Prime Minister Mu slammed his hand on the table, shouting furiously at the group of old palace physicians who wore helpless expressions.

"Such useless quacks! His Majesty’s life is at risk, and you old fools can’t do anything about it?! Why do we even keep you people around?!"

One of the elder physicians stammered, "C-Calm your anger, Prime Minister. T-This plague is truly strange. We should wait for the Envoy from the Azure Moon Sect to arrive and examine—"

Hearing this, Prime Minister Mu looked ready to leap over the table and bite the man’s head off.

"Hmph! So we should just leave His Majesty’s life to fate?! You traitors!"

But just then, a calm, aged voice cut through the hall like a cool breeze dispersing smoke.

"Calm yourself, Prime Minister Mu."

Everyone turned toward the side entrance.

An elderly man in deep azure robes embroidered with golden cranes slowly entered.

His long white beard reached his chest, and though his steps were unhurried as an invisible pressure radiated from him, instantly silencing even Prime Minister Mu’s rage.

It was Grand Tutor Wei, one of the Three Dukes and the most respected elder in the Fen Dynasty as he had guided two generations of emperors.

Grand Tutor Wei glanced at the empty Dragon Throne, then swept his gaze across the gathered ministers.

His eyes carried the weight of decades of service.

"The physicians are not traitors," he said softly. "They are simply... powerless. This plague is no ordinary illness born of heaven’s wrath or natural cause. It carries the trace of forbidden arts... Demonic arts."

At those words, a heavy silence fell over the Grand Vermillion Hall.

Prime Minister Mu’s face twisted with frustration, but he forced himself to bow slightly.

"Then what does Grand Tutor suggest we do? His Majesty has been unconscious for three days. Black cracks are already spreading across his body. If we wait any longer—"

"There is nothing we can do," Grand Tutor Wei interrupted with a quiet sigh, "except hope the Envoy from the Azure Moon Sect arrives soon."

At his words, murmurs erupted among the ministers.

Suddenly, a thin, sharp-faced man in dark official robes stepped forward.

It was Censor-in-Chief Zhao, head of the Censorate.

"Grand Tutor, forgive this old servant’s bluntness," he said coldly, "but just as you said, this plague is extremely strange and appeared far too suddenly. I believe it may be the doing of our enemies."

His sharp eyes swept across the hall like blades. "Or perhaps... even the Azure Moon Sect itself."

Gasps and frantic whispers exploded among the ministers at such bold words.

Several older officials glared furiously at Zhao, while a few younger ones nodded in silent agreement.

Meanwhile,

Prime Minister Mu jabbed an angry finger at him. "Zhao! Watch your tongue! You dare accuse the Azure Moon Sect without any evidence? The Imperial Princess herself and many of our elite are disciples there!"

At his rage, Censor-in-Chief Zhao remained unfazed.

He gave a cold, formal bow toward Grand Tutor Wei before continuing.

"Grand Tutor, this servant does not speak out of disloyalty... but out of caution. As you yourself said, this plague is clearly man-made. It spreads like demonic blood arts... cracking the victim’s meridians and devouring their vitality. Even our best physicians are powerless so I am merely stating the obvious as we must consider who stands to benefit most from our dynasty’s dire situation."

He paused, letting the heavy implication settle over the hall before continue.

"Or... could it be that someone within the Azure Moon Sect has been compromised? Or that they are using this crisis to tighten their control over our Fen Dynasty?"

Grand Tutor Wei closed his eyes for a long moment.

When he opened them again, his gaze was heavy with exhaustion and wisdom.

"Your suspicion is not without reason, Censor Zhao." he said slowly.

"However, pointing fingers at this moment will only hasten the dynasty’s collapse. Moreover, we have neither the strength nor the benefit to go against the great sects and vice versa. So that possibility is quite low."

The hall fell into a tense hush once more as Grand Tutor Wei’s words pressing down on everyone like an invisible mountain.

At those words, Censor-in-Chief Zhao just gave a shallow, respectful bow yet his sharp eyes remained cold and unrelenting.

"Then may this servant ask what the Grand Tutor proposes? The Azure Moon Sect’s envoy is still at least five days away. But His Majesty’s condition worsens by the hour. So if we sit here like helpless children and simply wait, the dynasty may not survive long enough to greet them."

Grand Tutor Wei stroked his long white beard, his expression unreadable.

"Five days... We may not have five days. Yet rushing into accusations against the Azure Moon Sect is no different from inviting war upon ourselves. They control all of the spirit veins and supply over sixty percent of our high-grade pills and resource. Offending them now would be suicide."

Suddenly—

BOOM! 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Prime Minister Mu’s fist slammed down on the table with such force that it cracked clean in half.

Teacups shattered across the floor as he surged forward, eyes blazing with uncontrollable fury.

"Enough of this cowardice!!" he roared, his voice thundering through the Grand Vermillion Hall like war drums. "Five days?! His Majesty will be a dried corpse in five days! While you two old men obsess over caution, the Emperor’s life is being devoured by demonic arts!"

He spun around, pointing a trembling finger first at Grand Tutor Wei, then sweeping it across every minister in the hall.

"As Prime Minister of the Fen Dynasty, I will not stand by and watch our empire collapse because we are all too afraid to find the real culprit! Someone must has smuggled this plague into the palace and poisoned His Majesty with that forbidden demonic techniques. I say we drag that traitor out today!"

Then Prime Minister Mu’s face turned purple with rage as he bellowed, "Guards! Seal every exit! No one leaves this hall until we get answers!"

At his words, chaos erupted instantly.

"Prime Minister Mu, you have gone mad!" shouted an elderly minister from the Ministry of Rites, his face flushed with outrage. "How dare you order the arrest of the entire court?! This is treason!"

Meanwhile, the imperial guards at the doors hesitated, their spears trembling.

Their eyes darted nervously between the raging Prime Minister, the stone faced Grand Tutor Wei, and the sea of shouting ministers.

They were not sure who to obey.

"You dare hesitate?!" Mu bellowed at the nearest captain. "I am the Prime Minister! By imperial decree, my orders are absolute in this time of crisis!"

Dozens of voices rose in angry protest at those words.

Some ministers slammed their tablets onto the broken table, while others pointed accusing fingers straight at Prime Minister Mu.

His own faction tried to back him as their shouts clashing violently with the opposition.

Then the Grand Vermillion Hall descended into pure pandemonium, filled with overlapping accusations and furious roars.

"Prime Minister Mu, retract your order immediately!"

"You are no better than a tyrant!"

"Someone stop this madman before the dynasty collapses from within!"

Prime Minister Mu’s face twisted with uncontrollable fury.

Veins bulged on his forehead as he took a heavy step forward.

"Cowards! All of you! While you bicker like old women, His Majesty is dying! If none of you have the courage, then I alone—"

Just as the chaos reached its boiling point and Prime Minister Mu looked ready to strike the nearest guard who had defied him, the heavy doors of the Grand Vermillion Hall creaked open once more.

"Enough."

The single word, spoken in a melodic yet icy voice, sliced through the roaring chaos like a razor-sharp blade.

And the entire hall fell into absolute silence within a heartbeat.

Even Prime Minister Mu’s raised sword froze mid-air at that familiar voice.