Central Star Region, Imperial Capital.On the top floor of the majestic Military Department building, a faint scent of tea permeated the office.Yang Zheng, dressed in a black, form-fitting suit, bowed slightly, the sharpness in his brows somewhat restrained, and reported respectfully, “Marshal Lin, the Military [N O V E L I G H T] Department’s resolution has been finalized—Lu Yuan, due to inadequate defense at the Rift Soul Ice Valley, which led to heavy losses for the Thirteenth Army, has been transferred from Pluto and reassigned as the Logistics Department Head of the 37th Army on Saida Star, with his military rank reduced to Major General.”The man before him was none other than the legendary Marshal of the Empire’s military, Lin Xuanqing, also known as Marshal Lin.Marshal Lin possessed a gentle Eastern face, his dark hair neatly tied behind his head, with a few strands of silver interspersed, adding to his composed demeanor. His fingertips traced the rim of his teacup, his deep eyes unperturbed as he spoke calmly, “Lu Yuan previously investigated the Luo family’s corruption case, which cost them a seat in the Political Council. This time, it’s the Luo family’s retaliation.”Yang Zheng’s brow furrowed instantly—the Luo family, as one of the Nine Sacred Blood Families, had deep roots and extensive, intertwined influence. For them to target a Major General like Lu Yuan, even with Marshal Lin’s protection, it would be difficult for Lu Yuan to escape unscathed.The “mistake” at the Rift Soul Ice Valley this time was clearly a trap set by the Luo family; otherwise, with Lu Yuan’s capabilities, he would never have made such a low-level error in a critical defensive duty.“Marshal Lin, with Lu Yuan gone, our strategic deployment on Pluto will lose its most important pillar. We must find someone to fill his position as soon as possible.” Yang Zheng’s tone was solemn, but he paused, “However, the Luo family is clearly challenging us. No matter who we send, they will face their targeting and retaliation. I’ve thought it over, but I haven’t found a suitable candidate yet.”Pluto is one of the eight planets guarding the Imperial Star, holding crucial strategic importance, and various forces all sought to place their people there.The person replacing Lu Yuan would not only need strong military capabilities but also political acumen, social skills, and the ability to navigate the complex network of relationships on Pluto.He ran through several suitable candidates in his mind; either they were in critical positions and couldn't be moved, or they had obvious deficiencies in certain areas and simply couldn't bear the responsibility.Marshal Lin gently set down his teacup, his tone still calm, “Lu Yuan’s position as garrison commander certainly cannot be saved. The Luo family will undoubtedly have their person take over. First, withdraw all our people stationed in the Rift Soul Ice Valley to avoid them being purged. However—”He changed his tone, a hint of coldness in his voice, “It’s rude not to reciprocate. Since the Luo family targeted my people, I naturally have to return a ‘grand gift.’”Yang Zheng’s eyes shifted slightly, instantly understanding Marshal Lin’s meaning.Marshal Lin held two “sharp blades” in his hands: one was the Tribunal, specifically tasked with governing Spiritual Energy User crimes, which even the direct descendants of Sacred Blood Families regarded with apprehension, like a “Sword of Damocles” hanging over their heads; the other was the Seventh Bureau, directly under the Military Department, specifically monitoring corruption and dereliction of duty within the army, serving as a sharp dagger plunged into the military.The rise and fall of bloodline families had always been tied to their influence in the military.Compared to the Tribunal, the existence of the Seventh Bureau made these families even more wary.Since the Luo family dared to target Lu Yuan, Marshal Lin would undoubtedly use these two “sharp blades” to turn the tables elsewhere.Just then, the metal sculpture in the corner of the office suddenly vibrated.It was a homing pigeon cast from profound iron, usually inconspicuous like a decorative item, but at this moment, it glowed with a faint blue light, and Marshal Lin and Yang Zheng’s gazes instantly focused on it.Marshal Lin took off the metal necklace he wore—the pendant was a small star emblem, which fit perfectly into the notch on the pigeon’s back. He inserted the pendant into the notch, gently tapped the pigeon’s head with his fingertip, and closed his eyes, seemingly receiving encrypted information.A moment later, he opened his eyes, a hard-to-read glint within them, and murmured softly, “Have they finally lost their patience? Or are they making a move on that brother and sister?”The gears of fate began to turn.Now, it remained to be seen who would have the last laugh in this turbulent game of chess.He looked up at Yang Zheng, his tone slightly more relaxed, “Yang Zheng, I already have a candidate to replace Lu Yuan.”