The One Who Holds the Scales

The arena staff scrambled onto the platform, where Jia Xianglan's and Shen Shouli's mechs had already separated. Shen Shouli's Chi Ren crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

They quickly pried open Chi Ren's cockpit to check on Shen Shouli. If he slipped directly into a deep coma, it would all be over—the real-world Shen Shouli outside would become a vegetable.

Nearby, Jia Xianglan was completely absorbed in the thrill of having taken down Shen Shouli, and he began to crow triumphantly: "Bring out Xu Lingqu! I choose her as my next opponent!"

The man had no idea how monumental a blunder he had just committed, preening in his own glory.

At the main dais, Jia Xiangying nearly sprinted from the Empire students' section to stand before Jia Tu.

"You rigged it for Jia Xianglan, didn't you?" Jia Xiangying cut straight to the point, confronting her father directly. "The two of you decided this from the very start—to let Jia Xianglan 'show off' in the arena this way. You'd already agreed to attack Shen Shouli's cockpit, and in this fashion."

Jia Tu remained perfectly composed, a smile still on his face. "Xiaoying, how could you accuse your own father like that? And what have I always taught you? You need evidence for accusations. You say your father helped your brother cheat—do you have proof? Or are you just jealous of your brother again?"

Jia Xiangying looked at the man before her. He had once been the person she admired most. To earn his approval, she had sparred with Jia Xianglan, held herself to ruthless standards, and even though he had always favored Jia Xianglan, she never stopped hoping.

Those hopes had evaporated completely today, the moment she saw Jia Tu for what he truly was.

"You let Jia Xianglan treat Shen Shouli like this—have you forgotten that General Shen is still out there watching?" Jia Xiangying felt no sorrow. She had finally broken free of emotional manipulation and was analyzing the situation with cold clarity. "No, you didn't forget. You think that because you and Jia Xianglan are both in the Federation now, you're safe. And this move will curry favor with the Federation's Military Department and the Merlin Family. As for me—thrown into the Empire's military academy—I'm nothing but a sacrificial lamb."

Jia Tu, exposed by his own daughter's words, flew into a rage born of shame: "You chose Dolanston Academy in the Empire yourself, Xiaoying! How can you blame everything on your father?"

"Whether I chose it myself or you steered me into it with your constant hints—you know the truth in your heart." Jia Xiangying had become utterly immune to his accusations. "But right now, I think the best decision I ever made was coming to the Empire, to Dolanston. From this position, I can finally see everything clearly."

Jia Tu sensed something unusual about his daughter. The old Jia Xiangying would have broken down the moment he accused her of jealousy, not stood here facing him down with such composure.

He opened his mouth to offer some placating words, but Jia Xiangying cut him off.

"Since you've gone this far, let me say this: from today onward, I sever all ties with you as father and daughter. I will remain at Dolanston and fight for the Empire. Whether it's you or Jia Xianglan, from now on, you're both my enemies." Jia Xiangying's face was cold as ice. "And I will give my aunt a full account of exactly the kind of man you are. I may not have evidence, but the experience of having been your daughter should be more than enough to lend weight to my words."

The person who truly held sway on the Sky Network's board was Jia Xiangying's aunt, Jia Lan. But in recent years, her health had deteriorated, and while she focused on recuperation, she had installed her brother as the company's president. Jia Tu was merely a figurehead for her authority—she had never intended to let him stir up real trouble within Sky Network.

But Jia Tu had played his role well in her presence, so she had kept him in that position.

Jia Xiangying's move was a genuine death blow to Jia Tu. He shot to his feet in a fury, about to lecture his daughter, but she didn't even spare him a glance as she turned and walked away.

All these years, Jia Tu had been like a scale, with her and Jia Xianglan on opposite ends. She had begged for the day the balance would tip toward her, believing that eventually, he would truly acknowledge her.

Watching Jia Tu fly into a rage at the mere mention of Jia Lan's name, Jia Xiangying finally understood: don't pray for the scale to tip. Be the one who holds it.

On the arena platform, Shen Shouli was lifted out of the cockpit. His body appeared perfectly normal, but the lingering agony of death still echoed through his nerves.

Just as the Sky Network staff considered throwing themselves on their swords in apology, his hand twitched.

Shen Shouli opened his eyes. Overwhelming pain engulfed him, and a dialog box appeared before him, urging him to immediately exit the cocoon link and return to the real world for a checkup.

The staff around him were also urging him to log out quickly, but he chose to refuse the exit. He reached out, pushed aside the people beside him, and called out: "Xu Lingqu..."

As Jia Xianglan's designated opponent, Xu Lingqu had already stepped forward. All the Empire students around her had, in unison, urged her not to go, to just forfeit.

Jia Xianglan would surely retaliate against her with even more savage madness.

Their advice came from genuine concern for Xu Lingqu, but she didn't take it.

She walked out, and as she passed Shen Shouli, she heard his voice and stopped.

Shen Shouli had so much he wanted to say—that Jia Xianglan's mech was rigged, that no A-rank mech stood a chance against Chen Dao, that Jia Xianglan would absolutely target her cockpit if he got the chance.

He didn't want her to suffer that same pain. Shen Shouli would rather endure it a thousand times over than let Xu Lingqu experience it once.

That obsessive thought gave birth to a foolish idea: he opened his mouth, about to tell her to forfeit her match against Jia Xianglan.

But the dual torment of body and mind quickly brought him back to his senses, and he felt ashamed of what he had almost said.

How could he persuade Xu Lingqu to give up based on some so-called "protective instinct"?

She had walked out on her own—that meant she was ready to face Jia Xianglan. His protective impulse had cast her as something to be sheltered, forgetting that she was a powerful, independent person in her own right.

If Xu Lingqu herself hadn't decided to forfeit, then he had no right to impose his thoughts on her.

Let her land safely, but also support her on every journey she chose to take.

With that realization, the words that had been on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down, replaced by a single sentence: "Be careful. Protect yourself."

The staff saw that he had finished speaking and began urging him again to exit the connection.

But Xu Lingqu suddenly spoke: "Are you going to log out and get checked out outside?"

Before he could answer, she added: "If you can still hold on, then stay and watch."

Shen Shouli couldn't tell whether his heart was pounding from the pain or from Xu Lingqu's casually spoken words—or perhaps both.

He refused to exit once more.

"...Okay."