Chapter 26: The Delicate Heart

“Who is he?” Su Ziye asked involuntarily after the door was closed.

“Xia Rang, an important steward of our family,” Christina replied calmly.

“He’s very powerful,” Su Ziye said.

“Of course he is. He was sent by the Knights back then to monitor the Crawford family,” Christina said淡ly.

“You seem to know everything,” Su Ziye looked at her.

She really seemed to know everything. If this was her intelligence ability, then it was terrifyingly formidable.

“I do know everything,” Christina sighed, a strange sadness in her tone.

She walked to her desk, rummaged through it, and finally opened a series of hidden compartments, retrieving a crystal orb seemingly faceted with countless edges.

The orb was about the size of a fist, with numerous finely cut mirrored surfaces refracting countless colorful rays, appearing exceptionally beautiful.

“What is this?” Su Ziye asked.

“Linglong Heart,” Christina said simply.

“What is the Linglong Heart?” Su Ziye continued.

“It’s the control hub of the Black and White Hall, a weapon made by the Golden Humans,” Christina explained.

Su Ziye still didn’t fully understand.

“Where did you find it?” Su Ziye asked.

“I didn’t find it,” Christina said quietly. “I made it myself.”

“You?” Su Ziye looked at her, disbelieving.

“There is a semi-finished Linglong Heart in the Black and White Hall, but I tried and couldn’t repair it. Repairing it would cost more than making a new one, so I made one myself,” Christina said淡ly.

Su Ziye looked at the fist-sized crystal orb. On the surface, it seemed like an ordinary crystal with many facets, but he could sense its complexity and delicacy. Even the most sophisticated electronic products from his original world could not compare to this small orb.

“How did you do it?” Su Ziye asked.

“Bit by bit,” Christina gave an answer that seemed meaningless. “The Black and White Hall has blueprints for the Linglong Heart hidden throughout the palace, only decipherable by special methods. The materials and tools to make the Linglong Heart are extremely rare; it took me a long time to gather them.”

She spoke as if describing something nearly impossible with casual ease.

“So, what do you want to do now?” Su Ziye asked.

“My parents want to destroy this family, to wipe it from existence. I want to stop that,” Christina said.

“Can you stop it?” Su Ziye looked at her. “Since you know so much, do you know that a year ago, the Dark Star was gradually eliminated from this city, replaced entirely by West City? Since Yi Lanshan was able to enter Star City, he brought almost all of West City's forces here. His accomplices are your parents, the actual rulers of the Crawford family, which means most people will be under their control.”

“You want to help your grandfather, but your grandfather is a grandmaster of the Taiwei Heavenly Realm. Even so, he will die here. You’re only fourteen. What can you possibly do?” Su Ziye stared at the girl before him.

Christina smiled, though it was a bit melancholy.

“Who said I want to help my grandfather?” she said.

Su Ziye was taken aback.

She didn’t want to help Douglas, so why come here instead of leaving with him?

Su Ziye already sensed Christina’s formidable power. Taking her away would be a guaranteed gain. If she died here or wasn’t successfully taken away, it would be a huge loss for him.

“Then what do you want to do?” Su Ziye asked.

“I want to replace my grandfather and my parents, becoming the sole ruler of the Crawford family. Only then can I have a chance to stop all this destruction from happening,” Christina said.

“You’re insane,” Su Ziye said, staring at her.

The Crawford family was a force akin to an emperor beneath the commercial federation, controlling almost all multinational chambers of commerce, a terrifying power almost rivaling an empire. Christina was just a mere fourteen-year-old girl, a ninth-level magician.

What right did she have to speak so arrogantly?

“I’m not insane,” Christina said quietly.

She took out the Linglong Heart and examined it carefully before smiling at Su Ziye.

“I already told you, this is called the Linglong Heart, a weapon made by the Golden Humans and the control hub of the entire Black and White Hall. So, what if I could fully control it?”

“How would you control it?” Su Ziye asked.

“According to the original plan, the Linglong Heart still needed further refinement, but now, there’s no time left,” Christina said quietly.

“Why is there no time left?” Su Ziye looked at her.

“Because you came,” Christina said simply. “You’re like a spark that ignited everything in Quanca City.”

“Why?” Su Ziye couldn’t understand.

He couldn’t grasp why everything suddenly erupted upon his arrival.

“According to the original plan, this conflict would have unfolded more slowly because Yi Lanshan wanted to wait until grandfather weakened further before making a move.”

“But you came, meaning the Dark Star couldn’t tolerate what was happening in Quanca and had to exert its influence. This was the idea of that star lord.”

“At the same time, as a descendant of the Knights and bearer of the Blade of Disillusionment, you naturally have an important connection to the Crawford family. With your meeting with grandfather, everything is about to explode.”

“If you had listened to me and come to the Black and White Hall, it could still have been salvaged. But you refused, so I had to follow grandfather’s orders and bring you to see him. Now, everything is beyond repair.”

Christina explained quietly, clearly aware of every detail as if witnessing it firsthand.

Her voice was soft and steady.

“Then why didn’t you forcibly take me away?” Su Ziye asked.

“If I could, I would have,” Christina smiled slightly. “I tried, but you refused. That’s all.”

“All right, I’ve said what I needed to say. Now it’s time for action,” Christina said.

“Who exactly are you?” Su Ziye asked gravely.

“Me?” Christina smiled.

“I am the Ālaya-Vijñāna.”