Fanghu.
"My apologies, Marshal. This was a failure of my leadership."
After hearing Leon's report, Xuanquan immediately went to offer her atonement.
Inside her general's manor.
Jing Yuan, Yueyu, Hua.
Three blue holographic figures gathered together, in that order from left to right.
They listened as she apologized for the sudden incident.
"I truly never imagined they would be so audacious as to collude with the Borisin."
Xuanquan sighed, her gaze toward Yueyu particularly complicated.
The Foxians and the Borisin were generational enemies.
Not to mention, the recent Third War of the Abundance Denizens, which had caused catastrophic losses for Fanghu, Yaoqing, and the Luofu, was instigated by the Borisin.
Things had only just stabilized a short while ago.
For this group of Vidyadhara to dare collude with the Borisin at such a critical time... no one today could argue that Leon was wrong to kill them.
"General Xuanquan, you need not place all the blame for this upon yourself."
Jing Yuan shook his head, disagreeing.
"Jing Yuan also bears responsibility for this matter."
"Knowing there was a tiger on the mountain, yet allowing it to grow stronger for the sake of catching it red-handed, scheming to be the oriole behind the mantis and the cicada, and delaying action for so long... that is cowardice."
Jing Yuan's words came from the heart.
He constantly reminded himself to weigh and measure his actions.
Thus, when faced with the various internal conflicts on the Luofu, he would never act rashly. He needed some form of decisive evidence before he could make a move.
Compared to Leon's decisive 'too lazy to explain' attitude, wasn't such an approach cowardly?
"And to be lenient with the Vidyadhara, remembering their past merits, failing to thoroughly investigate the Alchemy Commission, and not noticing the irregularities in the circulation of medicinal elixirs sooner... that is a dereliction of duty."
Jing Yuan was aware that the Vidyadhara Elders were plotting something in the shadows.
But he didn't know the full extent, which was another reason for his delayed action.
He hadn't met the prerequisite of irrefutable proof.
"Has it been confirmed?" Hua asked.
Jing Yuan nodded. "It has been confirmed."
"This group of Borisin used a secret elixir from the Alchemy Commission to successfully disguise themselves as Foxians. Without this aid, they would have likely been exposed long ago."
To be honest, he had suspected the Vidyadhara Elders were up to something, but he never thought they'd collude with the Borisin.
You should have said so earlier!
Colluding with the Borisin, especially in the current sensitive climate.
For such an act, Jing Yuan wouldn't even need his usual standard of conclusive evidence.
Discovering even a minor flaw would have been enough to mobilize troops and wipe them all out.
Alas, it was a pity. Even the most subtle clues can be missed.
Who would have thought this group of Borisin would be hiding among the Foxians?
Jing Yuan regretted not noticing it sooner.
Sigh, the Alchemy Commission really should have been investigated.
It was a momentary lapse of indulgence on his part; he had completely forgotten about that loose end.
"Both of you are being too harsh on yourselves. This abruptly halted rebellion is not any single person's responsibility."
Yueyu listened to them and shook his head.
"These Vidyadhara were from the same faction that migrated with Imbibitor Lunae long ago."
"They were born on the Luofu, so naturally, it has nothing to do with General Xuanquan. How could it be a failure of your leadership?"
Yueyu saw the situation clearly.
"And General Jing Yuan, you are in no way derelict in your duty."
"I know your style. I am certain you had already laid out plans in secret to deal with any contingency."
"You always prefer to plan things out to the last detail to avoid any major surprises. Isn't that how you earned the title 'Divine Foresight'?"
Yueyu said with a smile.
"I am an Arbiter-General just like you. I am well aware this position is not as easy as it seems."
"When all is said and done, isn't the cause of this incident simply 'profit'? It doesn't have much to do with anyone here."
Xuanquan remained silent, personally contemplating whether to approve Leon's proposal.
Jing Yuan, on the other hand, let out a wry laugh and shook his head, feeling a bit emotional.
Like her, he said nothing more.
"What did he say?" Hua asked after a moment of reflection.
"He said he will quell this rebellion by himself and that the Marshal need not worry."
Xuanquan came back to her senses, not forgetting what Leon had instructed her to convey.
"And his views on the Vidyadhara?" Hua asked again.
Xuanquan fell silent.
After a moment, she took a deep breath and said:
"Reporting to the Marshal, I share the same stance as Arbiter-General Leon."
