Marty knew very well that he was taking his anger out on others.
He knew this anger was completely unreasonable.
As the saying goes, the ignorant are not guilty.
Right now the Marshal's life or death was unknown. Once this news was announced to the public… the consequences would be unimaginable.
But Marty still couldn't control the overwhelming rage in his heart, and when he saw everyone celebrating Huai'en Festival without knowing anything, that rage turned into hatred.
What did these parasites even know?
The Marshal had given them superior material conditions.
From the moment Xianzhou people were born, they never had to worry about food, clothing, housing, or transportation.
They didn't have to worry about money, nor did they have to struggle for property or star skiffs. Every ten years, the Xianzhou would distribute a huge subsidy.
Even without a job, they could still live well and take an interstellar trip whenever they felt like it.
Xianzhou people only needed to bring their jade abacus or identification documents to move freely through the sea of stars.
The reason they could live so freely and carefree was all because of the Marshal.
And yet now, the leader they should have been most grateful to had been completely forgotten.
The hatred in Marty's heart quickly turned into a feeling of powerlessness.
Strictly speaking, he wasn't really a Xianzhou native. It was only after he met the Marshal and received his approval that his home planet joined the Xianzhou Alliance along with him.
He understood the Marshal and knew how much he favored the Xianzhou people.
Because of that, Marty couldn't even vent his hatred toward these people.
The Marshal would be angry.
But he was only thinking about it in his heart. The Marshal probably wouldn't mind, right?
After all, there was an old Xianzhou saying, judge actions, not thoughts. If you judge thoughts, no one is perfect.
He was only thinking about it. He hadn't actually done anything.
Marty knew the Marshal was always thorough in his thinking.
How could the Marshal not have thought about being forgotten?
The answer was simple. So simple that Marty didn't even need to think to reach the conclusion.
This was exactly what the Marshal wanted to see. It was even something he had personally set in motion.
Only at this moment did Marty understand that many things had already been decided long ago.
The Marshal had prepared for this a very long time ago.
For example, under the excuse of reducing students' academic burden, he had deliberately removed all content related to himself from textbooks.
And for large events across the Xianzhou, after the generals sent invitations, the Marshal would only send representatives in his place.
The Marshal was doing everything he could to reduce the number of times he appeared in public.
The generals knew nothing about this.
Over these thousands of years, not a single one of the Marshal's decisions had ever gone wrong.
Because of that, no one suspected his intentions.
They only thought the Marshal loved his people like his own children. They only thought those events weren't important enough for him to lower himself to attend in person.
In their eyes, the Marshal was like an "immortal" god, like an unshakable banner guiding their direction forward.
That was the Marshal. How could he leave? How could he possibly leave?
He had clearly devoted all his effort to the Xianzhou. How could he bear to leave?
And yet the truth was right in front of Marty.
What if they had disobeyed the Marshal's orders? What if they had forced everyone to remember the Marshal's achievements? Would the outcome have been different?
Marty quickly reached an answer.
No.
The Marshal always created miracles.
He could unite all forces against disasters. Under his rule, the Xianzhou was a utopia envied by outsiders.
For the Marshal, there were no things that couldn't be done, only things he didn't want to do.
Countless fireworks exploded in the sky. Marty withdrew his gaze, held the longevity tablet in his arms, and walked unevenly toward the Starskiff Haven.
Normally he only went back and forth between the research institute and the Marshal's residence. He rarely came into contact with so many Xianzhou people.
Marty passed by people, feeling their joys and sorrows, listening to their ordinary conversations.
In the past, they would always praise the Marshal. Now, as records and achievements were gradually erased, they had turned to praising the "Reignbow Arbiter."
Marty murmured, "What should I do?"
He had solved countless difficult problems for colleagues and juniors, yet when he himself was full of confusion, there was no one who could give him an answer.
Only now did Marty finally understand why the Marshal had decided to leave them.
When Marty felt lost, he couldn't even find someone to talk to. So what about the Marshal?
It was true that the Marshal was farsighted and never made mistakes. But across those long years, there must have been moments when he felt lost too, right?
Marty had never thought about this before.
Just like the story Zandar had told, the Marshal treated the Xianzhou people like someone cutting his own flesh to feed an eagle.
And the believers of a god found it hard to imagine the Marshal ever feeling confused or lost.
He was like a god sitting high upon a divine throne.
Gods were always strong and unwavering, unmoved by outside things, without their own joys or sorrows.
Marty suddenly realized he was no different from those foolish Xianzhou people.
They didn't know what had happened, and he? He was just a self-righteous fool.
Right now the Marshal's whereabouts were unknown.
'And that man called "Lan" must be the Reignbow Arbiter.'
