In silence broken only by the rustle of robes, the commanders rose from the table, dispersing into the weaving corridors of the Xuan Residences.
Yverie's voice pierced through the taut quiet, bright as a bell. "After that fiery round of accusations, it's finally ti to explore the residential chambers!"
Beside her, Brother Woo clasped his hands. "Truth or deception—now we seek tangible evidence."
The Grand Hall was their first destination. Once opulent but now faded into a lancholy of decadence, it echoed their footsteps with quiet contempt. Shafts of silvery moonlight filtered through the lattice windows. Light scattered onto a fallen jade guardian statue—its head cracked neatly in half, symbolic in the most poetic and devastating way possible.
A perfect representation of the fallen Prince Xuan.
Ao Bing knelt beside it, tracing his finger along the precise fracture lines. "The jade cracked precisely—almost surgical," he murmured.
"Such potent blood symbolism, even for immortal death!" Lady Foxfire gasped with practiced flair. "Truly, Prince Xuan had a flair for dramatics even in demise."
Nearby, Qiongqi scoffed. "Immortals always loved theatrics. Even death is just another drama."
anwhile, Wen hovered at the fringe of the group, silently scribbling into his notebook. His eyes flicked briefly toward the broken guardian before slipping away into the shadows, unnoticed by most—except RealmNet, whose viewers caught his cryptic exit and exploded into curious speculation:
[@ImmortalTeaSip]: Did Wen just write a death poem or...?
[@SilentWatcher55]: I demand Archivist Wen to release his works to the general public!
With no further ceremony, the commanders drifted apart, each drawn to pursue their own threads of suspicion across the Inner Court.
In the Xuan Residence library, dust motes danced in narrow beams of lantern light. Great Peng's frustration was loud enough to echo through stacks of scrolls. He rummaged noisily, dozens of scrolls fluttering to the floor. "I signed up for dramatic confrontations, not a paperwork simulator."
A soft, mild voice behind him drew Great Peng up short. Wen appeared, notebook clasped neatly in hand. "Perhaps your nephew kept embarrassing records," he said. "Sothing he'd rather bury?"
Great Peng stiffened. "Xuan was ticulous, not vindictive! Well…" He hesitated, suddenly uncertain. "At least, I don't think he was."
Wen offered him a small, pitying pat on the shoulder. "Solace often cos from unexpected places, Elder Peng. Even buried records."
Peng, sputtering, stared incredulously as the Archivist drifted silently onward, leaving him tangled in a pile of scrolls and wounded dignity.
***
anwhile, in Prince Xuan's private chamber, Erlang Shen paced deliberately, eyes narrowed as he scanned the chaos scattered across the once-lavish room. The remnants of a violent struggle were evident—scorched markings seared across wooden floorboards, furniture overturned in desperation. He crouched down, tracing the scorch marks with gloved hands.
"ssy struggle," he murmured, brow furrowing. "Too reckless for a seasoned assassin. Yet…"
His fingertips lingered over one sharply defined burn, expression darkening. His sealed third eye pulsed beneath the silver circlet, seemingly a protest against the discomfort brought by mortal limitations.
"Yet there's still precision," he concluded. "Sothing doesn't add up."
***
Servants' quarters whispered their own subtle mysteries. Ao Bing ticulously inspected the servants' dical cabinet, assessing every item within it. He paused suddenly, sothing flickering across his eyes.
"dical sedatives," he murmured. "Missing. Interesting."
Across the room, Li Wei paged through servant logs. "Soone tampered with these logs. Entries altered, others erased entirely."
Ao Bing turned, voice icy. "To obscure who had access?"
"Exactly. Whoever did this moved with precision and intimate knowledge of estate workings."
"Subtlety," Ao Bing echoed, "and skill. Our traitor wears an innocent mask."
Li Wei heaved out a sigh, frustration clear. "Which hardly narrows our suspects."
***
Back in the Grand Hall, Taeril examined the fallen jade guardian, his fingers brushing against its carvings. His expression remained maddeningly impassive, almost bored.
