Published: February 10, 2025
Looking at the flowers on the ground, the person behind lowered their head even more, clearly intimidated by the woman in front of them.
The woman turned around, revealing a radiant face. She was beautiful, so beautiful that it almost carried a sense of superiority over others. However, what left the deepest impression was her skin, which was exceptionally fair and flawless.
She was the Water Steward.
One of the five giants of the Five Rings Society.
If she were to walk out like this, even the other four giants would not recognize her, because in public, she did not present herself in this manner, or rather, she did not show this face.
As for why, only a very few were aware.
The Water Steward waved her hand toward the ground, and a flower lifted off from the earth, landing back on the broken branch. With a gentle flick of her finger, a small cluster of water droplets enveloped the broken area, and in an instant, the flower regrew on top.
This miraculous scene went unnoticed as the person kept their head down, but the Water Steward did not mind at all; her focus was on other matters.
“Will this delay their attendance at the Brightwater Feast?” The woman’s voice was melodious and carried a hint of laziness.
“That... I’m not sure,” the person replied, lowering their head even further.
“I’ve heard that there are many enemies of Cloud Summit Villa. Do those people know the situation at Cloud Summit?”
The Water Steward continued to inquire, but this time her gaze swept past her subordinate. It was clear that the subordinate, who was half a head taller than her, trembled slightly.
He understood he had to respond, so he quickly contemplated before cautiously answering, “They probably don’t know.”
“The current Cloud Summit is like a rising sun. Their several high bounties have driven anyone who gets the news crazy. Obviously, after defeating those mutant legions, they gained immense benefits, and now their sphere of influence is rapidly expanding. Our people can infiltrate thanks to this, but their core areas remain Cloud Summit Villa and Ying City. After being cleansed by the mutant legions, only forces closely aligned with Cloud Summit can establish a foothold there; without permission, our people cannot enter.”
After providing his answer, the person further explained.
“Similarly, those enemies of Cloud Summit cannot enter either. They have always been targets of defense. Although our people discovered that Cloud Summit Villa was both lax and tight outside, and even some warriors from allied forces disappeared, that was a conclusion we arrived at by carefully observing after entering the villa and uncovering issues. Other forces likely remain unaware.”
The Water Steward nodded, clearly agreeing with her subordinate's analysis, which relieved the man. Yet, he still expressed his thoughts.
“In fact, no one dares to challenge Cloud Summit directly now. They are at the peak of their power, especially with those strange warriors who suddenly appeared on the battlefield—there are many of them, and they are quite powerful. Until we figure out where they came from, even the Resistance Zone remains silent regarding Cloud Summit’s series of actions, and other forces probably won’t dare to do anything either.”
The Water Steward touched an illustration nearby, causing the bouquet of flowers to bloom even more vibrantly, releasing a faint fragrance that began to waft around.
“Do you think Ye Zhongming would be a good partner?”
Upon hearing the Water Steward's question, sweat beads emerged on the man's forehead, causing her some displeasure as she revealed a hint of disgust and took a step back.
“Well… actually, when he comes to the Brightwater Feast, we can observe him more. I believe that with your insight, Miss, you will be able to see through it.”
“You certainly know how to speak.” The Water Steward smiled noncommittally before continuing, “Are there any noteworthy updates lately?”
“Yes.” The man quickly nodded, “The Resistance Zone’s C District did not rebuild the war department but instead established three new departments with numbers ranging from three thousand to five thousand. Our intel indicates that these three departments are quite powerful, stabilizing Ji Rui Guang’s previously shaky position.”