"Squelch... squelch... crunch..."
The sounds of gnawing echoed in the dense, pitch-black night sky.
Bathed in a faint light of unknown origin, a grotesque figure knelt on the ground, its hands constantly shoveling food into its mouth.
Before it lay a dark, humanoid object, motionless.
Suddenly, a larger, blacker rectangular plane unfolded in the night.
Instantly, a vast number of mecha searchlights blazed from this dark plane, piercing the grotesque figure.
The figure leaped backward violently and darted left and right, skillfully evading the beams of light.
But as more and more light beams converged, its form was finally revealed.
It was a bizarre, half-human, half-mechanical creature with short, stout mechanical limbs, a bulbous belly, a bloody, hairless head, and eyes filled with madness.
"Gaaahhhh!!!!" the grotesque creature erupted in a chilling roar.
As its cry echoed, two colossal hands appeared in the sky, swiftly closing in from both sides.
Four mechs were instantly crushed into a ball of scrap metal as the giant hands tightened their grip.
The remaining mechs maneuvered around the giant hands and charged from above and below.
Broad, sharp beam swords instantly pierced the creature's body.
As the grotesque creature collapsed, the giant hands in the sky vanished.
Observing the dead monster, one Dunsaxin mecha stated, "The seventh scout to die this month..."
"It's because of the appearance of these creatures that millions of people in the Nubirili nation perished within days. What exactly are these beings?" another Dunsaxin mecha asked with concern.
"Scan the surroundings for any more suspicious entities! Transport the bodies of the fallen scouts back!"
"This matter must be reported to the Queen of Mercy as soon as possible."
As the Dunsaxin mechs explored the area, a dark shadow silently slipped into the black plane.
Meanwhile, the Queen of Mercy was resting with her eyes closed in her chambers.
She estimated that her three dispatched Dunsaxin diplomats had likely met with the high-ranking officials of Xianxia.
If this endeavor succeeded, she could lead the Dunsaxin people back to the surface and change their tragic fate of tens of thousands of years.
Suddenly, a shrill female scream echoed from outside the door. In moments, numerous guards burst in, surrounding her.
The burly captain of the guard, gripping his spear tightly, warily eyed the dark doorway and said, "My Queen, an assassin has infiltrated the city. Five civilians have already been killed."
Just then, steady, measured footsteps approached from the dark corridor.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
Everyone's hearts pounded with the approaching footsteps, the atmosphere tense and silent.
Two guards, concealed behind the chambers' main door, had already aimed their spears, ready to strike any incoming enemy.
With a "crack!", a bloody half-body of the grotesque creature was tossed through the door, its thick, foul-smelling blood staining the soft, clean red carpet.
A tall man, with his hands raised, slowly emerged from the darkness.
Upon seeing the man's appearance, the Queen of Mercy immediately stood up, her expression one of stunned disbelief, "You... you didn't leave?"
...
Xianxia had indeed made a move against Mu Ye Xing Chen.
Just five days after Gu Ya and Ye Ying arrived in Xianxia City, Gu Ya was urgently summoned by the high-ranking officials.
A senior commander from the Xianxia Zhi Ding war zone looked at Gu Ya with a stern expression and said coldly, "You can repeat what you just said. I will report it truthfully to the Grand Marshal."
Another commander, younger in appearance, looked at Gu Ya with a complicated expression and said, "The execution of Mu Ye Xing Chen is the expectation of all Xianxia people!! Gu Ya, your actions are a grave defiance! You are unworthy of being a Xianxia person!!"
Dou Mei, seated below, also wore a stern expression and said softly to Gu Ya, "Mu Ye Xing Chen has harmed so many people in Xianxia; he is a sinner of Xianxia. Regardless of his abilities or any important contributions he has made to Xianxia, he must be executed."
"Protecting him means making an enemy of Xianxia! Think carefully!"
Gu Ya's demeanor was calm and collected as he looked at the four individuals, stating, "I have considered it very carefully. I will say it again: Mu Ye Xing Chen is a double-edged sword. No one else can wield him but me, and I will ensure he does not commit any malicious acts against Xianxia."
