Chapter 106: The Trial of the Broken Mask
đ Act I: A Return in Silence
Ne Job was sorting scrolls when Twinkle buzzed nervously.
The Reflection Hall grew cold, and a faint shimmer appeared in the air.
Ao Bing frowned. "That's not a miracle. That's trouble."
Taiyi Zhenren muttered, "Unprofessional."
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule returned â cracked, but glowing with new power.
He hissed:
> "You thought me defeated. But broken masks reveal deeper plots."
---
đ§ Act II: The Villains' New Scheme
The Bureau of Misrule had regrouped.
Their plan: infiltrate the Miracle Registry by disguising corrupted scrolls as genuine ones.
- Courage disguised as recklessness.
- Patience disguised as stagnation.
- Joy disguised as cruelty.
Ao Bing clenched his fists. "We'll stop them!"
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted the evidence.
Ne Job whispered, "We must uncover the truth."
Twinkle pulsed softly.
---
đ Act III: The Investigation
The interns searched the Registry.
They found scrolls that looked genuine but pulsed strangely.
Ao Bing tried to open one â it hissed.
Taiyi Zhenren annotated its corruption.
Glimmer giggled nervously.
Ne Job unrolled Miracle #350-M â the Mask of Misrule.
The scroll pulsed.
Truth resonated.
The corrupted scrolls trembled.
Their disguises cracked.
---
𧔠Act IV: The Trial
The Mask of Misrule challenged the interns.
> "If you can face my trial, the Bureau will survive. If not, it will fall."
The hall transformed into a maze of illusions.
Scrolls floated, disguised.
Miracles twisted.
Ao Bing stumbled through false laughter.
Taiyi Zhenren trembled in endless footnotes.
Glimmer cried softly.
Ne Job stood firm.
He whispered, "Truth is not disguise. It is devotion."
Twinkle hummed brightly.
The illusions dissolved.
---
đ Act V: The Resolution
The Mask of Misrule faltered.
His disguise cracked further.
His voice echoed:
> "You may win today. But masks always return."
Ao Bing tossed confetti.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted the silence.
Glimmer hugged Ne Job.
Twinkle hummed triumphantly.
Lord Xian appeared.
> "Intern Ne Job, you have defended the Bureau against the Trial of the Broken Mask. Well done."
---
đ Epilogue: A New Registry Entry
The next morning, a new entry appeared in the Miracle Registry:
> Miracle #360-T: The Trial of the Broken Mask
> Status: Defeated, cracked, unresolved.
> Effect: Teaches that truth dissolves disguise. Activated through courage and clarity.
Ne Job added a note:
> "Some miracles are disguised. But truth always reveals them."
Twinkle hummed.
And somewhere in the Bureau, a mask shimmered â broken, but waiting.