The gray stream of light faded from her eyes, and the feeling of solid ground returned.
Wang Dong'er subconsciously looked around, her pupils contracting slightly without her realizing it.
The surroundings had changed; she had arrived on a massive, silver-gray metal plaza.
Looking up, it wasn't the familiar sky, but a dome radiating a soft light.
High-rise buildings stood all around, their style simple and stark. Countless steel creations she had never seen before swiftly traversed the air along fixed tracks.
In the distance, people wearing unified guild uniforms hurried between the various buildings, demonstrating a strange sense of efficiency and technological advancement.
In fact, the Soul Tool technology here even surpassed what she had seen in the academy!
"This place..."
A trace of shock rose in Wang Dong'er's heart. Had the technology of the Sun Moon Empire really developed to such an extent?
Unfortunately, Wang Dong'er didn't have much time to be surprised. Kong Mingan and Meng Hongchen were already walking forward, seemingly unconcerned whether she kept up or not.
Having no choice, Wang Dong'er could only temporarily suppress the shock in her heart and quickly follow.
Following the street straight ahead, the group soon arrived in front of a massive, semi-circular domed building.
The metal door silently slid open, revealing the sight inside.
Inside the spacious area were many precise Soul Tool instruments, and in the center of the room, two figures sat on two specialized metal chairs, with several transparent tubes connected to their bodies.
Nearby, several staff members dressed in white robes were performing routine blood extractions on these two Divine Beasts.
As the metal door opened, the two people on the chairs noticed Kong Mingan entering and were about to greet him. However, the next moment, their gazes suddenly fixed on the blue and pink figure behind Kong Mingan, who was staring at them blankly, her body trembling slightly.
Wang Dong'er's lips trembled slightly, her eyes instantly turned red, and crystalline tears slid down uncontrollably. Her voice carried an uncontrollable choke and grievance:
"Big Father, Second Father!"
"Little Dong'er?! Why are you here?" Er Ming stood up abruptly, a hint of anxiety on his face. "You didn't try to assassinate him too, did you!"
Da Ming's expression changed. He slapped Er Ming on the back of his head with his large palm to silence him, then looked respectfully and solemnly at Kong Mingan:
"Young Master Kong, this..."
Kong Mingan waved his hand, interrupting Da Ming's words. His gaze was calm, but he couldn't be bothered to explain, merely stating in a flat tone:
"I'm giving you an hour break. You explain the situation clearly to her yourselves. After an hour, have her come see me again."
Da Ming paused, not daring to refute. He nodded and bowed, saying, "...Yes."
Having received his answer, Kong Mingan didn't linger. He and Meng Hongchen turned and left the building, leaving the emotionally agitated Wang Dong'er and the two complex-minded Da Ming and Er Ming to deal with the aftermath...
Walking down the cool-toned corridor, Meng Hongchen narrowed her eyes, leaned in slightly, and spoke with a hint of suspicion:
"Are you really not playing hard-to-get? I saw that little girl almost shatter just now."
Kong Mingan held her hand and said calmly, "It's just more efficient this way."
Compared to him wasting his breath explaining, it was better for Da Ming and Er Ming to personally tell Wang Dong'er about their failed assassination attempt, their capture, and their current situation of "working to repay their debt" here.
This was undoubtedly more convincing and would allow Wang Dong'er to recognize reality more clearly.
A moment later, the two arrived at a simply furnished office.
Kong Mingan sat down on the sofa, took out a Soul Tool tablet, connected to the Spiritual Pivot Network, and began organizing the introductory outline for the Artifact Cultivator system.
Meanwhile, Meng Hongchen lazily kicked off her shoes and comfortably lay down on the long sofa nearby, her slender feet, covered in sheer white silk, naturally resting on Kong Mingan's lap.
After slightly disturbing Kong Mingan's thoughts, Meng Hongchen, thoroughly satisfied, also connected to the Spiritual Pivot Network and began handling some of the guild's daily affairs in the Mingdu.
The two focused on their respective tasks, not disturbing each other, as an atmosphere of tacit understanding and harmony flowed in the air.
An hour quickly passed.
At a certain moment, the door was gently pushed open.
The blue and pink figure appeared again. Wang Dong'er walked in, her head lowered.
Currently, the girl's beautiful blue and pink eyes were clearly red and swollen, as if she had just cried. Her gaze seemed somewhat hollow, and her aura carried a sense of resigned brokenness, like an exquisite doll that had lost its Soul.
The two people in the room simultaneously turned their attention to her.
An inexplicable pressure assaulted her along with their gaze. Wang Dong'er nervously clutched her skirt hem, her knuckles turning white from the effort.
After a long while, she took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed her turbulent emotions, and tried to make her voice sound steady, though it was still hoarse:
"Thank you."
Kong Mingan became somewhat interested. He put away his tablet and looked at her: "Are you thanking me?"
Wang Dong'er raised her head, met his gaze, then quickly lowered it again, whispering, "Thank you for not killing my Big Father and Second Father."
She had already learned the full sequence of events from Da Ming and Er Ming. They had initiated the attack first, but their skills were inferior, and they were ultimately suppressed and captured.
The opponent hadn't executed her Big Father and Second Father on the spot, but instead gave them the chance to "work off their crime." This was already great mercy.
She had no reason whatsoever to blame the other party.
On the contrary, by all rights and reasons, she owed him this thank you.
However, following the thanks, a deeper sense of powerlessness surged into her heart. She gripped her skirt tighter, her body trembling slightly. The next moment, her knees buckled, and she directly knelt on the ground.
"Can you... let them go? I... I beg you."
The plea carried a subtle hint of humility. For this once-proud Young Lord of the Clear Sky Sect, achieving this level of submission showed how much resolve she had gathered.
Even though her Big Father and Second Father had told her they were not in danger and she shouldn't worry, how could she truly not care?
Meng Hongchen, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow, looked at Kong Mingan with interest, and poked him with her foot, awaiting his reply.
Kong Mingan glanced helplessly at Miss Meng, who was acting as an observer for entertainment, and then shook his head in refusal:
"No."
Wang Dong'er's eyes instantly dimmed, and tears faintly shimmered at the corners again.
But the next moment, she suppressed her emotions, as if she had made some kind of ultimate decision, her voice filled with determination:
"I am willing to give up everything. Whatever you want me to do... I am willing."
Kong Mingan unconsciously raised an eyebrow, feeling that this sentence sounded familiar. When he signed the contract with the Snow Empress earlier... wasn't it similar?
At the same time, he received a private message from Meng Hongchen nearby via the Spiritual Pivot Network:
"When did you manage to train people like this?"
Kong Mingan: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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