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墨書 Inktalez
The crystal chandelier in the Judgment Hall's dome shattered into twelve pieces as the Codex illusion fell, now hovering above everyone's heads and spinning, refracting the Blood Pearl glimmering at the corners of Aelia's eyes into delicate shards of red light.
Luna curled up in a blood-stained swaddle, her infant coos masking the brilliance in her gaze—the sweet tea infused with Mihun Grass was currently rippling on Aelia's Silver Spoon.
"Mother, please drink some more Calming Tea," Luna extended her tiny hand, resembling an Oujie, pushing the Liujin teacup forward by half an inch.
She had deliberately made the Tea Soup take on the unique amber hue of the Western Realm; this drink, crafted from powdered Moonlight Shell, perfectly masked the bitter almond flavor left by the Burning Mihun Grass.
Aelia, with her fingertips stained by Dan Kou, tapped three times on the cup rim. The Starlight Stone adorning her temples suddenly glowed red.
The Lady of the Fortress, renowned for her Frost Magic, lowered her gaze and smiled gently, her pearl-embellished headpiece brushing past Luna's Luna. "It seems we trouble you, Xiao Luna." She genuinely tilted her head back to drink half a cup but, at the moment of swallowing, used her Tail Ring to glide across her throat. The icy crystal formed a transparent amber block from the Tea Soup.
Luna watched Aelia's Neck as the fleeting Ice Blue Pattern vanished; her left hand hidden in the swaddle nearly crushed the freshly formed Transmission Talisman.
She clearly saw three Mind-Controlling Grass Seeds lodged between Aelia's teeth, yet when Aelia stood up, her skirt embroidered with Curse remained steady as a cold pond, only a slight gesture of fatigue showing in her brow.
"Madam looks unwell; shall I escort you back to your room?" Luna peered up from the edge of the Cradle, the Bronze Key Totem floating within Luna radiating more heat than candlelight.
She had intentionally loosened Aelia's Soul Fixing Hairpin behind her Hair Bun with magic—the Mithril pin carved with Phoenix Tail Feather was now precariously dangling in Aelia's azure hair.
However, Aelia covered her lips with a handkerchief embroidered with Forbidden Rune. "Luna, please check if Second Brother's Binding Spell can be completely undone." As she turned, her Pi Bo adorned with Star Sand swept across the tea table. The frozen Tea Soup suddenly cracked with fine lines; three Mind-Controlling Grass Seeds transformed into Ice Butterflies that landed on Luna's Mei Xin.
Luna gazed at Aelia's retreating figure and suddenly felt the Bronze Key at the back of her neck growing hot.
The Phosphor Dust falling from the Ice Butterflies was burning into a true Phoenix Tail Feather shape over the Thundercloud Birthmark she had previously imprinted on her Pregnancy Image.
The crystal chandelier in the Judgment Hall emitted a sharp sound; a shard reflecting the Western Manor captured a droplet of Blood Pearl seeping from the Earlobe of a Blonde Woman, which fell onto a Codex Remnant Page at Luna's feet.
"Third Young Master Lucius, Madam has gone to Jingyue Pavilion." Qin Si's hushed voice came from behind a Pillar as Lucius toyed with the bloodied Moonlight Shell Fragment.
The Lord San Zi, who often lurked in shadows, squinted his eyes as the Shadow Serpent coiled around his Wrist suddenly raised its head and flicked its tongue.
Lucius brushed his fingers over the Night Pearl embedded in the Serpent Head; a unique perception belonging to Shadow Mages rippled outward like water.
The thirty-six Soul Lanterns hanging in the Eaves Corner of Jingyue Pavilion flickered like a pulsating Azure Blue Flame in his Mind Sea.
As Aelia stepped onto the third level of the Jade Steps, the flames in the Southeast Corner suddenly twisted into three strange tendrils.
"Mother, wait!" Lucius teleported to the front of Chuihua Gate, startling a Raven perched under the eaves.
The scales of the Shadow Serpent in his palm bristled, slicing through the Diamond Light Spot cast by the Window Lattice of Jingyue Pavilion, sending out a dangerous signal—three overlapping Dark Magic arrays were emerging on the loft floor, accompanied by a Magic Fluctuation that carried a Swamp Stench, causing his Family Ring on his pinky to heat up suddenly.
