But this beautiful woman had been walking around the hunting grounds for over an hour without firing a single shot. She would just aim a few times and then put the gun down, leaving the two men puzzled: was she there to hunt or to sightsee?
Just then, the sound of two servants' footsteps startled the deer behind the forest. The deer immediately raised its head warily and cautiously looked around with its eyes, finally spotting the phoenix in the distance.
It didn't leave immediately, but looked at the phoenix with a curious expression. The two, human and deer, gazed at each other from a distance of several dozen steps.
Finally, Phoenix smiled, casually tossing her hunting rifle to a servant behind her, and strode towards the deer. The servant immediately sighed: "It seems this beautiful guest has never hunted before. If you walk over like that, the prey will surely run away in fright."
But what happened next left the two of them stunned.
Phoenix walked over with her arms outstretched, a captivating smile on her face, her beautiful hair seemingly bathed in a holy glow in the evening light.
The deer seemed to hesitate for a moment, then cautiously made its way through the jungle, strolling gently towards the phoenix.
Instead of fleeing, it meekly allowed the phoenix to approach it and let the human hold its head.
Phoenix crouched down, extended a hand, and let the little deer lick her palm. A gentle smile graced her face, and her eyes were as clear as water.
No one knew that what she was softly murmuring was a strange language that did not belong to ordinary humans.
The deer even knelt down and gently rubbed its head against the phoenix's hand, leaning against the phoenix's chest without any suspicion.
“See, as long as you respect life, life will respect you in return,” Phoenix sighed.
Just as the two royal servants behind were stunned, suddenly, the deer stood up, looked around as if startled, and then quickly broke free from the phoenix's embrace and darted into the depths of the forest.
Phoenix sighed, frowned, and turned around: "Didn't I tell you not to bother me?"
"I'm sorry, sir."
The two servants were startled. Under a nearby tree, where there had been no one before, two people were now standing. The two immediately tensed up, one of them instinctively reaching for his waist. As guards of the royal gardens, they were both armed.
The two people under the tree, one had a huge head, while the other, wearing a Japanese-style robe, was clearly Japanese, but his long silver hair looked somewhat eerie, and his face was as pale as paper, even his lips seemed bloodless.
"Alright, you don't need to be nervous. These are my men." Phoenix glanced at the two servants.
The two servants looked rather grim. This was a royal garden! How could someone sneak in so easily?
Phoenix's expression was relatively gentle towards the two servants, but when her gaze fell on them, especially on the one with the big head, she became noticeably impatient: "You'd better have a good reason, otherwise, you know I don't like being disturbed."
The large-headed man was the same one Chen Xiao had seen and fought on the Victoria at sea. The pale-faced Japanese man beside him with long silver hair was none other than one of the two Onmyoji, one in black and one in white, who had attempted to kidnap Princess Chiyoko on the hillside near Akiko-no-Miya that day—Chen Xiao had killed the black-clad one. The white-clad one seemed to possess a prestigious surname: Abe! The large-headed man, swept over by Phoenix's gaze, immediately showed a look of fear, cold sweat beading on his massive forehead. He cautiously said, "My lord, what you instructed me to do..."
"Failed?" Phoenix smiled faintly, her eyes revealing undisguised disgust towards the big-headed man.
"Yes, Lord Sea God. We still haven't found her. I have received a stern order."
Phoenix snorted, her beautiful eyes narrowing. At this moment, she was no longer the gentle, submissive woman she was in front of Chen Xiao; instead, she exuded an aura of authority that seemed to silently permeate the air, making the large-headed man feel as if he were being suffocated by the pressure.
After a while, just as the large-headed man's legs were starting to feel weak, Phoenix finally spoke: "I think you should know very well. I strongly disagree with everything you did at sea. As for which bastard in the organization gave you those orders, I know very well. I won't make things difficult for you subordinates. But, I need you to understand one thing: no matter what orders you received before—but now, I'm here. Everything here must obey my orders, and any orders you received before are completely null and void! Some bastards think that killing and violence can solve problems, but I want you to understand that this doesn't align with my principles. So..." Phoenix glanced at the large-headed man, who was covered in cold sweat, and continued: "Where did that 'Sea Goddess' go? I don't care at all! I don't believe in force, nor do I believe that strength can solve problems."
"But, but..." Big Head stammered, swallowing hard, "But, regarding Lord Sea God's sudden disappearance, what about the higher-ups?"
