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This would be a sleepless night.
The Vidyadhara Master sought utmost secrecy, but Su Jinyan had other plans. Under his deliberate influence, news of Phantylia's escape swiftly spread throughout the Seat of Divine Foresight and the Ten-Lords Commission.
Xianzhou Luofu entered a state of emergency lockdown.
In Scalegorge Waterscape, the dragon masters, exhausted after intense trials, had barely closed their eyes when they heard about Phantylia's breakout. As Dragon Master Suguang hastily rose from his bed, a chill ran down his spine.
Just hours ago, Old Sampo had urged Dragon Master Suguang to rescue Phantylia from the Divination Commission's basement, but he refused. How could it be that so soon after, Phantylia managed to escape? The Suguang Dragon Master was certain this couldn't have happened without Sampo's involvement.
Upon learning of the breakout, his first action was to command Dharmalight Guards to contact the old Annihilation Gang member, Sampo. However, their response revealed that Sampo's residence had long been abandoned.
Could it be that I was deceived by him? thought Dragon Master Suguang, somewhat bewildered. But I haven't even received my payment yet—what would he gain by tricking me?
At the Seat of Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan wore a deeply furrowed brow. "Minister Su, how did Phantylia manage to escape?"
"You assured me once that you could completely subdue her," he pressed.
"General, please remain calm," Su Jinyan consoled him. "Logically speaking, there should have been no way for Phantylia to break free; something suspicious must be at play."
"My shizun has already dispatched investigators to determine the cause of Phantylia's escape. We can expect results shortly."
Jing Yuan's expression remained grave. "Minister Su, we must recapture Phantylia before the Xianzhou Alliance learns of this incident."
"If Phantylia causes further chaos, neither of us will evade blame from the Alliance."
"You wouldn't want Fu Xuan to be implicated due to your actions, would you?"
Su Jinyan's eyes reddened as he wiped away tears. "If anything were to happen to Shizun, I wouldn't wish to live on."
"...That's not what I meant," Jing Yuan replied hesitantly.
At that moment, Fu Xuan hastily entered the Seat of Divine Foresight.
"Rebellious disciple, this venerable one has discovered the cause of Phantylia's escape."
Jing Yuan was overjoyed. "Fu Xuan always works efficiently; please present your findings promptly."
"It appears there is more to Phantylia's escape than meets the eye."
"If she intended to break out, she wouldn't have chosen precisely this time; there would have been better opportunities."
Fu Xuan unfolded a light screen, projecting the footage of Phantylia's escape within the Seat of Divine Foresight.
In the scene, a Vidyadhara servant girl led Phantylia away from the secret chamber.
Jing Yuan's expression turned grave. "I recognize her—it's Yun You, a close attendant of Bailu and a member of the Vidyadhara tribe."
"Fu Xuan, do you have any additional recordings?" asked Jing Yuan.
With a subtle glance at Su Jinyan, Fu Xuan calmly responded, "The mechanical bird inside the secret chamber was destroyed by Phantylia."
"This venerable one is also unaware of what Yun You and Phantylia discussed," said the Vidyadhara Master.
Su Jinyan clenched his jaw, seething. "Provocation—brazen provocation."
"General, these Vidyadhara dragon masters have become utterly audacious."
"Abducting Phantylia signifies their intent to overthrow Xianzhou. This constitutes one of the Ten Unforgivable Sins, General."
With a resounding bang, Jing Yuan slammed his hand on the table, voice icy. "Vidyadhara dragon masters." He paused, then continued, "I believed I had shown ample tolerance and forbearance towards them. Never did I expect they would dare commit such egregious acts without restraint. Where is Yanqing?"
Yanqing eagerly stepped forward. "General, allow me to serve as the vanguard and alleviate your burdens by apprehending her."
Jing Yuan nodded. "Excellent, Yanqing. I hereby command you to swiftly mobilize the Cloud Knights and seal off the Scalegorge Waterscape."
"Prevent any Vidyadhara from leaving under strict orders; however, do not harm their lives if they resist. Simply incapacitate them."
Yanqing saluted with a fist over his heart. "Yes, sir!"
Turning to another officer, Jing Yuan asked, "Minister Su, being most familiar with Phantylia, how do you suggest we bring her back? The Xianzhou Luofu cannot withstand the havoc caused by a Lord Ravager."
