Voices rose and fell across the conference hall, the atmosphere tense and unsettled.
Frey Ontaris, Vice President of the Male Protection Association, rose slowly. His posture was erect, his voice steady, yet carried an invisible weight, pressing down on every stir of unrest like a mountain.
“Everyone, remain calm.”
He spread his hands slightly, his tone measured, yet it overpowered the murmurs around the room.
“We understand the gratitude the female soldiers feel toward Gu Qing—it is moving. But reason and the system must never be consumed by emotion.”
His gaze swept toward Gu Qing, cold and tinged with disdain. “This is not an awards ceremony for the military. It is an inquiry concerning the laws and order of the Empire.”
Then, his tone shifted, a mixture of reprimand and lament, the low cadence carrying a hint of cold calculation:
“A male with only D-class spiritual power, no formal education, no certification, no noble bloodline, and not officially registered with any institution… has passed the strict military vetting to become a spiritual coordinator. Does this not raise doubts?”
The hall froze instantly; the air felt like it had crystallized into frost.
“Moreover—” he stepped closer to the central seats, pressing the point, “Gu Qing has repeatedly entered the spiritual seas of high-ranking female soldiers without any monitoring records or backups, in clear violation of Imperial Spiritual Safety Regulations, Articles Seven and Twelve.”
“Tell me—if such actions were taken by an unregistered, inexperienced D-class male, would you call him a hero, or a criminal of the mind?”
The tension tightened, faces of middle-ranking officers and parliamentary insect members shifting subtly.
The Heavenly Dao Little Dumpling shrank behind Gu Qing’s shoulder, whispering in alarm:
“Whoa… they’re unleashing a major move! They’re trying to drag you straight into the Tribunal! That’s the terrifying body that examines high-level military offenses—so ruthless!”
Gu Qing remained unmoved, his calm gaze fixed forward. Behind him, Deputy Yir glanced at Milton, voice nearly trembling:
“General… they’re clearly… implying that Gu Qing acted illegally!”
Phily, frowning, whispered beside them:
“…Not only that—they’re trying to find a crack, take you both down, and make you collateral damage.”
Milton’s lips pressed into a thin line, his gaze cold as a blade, body taut like a drawn string, danger simmering beneath the surface.
At that moment—
“Finished?”
Gu Qing rose slowly, his movements unhurried, yet each step felt like a drawn blade, pointing toward all hostility.
“I have no formal education,” he said softly, yet the room instinctively held its breath.
“No certificates, no assessments, none of your approvals.”
His eyes met theirs, cold as deep-sea light, unwavering.
“But before I intervened, Corps Commander Weli had not been conscious for hours.”
His tone was calm, yet each word cut like a blade across steel:
“You claim this was a violation, an abuse of power, a trampling of law…”
He continued, calm but heavy with pressure:
“Then why did those certified, approved insects fail to save him?”
“This is not the first time,” he said evenly, every sentence cleaving through pretense like a knife,
“countless female soldiers collapsed in spiritual seas, one by one, under your so-called system.”
“And when I pulled one out of the abyss, you doubted my qualification.”
His gaze swept the high seats, a mixture of coldness and mockery in his voice:
“Qualifications—if they are merely stamps on registration—then perhaps you should first look at the names you once approved, who allowed countless female soldiers to completely break.”
“If that is what you call order—”
“—then I refuse to accept it.”
His expression remained calm as water, yet his eyes struck through every questioning gaze like knives.
For a moment, the hall fell silent. Even the Heavenly Dao Little Dumpling dared not speak, trembling atop Gu Qing’s shoulder.
Suddenly, a female soldier stood, voice quivering:
“He saved me! My spiritual sea collapsed, no one dared approach, only he came in and pulled me back!”
Another mid-ranking female soldier stood beside her, hoarse:
“Me too! If he is a criminal, then I am willing to be saved by such a criminal!”
Like sparks igniting a blaze, more female soldiers rose, their voices swelling, filling the hall.
Gu Qing did not pause; his tone only grew steadier:
“What you worry about is the risk of spiritual sea interference, or—”
“A name appearing on military records without your authorization?”
“A male without noble lineage, unrecognized by the system—how could he gain the trust of female soldiers without you?”
“This is not illegal. What you fear is the variable, the threat beyond control.”
As his words fell, murmurs erupted—not of doubt, but of awe.
Yir whispered in disbelief:
“Oh my… he’s giving the Male Protection Association a lesson in public? So cool…”
Phily’s expression remained grave, yet the shock in his heart was evident:
“He actually dared to challenge the Male Protection Association openly.”
And Milton—he quietly watched the straight, unyielding silhouette, fingers unconsciously clenching, palms warming.
At that moment, he could not tell whether the flutter in his chest came from the resonance of power clashing, or—
From an irrepressible desire for that lone figure, cutting through the darkness like a blade of light.