Lingsha, right in front of Yanqing, made a dangerously pointed remark.
It nearly triggered PTSD in the audience.
[This speech… didn't I hear a fake Tingyun say something like this?]
[No, Lingsha's words are sharp. Tingyun's were pure envy.]
[They're different, sure, but is it okay for her voice to be this sharp?]
At that moment, Stelle, with rare emotional intelligence, interjected, "Didn't you mention tea? Where's the tea?"
Lingsha snapped back to reality, realizing she'd said too much. She quickly changed the subject.
"My apologies for being rash. Mr. Dan Heng and Cloud Knight Yanqing, you both witnessed the Ambrosial Arbor calamity firsthand. There are matters I'd like to discuss with you."
Yanqing followed her lead. "What does Miss Lingsha wish to ask?"
"I've been tasked by the Alliance to clean up the long-accumulated rot in the Alchemy Commission.
But the Luofu's Alchemy Commission is riddled with holes, beyond easy repair. I want to prescribe a 'healing remedy,' but what insights do you two have?"
"Though I'm Vidyadhara, like my companions, I'm an outsider. Miss Lingsha, I can't comment on the 'remedy' you seek," Dan Heng replied, clearly picking up on her subtext.
"But I'll offer one piece of advice: the Luofu's Vidyadhara and the Alchemy Commission have been deeply intertwined for ages. If you can't distance yourself from that, reforming the Commission will be difficult."
Yanqing neither agreed nor disagreed. "I don't know much about governance, but the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have operated within the Alchemy Commission for years. If Miss Lingsha wants to root out their influence, you should consult the General for strategies."
Lingsha paused, forcing a smile. "I understand. Thank you both for your candid insights."
[Hahaha, most of the Xianzhou's plot is in the dialogue.]
[Honestly, talking with these people requires at least 800 layers of cunning.]
[I'm gonna rewatch the Xianzhou arc. It'll teach me how to deal with people.]
— —
Her gaze drifted toward the Ambrosial Arbor. "The Reignbow Arbiter's light arrows are unmatched, able to sever the Arbor, yet they cannot cut away mortal desires for self-preservation. The Cloud Knights can eradicate the remnants of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, but they cannot heal the hearts within the Alchemy Commission."
Lingsha looked at the group. "The Xianzhou's forebears understood this, entrusting the Vidyadhara with guarding the Ambrosial Arbor's roots. But even the Vidyadhara are mortal.
Thirty years ago, my mentor, the former Cauldron Master of the Luofu's Alchemy Commission, sensed the undercurrents here and sought to set things right.
Sadly, though she mastered medicine, she didn't understand people. She failed to excise the festering corruption within the Commission. In the end, she was framed, exiled, and sent to the Zhuming Xianzhou. I was implicated and forced to leave the Luofu as well.
And the one who arbitrated the matter, approving the exile… was none other than General Jing Yuan himself."
[I knew it! No wonder Lingsha's talking like this—she's throwing shade.]
[Dan Heng: Oh, I know this one.]
[Dan Heng perked up the moment he heard that.]
[It's settled then. Jing Yuan must've had his reasons—probably the best solution under tough circumstances.]
[The High-Cloud Quintet left such a mess, and Jing Yuan cleaned it up neatly. Exile was likely the best outcome.]
[Guessing here, but with Jing Yuan's style, he probably let them go on purpose, waiting for the right moment—like now—for their return.]
— —
"What?"
Yanqing was stunned.
"You heard correctly. The Alchemy Commission's rot has reached this state, and beyond the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the General of the Seat of Divine Foresight bears responsibility." Lingsha glanced at Yanqing. "Oh, why's Yanqing's face so pale?
Don't worry, I understand that 'those in power are often constrained.' I hold no resentment toward the General. After all, for adults our age, 'personal grudges' are a luxury."
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
"Sister Lingsha, you're finally back! I've been waiting forever!"
Lingsha turned, smiling. "Yunli, why aren't you with your grandpa? Why're you wandering around the Alchemy Commission? Perfect timing—let me introduce you."
She pointed at Yanqing. "This is Yanqing, a—"
The trio shook their heads in unison. Trouble's brewing!
"Talk about enemies crossing paths…"
"You—time to return the sword you stole!"
Lingsha instantly got the picture. "I see. Let's skip the introductions then."
Yunli put her hands on her hips. "How do I run into you everywhere? Are you following me?"
"Hmph, Yanqing has actual business to attend to, unlike you, Miss Yunli, who has time to stroll but not to return my sword."
"My grandpa says objects reflect their masters. I had a heart-to-heart with your sword. It told me you're weighed down by worries and countless distractions. You hesitate when you should strike and can't hold steady when you don't.
Looking at you now, I'd say the sword was right. It's not my fault I took your flying sword—your heart's not in your blade."
[You know, she might actually have a point.]
[Yanqing's been called a genius since childhood, and he is one. But getting thrashed by the High-Cloud Quintet one after another? That's gotta wear down his spirit.]
[Didn't the ghost-hunting squad already help him resolve that?]
[It's not that easy to get over. Look at how young Yanqing is.]
— —
Yanqing's mouth twitched as he glared at Yunli. "You think I'll buy the nonsense you just made up? I've been patient because you're a guest from Zhuming, but you show no gratitude. Doesn't the Zhuming Xianzhou teach that you return what you take?"
"Look at this flying sword. Even if I gave it back now, it'd be taken from you again in no time.
You've heard the Cloud Knights' code: 'Never let your weapon leave your hand.' I could return it now, but on the battlefield, it's different. Oh, how pitiful this flying sword must be."
"No need to return it, because I'll take back the sword I lost myself!"
Stelle nodded approvingly at the scene. "Is this the Martial Exhibition?"
March 7th turned to Dan Heng. "Dan Heng, who do you think's stronger? Don't blame me, I'm genuinely curious."
"Get ready to pull them apart."
— —