Arbiter-General.
Taoran forcefully suppressed the turmoil in his heart, trying his best not to show any sign of abnormality.
"Why have you come so suddenly? Shouldn't you be playing with the Dragon Lady?"
"I've come to give you a heart check," Leon said.
"Arbiter-General, please don't jest with us."
Taoran was drenched in sweat, the pressure immense.
"We were truly acting for the Dragon Lady's own good. If you don't believe me, you can ask General Jing Yuan. The Dragon Lady is still young and shouldn't have too much contact with the outside world. The last High Elder fell because we were too indulgent, and our flawed guidance led to the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae. The Vidyadhara absolutely cannot repeat the same mistake, just as the Luofu cannot endure another Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae."
Taoran spoke as if his actions were justified, his every word a plea to be let off the hook.
He was innocent.
"You know why I am here."
Leon's attitude was one of utter dismissal, as if to say, "You're not even on my level."
"Arbiter-General, what do you mean by that?"
Taoran feigned ignorance, but panic began to set in.
"That Foxian Cloud Knight from just now... I believe you know better than I what that was about."
Leon slowly walked toward him.
This kind of trash was barely worth the effort. He didn't even warrant a proper combo.
"What are you talking about? That was just an ordinary Cloud Knight!"
Taoran couldn't help but step back.
Leon's steps were steady and heavy.
He was clearly just walking normally, yet it felt like standing at the edge of an abyss.
As if one could be completely devoured at any moment.
This subtle, almost imperceptible pressure was the most terrifying of all.
"Oh, so it was a normal Cloud Knight, then."
Leon was completely unconcerned.
Taoran's pupils contracted sharply. He understood perfectly what those words meant.
Act first, report later!
A barely audible bestial sound emerged.
Taoran turned his head slightly and realized he had unknowingly backed himself into a corner, his entire back pressed against the carving of the High Elder Yubie.
There was no escape.
The treaty of alliance symbolized by this statue was his last trump card.
"Arbiter-General, you question me without a shred of evidence, even accusing me outright. Is it any wonder I find this suspicious?"
Taoran gritted his teeth. If he could just get Leon to leave now, the situation could still be salvaged.
Once Leon was gone, he would immediately take his soldiers and wipe out the Buli Ren, turning danger into safety. The problem was, he absolutely could not fall here.
"Even if you are an exalted Arbiter-General, aren't you afraid I'll report you to the Six Charioteers and the Marshal for arbitrarily accusing a Vidyadhara of treason based on nothing but your own subjective speculation?"
Taoran kept his voice calm, striving to betray no sign of distress.
"Guess what kind of person never talks."
Leon burst out laughing.
"A mute?" Taoran answered subconsciously.
"A dead man."
Taoran's heart, which had been pounding wildly with fear, stopped dead the instant those words left Leon's mouth.
"You can't kill me!!!"
The fear of death drove Taoran to shout frantically, his composure completely gone.
"The Vidyadhara have a treaty with the Alliance! No Vidyadhara shall be made to bleed or be harmed within Vidyadhara territory!"
Taoran threw out his life-saving trump card.
"This is the Scalegorge Waterscape! It's sacred Vidyadhara ground! A place we have bled for to protect the Luofu! Are you going to openly violate the treaty?!"
"General Xuanquan is an Arbiter-General, same as you! If you kill me without authorization, aren't you afraid she'll demand an explanation from you later!?"
Taoran was frantic. Nobody wants to die.
"Even if I am guilty, my sentence must be petitioned to the Alliance high command and handed down by the Six Charioteers in a public trial! It is not for you to decide privately! You don't have that authority!"
Given the rarity of the Vidyadhara, each death was a true loss. The Alliance high command wouldn't dare to be too harsh on him. The most likely outcome would be the Punishment of Exuviation, allowing him to reincarnate as a final judgment.
This was the source of Taoran's confidence.
Vidyadhara reincarnation erases all memories, and the sins of a past life are wiped clean.
But Taoran had long prepared a countermeasure for this memory loss. The Dragon-Masters aligned with him would provide some assistance during his reincarnation. Though he wouldn't be Taoran in his next life, he also wouldn't be a complete stranger to his former self.
Having said his piece, Taoran observed Leon's reaction.
He expected Leon to back down, but instead, he saw him on his Jadescreen, communicating with someone.
"Give me Xuanquan's contact information."
Leon said to Jing Yuan, ready to show him the meaning of "when you beat a dog, you don't need to consider its master."
[Sent.]
In the Seat of Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan was taken aback for a moment but complied nonetheless.
After Leon hung up, he shook his head and chuckled lightly.