“Tell those guys I’m here now. So tell them to shut up about what I do.” Phoenix’s voice was cold. “I know what to do. As for those who think they can get away with intimidation and murder, when I get back, I’ll teach those brainless idiots a lesson.”
"And also... Mr. Abe, he..."
Phoenix snorted and quickly shut her mouth. Phoenix's gaze then fell on the Onmyoji dressed in white with long silver hair, her expression still calm: "Mr. Abe".
The silver-haired, pale-faced man bowed slightly, but his expression carried a hint of reserve and indifference.
"I don't like you, and I don't like you as a person." Phoenix's straightforward words caused a shadow to flash in Abe's eyes.
Abe took a breath, his voice soft and feminine: "My lord, I have already joined your side. There were some misunderstandings before."
"It's not a misunderstanding." Phoenix snorted. "Whether you were our enemy before or you've joined us now, it's all due to your strength. And the fact that you know how to side with the strong only shows that you're smart, but I won't be grateful for your joining. On the contrary, you should be grateful that we accepted you. So, don't try to negotiate with me. As for you joining us and betraying your former allies, I won't comment on that. There's no sentimentality between us; it's all naked betrayal and a deal."
Phoenix's words were sharp, even tinged with a cold laugh: "I remember, that day on the hillside behind Akiochi Palace, an Onmyoji died. That Onmyoji was your friend, wasn't he? The one who killed that Onmyoji..."
A hint of hatred flashed in Abe's eyes.
"You'd better not be thinking about revenge." Phoenix snorted. "You can't touch that person! And I won't allow it! Moreover, I can tell you very clearly that you were our enemy back then. I was on the mountain that day, but I arrived a little late. Otherwise, I would have killed you all directly that day."
Ambition remained silent, a suppressed flush rising on his pale face.
“The royal family has already compromised,” Phoenix continued. “So, a conclusion will be reached soon. Your defection at this time was very smart. As for those who insist on opposing the royal family, I’m glad you sold them out to us. Work hard; your betrayal will be rewarded accordingly. Hmm, as the biggest reward, you’ll probably get a very good position in the newly formed organization. For example, a special elder position, how about that?”
Ampère took a deep breath, remained silent, and bowed slightly.
Big Head suddenly interjected, "Mr. Abe might be able to help us find more of those traitors who intend to overthrow the royal family."
“That’s your problem,” Phoenix said impatiently. “I won’t stay in Japan forever. I hate the atmosphere here, and I don’t like this place.” She glanced at the large head and suddenly smiled. “You know very well that after I leave, you will be left in Japan. Your task is to ensure that this newly established organization accepts our leadership. Of course, that lovely Princess Chiyoko must also be well controlled. I think Mr. Abe will fully cooperate with you on this.”
"So, the royal family's statement..." Big Head swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He knew very well that if this Phoenix Lord left, his mission in Japan, as the organization's special envoy, would be to assist Princess Chiyoko in integrating the traditional supernatural groups in Japan into a new organization. Princess Chiyoko would be merely a figurehead, while he himself would be the leader!
In the organization's grand vision for the future of the world, it is inevitable that it will have its own piece.
It's truly ironic and laughable. Back at sea, I led an attack on the Victoria, the ship Princess Chiyoko was traveling on. And now, just a few days later, we're all sitting peacefully at the same table.
This big-headed man knew perfectly well that the organization he belonged to was an extremely mysterious entity, whose potential strength was already on par with traditional service agencies or clubs! It was just that this behemoth hadn't officially surfaced yet. Once this organization did, it would become an entity that would shock the entire world!
However, this new, mysterious organization has always been plagued by serious internal divisions, with radicals and moderates arguing fiercely about its future direction. The previous attack on the HMS Victoria, an attempt to intimidate the Japanese Imperial Family into submission through force, which caused a major incident, was orchestrated by the radicals.
Now, it's clear that the radicals have been suppressed within the upper echelons. The main reason is laughable: it's because that Sea God has disappeared!
That Sea God was an S-rank powerhouse! He had always been the force the radical faction relied on. But now, with the disappearance of an S-rank, the radical faction had lost its strong support, and the moderate faction had regained the upper hand.
The Phoenix Lord before us is one of the top figures in the organization's upper echelons, and also a leading figure of the moderate faction!