Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 372 - 260: Collapse

Chapter 372: Chapter 260: Collapse

Ten days later.

Imperial Capital, Geometry Institute.

As the place where Formation Masters lived and worked, the environment in the Heavenly Pattern Office was very elegant.

Birds sang and flowers fragranced the air, and greenery covered the area, with pavilions and towers arranged in orderly rows, and the wind creating ripples across the lake.

The midday sunlight of summer was warm, as some Formation Masters, dressed in yellow and blue official brocade robes, chatted and laughed while walking in the spacious, shaded paths. Tall martial artists carefully moved box after box of "merchandise" from the storerooms onto beast-drawn carriages—all was in perfect order.

However, this peace was soon disrupted by two figures.

An old man and a young girl.

The elder had silvery white hair and beard, and an air of transcendent wisdom, though his face held a hint of sycophancy.

The girl was dressed in a light blue ruqun, with shoulders like cut jade and a waist as slender as a bundle of silk, and soft eyes and brows that carried a touch of annoyance, despite their gentleness.

The two hurried from the storeroom to the outside, their pace brisk. Along the way, even the top-ranking Heavenly A-rank Formation Masters of the Geometry Institute respectfully lowered their heads and greeted them.

But the elder and the young girl didn’t seem to care for these people at all.

The girl stormed out angrily.

The elder followed, smiling and trying to humor her:

"Xinyao... Xinyao... don’t be angry, hey, Xinyao, come on now, don’t be mad...."

"......"

Xu Xinyao suddenly stopped, her beautiful eyes darkly staring at Jiang He, and even in anger, her voice was like being bathed in fresh water:

"Master, what did you promise Xinyao in the beginning?"

"Um....."

Jiang He opened his mouth and chuckled awkwardly: "Xinyao... which matter are you referring to?"

Xu Xinyao silently stared at Jiang He for several breaths, then took out a sphere about half a foot in diameter from the Sumeru Ring and held it in her hand:

"What is this?"

Jiang He found himself at a loss for words, his eyes instinctively avoiding hers, mumbling in a low voice:

"Occluder...."

"What materials are used inside it? What kind of formation patterns?" Xu Xinyao bit the corner of her lip: "I remember Master, you promised me that you wouldn’t let these things be used by the military again."

Jiang He coughed lightly, trying to change the subject, and said in a low voice:

"Xinyao, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you...."

Xu Xinyao sniffled, her clear eyes reddening slightly, and she asked:

"Master, the current conflict at the Northern Frontier should require those Cloud Qi Bombs you modified, not these so-called Occluders. What is the Geometry Institute planning to do by creating so many Occluders?"

Jiang He sighed, looking at his pupil who had now grown tall and graceful:

"Xinyao... this matter... it has nothing to do with you."

Xu Xinyao lowered her gaze, her fingernails digging into her palm:

"Over twenty boxes, more than three hundred Occluders... Our Geometry Institute must have produced more than just these, right?"

"....."

Jiang He’s fingertips trembled, and he raised his hand intending to touch his pupil’s head but stopped midway in the air.

After a while,

Jiang He withdrew his hand, the wrinkles on his aged face seemed to deepen a bit, and he nodded:

"Yes, the Prime Minister has requested our Geometry Institute to produce a thousand Occluders. Seventy percent have already been delivered to the Black Scale Army, and what you’ve seen is the last of them."

Xu Xinyao was taken aback by the answer, her voice slightly trembling:

"Transported... to the Northern Frontier?"

"Yes, those Occluders have already been transported to various places at the Northern Frontier disguised as imperial disaster relief carriages."

This time the response was very straightforward, but the tone was warm and gentle, unlike Jiang He’s aged voice.

In the sunlight, a figure in green clothes descended gracefully, looking at the girl in blue.

Xu Xinyao looked up at the sound, meeting the man’s graceful and tender gaze; her expression was complicated as she softly called out:

"Big brother...."

Xu Changge smiled gently at her:

"Xinyao, it’s been a long time. Father misses you. Let’s go home with your brother first."

Xu Xinyao pursed her lips and did not respond.

Jiang He hissed, somewhat displeased:

"Wait, Xu Changge, I haven’t finished talking to my pupil...."

"Alright, I’ve missed Father too."

"....."

Jiang He opened his mouth.

Xu Xinyao bowed to Jiang He:

"Master... Xinyao will come to see you again tomorrow."

With that,

Xu Changge nodded politely at Jiang He and carried Xu Xinyao away with Qi energy.

Standing alone in the place, Jiang He gazed at their gradually distant figures in the sky for a long time, his sense of loss turning into a low sigh....