From this sudden communication, Jing Yuan could actually guess what was happening.
It was truly satisfying, he had to admit.
Jing Yuan mused.
There were too many problems on the Luofu, and he was often powerless to deal with them.
Some things, it wasn't that he lacked the ability to do them. Rather, he couldn't do them—at least not directly.
When facing certain internal conflicts, Jing Yuan had to constantly weigh his options, never acting rashly. He needed irrefutable proof. Otherwise, the Alliance high command would give him hell for it afterward.
But Leon was different.
He could truly do whatever he wanted, and no one would dare challenge him after the fact.
Because no one was qualified to challenge him, not even the Vidyadhara.
"I'm going to kill one of your Vidyadhara."
Once the call connected, Leon spoke directly.
Hearing his words, Taoran stood frozen on the spot.
His heart leaped into his throat.
To be honest, he had never expected this turn of events.
Taoran knew Leon's status was high and that the Alliance held him in high regard.
One could even say they sought to curry favor with him.
But he didn't think it was so high as to be lawless, so high that he could treat Alliance law as nothing.
An Arbiter-General, even one personally elevated by Lan.
At most, Taoran thought, his rank was equivalent to the Marshal's.
Any higher was simply impossible.
But if his rank was only equal to the Marshal's, what gave Leon the right to be so arrogant and domineering?
This tone, this attitude.
It was as if the Xianzhou Alliance was his personal fiefdom.
What a joke. His personal fiefdom? Did he think he was the Reignbow Arbiter himself, descended upon the mortal realm?
Taoran's throat tightened, and he swallowed subconsciously.
Without a doubt, whether he lived or died today, and just how high Leon's status truly was—the answers to both these questions would be revealed by Xuanquan's reply.
[...]
The other end of the line was silent.
[Do as you see fit, General Leon.]
After a moment, a cool female voice replied, her tone tinged with weariness.
Relying on the superior constitution of the Vidyadhara, Taoran managed to overhear the response.
In that instant, he felt his world collapse.
Leon had given no reason, simply stating his intent to kill a Vidyadhara.
To kill one of the Xianzhou Alliance's uniquely protected species.
And he had said it to the face of the current Vidyadhara leader.
And Xuanquan had agreed without a second thought!
Faced with the death of one of her own people, she hadn't shown the slightest intention of putting up a fight!
This was bizarre, you see?
Xuanquan was the person in the world who most valued the survival of the Vidyadhara.
No matter how great the crime, she would rather let a Vidyadhara live a life worse than death than to casually sentence one to die.
But today, all of that had been overturned.
Only two words remained in Taoran's mind: Unbelievable!
Taoran's legs grew weak with a potent fear as a monstrous wave crashed through his heart.
For Xuanquan to be so submissive... it was unimaginable just how high Leon's status truly was!
His authority was, at the very least, far above the Marshal's!
"Good."
Leon nodded, then casually raised and waved his hand.
"Wait—" Taoran still wanted to struggle.
But it was too late.
The moment Leon acted, a smooth incision was carved across his neck by a sharp, invisible blade of Imaginary energy.
In an instant, his head was separated from his body.
Thud!
The dragon-horned head fell to the ground and rolled a short distance.
Taoran's horrified eyes stared up at the hem of Leon's coat, clearly unable to rest in peace.
Direct and to the point. That was how Leon operated.
[...General Leon, may I ask what happened?]
After hearing her kinsman's final word, Xuanquan sighed and asked.
"It's nothing. This kinsman of yours had treason in his heart."
Leon replied casually.
[...My apologies for my poor discipline. I will personally confess my fault to the Marshal and apologize to General Jing Yuan later. Thank you for eliminating the threat today, General Leon. Xuanquan is grateful.]
Xuanquan was silent for a moment before speaking again.
No joke, if there was truly treason involved, then even if Leon had slaughtered every Vidyadhara on the Luofu today, no one would have dared say a word against it.
Not the high command, not Xuanquan, not even the Marshal.
This wasn't just because of his status, but because Lan himself symbolized justice.
The Reignbow Arbiter must have had his reasons for such an act.
You might not understand, but if you dared to question it, then you were probably the one with the problem, and likely a big one.
The rule about not harming Vidyadhara within their own territory was complete nonsense.
Tell me, Xuanquan, in the eyes of the Alliance, what could possibly outweigh Leon's status as the Reignbow Arbiter's personal disciple?
To put it bluntly, whatever he says, goes. Before him, all these treaties were scraps of paper that could be abolished at any time.
Xuanquan, you have an objection? If you have an objection, then I'd say you harbor disloyal thoughts toward Lan.
