"Sir Zhao Chen, my counsel is that you first convey these words to Governor Chu. I believe Governor Chu will surely make the wise choice," Saint Cana urged.
Zhao Chen shook his head, and said with a light laugh: "Don't go pinning your hopes on that old man. Were it him, he'd not even sit down to talk with you. You ought to count yourselves lucky it's me you've met — I'm an easy fellow to deal with."
Saint Cana looked at Zhao Chen: "Then what, in the end, does Sir Zhao Chen mean?"
Zhao Chen folded his arms, wearing a look of thought: "I think a matter this weighty wants some considering. Give me a month's time; I'll consider it slowly."
To this, Saint Cana said mildly: "I can grant Sir Zhao Chen time to consider. But our Holy Radiance Empire's interstellar fleet cannot possibly halt. Three days from now, our interstellar fleet will sail into the range of those star systems you now control. In the course of this, should we meet with any obstruction or resistance, then all the consequences will be brought on by your own ignorant conduct."
This girl, of all things, wasn't buying his stalling tactic.
Saint Cana fixed her two eyes on Zhao Chen; light-patches surfaced now upon her cheeks, and in this moment she seemed for all the world like a goddess.
"And one more thing I'll remind Sir Zhao Chen of. I know of your affairs, and I know of some of Sir Zhao Chen's heroic feats within the Starlight Empire; your Owl Dragon Legion is very strong. But set against the great Holy Radiance Empire's interstellar fleet, it is, all the same, too small a thing. I should not wish to see some unfortunate event come to pass."
The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth curled faintly upward; he'd been meaning to bait the other into just such talk, and here she'd delivered it to his door.
"Miss Saint Cana means that my Owl Dragon Legion, set before her, isn't worth the mentioning?"
"Hmph — sir. It may be you don't know Miss Saint Cana's standing. She is the supreme commander of the Sacred Angel Legion fleet, one of our Holy Radiance Empire's Ten Great Sacred-Light Legions!" the Holy Radiance Empire official beside her said haughtily.
Saint Cana said nothing, but her whole bearing had already said it all.
She flatly looked down on this so-called 'Owl Dragon Legion' in Zhao Chen's hand!
"Oh-ho-ho~" Zhao Chen drew the sound out long here; he dug a finger in his ear, and said, light and unhurried as a passing cloud: "But I'm the sort who rather thinks well of himself. In my eyes, whatever Sacred Angel Legion, whatever Sacred-Light Legion — set before my Owl Dragon Legion, none of it is worth the mentioning~"
Zhao Chen drew out the tail of the word again at the last.
The taunt in it was plain enough.
Saint Cana rose to her feet: "Since Sir Zhao Chen persists in his delusion, then let us see whether your Owl Dragon Legion can withstand our Sacred Light! The Sacred Light shall endure eternal!"
"Wait!" Seeing the other about to end this exchange, Zhao Chen raised a hand to signal her to hold a moment.
Saint Cana looked toward Zhao Chen.
"I can tell that Miss Saint Cana must be a pacifist too, with no love for all that killing and slaying. If I recall rightly, isn't the very doctrine of your Holy Radiance Empire to make every interstellar civilization a follower of the Sacred Light!" As Zhao Chen said this, even he felt how hypocritical it sounded.
Pacifists?
A pack who bring interstellar warships to another's doorstep, and mean to come charging in if the door isn't opened — those are pacifists?
"What is it you wish to say?" Saint Cana asked.
Zhao Chen thought a moment, then said: "In truth, I'm rather fond of the Holy Radiance Empire myself; I've made a study of your culture. I hear you have a thing called a 'Sacred War Duel,' yes? If Miss Saint Cana doesn't object — might she be willing to have a 'Sacred War Duel' with me? Your proud Sacred Angel Legion, against my Owl Dragon Legion!"
Hearing Zhao Chen mention the 'Sacred War Duel,' every Sacred-Spirit person present let show a look of astonishment.
That was the most exalted institution of the Holy Radiance Empire's civilization!
Saint Cana, too, sat back down.
She looked Zhao Chen up and down — perhaps the first time in this whole meeting that she'd truly looked at the man before her.
"You actually know of the 'Sacred War Duel'?"
Zhao Chen nodded, and said, eyes alight: "In truth I've always been fond of the Holy Radiance Empire — above all the Holy Radiance Empire's culture. The Sacred Light shall endure forever!" So saying, Zhao Chen even put on a look of rapt devotion.
Saint Cana said mildly: "Since Sir Zhao Chen is a devout believer too, then why not agree to our demand?"
"Because I have one more bad habit besides — and that is, I'll only follow an existence that has beaten me!" Zhao Chen said with a smile.
Saint Cana fixed her eyes on Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen cast out another bait: he raised a hand, and the holographic image of an interstellar warship appeared before these Sacred-Spirit people.
"This interstellar warship, I imagine you've all heard of. The T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser — the Starlight Empire's third class of T4-grade interstellar warship. And I hold the full technology of this interstellar warship. If, in the Sacred War Duel, Miss Saint Cana's Sacred Angel Legion should win, then I'm willing to hand this technological data over to Miss Saint Cana — unconditionally!"
At these words, the originally steady emotions of these Sacred-Spirit people couldn't help but ripple.
This was, after all, a T4-grade interstellar warship.
The matter of this T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser was, over on their side, likewise recorded in exceeding detail.
For why did they wish to draw Governor Chu in?
One of the greatest reasons besides was the two classes of T4 interstellar warship in Governor Chu's hands.
One was, of course, the T4 Boreas-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship; the other was the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser.
And in fact, what they prized the more was the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser.
For they already possessed T4-grade interstellar-battleship technology; and though they had a class of T4 interstellar cruiser of their own, it still, to this day, had some technical problems.
Could they obtain this T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser's technical data, they could surely perfect their own T4 interstellar cruiser!
"Do you truly hold the full technology of the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser?" Saint Cana pressed.
Zhao Chen, smiling, gave a light tap on the holographic image of the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser before him, and at once brief data-sets appeared, set upon set, before these Sacred-Spirit people.
On seeing this technical data, Saint Cana was inclined to believe Zhao Chen's words.
Though this data was not the full set for the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser, that Zhao Chen held even this much was already proof enough that he had grasp of it all!
"Very well then — I agree to your Sacred War Duel!" Saint Cana said.
Zhao Chen said with a smile: "The Sacred War Duel — if I win, your Holy Radiance Empire withdraws its forces unconditionally, and pledges that within three years it will not again enter the range of the interstellar territory the Starlight Empire now controls!" Zhao Chen deliberately opened the interstellar map — a map that took in those five resource star regions Zhao Chen was even now building up.
"And if I win, Governor Chu joins our Holy Radiance Empire unconditionally, and this T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser's technical data is handed over to me as well," Saint Cana said.
"It's a promise!" Zhao Chen looked at this Sacred-Spirit woman before him.
"It's a promise!"