“Who is it?” Yang Zheng immediately pressed, two names flashing through his mind, “Is it Guan Shanyue, or Luo Nan?”These two were the only candidates he could think of who were both capable and could be mobilized by Marshal Lin.“Neither.”Marshal Lin shook his head, a rare faint smile gracing his lips, “It’s a very interesting young fellow.”Interesting?Yang Zheng was stunned—he had followed Marshal Lin for many years and had never heard Marshal Lin use “interesting” to describe anyone.For him to utter that word, what exactly was the background of that “young fellow”?Curiosity coiled around his heart like a vine, and Yang Zheng couldn’t help but ask, “Marshal Lin, who exactly is this person?”Marshal Lin, however, deliberately kept him in suspense, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a faint smile, “No need to rush. You’ll meet him before long.”On Silver Gray Star, Yan Qing held a gilded-edged document in his hand, standing by the window, a touch of emotion in his voice, “Qin Tian, your transfer order has arrived.”Qin Tian stepped forward and took the document—the paper was fine and smooth, its edges stamped with the Military Department’s exclusive star emblem, clearly indicating a high-level transfer order.His fingertips glided over the paper, his gaze quickly scanning the content, but his pupils suddenly paused when they reached “Assigned Location.”Pluto.It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered stepping onto the stage of the Central Star Region; after all, Silver Gray Star was merely a border planet of the Empire, and its scope was ultimately limited.But he hadn’t expected this day to come so quickly—Pluto, one of the eight planets orbiting the Imperial Star, was said to be able to reach the Imperial Star directly in half an hour via the large stargate at its core, truly counting as being “under the Son of Heaven’s feet.”Transferring from Silver Gray Star to Pluto was like being transferred from a small county in the northeast to a position in the capital; for anyone, it was a rare and invaluable opportunity.A glimmer of light flickered in Qin Tian’s eyes. Silver Gray Star was indeed too small; here, his strength growth had gradually met a bottleneck. However, Pluto and the areas around the Imperial Star gathered the top talents of the Nine Star Regions, the heirs of the Nine Sacred Blood Families, core members of various guilds, and elites cultivated by conglomerates—there were the best cultivation resources, the rarest heavenly treasures, and the most outstanding talents.But behind opportunity, there must be hidden risks.The forces around the Imperial Star were complex and intertwined; the Military Department, Political Council, Sacred Blood Families, conglomerates, and alien forces engaged in ceaseless power struggles. To gain a firm foothold in such a whirlpool would be far more difficult than developing on Silver Gray Star.“Officer Yan, when do I depart?” Qin Tian scanned the transfer order again but found that the end of the document only stated the assigned position, without specifying the reporting time, which made him feel puzzled.Yan Qing turned around and walked towards him, his expression a bit more serious than before, and slowly said, “Qin Tian, before you take up your post, Marshal Lin has entrusted you with a secret mission.”“Marshal Lin?”Qin Tian’s eyes flickered—for such an important figure to personally arrange a mission, it was clearly not a simple matter.He asked in a low voice, “What mission?”Yan Qing took out another sealed document bag from the briefcase behind him, its opening affixed with a red “Top Secret” label. He handed the document bag to Qin Tian, his tone solemn, “You need to protect this person and ensure her safe entry into the Imperial Star.”Qin Tian tore open the document bag, and a photograph slid out—the girl in the photo wore a light blue dress, her features delicate, her smile as pure and untainted as snow, exuding an air of innocence and charm.Below the photo, a line of elegant handwriting, penned with a fountain pen, identified his target for this mission.Dongfang Mingyue.

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