Su Jinyan reassured him, "General, fear not. Allow me to explain my analysis."
"Phantylia has been cast aside by Nanook; she wouldn't dare flee Xianzhou Luofu under any circumstances."
"She adheres to her cherished aesthetics of destruction."
"What she seeks is humanity's despair, suffering, suspicion, collapse, and their own hands destroying the true love they've nurtured."
"Therefore, I am certain she won't recklessly destroy Luofu."
"I hereby pledge on my military oath that before noon, we will capture Phantylia and deliver her to The Shackling Prison."
As this discussion unfolded, a Chi Yan messenger from the Seat of Divine Foresight rushed over urgently. "Report for the general," he announced.
"While patrolling, the Cloud Knights discovered what appears to be the remains of a Vidyadhara individual."
Jing Yuan exchanged glances with Su Jinyan, an ominous feeling stirring within them both.
"The remains of a Vidyadhara?" Jing Yuan exclaimed hurriedly. "Bring it up immediately."
Following his command, the Chi Yan messenger swiftly returned with a stretcher bearing the body of a deceased Vidyadhara, covered in white cloth.
Approaching, Jing Yuan lifted the cloth to reveal none other than Yun You, lifeless.
"It seems, Minister Su, your conjecture was incorrect," Jing Yuan observed somberly. "Either Phantylia has already deviated from her aesthetic of destruction, or the dragon masters silenced him to frame her." He paused, then added, "In any case, all leads pointing towards the dragon masters have now been severed completely."
Su Jinyan smiled faintly. "General, there is no need for alarm."
"Phantylia may not be aware, but we still have an ace up our sleeve."
Jing Yuan looked puzzled. "An ace?"
"We have yet to utilize the Dragon Sovereign Bailu," Su Jinyan explained. "For you see, Bailu once said—"
"'To all who believe in me while living, I shall grant them immortality.'
'To those who believe in me even after death, they shall surely be resurrected.'"
Jing Yuan asked, "Do you trust Bailu or my role as Emperor's Bow of Life and Death?"
Smiling, Su Jinyan replied, "How about this? Let's make a bet.
"If Yun You, the attendant of the Dragon Lord, truly comes back from the dead...
"Then allow my shizun to serve as general for a day, just for her enjoyment."
Fu Xuan bristled with anger. "You insolent disciple! This venerable one didn't become a general merely for fleeting amusement!"
Jing Yuan's expression turned serious. "Minister Su, I'm not joking around here.
"Haven't you forgotten how the tragedy of the Imbibitor Lunae Rebellion began?
"I suspect you're trying to build momentum for Bailu, aren't you?
"Minister Su, if Bailu indeed intends to mimic Dan Feng by using the Magic of Dragonification to revive her kin, I will absolutely intervene and stop her."
Su Jinyan's demeanor also grew solemn. "Jing Yuan, please trust me this once.
"Our immediate priority is to locate Phantylia and apprehend her; I'll explain everything else later."
"As for whether Bailu truly possesses such capabilities, I cannot say for certain," Fu Xuan replied evasively. "Just wait and see."
After leaving the Seat of Divine Foresight, Fu Xuan pulled Su Jinyan aside to a secluded corner, his expression displeased.
"Traitorous disciple," he muttered. "Hiding this from Jing Yuan is one thing, but even concealing it from this venerable one?"
Su Jinyan hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Fu Xuan pouted, feeling slighted. "I am your closest confidante, remember?"
"This venerable one knows you wish to slay dragon masters, but what about the divine miracles Bailu has displayed? And Phantylia—did you deliberately let her escape as well?" Fu Xuan pressed further. "Why should that woman know something while this venerable one remains uninformed? Could it be that your Shizun, who spends every moment by your side, is not as close to you as some stranger?"
Su Jinyan leaned in close to Fu Xuan's delicate earlobe and whispered his plan softly. "Shizun, only you and I are privy to this; no third person must know."
Fu Xuan's mouth hung agape, unable to contain his astonishment. After a long moment, he murmured, "Traitorous disciple, this venerable one feels like they're dreaming."
Su Jinyan gently took Fu Xuan's snow-white earlobe between his lips and mumbled indistinctly, "How do you feel now?"
Tears welled up in Fu Xuan's beautiful eyes, his slender body trembling uncontrollably. Soon, he collapsed into Su Jinyan's arms, weakly pounding on his chest with feeble fists.
