Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1469 - 1468 - Surprise

Triss had barely gotten past her last round and was recovering when the news hit the back areas of the tournament.

She was shocked. Lind Frey had to withdraw due to injuries from weaving. It was his strongest profession which spoke volumes as the other 2 were so highly praised.

She still had him looming over her future if she continued to win but she felt less certain about it. She was in her private quarters assigned since she got past the elimination rounds when the crystal lit up by the door.

It meant someone wanted to see her but she expected no one. Still, she had to check it in case there were official announcement regarding the main elixir master brackets or more information on other opponents having to withdraw.

She made sure everything was stable inside her dantian before she carefully packed away any important items. She left out the medallion her master had given her when she set out.

It was her proudest possession now.

She put her palm on the weaving array and the click preceded the opening of the door. It slid aside so quietly it was damned impressive. She really wanted the mechanism for her own guild.

The door pulled back but it only revealed a small box. It was made of dark metal and she felt disquiet just looking at it. Despite the door being open, a shimmering field of Qi still stood there.

It was a final protection measure independent from the door. If she did not shut it down, no one could enter without a direct override.

The box would easily fit in her palms but she did not want to. She could not explain why, but she felt threatened by it!

She then saw the emblem of her guild on it. Some relief washed over her. She was about to disengage the field when a voice stopped her.

"I would not do that if I were you, young lady." A demoness appeared but only her head! In fact, only her face was exposed.

The dark pools for her eyes caught Triss off guard but the fact 2 strange things were outside her door bothered her!

"Are you not the one who delivered it?" A messenger hiding their presence, even to such extreme extents, was not unheard of. Still it left things even more unlikely they were benign.

"No, I was assigned as a guard here by my Mistress. All the contestants have gained guards. That box arrived on its own and a formation interacted with the door crystal." Her words made no sense.

The weavings on the entire arena prevented any external delivery like she described. Even a tiny attempt to mess with one of the battles had resulted in instant arrests and expulsion of the fighter that tried to cheat.

There was no way what she was just told was the truth!

As if reading her mind, the face smiled at her.

"Feel free to access the recording crystal in your room. Even better, wait for my superiors ro arrive, but do not open your field to that box." She touched the jade stone interface and confirmed that in a flash of light the box appeared and energy had flown from it to the crystal pad outside her rooms.

Before she could even ask a question, she felt a massive aura appear in the hallway. It was Lind Frey!

He looked worn out for some reason but grim. He took one glance at the box and a tired sigh left him.

"How did this arrive, Julie?" The face frowned before the demoness fully appeared. She was wearing some strange robes that hugged her lithe body tightly. Still, it was like Triss' eyes kept sliding off her. It was annoying!

"I am not positive but it seemed like it appeared from a pocket dimension. It must have been anchored to something but our defenses kept it out of her quarters." Lind nodded before his emerald Qi engulfed the box.

Nothing happened which surprised Triss but she then saw his vertically slit emerald eyes look past her. He was looking at the medallion made of gold on her table.

A single thread of Qi flew from the box to the medallion before it too was engulfed in emerald Qi! There were 2 more threads as well to other items her master had gifted her.

"That was overkill. Still, it is just like the others we suspected." His words put a chill down her spine. He then looked at her before he raised an isolation ward.

"I will not ask you to let me in but place those objects in the slot by the door for disposal. They will cause you no harm now. I cannot move them myself due to the protections on the room. If not for the connection to this–thing–I could not isolate them as I have." Questions bloomed but she was reluctant to give the medallion over.

He frowned at her before he looked at Julie and she left the ward.

"I swear to Heaven and Earth, all I am about to say is true." The tremor in the air confirmed his Oath. "Lir was murdered. His master as well as many others have been exposed as being connected to the Fiends, and they are all dead."

Her heart trembled but she did not feel the need to deny the accusation. It explained the mystery around her friend's death that even she could not accept. He had been so careful and aware of the dangers of weaving.

Only life and death would have pushed him past that caution, yet he had been in training! The furthest from life and death he could be.

Still, Fiends? How could Fiends infiltrate his guild so completely?

"What proof?" He looked at the field and sighed before a jade slip appeared. He then summoned a scroll and imprinted it in front of her. She would have accepted a slip from him but the precaution he was taking was clear.

Handing a jade slip to a cultivator meant the information could be taken from them at any time, but a scroll was just paper. It could not be infiltrated and only read. While cultivators had perfect recall, someone searching her mind might miss it since it was not information imprinted on her memory from a slip.

She opened the slot and quickly read through the scroll. The nightmare it described left her feeling sick! Worse was the level of detail. The extent of how even innocent lives had been swallowed by the events.

The deactivated the field instantly as she nearly collapsed. Lind Frey paused before gently patting her head.

"I am sorry." His gentle words made a stark contrast to the cold comfort of her master's.

He quietly collected the 3 items, the medallion now made her sick. Included in the knowledge was about her master too. All the others that had many disciples that had just as many go on to become powerful figures but always away from the sect or guild.

Some things became clearer. She knew she had seniors but she was never allowed to meet them for some reason. Further, meeting contemporaries was always from a select group.

Never outsiders and never without supervision of their masters.

Such limited circles were not unheard of but the strict rules made it come back to her when a promising disciple had been denied admittance to the guild when it was exposed she was the daughter of an elder in a sect they did no business with.

It did not seem to matter to Triss but her master had argued fiercely to keep her out. She never understood why he was against it but a blood relation would be a key way to learn secrets someone wanted kept tightly away from the light of day.

Tears formed as Lind Frey calmly waited. He seemed to want to tell her more.

She got herself under control.

"You read what I know. Somehow, the Fiends mark people that are then able to be killed quickly. I do not know what is in these items but I suspect you are clean. The only reason to use a roundabout method like this would indicate it. You are also likely not the only one." He summoned a communication jade stone and voices came through.

[--body left damaged the same as when Lady Shoti exposed the guild–]

[Found 4 items connected to a sphere left outside their door while they were out–]

[--the servants are also dead–]

Various reports came in. Some dead, some not. Some were out and the items were confiscated.

The addition of servants told her some kingdoms had fallen as well. It was bad, very bad.

"What–what will you tell the world?" So many deaths could not be covered up. The fact they happened identically indicated a limit on the Fiends. She was already trying to consider the how and he noticed.

"The truth. It has to be the truth or things will fall apart. Further, we have more tangible evidence of our suspicions. I suspect orders were given or someone panicked and started a chain reaction the Fiends did not want. Even they cannot predict human nature." Lind was not happy about confirming his suspicions.

The price was too high. Further, it was too clear how it happened. The Fiends may cut off a branch but exposing their network was clearly a human failure, not theirs.

She sighed and looked up at him.

"What do you need me to do?" He smiled sadly at her and then held out his hand. She took it fully understanding she was betraying her master. Given the circumstances, it was best for not just her, but the world.

The war never stopped. The tournament was simply a fertile ground no one could give up. Now, the new front had been opened and exposed how vulnerable they had all become. She was now joining the fight.