Oof!
A thud was followed by the startled cry of a child. Bailu had run right into Luanpo. It was like hitting an iron plate; she fell right on her bottom. The street-healing Dragon Lady met a high-stat monster and was defeated despite her best efforts.
"Is that a real dragon?" March 7th sized up the girl, looking at the dragon horns on her head and her tail, and asked the person beside her.
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
Leon only knew of a hidden true dragon at Fuzhou No. 16 Middle School.
"Are you a dragon?" he asked, crouching down to the girl's level.
"Of course this young lady is a dragon! A true living dragon!" Bailu, eyes half-closed as she rubbed her aching forehead, answered the question on pure instinct.
"If you're a dragon, that's fine too." Satisfied, Leon reached out a hand to help her up.
Bailu let him pull her to her feet. When she saw the face of the person before her, and the longbow on his shoulder that radiated a restrained aura marking him as someone not to be trifled with, she spoke in surprise:
"Are you the legendary eighth Arbiter-General?!"
"Want an autograph?" Leon nodded.
"Wow, it's really you!" Bailu exclaimed, "I heard about your deeds a long time ago. When I heard you were here today, I really wanted to see you in person, but the Dragon Masters wouldn't let me."
"It's a good thing I snuck out today." Bailu was immensely glad she had managed to sneak out amidst the day's excitement.
"The candy you were giving out today was so magical. It clearly had no sugar or additives, yet it made people feel happy from the bottom of their hearts. How... how did you do that?"
"Hm?"
"Holy crap, no sugar? What the heck is this stuff?"
After a moment of contemplation, Leon answered the question: "If it's me, I can do it."
"Huh?" Bailu hummed in confusion, just about to ask if there was any more.
"Lady Bailu!"
A worried shout from behind stopped her in her tracks. It startled her so much she jumped, her dragon tail shooting straight up, and she immediately darted behind Leon.
She hoped his status could get her out of this.
"Lady Bailu!"
The shout came again, this time accompanied by the approaching footsteps of two women.
"Arbiter-General Leon?" Yufei, a healer from the Alchemy Commission, was quite surprised to see who was with the Dragon Lady.
"Arbiter-General Leon?" The blind woman beside her heard the title and was equally surprised to encounter such an important figure here.
"Hello, hello." Leon nodded, raising a hand to signal that they shouldn't be too concerned about his status.
"Arbiter-General Leon, have you just finished discussing important matters with the General?" Yufei glanced at the Seat of Divine Foresight nearby, her curiosity piqued.
"Ah, yes."
"Lady Bailu didn't cause you any trouble, did she?" Yufei asked again, looking at Bailu clinging to his pant leg.
"Not yet."
"That's good to hear." Yufei nodded and addressed Bailu, "Lady Bailu, please come back with me. Don't delay the Arbiter-General's tour of the Luofu."
"I won't!" Bailu shook her head like a rattle drum.
"He's new to the Luofu, so he must not know any of the sights. As a genuine Luofu true dragon, why can't I be his guide?"
"Lady Bailu, you must be joking." Dan Shu smiled upon hearing this and shook her head.
"You rarely go out. At best, you can recognize a few places. Truth be told, in that regard, you're not much different from the Arbiter-General."
"So you know I rarely get to go out!" Bailu retorted defiantly, "You all keep saying I show no signs of growing up, but if a child doesn't go out and run around, how can they grow taller!"
After speaking, Bailu tugged on his pant leg, as if seeking his protection.
Leon thought for a moment. He felt that there was nothing wrong with healing someone's childhood.
Just as he was about to agree, another obstacle appeared.
"Absolutely not!"
Another woman rushed over, stopping the words he was about to say.
"Arbiter-General Leon, it is now Lady Bailu's rest time." The High Elder's personal handmaiden, Huanxi, spoke anxiously.
"If she does not rest on time, it will hinder the formation of the Dragon's Heart. This concerns the great matter of the Vidyadhara's succession. Please do not soften your heart and agree just because of her words."