Lady ng knelt nearby, cataloging damage quietly. Beside her, Lady Foxfire's voice was dripping with theatrical seriousness. "The stars spoke clearly last night—betrayal by trusted hands."
ng Po paused at her words. She glanced at the woman with quiet skepticism. Taeril stifled a chuckle, his gaze drifting to Foxfire as though amused by her acting.
RealmNet buzzed with energy:
[@DivineOracleFan]: Foxfire predicting murder after it happened—classic.
[@WTigerFanclubOfficial]: Commander White… is he even trying?
As the three commanders considered moving onto inventory checks and examining nearby weapon racks, a sudden voice erupted from sowhere below, startlingly earnest and demanding attention.
"Hey! Co down here, quick!" Qiongqi's voice was unusually animated. "I actually found sothing!"
Lady Foxfire exchanged glances with ng Po and Taeril, snapping her fan shut. "If Qiongqi's excited, we should either celebrate or panic."
"Perhaps our dramatic heir has stumbled upon genuine intrigue." Taeril smiled, offering an elegant half-bow toward the stairwell. "Shall we?"
"Yes." ng Po nodded, smoothing her sleeves. "We mustn't keep him waiting."
It took them so ti to find the entrance to Qiongqi's voice—a doorway hidden behind an irrelevant crease. The stairway leading to the basent beneath the estate was narrow, with oppressively close walls, as if intentionally designed to create a sense of dread. Lady Foxfire descended first, gingerly lifting her gown's hem with each step. She was followed closely by Lady ng, whose expression remained poised despite the shadows dancing across the stone walls.
Their footsteps echoed as they descended the staircase, uncertainty thick in the air between them.
At the sa ti, RealmNet filled with feverish anticipation:
[@DramaLover88]: Calling it now, Qiongqi accidentally solves the murder.
[@HeavenlyTeaTi]: Or creates a new one.
"Of course, Prince Xuan would have his own little secret cellar," Foxfire sighed, her voice echoing off cold stone.
"Such secrets often lie beneath the most subtle façades," Lady ng said. She pressed a silken handkerchief against her nose as a tallic tang seeped from below.
They erged into a chamber bathed in weak torchlight. Qiongqi stood at its center, his crimson cloak stark against the dusty surroundings. Before him stretched an array of torture instrunts, their edges catching flickering candlelight, the remnants of dried blood on silver whispering of a spectrum of potential horrors committed.
ng's handkerchief tightened against her mouth. The usually impassive administrator looked visibly disturbed.
"My stars, Prince Xuan had an alarmingly macabre fetish," Lady Foxfire said, fanning herself with both hands.
Qiongqi scoffed, barely turning from the grisly display. "No need to be dramatic. This is just child's play."
Above them, more commanders filed down. Great Peng stumbled out from the stairway, his golden robes rustling in the silence as he surveyed the instrunts. He leaned forward, fingers brushing against a rusted blade.
"Fresh marks," he announced, expression shifting from re distaste to genuine alarm. "Oh, this just got infinitely worse."
Taeril erged quietly, pale eyes scanning the room. He tilted his head, examining a particularly sharp iron clamp. "A tool for persuasion…or punishnt," his voice was as mild as if discussing tea preferences.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Trailing behind him was Li Wei, whose face was lined with open discomfort. "Either way, this adds new motives. Torture breeds grudges. Who here would have cause?"
Back at the streaming balcony, Yverie's voice floated through RealmNet, a breathless hush of excitent, "Poor Commander Qiongqi—always stumbling into trouble."
When the 30-minute exploration tir finally ran dry, the commanders reconvened to the Outer Court, reentering the Hall of Supre Harmony. The sa round table glowed faintly beneath moonlight, awaiting their presence. As each took their seats, the Ledger's voice resonated from around the walls:
"First Official Accusation Round—begin. You have fifteen minutes."
