Gu Jianlin flipped the meat on the electric grill with tongs and asked, "The guy you're talking about—is he my dad? I've heard people mention it recently. Back when they forced the President to abdicate, he played a part too."

Moon Princess pretended to look at the scenery, saying, "Mm."

The two exchanged glances and simultaneously cursed in their hearts.

"Unlucky!"

Moon Princess warned, "In any case, you need to be careful. The factional fights within the Ether Association are incredibly fierce—there's an undercurrent flowing everywhere. If you're looking into your father's past, it's very easy for some people to use you. When that happens, even if you don't mean to, the President will treat you as a pawn set up by other factions."

Her beautiful eyes gleamed with intense apprehension. "As long as the Association is threatened, she could even kill her own children. She possesses Catastrophe-Level strength—if she truly wants to kill someone, no one would be able to protect them."

Gu Jianlin deliberated for a moment. "Is that so?"

"The King of Qing might be stronger than the President, but they're ultimately on the same level. At their tier, no one can easily triumph over the other, but killing a junior like you would be far too simple."

Moon Princess added, "It's like Ultraman fighting a monster—humans on the ground can't possibly guarantee their own safety."

Gu Jianlin nodded slightly. "Fair point."

"And let me ask—when do those in power act the craziest?"

Moon Princess remarked with a faint air of mystery.

Gu Jianlin didn't need to think: the answer was old age!

"There's a saying that the President's time might be approaching—but who knows whether she'll outlast the King of Qing."

Moon Princess whispered, "In the Dark World, there are people counting the days on their fingers. If the President falls, and if the King of Qing also disappears, this world will undergo an earth-shattering transformation."

Gu Jianlin hesitated for a moment, fishing a golden emblem—the Golden Phoenix Feather—out of his pocket. Suspiciously, he said, "I honestly don't understand the President. What does she want? The Little Princess is wild, sure, but she couldn't bring her down—at most, she just embarrassed herself slightly, nothing serious. Instead, I feel like she's conveniently pushing me into the second echelon."

"And as for this Golden Phoenix Feather, I've heard it's her token of authority. To some extent, it symbolizes her prestige."

He paused. "If it's because I called her a Vulgar Master and she wanted to mess with me, why would she give me this?"

Unexpectedly, when Moon Princess saw the Golden Phoenix Feather, she froze.

"What's wrong?"

Gu Jianlin frowned and asked.

Moon Princess was silent for a long time before saying, "This comes from the Fusang Divine Palace, belonging to a high-ranking member of the Vermilion Bird Clan. I don't know if it's from an Ancestor or a Supreme. Its power has already been drained, but it still holds significant value. It can be used to... construct an alchemy matrix specifically targeting the Vermilion Bird Clan."

She added, "Humans are creatures adept at leveraging their environment and tools. Since ancient times, humanity has fought against the Ancient God Clan using this method. It's like forming a raid party in an online game—someone gathers information about the boss: its fire resistance, lightning resistance, physical or magical defense, and attack stats. Then, gear is tailored accordingly."

Gu Jianlin gave a low acknowledgment. That was straightforward enough!

Yet when he thought about how he might one day become a "monster" himself, his feelings became a bit complicated.

"Your father sought something similar back then, too."

Moon Princess glanced at him, her tone deliberate.

"I see. That's why, in the battle against the Ghost Car Ancestor, he had even the slimmest chance. He had already prepared in advance. Since the curse came from the Vermilion Bird Clan..."

Gu Jianlin murmured, "Then he must've figured out how to fight back."

Chen Bojun was in the Seventh-Order Holy Realm. Even in the weaker state of the Kui Dragon Ancestor within the Qilin Immortal Palace, he suffered severe injuries fighting it.

The Ghost Car Ancestor was likely in a peak state, though its power couldn't be fully unleashed in the real world.

Still, relatively speaking, the fully powered Ghost Car Ancestor was far more difficult to handle.

If Gu Ci'an had a sliver of survival, it was surely due to using an alchemy matrix.

Gu Jianlin himself was evidence—despite lacking the Heavenly Person Realm, he could forcibly undergo Qilin transformation, massively increasing his combat power. Though the duration was limited, it was long enough for overwhelming attacks.

Moreover, the Ghost Car Ancestor had existed since the Ancient Times.

Be it combat experience or the mastery of its own abilities, it far surpassed him.

Gu Jianlin, still exploring his inherited power from an Ancient Supreme, had only begun scratching the surface.

In terms of proficiency over the Ancient God Power, he wasn't even fit to carry their shoes.

Suddenly, Gu Jianlin thought of something. "I understand now."

Moon Princess tilted her head. "Hmm?"

Gu Jianlin pondered aloud, "If I'm right, this must be for the sake of the King of Qing."

Technically, the President was his Grandmaster.

But he hadn't formally apprenticed himself yet.

And for someone capable of killing their own children, why would she deliberately favor him?

Especially when he had mocked her so openly.

The most likely explanation was—it was something the King of Qing had requested for him.

The old man, who always sat in a wheelchair and never spoke to him, seemed to truly care for him after all.

"In any case, just be careful."

Moon Princess said softly.

"I will."

Suddenly, Gu Jianlin took out the Soul Comforting Bell: "The other day, I captured Hasegawa Shinichi's soul. Since you're here, let's interrogate him together. Back when we wiped out the Grave Digger Organization at Black Cloud City, you stayed by my side, didn't you?"

Moon Princess responded immediately, "That wasn't me. No way. Who's Hasegawa Shinichi?"