Chapter 3022: Chapter 3023: Night Tree
The burly old man reprimanded both sides and then slowly spoke to the darkness beside him, "Night Tree, come out."
As the words fell, a green plant broke through the soil in the shadows, quickly growing into a lush and verdant tree.
And amidst the tree’s dense canopy, a figure resembling both a human and a ghost was hidden.
"Night Tree Nine greets Elder Shu." An ethereal voice emerged from the shadow’s mouth.
"Nine? Why is it you? Where are Three to Five?" The burly old man, also the Great Elder of Bilun Tree Court, frowned and asked.
"Numbers Three, Four, and Five went to Elder Yue this morning and have not returned," Nine replied.
"Elder Yue? She..." The burly old man frowned, wanting to say something but ultimately refrained, "Never mind, tell me what’s going on here?"
Night Tree Nine nodded and quickly recounted everything he knew and had seen.
As he spoke at length, the expressions of those present grew increasingly grim.
Even the previously sarcastic Dress’ face began to pale.
The arena before them was only one of the disaster-stricken areas; the guild district had seen total collapse of many major guild buildings, with countless casualties.
Moreover, the place where the Shallow Sea Strongman first appeared was Great Tree Square!
Great Tree Square isn’t part of any district, but it’s more important than any district because it represents the face of Bilun Tree Court!
The Transmission Hall, Clan Assembly Tree, and the external contact Signal Tower, these three crucial buildings, are located adjacent to Great Tree Square.
Almost every so often, guests transported from other Wizard Markets or Witcher Organizations emerge from the Transmission Hall, the first place they see is Great Tree Square.
Great Tree Square is the portal to Bilun Tree Court and the face of Bilun Tree Court.
There has always been a large flow of people there!
But it was in this bustling place that a rampaging Shallow Sea Strongman appeared.
Even though the Shallow Sea Strongman didn’t cause significant casualties in Great Tree Square, it was still a severe slap to Bilun Tree Court and the Birlos Family.
It can be said that as long as one is from the Birlos Family, hearing this news would certainly not leave them indifferent.
After Nine finished speaking, the air was filled with a deathly stillness.
After a while, someone finally broke the silence.
"Now... where is that Shallow Sea Strongman?" It was Elder Shu speaking, his voice very calm, seemingly as usual, but from Elder Shu’s deep eyes, everyone could sense a suppressed flame within.
A flame that could erupt into a blazing fury at any moment!
Night Tree Nine whispered, "After wreaking havoc in the arena, the Shallow Sea Strongman disappeared. Currently, its whereabouts are unknown."
Elder Shu: "The Shallow Sea Strongman couldn’t have vanished mysteriously, there’s definitely someone orchestrating this. Have you managed to investigate?"
Night Tree Nine nodded, "Number Ten has been guarding at the Clan Assembly Tree all day. So, he experienced the commotion at Great Tree Square in its entirety. From his on-site observation, he identified these individuals."
As Nine spoke, he suddenly transformed into mist, the mist swirling around the tree. After a roiling surge, it gradually formed several realistic images similar to illusions.
Three images in total, the commonality being they all occur at Great Tree Square, with the Shallow Sea Strongman roaring at the sky as people fled in all directions, resembling a tableau of life under disaster.
The protagonist of the first image is a woman lazily leaning against a shop doorframe, smoking while watching the distant Shallow Sea Strongman demonstrate its power without a hint of fear, as if watching a play.
Against the backdrop of fleeing masses, her uniquely transcendent demeanor stands out starkly. This was also the primary suspect identified by Night Tree Ten’s observation.
The protagonist of the second image is a frail woman sitting on the ground crying. At first glance, she looks like an innocent civilian affected by the disaster.
What drew Night Tree Ten’s special attention was that she fell down right where the Shallow Sea Strongman appeared. Significantly, she was right next to the Shallow Sea Strongman, yet she was neither harmed nor injured.
This anomaly caught Night Tree Ten’s attention.
The protagonist of the third image is a young man standing on the terrace atop the Signal Tower, dressed in a suit and looking very refined.