[TI REMAINING]:
00:14:59
The White Tiger wasted no ti, leaning forward slightly with a composed gaze. "The Grand Hall body had shown evidence of a precise strike. Cleanly broken jade suggests practiced skill—a pointed assassination, not random violence."
Next, Erlang Shen folded his arms, expression stern as granite. "I was in Prince Xuan's chamber. Found scorch marks all over—obviously a struggle, fierce enough to be heard, yet we heard nothing. Soone had the skill or ans to silence it."
Li Wei moved to speak, but Ao Bing swiftly interrupted. "Allow . I hardly trust Captain Li's tendency toward dramatic embellishnt."
Li Wei, speechless, leaned back with a vague gesture. "By all ans, Physician. Enlighten us."
"dical sedatives vanished from the servants' quarters—quiet murder tools." Ao Bing ignored the jab. "Soone within our circle had access."
"And what about those instrunts of torture beneath the manor?" Qiongqi's claws slamd down on the table. "Prince Xuan's secret tastes were more vicious than I'd imagined. Maybe he'd committed nasty stuff that had angered the killer."
"Or maybe," said Ao Bing, "it's the killer who'd committed the basent atrocities, making use of the location without Xuan knowing."
Lady Foxfire shivered, hugging her hands around her arms. "Fate warned us clearly. Trusted hands, blood betrayed. We're all suspects now!"
She then shot a wink at the cara, and RealmNet cheered at her imrsive role-playing.
"I noted several artifacts missing from the hall displays," Lady ng's voice floated in, smoothing the chaos. "With experienced remodelling, they can beco weapons that might explain these troubling discoveries."
Erlang Shen raised an eyebrow. "Convenient observation, Stewardess ng."
She t his skepticism with a graceful, unreadable smile. "Truth rarely announces itself loudly, Ex-General Erlang."
[@OracleStan]: Foxfire: vague ons always on point.
[@ngFanClub]: ng just called Erlang Shen a loudmouth politely.
Eyes shifted next to Wen, who nodded with characteristic cryptic grace. "The words may lie," he said simply.
Peng visibly flinched. "Archivist, must you always be so creepy?"
"Truth unsettles those who hide from it." Wen shrugged, eyes half-lidded.
The table finally turned toward Great Peng, who straightened in his seat, already clearing his throat and preparing to recount his findings. "Listen carefully, I—"
[PLAYER STATUS UPDATED]:
Great Peng (Seat 007) — Prince Xuan's Uncle — has been killed!
[PLAYER IDENTITY]:
Loyal.
Great Peng: "?"
Audiences: "??????"
His words died abruptly as the Ledger's voice cut him off. Great Peng's eyes bulged, mouth agape. His image flickered, colours fading to monochro. Silence fell like a shroud, broken only by a few gasps from the commanders and RealmNet alike.
"Wait, he's dead?" Qiongqi leapt up angrily. "Who was with Peng? Who's responsible?!"
Li Wei hurriedly glanced around, face tense as he ntally recalled each commander's movents. "Wasn't he investigating alone this round?"
Lady Foxfire fluttered her fan, voice sorrowful. "Oh, poor, poor Uncle Peng. Silenced mid-monologue. Simply tragic."
Erlang Shen steered his gaze towards her. "Convenient timing, wouldn't you say?"
Foxfire lifted one brow faintly. "Perhaps tragically convenient for soone, indeed."
Outside of the illusory arena, Brother Woo sighed. "Commander Great Peng—tragically silenced. The killer moves swiftly."
"The real question now—" Yverie said, eyes fluttering in excitent, "—who silenced Peng, and what secret did he nearly spill?"
Onscreen, Li Wei leaned forward, urgency tightening his expression. "Wait—I was with Physician Ao Bing earlier. Who else was alone?"
A heavy, accusing silence fell around the round table. Erlang Shen stiffened slightly, folding arms across his chest as his voice edged toward defensive. "My solitary investigation was strategic, Captain Li—not deceitful."
"Strategic or suspicious?" Ao Bing tapped the table under him. "General Erlang, you were in the Second Prince's bedroom, which was the closest to the library where Peng was."
