Bai Hanyun’s eyes lit up when she heard what Feng Xiyan said and asked, "Feng Xiyan, you also have soft armor there?"
Feng Xiyan nodded, then walked to the inner part of the tent. Before long, he returned with a golden-colored soft armor in hand.
Placing it on the altar, he explained, "This soft armor is made from gold threads by skilled craftsmen. My father obtained it in his last war against the Li Kingdom."
At this point, he paused as his father’s final words flashed in his mind.
Noticing his silence, Bai Hanyun called softly, "Feng Xiyan?"
Snapped out of his memories, Feng Xiyan smiled. "Yes?"
Bai Hanyun studied him for a few seconds before asking, "Can you produce more of this kind of soft armor?"
Feng Xiyan shook his head. "The main material is gold thread. To craft even one piece, we need an enormous amount of gold."
Listening to this, Bai Hanyun rubbed her chin in thought. "I see. Since it’s so hard to make, it must be extremely rare."
Hearing what she said, Zhan Qi replied, "Of course. Fairy Bai, in the central continent, there is only this one piece of soft armor. If not for the Li Kingdom’s fear of our Feng Army, they would never have let it go in exchange for their kingdom’s territory."
After he said that, Bai Hanyun said, "Since that is the case, if every soldier in the Feng Army had one soft metal armor, wouldn’t you guys become unbeatable?"
The moment she said this, Feng Xiyan was stunned. A second later, he carefully asked, "Fairy Bai, how many sets of soft metal armor have you prepared for us?"
Bai Hanyun grinned and calmly replied, "Inside those boxes, there are 100 pieces of soft metal armor and a few newly designed weapons."
"One hundred pieces?! Heaven! Won’t we each get one?" Zhan Qi exclaimed in shock.
Taking one piece of soft metal armor from a box, Fan Wanming drew his sword and slashed at it without hesitation.
As the blade struck the surface, sparks flew.
Sheathing his sword, Fan Wanming inspected the soft metal armor and found only a thin scratch on its surface.
Showing it to Feng Xiyan and the others, he said, "Great General, look. Just a thin scratch. This soft metal armor is harder than our swords."
Fan Wanming and the other generals had already switched their bronze swords for the ones Bai Hanyun had given them. The soft metal armor’s ability to sustain only a shallow scratch proved how strong its defense was despite its soft appearance.
After examining the soft metal armor, Feng Xiyan tossed it into the air, drew his black sword, and slashed at it.
Sparks flew everywhere the moment the black sword collided with the surface of the soft metal armor.
A second later, Feng Xiyan sheathed his black sword and caught the soft metal armor before it hit the ground.
Turning it over, he saw that even with his black sword and half of his strength, he hadn’t cut through it.
Clutching the soft metal armor tightly, Feng Xiyan’s eyes flickered with excitement. ’As expected of Fairy Bai. Everything she bestows is extraordinary. If all our soldiers wear this beneath their armor, battlefield casualties will be greatly reduced.’
Turning toward the bronze mirror, Feng Xiyan knelt, clasped his fists, and lowered his head.
Seeing this, the generals also knelt before the altar.
With reddened eyes, Feng Xiyan said hoarsely, "On behalf of the Feng Army, Xiyan thanks Fairy Bai. Thank you for giving us another layer of protection."
A second later, the generals spoke in unison, "Thank you, Fairy Bai, for your protection."
Then, they kowtowed three times.
Watching through the antique mirror, Bai Hanyun parted her lips to stop them—but froze when she saw golden light floating out from their hearts.
In the next second, her eyes widened in shock. Rubbing them in disbelief, she moved closer to the antique mirror and stared into it.
This time, Bai Hanyun clearly saw the golden lights rise and drift toward her. Soon, they touched the antique mirror’s surface, which began to glow brightly.
Shielding her eyes with her hand, Bai Hanyun squinted but kept watching.
When the last golden light touched the surface of the antique mirror, its brilliance slowly dimmed. Once the golden light faded, she noticed the antique mirror’s surface was no longer as blurry as before.
Suspecting something, she looked at the antique mirror’s frame and saw that the golden carvings had become brighter and more distinct.
Curious, she lowered her voice and asked, "Hey, what were those golden lights? Why do you look healthier after they touch you?"
A second later, a single word appeared on the mirror’s surface: [Merit.]
Reading it, the puzzle pieces in Bai Hanyun’s mind finally fit together.
Her eyes widened in realization as she exclaimed, "I understand now! No wonder you wanted me to save Feng Xiyan and help the Feng Army. You need merit to stay alive."
Recalling the events from the past, she asked, "And that time you transported me to Feng Xiyan’s world—wasn’t it the same day the golden statue was enshrined and the people gathered to pray?"
Narrowing her eyes, she added, "You must have been overflowing with merit that day, unable to digest it, and accidentally sent me over."
When the mirror went silent and pretended to be dead again, Bai Hanyun shook it and demanded, "Speak! Am I right?"
Still, it gave no response.
Bai Hanyun sneered and slowly said, "Gui Ying."
At her words, the mirror finally reacted: [Yes.]
Seeing this, Bai Hanyun snorted and said, "Remember, our relationship is a partnership, not master and servant. Even if you refuse to tell me the truth, I will find the answers myself. But you may not like the consequences."
Jabbing at the antique mirror’s surface, she added coldly, "Think carefully about how you will explain everything to me later. Do you hear me?"
Reluctantly, the mirror responded: [...Yes.]