In a car parked by the roadside.
Uesugi Chigenki called her mother.
"Mother, Su Ze has gone out and won't be back for a few days." Uesugi Chigenki held her heartbroken sister in her arms.
"Gone out?" Uesugi Chiyo frowned slightly.
Let's use this matter to test Huaxia's attitude.
"You two wait."
Uesugi Akizuki hung up the phone and made another call.
"What can I do for you, Mrs. Uesugi?"
Commander of the Forerunners, Situ Jiayang answered the phone while slowly sipping his tea.
"I'll get straight to the point. My daughter Uesugi Akizuki might have fallen for your Forerunner Su Ze, and I'm interested in matchmaking them."
Situ Jiayang was stunned for a moment before frowning, "Are you serious?"
If Uesugi Akizuki ended up with Su Ze, one of his Forerunners, it would undoubtedly bring the Forerunners and the Rakshasas closer together.
Uesugi Akizuki was at the mid-stage of Rolling Flame and possessed the Law. In Huaxia, there were fewer than ten Rolling Flame masters, let alone those who possessed the Law.
In fact, Uesugi Akizuki was one of the strongest fighters on Blue Star, which explained her somewhat superior attitude toward Huaxia. However, this didn't mean that no one in Huaxia could match her.
The commanders of various organizations were also top fighters of their time.
The reason Huaxia allowed the Rakshasas to stay was because they were useful.
But if the Forerunners had this connection...
To hell with Huaxia's Ghost Officials!
This time, I'm going to get the biggest share of resources from the Central Government!
"Someone! Get me everything about Su Ze - his ancestors, all aspects of his life, ID card, medical reports, sexual orientation, photos - everything about him!"
"Also! Find out where he is and get him here to see me immediately. Send a helicopter! Make it quick!"
The subordinate immediately took action, not understanding why the Commander was acting this way. What terrible crime had this Su Ze committed that required such a thorough investigation, even looking into his ancestors? How were they supposed to do that? Dig up graves?
"I don't want too many people knowing about this," Uesugi Akizuki said slowly upon hearing Situ Jiayang's words.
"...Understood," Situ Jiayang nodded, speaking solemnly: "Young people should be free to love, I won't interfere too much."
"But you have good taste. Su Ze is quite promising - gentle and bright."
"I believe your daughter won't regret marrying him."
Situ Jiayang recalled the young man called Su Ze, whom he had met a few times.
He was a bright, sunny young man.
However, he had been a Forerunner for less than a year, so there wasn't much of an impression.
He seemed to remember that this young man had obtained the Law.
Just as Situ Jiayang was about to further praise Su Ze's image, Uesugi Akizuki cut him off:
"I need to observe their relationship. If Su Ze is truly as described in your Forerunner's published records, I might consider letting him marry into the Uesugi family."
"Wait! Marry into your family?!" Situ Jiayang was stunned.
"Yes, marry into our family," Uesugi Akizuki said calmly.
Situ Jiayang shook his head, "That would be up to Su Ze's personal choice, I won't interfere."
Uesugi Akizuki understood, but she had her own thoughts, "During the observation period, I don't want anyone deliberately interfering or trying to match them."
"I don't want my daughter's thoughts and choices to be influenced by others."
"Whether she likes him or not, I can accept whatever outcome develops."
"If Su Ze turns out to be unfaithful... at most, it'll be a life for a life."
Uesugi Akizuki owed her daughter too much, and in this matter, she was willing to seek justice for her daughter, even at the cost of her life.
Even if you risk your life, you might not be able to kill Su Ze.
Situ Jiayang remained silent for a moment. For her to make such threats, it seemed her influence in Huaxia had grown too long.
After this matter was over, there would be plenty of time to discipline this organization.
However, before that, the old fox Situ Jiayang still wanted to gain some benefits from the Rakshasas.
Oh Su Ze, Su Ze, the future of the Forerunners rests on your shoulders. You usually seem honest and gentle, but please don't turn out to be some hidden playboy in the crowd!
"Our Forerunner candidates are carefully selected. If he brings this upon himself and truly turns out to be unfaithful, you won't need to act - I'll eliminate this trouble myself."
Uesugi Akizuki pondered:
"Fine, but during this period, you can't give Su Ze any hints or guidance, and don't deliberately approach him during the observation period."