Others were also on the terrace, drawn outside by the loud noises of the Shallow Sea Strongman, wanting to see what was happening.
However, Night Tree Ten was most concerned about this suited youth, because unlike others, he showed no curiosity, astonishment, or panic. Instead, he watched the fleeing crowd below with a smile on his face.
This was also where Night Tree Ten felt something was amiss.
"These are the scenes Night Tree Ten captured at Great Tree Square during the disaster, identifying these three suspects." Night Tree Nine: "However, it’s currently unclear who the true mastermind behind the disaster is."
Nine paused slightly, then continued, "Additionally, after noticing these individuals’ odd behavior, Ten sent their details to Six at the Logistics Support Division."
"Based on Six’s investigations, it was found that all three had appeared near the Logistics Support Division, which basically confirms they likely came from the Starry District."
"Starry District?" Elder Shu’s brow furrowed, "Has Lucia been questioned? What’s his side saying?"
Nine: "Lucia left Starry District and is now with Six... However, he hasn’t disclosed any information on these three."
As soon as Nine finished, Gailuo couldn’t help but shout angrily, "Is Lucia planning to rebel?"
Nearby, Dress sneered, "They’ve been planning to rebel all along. What, you didn’t know?"
Lucia is from the Didia family; they’ve remained in the Gumman Kingdom to rebel in the first place.
Gailuo naturally knew this, but what he mentioned was a rebellion against ’Bilun Tree Court,’ not the Gumman Kingdom. Dress surely understood Gailuo’s meaning, deliberately twisting his words.
Gailuo wanted to retort, but was held back by his wife Shayina, who gently shook her head at him.
Gailuo closed his eyes, ultimately swallowing his indignation.
It was then that Elder Shu spoke coldly, "Dress, have you already forgotten what I just said?"
Dress was startled, "It was Gailuo who spoke first..."
Elder Shu: "I’m not deaf. I understand what he meant. I also understand what you meant."
Gailuo was angry, and the target of his anger was outsiders; whereas Dres, despite speaking later, directed his anger inwardly. This was what Elder Shu was dissatisfied with. Clearly, he had already mentioned not to engage in internal conflict at this time, yet Dres had to resort to sarcasm, obviously not taking his words seriously.
Dres opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but under Elder Shu’s cold gaze, he finally lowered his head: "Yes... I was wrong."
Elder Shu didn’t speak but looked at Night Tree No. 9: "Where are those three people now, any intelligence?"
Night Tree No. 9 shook his head: "Currently, the entire intelligence system of Bilun Tree Court is paralyzed, with a large number of personnel fleeing; there is no way to accurately find anyone."
"What about Sea Eagle and Yaji?"
Sea Eagle and Yaji were official Wizards who didn’t go to The Garden Labyrinth ruins.
Night Tree No. 9 lowered his head: "After Elder Shu and the clan leader left, they were approached by Elder Yue who said he needed their help for some kind of research."
Why is it you again? Elder Shu frowned, a trace of shadow flickering in his eyes.
Elder Shu was silent for a moment, then turned to Dres and said: "Now you follow No. 10 to find the Shallow Sea Strongman and information about these three people."
Upon hearing Elder Shu’s command, Dres couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his eyes. This was no simple task; whether finding the Shallow Sea Strongman or those three suspects, they could potentially encounter the mastermind behind the scenes. If they couldn’t find them, it would be fine, but if they did, they might face a fierce battle.
Dres didn’t think he could deal with the mastermind, but faced with Elder Shu’s cold stare, he knew it wouldn’t end well if he refused. In the end, he nodded: "Alright."
Elder Shu: "Then go."
Dres nodded silently, his body merging into the darkness, and clearly, he wasn’t alone in the darkness; there was another tall figure, none other than Night Tree No. 10!
After Dres left, Elder Shu quickly assigned a few more tasks to several other Wizards.
The last task was assigned to Gailuo and Shayina.
"You two go to No. 6, meet with Lucia, and inquire about the situation."
Gailuo nodded heavily: "Alright, leave it to me! I will definitely make Lucia talk..."
