While everyone had their attention on Nero and, because of Cirrus's words, had started thinking about his habit of doing whatever came to mind, Cirrus chuckled again and said to Xueyi, "Or maybe... I want to trade with the Ten-Lords Commission for a promise to let me go?"
Xueyi's thoughts were pulled back to reality by those words. She turned to look at the Suiyang that Nero was holding. Though it looked like an eyeball, at the moment it resembled a balloon.
"A Judge of the Ten-Lords Commission does not make promises lightly. If you can resolve the crisis before us, I can report it to the Ten Lords and seek your freedom. But I cannot guarantee the outcome."
"Oh my, what a stubborn person." Cirrus sighed.
At that moment, she suddenly felt a force from below and was tugged downward, ending up in Nero's hand.
Nero looked at her and said, "It's fine. I can make the decision. If you do something good, I'll waive your punishment."
"You won't need to work as a psychologist at my factory anymore. If you want to get away from the Ten-Lords Commission, that's fine too. I'll talk to them."
"Wow, really? You've got that much influence, kid?"
Cirrus said in surprise as she slowly floated up from Nero's hand and turned toward Xueyi, seeming to ask for confirmation.
The next moment, Xueyi nodded, and what came out of the puppet's mouth shocked her.
"Mhm... if Nero makes the decision, then yes. The Ten Lords will not interfere with his choices. If he says you're free, then go without worry."
Cirrus froze in place and stared at Nero in disbelief.
Just who was this white-haired kid? Even the Ten-Lords Commission couldn't interfere with his decisions?
Could he actually be the current Luofu General? She had heard that the current General was also white-haired, but wasn't his name Jing Yuan?
'This kid is called Nero...'
'No, that couldn't be right. What General would have time to run around everywhere?'
'But...'
Before this, she had caused this kid quite a bit of trouble... though in the end she was the one who suffered for it. Yet he was so willing to cancel her punishment and grant her freedom?
Looking at Nero's face, Cirrus couldn't help widening her eyes.
She hadn't paid attention before, but now that she looked carefully, this kid was ridiculously good-looking.
For a brief moment, it even seemed like the boy was glowing.
But soon, Cirrus suppressed the strange feeling and calmed herself down again.
'Something is wrong.'
'Very wrong.'
'What did just happened? Why did I suddenly started thinking all those strange thoughts?'
'Was that really me?'
'Though, to be fair, this guy really is good-looking...'
"In that case, I'll trust you this once," Cirrus said.
"Hehe. Huiyan and I were both prisoners locked inside the furnace. We know each other very well. It's powerful, but its mind is more childish than a real child. It's obsessed with nothing but winning and losing. I only need three sentences to make it fall apart on its own."
After speaking, Cirrus looked at Stelle.
"But if I'm going to talk to it, I can't do it looking like this. Let me borrow your body."
Stelle didn't refuse. After all, Nero had asked Cirrus to help.
Besides, she wasn't worried anything would happen. The rope made from inscriptions was still in Nero's hand. It was just hidden from view.
As for Cirrus, choosing Stelle was more out of necessity.
Huohuo's body was occupied by Tail. Xueyi was a Judge and clearly on guard against her, so she definitely wouldn't lend her body.
The one she really wanted to use was Nero's body.
But after Nero had directly pulled her out of Stelle's body, Cirrus understood that he wasn't someone she could possess just because she wanted to.
After entering Stelle's body again, Cirrus led the group higher up until they reached an area above the pavilion. Standing by the railing, she shouted loudly,
"Huiyan! Huiyan...!"
After the two calls, a faint response came from deep within the Fyxestroll Garden.
Receiving a response, Cirrus continued, "The duel with the General can wait. How about you and I settle things first?"
As a tremor spread from the distance, the reply became clearer, "...Cirrus? Is that you? Little thing, what gives you the right to challenge me?
"I've already turned this garden into my battlefield and made the Ten-Lords Commission's lackeys into puppets! Once the General arrives, I can recreate that battle from long ago. Why should I fight my own kind now?"
"So that's Huiyan's voice?" Nero clicked his tongue and commented, "It doesn't sound very powerful. It sounds more like... some young guy who hasn't been beaten up by society yet."
"Stop talking and let me lure it over," Cirrus whispered to Nero before shouting again,
"And what ability is there in commanding those rabble? They're nothing but trash fish and rotten shrimp, not worth mentioning.
"But I'm different. By a stroke of luck, I've possessed an excellent game piece... a game piece that once drove away... no, captured Phantylia!"
The moment she said that, Huiyan's attitude changed. The difference could be heard clearly just from its voice.
"...Phantylia? ...Phantylia! I remember now! I remember! Such an excellent game piece... I want it too!"
"You can send all your possessed judges after me. If they can defeat the Nameless whose body I occupy, I'll willingly let you devour me and help you fight the General. What do you say?"
Just as Cirrus had said, Huiyan didn't seem very bright.
The moment she finished speaking, it immediately replied, "It's a deal! My game pieces and I are coming for you right now!"
Seeing that Huiyan had taken the bait, Cirrus turned Stelle's body around and said proudly, "See? Easy."
Tail also grinned with interest.
"Tsk tsk. Going by what Huiyan said, doesn't that mean all the judges outside got wiped out? Useless bunch."
"Doesn't that mean we'll have to fight our own people next?" Huohuo asked uneasily.
Seeing Huohuo react like that, Tail took a deep breath. He was speechless for a long moment and finally could only let out a long sigh.
Cirrus looked around and said to Xueyi, "Do puppets keep their sympathy too? Sounds like nobody here wants to defeat Huiyan.
"To us Suiyang, this is as simple as a business deal. Who cares whether they're our own kind or our coworkers? As long as it leads to victory, why hold back?"
"It's fine. I'll do it."
At that moment, Stelle suddenly took back control and spoke up on her own.
"I won't feel guilty knocking them unconscious."
As she spoke, Stelle pulled out her bat and swung it a couple of times.
"You?" Cirrus emerged from Stelle's body and looked at her. Then, as if she had thought of something, she turned and looked at Nero.
"You really are something. No wonder you two get along so well."