As Vladimir disappeared from view, Lord Mortarion's expression instantly hardened. He turned to the assembled subordinates, his voice cold and clipped. "Clean up thoroughly. You know what happens if you don't."
Without waiting for acknowledgment, he departed the scene.
The creature had already handled most of the body disposal. If he hadn't been intimately familiar with Hanzu, he wouldn't have recognized those rotting remains at all.
His Diamond-level stamina proved remarkably efficient, it didn't take long before he'd returned to Beijing.
Upon arriving at the familiar underground chamber, the old man pressed a concealed switch to summon the council.
Soon, all attendees had gathered.
A feminine-looking elder spoke first, his tone sharp with urgency. "Lord Mortarion, what emergency requires such haste? We abandoned His Majesty to come here."
These emergency protocols weren't meant to be invoked lightly. Without proper justification, there would be consequences.
Before Lord Mortarion could respond, Lord Shifu interjected grimly. "Eunuch Wynnard, Grandfather is dead."
Eunuch Wynnard froze, momentarily bewildered. He instinctively asked, "Grandfather? Which grandfather?"
Then realization struck him. His pupils dilated as he shot to his feet, repeating loudly, "Dead?!"
"Impossible! He's a Diamond-level Lore Cardian!" His voice rose with each question. "Who managed it?! Did that brat have a Diamond-level protector?! Has Hanzu's identity been exposed?!"
The torrent of questions echoed through the underground space like rapid gunfire.
The other council members exchanged dark, troubled glances.
Lord Shifu rubbed his temples wearily, raising a hand for silence. "There was no Diamond-level protector. That brat killed Grandfather personally."
He paused, letting the weight sink in. "He can kill a Diamond-level Lore Cardian. Do you understand what that means?"
"Not just Grandfather, any of us could fall by his hand. Do you comprehend?"
The old man's words revealed his inner composure wasn't as steady as his demeanor suggested.
Eunuch Wynnard slumped back into his chair, color draining from his face. "How is this possible? Isn't he only Emerald-level?!"
Lord Mortarion's patience finally snapped. He slammed his palm against the table, his expression thunderous as he roared, "You ask me? Who the hell should I ask?!"
"You acted so dismissive before, but now if we're going to die, we'll all die together!"
The Mort family head, Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, truly felt overwhelmed by the situation spiraling beyond control.
Eunuch Wynnard shot back indignantly, "What do you mean?! This decision was made collectively by everyone present!"
Faced with their escalating argument, Lord Shifu didn't mediate as he had previously. Instead, he released a deep, exhausted sigh, his mind preoccupied with darker concerns about their collective future.
After a prolonged silence, the quarrel gradually subsided. Lord Shifu spoke with visible weariness. "Are you finished?"
"Have you calmed down?"
Without acknowledging the expressions around him, he continued, "Lord Mortarion and I witnessed everything with our own eyes. There's no possibility of error."
They couldn't afford complacency regarding such a critical matter.
As the instigator, Hanzu had naturally been observed from concealment by both himself and Lord Mortarion during the assassination attempt on Azrael.
However, the situation had clearly spiraled wildly beyond their control, like an untamed stallion they couldn't possibly rein in.
No one could have imagined that a mere Emerald-level Lore Cardian would survive an assault from a Diamond-level opponent.
True, Hanzu was somewhat inexperienced, having never engaged in actual combat since becoming a Lore Cardian. But even an inexperienced fighter was still Diamond-level.
In the Northern Defense Army, such an individual would command as a general. In the Cardian Master Association, they'd serve as president of a major city at minimum.
More importantly, the Emerald-level practitioner had successfully counterattacked, apparently without suffering any casualties whatsoever.
Who would believe such an absurd claim?
Any rational person would dismiss the speaker as insane.
Yet Lord Shifu and Lord Mortarion had watched this nightmare unfold before their very eyes.
They'd considered intervening themselves, but could they guarantee victory?
If Azrael could eliminate Hanzu, then Sun Hanzu and Wang Hanzu would be equally vulnerable. Even if the creature had merely stalled them, he would have outlasted their attempt, the Qilu Cardian Master Association had arrived at the scene shortly after the battle concluded.
In that moment, everyone present had reached the same grim conclusion: they'd already missed their opportunity to act.
"Is reconciliation still possible?" someone ventured cautiously.
Lord Shifu and Lord Mortarion regarded the speaker as though he'd lost his mind, causing the man to offer an awkward chuckle as he clearly recognized the foolishness of his suggestion.
Lord Shifu massaged his temples and explained matter-of-factly, "Reconciliation is impossible. That creature has almost certainly deduced we're the masterminds behind this."
"However, without concrete evidence, he can't take action against us directly."
This represented a long-standing tacit understanding between the Association and the imperial court.
Unfortunately, they remained unaware that the Association's leadership already knew about Lioren's situation. Otherwise, they wouldn't maintain such optimistic assessments.
"Then what should we do?" Eunuch Wynnard muttered dejectedly. "We can't exactly assassinate him ourselves."