Elder Shu looked at Gailuo’s ready-to-act demeanor, sighed softly, and looked at Shayina: "Keep an eye on him, don’t let him get into a fight with Lucia."
Shayina nodded: "Understood."
Gailuo furrowed his brow and protested: "Why can’t I deal with this traitor, Lucia?"
"Fool." Elder Shu coldly said: "It’s normal for Lucia not to disclose information; it’s the rule of the Starry District. But Lucia leaving the Starry District means he tacitly acknowledges these three are from the Starry District."
Gailuo was taken aback: "But..."
"There’s no ’but.’ You can ask Shayina about the specific situation on the way."
Gailuo looked at Shayina in confusion: "You... know?"
Shayina looked at her lover and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: "I know a bit, I’ll tell you on the way; let’s go find Lucia first."
Gailuo wanted to say something else, but Shayina directly took his hand and pulled him into the darkness.
After Gailuo and Shayina left, only Elder Shu and... Vay remained on site.
Elder Shu: "I apologize for the embarrassment, Black Earl, I didn’t expect this to happen."
Although Elder Shu was looking at Vay while speaking, a careful observer would notice he was actually looking at Vay’s nose.
In other words, Black Earl’s avatar.
Vay was also well aware that Elder Shu wasn’t talking to himself, so he kept his mouth shut and didn’t make a sound.
Black Earl used the surrounding air to produce a low voice: "No matter. It’s an unforeseeable disaster in itself... But speaking of which, does Elder Shu not suspect me?"
Black Earl calmly said: "You just met us at The Garden Labyrinth, and then trouble arises here; don’t you suspect us of being behind it?"
Elder Shu: "If Black Earl intended to deal with us, there would be no need for such tactics. However, you remind me that the incident here, right after our departure, is suspicious, perhaps someone internally leaked the information..."
At this point, Elder Shu once again expressed his apology: "It’s our fault to let you see the Birlos Family in such an inadequate state."
Elder Shu lowered his stance significantly.
Because he was very aware of the weight of the Noah Family and the name of Black Earl!
Black Earl: "You’re too modest. Even if I didn’t mention it, you probably already have some guesses in mind, don’t you?"
Elder Shu smiled and didn’t respond directly; instead, he changed the subject, saying: "Regarding the matter of The Garden Labyrinth ruins that Black Earl mentioned earlier..."
Although Elder Shu cared about the disaster at Bilun Tree Court, he was also concerned about the Underground Aqueduct Black Earl mentioned. As the host, he had to stay here to coordinate with Black Earl; it wouldn’t be good to remain silent, and discussing Bilun Tree Court’s disaster wouldn’t be appropriate either, so why not continue talking about the Underground Aqueduct.
However, Black Earl didn’t follow up on the topic; instead, he signaled Vay to look into the darkness: "The Garden Labyrinth ruins can be discussed later. Besides, someone’s coming now..."
Initially, Vay didn’t understand Black Earl’s gesture, but within a few seconds, he saw four people emerging from the darkness.
Among them, the two in the front were Gailuo and Shayina, who had just left.
Behind them were a man wearing a mask of sparse leaves, clad in a verdant robe, and a white-haired, green-eyed youth.
The man in the robe, Vay wasn’t a stranger to him; he had seen him at The Garden Labyrinth. He was the head of the Birlos Family, who called himself "Xingye."
Upon returning from The Garden Labyrinth to Bilun Tree Court, Clan Leader Xingye immediately disappeared into the shadows, whereabouts unknown. At that time, Vay had been puzzled why the head of the Birlos Family was missing, but seeing that Elder Shu and the others were not surprised, he didn’t speak.
Unexpectedly, Clan Leader Xingye had returned at this moment.
And he had followed Gailuo and Shayina back... But who was that white-haired, green-eyed youth?
With Elder Shu’s instructions to Gailuo and Shayina in mind, Vay felt a suspicion rising: Could this white-haired, green-eyed youth be Lucia from the Starry District?
Soon, Vay’s guess was confirmed.
Gailuo scratched his head after appearing and spoke up first: "We were just about to find No. 6, and then halfway, we encountered the clan leader and Lucia."
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