'An Aeon had arrived at the Luofu and was staying by Hua's side.'
'What did that mean? Could it be that the Marshal really…'
Marty didn't even dare say that word in his mind.
Or was the Reignbow Arbiter only there to deliver blessings to Hua in the Marshal's place?
The rational side of Marty forced him to face reality, but his emotional side kept shouting, refusing to give even an inch.
What if? What if Marty had been misled?
After all, the Marshal had personally said he would meet Akivili again.
Marty forced himself to forget Guanliang and the former Alchemy Master, throwing away his previous conclusions without hesitation.
Again and again, he kept repeating one sentence in his mind.
'The Marshal said he would meet Akivili again.'
Marty reached a new conclusion.
The Marshal hadn't left. He just needed time to recover.
During this time, Marty would continue carrying out the Marshal's orders.
But even the Marshal could grow tired, let alone a stupid fool like him. How was he supposed to endure the wait?
Marty thought of the already mature technology for preserving consciousness.
This technology wasn't known to the outside world. Only the research institute and some members of the Ten Lords Commission knew about it.
Every minute and every second separated from the Marshal was unbearable. He didn't know how he could keep living like this.
Marty knew that if he died, the Marshal would definitely be very sad when he came back.
Only by uploading and preserving his consciousness… only then could he wait for the Marshal.
As for the other colleagues at the institute…
Marty fell silent.
He knew those colleagues too well.
If not for that damned civilization that had discovered the true nature of the world, his colleagues could have continued serving the Marshal's successor.
But they had discovered the nature of the world and regarded the missing Marshal as the only reality…
Marty took a deep breath, boarded a ship, set the destination as Cangcheng, and pressed the launch button.
'I'm not sure what choices the other colleagues will make.'
'But I will do everything I can to follow your wishes and stop them.'
'I know you don't like war at all. I will hide the news of your disappearance. I will let your successor have a happy birthday. I will let the Xianzhou people have a perfect life.'
'Please… come back soon.'
Marty took one last look at the distant night sky, then withdrew his gaze.
Complex and beautiful fireworks exploded in the sky once more.
———
People gathered in front of the venue's floor-to-ceiling windows.
They didn't need to fight the public for viewing spots.
The venue chosen by the Luofu General was the best place to watch the fireworks.
They watched attentively.
In front of fireworks that cost tens of millions of patrol credits, only one god and two people had no interest in watching.
Daiyang would arrive at the Luofu after the annual meeting ended.
Guanliang was quietly introducing Daiyang's identity to Hua, but for some reason, the Aeon standing beside them had an unreadable expression.
Hua lowered her voice. "Keep it from her for now. Or just take her straight to Xuling. After we come back, we can tell her little by little."
After she obtained the Fenghuang Down, then they could tell the former Luofu General.
Guanliang nodded.
Lan hesitated, then spoke stiffly, "I'll talk to her later."
Hearing this, Guanliang's mouth twitched.
'Lan was basically a robot! What could he possibly say to Daiyang?'
'He'd probably just bluntly tell her the Marshal was gone.'
'Or if he tried to be more tactful, he'd say he had received the power he previously gave the Marshal!'
Concerned about the people nearby, Guanliang lowered his voice and said angrily, "You talk to her? How exactly are you going to talk to her?"
Lan was silent for a moment, then said, "…This is between her and me."
Guanliang tried hard not to roll his eyes. He didn't take Lan's words seriously and calmly accompanied Hua through the remaining procedures.
They said goodbye to the others and went to a room on one of the floors.
Daiyang didn't seem to have changed much. She smiled gently and greeted Guanliang in a familiar tone.
She smiled. "And this is?"
Hua opened her mouth to speak, but Guanliang beat her to it. "The Marshal's adopted daughter."
Daiyang's eyes first lit up, then she saw the Aeon behind them.
Her expression suddenly changed. Her smile became very forced.
"The Reignbow Arbiter? Why are you here?"
Guanliang looked at Daiyang, then at the suddenly silent Aeon, completely confused.
The avatar Lan used had always been his appearance from when he was human. Even his face hadn't changed.
Before becoming an Aeon, Daiyang and Lan could at least be considered colleagues who had worked together.
It was completely normal for Daiyang to recognize him.
But this reaction… was too strange.
In the nearly dead silence, they clearly heard the sound of something growing out of flesh.
Daiyang showed no expression and raised her hand to cover her forearm.
Her eyes were cold. She first glanced at Hua, then met the Aeon's gaze.
"You broke your promise."
Guanliang, "???"
He and Hua looked at each other.
What exactly happened? They had barely exchanged a few words and Daiyang had already fallen into mara-struck state? What did she mean by Lan breaking his promise?
