"General Jing Yuan sustained injuries during his battle with Phantylia. Therefore, I am temporarily assuming the role of General and presiding over the judgment of your crimes, follower of the Plagues Author!"
Inside the Shackling Prison, Fu Xuan—the short-statured but immensely capable Master Diviner of the Divination Commission—stood with her hands on her hips, her expression grave as she looked at the criminal who had infiltrated the Xianzhou.
However, the smile on her face was far too obvious.
It seemed she couldn't suppress it at all.
"What a nostalgic voice."
The prisoner on trial was none other than Luocha, who had entered the Xianzhou alongside Dan Heng.
Compared to his previous gentle and somewhat timid demeanor, his current tone was filled with confidence...
And a hint of something sinister.
"Master Diviner, there's no need to be so wary. It is true that my power originates from Abundance, but our goals are the same. We are both enemies of Yaoshi."
Even though he was facing Fu Xuan rather than Jing Yuan, Luocha didn't let down his guard.
He knew that this Master Diviner was all but guaranteed to become the Xianzhou's next General.
Though Jing Yuan wasn't personally overseeing this matter, Fu Xuan would suffice.
"And you expect me to believe that? Deceptive nonsense!"
For some reason, merely hearing his voice made Fu Xuan instinctively distrust everything he said.
Snowflakes drifted down.
The faint chill in the air made Fu Xuan unconsciously curl her toes.
She glanced uneasily toward the entrance of the prison.
Someone she had only ever heard of in stories had arrived.
"I can vouch for him. Killing Abundance is our sole objective. If you do not wish to participate, then stand aside. But do not obstruct us."
Jingliu walked in slowly.
As one of the heroes who had defeated Phantylia, she naturally possessed considerable merit.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say she had defeated Phantylia twice upon the Xianzhou.
She had personally saved countless Xianzhou citizens from disaster.
As a result, Jing Yuan had handed the issue of Jingliu's disposition over to Fu Xuan.
Fu Xuan might be straightforward, but she wasn't stupid.
She understood just how troublesome this situation was.
As a criminal, Jingliu should have been escorted alongside Luocha to the Xuling for judgment before the Marshal.
However, her contributions during this crisis had been enormous.
If she were simply dragged away as a criminal, it would undoubtedly spark controversy.
The people of the Xianzhou had a tendency toward sympathy.
Even great villains who performed small acts of kindness could earn compassion.
Not to mention that Jingliu had saved the Xianzhou from an Emanator of Destruction.
If this became public knowledge, numerous voices would arise.
In the worst-case scenario, someone might exploit the situation to incite internal conflict.
Phantylia's objective could be accomplished without her lifting another finger.
Fu Xuan might occasionally be a bit dense, but she wasn't a fool.
When acting as General, she was proud and thoroughly enjoying herself.
But when it came to handling this situation...
She felt like her head was about to explode.
How to deal with Jingliu had become the greatest challenge on her path toward becoming General.
Seeing Fu Xuan trapped in a dilemma, Luocha kindly threw her a lifeline.
He opened a new topic.
"I brought with me a gift. A gift capable of condemning Yaoshi beyond doubt. If the Master Diviner does not believe me, you may bring forth my belongings and inspect them yourself."
"Bring them forth!" Fu Xuan visibly relaxed a little.
At least she didn't have to deal with Jingliu's situation first.
She already suffered from headaches.
Any more stress and something might genuinely go wrong.
Two Cloud Knights carried Luocha's coffin into the chamber.
"This is the gift I have brought. A gift capable of condemning Yaoshi."
Luocha's voice was solemn.
He seemed utterly confident in his own plans.
Even Fu Xuan found herself swayed by his mysterious confidence.
Putting something capable of killing Yaoshi inside a coffin?
That sounded absurd.
Still, now wasn't the time to question such things.
Luocha personally approached the coffin and...
Opened it.
Fu Xuan curiously looked inside.
Upon seeing the contents, she gave him a puzzled look.
As if asking what exactly this was supposed to mean.
Attempting to deceive the Acting General was a serious crime.
"Please wait! Perhaps I opened it incorrectly."
Luocha closed the coffin.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Then decisively opened it again.
Inside the coffin...
There was absolutely nothing.
Wait.
Where had the enormous remains of the Aeon of Propagation gone?
Luocha's expression visibly shifted into panic.
Even Jingliu couldn't help but glance over.
Then...
She remained silent.
The surrounding Cloud Knights revealed no reaction.
But Fu Xuan, Luocha, and Jingliu's expressions were perfectly visible.
"The item... is missing!"
After confirming that it wasn't a trick of his eyes and that the contents had genuinely disappeared, Luocha helplessly covered his face.
He had personally guarded it all this time.
How had it vanished at such a critical moment?
Before arriving at the Xianzhou, the coffin had never left his possession.
No one should have had the opportunity to tamper with it.
Which meant the contents had gone missing only after being confiscated by the Xianzhou.
Thus, Luocha looked toward Fu Xuan.
Jingliu did as well.
"You two—before this coffin was brought here, did anyone else touch it?"
Fu Xuan immediately understood what they were implying.
They suspected someone had stolen it.
The two Cloud Knights carrying the coffin exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
They had guarded it the entire time.
No one had opened it.
"Then did you see any suspicious individuals?"
The two Cloud Knights looked at each other again.
They still shook their heads.
There had been no suspicious people.
Before delivering it here, the only unrelated individuals they had encountered were Judge Hanya...
And Mr. Su Ran, who had happened to pass by.
But one was a judge from the Ten-Lords Commission.
The other was a member of the Genius Society.
Neither seemed like plausible suspects.
"Then what exactly was inside the coffin?"
Since there were no leads, Fu Xuan could only first determine what had been lost before ordering a search across the Xianzhou.
"The remains of the Aeon of Propagation."
The moment Luocha revealed what had gone missing...
Fu Xuan's expression became visibly more panicked than even his.
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