Zhao Chen truly did mean to let Saint Cana go this time, and the greatest reason for it was, naturally, the System task.
This tool of a person had finished her use; to keep her served nothing.
"You may dream on!" Saint Cana, hearing Zhao Chen ask her to be his secretary-officer, glared at him in shame and anger.
Over this stretch of time together, and with Zhao Chen having saved her besides, and with the astonishing strength Zhao Chen held—
Saint Cana's impression of him had changed greatly. But the ground the two of them stood on was, in the end, opposed.
She gave a cold snort. "Do you next mean to go and attack the transport fleets between the Holy Radiance Empire and Qin Xiaotian?"
Among the intelligence just obtained there had been this batch of transport fleets; the star-port attacked before was only one of them.
"Just so. Well? Do you mean to stop me?" Zhao Chen looked at her in mockery.
"On this business of our empire's cooperation with Qin Xiaotian, I gave it no thought before; but now that I know Qin Xiaotian controls creatures as terrifying as the interstellar hive-race, and is studying that technology besides— then my faith will not allow my empire to work with a man of that kind. So wreck it if you will; I shall not mind it. But…"
Saint Cana narrowed her eyes at him. "Between us we are still enemies. And the next time I meet you on a battlefield, my Sacred Angel Legion will absolutely—"
Saint Cana's words came as far as her lips and were not finished.
Because at this hour she found she did not altogether believe them herself.
"In short — should you fall into my hands then, I might, for the sake of your having saved me once— be willing to let you be my secretary-officer."
And having said it, Saint Cana even looked at him in provocation.
The meaning in the words being no more than that she would then have the tormenting of Zhao Chen at her leisure.
Zhao Chen shrugged, and gave no thought to this woman's impossible dream.
"In a while I'll send you back to Stellar City first; you find a way to raise your family's people and have them fetch you home. The Sacred Lancer Legion is annihilated now; and as for the Qian family… they'll soon be following in their tracks. In Stellar City you'll be in no danger. Though I'll give you a word of warning. Your empire's situation is very tangled just now. That hive-race technology, in the hands of your empire's people, will do nothing but stir up strife inside your empire. Have a care you don't kindle a fire that burns you," Zhao Chen warned her.
"Standing where the two of us stand, ought you not rather to be hoping such a thing happens?" Saint Cana said with a light laugh.
Zhao Chen looked out at the cosmos beyond the viewport. "To speak the truth, I have no wish for any interstellar war at all; all I wish is that I and those I guard may pass this life freely, happily and in plenty. But plainly your Holy Radiance Empire will not have us so, and hence the differing ground on which you and I stand. To speak the truth, if your Holy Radiance Empire gave up its designs upon the Starlight Empire, there would still be hope of you and me becoming friends."
Zhao Chen meant this sincerely.
Zhao Chen had never had any heart for contending over supremacy; what he wanted was only his own few acres, and the ability to keep himself safe.
Only the things Zhao Chen held had drawn the covetous eyes of certain crooked men, and forced him step by step to where he now stood.
Saint Cana listened to what he said, and was somewhat lost in it.
After a long while she gave Zhao Chen one look, and left the bridge in silence; she was to tell her subordinates to prepare for departure, and to raise her family's side besides, and arrange her temporary stay in Stellar City.
And at the same time, over this stretch of time the Owl Dragon Legion had finished refitting.
Zhao Chen divided his forces outright.
The Owl Dragon Second Legion was to go and attack the interstellar transport fleets on the Holy Radiance Empire's side; the Owl Dragon First Legion would go with Zhao Chen and attack every planet in the Qian family's holdings.
Zhao Chen had promised Chu Xuan they would settle accounts with the Qian family, and that account must be settled properly.
And at the same time this was to cut a bridge between the Holy Radiance Empire and Qin Xiaotian.
With the Qian family destroyed, the working relation between the Holy Radiance Empire and Qin Xiaotian must certainly be affected.
Perhaps the two sides would find some other power to serve as the bridge — but that would want time.
And the time so bought was enough for Zhao Chen to see a great many things done.
10-odd hours later.
"Commander-in-Chief, the Qian family head Qian Feng has led the Qian clansmen, and what warships remain to them, in flight out of the Qian main system!" Chu Xuan reported.
"Fled? Do they suppose they can get away?" Zhao Chen laughed coldly.
Chu Xuan said gravely, "The Qian remnant has fled toward Stellar City. The Owl Dragon First Legion has attempted interception, but as things stand— it will be very hard to intercept them fully before the Qian remnant enters Stellar City. At present only a small number of interstellar cruisers and interstellar battlecruisers are holding hard onto their heels."
Stellar City.
No wonder Chu Xuan should be reporting it to him; had interception been possible, Chu Xuan would simply have had the Owl Dragon First Legion do it.
But with Stellar City brought into it, that was another matter.
Chu Xuan hesitated a moment, then went on, "Commander-in-Chief, to my thinking — we destroy every industrial installation in every system of the Qian family's holdings, and carry off everything that can be carried. Take every one of those slaves away and leave the Qian family nothing at all. That counts as wrecking the Qian family's foundations, and there's no saying how long the Qian family would want to recover its former prosperity. And we may count our purpose achieved."
Before Stellar City, Chu Xuan had chosen to give ground after all.
For Stellar City stood for the Stellar Alliance, and in taking shelter in Stellar City the Qian family leaned upon exactly that connection.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair and showed a mocking smile. "Taken shelter in Stellar City, have they? Then we owe this Family Head Qian Feng our proper thanks — I had scarcely begun to feel drowsy and he brings me a pillow."
Chu Xuan looked at the Commander-in-Chief in bewilderment, not taking his meaning.
"Chu Xuan, I have a habit that isn't a very good one. When I say a man is to be destroyed, then he must die!" Zhao Chen said it with narrowed eyes, and gave the order without hesitation. "Pass my command. The Owl Dragon First Legion is to set out directly for Stellar City."
Chu Xuan looked at him in astonishment. Did the Commander-in-Chief mean to slap the Stellar Alliance's face outright?
Then the price of it would surely be too great by half.
If they fell out openly with the Stellar Alliance, then…
"Don't worry. We shall not pay the least price for it," Zhao Chen said calmly.
Chu Xuan gulped, settled her feelings, and carried out the Commander-in-Chief's order all the same.
And so the Owl Dragon First Legion's 3,000 warships bore down upon Stellar City in full array.
At this hour, aboard the Qian fleet fleeing toward Stellar City—
Family Head Qian Feng watched the distance closing on the star chart, and the Owl Dragon Legion's fleet holding hard to his heels behind.
He clenched his fists and soothed the Qian family's people about him. "Have no fear! Once we've fled to Stellar City, this Owl Dragon Legion will not dare do anything to us. So long as the green hills remain, there'll be no want of firewood!"