Chapter 347: The thousand dao city 17.

Mo Yuxin continued quietly.

"The original records probably existed in several places. Whoever changed these documents changed them carefully, but not perfectly."

"Can you prove it?"

"Not yet."

On the platform, Qin Shuying continued presenting the evidence.

According to the records, the Battle Maiden Sect had failed to send reinforcements to three major defensive events.

One involved a demonic beast migration.

Another involved a bandit attack.

The third involved a formation breach near the Moonfall Spirit Vein.

If the records were genuine, the accusation would have merit.

Ye Qinglan listened without interrupting.

When Qin Shuying finished, the hall was silent.

The elder from the Heavenly Sword Sect spoke.

"The evidence is clear. We recommend reducing the Battle Maiden Sect’s access to the Moonfall Spirit Vein by sixty percent."

Mu Qingru stood immediately.

"We object."

The City Governance Council asked, "On what basis?"

Mu Qingru looked toward the records.

"On the basis that they are incomplete."

"Can you provide alternate records?"

Mu Qingru remained silent for a few moments.

Then she shook her head.

"Not here."

The Heavenly Sword elder smiled.

"Then the objection cannot be sustained."

Ji Ruyan’s hands tightened.

Su Lian held them more firmly.

Ye Qinglan finally spoke.

"We will accept the decision temporarily."

Mu Qingru looked at her in surprise.

Ye Qinglan continued.

"But we reserve the right to submit additional evidence when it has been verified."

The council agreed.

A vote was called.

The result was overwhelmingly against the Battle Maiden Sect.

Their allocation was reduced.

Not sixty percent as first proposed, but by half.

Still a serious blow.

When the session paused, the Battle Maiden delegation remained seated.

Mo Yuxin watched them from across the room.

Su Yubing asked quietly, "You are thinking again."

"Yes."

"About the evidence?"

"Yes."

"Could you break it?"

"Probably."

"Could you prove it?"

"Not without examining the source records."

Su Yubing looked toward Ye Qinglan.

"Do you want to?"

Mo Yuxin considered the question.

Then she looked at her wife.

"Do you?"

Su Yubing thought for a moment.

"I do not like seeing someone framed."

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"Then we can look later."

"Later?"

"I am hungry."

Su Yubing laughed.

"Of course."

Lunch was held in a large hall attached to the assembly chamber.

Representatives from different sects sat at long tables.

The atmosphere was less formal, but somehow even more political.

Everyone had heard about the vote.

People spoke quietly about the Battle Maiden Sect.

Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing sat with Luo Qinghe, Ning Shuyue, and eventually Ye Qinglan’s group.

It happened because Luo Qinghe simply invited them.

Ye Qinglan did not object.

Neither did Mu Qingru.

Ji Ruyan and Su Lian sat opposite Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing.

Mo Yuxin noticed Ruyan barely touching her food.

"You should eat."

Ruyan looked at her.

"I am not hungry."

"That is because you are angry."

Ruyan blinked.

"How did you know?"

"You are holding your chopsticks too tightly."

Ruyan looked down.

The wooden chopsticks had cracked slightly in her fingers.

Su Lian immediately took the damaged pair away and handed her another.

"Eat."

Ruyan sighed.

"You are all telling me to eat."

Su Lian smiled.

"Because you become unreasonable when you are hungry."

"I am not unreasonable."

"You challenged a fourth-stage beast with a broken spear last month."

"It was not that strong."

"It threw you through a wall."

Ruyan looked away.

Mo Yuxin laughed softly.

Su Yubing covered her mouth.

Ruyan looked embarrassed.

But the tension around the table eased.

Ye Qinglan noticed.

She smiled faintly.

"I am glad to see Ruyan laughing."

Mu Qingru looked at her granddaughter-like disciple.

"She should laugh more."

Ruyan looked at her elders.

"You two are making me embarrassed."

Su Lian leaned over.

"I like seeing you embarrassed."

Ruyan gave her a look.

"You enjoy everything."

"Not everything."

"What do you not enjoy?"

Su Lian thought about it.

"Being away from you."

Ruyan’s serious expression disappeared.

She looked down at her food.

Su Lian smiled triumphantly.

Luo Qinghe quietly whispered to Su Yubing, "They have been like this for years."

Su Yubing smiled.

"They are sweet."

Ning Shuyue glanced at Qinghe.

"You are also like this."

Qinghe smiled.

"You love it."

Ning Shuyue looked away.

"Eat your food."

Qinghe immediately obeyed.

Mo Yuxin leaned close to Su Yubing.

"They are very similar to us."

Su Yubing whispered back, "Not exactly."

"Why?"

"You are the patient one."

Mo Yuxin frowned.

"I am patient."

Su Yubing smiled.

"You wanted to argue with the Heavenly Sword elder ten minutes after we arrived."

"I did not."

"You were staring at him."

"I was thinking."

"About arguing."

"Maybe."

Su Yubing laughed.

Ye Qinglan noticed their exchange.

She spoke quietly.

"You two really are comfortable together."

Mo Yuxin answered simply.

"We have been together for a long time."

Ye Qinglan nodded.

"It shows."

There was a brief silence.

Then she added, "I envy that sometimes."

Su Yubing looked at her.

Ye Qinglan smiled faintly.

"Not the relationship itself. The certainty."

Mo Yuxin asked, "You are uncertain about something?"

Ye Qinglan glanced toward the Battle Maiden delegation.

"About the future of my sect."

Her voice remained calm, but there was fatigue underneath it.

"We are losing resources every year. Our allies are slowly stepping away. Our younger disciples hear people saying that we are finished. Every time we stabilize one problem, another appears."

Su Yubing listened carefully.

Ye Qinglan continued.

"I know we are not helpless. But there are days when I wonder whether I am simply delaying the inevitable."

Mo Yuxin looked at her for a long moment.

"You are not."

Ye Qinglan seemed surprised by the certainty.

"How do you know?"

Mo Yuxin answered, "Because the sect is still standing."

Mu Qingru looked toward her.

Mo Yuxin continued.

"If everyone inside had given up, then you would be right. But they have not."

She glanced at Ji Ruyan, Su Lian, and the other young disciples.

"They are still training. They are still protecting each other. They are still trying to improve. That is not a dead sect."

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TO BE CONTINUED.