After a bitter struggle, the followers of the Eternal Sky Cult broke through the blockade and have now retreated north. All the cult's priests were seriously injured, with the Third Silver Priest especially grievous—supposedly due to a previous encounter with a Peerless Grandmaster. It’s unclear if they’ll find some secret remedy after returning north.
Kublai Khan's forces are massing, apparently with intentions to move west. The Chagatai Khanate has already responded by strengthening their border defenses.
It’s now confirmed: Mingli Temur was targeted for assassination by the Eternal Sky Cult. He didn’t die on the spot, but his wounds are critical and he remains unconscious.
The Three Wise Men have just regained consciousness and are out of immediate danger. However, all have suffered severe internal injuries: one’s meridians are completely severed, another’s martial power is lost, and the last will need long-term recovery just to heal—his future prospects are basically capped.
There’s some strange activity among the Western countries—several remote kingdoms are acting oddly, but the reasons still need to be investigated.
It’s confirmed that the Celestial Arts Ensemble is actually backed by the Anti-Evil Alliance. George Kwok’s younger daughter, Grace Kwok, is in charge, but all she does is perform every day—no funny business, no involvement in martial arts chaos.
Three days ago, George Kwok officially became the Martial Alliance Leader and raised the bounty on Jade Hawk Johnson again. Escaping from the island was nearly impossible that day, and so far the Alliance hasn’t responded to the Jade Hawk Johnson Head Incident—probably because they don’t know the real story. But this is suspicious and needs further confirmation.
Jade Hawk Johnson is missing—still no sign of him anywhere.
Frank Fang stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, quietly listening as his subordinates reported urgent intelligence one after another. Unlike Minister Simon Jia, he didn’t like being cooped up indoors. Even for secret discussions, he preferred standing under the sky and above the earth, letting his gaze travel as far as possible—as if he wanted to take in all the rivers and mountains at once.
"Hmm." He nodded slightly, then asked offhandedly, "Why did Minister Simon Jia call a court meeting the other day?"
"Reporting to you, sir: According to our informant, Eunuch Chief Lewis in the palace seems to be up to something. Three days ago, he suddenly took the imperial decree and barged into the Qilin Vault, even threatening the guards to force his way in. Eunuch Chief Lewis has always been on good terms with Minister Simon Jia and acts under his orders to supervise the inner palace and control palace affairs—he's one of Minister Simon Jia's biggest allies. But this move from Eunuch Chief Lewis is truly suspicious. I think this court assembly Minister Simon Jia called is just a pretext to test the waters."
"Eunuch Chief Lewis?" Frank Fang's eyes flickered with surprise. "So what was the outcome of the court meeting?"
"Our two officials were impeached and demoted, stripped of their posts, and sent to the southwestern border. The Qilin Vault's garrison commander tried to resist the decree and was abandoned by Minister Simon Jia—executed on the spot, his entire family confiscated. Other than that, nothing major happened. His Majesty is still the same, and everything Minister Simon Jia suggested was approved without question. But Eunuch Chief Lewis seemed different—his presence was deeper, unreadable, totally unlike before. It's like he's had some kind of breakthrough."
"Eunuch Chief Lewis..." Frank Fang mused, "That old eunuch has served in the inner palace for over sixty years—even back when Emperor Ningzong was on the throne, he was already serving in the palace. All these years, he's just been a greedy, position-clinging, vain, shortsighted, high-aiming, low-achieving type. Minister Simon Jia shows him respect on the surface, but really just uses him—it's the perfect way to deal with someone like that. They've always coexisted peacefully, so why the sudden change now? Are you sure that the current 'Eunuch Lewis' is really Eunuch Chief Lewis?"
"Reporting, sir, I can confirm that during the court meeting, Eunuch Chief Lewis was not disguised or impersonated—someone skilled in this art checked repeatedly."
Frank Fang gazed into the distant sky, frowning slightly. "That shouldn't be happening..."
"Sir, in my opinion, Eunuch Chief Lewis is a master of palace intrigue and power games—he definitely knows how to keep a low profile and wait for the right moment. The Eunuch Chief Lewis we think we know might not be the real Eunuch Chief Lewis at all. You know what they say: he doesn't make a move for years, but when he does, he soars straight to the heavens. Thirty years ago, when the late emperor died and the crown prince succession was at its most critical, he suddenly broke through at just the right time. That way, whether it was Shi Miyuan or Minister Simon Jia, they all had to rely on him. Now, with His Majesty growing old and no heir in sight, isn't it just like thirty years ago? I figure Eunuch Chief Lewis has been lying low for three decades, just waiting for another chance to shock everyone."
"Makes sense..." Frank Fang stroked his beard thoughtfully, then asked offhandedly, "So, about Heaven's Calamity Overpowers the Purple Star—has the Wenchang Institute figured out the result yet?"
"Dean Winston of the Wenchang Institute was seriously injured, which made our calculations much harder. Plus, with fate itself in turmoil these days, it's tough to tell what's what. Heaven's Calamity may be pressing down on the Purple Star, but whether that's good or bad for the Purple Star, whether it's a rise or a fall—no one can say for sure yet."
"Is Heaven's Calamity yin or yang?"