Guanliang instinctively stepped forward to block Daiyang, but he couldn't match the speed of an Aeon. In the next instant, Lan was already in front of them.
When he turned back again, Daiyang's body swayed and she collapsed.
Guanliang was furious.
'What? The Marshal just left and now you're going to kill his subordinate?!'
The last bit of his rationality kept him from shouting those words out loud.
Guanliang crouched down and carefully checked Daiyang's breathing. Only after confirming she had merely fainted did he relax.
Lan, "Go to Xuling."
Hua, "..."
Guanliang cursed countless Xianzhou swear words in his heart.
'Anyone who knew would understand you wanted to solve Daiyang's mara problem. Anyone who didn't would think the Xianzhou followed the Aeon of Erudition! Lan, you really are a robot!'
He stood up, gritting his teeth. "Fine, we'll go to Xuling. But at least explain yourself, will you?"
Lan gave a brief answer, "Because of Hua and me."
"He was never someone who had the leisure to raise a child."
Guanliang, "..."
'Right. The Marshal wouldn't raise a child.'
'Unless he had another purpose.'
That meant the Marshal had begun training a successor.
Daiyang understood the Marshal. She knew he always planned ten steps ahead. She knew that after she returned to the Xianzhou, she would definitely meet him first.
But she didn't see the Marshal. She only saw a successor and an Aeon who should have been outside dealing with abominations.
The answer was obvious. Something had happened to the Marshal, serious enough that the Aeon had to return to the Xianzhou to assist the successor.
Guanliang pinched the bridge of his nose and said irritably, "Let's go. Bring Daiyang. We're going to Xuling."
They soon arrived at Xuling and entered the cavern realm they previously had no clearance for.
The first thing they saw was a massive megastructure large enough to encircle an entire planet.
Guanliang subconsciously held his breath.
Hua glanced at it briefly and continued walking forward.
Under Lan's guidance, they made several turns and entered a residence.
The Marshal had left behind his belongings and his will here.
Under Guanliang's angry glare, Lan hesitated for a moment before placing the unconscious Daiyang on a nearby sofa.
The Aeon entered a room, took out a stack of letters, and handed them to Guanliang.
In the entire Xianzhou, only Guanliang was qualified to read the Marshal's will aloud.
Guanliang searched through them and found the letter the Marshal had left for Lan, then handed it over.
Lan didn't need to open it to know what the Marshal wanted to say.
Nothing more than telling him to honor the contract and continue working for the Xianzhou.
He took the letter. His hand trembled, and flames appeared out of nowhere, swallowing one corner of the envelope.
Just like how the Marshal had thrown that so-called "miracle" into a fire when Lan was on the verge of death, Lan burned the letter.
After the letter was completely devoured by flames, Lan raised his hand and pointed in a direction, saying to Hua, "He left you a gift. Go take a look."
The two, "..."
Hua said nothing and turned to walk in the direction Lan had pointed.
Guanliang wanted to curse but held back.
'Is this something a god with humanity would do? At least open it and take a look!'
He lowered his head and found the letter the Marshal had left for him.
[To the Chief Strategist]
Guanliang, "..."
Got it. When the Marshal wrote this will, he must have forgotten his name.
Guanliang felt nothing about it.
When the Marshal was still a general, he would forget things every now and then.
[To be honest, I don't know what to write to you]
[But if I didn't leave you a letter, wouldn't that make you look left out?]
[So this letter exists]
Guanliang thought, 'What kind of nonsense is this?'
He kept reading.
[You are the subordinate I trust the most. Unfortunately, I am not a qualified superior]
[I made a mistake that caused many people, even the entire Xianzhou, to pay the price for my wrong choice]
Guanliang never believed it was the Marshal's fault.
'You just fulfilled the wishes of all Xianzhou people. How could that be considered wrong?'
[I hope that by the time you read this letter, I will have already found a way to solve the "curse of immortality" and the mara-struck condition]
Guanliang fell silent.
'Yes. You never broke your promises.'
'You always found a way.'
'It's just that this method… for you, for me, for your subordinates… was too cruel.'
[I hope my most trusted subordinate won't meet a superior like me again in the future]
Guanliang sneered in his heart.
'A superior like you? What kind? One who lets subordinates work one day and rest one day, and lets them eat his special supply ingredients?'
His gaze moved downward, and his expression instantly froze.
[You didn't cry because of me, did you?]
Guanliang roared in his mind.
'Marshal, is this the only line you know how to write?!'
In another room, Hua casually opened a drawer. After seeing what was inside, her expression went blank and she subconsciously stepped back.
Inside the drawer were countless red envelopes of all kinds.