Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 935

"Only in this way can I deal with the crisis that follows. And..."

After saying the word "harmony," Zhao Ji stopped talking.

Deep within her soul, a question mark appeared on Larilu's little head. She clearly didn't understand what the half-finished sentence Zhao Ji had said meant.

But Zhao Ji clearly didn't want to explain.

She said calmly, "Go kill 10 more."

After saying that, without any visible movement, the grass and trees beneath her feet seemed to come alive, spiraling upwards and lifting her up. Then, she simply vanished into the entire forest...

In the tranquil forest, only her thoughts remained...

And... protect Qiu Tu...

.....

And just like that, two days passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past two days, Qiu Tu has been in seclusion in his room, never stepping out of the door.

At first, Qiu Tu's confidants were a little worried, wondering what had happened that made Qiu Tu immediately go into seclusion after just being promoted to the second level of God King.

Such an anomaly inevitably raises questions. For example... could there be a problem with the cultivation?

Especially those celestial beings who had just pledged allegiance to Qiu Tu.

They had just been tied to Qiu Tu and hadn't even gotten to know each other properly when this happened, so it was understandable that they were uneasy.

At the crucial moment, Guan Xiao stepped forward.

In her capacity as Qiu Tu's adjutant, she gathered everyone together and then fabricated a reason:

Qiu Tu has just advanced to the second level of God King and is feeling something in his heart, so he is creating a Heavenly God Technique. That's why he went into seclusion in an emergency.

Guan Xiao didn't know the contents of the recording stone, nor what had happened to Qiu Tu. But she knew that letting the rumors spread would only damage Qiu Tu's reputation.

So, by fabricating a positive reason and turning a bad thing into a good thing, we can at least stabilize morale.

What if Qiu Tu doesn't learn the "Heavenly Divine Skill" after he comes out of seclusion?

Qiu Tu has already emerged from seclusion... Does it still matter whether he has "divine skills" or not?

Moreover, not all gods possess "Godly Techniques," and even if a god studies Godly Techniques, he may not be able to master them in a single seclusion.

Therefore, once Qiu Tu emerges from seclusion, whether he possesses a "Celestial Divine Skill" or not is completely irrelevant, and what Qiu Tu was doing during his seclusion is also utterly unimportant...

To be honest, Guan Xiao now regrets handing over the things Zhao Ji had given her to Qiu Tu as soon as possible.

Although she believed that Zhao Ji would not harm Qiu Tu, Qiu Tu's current seclusion must be for something good.

But she felt that it should be delayed until the evening, so that Qiu Tu could first go to the "Execution Department" to show up and report the good news to his superiors and colleagues before handing over the photo stone to Qiu Tu. This way, such rumors would not be caused.

The current situation is actually a result of her dereliction of duty.

Moreover, she knew that this excuse she had come up with on the spot would at best reassure her trusted confidants. Outsiders certainly wouldn't believe it...

'Sigh... I just hope the commander can come out of seclusion soon.'

'If my timing in taking the photo of the superior officer was wrong and it affected his important affairs, then I would truly be guilty beyond redemption.'

.....

Just as Guan Xiao thought...

The news that Qiu Tu had just emerged from seclusion a few hours earlier and then urgently went into seclusion again was known to the senior management of the "West Branch" the next day.

However, they didn't pay attention to it at the time.

It wasn't until the third day, when Qiu Tu still hadn't emerged from seclusion, that they realized something was wrong and began to pay attention to the matter.

Immediately afterwards, Guan Xiao summoned his confidants and explained the reason for Qiu Tu's seclusion: to create a divine technique.

The news quickly reached the ears of middle and upper management. However... no one believed it.

For the God-King, creating "Celestial Techniques" is not too difficult, but it's not something he can create immediately if he wants to.

More importantly... "Celestial Techniques" are not "Innate Divine Techniques." Although they are very useful to the God King, they are not so useful that he would disregard the consequences and go into seclusion.

Therefore, for the higher-ups, Guan Xiao's reasoning was rather clumsy and not credible at all.

And it was precisely because of Guan Xiao's reason that they became even more suspicious that Qiu Tu might have really encountered a problem with his cultivation...