Aelia paused her hand resting on the door ring; the Ice Crystal Lily of the Valley that adorned her foot seemed to sway on its own without any wind.
She remembered this crystal loft used for meditation, which had been embedded with Radiant Stones to ward off Dark Magic just last winter.
At this moment, the last rays of the setting sun filtered through the intricately carved window, but instead of a clear beam of light, it was filled with indistinguishable gray wisps.
"When did Lucius become interested in light-based formations?" she asked casually, twisting her wrist adorned with a Starry Bracelet. The twelve Star Gems embedded in it suddenly veered off their designated track.
This inheritance from the seventh generation Heir of the Court of Judgment was now transforming the chaotic Magic Fluctuation within the loft into a sharp buzzing that pierced her temples.
Luna's loud cry pierced through the courtyard at that moment.
Qin Si stumbled and fell to her knees while cradling a swaddled infant; the First Birthday Invitation clutched in the baby's hand was seeping an eerie Hong Wu.
Lucius watched helplessly as that streak of Hong Wu drifted toward the Eaves Corner of Jingyue Pavilion. Upon touching the Soul Lantern, it turned the Jiao Ren Zhi within Liuli Lantern Shade blood-red.
"Mother, be careful!"
The Shadow Serpent suddenly grew three inches longer but was frozen by frost just as it was about to coil around Aelia's ankle.
The Lady of the Fortress stomped heavily on the Jade Steps with shoes embroidered with a Star Map, causing the Frost Flower that had crystallized on the door ring for a century to explode.
In the shower of ice crystals, Lucius caught sight of the six-sided Bing Hua spinning in his mother's pupil—that was Aelia Family's ancestral "True Sight Eye," now reflecting three melting shadows within the loft.
A cold wind swept up Aelia's cloak adorned with curses. Her Ailya's White Nails, stained with Balsam Juice, dug deeply into the Dark Night Rose Pattern relief on the door ring.
A faint clicking sound came from below, like some ancient mechanism awakening, or footsteps carrying the dampness of a swamp, slowly approaching from the depths of the underground passage.
The ice crystal refracted Aelia's suddenly constricted pupil.
The shadows, melted to half their former selves, were clearly wrapped in the silver scale armor of the Magic Fortress Guardian, yet the dark purple pus surging within their chests resembled the corrupted miasma of the Western Marsh.
She gripped the door ring with Ailya's White Nails, which turned a pale blue as frost rapidly crept along the veins of the Rose Engraving, covering the entire crystal door.
"Mother, beware of the poison fog!" Lucius's Shadow Serpent suddenly stiffened like a sword, and the Night Pearl on its serpent head shot forth a glimmer of light.
He distinctly saw three clusters of corrupted miasma winding along the floor tile gaps, yet just as they were about to touch Aelia's skirt, they were frozen into ice spikes—within those shards of ice were fine golden chains resembling hair, a tangible manifestation of the Binding Spell unique to the Magic Fortress Guardian team.
Aelia's starlight stone at her temples suddenly brightened. As she pretended to adjust her cloak, she silently crushed three ice spikes in her palm.
The ice pierced her skin, and blood pearls formed three micro magic circles on her Starry Bracelet.
This was an emergency signal agreed upon with the Royal Guard, meaning "clear the entrance."
"Lucius." As Aelia turned, her Soul Fixing Hairpin unexpectedly fell from her hair but was caught by frost before it hit the ground. "Go check if the Xuan Bing Coffin sent from the Northern Territory is leaking." She tossed the pin to her son; its Ice Crystal Lily of the Valley decoration made a crisp sound as it struck. "If the coffin's seal is intact, take some Snow Spirit Pearls for Luna's soul."
Lucius's hand trembled slightly as he caught the pin.
Mother had never allowed him to handle treasures from the Northern Territory. At that moment, his palm felt the chilling cold of the Soul Fixing Hairpin, which sparked strangely against his Shadow Serpent scales.
Just as he was about to ask a question, he noticed Luna in Qin Si's arms suddenly breaking free from her swaddling. The baby’s pink ankle bore dark purple bruises.