"Agreed," Situ Jiayang said seriously.
After settling these matters, Uesugi Akizuki brought up the current situation, "Su Ze has gone out, where is he now?"
Situ Jiayang's subordinates worked quickly, returning shortly with all of Su Ze's information, waiting not far away.
"Where is Su Ze now?" Situ Jiayang asked.
"He went to the Land of the Living Dead two days ago."
Situ Jiayang's heart skipped a beat. Damn, damn, damn!
"What did he go there for?"
"He's at the peak of Candle Realm, breaking through to Lamp Realm."
"..." Situ Jiayang felt melancholic.
The resources the Forerunners could obtain through a relationship with the Rakshasas would be more precious than Su Ze breaking through a dozen realms.
The latter would only strengthen Su Ze alone, while the former would strengthen the entire Forerunners!
Anyone who wasn't a fool could understand this cost-benefit relationship.
"Find him and bring him back," Situ Jiayang tried to maintain his composure.
"The Land of the Living Dead? Breaking through?" Uesugi Akizuki pondered, "It seems I need to find a way to end my daughter's feelings."
Everyone could guess Su Ze's method of breaking through.
This person was attempting to break through between life and death - succeed and live, fail and die, with no other possible outcome.
Situ Jiayang quickly stopped her dangerous thoughts, "I hope you have some faith in our Forerunner. Breaking through between life and death doesn't necessarily mean certain death."
"Besides, the fact that Su Ze dares to break through between life and death shows his courage. With such a man, would your daughter ever need to worry about feeling secure?"
"That sounds nice, but Su Ze is in the Land of the Living Dead, and my daughter went to find him today."
Situ Jiayang immediately ordered another subordinate, "Where's Su Ze's home? Go break the lock for me!"
The subordinate was somewhat troubled, having just collected all of Su Ze's information, they knew about what had happened at his villa, "Su Ze's home... just recently, his brother Su Yu returned with Ji Ruxin."
Without hesitation, Situ Jiayang calmly said, "Perfect, have them leave and let our important guests enter. If Su Yu and his companion need a place to stay, I'll personally book them a hotel."
The Forerunners acted quickly.
Just as Situ Jiayang gave the order, Ji Ruxin received a phone call.
She looked at Su Yu puzzledly, then pulled him away.
As a Forerunner, Ji Ruxin wouldn't disobey her superior's orders.
"Don't bother closing your door, someone will be coming," Ji Ruxin said as she got into the sports car.
"Who?"
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Just do as told." Ji Ruxin drove away.
Su Daqiang watched the departing sports car in confusion, "My son... that fast?"
"Please let your two daughters in. I believe Miss Akizuki will soon meet her love," Situ Jiayang said.
"Whether they're lovers or not depends on if my daughter likes him."
"Also, don't send anyone to the Land of the Living Dead to look for Su Ze. I said I want things to develop naturally."
Aren't they bound to become lovers? If your little innocent daughter can't be won over by Su Ze, I might as well leave this world.
You say you don't want me involved, so why did you call me? If you wanted things to develop naturally, you shouldn't have told me at all.
Was it just to help your daughter get through the door?
He understood everything in an instant. Uesugi Akizuki's domineering personality was well-known to all.
She also wanted things to develop naturally, but when her daughter was turned away at someone's doorstep, she certainly didn't want her daughter to suffer such embarrassment.
That's why she sought help.
The initial probing was actually to test Huaxia's attitude, right?
Old fox, I can hear your schemes from ten thousand miles away in Yu Province.
Situ Jiayang smiled slightly. He was also an old fox, and if he simply went along with everything Uesugi Akizuki wanted, he might as well quit being Commander.
Being so easily ordered around by an outsider - what kind of Commander would that make him? He might as well find a piece of tofu to bang his head against and die.
However, Situ Jiayang also felt it was better to let things take their natural course.
Thinking about it, they decided to recall the people sent to the Land of the Living Dead to find Su Ze.
This was unavoidable.
Finding him would mean intervening.
Although this was Huaxia, Uesugi Akizuki still had the ability to uncover some clues.
Moreover, the other party wasn't stupid. If Su Ze had broken through, he would return as a Lamp Realm practitioner; if he hadn't, he would be dead.
If they brought back a Su Ze who hadn't broken through, it would be too easy to identify whether they had intervened or not.