Senju Yukika broke free from Kaede's embrace and stood up, her eyes cold and resolute as she looked around. To her surprise, the crowd instinctively backed away, their faces full of confusion.
When she fell from the tower just now, she had noticed many strange things. What should have been a lively and joyful ceremony was filled with eerie undertones. The people of Loulan, who appeared to support her with enthusiasm, showed no reaction at all when the princess fell from the tower—completely indifferent and unmoved.
Why was that?
Moreover, she hadn't fallen accidentally; she distinctly felt someone push her from behind. Who wanted her dead?
Yukika glanced at the familiar Loulan City, but today, amid the bustling streets, it all seemed cold and unfamiliar. Loulan had thrived under her mother and An Lushan's governance—was it doomed to decay again in the hands of the incompetent after her mother's death in 1977?
At that moment, two female ninjas who had blocked her way earlier hurriedly jumped down from the tower and knelt before her. "We failed to protect you, Princess. We deserve punishment!"
Yukika's face remained emotionless, as though she hadn't heard them at all. Her eyes stayed fixed on the plaza, staring at Muna and the others, who showed no emotional reaction.
Suddenly, the Loulan people in the square once again raised their wooden cheers, their faces breaking into the same fake smiles.
"Loulan! Loulan!"
"Queen Yukika! Queen Yukika!"
But these enthusiastic chants sounded unbearably harsh to Yukika.
She suddenly let out a sharp cry, tears streaming down her face. She could clearly sense the eerie atmosphere of Loulan, but she couldn't grasp what it was exactly—this powerlessness filled her with hatred for her own weakness and even a sense of despair.
Just then, she felt a pair of warm hands on her shoulders. Before her tears could dry, she looked up in confusion.
Kaede squinted at the hostility in the eyes of the Loulan people and smiled. "Didn't I just tell you? I'm here to save Loulan."
"Yukika, do you want to know what's really happening in your Loulan?"
"Be warned, the truth might be cruel, even more painful than now."
"Even so, as Queen, do you want to know?"
Kaede quietly watched her youthful face. If Yukika chose to maintain the status quo and keep this fake peace, Kaede would leave with the Dragon Vein. But if Yukika chose to break through the lies, he wouldn't mind helping Loulan rise again in the Land of Wind.
Yukika hesitated, recalling her mother's teachings. She wiped away her tears and said firmly, "I want to know!"
Kaede smiled, wrapped his arm around Yukika's waist, and with a tap of his foot, dark wings spread out as he carried her back to the tower.
"Then let's break this illusion."
Back atop the tower, Yukika instinctively stepped back, haunted by the fear of being pushed down earlier.
"Umm… it felt like I was pushed here just now…"
Kaede snorted. "Don't worry, nothing will happen now."
He casually scanned the area and finally fixed his gaze on the ancient bell atop the high tower.
"Such a crude barrier—you really underestimate me."
With a mere flick of his finger, spiritual pressure gathered at his fingertip and shot out like a cannonball, instantly shattering the barrier inside the bell.
Without the concealment of the barrier, a figure dressed in black fell from the bell.
Yukika's eyes widened. "Isn't that Minister Izumi?"
"Minister Quan, weren't you just resting at home? Why are you hiding here?"
However, the man she called Minister Izumi lay there motionless, his eyes vacant.
Kaede raised his hand again and swept through the air. It was as if something shattered, and Minister Quan's body began to decay at a visible speed, turning into lifeless wood—a puppet.
"Is that who you meant by Minister Izumi?"
Yukika stumbled back in shock. "No… this can't be…"
Kaede put his arm around Yukika's shoulder and turned around. The Loulan people in the square stood motionless, all staring silently at the tower. It wasn't like they were looking at their queen—but rather their prey, their eyes full of undisguised greed.
Kaede's right hand formed a grip, gathering light into a moonlit sword. He pointed it toward the plaza and whispered, "This is Loulan's truth…"
The moonlight sword shone brightly, breaking into countless light particles that rained down onto the plaza like a meteor shower.
Yukika shouted, "What are you doing!?"
"They're my people!"
Kaede's voice rang out like a hammer. "Open your eyes and look—are they really the people you know?"
"How long are you going to pretend to be asleep?"
Yukika turned to the plaza and stared in horror, disbelief plastered across her face.
"This… this can't be."
The people pierced by Kaede's sword, like Minister Quan, revealed their true puppet forms. It turned out that the people in the court were all puppets controlled by someone.
Kaede placed his hand on Yukika's shoulder, steadying her as her emotions verged on collapse. He sighed. "I told you, the truth is cruel."
Suddenly, the puppets whose chakra threads had been severed twitched and slowly stood up, their rigid faces now twisted with ferocity. A voice echoed from all of them simultaneously.
"Who are you…"
"Why would you ruin my good work…"
"Do you want to die…?"
Kaede smiled faintly, his fingertip gathering dark energy as he pointed toward the plaza.
"I'm the Black-Winged Demon King, Senju Kaede. I came to ruin your plans."
"And as for your last words—I'll return them to you as they are."
"We'll meet soon."
Zero!
The terrifying dark light burst from his fingertip, and in an instant, all the puppets in the plaza were reduced to dust.
Kaede descended from the tower with Yukika in his arms, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the real Loulan citizens who were only now able to approach after the barriers were broken by his attack.
"They set up barriers to isolate the real Loulan citizens, then used puppets to impersonate them and stage the celebration, making you feel completely alone. And when you became queen, they planned to kill you and seize Loulan entirely."
"This is Loulan's deception."
"And it was your own minister, An Lushan, who orchestrated this whole scheme against you."