"Did your brain get removed along with whatever was cut off?" Lord Mortarion retorted bluntly. "Have you forgotten that Lucian has returned to the Empire of Aetherlight?"
"Or would you prefer that old monster to personally visit Beijing and find you himself?"
Eunuch Wynnard's face flushed crimson as he glared murderously at Lord Mortarion. "You, !"
But he knew the accusation held truth, and for a moment couldn't formulate any rebuttal.
Lord Shifu's voice cut through the tension with authority. "Enough! Instead of infighting, think about our next move."
A heavy silence descended over the underground chamber.
After a prolonged pause, Lord Shifu spoke with grim determination. "I'll approach the Crimson Oath Society. They seem our most convenient option at present."
His voice dropped lower. "If that fails... then we contact the Demon Army."
Since direct action proved impractical, they needed to pursue alternative methods.
Seeing his decision made, scattered murmurs of agreement rose from the assembled council members.
"Lord Shifu is correct."
Ignoring the voices, Lord Shifu and Lord Mortarion exchanged a significant, knowing glance.
One option remained unspoken: if all else failed, they could only find a scapegoat to appease the Association's wrath, then pin all blame on that unfortunate soul.
After all, that's exactly how the Mizuno family incident had been resolved.
'Fortunately, the situation hasn't spiraled completely out of control yet,' both men thought simultaneously.
But one must understand that not everything in this world proceeds according to plan.
So-called conspiracies merely exploit information asymmetries, but unfortunately for them, it was Azrael, not the council, who possessed that crucial information advantage.
After departing the battlefield with Hanzu, Azrael raced toward Pixar at maximum speed.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected occurred, and he managed to reach Pixar before sunset.
Standing before the somewhat quiet manor, Azrael hesitated.
He hadn't felt apprehensive before coming, but now the prospect felt more painful than those manuscript submission days before his transmigration.
Just then, warmth enveloped his right hand.
It was Alice.
"Junior Brother."
"Azrael."
"Don't be afraid."
"I'm here."
Azrael turned to regard Alice, who had suddenly materialized beside him, and froze momentarily.
After a lengthy pause, he finally grasped her soft hand and replied softly, "Yeah."
Having mentally prepared himself, Azrael stepped bravely into the living room.
Seeing the old man seated on the sofa, he called out hesitantly, "Teacher."
"Azrael's back?" Hearing his voice, Lucian turned to face him with an easy smile. "Why so nervous? I'm not going to devour you."
"Have a seat."
Azrael settled somewhat awkwardly onto the sofa across from his teacher.
Before he could speak, Lucian continued, "Alice has already informed me about the Crimson Oath Society situation."
"What?"
Azrael looked up, thoroughly bewildered.
He'd never anticipated his teacher already knew what he'd come to confess, and remarkably, didn't seem angry at all.
As he prepared to explain, Lucian raised a hand, stopping him. "I believe you."
"Azrael, you're a good child." The old man's eyes softened with genuine warmth. "Things must have been difficult before. You had no one to confide in, so you had to endure everything alone."
Lucian had learned Azrael's entire situation from Alice. While he didn't know precisely how his disciple had escaped Jin's control, he didn't bother inquiring.
Everyone possessed secrets, he had them, Alice had them, and Azrael certainly had his own.
A gentleman judges actions, not intentions. From everything he knew, his disciple had never committed any evil deeds.
Perhaps the most extreme action had been killing Kavach.
But since the man had literally come to their doorstep seeking death, Lucian wouldn't condemn the response. After all, he himself had previously taken Azrael to attack the Mizuno family directly.
Hearing this, Azrael scratched his head, reflecting on his experiences with the Crimson Oath Society. "Not really that difficult."
While there'd been some pressure, he'd actually benefited far more, having the Society handle numerous tasks on his behalf.
"You stubborn child," Lucian replied with helpless amusement. "That's good, that's good."
"Since you became my disciple, I haven't taught you properly. I suppose I'm the one who's failed you."
Azrael shook his head slightly.
While Lucian's financial support might seem minimal, many opportunities had only become possible because of his teacher's position and influence.
Not to mention the invaluable assistance from his senior brothers and sisters.
Azrael started to respond, but froze when he properly looked at his teacher.
After a moment, he asked hesitantly, "Teacher, are you alright?"
Only then did he notice that Lucian appeared shorter and thinner than he remembered, his once-straight posture now slightly hunched with age.
Lucian waved dismissively. "It's fine, just what happens when you get older."
Then, as though reluctant to dwell on the topic, he shifted subjects. "I've heard about Lioren's situation from Master Tempest and Master Fujimaru."
"You did well."
"If not for you, I'm afraid we'd still be kept completely in the dark."
Hearing this, Azrael instinctively asked, "Then Teacher, what should we do next? Continue pretending ignorance?"
Lucian smiled first, then spoke with calm resolve. "Those beasts killed so many people, it's naturally impossible to let this slide."
"It just so happens that Lioren will probably finish dealing with that Sovereign-level demon within a few days."
"When that time comes, of course..." His eyes hardened with quiet fury.
"Revenge when there's a grudge, justice when there's injustice."