Silently,

Xu Changge crossed the no-fly zone over Di’an with an air of disregard, bringing Xu Xinyao down into the vast Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Once inside,

Looking at the familiar and unchanged layout of the home, Xu Xinyao’s distressed expression relaxed somewhat. After glancing around, she asked in a soft voice:

"Big brother, hasn’t Father returned yet?"

Xu Changge walked forward at a leisurely pace, nodding slightly with a smile:

"Father went to the Imperial Palace to have an audience with the Emperor today, so he might come back later."

"Oh....."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xinyao subconsciously glanced toward the second courtyard to the right of the main hall and asked softly:

"Then... what about third brother?"

"...."

At those words, Xu Changge fell silent.

Seeing the look on her eldest brother’s face, a hint of amusement twinkled in Xu Xinyao’s beautiful eyes. She pursed her lips and spat out:

"Third brother... he hasn’t run off to the Hook Bar in broad daylight again, has he?"

Xu Changge let out a wry smile, his long, narrow eyes showing a complex smile as he shook his head and said softly:

"No, he’s not in the Imperial Capital right now."

"Not in the Imperial Capital?"

A look of surprise flashed through Xu Xinyao’s eyes.

She had returned to the Imperial Capital specifically to craft a set of these protective spirit weapons for Xu Yuan.

"Changtian has gone to the Northern Frontier. He should be in Northern Border City by now."

"......"

Xu Xinyao stared blankly at her elder brother:

"With third brother’s weak cultivation, won’t he be in danger?"

Xu Changge exhaled and gazed distantly toward the north, murmuring:

"Northern Border City has fallen."

"..."

Xu Xinyao’s pupils contracted slightly, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe, and after a long silence, she appeared somewhat at a loss:

"Northern Border City... how could Northern Border City have fallen, its... its city defense formation....."

"The Sects did not come to the rescue, so it fell."

Xu Changge’s eyes flashed coldly, but as soon as he turned to look at Xu Xinyao, his expression softened as he comforted her:

"Father would not visit the Imperial Palace to see the Emperor without good reason. Once he returns, we should be able to know the latest news about your third brother."

"Oh....."

Xu Xinyao replied softly, her fists clenched beneath her sleeves: "Third brother... is so clever, he will definitely be fine."

"Your brother thinks so too."

As he spoke,

Seeing that Xu Xinyao was still in a daze, Xu Changge fell silent for a moment before awkwardly changing the subject:

"Enough of that, don’t think about these things. Tell your brother about what you’ve seen on your travels these past years..."

...

...

...

The Imperial Palace.

Lake Heart Pavilion, where the warm breeze was intoxicating.

Sunlight filtered through the window lattices, casting shadows on two figures seated around a chessboard.

The game was intricate, with black and white pieces tangled together, nearing the end.

The elder dressed in imperial robes casually tossed a black stone onto the board and stood up slowly, bracing his knees, and laughed:

"The late Emperor loved chess. Back then, to please the late Emperor, I devoted half my life to it, yet now it turns out I can’t even beat you, who used to be such a poor player."

Xu Yinhè gently placed the white piece back into the container and responded calmly:

"Your Majesty is too hasty in your approach to the game. Although formidable and difficult to counter, it leaves many vulnerabilities."

The emperor in imperial robes grinned:

"Enough, one doesn’t come to the Three Treasure Hall for nothing. Prime Minister Xu didn’t come to play chess with me today, did he?"

Xu Yinhè raised his eyes to glance at the emperor in the imperial robes and countered:

"Was it not Your Majesty who brought up the game today?"

"......"

Upon hearing this, the emperor’s eyes narrowed as his wrinkled face broke into a smile:

"I recall the last time Prime Minister Xu made such a jest was twenty years ago, on the day your third son was born, heh... It seems there must be good news."

A wistful look appeared in Xu Yinhè’s eagle-like eyes, accompanied by a hint of a smile.

The emperor chuckled:

"Prime Minister Xu, my time is running short. Playing coy before me and wasting time is not a good habit."

At those words, Xu Yinhè’s eyes suddenly grew deep, and he stood up slowly, bowing respectfully:

"Your Majesty, the die is cast. Now, we can make our move."

The air seemed to freeze,

In the ensuing silence,

The emperor squinted at his old friend and said deliberately:

"Prime Minister Xu, what do you mean by that?"

"....."

Xu Yinhè slowly lifted his eyes to meet Li Yaoxuan’s piercing stare and spoke in a low, clear tone:

"Lou Ji has sent word. The thirty thousand elite troops of the Northern Border Sects... were routed last night."