Chapter 253: Chapter 253: An’an, I’m Completely Fine
"Who dares?!"
Yu An wasted no time with words, immediately producing the token that signified her authority. Before Lu Min could even react, the Branch Masters behind her dropped to their knees.
"Hall... Hall Master!"
What!
Lu Min finally understood. The only people who could elicit such a reaction from the Hall Masters were Lu Yi, the Sub-Palace Master, and Yu An, the Hall Master of the main palace.
’This person is actually...’
Lu Yi shouted sternly, "The Hall Master is here! Lu Min, kneel and confess your crimes!"
Lu Min was already flustered. If she hadn’t met Tian Shu, her ambition to usurp the position would have remained just a thought; in reality, she stood no chance against Lu Yi.
But seeing Tian Shu remained composed, she forced down her fear and sneered, "The Hall Master of the main palace? You claim to be Master Yu based on some broken token you fished out of nowhere? By that logic, couldn’t anyone impersonate Master Yu?"
"Impostor! Not only are you impersonating me, you even found someone to impersonate Master Yu. You’ve got a death wish!"
"You know perfectly well who the real impostor is, Lu Min! I shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted back then. I should have done more than just exile you from Winter City!"
Lu Yi chastised her, then turned her gaze to the Branch Masters. "Hall Masters, I am the real Lu Yi. That is my sister, Lu Min, who has used some unknown method to make her face look identical to mine."
"An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, but the people who have always served me can. The reason Lu Min threw them in the dungeon the first chance she got was because she was afraid they would expose her."
Yu An snapped her fingers. The crowd parted to form a path, and several people in tattered clothes, clearly showing signs of torture, walked forward. They joined Lu Yi in pointing at Lu Min, identifying her as the impostor.
The Hall Masters recognized them as the Attendants who were always at Lu Yi’s side.
Lu Min’s expression darkened. "Nonsense! Who’s to say you weren’t all bribed by this impostor? I... I have the Hall Master’s Token! That’s enough to prove that I am the real Hall Master!"
Yu An spoke leisurely. "A moment ago, you said my token was a fake. Now, allow me to return the accusation—"
"—that you’re the one who got a token from who knows where and is trying to pull a fast one, impersonating Sub-Palace Master Lu Yi?"
The Hall Masters were having their own doubts. ’The Attendants are fiercely loyal to Lu Yi,’ they thought. ’Even if one or two turned traitor, it’s impossible for all of them to betray her. The recent actions of this "Hall Master" are indeed highly suspicious.’
Although Lu Min had been imitating Lu Yi, how could two people with completely different personalities pull off a perfect imitation?
The Hall Masters were slowly beginning to side with Lu Yi. Lu Min noticed and couldn’t help but glance toward Tian Shu.
Tian Shu hadn’t expected this interruption either, but the transformation Array was not yet complete. He signaled for Lu Min to hold on a little longer.
Bracing herself, Lu Min racked her brain for excuses to stall for time.
As it happened, Yu An also needed to buy some time, so Lu Yi patiently played along with her opponent’s stalling tactics.
The Attendants giving testimony were Lu Yi’s trusted confidants. After receiving a subtle glance from their master, they would periodically put on conflicted expressions, making it seem as if they really had been bribed to commit perjury.
And so, the Hall Masters’ opinions swayed back and forth. To make matters worse, the two women were identical in appearance, and since none of them had spent much time up close with the real Sub-Palace Master, they couldn’t be certain which one was genuine.
It was quite the "real vs. fake Hall Master" drama. Yu An appeared to be a mere spectator, but in reality, she was communicating with Lu Lu the entire time.
Lu Lu was the one who had dug a tunnel to rescue the Attendants from the dungeons. By now, Lu Lu had nearly completed its main task; it was just one step away from completely severing Winter City from the ground beneath it.
"An’an, I saw people surreptitiously placing some objects at eight locations outside Winter City. There are guards, so I can’t get any closer."
Hearing this, Yu An paused, then discreetly glanced at Tian Shu and his followers.
’Could this be related to their plan?’
The thought flashed through her mind. Just then, she caught Tian Shu move in her peripheral vision.
Han Li, who had been standing at Yu An’s side, also shifted, assuming a protective stance.
Tian Shu took a step forward and raised a hand, signaling for Lu Min to be quiet. The words died in Lu Min’s throat.
"Alright, time’s up."
"What do you mean?"
Yu An frowned at him. "What time is up?"
Tian Shu chuckled. "The time for your lives to end, of course."
"I thought I would only be reaping these foolish Beastmen. I didn’t expect such a pleasant surprise."
His words caused an uproar. The Beastmen might not have known exactly what was happening, but they understood one thing: this man wanted them dead!
"Who are you! How dare you cause trouble in Winter City! The audacity!"
The head Hall Master of Winter City roared, and the others quickly echoed him. Tian Shu paid them no mind, the smile on his lips widening as he silently mouthed something to Yu An.
Yu An’s face changed. She had read his lips clearly. He had mouthed the words "Beast God"!
’How could he know my identity?!’
A flicker of emotion crossed Yu An’s face as she clenched her fists. "What’s that supposed to mean? Explain yourself!"
’Just a little longer. Lu Lu is almost done. I just need to buy a little more time.’
Perhaps her anger pleased him, because Tian Shu chuckled. "Fine. Since I am on the verge of an unparalleled achievement, and I happen to be in a good mood today, I’ll let you die understanding why."
"Others may not know your true identity, but I and Tian Fu—that is, the one you call the Beast God—we know it perfectly well. Because we’re from *that place*. Oh, and I almost forgot, you’re originally from there, too."
"Our only target was this group of foolish Beastmen. We didn’t want to hurt you, but you just had to get in our way."
’The Upper Realm! Tian Shu is from the Upper Realm!’
’So he really is with the Beast God... No, I should call him Tian Fu now.’
Besides Yu An, who was at the center of it all, everyone else was completely lost. Seeing that things were going south, some of the townsfolk tried to slip away, only to find that rows of archers, their drawn bows glinting coldly, had appeared behind them.
"Don’t even think about escaping," Tian Shu said, throwing them a condescending glance. "Or you’ll just die sooner."
He then turned back to Yu An. Seeing her expression shift, he smiled. "It seems you understand now. In that case... please."
"Please what?"
Yu An sneered. "Die? Why don’t you go first!"
Tian Shu was about to speak when a violent tremor shook the ground. He scrambled to keep his balance, but in the next second, the scenery around him warped. The last thing he heard was a sentence from Yu An.
"Celebrating a bit early, aren’t we? You really seemed to have it all figured out!"
The spot where Winter City had been was now an empty plot of land. It was Yu An’s first time moving something so massive into her spatial dimension, and she felt dizzy and disoriented for a moment.
Han Li rushed to steady her. "An’an, are you alright—"
"Watch out!"
Yu An happened to look up, her gaze locking with someone standing right behind Han Li. "Get out of the way!"
His mind hadn’t caught up, but Han Li’s body moved instinctively to dodge. He was a step too late. A beam of blood-red light struck him.
At the same moment, Lu Lu appeared, piercing through the assailant. Yu An ignored everything else, her only priority to check on Han Li.
"Han Li, how are you? Let me see where you’re hurt!"
"I’m fine."
Han Li blinked, then extended his hands to look at them. "An’an, I’m not hurt at all..."
