Inside the Seat of Divine Foresight, the attendants had long since been dismissed.
Only Fu Xuan and Qingzu remained, accompanying Jing Yuan on his left and right.
"Mr. Ryuga, Miss Elysia, Miss Aponia, and... please, have a seat."
Jing Yuan nodded in invitation.
He had intended to call out to Pardo, but seeing her off playing on her own, he decided to let her be.
"Qingzu, serve the finest tea."
The desk, piled high with scrolls and documents, served as a makeshift reception table.
As the tea set was laid out, a delicate fragrance rose and swirled like mist.
Ryuga did not decline, taking his seat naturally alongside Elysia and Aponia.
Elysia observed the few people in the hall as if watching a play.
Aponia was as quiet as a secluded orchid, her eyes lowered in silence.
As for Pardo, she had already taken Can and was curiously wandering around the Seat of Divine Foresight, occasionally snapping a photo for herself.
Ever since Ryuga gave her a camera, the "Wealthy Cat" had become obsessed with capturing moments in time.
As the tea fragrance grew stronger, Jing Yuan held up his cup in a toast.
"General Jing Yuan, if there's something on your mind, please speak freely."
"After all, we're all on the same side."
Ryuga blew away the floating leaves on the surface of his tea and took a light sip. The warm liquid smoothed down his throat as he spoke as if chatting about family matters.
"Ah?"
Jing Yuan was stunned, the tea cup in his hand nearly tilting.
The atmosphere in the hall froze for a moment.
Ryuga looked up, speaking with a mix of truth and jest: "Is that not right? In terms of seniority, you should call me 'Grandmaster.' Well, calling me 'Junior Brother' works too."
As the words fell, they were like a rolling thunderclap echoing through the hall.
He spoke words that would startle anyone to death.
"..."
Jing Yuan's expression instantly became peculiar. It was a good thing he wasn't drinking tea, or he would have surely spat it out.
He sat frozen in place, for a moment not knowing what to say.
Fu Xuan's eyes widened.
Qingzu was even more dumbfounded, standing to the side, having forgotten to even put down the tea tray in her hand.
Grandmaster?
There was an indescribable sense of absurdity.
Jing Yuan only had one master, and that was the former Sword Champion of the Luofu, the cold-as-frost Jingliu.
Ryuga was the Grandmaster?
Then wouldn't that make him... Jingliu's husband?
The two of them almost didn't dare to think further.
Could that woman, who lived a life of isolation and cold pride, the "Transcendental Flash," also have personal feelings?
Jing Yuan also had his mouth slightly open, his face full of astonishment.
He had always believed that his Master would never have a husband.
If she did, it would surely be her sword.
But...
Also, what on earth was this "Grandmaster and Junior Brother" business?
What kind of seniority was this?
Jing Yuan, Fu Xuan, and Qingzu were all completely bewildered.
"..."
Ryuga stared unhurriedly at Fu Xuan. He always felt something was slightly off about her.
After carefully observing her, he realized that little Fu Xuan didn't have the "Type-C port" on her forehead.
Thinking about it, it made sense; the "Omniscia" bestowed by Nous was something that happened after the Battle of Fanghu.
A glance to the side caught Elysia's face as she struggled to hold back her laughter.
Ryuga immediately gave her a sharp glare, knowing this girl was about to go to the group chat to tattle.
Elysia shrunk her neck like a little fox caught in the act, pouting her face and dejectedly giving up on the idea of reporting him.
Jing Yuan finally regained his composure, coughing twice and looking at Ryuga with a strange expression: "Cough... Mr. Ryuga, you..."
His mind, usually peerless in strategy and planning, was now as messy as a tangled ball of yarn.
Grandmaster and Junior Brother, what the hell?
A Grandmaster is an elder, a Junior Brother is a peer; one person holding both titles, isn't that a violation of the natural order?
Or rather, after you finished your apprenticeship under the Master, did you then... sleep with the Master?
He didn't dare to think any further.
...
"Cough, cough~ I have a request."
"By the way, Mr. Ryuga, the three of you are all carrying Herta's Curios, aren't you?"
