Chapter 471: Chapter 471: Adina 24
Before Schubert and the others could even set out, Tan You had already appeared silently in Kandapes with her legion of beasts. With the help of the Griffin, she traveled at an incredible pace.
However, the sight of the Griffin—so enormous it could nearly blot out the sun—was enough to make everyone feel dizzy.
After seeing the other Holy Beasts that had returned with her, everyone had mixed feelings. Holy Beasts they might never see once in their lifetime now stood before them as if they were being sold wholesale. The thought was... strangely thrilling.
Sanders, ever cautious, asked, "Will outsiders be able to see..."
Tan You chuckled. "No. Dark Element Magic Beasts are naturally skilled at hiding. Besides, they are all Holy Beasts and have their own unique domains. People can only see them when they wish to be seen."
Schubert’s gaze lingered on the unicorn for a long time. "Miss, you are now a Five-star Mage. What are your plans for the future?"
Tan You pondered for a moment. "I heard that Catherine is choosing a husband for Lilith. That’s an occasion I can’t miss. I plan to make a trip to the Imperial City."
"That’s too dangerous! Isn’t that walking right into a trap?"
Sanders was the first to object. The Imperial City was the main stronghold of the Divine Hall of Light. If Tan You went now, wouldn’t she be delivering herself right to their doorstep?
Tan You frowned. "I have a reason I absolutely must go."
These were her followers, and Tan You had no intention of hiding things from them. She had no desire to be a lone hero; the power of a group was immense, far surpassing that of any individual.
"After breaking the great unicorn’s seal, I received a divine oracle from the Dark God." Tan You’s expression was composed, but her words made everyone’s nerves tighten.
Sanders’s mind raced. "The oracle requires you to go to the Divine Hall of Light?"
"Yes," Tan You nodded. "I have obtained the key to unsealing the Dark God. Once he is unsealed and the Dark Divine Hall rises, everyone will be able to walk openly in the sunlight, no longer having to hide in the shadows as we do now."
Sanders couldn’t suppress a surge of emotion. He was thrilled, of course—his own son had also awakened a Dark Element talent. It was only because they were in Kandapes that the outside world knew nothing of it.
’If the Dark Divine Hall rises, will my child be able to live freely in the future, without being confined to this remote corner?’
Schubert understood Sanders’s thoughts. "In that case, we must plan this carefully. Getting into the Divine Hall of Light will not be easy."
Tan You’s lips curved. "How could it be? Lilith and I look quite similar, don’t we?"
Everyone understood as soon as she said it. Tan You planned to use the trip to the Imperial City as an opportunity to impersonate Lilith and infiltrate the Divine Hall of Light. But this was still incredibly dangerous; over time, her cover could easily be blown.
Schubert recalled Tan You’s past circumstances within the Edmonds family. "But Miss Lilith is especially close to Catherine. Your personality is vastly different from hers. It would be very easy for them to see through you..."
Tan You smiled. "After Lilith went to study at the Divine Hall of Light, the time she spends with the family has decreased significantly. She devotes two-thirds of her energy to socializing and only one-third to her cultivation."
"And she and Catherine are nowhere near as close as they used to be. As for me, if I go to the Divine Hall of Light, I’ll be spending most of my time there anyway. I will do my best to avoid the members of the Edmonds family."
Schubert was surprised. "Miss, you’ve been in the Mist Forest all these years. How do you know the happenings in the Imperial City so well?"
Tan You said, "You have to know your enemy."
"I plan to leave in secret. All of you should stay in Kandapes and carry on as usual. If anyone from the Imperial City comes looking, just tell them I’m ill. My public image has always been that of a sickly person, anyway."
Sanders said, "My worry is that they might try to force you to return to the Imperial City. Choosing a husband for Lilith is a major event, and the Edmonds family would lose face if not everyone is present."
Tan You thought for a moment, then glanced at the young woman standing to the side. "I’d say that’s highly unlikely. But if that does happen, then she can just go to the Imperial City. Hasn’t Moran been doing an excellent job all these years? It’s all thanks to her hard work."
Moran bowed to Tan You. "Miss, I will perform my role well."
Schubert chuckled. "It’s no great matter. It is Moran’s honor that you find her capable, Miss."
Moran was his daughter, of course, around the same age as Adina. After everyone settled down in Kandapes, they had all brought their families to live with them. And because of her age, Schubert had Moran start impersonating Tan You.
It wasn’t particularly difficult. Moran just had to go out for a stroll once in a while, wearing a hat and a veil. Who could possibly see her face clearly? As a result, the people of Kandapes came to know Tan You as a frail and sickly young lady who rarely left her home.
Especially as they got older, Moran impersonated Tan You less and less frequently. Consequently, Tan You gradually faded from public view and was seldom a topic of local gossip anymore.
Sanders looked at the shrunken Holy Beasts. "I’m just worried that they’ll be too conspicuous in the Imperial City. But if you don’t take them with you, we’ll worry about your safety..."
Tan You replied, "I won’t be taking them with me openly. They have their own ways to stay hidden. Don’t worry. The path ahead is perilous, but it’s not as if we’re completely without options."
Sanders sighed. "It’s just so difficult. Can’t this world spare even a little space for those with Dark Element talents to survive?"
Tan You understood what he meant. He was lamenting her plight, but he was also worrying about his own child. If the positions of the Light and Dark factions were to be reversed, all his worries would completely disappear.
Tan You couldn’t offer any words of comfort. "I plan to set out immediately. The sooner, the better."
The moment she received the divine oracle, Tan You had dispatched the Beauty System to the Divine Hall of Light in the Imperial City to gather intelligence. She now had a fairly detailed understanding of the place, but it still wasn’t enough.
She wanted to know about the things the Divine Hall of Light kept hidden; that was what was most important. Moreover, she still had to find the exact location of the altar that sealed the Dark God, which would require a careful search once she arrived.
No matter how reluctant Sanders, Schubert, and the others were, they could only watch as Tan You departed. Schubert patted Moran’s shoulder. "If someone comes from the Imperial City, we’ll be counting on you to handle them."
Moran nodded seriously. "I know. Miss is undertaking a very dangerous task. I have to hold down the fort here so she has nothing to worry about on this end."
Schubert said, "All we can do now is hope that Miss succeeds. If she does, none of us will have to worry anymore."
Sanders tried to smile, but found he couldn’t. "All these years, we’ve been under the Miss’s care, but we’ve held the title of ’follower’ in name only. We haven’t been able to offer much real help. Now, we have to let her charge into the fray all by herself. It makes me feel incredibly ashamed."
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