"Third Young Master Lucius, hurry." Qin Si wiped her tears and pointed at Luna's calf. "Young Miss has been crying non-stop since this morning; she must have come into contact with something unclean." As she spoke, half of a bandage slipped from her sleeve, revealing a calming talisman drawn with healing potion that was seeping black slime matching the color of corrupted miasma.
Aelia's hexagonal Bing Hua in her eyes suddenly halted its rotation.
She watched as Lucius vanished in an instant, stirring up a gust of air. She raised her hand and pressed her Starry Bracelet against the door ring of Jingyue Pavilion.
Twelve Star Gems burst forth with a strong light, and three dark figures emitted a sound reminiscent of shattering pottery, as fragments of corrupted silver Scale Armor rained down upon the crystal ground.
"Madam, the Black Rose in the Southwest Corner has withered completely." Qin Si's voice echoed from the courtyard as Aelia was using the Frost Reforged Soulpin.
She carved the Phoenix Tail Feather at the end of the pin into a rose entwined with thorns, dipping it into the still-drying blood on her palm to draw the Seven-pointed Star totem of the Court of Judgment on the door ring.
A dull explosive sound resonated from underground, and all thirty-six Soul Lanterns in Jingyue Pavilion extinguished simultaneously.
Aelia caught a whiff of the pungent Moonlight Shell scent lingering in the air, a fragrance often used by Western Nobility during their baths.
Suddenly, she recalled Leonard's words from three days ago about inspecting the border defenses, yet that cloak speckled with swamp mud was now hanging on a rack in Jingyue Pavilion.
Luna's cries abruptly turned into sharp Yiya sounds.
The First Birthday Invitation clutched by the infant spontaneously ignited without fire, and ashes formed the slanted word "Cellar" on Qin Si's sleeve.
Aelia waved her sleeve, shattering all window lattices in Jingyue Pavilion. A whirlwind of icy crystals swirled around, twisting corrupted miasma into a vortex, where three blonde women’s Xu Ying wailed in agony at its center—each adorned with Moonlight Bell Pendants unique to Western Manor.
"Clean it up." Aelia whispered to the void, and a Royal Guard hidden behind Liang Zhu immediately shot arrows entwined with holy light.
As the third Xu Ying dissipated, black-red liquid suddenly seeped from the floor tile gap, gradually coalescing into a map of the Magic Castle Cellar.
Her soft satin shoes embroidered with a Star Map heavily trampled over that pool of liquid, instantly freezing the entire Jingyue Pavilion into translucent blue crystal.
As twilight enveloped the surroundings, Luna counted Aelia's newly added Ice Crystal Hairpin in Qin Si's arms.
The infant's moist eyes reflected the Magic Castle Tower, where a shadow wrapped in dark purple mist floated out from the cellar vent. As it passed by Lord's Study, a hand adorned with a Moonlight Shell Ring suddenly reached out from within and pulled it inside.
Luna's loud cry abruptly transformed into a screech.
The half-torn swaddling held by the infant fluttered without wind, casting an eerie light and shadow from the Bronze Key Totem onto the Magic Castle Dome.
In that moment when she leaned down to assist Qin Si, Aelia forcefully struck her ankle stained with corrupted miasma against the gilded candelabra.
"Wow—!"
The wailing infused with magic shattered twelve crystal wall lamps, sending splintered shards slicing through the guests' elegant garments, leaving trails of blood.
Luna seized the opportunity to break free from her swaddling, her arms drawing a fragmented teleportation circle in the air.
The codex and remnant pages embedded in the Judgment Hall dome suddenly ignited, casting the panicked crowd into a flickering crimson hue like puppets.
"Cellar! The Evil Sorcerer is in the Cellar!" The baby's incoherent babble was amplified tenfold by a spell, and the wind carrying the stench of swamp overturned the silverware on the Eight Immortals table.
Luna manipulated the phantom of a bronze key to crash through the carved door, vines conjured by magic ensnaring the ankles of three elderly nobles. As they stumbled and fell, they shattered a moonstone screen that revealed a hidden passage leading to Jingyue Pavilion.
Aelia's ice crystal hairpin trembled at her temple as she gazed down at the chaos below, her fingertip tapping out a rhythm of three short and two long beats on her starry bracelet.