As if afraid he would refuse, Huanxi immediately brought out the grand excuse of the Vidyadhara succession, leaving no room for argument.
Her act was perfect, and her excuse was flawless.
But under Leon's perception of The Hunt, no evil could remain hidden!
Others felt admiration and awe towards him, but this person alone was afraid of him.
What kind of person would be afraid to see him? The answer was obvious: someone with a guilty conscience.
Leon's intuition picked up on the imperceptible panic in her words. He traced it back to a source of disloyalty.
Jing Yuan, you have people on this Luofu who want to rebel.
Leon couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He didn't believe Jing Yuan was unaware; it was likely he couldn't act due to pressure. He wasn't extreme enough. If it were him, he would have cleaned house long ago.
Your big bro Leon hates this type of person the most. Disloyalty to the Alliance is disloyalty to the Reignbow Arbiter.
Time for a thorough cleanup.
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Jing Yuan might indulge them, but Leon would not. When facing a mole, you strike hard!
"Lady Bailu, come back with me now."
Hearing this answer, Huanxi sighed with relief.
Bailu's previously happy expression immediately fell, and her tail drooped involuntarily.
She let out a small whimper and reluctantly let go of his pant leg. She was preparing to accept her fate, to be caught in this internal struggle and used as a tool of power.
"Don't worry. If today's events cause the Dragon's Heart to shatter..." Leon called out to the Dragon Lady, freezing Huanxi in place.
"You come find me, and I'll fix it for you."
Fix it my ass! Leon silently added the second half of the sentence in his mind.
To be honest, he was quite curious to see what these people were plotting. What gave them the guts to rebel?
Hearing this, Bailu's face immediately lit up with a smile. She immediately scampered back and, like a cartoon cat, clung to his leg and rubbed against it desperately, just short of saying:
"My lord, if you will not cast me aside, Bailu is willing to take you as her adoptive father!"
"Arbiter-General Leon, this isn't appropriate, is it?" Huanxi never, ever expected this turn of events.
The High Elder's succession. It was no exaggeration to say that with this excuse, not even Jing Yuan would dare to forcefully protect Bailu.
But Leon dared. He was truly one of a kind.
"Even if you are a revered Arbiter-General, if you rashly interfere in the foundation of my Vidyadhara and it causes an accident, I'm afraid it won't be easy to answer to the Alliance..." Huanxi kept emphasizing the importance of the matter, hoping he would back down.
"I will personally report today's matter to General Jing Yuan." Leon's single sentence blocked off all her future arguments.
"I said it. If the Dragon's Heart breaks, come find me, and I'll fix it."
Huanxi was at a loss for words. She couldn't think of any words that could counter the weight of "reporting to General Jing Yuan," so she had no choice but to agree.
"Then for today, I shall entrust the Dragon Lady to your care."
Inwardly, Huanxi knew this was bad and prepared to go find the Dragon Masters to discuss the matter immediately.
"We are troubling the Arbiter-General, then." On the surface, Huanxi acted normally, bowing to him.
"When she's had her fun, just bring her back to the Alchemy Commission. Someone will be there to receive her."
After speaking, Huanxi straightened up and left silently. The moment she turned, her expression immediately soured, losing its previous calm.
"You said you wanted to be my guide, right?" Leon asked Bailu, watching the departing figure.
"Oh, that was just an excuse." Bailu scratched her head, chuckling awkwardly.
"Although I've been on the Luofu for a while, if you're asking about the place I know best, it's only the Alchemy Commission."
Her unspoken meaning was clearly, "Sorry, I can't do it."
"Then let's go get familiar with it now." Leon didn't mind. "Together with them."
He pointed to Luanpo and March 7th.
"Waaaah! You're different from all the other adults I've met! You're the only one who respects my personal wishes! Arbiter-General Leon, I'll follow you for the rest of my life!" Bailu was moved to tears, "eternal gratitude" practically written all over her face.
"Stand up. No crying." Leon told her to stop crying; your big bro Leon is a bit of a neat freak when it comes to kids.
