"The six million units of Gold Essence allocated last month have already been deposited; your reward letter has also been submitted, bringing the total to eight million two hundred thousand Gold Essence..."
...
"The warship shot down by the demon commander during the Eastern Jambu Continent expedition has been confirmed—the core array cannot be repaired. Now..."
...
"During the pursuit in Western Isle, we accidentally trespassed into Lord Zhenyuan's territory. We've already apologized, but..."
...
"The new batch of weapons has been received. These are the blueprints for the new forging techniques submitted by the Metallurgy Division. They recommend..."
...
"The dispute between the Wall Faction and the Wave Division has been reported to the Military Affairs Department for arbitration. Here are their recommendations—they hope to hear your opinion, Marshal..."
King Virūḍhaka bowed: "King Virūḍhaka greets Marshal Silver."
"The new recruits have completed their training. The chief instructor requests whether you, Marshal, wish to deliver an address at the division ceremony..."
...
"The Civil Engineering Division reports a problem with materials for constructing Cloudrealm Sky Harbor—the treasury cannot deliver the core array's source stones on schedule. Now the entire project..."
With six hundred thousand troops under his command, Marshal Silver could truly be called a man of vast forces. Such a massive military machine, yet in his hands it ran with remarkable efficiency. Six hundred thousand hearts meant six hundred thousand worries; after just a few days away, the backlog of official business piled up, and as he reviewed each item one by one, the sun was already rising.
Marshal, King Virūḍhaka is here on General Lee's orders to personally deliver this letter.
With a long sigh, Marshal Silver wearily rubbed his brow—specifically the 'Qingming' acupoint, a spot at the temple known in Chinese medicine for relieving fatigue—and closed his eyes, unable to speak for a long while.
With the cultivation of a Divine Transformation realm Grand Celestial, physical labor would pose no problem even after ten days and nights without rest. But when it came to mental exertion...
The Heavenly General who had been waiting quietly nearby stepped forward and bowed, asking softly, "Marshal, perhaps you should rest for a while?"
Marshal Silver suddenly snapped awake, his bloodshot eyes wide open: "No, they're still waiting. Let's go—since they're here, I should meet them first."
"Then... shall we see King Virūḍhaka first, or Fairy Nisha?"
"King Virūḍhaka."
Marshal Silver emerged from the side door, escorted by four celestial soldiers. Led by the general, they wound their way through corridors, quickly descending to the first floor, then followed a short hallway to the appointed chamber.
From a distance, a white-bearded old general spotted Marshal Silver and immediately came forward to greet him.
"Marshal."
"General Ward, did they say anything?"
The old general named Ward bowed deeply and replied, "King Virūḍhaka has remained silent the whole time. Nathan Young has been pacing around the hall, and has already scolded the guards several times."
Marshal Silver nodded quietly. "Wait here, all of you. I’ll go meet them myself."
The group bowed and withdrew to the side. Marshal Silver cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and strode across the vermilion doorway.
As Marshal Silver entered, King Virūḍhaka, who had been sitting on a side chair, immediately rose to his feet. Nathan Young, who had been standing, instead sat down, folding his arms and ignoring the newcomer.
King Virūḍhaka was tall, with thick brows and large eyes, sporting two red mustaches, clad in red armor, his skin tinged with blue and purple. Seeing Marshal Silver arrive, he quickly bowed with cupped hands. "Virūḍhaka greets Marshal Silver."
"No need for formalities," Marshal Silver waved dismissively, ignoring Nathan Young, and strode to the main seat, settling himself.
The waiting celestial soldiers immediately presented tea.
Marshal Silver accepted the tea, took a sip, and said expressionlessly, "Since our forces relocated, neither King Virūḍhaka nor Third Prince Nathan Young have visited before. Now that you’re here, you should take the opportunity to tour and offer your guidance."
Nathan Young snorted coldly, "You make it sound nice. We've been waiting here for hours, and you only come to see us now—is this what you call hospitality?"
King Virūḍhaka’s expression shifted slightly, but seeing Marshal Silver unfazed, he steadied himself and bowed, "Marshal, I have come at General Lee’s command to personally deliver this letter to you."
As he spoke, King Virūḍhaka took out a letter inlaid with gold sand from his robe and presented it to Marshal Silver with both hands.
Marshal Silver did not reach out to accept it. Instead, he took another sip of tea and said coolly, "General Lee must have something important to require King Virūḍhaka to deliver the letter personally. Is this about King Growth?"
King Virūḍhaka gritted his teeth, forcing a smile. "That’s... correct."
"What is there to discuss about this matter?"
"Marshal, it must be a misunderstanding. General Lee instructed me to deliver this letter to clarify the situation."