Two more days passed quickly. The day for the "Execution Department" God-King Meeting was fast approaching.

The Vast Ocean God King arrived at the Heavy Stone God King's place early.

In the empty hall, the God King of the Vast Ocean stood there and asked softly, "My lord, should we go and inform Qiu Tu?"

Upon hearing the words of the Vast Ocean God King, the Heavy Stone God King, who was sitting there, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "If... he were to go into seclusion like this and miss the meeting, it would actually be the best outcome."

"In this way, all the problems will be solved."

After saying that, the Heavy Stone God King shook his head slightly and then said, "We still need to notify them."

"However, let's inform his adjutant."

"Let them decide the rest themselves."

Upon hearing the words of the Heavy Stone God King, the Vast Ocean God King quickly responded and then stepped out, arranging for someone to relay a message to Guan Xiao.

Guan Xiao, upon receiving the message, remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she was somewhat anxious.

With her keen political sense, she knew how important this "Execution Department" meeting was to Qiu Tu.

This was Qiu Tu's first time attending the God King Conference, and it was at such a sensitive time that many people were paying attention to the meeting, wanting to see the direction of the "Execution Department".

If Qiu Tu is absent, his excellent upward momentum could come to an abrupt halt, and he will have to rebuild his strength...

Therefore, for the past two days, Guan Xiao has been sending people to keep an eye on Qiu Tu's room door, hoping that Qiu Tu can make it in time.

Soon, the day of the "Execution Department" God King meeting arrived.

The meeting was scheduled for 2 PM, but Qiu Tu still hadn't come out by 1 PM...

Guan Xiao was almost heartbroken. She started thinking of ways to help Qiu Tu salvage the situation.

Just then, a trusted aide rushed in from outside and said to Guan Xiao in a suppressed voice, "Minister Guan, Minister Guan, Speaker Qiu has come out of seclusion!"

Upon hearing his confidant's words, even Guan Xiao, who was usually quite composed, couldn't help but stand up abruptly, his face filled with surprise and delight. "He's out of seclusion!"

"Quick, I'll go check it out now!"

Guan Xiao's courtyard was separated from Qiu Tu's by only one wall, so Guan Xiao saw Qiu Tu in a short while.

Qiu Tu's face was radiant with confidence, and... he seemed to know everything that had happened in the past few days.

So, upon seeing Guan Xiao, he didn't even exchange pleasantries. He simply patted Guan Xiao's shoulder lightly and said, "Don't worry, I'm out."

------

Chapter 781 Qiu Tu Arrives! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Qiu Tu's simple sentence contained a great deal of information. So in an instant, Guan Xiao felt at ease.

Moreover, Qiu Tu might actually possess a unique charm now. Even though he hadn't done anything, Guan Xiao felt all the anxiety, worry, and grievances she had felt over the past few days vanish.

More importantly, after Qiu Tu came out, she felt like she had a pillar of support in her heart, and she was no longer worried even if she encountered a big problem.

So, in response to Qiu Tu's reassurance, she gave a charming and radiant smile and nodded vigorously.

However, Guan Xiao's ability to become Qiu Tu's most trusted subordinate was certainly not solely due to Qiu Tu's incompetence.

Knowing the importance of intelligence, she did not remain silent just because Qiu Tu said she knew everything.

She would rather say a few more words and be scolded by Qiu Tu than let Qiu Tu make the wrong judgment due to a lack of information.

So as she led Qiu Tu into the house and helped him change into formal attire, she also began to tell him about the events of the past few days.

She began, "Sir, please don't find me annoying. You probably already know something about what's happened these past few days."

"But... as your adjutant, I still need to report to you the intelligence I have obtained."

Seeing Qiu Tu nod slightly in agreement, Guan Xiao helped Qiu Tu change his clothes while reporting to him.

"You were in seclusion for a total of five days. A lot happened during those five days."

"Because you went into seclusion immediately after exiting quarantine, rumors are rampant throughout the 'Execution Department.'"

"Many people say that you have encountered a problem with your breakthrough, so you have gone into seclusion to recuperate."

