Chapter 800: Bright Night Martial Contest Tests the Edge (55)

Zero Zone.

"Master, master…" Ye Shunguang weakly pointed at the calm General Jing Yuan beneath the sky‑curtain, "Do we also have to learn this skill of speaking? I… I can't learn it...!"

If General Jing Yuan were practicing a sword technique, she could at least try to learn it, but how does one learn his skill of speaking? Under Ling Sha's barrage of words like a rapid‑fire cannon, Ye Shunguang only managed to imitate Jing Yuan a little before breaking into a cold sweat… her mind went into a complete stall.

The general's words are like a soft lump of cotton; Miss Ling Sha steps into it, and even a force of millions of jin cannot push through.

"Oh… it's fine, Little Light." Yi Xuan lifted his teacup, calmly took a sip, "Never mind you; the skill of General Jing Yuan's speech is something even a teacher can learn."

"Eh??"

"This is the art of speech that a Luofu person has refined over centuries; it's not something one can pick up so easily. In terms of speaking ability, even Lord Tai Bu, who aspires to be a general, is still far behind."

"I also want General Jing Yuan's same‑style mouth."

Ju Fu Fu lay on the table, unsure whether she was sighing at the sight of Jing Yuan's eloquence or the scorching summer on Cheng Hui Ping had drained her spirit; the girl drooped her ears, weakly saying, "Master, it seems that compared to martial arts, the general's attainment in the study of 'speech' is even higher."

"Of course, Luofu isn't constantly at war," Yi Xuan set down his cup, gazing at the big locust tree outside the window, sunlight filtering through the leaves like scattered gold, "The general's sword is a last resort. Before that, he must use words to unify hearts, balance factions, and resolve conflicts—that is Jing Yuan's main battlefield."

"Anyone who can become a general is never at a disadvantage in 'social' matters. Don't be fooled by General Feixiao's martial strength; in negotiations with other generals, he is also a personal genius..."

——

"The three continued forward and discovered a demon‑shadow body."

"Ling Sha bent over, lowered her waist, and after careful observation hypothesized, 'The demon‑shadow body that died here… doesn't seem to be a prisoner who escaped from the prison.'"

"'How can you tell?'"

"'These demon‑shadow bodies are fully equipped with armor and weapons; clearly they didn't rush into battle.'"

"Dan Heng added at this moment, 'The Yaoqing envoy named Mo Ze once said that the prisoners who came to raid the prison were in two groups. Apart from the Bu Li people, there is also a group of demon‑shadow bodies that can hide their tracks. That's who he was referring to.'"

"Jing Yuan furrowed his brows, 'Hide their tracks?'"

"'Indeed. I've fought these demon‑shadow bodies; they use Cloud‑Chant technique to conceal their forms. Without careful observation, no one can detect their movements.'"

"'Mr. Dan Heng once warned me to handle Elder Chi Ming's interference with Dan Ding Si cautiously. Could it be…' A dangerous speculation gradually formed in Ling Sha's mind."

"'Miss Ling Sha, what have you discerned?'"

"First, judging from the escape route of the Bu Li raiders from the Ghost Prison, someone must have leaked the prison's layout to them. The Chi Ming clan contributed significantly during the construction of the Ghost Prison. Second, the disguised Bu Li people need to take medicine to maintain their fox‑human appearance, clearly indicating that remnants within Dan Ding Si are covertly assisting them. Third, forging official identities for the hidden Bu Li operatives clearly requires someone of high rank to accomplish."

"Ling Sha lowered her head, looking at the demon‑shadow body on the ground, 'As for these assassins using the Cloud‑Chant technique, the suspicion on the Dragon Masters grows heavier.'"

——

Maze Meal.

"Dragon Masters again, Dragon Masters again, Dragon Masters!! How are they involved in every misdeed in Luofu?!"

Marusil was so angry her back molars felt like they would crack; she recalled that ever since Huan Long began, these Dragon Masters never stopped—Bai Lu, Dan Heng… whenever something good happens there's no trace of a Dragon Master, but the first to be blamed for wrongdoing is always them. What kind of reputation is this?

…truly a parade of misdeeds!

"But it doesn't add up. The Dragon Masters should act for the benefit of the Chi Ming clan, yet why would they ally with the Bu Li people to rescue Hu Lei? How does that serve their interests?" Zierchak could not comprehend the Dragon Masters' motives.

"Assisting the Bu Li is tantamount to indirectly facilitating Huan Long's plan to destroy Luofu; that's a definite traitor. Their hired assassins even intend to strike Dan Heng and Xing Dong… it feels these Dragon Masters have gone completely mad."

"Could it be that the Dragon Masters have a conflict with Jing Yuan?" Marusil propped her chin and guessed, "It seems the Dragon Masters have always been at odds with Jing Yuan. Now that the Six Imperial Guards have just appointed a Chi Ming person as the head of Dan Ding Si, and since Ling Sha initially had a dispute with Jing Yuan, perhaps they aim to use this chance to win over Ling Sha and completely overthrow Jing Yuan."

"What after they overthrow him?" Zierchak couldn't help laughing, "Do the Dragon Masters think they can command the Six Imperial Guards and manage the entire Luofu Celestial Boat? If a Dragon Master actually became that general, Luofu would likely have been destroyed long before Huan Long infiltrated."

——

"But they are Chi Ming; why collude with the Bu Li and help Hu Lei escape?" Ling Sha couldn't understand.

"'For chaos. Only chaos can give them a sliver of hope, letting them climb back to the pinnacle of power.' Dan Heng explained, 'Since the Moon‑Drinking Riot ended, as proud descendants of the Dragon Vein, we face a deteriorating situation we cannot reverse. Miss Ling Sha, being from Luofu, should understand my meaning.'"

"'However, in my view, the Chi Ming Dragon Masters are hardly the mastermind. The one who saw through Luofu's many cracks, orchestrated the secret rebellion of the Medicine King, leading to the rebirth of the Sacred Tree, the cataclysmic sovereign—Huan Long—she is the root cause of all this betrayal.'"

"Ling Sha now reminded, 'Allow me to caution the general: everything I've said is at most conjecture. Criminal cases demand ironclad evidence. To breach Chi Ming's hidden realm and interrogate them, we must render them speechless.'"

"'Miss Ling Sha, what are you planning?'"

"'I intend to send the Dragon Masters an invitation.'"

"'An invitation?'"

Ling Sha said lightly, "Since I arrived at Luofu, the Dragon Masters have repeatedly invited me to meet. I will send the remnants of these demon‑shadow bodies, along with the escape route map of the Ghost Prison prisoners, to the Dragon Masters' residence, then invite them to meet me in the Lin Yuan Realm… I want to hear their explanation."

"'Good idea. If I intervene, I might only startle the snakes. Leave this to Miss Ling Sha; Chi Ming internal affairs should still be handled by Chi Ming. Even if the operation goes poorly, there's no need to worry. Once the wolf‑hunting operation ends, many truths will come to light.'"