Seeing she was still crying, he ignored Bailu and looked towards the two healers:
"You two must know the sights of the Luofu inside and out. If you have the time, please show these three around for me."
"Put it all on my tab. Don't hesitate if you need to spend money on anything..."
"How could we possibly put it on your tab?" Dan Shu quickly waved her hands, refusing.
"Exactly! You're a great hero." Yufei nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, I'll cover all of their expenses today."
Leon didn't press the issue.
He could always just transfer the credits back to them later.
"Got something to do again?" March 7th asked, completely unfazed.
"Just a small thing. Going to check out some commotion." Leon nodded.
"Don't worry about me. You know my stats."
"March, take Luanpo and this Dragon Lady and have fun. Your childhood needs to be enriched, and their childhoods need to be saved. So remember to have a good time."
After speaking, Leon grabbed the scruff of this cute little dragon's neck and placed her in March 7th's arms.
...
Scalegorge Waterscape, the sacred land of the Vidyadhara. The residence of the Dragon Masters.
In a dark room.
"The sudden visit of this Arbiter-General has disrupted our original timing. Are we really going to proceed with the plan now, facing such a huge risk?"
A Foxian man dressed as a Cloud Knight and a gorgeously robed Vidyadhara man sat facing each other at a table, deep in discussion.
"Shouldn't we lie low for a while longer and see?" Modu, the Foxian man, asked in a low voice.
Dragon Master Elder Taoran did not agree.
"Now is the best time." Taoran stated his view. "Hulei is about to be transferred to the Yaoqing. Isn't this a godsend for our great cause?"
"An opportunity like this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We must seize it." Taoran encouraged him.
"...What about that Arbiter-General?" Modu asked worriedly.
"He's not someone to be trifled with."
Leon's name had become incredibly famous lately. He had defeated the Corporation and The Family, killed three Emanators in a row. The galaxy's only comment on this was: just admit you're hacking.
"From what I understand, this Arbiter-General is a man of swift and decisive action. He probably won't even stay on the Luofu for long, let alone attend the Yaoqing's martial arts ceremony." Taoran assured him he could relax, that Leon was not a threat.
"What if he goes?" Modu was deeply worried.
"If we don't do it now, we'll have even less of a chance later!" Taoran immediately chided him.
"You think the difficulty will be any lower after the transfer to the Yaoqing than it is with this Arbiter-General present?"
"You won't find any inside help on the Yaoqing!"
Hearing this, Modu sighed and said, "I'm just worried about what happens if we fail."
"I think you've been wearing that Foxian skin for so long you've lost your nerve!" Taoran just scoffed disdainfully.
"Your Buli are now nothing but a name. Hulei is your one and only last chance. I'm telling you, you have no path of retreat!"
Modu was silent.
No path of retreat? Couldn't continuing to live on like this, hiding in a Foxian's skin, also be considered a path of retreat?
"Don't worry. Even if that Arbiter-General really does go, I'll find a way to create an opportunity for you." The next moment, Taoran's tone softened as he began to sell him a grand promise.
"I heard Hulei's transfer is scheduled for after the Yaoqing's martial arts ceremony. Many people from the Luofu will go to present gifts and will likely take the chance to watch. Security will be much lighter then."
No matter what, Modu had to rescue Hulei. Otherwise, why would he have gone through all this trouble to help these Buli, even risking the infamy of betraying the Alliance? If Modu were to desert now, wouldn't all this become a massive joke?
"Look on the bright side, the Yaoqing is full of Foxians." Taoran hypnotized him with his words.
"It's the perfect stage for Hulei to perform."
"Once he successfully escapes, relying on your Warlord's unique ability, I'm sure he can bring an unprecedented civil war to the Xianzhou."
This was also the purpose of his collusion with the Buli.
Hulei, and these Buli. Taoran was sure they were doomed to die. But what did that have to do with him? He wasn't the one dying.
As long as his objective was achieved, that was all that mattered.
