Chapter 972: Must Remain Calm

"Connecting the external amplifier, I will speak to her!"

The Cloud Cavalry at the comms station swiftly pressed a row of jade keys, the talisman array lit up, and the buzzing of the external amplifier radiated from the Star Chariot's outer wall, echoing through the ice valley.

"Jing Liu!" Fu Xuan spoke.

Her voice, amplified, resonated over the entire ice mountain, crisp yet solemn, bearing undeniable authority.

"I am the head of Luofu's Tai Bu Si, the current Acting General Fu Xuan! The area before you has been sealed off by the Cloud Cavalry; the damage you caused tonight has seriously threatened Luofu's safety. I now, on behalf of Luofu, address you—"

She paused briefly, a golden glint flickering in her Divination Eye.

"Immediately lay down your weapon, cease resistance, and submit to my handling; you will receive fair treatment here from me!"

After the voice rang out, the entire ice plain fell silent for a long while.

Jing Liu did not turn around.

The night wind poured in through cracks in the ice mountain, swirling up shards of tiny ice that struck her hem, producing a faint rustle.

Her frosty white hair drifted to one side in the wind; a few strands brushed the black Eye Mask she had redonned, and the silver crescent at its center glimmered under the spotlight, like a sealed cold moon.

Then she turned her body sideways.

She only angled slightly, revealing a sliver of pale jaw and half a face hidden by the black veil of the Eye Mask.

"I act tonight only for a demon‑shadow body."

Jing Liu spoke, her voice calm—so calm that one might doubt the massive ice mountain behind her was even hers—"The demon‑shadow body has appeared in Luofu's streets; you may go find it, I will not obstruct."

Yan Qing froze for a moment upon hearing the words "demon‑shadow body," his amber eyes blinking.

He swiftly retrieved from his Memory the photo Xing Fa had sent to the group earlier.

The picture indeed showed two figures facing off: one, the former Sword Leader with white hair; the other, a gray‑white haired silhouette surrounded by bubbles, a golden flower hovering above its head.

At the time he was only watching Jing Liu's back, paying little heed to the gray‑white haired individual.

Now that Jing Liu explicitly called it a demon‑shadow body, Yan Qing finally realized and let out an "oh."

"So that gray‑white hair truly is a demon‑shadow body."

Yan Qing muttered softly, "But how dare it fight Jing Liu? Aren't demon‑shadow bodies supposed to pounce on anyone they see? How could it stand and spar with Jing Liu, and even cause such a commotion?"

The more Yan Qing spoke, the more uneasy he felt.

He turned to look at Xue Yi; her expression remained cold as usual, though her brows furrowed slightly.

He then glanced up at Yukong's projection; Yukong's demeanor was a bit more solemn than before, as if pondering something.

"What kind of demon‑shadow body could make Jing Liu wield power of this level?"

Xue Yi spoke, her voice low, as if to herself yet to everyone, "Among recorded demon‑shadow body cases, hardly any retain full consciousness to confront a Sword Leader."

"The Ten Kings Office has no corresponding records in Luofu's Soul‑Capturing archives."

Han Ya's voice drifted from the projection, still weary but with a hint of seriousness, "That demon‑shadow body is either a recently fallen high‑rank Xianzhou person, or its very existence lies outside the Ten Kings Office's files."

Fu Xuan listened to the discussion behind her, her expression unchanged.

Her gaze remained fixed on Jing Liu, lips pressed lightly, fingers rubbing the edge of a jade talisman in her sleeve.

She could see that Jing Liu's words had already separated herself from that gray‑white demon‑shadow body.

This was, for Fu Xuan, the most advantageous situation at present.

As long as Jing Liu does not point her spear at Luofu, and she can maintain superficial cooperation, Fu Xuan can handle the rest gradually.

"Since that demon‑shadow body has already been dealt with by you,"

Fu Xuan spoke, her voice steady, "Then I ask you to descend first. The frost damage you caused tonight has already spread beyond the sealed zone. I do not wish to use force nor make the situation uglier. If you cooperate, I will give you a respectable conclusion!"

Jing Liu remained silent for a long time.

The night wind grew stronger, tiny ice particles on the mountain were whipped up onto her hem, like a sudden flurry of shattered snow.

She slowly turned her sideways body back, once again facing away from the Star Chariot.

Fu Xuan could not see her expression, only a faint rise and fall of her shoulder line.

"Fine," Jing Liu said.

Yan Qing and Xue Yi both exhaled in relief.

The few Cloud Cavalry members in the forward seats exchanged glances, the tension on their faces finally easing a bit.

Fu Xuan, however, did not relax.

She stared at Jing Liu's back, her fingers on the jade talisman ceasing their rub.

Because Jing Liu's words were unfinished.

"But the matter is not over yet," Jing Liu added.

Everyone on the bridge froze, and for a moment only the low hum of the Star Chariot Engine reverberated.

Yan Qing was the first to react: "Not over? What does Senior Jing Liu mean?"

Xue Yi's brows knit again: "Combined with her previous sentence, the meaning is clear—the demon‑shadow body has not been concluded!"

After those words landed, the bridge fell as silent as if frozen.

Yan Qing opened his mouth, taking a long moment to find his voice: "So... where is it now? Frozen inside the ice mountain? Or escaped? Senior Jing Liu's move... actually..."

He did not finish, for Fu Xuan turned around.

Fu Xuan's face, under the bridge lights and the dual reflections of the astrological disc, appeared exceedingly composed.

Even her breathing was no more hurried than before.

"Investigate the whereabouts of that demon‑shadow body!"

Fu Xuan ordered, her voice crisp, "From now on, expand the search area; do not overlook any region where Abundance aura lingers. Xue Yi, you are in charge of the Ten Kings Office's Soul‑Capturing Network. Yan Qing, lead a small squad to search down the southern side of the ice mountain. Operate in groups of three; upon sighting the target, report first, do not engage hastily—"

When she uttered the word "do not," a fine needle seemed to prick her throat.

That word was one she habitually used in orders, yet as it slipped from her tongue now, her heart pounded heavily and rapidly.

She is still alive.

Qingque is still alive.

Fu Xuan calmly inhaled, swallowed the second "don't" back down, and replaced it with a smoother phrasing: "…First report, heard you clearly?"

Yan Qing and Xue Yi responded simultaneously.

The Star Chariot formation began adjusting its array, and the patrol boats split into three routes, dispersing toward the iceberg in different directions.

Fu Xuan stood still; her shadow was struck by a searchlight from behind, projected onto the smooth deck of the bridge, stretched thin.

She pulled her hand into her sleeve, fingertips clutching the ice‑cold jade token, squeezing it tightly.

She must stay calm.

She is still alive.

Every step from now on must be steadier!