Please don't question multi-week players

Chapter 225. The Fall of Dawn Base
Jiang Jianxin gripped Qin Xuan's wrist tightly and strode through the corridor. The blue light of the super AI, A Yu, swirled ahead, and the alloy doors slid open one after another.

Qin Xuan remained silent throughout the walk. Jiang Jianxin knew the reason for her silence, but she didn't have time to offer words of comfort.

"Woo——————"

As the wind, carrying the smoke of gunpowder, rushed in from the rooftop, the last piece of purple barrier was collapsing.

The light curtain that stretched across the sky trembled like the wings of a dying butterfly, shattering into countless phosphorescent flames in the wind blades swung by the masked man.

The scattered purple light, like a reversed shower of stars, illuminated the Furong Army swarming towards the city wall below—their armored formations gleamed with a torrent of cold metallic light, and the extraordinary abilities of the gifted streaked across the sky like a dazzling yet deadly aurora.

Jiang Jianxin pulled Qin Xuan onto his longsword, and the latter looked at the sky full of light spots in a daze.

"Next month is her eighteenth birthday. A few days ago, she said that she likes dazzling fireworks and that in addition to holding a banquet for her coming-of-age ceremony, she also wants to invite her subordinates and comrades to watch the fireworks together."

"...She has no parents, and she said that when the fireworks went off, she wanted me to send her my blessings as her older sister."

Looking at the countless shattered purple specks of light, Qin Xuan suddenly spoke in a dry voice.

"But she died at seventeen, and never got to see the fireworks of her eighteenth birthday."

Jiang Jianxin paused slightly, realizing that the talent holder who activated the blood sacrifice might be the girl Qin Xuan had mentioned. So she followed Qin Xuan's gaze and looked at the countless points of light floating in the sky.

The fragments of the collapsed barrier now hovered in the air, like solidified sparks, and for a moment they really did resemble celebratory fireworks.

The cheering crowd turned into a fighting army, and the one who lit the fireworks was a girl who was forever frozen at the age of seventeen.

The scattered purple light specks landed on his shoulder. Jiang Jianxin pursed his lips, unsure of what to say, and simply patted Qin Xuan on the shoulder, saying:
"Let's go, Souji, it's all over now."

The longsword traced a pale path through the clouds, while below came the muffled sound of the base's outer wall collapsing as it was struck by wind blades.

The howling air currents high above swallowed up all of Qin Xuan's unspoken words.

Behind them, the purple starlight gradually dimmed, like all the wishes that were extinguished before they could bloom.

"Wow————"

After flying on the sword for about three or four minutes, you can see the Cangjiang River rushing and roaring under the sky, with turbid waves crashing against the cliffs on both sides, and the spray gleaming with a cold light.

Yin Ju's long boots trod on the surging river surface, the ripples solidifying and supporting his heavy steps.

The Dawn Base in the distance was engulfed in flames, and the Furong Army surging through the breach in the city wall was like an ant swarm bursting its banks.

He looked into the distance and saw the masked man suspended high in the air—a visible vortex of wind formed around the man, and torn city wall bricks and metal fragments spun in the airflow, resembling a man-made storm.

"Elder Jiang, what's the situation at Dawn Base?"

Yin Ju's surprised voice was cut short by the river wind.

Once away from Haidu, with the air humidity dropping, his attack power was greatly weakened.

Seeing the situation at Dawn Base, Yin Ju's cowardly nature suddenly kicked in, and he hesitated to go up.

"Who is this person, and why is there wind surrounding them?"

Yin Ju asked again.

Jiang Jianxin lowered his sword, letting it hover above the river, and first reminded Yin Ju:

"Don't go up there. This masked man is very strong. You might not be able to beat him."

Then she pointed to the woman in military uniform behind her and said:

"Dawn Base has now fallen. Its central control system has been completely taken over by the super artificial intelligence Ayu, and there is a powerful army outside. It is now beyond saving. I only managed to rescue Commander Qin Xuan."

Qin Xuan's face was filled with sorrow, and she moved her lips slightly to say:

"It's my failure; I couldn't protect everyone."

Yin Ju frowned and said:
"Ah... how could this be? I remember the alliance was fine before I came to Haidu." Qin Xuan shook his head and said:
"It was Deputy Commander Zhu Yan who orchestrated all of this, trying to make the Dream Pavilion devour the War Alliance."

"She used artificial intelligence to cut off the personnel dispatches I had previously sent to the Dawn Base, and also faked itineraries to deceive me."

"The goal was to leave me without anyone to rely on, and then use the artillery fire of the Furong Army to kill me completely today."

Yin Ju asked, puzzled:
Why did Deputy Director Zhu do this?

"She said she was originally a member of the Dream Pavilion, and her purpose was to help the Dream Pavilion devour the War Alliance."

Qin Xuan told the truth.

Yin Ju and Jiang Jianxin exchanged a glance, neither of them understanding what the other meant.

"Zhu Yan was originally from the Dream Weaver Pavilion?"

Jiang Jianxin repeated.

"Doesn't our headquarters investigate backgrounds when selecting personnel?"

Qin Xuan shook his head and said:
"We investigated, but all the information indicated that her background was normal, ordinary, and clean."

Jiang Jianxin frowned; she keenly sensed the scent of a conspiracy.

"Ordinary and clean?"

"Yes, her background information has nothing to do with the Dream Pavilion. The data shows that she belongs to the pure war faction and has no connection with the chaos faction."

Qin Xuan recalled:
"This is also what puzzles me the most, because it is theoretically impossible."

Although Jiang Jianxin didn't understand the specific reason, he had already guessed something and sighed:
"Shogun, you've been set up by the Light."

These ordinary, unremarkable people, who seem to defy explanation, are often the most meticulously crafted disguises of those who seek to uphold justice.

Qin Xuan had also thought of this, and she smiled wryly:

"Maybe."

"If that's really the case, there's nothing we can do. When I took over the War Alliance, it was already a mess."

Qin Xuan said slowly:
"I know there is infiltration from external forces, and I know I should be careful... but the difference in allegiances is something I can't avoid no matter how careful I am."

A smokescreen by the Chaos faction, a scheme within a scheme by the Light faction.

She was caught in the middle of it all and completely fooled.

The tragedy of war is perhaps this: the gap in understanding leaves them shrouded in mist, unable to see the full picture of the conspiracy.

Only light can counteract light, but the War Alliance lacks high-level light warriors. Once infiltrated, it will be an intractable situation.

Jiang Jianxin sighed, said nothing, but said to Yin Ju:

"You will first escort the commander back by water."

Yin Ju looked at her in surprise and said:

"Aren't you leaving?"

Jiang Jianxin glanced at the war-torn Dawn Base in the distance and said:
"I'm not in a hurry to leave. I'll observe the situation up close first."

"That masked man seems interesting."

I revised the plot a bit, so it's a little late to post.

The update on the 12th will be a little late because I have to go out urgently.