Chapter 353: The thousand dao city 23.

Mo Yuxin looked at Su Yubing.

Su Yubing gave the smallest nod.

It was time.

Mo Yuxin stood.

The entire hall became quiet.

The two wandering cultivators had been noticed for days, but they had deliberately stayed out of the central debates.

Now everyone wondered why one of them had decided to speak.

Mo Yuxin looked toward the City Governance Council.

"I have something to say."

The presiding elder nodded.

"Please speak."

Mo Yuxin raised her hand.

A small stream of spiritual energy appeared.

The fake Heavenly Sword signature floated into the air.

She touched it lightly.

The entire projection changed.

The sword aura dissolved.

Underneath it was another spiritual signature.

A hidden formation mark.

Then another.

And another.

Gasps spread through the hall.

Mo Yuxin calmly explained, "This was manufactured. The outer sword trace was placed on top of a formation imprint. The formation imprint is designed to make the spiritual residue decay slowly, which is why no one noticed the second layer immediately. Whoever created this wanted the evidence to point toward the Heavenly Sword Sect."

The Heavenly Sword elders stared at the projection.

The Azure Cloud representatives looked shocked.

Qin Shuying stepped closer.

"That cannot be."

Mo Yuxin looked at her.

"It is."

Qin Shuying examined the projection herself.

Her face changed.

"She is right."

The hall exploded with discussion.

Mo Yuxin sat back down.

Su Yubing looked pleased.

"You finally spoke."

Mo Yuxin leaned toward her.

"I prefer listening."

"You are very dramatic when you finally speak."

"Did you like it?"

"A little."

Mo Yuxin smiled.

The evidence had been broken.

But the investigation had only begun.

The City Governance Council ordered all documents and formation records related to the Battle Maiden Sect to be sealed.

No one could access them without approval.

Several elders objected.

The Battle Maiden Sect finally had a small amount of breathing room.

But Mo Yuxin knew that the conspiracy was still moving.

The people behind it would not stop simply because one piece of evidence had failed.

After the session, Luo Qinghe approached them.

"You two are really something."

Mo Yuxin asked, "Why?"

"You sat quietly for days, then broke their evidence in front of everyone."

Su Yubing smiled.

"She was bored."

Qinghe laughed.

"I believe it."

Ning Shuyue looked at Mo Yuxin.

"You recognize formation techniques at a level I have never seen."

Mo Yuxin shrugged.

"I have studied them."

Ning Shuyue nodded slowly.

"I would like to spar with you someday."

Mo Yuxin smiled.

"All right."

Qinghe immediately said, "Please do not hurt my wife."

Mo Yuxin replied, "I will be careful."

Ning Shuyue looked at Qinghe.

"You know I can fight."

"I know."

Qinghe smiled.

"I still worry."

Ning Shuyue’s expression softened.

"I know."

Su Yubing watched them.

She leaned against Mo Yuxin.

"They are very sweet."

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"Yes."

The day seemed to be improving.

Then a messenger arrived from the Battle Maiden Sect.

Ye Qinglan wanted them to come immediately.

They went.

The sect branch was in chaos.

Not because it had been attacked.

Because the central archive door had opened by itself.

Inside, several ancient records were missing.

Su Lian was standing at the entrance.

Her face was pale.

"Someone entered while we were at the assembly."

Mu Qingru looked furious.

"The guards saw no one."

Mo Yuxin stepped into the archive.

The room was filled with thousands of jade slips.

Most were old.

Many had not been opened in centuries.

She closed her eyes.

Her senses spread through the archive.

One moment.

Two.

Three.

Then she opened her eyes.

"They were not stolen."

Everyone froze.

Ye Qinglan asked, "What do you mean?"

"They are still here."

Mo Yuxin walked to a shelf.

She pulled out a jade slip.

It looked ordinary.

Then she turned it over.

A tiny formation was etched into the back.

She touched it.

A hidden projection appeared.

The missing records were not physically removed.

Their information had been copied.

Someone had placed a formation inside the archive that silently duplicated selected documents whenever an authorized disciple opened them.

Su Lian stared.

"Then our records have been copied for years."

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"Yes."

Mu Qingru clenched her fist.

"Who?"

Mo Yuxin looked at the formation.

She recognized one piece of the technique.

Not a sect style.

A regional formation language used by large organizations across the continent.

That did not identify the culprit.

But the placement mattered.

The formation had been installed by someone who had access to the Battle Maiden archive.

Someone trusted.

The enemy was no longer necessarily outside the sect.

There might be a traitor inside.

Ye Qinglan seemed to reach the same conclusion.

Her face became very still.

She looked at her own elders and disciples.

No one spoke.

Ji Ruyan stood beside Su Lian.

Su Lian’s hand found hers.

Mo Yuxin looked at them.

Then at Ye Qinglan.

"Do not accuse anyone yet."

Ye Qinglan nodded.

"Why?"

"Because if the traitor is careful enough to install this, they will know the moment you start searching."

Su Yubing added, "And they will either run or destroy whatever evidence remains."

Mu Qingru stared at the hidden formation.

"Then what do we do?"

Mo Yuxin answered calmly.

"Let them think you have not noticed."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Then we can watch who becomes nervous."

The Battle Maiden elders exchanged looks.

For the first time, they were no longer merely reacting to attacks.

They were investigating.

And the investigation had only just begun.

That evening, Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing walked back through the city.

The streets were bright with lanterns.

The tension from the assembly had not disappeared, but ordinary people were still buying food, visiting shops, and enjoying the evening.

Mo Yuxin bought two skewers of roasted spirit meat.

She gave one to Su Yubing.

Su Yubing took a bite.

"Good."

Mo Yuxin looked pleased.

"I knew you would like it."

"You knew because I always like food."

"That too."

They walked for a while.

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TO BE CONTINUED.