"I hereby swear upon the name of Xuanquan: the alliance between the Vidyadhara and the Xianzhou is hereby null and void. Should any Vidyadhara commit one of the Ten Abominations, the Ten-Lords Commission shall have the authority to act as sole arbiter in their case."
After making this momentous decision, Xuanquan spoke, her voice hoarse with every word.
"Anyone shall have the right to seek the punishment of scale-shedding for them!"
The Ten-Lords Commission always had the authority to sentence Vidyadhara to death, but it was never a decision one of them could make alone.
Take Dan Feng, the sinner who caused the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae, for example.
He was originally meant to be executed, but the Vidyadhara Elders argued ceaselessly and barely managed to spare his life.
The final verdict was changed to Molting Rebirth.
"The hope of the Vidyadhara might just lie with him."
Hua said something incomprehensible.
"I know." Xuanquan nodded solemnly.
And with the oath she had just sworn, the option of Molting Rebirth would no longer be available to those who committed the Ten Abominations.
Colluding with the Borisin.
With the Third War of the Abundance Denizens having just ended, the Vidyadhara of the Luofu had committed this grave sin.
As the Lord of Ten Thousand Dragons, she truly needed to send a harsh warning.
Xuanquan cherished every one of her clansmen.
That was why she was even more determined to prevent anyone from making the same mistake again. For the Vidyadhara, every death was a permanent loss.
If incidents like today's were to happen a few more times, their extinction would not be far off.
But cherishing them was one thing; Xuanquan had to admit another.
The Vidyadhara were gradually losing their reverence for life.
The alliance and Molting Rebirth, these two safety nets, had given them far too much confidence.
So much so that they dared to dabble in anything.
No need to worry, after all. At worst, they could just be a hero in their next life.
Xuanquan was sure this was the mindset of the Vidyadhara on the Luofu—a mindset that treated life with utter contempt.
This should not be.
Only reverence could stop them from walking to extremes, and only death could instill reverence.
The reason Xuanquan agreed to abolish the alliance this time... was not just for Leon, but also because she personally felt this situation was growing more and more severe.
Furthermore, she felt that Leon's value was far greater than this alliance.
What could the alliance bring? Nothing.
At least for the current Vidyadhara, the alliance was more harmful than beneficial.
Only by first understanding the preciousness of life can one learn to cherish it.
Leon, however, was different. The hope of the Vidyadhara could very well rest on him.
I wonder if anyone understands when I say that he might just abolish the cause of their inability to procreate in the future.
"I will convey this to every Xianzhou ship afterward."
Hua nodded. She was confident no one would dare object to the nullification of the alliance.
After all, this was Leon's decision—and by extension, Lan's.
Who do you think you are to object?
"Thank you, Marshal."
Xuanquan let out a long sigh, as if to summarize the day's ups and downs.
"Speaking of which, what about Hulei?"
Yueyu remembered something and asked, "Should we inform Arbiter-General Leon first, to prevent him from killing the beast as if it were a mere speed bump?"
"No need."
Hua shook her head. "Hulei has been in our possession for centuries, yet we have failed to unlock its secrets."
"Entrust it to him completely."
Hua's gaze was fixed on the distance.
"Perhaps he can make a different discovery. A new beginning might be just around the corner."
Hua had always believed in Leon.
Believed that he could achieve what they could not. If you were to ask why...
Because if it's him, he can do it. He can absolutely do it, and with ease!
...
Meanwhile, on the Xianzhou Luofu.
After finishing his business, Leon found the group of five.
Accompanied by the two physicians, the other three had a blast, trying all the food, drinks, and entertainment they could find.
The five of them had practically toured the entire Luofu.
"Mmph... Are you done with your work... mmph..."
Bailu was in the middle of eating a Qiongshi Bird Skewer. The moment she saw him return, her attention was immediately drawn to him, and she came forward to greet him.
"Arbiter-General Leon... mmph... what on earth were you doing..."
Bailu mumbled indistinctly as she swallowed the skewer in one go, striking up a conversation with him.
Her curiosity was clearly overflowing.
But that was normal. After all, children are at the age of peak curiosity.
"I went to fight for children's rights for you."
Leon said as he squatted down, leaning forward slightly to be at eye level with Bailu.
"What's that?" Bailu didn't quite understand.
"It means you can do whatever you want from now on."
After saying that, Leon reached for her tail, where the shackle was still unbroken.
"Whatever I want?"
Hearing his words, Bailu thought for a moment.
"Could it be?"
If she had to name the one thing she subconsciously wanted most, it would be this.
"From now on, I can be as carefree as I was today, and I won't have to ask the Vidyadhara Elders for permission to go out anymore?"