The elder senior official leading the discussion stated coldly, "I absolutely disagree! You are a hero of Xianxia; almost all Xianxia people regard you as their savior. The higher-ups also intend to support you into the management level. You absolutely cannot afford to have any stain on your record. We are protecting you!"
Gu Ya stared coldly at the speaker and retorted coldly, "Is that so? But I don't even care for the title of War God, why would I care for a high-ranking title?"
Dou Mei could no longer suppress her anger; she slammed the table and berated, "Gu Ya! What exactly do you want to do!"
"Sister Dou Mei," Gu Ya looked at her and said calmly, "I told you long ago that my heart not only belongs to Xianxia. What I am doing is entirely for the consideration of Xianxia, and indeed all of humanity. I need Mu Ye Xing Chen to assist me."
"What about the tens of millions of Xianxia people who died!!" Dou Mei retorted sharply, "Have you considered them at all?!"
Gu Ya steadily stood up, looking down at Dou Mei with cold, steady eyes, "I only consider the future for those who are alive."
"It may not be worth it for the dead, but for the living, it is very much worth it."
"The trolley problem, I will always choose to sacrifice one to save five. If neither side can be saved..." Gu Ya adjusted his collar and calmly said, "I will deal with the trolley itself."
Dou Mei took three seconds to react, then understood Gu Ya's meaning, her face filled with astonishment, "You... you want to oppose the higher-ups of Xianxia!?"
Gu Ya had already reached the doorway, his gaze sharp and predatory, and stated coldly, "If Xianxia is incapable of leading humanity, then I will lead."
With that, Gu Ya forcefully closed the alloy blast door of the conference room and steadily departed the scene of contention.
Dou Mei immediately slumped back into her chair. A year ago, Gu Ya had said something similar.
At the time, she had thought Gu Ya was joking. But she never expected that this young man, who had just turned twenty, had not forgotten his original intention and was instead moving more resolutely towards his goals.
The elder senior official leading the discussion slammed the table in anger and said fiercely, "This Gu Ya is truly ungrateful!! It seems the Grand Marshal's concerns were not unfounded. Gu Ya is someone we cannot keep any longer."
After a brief pause, the elder senior official looked back at the dozen or so high-ranking officials present and stated calmly, "The Grand Marshal has been secretly monitoring this meeting from behind the scenes."
"According to the Grand Marshal's instructions, we will now commence the second emergency meeting, with the classification level: Top Secret."
With that said, everyone quickly closed the holographic images in front of them,
removed all electronic devices from their persons, and placed them in the center of the conference table.
The center of the conference table suddenly recessed, and cold gas sprayed from the edges, destroying all electronic devices.
After completing these actions, the senior official at the head of the table stated calmly, "The meeting has two main topics: First, the secret execution of Mu Ye Xing Chen. Second, the execution of Gu Ya."
"Everyone present is an outstanding representative from various sectors: politics, military, law, intelligence, civil affairs, economy, etc. The Grand Marshal has instructed that we decide the fate of these two individuals."
"Those in favor of executing Mu Ye Xing Chen, please raise your hands!"
As soon as the words were spoken, all seventeen high-ranking officials present raised their right hands.
"Those in favor of executing Gu Ya, please raise your hands!"
The attendees hesitated for a moment, then ten high-ranking officials quickly raised their hands, followed by the rest.
In the end, only Dou Mei's gaze was complex, her hands remaining still.
The senior official at the head of the table declared decisively, "Good! The meeting has decided and passed the resolutions for the execution of Mu Ye Xing Chen and Gu Ya."
"From this moment forward, the secret resolution execution process will commence."
"Except for Dou Mei, everyone shall remain silent, with their hands on the table, and shall not leave this conference room until the process is complete."
As the words fell, everyone complied.
Two guards approached Dou Mei from behind, lifted her, and escorted her out of the conference room by her arms.
At this moment, Gu Ya had already exited the secret meeting building and was preparing to summon his mecha to return to his temporary residence.
"A bad premonition... I must inform Ye Ying." Gu Ya took out his wristband, preparing to send a communication to Ye Ying.
Seeing that the signal from his wristband was lost, Gu Ya paused slightly, then understood the implication.
He clenched his fists tightly, cast a cold side-glance behind him, and calmly stated, "Are you sure you want to initiate a battle within Xianxia City?"