Just as a Magic Castle Guard was about to rush forward to intervene, he suddenly froze in place, frost crystallizing in the gaps of his armor and choking his cries in his throat.
"Get out of the way!" The puppet noble controlled by Luna knocked over an emerald incense burner as she leaped onto the crystal chandelier amidst the smoke.
The baby's pink palm oozed dark purple veins, and those guests infected by corruption suddenly glowed red-eyed, crashing toward Jingyue Pavilion's carved wooden door like puppets.
Lucius's figure emerged from the shadows of the emerald corridor.
The shadow serpent coiled around his wrist devoured the corrupted miasma, its snake eye reflecting Luna's flushed key totem at the nape of her neck—the bronze was gradually being tainted by the swamp's murky green.
When he caught sight of the ice crystal hairpin newly added to his mother's hair, glowing with a halo of northern territory snow spirit pearl, he suddenly injected all the accumulated corruption from the shadow serpent's scales into the shadow beneath him.
"Young Miss, be careful!" As Qin Si lunged forward, Luna's puppet was banging against the door ring of Jingyue Pavilion with loud thuds.
The Anshen incense pouch that slipped from the maid's sleeve suddenly exploded, golden silk grass powder colliding with corrupted miasma to create azure purple sparks that turned three puppet nobles into curled-up charred remains.
Aelia's starry bracelet suddenly emitted a sound reminiscent of Qingyue Mingxiang.
She brushed her fingers over the cracked door knocker, the frost formed by her fingertip restoring the Rose Engraving to its original state. "Since Luna suspects that the Jingyue Pavilion is hiding the Evil Sorcerer, let all of you bear witness."
The axis of the Liujin Gate turned, and eighty-one purifying light spells shot forth from the corners of the loft.
Luna's pupils constricted—those toxic crystals that should have been hidden within the Carved Window Lattice were now replaced by the Holy Light Rune Stones from the Court of Judgment; the lingering miasma in the Floor Tile Gap was being frozen into translucent Frost Flowers by the Han Qi of the Northern Territory's Xuan Bing Coffin.
"It’s impossible..." Luna's spell got caught in her throat.
She distinctly remembered using Puppet Worms this morning to stuff a Secret Letter from the Western Realm into the Peacock Stone Tiles' Hidden Layer, yet now she saw three Moonlight Bell Pendants sealed beneath an Ice Layer—precisely Leonard and Leonard's Concubine's favorite Magic Accessories.
Qin Si suddenly pointed at an Ice Sculpture in the Southeast Corner and exclaimed, "Isn't that...?" Before she could finish, Aelia's silence spell sealed her lips.
Everyone followed her gaze and saw, faintly reflected in the Light and Shadow of the Xuan Bing Coffin, a corner of a cloak embroidered with the Magic Castle Emblem.
A sharp pain suddenly pierced the back of Luna's neck from her Bronze Key.
She realized that her Mind Control Technique was completely ineffective here; the guests she had bewitched were gradually being purified by the Holy Light Rune Stone.
In a moment of desperation, she bit her tongue and smeared her blood on the swaddling cloth, attempting to summon the Corrupted Miasma lingering in the Cellar.
"Cough—"
Aelia's Soft Satin Shoes, embroidered with a Star Map, suddenly stepped on a corner of the swaddling cloth.
Frost climbed along the veins of the Cursed Fabric, freezing Luna's not-yet-formed Blood Curse into crystal. "Since there’s nothing unusual found at Jingyue Pavilion, why not continue searching in the East Wing?" As she turned, Pi Bo brushed over Luna's head, and the Snow Spirit Pearl hidden within her hairpin silently dissolved the Control Heart Spell on the baby's forehead.
Lucius among the crowd suddenly let out a muffled groan.
The Hei Xue seeping between his Shadow Serpent scales drew a fragmented map on the Ground, only to be covered by frost in an instant.
He gazed at the faint traces of swamp mud patterns on his Mother’s Skirt and suddenly became aware that what was frozen inside the Xuan Bing Coffin was not just a cloak—but also half a finger wearing a Moonlight Shell Ring.
"To the Cellar!"
"Evil Sorcerer has definitely transferred!" Luna suddenly tore apart the Longevity Lock.
