out.
"If it weren't for the Xianzhou Alliance's prior declaration, I might have actually believed he was an Emanator of the Rangers."
The resonant voice of 'Diamond' carried a hint of amusement.
"What's the next step?" Jade asked.
She had reported everything to her immediate superior upon boarding the ship, and "Diamond" had been secretly listening in on their entire conversation.
"Business as usual."
"Diamond" saw things very clearly.
"That announcement from the Xianzhou Alliance might as well have had 'touch him and you make an enemy of the Xianzhou' written all over it."
"He says he has nothing to do with the Alliance. Do you believe him?"
There was a laugh in "Diamond's" voice.
"Whether he's a Ranger or a Heavenly General, the fact is he rejected the Corporation," Jade said pointedly.
"Rejected us how?"
"Diamond" knew she was asking deliberately.
"Isn't this Heavenly General's meaning perfectly clear?"
"He's not a friend of the Corporation, but he isn't an enemy either."
"As long as we don't cross his bottom line, we can do as we please."
"Diamond" continued.
"Pay close attention to this Heavenly General's movements from now on."
"He may have refused, but since there's no bad blood, the Corporation must still show the proper attitude."
"Wherever he goes, send aid immediately, but remember—nothing forceful."
"Otherwise, I'm afraid this Ranger's arrows will be aimed at the Corporation."
Attitude and stance may not seem important, but it's unlikely that they're entirely irrelevant.
"And the 'War of the Gods'?"
Jade asked, continuing his line of thought.
"The 'War of the Gods'?"
"Diamond" chuckled lightly.
"If he can kill one of Celenova's avatars, why can't he kill the next, or even her true form?"
"The feud between them has already begun. Besides, wherever Destruction exists, there is oppression."
"He calls himself a Ranger, so he will act like a Ranger."
"Diamond's" words carried a sort of dark humor.
"Destruction is too tempting for him. He won't be able to resist. He'll definitely go on a killing spree."
"Just wait and see. He's going to throw the cosmos into chaos. We just need to sit back and watch."
"Of course, if he runs into any Emanators from other factions, be sure to inform me."
"Diamond" intended to protect him.
Or rather, he wanted to make him, or the Xianzhou Alliance, owe the Corporation a favor.
"A blade this useful... I can't just let it be lost."
"Diamond" was fully confident he could protect Leon from anyone.
As an Emanator of Preservation, if nothing else, his ability to protect people is EX-rank, my friend!
"Yes."
Jade nodded and then actively disconnected the call.
The next second, the automatic door opened again.
"It's bad, Lady Jade! Someone is attacking the ship!"
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in her ears.
She had previously given orders that no one was to come within half a step of this room unless it was an emergency.
Clearly, something unexpected had happened.
"Attacking the ship?"
Hearing those words, Jade's brow furrowed slightly.
This was a Corporation fleet.
Who would be crazy enough to attack a Corporation ship? Did they have a death wish, or did they want a universe-wide Buster Call-level bounty on their head?
___
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