Unlike the flourishing Vidyadhara of the other five Xianzhou ships, the Vidyadhara of the Luofu were in decline, both in status and in power. And the root cause was the absence of the "High Elder."
The previous "High Elder," Dan Feng, had acted willfully, using the Transmutation Arcanum and causing a painful tragedy for the Luofu.
Just thinking of Dan Feng made Taoran grind his teeth in anger.
In causing the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae, Dan Feng had also severed the complete "High Elder" succession in his generation. The current Bailu was nothing more than a failed product left behind by the vile dragon created by the Transmutation Arcanum—a false dragon!
One could say that half of the Vidyadhara's status depended on the "High Elder." This was because the "High Elder" bore the duty of suppressing the "Plague Author's Trail," a service the Alliance needed.
But judging from the abilities Bailu currently displayed, she clearly could not suppress the "Plague Author's Trail" as easily as Dan Feng, who could do it alone.
Furthermore, research into the "Plague Author's Calamity" was now strictly forbidden. This had led to the "Alchemy Commission," mostly controlled by the Vidyadhara, being unable to produce the glorious achievements of the past.
The combination of these two factors had caused the status of the Luofu Vidyadhara to decline day by day. To change this situation, a way to break the deadlock had to be found.
"May your auspicious words prove true, Dragon Master." Modu said no more, simply nodding, having clearly decided to see this through to the bitter end.
Taoran watched him with a deep gaze. The success of his grand enterprise depended on this single move.
That's right. Hulei was the solution he had devised.
This Buli Warlord had a peculiar ability: he could transform other species into Buli. This had been demonstrated on Foxians before.
Without a doubt, this ability, which could be called a miracle of "Abundance," was exactly what he needed right now!
Because he had already found the means to counter it!
Just imagine: a large number of Foxians on the Xianzhou are transformed into Buli. Just as they are about to turn on their own kind, he will lead the Vidyadhara to step forward!
At the same time, he will provide a method to counterattack, sparing them the pain of killing their kinsmen, while also curing the "lunar frenzy," and perhaps even "long life" itself!
This method was the "Transmutation Arcanum"! Yes, although Dan Feng's attempt had failed, it left behind a new possibility.
They had been researching in this direction for hundreds of years!
The final conclusion was: The "Transmutation Arcanum" had the effect of transforming other races into "Vidyadhara," just like Hulei's special ability.
To fight fire with fire—this was the source of their confidence!
Taoran firmly believed that the path to salvation for the Vidyadhara lay within!
It was simple. If Hulei transformed Foxians into Buli, they would just step in and transform them into Vidyadhara.
Transforming these people into Vidyadhara would be mutually beneficial for everyone.
For the Vidyadhara, it would not only ensure the survival of their race but also bring them fame and fortune.
For the Alliance, the benefits could not be easily described in a few words. On a small scale, it would prevent the tragedy of kinslaying. On a grand scale, the Alliance would no longer have to suffer from casualties and would gain an insurance policy against becoming the next "Abundance" after eliminating the current one!
Taoran knew what troubled the Alliance.
It was no exaggeration. His Vidyadhara's "Transmutation Arcanum" was the salvation of the Xianzhou Alliance, the supreme path to rid the cosmos of the suffering from the Plague Author!
If everything went according to his plan... Believe him, the status of the Vidyadhara would be raised to an unprecedented level!
His own status would not only surpass the High Elder's but might even be higher than that of the previous Arbiter-General, Xuanquan!
As for where to get the Transmutation Arcanum, there was no need to worry. Dan Feng was still locked up in the Shackling Prison.
Once his plan was reported, combined with the special crisis situation, he didn't believe the Xianzhou Alliance wouldn't release him!
"Go back and wait for my signal to act." Taoran suppressed his excitement and said to Modu.
Of course, great profit is often accompanied by equal risk. His collusion with the Buli was like walking a tightrope; one wrong step and he would fall to his death...