The shattered Emerald Fragment cast a distorted image on the wall, revealing a blonde woman with a Moonlight Shell Pendant, droplets of Hei Xue falling from it, while the background was a moss-covered stone wall, clearly the secret passage of the Magic Castle's study.
Aelia's Ice Crystal Hairpin suddenly burst forth with a Strong Light, shattering the illusion into Stardust. "Then please move to the Cellar," she said, her skirt hem embroidered with Forbidden Spell brushing against Luna's cheek. The Bronze Key Totem on the infant's nape suddenly oozed Blood Pearl—those Blood Pearls hit the ground and instantly crystallized into ice, forming Leonard's Family Crest.
The cold wind from the Cellar swept past Aelia, whose Pi Bo was adorned with Star Sand, as she glided over the Stone Steps. The Ice Crystal Hairpin refracted twelve layers of illusion under the flickering torchlight on the wall.
Luna curled up in Qin Si's trembling embrace, quietly calculating their position with Ailya's White Nails stained by Corrupted Miasma. Just as Aelia's Soft Satin Shoes embroidered with Forbidden Spell stepped onto the seventh step, the infant suddenly erupted into a heart-wrenching Loud Cry.
"It hurts! Daddy is bleeding!"
The Mind Control Magic from Qian Jiao shattered three Wall Lamps, and oil flowed down the Stone Steps, resembling a winding Blood River.
Seizing the opportunity, Luna projected the Bronze Key Totem onto the seeping Azure Brick wall, and the twisted Light and Shadow coincidentally formed the Rose Emblem of the study's secret passage.
Several nobles infected by corruption suddenly glowed red in their eyes, screaming as they crashed through the Cellar's iron door and rushed toward the East Wing.
Aelia's Starry Bracelet emitted a Bing Ling sound as she paused to gaze at the totemic illusion on the wall. The Snow Spirit Pearl frozen within her Ice Crystal Hairpin suddenly released Frost Mist.
When a Fat Marquis collided with a Moonlight Shell Wine Vessel on display, the swamp's unique rancid odor mixed with Western Realm's West Wine Aroma, eerily reminiscent of Leonard's collar stained three days ago.
"Madam, this wine vessel was brought back by Lord from the Western Realm last month." Qin Si choked back tears as he picked up shards; his fingertip was cut by a Dark Pattern, and a drop of Blood Pearl fell into the Wine Liquid, forming half an image of a Moonlight Bell Pendant.
Luna's Luna flickered with an eerie light. Taking advantage of Qin Si’s action of wiping away bloodstains, she flicked a Puppet Larva into the bloodied cloth.
The Soul Insect Egg transformed into transparent Silk upon contact with blood, quietly climbing up Aelia’s fluttering Pi Bo along the spiraling stone staircase and forming a Symbol Array on the Gilded Door Ring leading to the study.
"Let's check out the East Wing." Aelia suddenly tightened her grip on her Starry Bracelet; two out of twelve Star Gems had deviated from their orbit.
As she turned around, her Ice Crystal Hairpin brushed against Luna’s cheek; suddenly, a burnt smell emanated from the Bronze Key on the infant’s nape—those Control Heart Spells purified by Snow Spirit Pearl were now struggling to reorganize beneath the skin.
As the crowd surged into the East Wing Corridor, Twilight was dyeing the Colored Glazed Window crimson.
Luna manipulated the last three Puppet Worms to crash against the Carved Door of the study, the corpses bursting open to release Black Slime that corroded the Bronze Gate Ring, forming a totem of the Western Manor.
Aelia's embroidered Ice Crystal Lily of the Valley suddenly snapped, the sound of pearls rolling mingling with the warm fragrance spilling from within the door.
"Leonard..." Aelia's Soul Fixing Hairpin emitted a light cracking sound as she traced her fingertip along the Door Frame, conjuring a Frost Flower, yet she hesitated to push the door open.
The Moonstone Lamp Post cast shadows on her trembling eyelashes, and the Frost Magic that had long surrounded her now crystallized into tiny teardrop-shaped ice on her Skirt.
Inside, a crisp sound of Cursed Fabric tearing mixed with a woman's playful, tearful voice: "My Lord, be gentle..." The voice startled Han Ya outside the corridor, and a South Lady suddenly gasped in shock—clearly, it was the voice of the Dancer presented by the Western Lord last year.
