Joanna Zuo's Suicide Attempt

Generally speaking, if any irregularities are discovered—such as deceiving superiors or cheating during assessments—severe punishment will follow.

Wood seemed pretty calm just now, so what he said must be true.

So the real problem happened at the Vermilion Spirit Alliance...

She had to go to the Vermilion Spirit Alliance herself and talk to Elder Conrad to get the facts.

"Grace!" Just as she was thinking, Sam Yuan chased after her.

"Sam, what's up?" Grace asked.

"Did you really mean it when you said you were going to the Vermilion Alliance to check things out?"

Grace nodded. "I have to go! I can't just let this slide without knowing the truth."

"When are you leaving?"

"I'm heading to the Spirit Division now to find Uncle Shane. Maybe he can get me a special Dual-Nation Pass. I want to leave right away!"

"Perfect! I need to go to Yanjing too," Sam Yuan said. "Let's go together!"

"Why are you going to Yanjing?" Grace asked, puzzled.

"Some Spirit Alliance stuff... and, well, my cousin got into trouble. I need to check on her."

"Your cousin? Do you mean Joanna Zuo?" Grace asked in surprise. "What happened to her?"

"Sigh... She tried to jump off a cliff," Sam said, frowning. "Luckily, some trees broke her fall, so she survived, but she's pretty badly hurt."

"What! Why would she do something so drastic?" Grace exclaimed.

For a man, leaving behind two kids to jump off a cliff—is it really worth it?

"Exactly," Sam Yuan said, shaking his head sadly. "My grandmother heard about it and was so upset she fell ill."

"You've always been close to Joanna. Go comfort her! Right now, family support matters most," Grace said.

"Yeah," Sam said. "My parents are going too, but getting a Dual-Nation Pass takes time. I already have one, so I'll go first."

Sam Yuan started out as a menial worker in the Spirit Alliance, and thanks to his cousin Joanna Zuo, he was often sent back and forth between the Vermilion and Blue Moon Alliances.

That's why he has a special Dual-Nation Pass.

Grace thought for a moment and said, "General Evan Xiao has Silver Dragon Stallions. I'll borrow two from him. If we ride them, we'll get there in three or four days."

"That would be amazing!" Sam's eyes lit up. "But do you think General Xiao will lend them to you?"

"Uh... I'm good friends with his fiancée, Bianca Whitefan," Grace said. "I think he'll lend them to me..."

...

After leaving the Spirit Alliance, she headed straight to the Spirit Division.

Spirit practitioners must have a pass issued by the Spirit Division to cross borders.

Normally, it takes three to five days to process.

But sometimes, urgent cases get expedited. Grace planned to ask Elder Shane if her situation qualified for immediate approval.

To her surprise, when she arrived, Emperor Colin Gu was already there.

Grace explained her purpose to Elder Shane, but before he could reply, Emperor Colin Gu said he wanted to talk to her.

So the two of them sat down for a chat.

Just as she expected, Emperor Colin Gu asked where she was going and what she was up to.

Grace replied, "...I'm heading to the Vermilion Spirit Alliance."

"Yanjing?" Emperor Colin Gu frowned.

"Yeah. I clearly placed first, but I didn't get the entry token. I want to find out what's going on."

"You actually placed first in the Spirit Alliance assessment? That really surprised me," Emperor Colin Gu said. "You've only been apprenticed for such a short time, and you’ve already reached this level?"