Sighing, Su Jinyan said, "Shizun."
"This won't do," Fu Xuan murmured after a long moment, his mouth agape with disbelief. "I believe it's necessary to desensitize you."
Su Jinyan replied with malice, "All for the sake of making Shizun's Matrix of Prescience more enduring."
Fu Xuan bristled indignantly. "And you have the nerve to say that?"
"In terms of lineage and status, can those wicked women match this venerable one's nobility?"
"But they have larger chests," Su Jinyan countered.
Fu Xuan stuttered momentarily. "Even if so, when it comes to caring for you, can any of them compare to this venerable one?"
"Still, they have larger chests."
Fu Xuan, embarrassed and furious, retorted, "Scientific studies show that women with large chests often tend to be quite dim-witted. Offspring born from such relationships frequently exhibit low intelligence. Conversely, offspring from women with smaller chests generally have higher IQs." He breathed softly into Fu Xuan's ear, "Then shall I only bear children with Shizun from now on? Is that agreeable?"
Blushing deeply, Fu Xuan turned away silently.
Su Jinyan pondered aloud, "So, as long as my intention isn't to impregnate them, could I freely be intimate with Tingyun and others in the future?"
Fu Xuan's expression darkened, and he abruptly bit down hard on Su Jinyan's shoulder.
"Aaargh!" A piercing scream shattered the tranquil night air.
At 3 A.M., within Scalegorge Waterscape:
"By order of the general, from this moment forth, Scalegorge Waterscape is to be sealed off."
"No Vidyadhara shall enter or leave without exception! Violators will face severe punishment!"
Yanqing led three thousand cloud-mounted elites to blockade the entrance of Scalegorge Waterscape, proclaiming General Jing Yuan's decree from the Seat of Divine Foresight.
The Vidyadhara people, filled with indignation, swiftly gathered and confronted the Cloud Knights at the waterscape's crossing.
Inside Scalegorge, shouts and curses echoed incessantly.
Unfazed by their fury, Yanqing calmly waved his hand, signaling for Yun You's remains, attendant to the High Elder, to be brought forward.
Instantly, the previously raucous Vidyadhara fell silent, enveloped by a wave of sorrow.
For a Vidyadhara to perish meant they could no longer reincarnate, signifying the permanent loss of one of their own.
Yanqing spoke up, "Does anyone here recognize her?"
A bald physician solemnly stepped forward, his expression grief-stricken. "This is my senior sister, Yun You, also the personal attendant to the High Elder."
"Can you tell me what happened?" Yanqing asked earnestly. "Attendant Yun You unlawfully released the dangerous criminal Phantylia, committing a grave offense under the Ten Unforgivable Crimes," he explained. "Although Yun You has already suffered the consequences, falling victim to Phantylia herself, until we ascertain her motives for doing so, we must adhere to our orders: Scalegorge Waterscape remains sealed, prohibiting all suspicious individuals from entering or leaving."
Could it be that Yun You, attendant to the Vidyadhara High Elder, was suspected of "Prison Break and Liberation" and "Undermining Treaty Bonds"? Impossible!
A complex mix of shock and skepticism spread among the hearts of every Vidyadhara present.
Before they could voice their doubts, Yanqing preemptively displayed footage of Yun You's crimes for all to see. The overwhelming evidence left no room for questioning.
News swiftly reached the other Vidyadhara dragon masters, who began discussing fervently, seeking solutions.
The most anxious among them was Dragon Master Suguang, the one personally responsible for appointing Yun You as attendant to the High Elder. With Yun You implicated in treachery against Xianzhou, Dragon Master Suguang could not escape scrutiny; he would undoubtedly face interrogation by the Ten-Lords Commission's Judges.
To protect himself, Suguang decided to muddy the waters.
"That's enough! Can't you see this is a blatant frame-up?" Dragon Master Suguang exclaimed angrily. "I watched Yun You grow up—she absolutely wouldn't betray Xianzhou. The prosperity and decline of the Vidyadhara clan are intertwined with those of Xianzhou."
"What benefit could there possibly be for our Vidyadhara clan in releasing Phantylia and destroying Xianzhou Luofu?" asked Dragonmaster Taoran. "Suguang is right," he continued, "we dragon masters have no reason to commit such acts."
"Phantylia cannot sustain the dragon lineage of our Vidyadhara clan; it brings us no benefit," one dragon master stated.