"And your overly ticulous findings, Physician?" Erlang Shen's eyes narrowed. "Sedatives disappearing under your watch sounds far more suspicious to ."
Taeril, observing with mild amusent, chose this mont to interject. "Gentlen, perhaps clarity lies in simplicity," he said. "For myself, I stayed primarily with Lady ng and Lady Foxfire outside, examining Prince Xuan's fallen form. Only briefly did I visit the basent when Qiongqi urgently called."
Lady ng and Lady Foxfire nodded subtly, affirming his alibi with silence.
"What's wrong with being urgent?" Qiongqi surged upward, voice rising to a shout that echoed in the chamber. "I found sothing important! You're accusing the wrong person here."
"Peace, heir apparent." Lady ng turned toward him, her voice soothing but firm. "Unless your intent truly is to draw suspicion to yourself?"
At her words, Qiongqi's face turned scarlet. "Am I crazy? Why would I do that?! This is all stupid."
"Passion often masks guilt." Taeril gave a mild sigh, his voice cutting through the heated exchange. "Though, perhaps you are simply prone to unfortunate choices."
Great Peng, greyed out yet visibly agitated, mid exaggerated outrage. His lips moved rapidly without sound.
Back at Team 001's bench, Finn leaned forward, whispering fervently to Willow, who looked equally intrigued, "Tell again why our commander skipped previous gas? Because he seems suspiciously good at casual psychological arson."
Willow grimaced. "That might be exactly why."
The commanders exchanged knowing glances, silence thickening beneath the rhythmic ticking of the round table's countdown. Erlang Shen crossed his arms, brow creased as his eyes tracked the rapidly depleting seconds. The large nurals on the display pulsed ominously:
[TI REMAINING]:
00:00:30
"The current round is nearing its end," said Erlang Shen. "We have little choice but to start sowhere."
"Seconded." Taeril raised a lazy arm. His obsidian gaze scanned the room, and a smile appeared on his face. "If we abstain from voting now, who knows whether the Ledger would punish all of us by random elimination? Voting soone out is only fitting."
Lady Foxfire tapped a lacquered fingernail against her fan, gaze sharp. "But who do we accuse? We've barely begun investigations."
"Then Ex-General, since you're the one who brought this up," Ao Bing said. "Where does your suspicion lie?"
"Everyone here is questionable to an extent, but..." Erlang Shen sighed quietly. "We've all been executing our own investigations, only to rejoin shortly upon the heir's calling. The only ti the culprit could have made a move was during the ti where we've all been congregated, and he was the one that instigated the eting."
His eyes skimd the seat of the demon commander.
"Mild apologies, but Qiongqi's… erratic behaviour and disturbing discoveries—my vote is clear."
Qiongqi: "???????"
"Seconded." Taeril smiled, perfectly content in fanning the flas.
"You—!" The demon's fists slamd the round table. "This is ridiculous! Have you all forgotten the White Tiger's history of manipulation? If anyone deserves suspicion, it's him!"
"Manipulation? Perhaps." Taeril, lounging in Seat 001, offered a mild, amused smile. "But this is nothing personal, Heir Apparent. If we're judging purely by erratic actions today, your outburst seems far more concerning. Not to ntion, the basent was tucked away quite discreetly. How did you end up coming across it?"
"On accident!" Qiongqi said.
"You just coincidentally stumbled by a crack in the walls?"
"I..."
"The Inquisitor brings up a good point," Lady ng said. "Please, defend yourself if we are wrong. How did you end up discovering the basent?"
Faced with the accusations, heat rushed to the demon's face at once. He glared at both of them, flabbergasted but unable to squeeze out a retort. Compared to the White Tiger and the Heaven's General, who were both famously known to be frustratingly eloquent, the demon was comparably disadvantaged in verbal debates.
"It was an accident! I heard a sound by the walls, then ca across the narrow entrance." Qiongqi spat at them, incredulous. "What? Am I not allowed to bring up discoveries?"
