Chapter 352: The thousand dao city 22.

The memory of Shen Mingyue and Mother Lan had always been something Mo Yuxin carried quietly.

She did not speak about them often.

Not because she did not love them.

The opposite.

There were some things so important that she hated discussing them casually.

The Battle Maiden Sect connection had appeared before they had expected it.

Su Yubing walked closer.

She touched Mo Yuxin’s hand.

"Whatever that message says, we can face it together."

Mo Yuxin looked at her.

"I know."

"You do not have to protect me from every problem."

"I know."

"Then stop looking like you want to fight the whole continent."

Mo Yuxin frowned.

"I do not."

Su Yubing smiled.

"You do."

Mo Yuxin looked away.

After a moment she said, "Maybe a little."

Su Yubing laughed and hugged her.

Mo Yuxin immediately wrapped both arms around her.

"Stay with me."

"I am here."

"Closer."

"I am already against you."

"Closer."

Su Yubing laughed.

"There is no closer."

Mo Yuxin rested her chin on her shoulder.

"Then this is enough."

They stayed like that for a while.

Then there was a knock.

Three knocks.

Mo Yuxin did not release Su Yubing.

"Who?"

A woman’s voice answered.

"It is me."

Ye Qinglan.

Mo Yuxin opened the door.

Ye Qinglan stood outside alone.

Her expression was more serious than before.

"We found something."

Su Yubing asked, "What?"

Ye Qinglan looked at Mo Yuxin.

"The missing message was not the only thing taken."

Mo Yuxin waited.

Ye Qinglan spoke slowly.

"One of our old formation records is missing from the sect archive."

Mo Yuxin’s expression changed.

"Which record?"

Ye Qinglan answered.

"The original Moonfall Spirit Vein agreement."

Silence.

Su Yubing looked at Mo Yuxin.

Ye Qinglan continued.

"And someone accessed it using an authority seal that belonged to a major sect."

Mo Yuxin asked, "Which sect?"

Ye Qinglan shook her head.

"The seal was damaged. But the first spiritual trace suggests it came from the Heavenly Sword Sect."

Mo Yuxin’s gaze became cold.

Not angry.

Just focused.

The false records.

The formation sabotage.

The convoy attack.

The stolen Central Continent message.

The missing original agreement.

All of it was beginning to connect.

But there was still one question.

Who was actually behind it?

The Heavenly Sword Sect looked guilty.

Perhaps too guilty.

Someone might be using them as a shield.

Or perhaps some elders inside the sect really were participating.

Either way, tomorrow’s assembly session would be very different.

Mo Yuxin looked toward Su Yubing.

Su Yubing squeezed her hand.

"Tomorrow?"

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"Tomorrow."

Ye Qinglan looked between them.

"Will you come?"

Mo Yuxin answered, "Yes."

Ye Qinglan bowed.

"Thank you."

She turned to leave.

Then Mo Yuxin stopped her.

"Sect Master Ye."

Ye Qinglan looked back.

"What?"

Mo Yuxin hesitated for a moment.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, do not let the sect retreat out of fear."

Ye Qinglan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why?"

"Because if I am right, they are waiting for you to surrender before they attack again."

Ye Qinglan stared at her.

Then slowly nodded.

"I understand."

She left.

The following morning, the Ten Thousand Dao Assembly Hall was packed.

More representatives attended than before.

Word of the convoy attack had spread throughout the city.

The Battle Maiden Sect delegation entered with calm expressions.

The Heavenly Sword Sect delegation was already seated.

Fang Zhen looked uncomfortable.

His senior elders looked angry.

The City Governance Council called for order.

The morning session began with the convoy incident.

The authorities presented the known evidence.

The use of Heavenly Sword techniques was mentioned.

Several people immediately looked toward the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Their elder stood.

"We deny involvement."

Ye Qinglan remained silent.

The City Lord’s representative asked whether the sect could provide records showing where its disciples had been during the attack.

The elder said yes.

They produced their records.

The records showed that no registered Heavenly Sword disciples had been in the area.

That should have settled the matter.

Instead, an Azure Cloud representative presented another piece of evidence.

A spiritual trace recovered from the convoy matched a technique used by the Heavenly Sword Sect.

The hall erupted in quiet discussion.

The Heavenly Sword elder became furious.

"That technique can be copied."

The Azure Cloud elder answered calmly.

"That is true. But the trace remains."

Mo Yuxin watched the exchange.

Something was wrong.

Both sides were providing exactly the evidence needed to make everyone suspicious.

It was almost too neat.

She looked at the spiritual trace.

There was a faint distortion around it.

Someone had altered the signature.

Mo Yuxin quietly told Su Yubing.

"It is fake."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Can you prove it?"

"Yes."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Then do not rush."

Mo Yuxin looked at her.

"Why?"

"Let them show us everything first."

Mo Yuxin smiled.

"You are getting better at this."

Su Yubing laughed.

"Living with you teaches strange skills."

The discussion continued.

The Heavenly Sword elder accused Azure Cloud Sect of framing them.

Azure Cloud denied it.

Golden Mountain demanded an independent investigation.

Cangming Palace called for stronger convoy protections.

Purple Heaven Valley asked for evidence that the attack was connected to the Battle Maiden Sect’s resources.

Nine Heavens Academy requested that all formation evidence be examined by independent experts.

The room became increasingly divided.

Then an unexpected voice spoke.

"Perhaps the easiest answer is to dissolve the Battle Maiden Sect’s special resource agreements until the investigation is complete."

The speaker was a senior elder from Golden Mountain Sect.

Ye Qinglan looked at him.

"That would destroy our sect’s remaining supply network."

"Only temporarily."

"It would take years to recover."

"Then perhaps the sect should diversify."

Mu Qingru stood.

"You know perfectly well that the restrictions already imposed make diversification nearly impossible."

The elder smiled.

"That is unfortunate."

Ji Ruyan nearly stood.

Su Lian caught her hand.

"Not yet."

Ruyan sat again.

The meeting was becoming exactly what Mo Yuxin had expected.

The Battle Maiden Sect was being pushed toward a corner.

Every reasonable-sounding proposal would remove another part of their ability to survive.

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TO BE CONTINUED.