Jing Yuan coughed twice, temporarily tossing Ryuga's messy and chaotic seniority titles out of his mind.
As he spoke, he glanced at the monitoring screen.
What he saw with his eyes was completely different from the faces reflected in the cold images.
Fu Xuan and Qingzu looked as well, finding it miraculous.
"Mhm."
Ryuga wasn't worried at all about his appearance being captured by cameras or monitors simultaneously, because what your phone or camera captured would still be the appearance shown on the monitor.
The Curio "Protean Jak'Sho" was just that powerful.
"Is Miss Elysia a member of the Vidyadhara?"
"She is not."
Jing Yuan didn't commit either way, looking toward the other side with a smile: "Mhm, but, Miss Aponia, you could be."
Aponia looked up, her gaze as calm as an ancient well.
She could hear the deepest whispers in people's hearts; all false words were laid bare before her.
But she didn't do that; this steady-mannered General still put a lot of pressure on her.
Ryuga understood instantly: "It seems General Jing Yuan wants Aponia to be a High Elder?"
"That is indeed my intention."
Jing Yuan nodded, admitting his thought.
Qingzu stood to the side, her ears twitching slightly. General, is it really okay to say such things without keeping them from me?
She was a member of the Vidyadhara.
"I would like to ask, Miss Aponia, do you possess the legacy of a dragon?"
Jing Yuan looked at Aponia again.
Fu Xuan and Qingzu immediately pricked up their ears and held their breath.
"The Dragon of Serenity."
Aponia nodded gently.
"Then that's it."
"Since you have received the legacy of a dragon, you are a member of the dragon kin. If it weren't so, on the Xianzhou, where the Celestials, Vidyadhara, and Foxians are all of one mind, Jing Yuan would never make such a joke."
Jing Yuan's eyes lit up, his smile deepening.
As he spoke, he picked up his tea cup and took a composed sip. The tea fragrance rose, reflecting the steadiness and calculation between his brows.
"..."
Qingzu silently flicked her ear tips; it sounded reasonable enough.
After all, the dragon kin weren't just limited to bloodlines; there were also mechanical dragons, dead dragons, and so on.
Thinking about it this way, it wasn't too hard to accept the person opposite becoming a High Elder.
Moreover, this Miss Aponia before them was carrying the legacy of two divine dragons at the same time.
"Does Mr. Ryuga understand the current situation of the Vidyadhara?"
Jing Yuan put down his tea cup, lightly tapping his finger on the rim, and asked.
"..."
Ryuga remained silent for a moment, understanding clearly.
An old fox nearly eight hundred years old, playing mind games with me?
"I have a general understanding."
"The current High Elder of the Vidyadhara is still the 'Healer Lady' Bailu, right?"
"But Bailu actually doesn't have much combat power."
"Firstly, she only inherited the healing part of the High Elder's power. As for Dan Feng's 'Transmutation Arcanum,' it wasn't fully passed down."
"Secondly, the other part is still 'yo-yoing'—uh, the 'Abyssal Pearl' is still in Dan Heng's hands."
As he spoke, Ryuga paused.
He slowly took a sip of tea, his expression gradually turning cold.
"Thirdly, the so-called 'Dragon Horn Shackles,' which are supposedly meant to protect Bailu, are actually locked onto her tail to suppress her power, making it easier for the Preceptors to control the Vidyadhara."
As he spoke, he drained the remaining tea in his cup and set it on the table with a 'thud.'
"In the current Luofu Vidyadhara, the ones truly holding authority are the Preceptors."
"And the 'Healer Lady' Bailu is nothing more than a puppet locked upon a high platform."
"..."
Jing Yuan, Fu Xuan, and Qingzu looked at each other, speechless for a long time.
You call this a "general" understanding?
This is clearly stripping the Luofu Vidyadhara's secrets down to the bone!
Some of this was even more than they knew.
These people from the Genius Society are truly incredible.
To have investigated the Xianzhou's secrets so thoroughly, even knowing the internal power struggles of the Preceptors like the back of their hand?
Jing Yuan sighed inwardly, but his face remained impassive.
