C288 The Three Shadows Behind the Empress!

If Bai Shenshen hadn't exposed Wei Feng's affiliation with the Blackfang Legion, Lee Yuangui would have remained oblivious.

Unaware, Lee Yuangui likely wouldn't have taken Wei Feng and the others aboard the ship.

Since Bai Shenshen betrayed herself in this matter, Yu Yuan would not permit her to accompany him any longer.

As Bai Shenshen was about to disembark, she stiffened and exclaimed indignantly, "Wei Feng nearly killed me!"

Yu Yuan maintained his silence, regarding her with a detached gaze.

"The Sacred Hands are welcome in the Silvermoon Empire," Lee Yuangui interjected, attempting to defuse the tension. "Miss Bai, come with us back to Silvermoon. The Su family will surely give you a grand reception. The North is fraught with peril; it's best you steer clear."

Feeling helpless and realizing she had lost Yu Yuan's trust by disclosing Wei Feng's identity, Bai Shenshen knew that insisting on staying would only strain their relationship further. So she proposed, "Upon our return, you can leave me at Asvetaesi. I share a bit of history with the Yu family, and I'd like to pay a visit to Old Mr. Yu first."

Lee Yuangui nodded in agreement, "Consider it done."

Bai Shenshen no longer pressed the issue and stayed behind with the Nimbuswing.

At that moment, Yan Yu of the Yan family abruptly left the ship, declaring, "Old General, I'm joining Yu Yuan!"

"You?" Lee Yuangui was taken aback.

The other cultivators from the Silvermoon Empire aboard the ship were equally astonished, unable to fathom why Yan Yu would take such a risk and join Yu Yuan on his venture.

Bringing Wei Feng along was like harboring a disaster waiting to happen, potentially provoking the Sunblessed Empire to strike again.

And the next time, it might not be as straightforward as before.

"I'm adamant about this!" Yan Yu stated resolutely, fixing Lee Yuangui with a steadfast look.

After a moment's contemplation, Lee Yuangui finally said, "Then take care of yourself."

No sooner had he spoken than another figure, who had been almost unnoticed in the corner, slowly stood up and also opted to disembark.

This person, clad in yellow sackcloth and straw sandals, had only spoken up to curse at Van Yan when Yu Yuan and the others arrived. Since then, he had been silently cultivating in solitude.

When Yan Qiling abruptly materialized, he merely opened his eyes briefly before resuming his cultivation, seemingly detached from the world around him.

Wei Wujiang arrived on the Golden Ship, his eyes closed as though he were asleep.

The confrontation between Yu Yuan and Wei Wujiang, the manifestation of three spiritual energy pythons, the shifting void behind them, and Wei Wujiang's sudden vanishing act left him utterly indifferent.

Strangely, from start to finish, he went unnoticed by everyone.

It was as if his corner was shrouded in something, easily overlooked by all.

Had he not slowly disembarked, Yu Yuan might have nearly forgotten his presence.

"You?"

Old General Lee Yuangui suddenly slapped his forehead, as if he had only just remembered him in that moment.

"What are you up to?" Lee Yuangui asked with a wry smile.

"Just tired of sitting, I'm going to rest below," the man with the icy demeanor replied nonchalantly as he stepped off the Nimbuswing. "Don't mind me. This is where we part ways. When I find the time, I'll come looking for you."

Yu Yuan, Wei Feng, Ning Ji, and Yan Yu were all taken aback, staring at this stranger who had seemingly popped up out of nowhere to stand among them.

What was his intention?

"You..." Lee Yuangui hesitated, then nodded with an odd expression before suddenly gesturing with his hand, "Let's move on."

The Nimbuswing ascended once more.

As they reached a certain altitude, Van Yan, with a dark expression, spoke up, "Old General, are you really going to let them get away with this? And who is that fellow who was with you on the ship? He doesn't seem to be from our Silvermoon Empire; he looks completely unfamiliar. He knows us, yet we don't know him."

Everyone on the ship was acquainted with one another, except for the man in the corner who had been with Lee Yuangui from the beginning.

Aside from Lee Yuangui, no one recognized him.

Yet, when interrupted, he could effortlessly name others and recite their identities and origins as if they were common knowledge.

"I don't know much about him, and there's nothing I can tell you," Lee Yuangui huffed before adding, "Alright, let's return to the empire and promptly inform Her Majesty the Empress about the events that transpired here."

"How may I address you, sir?"