But as the famous saying goes:
"With 10% profit, capital is restless; with 50%, it becomes audacious; with 100%, it tramples all human laws; with 300%, it is capable of any crime, even at the risk of the gallows!"
Besides, he had an ace up his sleeve as insurance. Taoran had planned for everything.
The Vidyadhara have a rule: after molting and reincarnation, the sins of the past life are wiped clean.
Relying on this, he didn't care if he had to bear the infamy of a traitor later.
He would take the profits, but he wouldn't bear any of the risk. After all, everything was done by Taoran. What did that have to do with the future Rantao? I am not him!
Yes.
Modu nodded and then silently got up and left.
Taoran was also just about to make some emergency preparations.
But as he stood up, he saw the High Elder's handmaiden rush in.
"This is bad, Elder!"
A bad premonition arose in Taoran's heart, and he immediately demanded: "What's wrong?"
"The Dragon Lady has been taken away by Arbiter-General Leon!" Huanxi reported the sudden development truthfully.
"What?!" Taoran's eyes widened, and he slammed the table as he shot to his feet!
"Didn't I tell you?!"
"Any other day would be fine, but today you were to guard the Dragon Lady with your lives! Under no circumstances could you let her sneak out! Especially not to meet Arbiter-General Leon!" Taoran jabbed a finger at her as he questioned her.
"Too many people went to see the Arbiter-General today, so security around the Dragon Lady was much weaker. She cleverly used the opportunity to slip away." Huanxi felt she had been wronged but couldn't say a word.
Taoran clutched his head, the situation giving him a massive headache.
"What did this Arbiter-General Leon say?"
His worst fear had come to pass.
"I used the High Elder's succession as an excuse, trying to get her back from him."
When Taoran heard the words "High Elder's succession," his heart skipped a beat.
Truly, with that excuse, even the General-in-Chief would have to show some deference.
"...And then?" He asked with a sliver of false hope.
"He said if the Dragon's Heart breaks, to go find him and he'll fix it." Taoran's spirit immediately deflated, as if he had suddenly aged several decades.
From the moment he saw that Bailu hadn't returned with Huanxi, he had already guessed the answer.
Taoran took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn.
"Is the great cause of my Vidyadhara truly going to be ruined in a single day?" Taoran said, feeling utterly weary.
He wasn't afraid of anything now, except the Dragon Lady having contact with Leon.
This Arbiter-General was too righteous, so righteous it was wicked.
If he found out Bailu had been kept imprisoned, it would most likely invite trouble. An investigation, at the very least.
He wasn't afraid of an investigation, but if Leon really found something out, wouldn't he be finished?
Against anyone else, Taoran could have turned the tables with false accusations.
"You kidnapped our Vidyadhara High Elder, and now you want to criticize our time-honored cultivation process? How dare you dishonor the Vidyadhara!"
But it wouldn't work on Leon.
He was a ruthless man who dared to provoke both the Corporation and The Family at once; Taoran couldn't think of anything that would make him flinch.
The fact that he didn't back down an inch even after the High Elder's succession was brought up proved it.
"I will go and petition General Jing Yuan." This was the best solution Taoran could think of. Jing Yuan's words would surely carry some weight.
At least more weight than theirs.
To completely ignore the High Elder's succession... this Leon was untouchable.
"Will that really work, Elder?" Huanxi asked worriedly.
"Should we wait for him to come knocking on our door before we do anything?" Taoran felt his exhaustion deepen.
He would explain to Jing Yuan that everything they did for the Dragon Lady was necessary, not abuse, then have him relay it to Leon, and finally make a few guarantees.
After stabilizing the situation with these words, at least they wouldn't have to worry about Leon suddenly showing up to kill them.
With this thought, Taoran set off.
But just as he reached the entrance to the Scalegorge Waterscape, he saw an unexpected figure blocking his way.
The person before him made him freeze on the spot.
"Want to start talking?" Leon said.
Taoran felt he had gravely underestimated the speed of The Hunt.
By the time you realize you are about to die, it is often already too late.
_____
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