Upon returning to the Cloud-Top Celestial Palace, Chu Mo had barely stepped into the bustling lobby when he was intercepted by the manager, Yun Ye.
Yun Ye was a female angel promoted over the last few years; she was sharp, capable, and a member of the Shadow Guard. She hurried over and lowered her voice: "Boss, Su Mari is here. He's in your office." She paused before adding, "His expression... isn't great."
The corner of Chu Mo's mouth twitched imperceptibly. Of course. Like a ghost that won't leave.
For the past five years, almost every time Hexi visited him, Su Mari would show up—either to spy on Hexi's movements or to warn Chu Mo to stay away from her. Chu Mo was well-acquainted with this routine, but each time it felt like stepping into a patch of sticky mud that he couldn't shake off.
"Alright, I know." Chu Mo nodded to Yun Ye and walked through the noisy lobby toward his office with a composed expression.
He pushed the door open. Su Mari was indeed there, unceremoniously sitting in Chu Mo's chair with his back to the door. Hearing the sound, the high-back chair slowly swiveled around. Su Mari's feminine face turned, his eyes locking onto Chu Mo with undisguised hostility.
"Chu Mo, I've warned you many times. Don't even dream of taking Hexi from me. Is it that you feel the blade in my hand... isn't sharp enough?"
Chu Mo acted as if he hadn't heard the threat. He walked to the chair opposite the desk and sat down, leaning back and leisurely crossing his legs. Meeting Su Mari's cold gaze, he raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
"Manager Su, my ears have developed callouses from hearing that. Besides, Hexi has her own thoughts and choices; she isn't anyone's private property. As for who she ultimately chooses to be with, that's her business. We... each rely on our own abilities, don't we?"
Watching the fire ignite in Su Mari's eyes, he continued slowly. "As for you, Manager Su—every time you can't find Miss Hexi or see her having some contact with me, you run here to throw a tantrum like someone stepped on your tail. For the great First Legion Commander to spend his days obsessing over a woman's whereabouts... if word got out, I'm afraid it would damage your prestigious reputation."
"Tantrum?!"
That last word was the spark in the powder keg. Cold light exploded in Su Mari's eyes. His right hand, which had been resting on the armrest, blurred as the standard-issue Angel longsword at his waist unsheathed. With a sharp whistle of displaced air, the icy tip of the blade lunged straight for Chu Mo's face!
However, the sword tip stopped dead, barely three inches from the center of Chu Mo's brow.
Two fingers, like iron pincers, had firmly clamped onto the sharp blade. Chu Mo hadn't even changed his sitting posture. At the point of contact between fingers and steel, a faint metallic grinding sound could be heard.
Su Mari's pupils shrank. His shock and rage reached a peak. Five years! He had never stopped training during these five years. Yet, every time he witnessed the other man parry his attacks so effortlessly, the feeling of humiliation was strong enough to drive him mad.
"You say I'm throwing a tantrum?!" Su Mari growled, straining his wrist to pull the sword back, only to find it seemingly welded between Chu Mo's fingers.
A cold smirk curled on Chu Mo's lips. He applied a bit of pressure, sending a vibrating force down the blade. Su Mari felt his arm go numb, his dark energy circulation stuttering for an instant. With a flick of his wrist, Chu Mo tossed the blade aside.
CLANG!
With a crisp metallic ring, Su Mari's sword was swept aside. The tip grazed past Chu Mo's ear and buried itself into the wooden wall paneling behind him.
Chu Mo uncrossed his legs and propped his face up with one hand. Looking at the pale Su Mari, he spoke calmly.
"Manager Su, why such a temper? From beginning to end, I have had no intention of targeting you. You, on the other hand, have repeatedly looked for trouble with me. Do you perhaps think I am an easy target?"
Su Mari violently wrenched his sword from the wall. He pointed it at Chu Mo, his killing intent boiling, but now tempered by a layer of gravity and wariness. After that brief exchange, he clearly felt that Chu Mo's strength was far greater than he had imagined!
"Others might not see through you, Chu Mo, but I won't be fooled!" Su Mari's voice was hoarse with rage. "The One Heart Society has grown to the point that many ministers and officers have joined. How is this still a merchant guild? You claim it's for the King, but every member follows your lead! You have a hand in the city's economy, resource distribution, and even military promotions! Chu Mo, you've painstakingly woven such a large web—what exactly are you trying to do?"
Facing the interrogation, Chu Mo's expression remained placid. He spread his hands.
"Manager Su, I serve King Hua Ye wholeheartedly; that is the very purpose of the One Heart Society. Everything I do is to better serve His Majesty and make the Angel civilization more prosperous!"
He paused, his tone shifting to one of slight grievance. "As for the young officers in the legions, they are hot-blooded and eager to show their loyalty to the King. I have no reason to refuse them..."
"You!" Su Mari was choked by the rhetoric. His fingers turned white from gripping the hilt. Finally, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, though the murder in his eyes didn't fade.
"Fine. Very well." Su Mari slowly sheathed his sword. "I'm warning you one last time: keep your nose out of places it doesn't belong and stick to your business. If I see you looking for Hexi again..." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I'll cut you down!"
With that, he turned and stormed out, the heavy door slamming behind him.
Silence returned to the office, save for the jarring sword hole in the wall. The calm on Chu Mo's face faded into a look of annoyance.
"Time and time again... how truly irritating." He spoke to himself in a low voice—not with anger, but with the impatience of someone being constantly pestered by a fly.
He sat back at his desk and pulled a list from a drawer. It was the first batch of female angels qualified for the First-Gen gene hosting. Aside from Hong Yu, there were dozens of names—core members who had followed him since the early days of the Cloud-Top Celestial Palace and the Shadow Guard.
Chu Mo's gaze swept over the names. He picked up a pen and circled about a dozen of them. He handed the list to Yun Ye. "Arrange for these people to depart in batches. Once they arrive, they are to follow Manager Hong Yu's instructions."
Yun Ye nodded and took the list away.
Once alone, Chu Mo's gaze fell back on the remaining names. His brow furrowed.
Resources... still not enough, he sighed softly.
Large-scale gene hosting consumed a massive amount of materials. For five years, he had done his best to collect and purchase from within the Angel Nebula and surrounding systems. But it was far from sufficient. He had nearly depleted the resources of nearby star systems. Any larger movements would inevitably attract the attention of Su Mari or even Hua Ye.
He needed a larger, more secretive source of resources.
Chu Mo tapped his desk. A soft light screen rose, expanding into a 3D star map of the Angel Nebula and its surrounding territories. His eyes scanned past the known rich mines, energy zones, and resource points controlled by Hua Ye's forces.
Finally, his gaze stopped at the edge of the map, on a beautiful planet surrounded by a pale purple ring.
Merlo.
The domain of Lord Hoffman—the home of Kaisha and Liangbing.
It had been five years. Since Kaisha's escape, there had been no news of her.
That woman with the steadfast eyes, the one who trusted me in her moment of desperation... how is she doing now?