As the Nimbuswing sailed further into the distance, Yu Yuan massaged his temples, his gaze settling on the man with an icy demeanor who seemed to almost fade into the background. The man, dressed in plain yellow sackcloth without a single adornment, appeared exceedingly shabby. Whether from simplicity or sheer coldness, he responded indifferently, "Bai Shang."

"Where do you hail from?" Yu Yuan probed further.

The man, Bai Shang, remained silent.

Yu Yuan nodded, gestured respectfully, and said, "Then, this is where we part ways."

With those words, he chose a direction at random and strode off.

Ning Ji, Wei Feng, and Yan Yu quietly followed suit.

Bai Shang did not join them. Instead, he lingered in place, settled against a tree, and took out a Soul Crystal with barely any spiritual energy left, focusing on his breathing.

"Who is he?"

Once they were some distance away, Yu Yuan turned to Yan Yu and shared his unease, "This man strikes me as quite peculiar. I can't discern the flow of spiritual energy or the robustness of vitality within him."

"I'm at a loss as well," Yan Yu admitted. "He was already on board when we embarked. Of all of us, only General Lee Yuangui is likely privy to his origins and identity. Oddly enough, he seems to know each of us, capable of naming anyone. I suspect the general briefed him on our details before we set sail."

"Let's leave it be. If he's not journeying with us, it's not our concern," Yu Yuan decided, not dwelling on the matter.

"What are you and Yan Qiling conspiring?" Yan Yu suddenly inquired.

"We'll discuss it later," Yu Yuan deflected.

Half an hour later, a figure abruptly blocked their path and bowed to Yu Yuan, "Mr. Yu."

It was Qin Yun from the Midnightshields.

Qin Yun had managed to sense Yu Yuan's approximate location through the Dawn Arrow, thanks to a soul consciousness he had previously imprinted on it and his practice of a mystique.

Yu Yuan was well aware of this and had discreetly made contact with Qin Yun shortly after disembarking from the Nimbuswing.

Qin Yun had come at his summons.

"Come with me," Yu Yuan said, foregoing further pleasantries. With Qin Yun's arrival, he decided to tentatively bring him into the fold, hoping to ascertain through their northern expedition whether Qin Yun could be fully trusted as one of his own.

"Those who descended with you maintained a proper distance at all times," Qin Yun stated. "That individual is likely one of the three shadows who serve only the Silvermoon Queen."

Upon hearing this, Yan Yu's form shook slightly.

Ning Ji was taken aback, "If it's one of those three, then it's entirely possible!"

"What's going on?" Yu Yuan asked, astonished.

"The Silvermoon Queen's rise to power is attributed to the aid of three sages. They're rumored to have no ties with the Lee family and appeared out of nowhere, but they've always been by the Queen's side," Yan Yu clarified. "Since her childhood, they have been her constant companions."

"They are, arguably, the most trusted individuals by Her Majesty, even more so than her own kin from the Lee family."

"During her ascension to the throne, amidst the power struggles with the major families, and when generals attempted treachery, these three made their presence known."

"In times when Her Majesty wasn't as formidable as she is today, they were the unseen force resolving crises on her behalf."

"They are the three enigmatic shadows behind Her Majesty, seldom seen by anyone."

Behind the Silvermoon Queen stood three figures, a tale that captivated many across the Aetherius Continent.

Some claimed that the Silvermoon Empire fabricated the story, that it was nothing but a myth.

Within the Lee family, no one could attest to having seen these three figures.

Yet, a strong belief persisted among many that these shadows were real, as the young Queen had repeatedly emerged unscathed from the fierce rivalries among the empire's five great families.

None of the cultivators sent by the Crimson Sun Empire to assassinate the Queen ever succeeded.

They all met their ends silently.

Reportedly, even the Crimson Sun Empire's state preceptor advised the Sunfire Emperor that overcoming the Silvermoon Empire required a direct confrontation, not underhanded schemes.

The state preceptor himself seemed to endorse the legend, convinced of the three shadows' existence behind Her Majesty.

Could Bai Shang be one of them?

"The legend holds truth."

Qin Yun, formerly the head of the Midnightshields, asserted with conviction, "A protector indeed stands behind the empress, with at least one never straying from her side. The secret archives of the Crimson Sun Empire contain multiple accounts of them. I am certain that the state preceptor has encountered them."

"Regardless of the truth or the person's authenticity, our priority is to look after ourselves." Yu Yuan nodded in agreement. He remembered the muscular arms of the man he had seen earlier and remarked, "If he's an agent of the Silvermoon Queen, then he should be safeguarding her interests. Naturally, he's acting in the best interest of the empire."

"Perhaps, when the time comes, he could prove to be a significant asset to us!"

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