Seizing the moment, Luna infused the Control Heart Spell into Qin Si's throat. "Protect the lady!" The Maid's eyes instantly turned Crimson as she charged to break through the Liujin Gate.
Amidst the fluttering Peach Pink Veil, Leonard's cloak embroidered with the Magic Castle Emblem lay over a snow-white body. The Blonde Woman's Moonlight Shell Pendant tinkled softly, reflecting the same Leng Guang as the scattered fragments of Xuan Bing Coffin on the ground.
Aelia's Starry Bracelet exploded with a thunderous crack, twelve Star Gems hanging like blades from the beams above.
Her Soft Satin Shoes, embroidered with ice crystals, crunched over Xuan Bing Coffin fragments as she stepped on a half-buried Moonlight Shell Necklace—the inner side of this Moonstone Necklace bore a Swamp Snake Totem that perfectly aligned with the Yanzhi mark Aelia had discovered at Leonard's collar three days ago.
"Father!" Luna suddenly shouted, pointing behind the veil.
The loud cry of an infant wrapped in magic shook off dust from above. Only then did everyone see that Leonard's inner garment was adorned with a Talisman unique to Western Nobility.
The Western Realm Dancer hurriedly covered her face with thin gauze, but her wrist revealed a Silver Scale Armor Bracelet identical to that of the Magic Fortress Guardian.
Aelia's Starlight Stone suddenly emitted a Strong Light, causing frost to spread rapidly from her toes as its center.
As Han Wu climbed onto Leonard's bare Back, a faint Loud Cry from within the Study Room Secret Compartment pierced through three layers of Soundproofing Spell, resonating with a Magical Fluctuation akin to that of the Moonlight Bell Pendant.
Leonard abruptly halted his hand reaching for Leonard's Cloak; his Boot Heel stained with Swamp Mud was pressing down on a piece of swaddling embroidered with Twin Lotus.
The Western Realm Dancer suddenly struggled toward the Dark Compartment; a Blood Pearl dropped from her Moonstone Earrings painted half an image of an infant on the Ice Surface. The Thundercloud Birthmark between its brows mirrored Luna’s bruised ankle perfectly.
Aelia gently caressed a Gilded Teaspoon as light refracted through the Crystal Chandelier onto the Sweet Porcelain Tea Set, creating a Seven-Colored Halo.
She gazed at the rose-red tea brought by Qin Si, suddenly noticing the crystals at the edge of the sugar jar forming an eerie hexagram—traces of a Magic Potion's transformation.
"The evening glow is truly beautiful today," the Lady of the Fortress suddenly pointed her tea spoon at Xi Chuang, taking advantage of Qin Si's turn to draw a Dispel Rune in the tea soup with her fingertip.
In the pale golden ripples, she caught a glimpse of the Silver-Haired Infant hiding behind the Wedding Canopy, staring with Emerald Eyes that held an insight not typical for a baby.
When the secret door of the study burst open, Leonard was kissing his Mistress, pressing her against the Family Crest Relief.
Lucius's Transfiguration Potion spilled out, and Leonard's Cloak, conjured by Contract Magic, instantly vanished, revealing an undershirt embroidered with the Magic Castle Emblem.
Aelia looked at her husband's arm, where a scarlet Contract Mark was emerging, suddenly recalling the scent of Rose Perfume from last night on his neck—exactly like the sweet aroma now filling the study.
"Father pointed to Mother with a Blood Oath Ring when he proposed, saying that the Magic Fortress Barrier only recognizes pure Bloodline." Lucius's voice was as cold as ice, and the Family Tree Diagram floating behind him began burning. "It seems you need to relearn the family rules."
Luna leaned on Qin Si's shoulder, watching as the Confinement Magic Circle rose from the floor.
Her fingers hidden in the swaddling cloth glimmered slightly; just moments ago, within the Dark Compartment activated by Soul Resonance and Automatic Activation, that Magic Contract signed with Leonard's Concubine was slowly emerging.
Next, she would need to heal her three brothers' magical wounds. The infant squinted her eyes; she would have to "accidentally" knock over their Magic Potion Silver Cauldron.
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