Another added, "We cannot rule out the possibility that Yun You was bewitched by Phantylia."
"Regardless, Yun You is responsible for his mistakes. The deceased should not be brought up in the Dragon Master Parliament."
Each dragon master harbored their own ulterior motives.
Logically, this matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Ten-Lords Commission rather than the Cloud Knights. However, none of the dragon masters wished for Hanya's scrutiny to uncover their hidden secrets, and thus they vigorously sought to deflect responsibility.
Dragon Master Suguang spoke up, "But Jing Yuan has already attributed Yun You's transgressions to our entire Vidyadhara clan."
"If we fail to handle this properly and allow intervention from the Ten-Lords Commission's Judges..."
"...none present here will escape blame. It is better to lose gold and jade than face the Nether Prison, and preferable to endure misfortune than confront a Judge."
"I ask you, who among us can preserve their privacy before a Judge?"
The dragon masters fell silent, each harboring secrets they wished to keep hidden.
One dragon master snorted, "Even the Ten-Lords Commission cannot interfere with our internal affairs."
"Perhaps we should immediately protest to the Xianzhou Alliance and impeach Jing Yuan," suggested another.
Xuepu Dragonmaster, visibly anxious, said, "I believe we ought to bring the Dragon Lady here for safety."
"Troubling undercurrents surge within Xianzhou Luofu; even the High Elder's attendants might betray us, let alone others."
"I fear for the Dragon Lady's well-being—do not forget what she warned us earlier."
With this reminder, Bailu's words echoed once more in their minds:
"One among your dragon masters will betray me."
The seed of suspicion began to take root and sprout in the hearts of the dragon masters.
Vidyadhara dragon masters excelled at standing united, presenting a common front against external threats.
After deliberation, they decided to escort Bailu to Scalegorge Waterscape and formally accuse Jing Yuan before the Xianzhou Alliance.
Naturally, some dragon masters also planned to urgently write letters seeking help from other Xianzhous' High Elders, detailing the predicament faced by the Vidyadhara clan.
As dawn broke and the sun ascended from the east, Bailu arrived at the Scalegorge Waterscape ferry, her delicate face solemn and resolute.
Yanqing did not hinder Bailu's approach, allowing her to enter Scalegorge under the watchful gaze of exhausted Vidyadhara dragon masters who had stayed up all night.
"Quick, look! The High Elder has arrived."
"The High Elder's presence means salvation for our Vidyadhara clan."
"The High Elder will surely restore justice for us."
The Vidyadhara people buzzed with excited murmurs.
Bailu closed her beautiful eyes, her petite figure rising effortlessly into the air.
"For whoever believes and lives, they shall never die."
"And those who believe, though dead, shall rise again."
Under the astonished gazes of both the Vidyadhara people and the Cloud Knights,
the attendant of the Dragon Lord, Yun You, abruptly sat up, gasping heavily.
"I...I..." She stammered, "I'm alive again?"
In disbelief, Yun You slapped her cheeks gently, feeling her body, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Bailu tenderly caressed Yun You's cheek. "Yes, my child, you have been brought back to life."
"Now, I have one question: Why did you let Phantylia escape?"
The Vidyadhara people watched Yun You nervously, hoping for a denial from her lips.
Yun You's face turned pale, as if struck by a dreadful realization. "I..."
Unexpectedly, at that moment, a wave of startled cries erupted from among the Cloud Knights.
Two assassins suddenly emerged amidst them.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the assassins lunged with their swords towards Bailu.
Hidden and observing this scene, Sparkle's mouth slightly gaped, her beautiful eyes wide with shock beyond belief.
"Hey, what's going on here?"
She never expected the Annihilation Gang to honor their word; it was uncertain whether they could even infiltrate the Xianzhou Luofu.
Could the assassins of the Annihilation Gang truly be this efficient?!
With a furious shout, Yanqing invoked, "Sword Swarm Descends!"
A dazzling flurry of sword shadows pierced through the assassins' bodies.
However, the two assailants seemed invulnerable, like ghostly apparitions. Despite countless flying swords impaling them, nothing halted their relentless pursuit.
Two dull thuds echoed.
Glinting blades plunged into Bailu's delicate form, causing blood to bloom.
Thud!
Bailu's once luminous eyes lost all vitality, and she collapsed heavily to the ground.