"No, no. All discoveries are welco, of course," Taeril said, raising his shoulders in a subtle shrug. "Even ones that may be intentional to mislead."
General murmurs rippled around the table. The commanders' eyes flitted between the White Tiger's casual indifference and Qiongqi's barely contained rage.
"Preposterous," Qiongqi growled, yet his voice trembled with frustration. "I was frad! Soone's clearly planting evidence. Soone got to discover the basent and lure you all there. It must have been a preplanned trap."
"Frad or not," Erlang Shen interjected, glancing warily at the countdown—now flashing urgently at 00:10, "your unstable reactions right now aren't helping your credibility."
Lady Foxfire tapped her lips thoughtfully. "One wonders—what motive would anyone else have to fra you?"
"Well," Taeril mused, leaning forward. "Perhaps our Heir Apparent's chaotic tendencies make him the easiest scapegoat? But his presence is undeniably disruptive to our collective survival." He nodded to no one in particular. "Voting him out might give us clarity moving forward."
[TI REMAINING]:
00:00:05
A tense silence fell over the commanders, their expressions conflicted but hardening. Reluctantly, they cast their votes one by one. The Cloud-Jade Ledger's voice echoed in return, impartial yet damning.
[VOTE RESULTS]:
Bai Hu (Seat 001): 1 Vote
Erlang Shen (Seat 002): 1 Vote
Qiongqi (Seat 005): 6 Votes
[PLAYER STATUS UPDATED]:
Qionqi (Seat 005) — Xuan Residence Heir Apparent — has been voted out!
[PLAYER IDENTITY]:
Loyal.
Qiongqi froze mid-protest, eyes widening with outrage, before his form flickered into monochro silence. His furious final shout—"You stupid fools—!"—lingered in the silence.
RealmNet exploded, ssages scrolling faster than the eye could follow:
[@PoorQiongqi]: Ah—so he was frad after all... #JusticeforQiongqi
[@DivineDramaFan]: Commander Qiongqi... maybe sign up for so debate classes once this is all over......
Yverie shook her head sympathetically from the comntator's booth. "Poor Commander Qiongqi—forever misunderstood."
Brother Woo inclined his head. "A tragedy we perhaps should have foreseen."
"Well," Taeril retracted his gaze from the results board and dusted his hands, as if the demon's elimination was nothing more than a minor interlude. "Qiongqi's sacrifice was unfortunate, but not in vain. At least we now have narrowed down another one of the suspects."
A seat away, Li Wei released a weary sigh, muttering "inter-realm unity" like an ironic trance.
The round table dispersed in silence, each commander rising once more. The viewers leaned forward, scrutiny sharp enough to dissect each micro-expression captured.
Taeril stood, smoothing his silver-white robes. His eyes briefly passed over Erlang Shen—such a slight glance it seed incidental—yet the audience's attention sharpened instantly. Before theories could form fully, however, he repeated the exact motion, glancing identically towards Li Wei, then Lady ng, Ao Bing, Lady Foxfire, and Wen in perfect sequence.
"…"
[@StrategicChaos]: Commander White intentionally confusing us with neutrality again.
[@IrritatedObserver]: Did he just red-herring everyone simultaneously?
The cara then briefly zood in on Ao Bing, whose eyes fixed upon Taeril's retreating figure, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. RealmNet netizens recovered quickly, speculations soaring:
[@TheoryCrafter22]: Ao Bing suspects the White Tiger—battle of titans incoming
[@MoleHunters]: Peak deception. Trust no one!
Back on the comntator's stage, Yverie's bright voice chid in once more. "With Qiongqi's elimination, suspicion only grows! Every word, every glance, every silence—everything matters now!"
As the commanders departed from the round table into shadowed hallway, the scene faded slowly, leaving only the echo of Brother Woo's words lingering in the tension-filled air:
"Trust sparingly. For when it cos to the deities' ga of suspicion, foes are indistinguishable from ultra foes."
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