The Earth Federation Headquarters was in utter chaos. Everywhere, sharp, capable soldiers in various uniforms rushed back and forth, while stern-faced Federation officials in formal suits barreled through the corridors. Every hallway intersection was guarded by at least a reinforced squad of elite troops, and many vital departmental access points were secured by more than ten powerful Espers working alongside the soldiers.

Outside the highest-floor conference hall of the Federation Headquarters, thirty men and women of all ages stood in a straight line, all wearing silver uniforms adorned with a cluster of golden flames embroidered over the left breast.

The golden flame, the size of a child's fist, held two faint silver dragon eyes at its core. Gu Xichen recognized their identity immediately: the Flame Dragon Detachment, the ultimate force directly under the Federation Council Chairman. This was an ultimate force composed entirely of Jieshi, and the strongest Jieshi among them were rumored to have participated in the Battle of Ninety-Three hundreds of years ago!

This was the final military strength the Federation Council relied upon to keep the major internal factions in check. Their privileges even surpassed those of the Special Operations Bureau. In other words, the Special Operations Bureau was merely the reserve militia among the Federation's Espers, responsible for managing Espers and Jieshi unwilling to submit to Federation control. The Flame Dragon Detachment, however, was a highly organized, disciplined, rigorously trained, and battle-hardened special operations elite, always ready to be deployed to the battlefield.

As soon as he reached the entrance of the conference hall, thirty powerful, piercing mental waves bore down on Gu Xichen without concealment. The colossal mental force meticulously scanned his body, inside and out, scrutinizing every small item he carried. Only then did a white-haired elder extend his hand, silently blocking the way.

Gu Xichen pulled out his credentials and handed them to the elder.

After a detailed verification of his identity, Gu Xichen was finally allowed into the conference hall, but all his accompanying personnel were forced to wait in the lounge outside; they didn't even have the qualification to approach the hall itself.

In Gu Xichen’s estimation, the conference hall should have been seething with noise, everyone arguing heatedly. After all, the assassination of Wolf of Poison, carried out by a freshly minted hero of the Federation, was an incident whose repercussions were even more severe than the Uriah affair. Representatives of all major factions should be exploiting this situation to stir up trouble.

But upon entering the conference hall, Gu Xichen was stunned to find that although the hall was packed with high-ranking Federation officials, the entire room was utterly silent, no one speaking a word. The silence was profound, broken only by the four large display screens continuously looping satellite footage of the assassination attempt on Wolf of Poison and himself, repeating over and over. Occasionally, the screens would flicker, emitting a low, electronic resonance that only made the atmosphere in the hall feel more stagnant and dead.

The heads of the Standing Committee of the Federation Council, the United Upper Council, the Federation Lower Council, the leaders of various Federation departments and committees, the supreme commanders of the Federation Military, the highest authorities of the Federation’s numerous powerful agencies, the top generals of the major military regions on Earth Prime, the Executive Director and Garrison Commander of the Earth Federation Lunar Special Administrative Region, and other high-level figures from various official Federation institutions were all gathered, yet every single person quietly watched the flickering images on the overhead screens, not uttering a sound.

Seated between the delegation of the Standing Committee of the Federation Council and the Federation Military, the high-ranking clergy of the Vatican, robed in white, and the high-ranking clergy of the Pantheon Alliance, robed in black, were particularly conspicuous. Seated at the very front of the Vatican delegation was Bishop Andre, clad in a white cassock, holding a golden crozier, and wearing a crown set with rubies. At the forefront of the Pantheon Alliance representatives sat Bishop Bobbi of the Doom Temple, dressed in a dark purple-black robe, wielding a sceptre of obsidian, and wearing a diadem shaped like a black diamond cobra.

Asian Dao Alliance.

The Asian Dao Alliance had no representative present!

Gu Xichen’s heart sank. The atmosphere in the hall was bizarre; there must be something hidden beneath the surface. He had originally planned to find a few familiar faces to inquire about the situation, but seeing that nearly ninety-nine percent of the Federation's highest officials were gathered here, he couldn't grasp what exactly had transpired. He decided to simply find an empty seat and observe.

Seeing Gu Xichen enter the conference hall, Jean Joann, seated on the dais, quickly rose and waved with a smile: "Colonel, come here!" Gu Xichen blinked in surprise, then shook his head with a wry smile, "I shouldn't sit there!" Jean Joann descended from the dais, hurried over to Gu Xichen, solicitously took his arm, and led him up onto the platform, pressing him into his own seat. Smiling broadly, Jean Joann grabbed the microphone and announced, "Colonel Gu Xichen, please now describe for us the events that transpired two hours ago." Gu Xichen frowned. He glanced at the Vice-Chairs of the Standing Committee of the Federation Council seated next to him, deliberated briefly, and then looked towards the Federation Military delegation seats. Wolf of Poison was absent; he was personally leading a team to interrogate Lieutenant General Alexander in the dungeons of the Paris Garrison. Among the high-ranking officials from the military he knew, only Herkomus was present.

After a moment of thought, Gu Xichen detailed the assassination attempt on himself and Wolf of Poison. Naturally, in Gu Xichen's narration, the 'rebel soldiers' dispatched by Alexander were colluding with the Werewolves and Minotaurs; their ultimate goal was to seize the control codes for the Federation’s ultimate defense system protecting Wolf of Poison. The evidence was conclusive and undeniable.

As soon as Gu Xichen finished speaking, Bobbi stood up. He spoke in a low, gravelly voice, "The Pantheon Alliance was completely unaware of this incident. Those Werewolves and Minotaurs who betrayed Federation interests will certainly face severe punishment from the Pantheon Alliance. We will consult with the Non-Human Species Council on this matter to ensure the assassins are apprehended as quickly as possible." Bobbi coughed lightly, then explained with a hint of difficulty, "However, there are millions of Werewolves and over a million Minotaurs within the Earth Federation. To ascertain the assassins' identities, we will require time." Gu Xichen looked at Bobbi, and Bobbi looked back at him. Their eyes met briefly before both looked down at the floor beside them. Gu Xichen sensed something in Bobbi's gaze that he couldn't quite decipher. He inwardly sneered, "Very good. Shifting the blame completely with a single sentence! Hmph hmph, Minotaurs with crimson horns are rare experts even within the Pantheon Alliance—how much more time do you need? You might as well just admit you are harboring the criminals!" With a cold smirk, Gu Xichen challenged Bobbi directly, "Then, we shall wait and see!"

"The leader of that group of assassins," Bobbi lifted his head, his voice laced with a cold sneer, "had dual crimson horns. Please be mindful, Colonel Gu Xichen, even those possessing the faintest trace of Minotaur lineage can transform into a Minotaur. Furthermore, the color of a Minotaur’s horns can be subject to genetic mutation. The color of the horns proves nothing. We have never known of a member within the Minotaur population who possesses dual crimson horns!"