Chapter 1326: Hysterical Night Leaning Moon
Night Leaning Moon retracted her aura after hearing what Zuo Mings said. However, the worry and solemnness in her gaze did not lighten in the slightest.
A moment later, Night Leaning Moon said to Zuo Ming, “If something like this happens again, Elder Liu doesn’t have to check with the higher-ups. Little Jie can have the final say on everything. Let him do whatever he wants.
“I heard that Ji Changdeng’s youngest disciple An He doesn’t play well with the other disciples of the members of royalty and always picks a fight with any he meets. A fight will definitely break out if Little Jie is alone with An He on the island. If they can’t resolve their differences after the fight, it’s possible that it will escalate to war.
“However, Xiyue’s disciple is there too. Ji Changdeng wants to be on Xiyue’s good side so badly that there’s no way An He will touch Lin Yuan. I’m sure Ji Changdeng made sure his disciples knew of such trivial matters. You can tell Elder Liu not to worry about Little Jie and ask him to return from Raging Waves City as soon as possible.”
Night Leaning Moon’s tone changed to one that was deeper. She looked at Zuo Ming from the corner of her eye and said with a slight tremor in her voice, “Zuo Ming, how is the matter that I asked you to look into?”
Zuo Ming hesitated momentarily as he observed Night Leaning Moon’s demeanor. Eventually, he said, “Chief Guard, I went to ask Cicada Song about this, but he sent me away without seeing me. Then, I went to see the elderly man as per your instructions. When he found out why I was there, he did not invite me to stay for tea and a round of chess like he usually does. Instead, he sighed and said that he was sleepy. Soon, he lay down on the chair and dozed off.”
He did not say anything else. The matter that Night Leaning Moon had asked him to investigate concerned the Moon Empress and was extremely sensitive. Technically, Night Leaning Moon did not have the right to meddle in this matter.
Usually, regardless of whether the matter was credible, Cicada Song and that old man would have rushed to Night Leaning Moon in a frenzy to ask her if she had heard anything and why she was investigating this matter.
Yet, when they found out that she was trying to dig up information on the matter, they used dodge tactics rather than asking more or denying it outright. The unspoken meaning behind this result was clear.
Zuo Ming felt a shiver run up his back when he thought about the deep and long friendship between Night Leaning Moon and the Moon Empress.
He knew that Night Leaning Moon had to have confirmed her past decade of doubts and guesses based on Cicada Song and the old man’s attitudes.
Night Leaning Moon closed her eyes that resembled the starry skies. When she opened her eyes again, all life in her gaze had gone still.
Her body started shaking like a leaf, and she clenched her fists so tightly that the grinding of the bones in her hands was audible.
She thought about how cautious the Moon Empress had become in the past decade and how it was as though she had lost her original outrageously brave spirit. She had even started to plan out every step of the way for Lin Yuan after accepting him as her disciple. It was as though she was preparing for her after-death affairs. She behaved completely differently from the person in Night Leaning Moon’s memory.
The Moon Empress in Night Leaning Moon had heavenly grace and handled matters decisively. Even if she wanted to shelter her disciple, she would also want him to use his means to forge a future for himself.
The root of the Moon Empress’ uncharacteristic behavior could be traced back to the fight with the Freedom Federation a decade ago.
The circumstances of the confrontation had been sealed in the imperial court.
When Night Leaning Moon learned of this, she used the excuse of providing key information from the Spirit Guards to read the sealed scroll.
During the fight a decade ago, she had been leading her subordinates to take down the carcinoma feys that had been causing trouble everywhere in the Radiance Federation. Thus, she was not clearly aware of what had happened during the fight.
But after she read the scroll, she realized that its contents appeared coherent, but too many important details had been glossed over. This should not be happening as the scroll was supposed to record the truth. All the signs pointed at the scroll having been tampered with.
It was a fact that the Moon Empress had used one attack to take down three of the Freedom Federation’s top experts while sustaining a heavy attack on her own.
Night Leaning Moon had even gone to visit the injured Moon Empress. However, the Moon Empress had denied her visit and left Night Leaning Moon feeling extremely confused.
This confusion had continued to grow over the years. In the past year, Night Leaning Moon had managed to see more of the truth after piecing together information from her own investigation.
Asking Zuo Ming to go and see Cicada Song and the elderly man had been the final test.
A gust of wind blew by the metal bridge, causing it to sway. But in spite of the swaying bridge, Night Leaning Moon’s body remained as straight as a board.
She glanced up at the sky before lowering her head and asking, “Zuo Ming, is Xie Dan leading the envoys from the Freedom Federation?”
All of Zuo Ming’s hair stood on end. He had been by Night Leaning Moon’s side for almost 40 years, and he felt he knew her well.
Night Leaning Moon was extremely cold and righteous. However, people like this would go hysterical when they snapped.
The members of royalty were the first to find out about the envoys from the Freedom Federation, and Zuo Ming had heard the news from Night Leaning Moon.
He read between the lines of what Night Leaning Moon asked and mustered his courage to reply, “Chief Guard, the person leading the team from the Freedom Federation is Xie Dan.”
Zuo Ming asked experimentally, “Chief Guard, if you want to verify the matter regarding the Moon Empress, why don’t you ask her yourself? Or, you can ask Cicada Song or that old man yourself too.”
Night Leaning Moon gently shook her head and replied, “Xiyue is so proud that asking her anything now will be like touching a sore spot for her. Zuo Ming, go to my treasure vault and take out every precious item that can prolong lifespans and send all of them to Mystic Moon in the Radiant Moon Palace. He can decide what to do with them. I will be staying in the imperial court for some time. You and You Zhe can handle everything in the Spirit Guards as per usual.”
Night Leaning Moon’s image disappeared from the metal bridge.
…
As the ribbons of sunlight and moonbeams continued to keep each other in check, the nine ribbons of sunlight that the moonbeams had not blocked started to grow brighter.
Slowly, the tangerine belts of sunlight were replaced by white light.
The blinding white light abruptly took over the tangerine color around the Mother of Bloodbath.