Bailu's eyes lit up as she asked, eagerly awaiting his answer.
"That's right, child."
Leon replied casually, carefully examining her tail.
It was his first time touching a dragon's tail. It felt quite smooth, not much different from a snake's.
Now, all that was left was to touch a Foxian's. He'd have to see if he could fulfill that dream later.
"Who put this shackle on you?" he asked.
"The Elders, of course."
Bailu had a matter-of-fact expression. "They said this thing is called the 'Chimu Longevity Lock' and that it's a noble ornament only the High Elder is qualified to wear."
"But I feel like this thing is stunting my growth."
Bailu grumbled.
"It does seem to be in the way a little."
With that, Leon gave the longevity lock a light pinch.
With a crack, fine fissures spread across its surface.
The next moment, the longevity lock shattered completely!
This seemingly grand and impressive item was crushed by him as if it were a stray dog's collar.
"There."
Having done that, Leon stood up.
Leaving Bailu with a body that had never felt so light.
"...Is this really okay?"
Seeing the shackle on her tail truly gone, Bailu was stunned for a moment.
That shackle had been with her for a long time.
She had protested to the Vidyadhara Elders more than once, but they had ignored her every time.
She had thought she would only be able to take it off once she became an adult.
She never expected to achieve this goal so quickly.
How should she put it? Happiness had come so suddenly, it had caught her off guard.
"What's not okay about it?"
There was nothing not okay about it, because anyone who would say otherwise was already dead.
Leon was going to do whatever he wanted!
"Won't this really cause trouble for you?"
Bailu felt it would be hard to explain to the Vidyadhara Elders. "Why don't we just buy something random and put it on? See if we can pass it off as the real thing!"
"The Vidyadhara Elders won't bother you anymore. Rest assured. If they do, you come find me, alright?"
Leon told her not to worry about this and that; a child just needs to be happy.
Hearing this answer, Bailu burst into tears and threw herself into his arms:
"Arbiter-General Leon, I will follow you for the rest of my life!"
Coming out today was the right choice, she tells you.
Bailu truly felt that her decision to run away today was a great one.
Not only did she get rid of the longevity lock, but she also gained her freedom.
She'd never had such a beautiful beginning!
"Good work, Leon."
March 7th said, offering the Qiongshi Bird Skewer in her hand, from which she had already eaten two pieces, toward his mouth.
"Thanks, thanks."
Leon accepted it and tried one, savoring the taste.
"Great benefactor."
"I hope you will take me with you the next time you vanquish evil. Even if my abilities are weak and I cannot offer you any help, my soul will always be with you, no matter what!"
Rapa said with great earnestness.
"You should focus on passing the Cloud Knights' entrance exam first. Stop messing around," Leon told her.
...
Yaoqing.
After a minor, not-so-troublesome interlude with the Vidyadhara.
The day of the Yaoqing's Martial Arts Ceremony soon arrived.
As General Jing Yuan had promised, the Luofu delegation arrived at the venue on time.
Just like when Leon first arrived at the Luofu.
There were people here who had been waiting for a long time.
Yueyu and her frank, outspoken Foxian disciple were at the port to welcome them personally.
"Whoa, why did the eighth Arbiter-General bring kids with him?!"
"That general's outfit looks pretty good with that girl Feixiao's. I remember she's been dressing like that for a long time now."
"'Looks good'? Isn't it just short of spelling out their relationship?"
The usual chatter was unavoidable.
However, Leon could understand the last two comments. His trench coat was a gift from the Yaoqing.
It was only natural that there would be some similarities.
In fact, his outfit was custom-made as a matching set, with male and female versions.
The male version was on him.
"Leon!"
Feixiao shouted enthusiastically as she came forward, opening her arms as if to give him a friendly hug.
And the female version was on the fox-eared girl before him.
Feixiao had changed a lot since the last time they met at the dinner table.
Well, not changed, exactly, but she gave off a completely different feeling.
Perhaps it was because she had just finished a battle back then, which was why she lacked energy.
Now, her long, silver-white hair was tied into a chic ponytail, complementing her pure white trench coat, which matched his, worn over a dark, sleeveless vest.
On her lower body, she wore shorts paired with a curtain-like skirt resembling a horse-face skirt. She looked incredibly sharp and capable, radiating an aura of heroic valor.
One could say she was a heartthrob for both men and women.
"Uh, who are you again?"
Leon returned her polite hug, then tactlessly asked after they separated.
____
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