"Some people say you are avoiding a direct confrontation with the Heavy Stone God King."

"Of course... some people say you might have had some fortuitous encounter, found some inspiration, and created the 'Divine Skill' there."

At this point, Guan Xiao paused for a moment and said, "Because I was worried that this seclusion would have a negative impact on you, I chose the last rumor as the official statement."

After explaining the current public opinion situation, Guan Xiao continued, "What follows is an internal matter for the 'Execution Department'."

"Just two days ago, the God-King of the Vast Ocean sent someone to inform me that a God-King meeting of the 'Execution Department' would be held."

"All God-Kings belonging to the 'Execution Department,' whether they are the Heavy Stone God-King in charge of the department, your deputies like yourself or the Vast Ocean God-King, or simply ordinary mid-level management God-Kings, will attend the meeting."

“You can ask for leave in special circumstances.”

She glanced at Qiu Tu as she spoke and said, "When they notified me, the attendant of the God King of the Vast Ocean gave a special hint that I could ask for leave on your behalf in this situation."

"And in the past two days, I have also investigated the situation of the God-King Conference and confirmed that this conference was indeed planned in advance and was not deliberately aimed at you."

At this point, Guan Xiao paused in his actions, then lowered his head and said, "So I think the Heavy Stone God King and the others seem to be extending goodwill to us."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.

At this moment, Guan Xiao bent down to help Qiu Tu straighten his pants and said, "However... I think their kindness is a bit cheap, or a bit off."

She said, "If they really wanted to ease tensions, they could have handled the public opinion surrounding this matter for you."

"The goodwill released in this way is much greater, more useful, and... much more sincere."

Guan Xiao had clearly been thinking about this matter for the past two days, so her words were well-reasoned. She said, "In comparison, their private displays of goodwill are much more intriguing."

"This kind of goodwill, expressed privately, is unknown to others, so it does not require any price to pay."

“When it really comes down to interests, we can just tear up the agreement.”

Hearing Guan Xiao's analysis, Qiu Tu nodded in deep agreement.

Guan Xiao's analysis was similar to his own.

If you're truly sincere, you can easily show goodwill publicly. What's wrong with making private contact and extending goodwill?

This is like being in a relationship but not going public, not even posting on social media – typical behavior of a "scumbag woman" – it shouldn't be taken seriously at all.

So Qiu Tu nodded nonchalantly and said, "I understand."

After saying that, Qiu Tu also asked, "Has the God-King Conference already begun?"

Guan Xiao glanced at the time and then said, "It should have started more than ten minutes ago."

At this point, she squatted down in front of Qiu Tu, looked up at him, and wondered if he wanted to speed things up.

But Qiu Tu simply nodded slightly, not paying any attention.

Seeing this, Guan Xiao continued to help Qiu Tu straighten his clothes.

At this moment, Qiu Tu slowly asked, "By the way, what's the situation on the 'Chaotic Western Capital' side?"

Guan Xiao knew that Qiu Tu wanted to ask about Zhao Ji's situation. So after a moment's consideration, she said, "These past few days, Her Highness Zhao Ji and the others have been quite busy. They haven't contacted me yet."

"The intelligence agents did send back some information, saying that everything is going smoothly and that the two princes are safe."

"It's just because they're too weak; they can only observe from afar and can't gather any more intelligence."

"Therefore, we are not clear about the progress of Princess Zhao's group."

"But..." Guan Xiao paused, then looked up at Qiu Tu and said, "These past two days, 'Chaotic Western Capital' has become increasingly chaotic."

The conflict between the local forces of "Chaotic Western Capital" and the investigation team of "Destroyed Royal Court" is intensifying. Gods are falling every day.

"Therefore, Princess Zhao is progressing very quickly, but... she is also becoming increasingly dangerous."

Upon hearing Guan Xiao's reminder, Qiu Tu frowned slightly.

He understood that Guan Xiao was telling him that the situation in the "chaotic Western Capital" was getting worse and worse, and that if Zhao Ji continued like this, there was a high chance that something would happen to her.

However, compared to her close confidants, Zhao Ji's relationship with Qiu Tu was clearly much more complicated.