"Tell the Marshal not to worry. I will handle this rebellion."
Leon had already decided how to deal with it, telling them not to bother with extensive preparations.
[I will relay the message exactly.]
Xuanquan said cautiously.
To lose a compatriot... it would be a lie to say it didn't hurt.
But the pain stemmed from the Vidyadhara's problems with propagation.
It was pain for the clan, not for any single individual.
Xuanquan knew full well that ten thousand Taorans were not worth a fraction of Leon's value.
Anyone disloyal to the Reignbow Arbiter deserved to die.
If it were up to her, she wouldn't have let Taoran off easy either.
"Speaking of which, what is the Vidyadhara's mission on the Xianzhou?"
If the treaty Taoran spoke of truly existed, it meant the Vidyadhara served an irreplaceable role for the Alliance.
Leon feared no one.
Where there was one, there would be two. He believed Taoran would not be the last.
In the future, countless other Vidyadhara would surely try to exploit this treaty.
Today, he was going to shatter the superior, special status of this clan.
He would make them understand that there was nothing in this world that only they could do.
Only when the very foundation of their existence was threatened would this group of Vidyadhara learn a profound lesson.
There is always someone stronger, a higher heaven above.
Just because others couldn't do it didn't mean Leon couldn't either.
He wanted to see exactly what duty gave Taoran such bold confidence.
[Each High Elder is responsible for suppressing the 'Vestige of Calamitous Cancer' on their respective Xianzhou. The other Vidyadhara provide support. The Luofu Vidyadhara are skilled in the Cloud-Hymn Arts and are generally effective healers on the battlefield.]
Xuanquan didn't know why he was asking, but she answered the question anyway.
"Alright, I understand. Thank you."
Leon expressed his thanks, then hung up the call.
Immediately, he dialed Jing Yuan again.
[Is your business concluded, General Leon?]
Jing Yuan asked, a smile in his voice.
"You're really something, not arresting so many traitors."
Leon saw he was playing dumb.
Jing Yuan spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. It was a complex problem without a simple solution.
[You don't understand, General Leon. In my position, some things are beyond my control.]
Jing Yuan laughed it off.
"Where is the 'Vestige of Calamitous Cancer' that your Luofu suppresses?"
Leon couldn't be bothered to lecture him and cut straight to the chase.
[What are you planning to do?]
Jing Yuan hadn't expected to hear the words 'Vestige of Calamitous Cancer' from him.
"This bunch of Vidyadhara are getting on my nerves with their smugness. I figured I'd just smash their rice bowl."
Leon told him the truth.
[I'm afraid that won't do.]
Jing Yuan's response was that it was probably not a good idea, though he didn't doubt Leon's ability.
After all, the Ambrosial Arbor was originally severed by a single arrow from the Reignbow Arbiter; what remained now was merely a surviving fragment.
"Shouldn't I?"
Leon respected his opinion, but only to a point.
Whether he acted or not ultimately depended on him alone.
[General Leon, are you planning to kill the Ambrosial Arbor completely?]
Jing Yuan asked.
"If you don't want that, I can also help you reinforce the seal."
Leon's goal was to destroy the Vidyadhara's unique status. The Vidyadhara certainly couldn't tamper with the Ambrosial Arbor, which meant their duty could only be to maintain its seal. So what if they were Vidyadhara? Even they could only stand by and watch as Leon took action.
[General Leon, are we not friends?]
"We are." Leon did not deny it.
[I know I have no right to interfere with your actions, so what follows is Jing Yuan speaking as a friend. I hope Brother Leon will hear me out.]
"Speak."
[Since you asked that question just now, General Leon, it means you know what the foundation of the Vidyadhara's existence in the Xianzhou Alliance is, correct?]
"Isn't it this 'Vestige of Calamitous Cancer'?"
[Yes, the Ambrosial Arbor is the foundation of the Luofu's Vidyadhara. But what would happen if that foundation were to disappear? First, it would trigger a series of chain reactions. If the Luofu's is gone, on what grounds could the 'Vestiges of Calamitous Cancer' on the other four Xianzhou be allowed to remain? The moment you demonstrate the ability to kill a 'Vestige of Calamitous Cancer,' it means you will be expected to uproot the Ambrosial Arbors on all five Xianzhou ships. But if all the 'Vestiges of Calamitous Cancer' are gone, the Vidyadhara's ecological niche will immediately shrink to rock bottom. To say they would exist in name only would not be an exaggeration. There can only be one Xuanquan. If you don't let them guard the Vestiges, are you going to send them to the front lines of battle?]
____
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