He naturally assumed that everything Ryuga knew had been told to him by Herta.
...
"So, General Jing Yuan needs Aponia to use her status as a High Elder to purge the Vidyadhara?"
Ryuga's words were startling.
Qingzu's pupils shrank in shock, and she subconsciously looked at Jing Yuan, her eyes full of suspicion.
Are you for real?
Fu Xuan's brow furrowed slightly: Is the General really this bold? Isn't he afraid of things spiraling out of control?
Damn!
I really am still far from the General's level.
"Cough, cough, Mr. Ryuga misunderstood."
Jing Yuan was also startled by the sudden killing intent from Ryuga.
Purge the Vidyadhara?
Don't be ridiculous.
If that were the case, he wouldn't have let Qingzu stay; wouldn't she have overheard a secret?
Ultimately, the Xianzhou Alliance still needed the Vidyadhara to suppress and guard against the Abominations of Abundance.
And the Vidyadhara were essentially self-governing; as long as no major disaster occurred, as the General, he could not intervene.
This was established by the Marshal, and it was also a matter of balance.
"Then I understand. Your goal is Bailu."
Ryuga suddenly smiled.
He was naturally well aware of the friendship between Jing Yuan and Baiheng.
"Currently, the Dragon Lady is imprisoned within the 'Alchemy Commission.'"
"This shouldn't be a responsibility or a burden for someone her age to bear."
As Jing Yuan spoke, he gradually clenched his fist.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
The one who longed for freedom the most, "Baiheng," was now locked in a small room, unable to go out all year round.
"!!"
Ryuga's face turned cold.
In his mind, an image of a Light Cone suddenly appeared: "Time Waits for No One."
Little Bailu sat alone by the window, looking at the scenery outside, her eyes so dim they didn't even have a hint of a highlight.
Outside the window, the four seasons flowed, peach blossoms bloomed and withered, parasol trees turned yellow and fell, but she sat still like a painting, as if time had stopped for her.
A window framed the entire world, and also framed a soul that should have been free.
How many years had she sat there?
Ten years?
Twenty years?
Or had she never left since she could remember?
Ryuga didn't know.
The Dragon Lady, who should have been free and unrestrained, was locked before a window in the Alchemy Commission, year after year, watching the spring flowers and autumn moon, unable to step out a single foot.
The reason it became like this was entirely the result of the power struggle between the Alchemy Commission and the Preceptors.
In the end, an innocent young girl suffered.
"If Aponia becomes the High Elder, Bailu can be liberated. From then on, she can freely choose her own life."
Jing Yuan paused, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at Ryuga.
"Of course, this General will not let you help for nothing."
"..."
Elysia blinked, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Her lips curled up in an innocent and romantic smile, but a hint of mockery flashed in her beautiful eyes.
You're acting quite well, General.
But you can't fool Ryuga.
Ryuga's internal sneer was even stronger. Only Bailu?
Heh, if he believed that, he'd be a fool.
Naive.
A change in the High Elder is the beginning of a power reshuffle for the Vidyadhara.
Once Aponia becomes the High Elder, she will inevitably break the old Preceptor system.
Those entrenched old Preceptors, who have held onto the rituals for hundreds of years, how could they truly be willing to give up the power in their hands?
And he, naturally, would not allow the Preceptors to manipulate Aponia like a chess piece as they did with Bailu.
A purge was inevitable.
When Aponia took the position, he would go and purge the Preceptors.
This was an open scheme.
Jing Yuan had seen this point.
Using Aponia's name, but actually using his hand to purge the increasingly severe separatist tendencies within the Vidyadhara.
This disciple is not obedient at all.
"Mr. Ryuga's visit to the Luofu this time must also have some purpose, right?"
Jing Yuan suddenly looked up and said with a smile.
"Mhm, my purpose isn't large. It can be settled with a bit of money; it's just arranging for 100 orphans from Aponia's sanatorium."
Ryuga raised an eyebrow and spread his hands with a light laugh.
Becoming a High Elder and purging the Preceptors—taking the blame for such things—couldn't be equated with arranging housing for 100 people.
