The first rays of sunlight streaked through the window, and Bibi Dong's eyes fluttered open. Her children were still fast asleep, their peaceful faces a balm to her soul.
She carefully slipped out of bed, her movements as silent as a ghost, and let her clone take her place, its form a perfect replica of her own.
She then dressed in her usual dark robes, a mask of anonymity, and slipped out of the room. A chill ran down her spine.
The feeling of being watched, of being hunted, had been with her for days, and she knew she could no longer ignore it.
She began her search, her senses heightened, her soul power a fine net spread over every inch of Spirit Hall. She moved with a silent, deadly grace, her figure a blur in the early morning light.
For a full hour, she scoured the premises, checking every corner, every shadow, every hidden passage. But there was nothing.
No signs of a disturbance, no whispers of a conspiracy, no trace of a secret. She sighed, a profound sense of frustration washing over her. She decided to go back to her room, to rest, and to think.
When she came back, her children and her clone were in the garden, their small figures a picture of concentration as they practiced with their swords.
Bibi Dong watched them from her window, a small, sad smile on her face. Their tiny, practiced swings were filled with an innocent, childish joy.
She thought of her own life, a whirlwind of plots and power struggles, and their simple, beautiful canvas of learning and love. They were her reason for everything. Her anchor in a sea of darkness.
She sat on her bed and began to think, her mind a whirlwind of possibilities. The absence of Qian Xunji was a major red flag, and she knew that she could not dismiss it.
She had to know what he was doing. She needed information, and there was only one place where she could get it—the throne room.
It was the heart of Spirit Hall, the place where all the important decisions were made, and she knew that the elders and Qian Xunji would be there, plotting. She decided to go there at noon, after lunch.
After she had eaten, she went back to outside as she saw her children coming from their training. After waiting for some time in outside she sees that the time has come and needs to go now.
She silently moved out of the building, her heart a drum of anticipation. She had to be cautious. One wrong move, and everything would be over.
She moved through the halls with the silent grace of a shadow, her body a blur of motion. The air grew colder, the silence heavier, the closer she got to the heart of Spirit Hall.
The weight of her mission was a tangible thing, a heavy cloak she wore with a grim determination. She reached her destination and peered into the room. It was exactly as she had predicted.
Qian Xunji was seated proudly on the throne, his face a mask of arrogance. Around him were a few important elders, including Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
She found a spot behind a large, ornate pillar, a place where she could hear everything without being seen. She activated her soul power, her eyes and ears becoming a living camera, a recording device that would capture every word, every move, every secret.
After a few minutes, Qian Xunji began to speak, his voice a cold, commanding rumble. "Yue Guan," he said, his eyes a cold, piercing glare, "where is the report on that soul beast?"
Yue Guan, his face impassive, began to read from a scroll in his hand. "Your Holiness," he said, his voice a low, steady rumble,
"That soul beast has mostly integrated into her human form, but still, she is under level 60 soul power. We have detected her inside a small forest near Heaven Dou City. The location is under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Dou Empire, so we cannot operate our investigation."
He then continued his speaking and finished his report after a few minutes, his face a mask of disappointment which he can't hide.
A cold, deadly silence filled the room. Then, Qian Xunji's voice, now a quiet, dangerous whisper, broke the silence.
"Why aren't you able to capture her?" he asked, his voice filled with a quiet, terrifying rage. "It's been more than a week, and you have failed to complete this mission. This is unacceptable."
He then released his soul power pressure, a suffocating, terrifying force that made everyone in the room tremble. The very air seemed to thicken, a palpable weight pressing down on the elders, making their breaths shallow and their hearts pound.
Bibi Dong's heart began to race, a frantic drum against her ribs. She is having bad premotion and a bold guess swirling around in her mind.
No, no, no, she thought, her mind a whirlwind of fear and disbelief. This should have happened after a few more years. Why is it happening now? She was shocked, a profound sense of helplessness washing over her.
She tried to calm herself, to control her breathing, to hide her presence. Her mind raced, a thousand possibilities flashing before her eyes. The future she had so carefully planned was once again at risk.
A moment later, one of the elders spoke, his voice filled with a profound sense of dread. "Your Holiness, we have tried everything. We have used our whole branch network, but somehow, that beast is so cunning, she slipped past our reach."
Gui Mei then spoke, his voice a low, thoughtful murmur. "Your Holiness," he said, "If I may, I have a theory. That soul beast must have been helped by someone. A human, a human who is powerful enough to help her."
The elder looked at Gui Mei, his eyes wide with surprise. "A human?" he said. "How can a human help a soul beast? What would be their motive? It must be some other soul beast."
Gui Mei shook his head. "No," he said, his voice a firm, steady rumble. "A soul beast wouldn't dare to roam here. It has to be a human, a human with a high level of soul power."
Qian Xunji, on hearing this, released his soul pressure, a cold, deadly aura that filled the room. He laughed, a cold, heartless sound.
"Oh," he said, his voice a low, dangerous whisper, "A human huh. That person must be very brave to travel with a soul beast. I think he doesn't know the consequences and is really a fool to think he would get away under our nose." He then retracted his aura, his face a mask of cold fury.
He then looked at everyone, his eyes a cold, menacing glare.
"You will all go and collect as much information on that soul beast and that person. I want their appearances, their soul levels, and their auras. And,"
He said, his voice a cold, deadly whisper, "you will not leak anything that happened here. If I find anyone leaked, the consequences will be fatal. Your families will also be implicated."
The elders nodded, their faces grim, their minds a flurry of thoughts. Qian Xunji then stood up and said, "The meeting is adjourned. Return to your work, and I want the result within a week. Use all of your resources. There will be punishments for your failures."
He then walked out of the room, leaving behind a group of terrified, confused elders.
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Author's Note:
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