CHAPTER 186 ♦ HERO II
She shook her head!
She said: “No.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
The captain of the team stuttered: “Marshal, External Affairs department have sorted everything for you. The Chief is coming down himself to bring you back. The Head of Scorpio Minister is awaiting your return with the gathered public at the Spirit Monument!”
“I said, no.” Xuan Mo was firm as she repeated. She turned and looked at the youth holding the device, “if the laws of the Coalition had not changed, the 37th protection law of an unknown planet states that their body is your responsibility. If you accidentally accept the body of an aboriginal from the planet, you must fulfill and complete all the responsibilities and requirements of the body. Should the identity that you have taken on disappear or die unexpectedly, please refer to the first item for penalty, harm or killing of intelligent beings on an unknown civilised planet. Culprit will face military service sentence for lesser crimes, or be exiled for serious crimes.”
She continued: “The original owner of this body committed suicide in front of my eyes. After I took over her identity and responsibilities, I am not Abudory, but Xuan Mo! If I were to return, please wait for another fifty years, until I reach the end of the average lifespan of blue planet beings, before picking me up.”
“But Marshal!” The youth started urgently, “you don’t need to go to such extent, you are…”
“If heroes are above the law, then please destroy the Spirit Monument.” Xuan Mo cut him off and said coldly.
They sank into silence again.
None of the Scorpions watching the video spoke a word. Afterwhich, all the Scorpion soldiers, both in the cave and those watching through the universe-net stood, and gave Xuan Mo the highest standing salute in the Scorpion military available to pay their respects.
“I’m not that great or worthy.” Xuan Mo was exasperated by the sudden gravity from the soldiers. “I’ve once wondered about just dropping everything and going back. But if I do that, I won’t be able to get over it in my head. I’ve once told an Elgeian, I’d rather remain on the Spirit Monument forever than return as a criminal… go back, the blue planet still has a long way to go as compared to the other extraterrestrial civilisations. Next time you come down, remember to be more subtle.”
She looked up to glance at the cave. The ending notes of sunset were spilling in. She was exasperated: “Quickly clean this up properly, and patch the cave.”
The team dispersed to complete their tasks. The captain continued earnestly: “Marshal, don’t worry, we will protect the blue planet! And make sure that while you’re here, it won’t be invaded by any other civilisation.”
Xuan Mo squinted her eyes: “If you guard the blue planet with your life, what about Scorpio Planet? Stick to what you’re supposed to do. Other people from other civilisations will protect their own planet.”
The captain nodded, receiving her education.
The team cleaned the Portelli Fire King Bee corpses away, emptied all of their bodies and recreated the insides of a normal blue planet being — bones and blood. Bones were taken from the burial pit; as for the blood, they recreated the liquid on the spot. After they were done, the King Bees had completely “evolved” into blue planet beings.
The Golden Stone didn’t exist any more, the combat team that came all the way in would only be able to return without any findings. Even if all the researchers dug the cave up till they died, they wouldn’t be able to find anything like the Golden Stone in existence any more.
Just as the few of them were ready to leave, Xuan Mo suddenly spoke: “Hold on.”
“Marshal?”
“What do you usually do with Elgeians?”
Speaking of this, the captain seemed distressed: “Frankly speaking, ever since we’ve started using anti-space cannons prevalently, we’ve managed to discover and stop the activation of all the galactic doors. We’ve also pretty much captured all the Elgeians, almost all of them are dead. It’s been several decades of peace and quiet. Other than this new one, I don’t think there’s any more. If he were to go on trial, the court would probably need to dig out the old laws that they’ve not used in a long time. He’ll definitely be exiled or something along the lines of them, since this was attempted and he didn’t actually do it.”
“Exile…” Xuan Mo repeated, and suddenly smiled, “do not record this!”
The soldier holding the image transmitter immediately switched it off obediently and stood up straight.
“Well…” Xuan Mo’s smile was as sly as it could get, “I’m still a Marshal aren’t I…”
“Yes! You are the Marshal!” The Captain howled.
“Should be fine if I want to make some personal changes given my authority right.”
“Make changes with your authority! …ah?”
“I really don’t have anyone to talk to here, look, he’s still getting exiled, except that he’s being exiled to this planet.”
“But exile means to send him to a place without intelligent beings…” Just as the captain finished speaking, he was elbowed by his teammate, the latter’s expression was disdainful at his lack of EQ.
Xuan Mo’s expression dropped: “Enough! This guy already has a legal identity here. If you bring him away, and his family starts asking questions, how am I supposed to answer?”
The captain finally understood why his teammate gave him a disdainful look from earlier. At Xaun Mo’s words, he nodded in understanding: “Works, Marshal please give us a moment, we’ll sort him out and send him over to your place in a bit. Promise he’ll remain perfectly fine the way he is!”
“Hmph.”
Half an hour later, Xuan Mo was on the floor. She watched through her mental-net as the invisible battleship suspended at the top of the mountain lifted off before disappearing in a blink of an eye. A sense of disappointment and sadness filled her; the feeling of emptiness seemed to course through her entire being. She couldn’t find the effort to get anything done in this state, so she decided to close her eyes and go to sleep like a blue planet being.
Beside her was Ai Er Ge’s slow, and long breathing.
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