"Him? What could he possibly want with me at this crucial moment?" Wang Wei frowned.
"I donāt know."
"Did they sound urgent?"
"Not as far as I can tell," Ai continued. "However, Dugu Baitianās invitation was above-board while the commander acted all secretive."
"Hmm," Wang Wei replied. "My curiosity is piqued."
"If youāre meeting them, you should be careful."
"You donāt have to tell me," Wang Wei nodded. He didnāt even meet the Erudite Duchess with his true body, let alone these people. Currently, only Maitreya knows where his true body is, and thatās primarily because he needed her help to create his residential area.
"Who do you want to see first?"
"We canāt let a Saint wait too long, so send in the commander first, and letās change the meeting place." The meeting with Xu Shi and Siwangji was simple, taking place directly in the main quarters where Wang Wei conducted business. But he did not trust those two to stay so close to the central command hub of the Heaven and Earth Origin Cycle Array.
Instead, he took them to one of the worlds serving as the arrayās node. He copied the Erudite Duchessā pavilion floating atop a clear river design, except that Wang Weiās river was an artificial River of Destiny linked to all the worlds under his control.
Commander Dan was the first to show up. After being teleported to the pavilion, he was about to say a few pleasantries before sitting down, but somehow, he was immediately captivated by the river. In his eyes, this was not a river, but the fate of countless beings, manipulated and woven into physical form: their birth, suffering, joy, aging, and even death were all experienced by him in a matter of seconds. The most interesting aspect was that, with a thought, he could touch a single drop of water and immediately influence the lives of countless beings.
"Do you think thatās how Grand Dao views all sentient beings?" Commander Dao suddenly asked.
"Probably," Wang Wei calmly replied. "Do you want wine or tea?"
"That doesnāt terrify you?" Commander Dan continued. He squatted down and reached for the water, but did not touch it. "It would be so easy to fundamentally change their entire lives."
"Why should it? Cultivation is the process of leaping out of the water and standing on the shore, with the power to change othersā lives ā just like you are doing," Wang Wei replied. "Being terrifying does nothing but hinder the process."
Commander Dan paused for a few seconds before sighing deeply, "Iām a Saint, and I donāt think my Dao Heart is as steady as yours." He finally sat opposite Wang Wei.
"Youāre under stress, so itās normal for the mind to be shaken," Wang Wei reassured, talking as if he were meeting an old friend. "You still havenāt answered me: wine or tea?"
"Iām usually not a fan of wine since it easily influences the mind, but for this occasion, Iāll indulge myself."
Wang Wei nodded, choosing a mellow wine with great taste. As for the effects? Well, he was dealing with a Saint, so he didnāt have to worry about the latter getting drunk. And since Commander Dan was not a friend or an acquaintance, Wang Wei did not use any Saint-tier wine he acquired from the Heaven Splitting Holy Land.
"It seems Commander Wei doesnāt welcome me," Commander Dan stated after taking a sip. The wine was delicious and top quality ā for an Immortal Wine. However, he knew Wang Wei must have Saint Wine.
"What makes you say that? Is the decor not to your liking? Maybe the wine ā"
"Alright," Commander Dan interjected. From the information he had gathered about Commander Wei, the more friendly the other acted, the more distant he was. On the contrary, the more casual he is with his guests, the more intimate they are. Although he did not expect them to be closed, he did not expect such a "formal" encounter.
"I know you have your reservations about me, so Iāll be direct," Commander Dan stated. Wang Wei calmly sipped his wine cup, staring intently, but calmly, at him, waiting for the show to begin.
"Iāve come to work with you," Commander Dan uttered, then his body paused before smiling wryly. "Even at this stage, I canāt control my pride. *Sigh* What I mean is Iāve come to find a way out for myself and a few close friends."
"A way out?" Wang Wei chuckled, but it wasnāt the kind of derisive one, but more of a self-deprecatory one. "In the current situation, even Tribunal Lords do not have a way out, and you come for me to find one? No, not just for you, but for others as well? Iām glad you think highly of me, but I think youāre overconfident in my capabilities."
"Commander, do you know what is the most crucial to an armyās success?"
Wang Wei did not answer the question; instead, he waited for the guest to continue his thought.
"Most would say discipline, a good general, or maybe a brilliant strategist," Commander Dan continued. "But when I was a mortal, before I started cultivating, I realized the most important thing is the weather. And in the eyes of mortals, what dictates good and bad weather?"
"Luck," Wang Wei replied.
"Exactly," Commander Dan nodded. He then flicked his wrist and a cube ā no, a dice ā manifested in his palm. Wang Wei observed the object and immediately realized two things: first, this was a True Saint Artifact, and second, it was broken.
"I acquired this artifact long ago, when I was nothing but a mortal. I had suffered my first defeat in more than 50 years of military career," Commander Dan stated. "I was alone in the enemyās territory, forced to hide in the mountains. One particular night, when I was on the verge of freezing to death, I found this dying bear and cut him open to spend the night inside his body. Thatās where I found this artifact."
"Saint Destiny? What a lucky bastard," Wang Wei thought. With a Saint Artifact in his hands, Commander Danās cultivation path was destined to be smooth ā at least, smoother than 99% of others.
"It was with its help that I survived many dangerous situations," the prideful commander glanced at Wang Wei. "Iāll put my card on the table. All my predictions have revealed that Iām doomed ā that my luck has run out. The only salvation I have left is with you."
Wang Wei pondered briefly. Should he accept this manās aid? Was he even useful in the first place? What if his surrender is a ploy from Trinity Venerable? Although he shares his sincerity by revealing one of his trump cards, thatās not enough to completely trust him.
"Do you understand what it means to work with me? It means you have chosen my side over the other Tribunal Lords?"
"Iām aware," Commander Dan nodded without hesitation. Even without the artifact, he had realized the issue with the Tribunal Lords. First, they did not choose him for his abilities or because he was better than Wang Wei; he was selected for being more obedient. The plan to contact the Infinite Divine Court was full of problems, and he raised them, but his superiors ignored him and forced him to execute it, which killed so many people ā it almost killed his friend, Madam Chu.
The worst part is the karma of so many people and Saints of significant background dying will fall on Commander Danās head. The family of those people cannot do anything to the Tribunal Lords ā at least, most of them cannot ā which leaves the commander in charge of the plan. And even if Commander Dan dared try to extricate himself, it would be useless. Telling the truth might offend the Tribunal Lords, and not speaking will further aggravate the situation. So, for now, his priority is to survive this ordeal and deal with the aftermath when he returns home.
"Good. Sign this contract, and welcome aboard."
Commander Dan received the parchment and swiftly read the content. He frowned. The contract was both harsh and fair. For the duration of the expedition, he is Wang Weiās ally. As long as he does not betray him (including handing off his information directly or indirectly), Commander Dan will be fine.
But if he commits any act of treachery as outlined in the contract, not only will his Time Nexuses be directly attacked and he will die, but all his assets will be handed to Wang Wei. These assets include his Saint Artifact, his Transcendent Luck, but also his factionās Qi Luck, library, spiritual garden, weapon reserves, raw materials, and everything else.
"Is this a ā" Commander Dan stopped himself after seeing Wang Weiās cold and indifferent eyes. He gritted his teeth and signed the contract. When facing the choice of his life and his dignity, he chose the former. Anyway, he wonāt lose anything as long as he follows the contract.
"Welcome aboard," Wang Wei smiled brightly. With this new ally, his chances of survival have increased slightly.