However, Aponia becoming a High Elder did indeed have benefits for him.
It meant tying the Xianzhou Alliance to his war chariot.
In the future, when he promoted the "Simulated Universe Company" plan, the Xianzhou Alliance would have no choice but to be involved.
The resistance would be greatly reduced.
And resources would flow in continuously. Even some secret arts and methods of the Vidyadhara would be open to him.
Furthermore, the Vidyadhara could also be used by him.
However, the benefits for purging the Preceptors were something Jing Yuan still had to give.
He didn't like being used.
Ryuga's finger lightly tapped the tabletop, and he suddenly looked up: "Give me the 'Delve Folding Technology,' and I'll help you settle this matter."
As soon as these words were spoken, Fu Xuan's eyes shook slightly, and Qingzu's breath hitched.
Although Delve Folding Technology wasn't unique to the Xianzhou, it was used most extensively by them.
Jing Yuan remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "It's a deal."
Two thousand-year-old foxes shook hands.
Jing Yuan: "Then, congratulations to Miss Aponia on becoming the new High Elder of the Luofu."
Aponia: "???"
Don't you two want to ask for my thoughts first?
Forget it.
Since I have to look after the children here anyway, I might as well be a High Elder on the side.
...
In the group chat.
[Miss Pink Elf♪]: "@Everyone, group members, my best friend has become the 'Luofu' High Elder. Quick, everyone V me 50."
[Jingliu]: "Cough... what! Your best friend isn't a member of the Vidyadhara, is she?"
[1] "?"
[2] "?"
[Istaroth]: "Wait, your best friend? Eden? How did she get in there?"
[Miss Pink Elf♪]: "No, it's Aponia; you haven't met her. She is a Dragon Sovereign who inherited the 'Dragon of Serenity.' She just arrived at the Luofu and was taken for a High Elder."
Elysia gave a simple explanation.
The group members were enlightened; no wonder.
And Jingliu had a blank expression.
Not having seen him for 700 years, Jing Yuan had become so bold—a fake High Elder, purging the Vidyadhara Preceptors?
What on earth was going on?
But thinking that he still hadn't forgotten "Bailu," her heart was still very comforted.
Although Jing Yuan's talent wasn't great, he was the disciple she had taken who was most to her liking.
Well, even though she only took one.
"Since the High Elder matter is settled, it's time to mention the real business."
Ryuga suddenly gave a mysterious smile.
"What business?"
Jing Yuan was stunned. Wasn't the High Elder matter the real business?
"Take a deep breath, and don't drink tea."
Ryuga continued to smile mysteriously.
"...?"
[Desert Reaper]: "@Frozen Violet Melon, are you ready? Come to the Luofu quickly."
[3] "Pull."
['Frozen Violet Melon' is requesting to enter your world. Do you agree?]
[Agree!]
Just as Jing Yuan was surprised and puzzled, another door appeared inside the Seat of Divine Foresight.
But it was a marble stone archway.
The door opened.
After a blinding white light, a figure wearing a Cloud Knight uniform, with a heroic and upright posture, slowly walked out.
She was full of majesty and isolation. Although she wore a blindfold, frost was erupting between her brows.
"Cough! Cough!"
Jing Yuan suddenly stood up from his seat, his chest heaving violently, his eyes wide.
"Ma... Master!?"
Fu Xuan and Qingzu instantly stood frozen in place, their mouths open wide enough to swallow an egg.
How bold! To actually dare to appear in the Seat of Divine Foresight!
She was still a wanted criminal of the Luofu.
"Master."
Ryuga suddenly grinned and walked toward "Jingliu" in a playful manner.
Skirk nodded silently: Forget it.
"Cough, cough."
Jing Yuan only felt a roar like thunder in his head. Ryuga really was his Junior Brother?
Wait.
Jing Yuan's heart shook.
This Junior Brother seemed to have... slept with the Master?
He had to call him Grandmaster.
Damn!
It's so freaking complicated.
"Master, you..."
Jing Yuan forcibly suppressed his thoughts, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white and veins popped.
Reason and emotion were frantically entwined.
To be continued…
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