When everyone except the Ninth Apostle had arrived, the Mist Council convened once again.
However, this ti, the atmosphere was incredibly heavy.
"Ladies and gentlen, this eting is not only to discuss our agenda but also to inform you that our friend of nearly a million years, the Ninth Apostle, Judgent-Tavi, has perished under the siege and relentless attacks of the enemy. This tragedy is sothing none of us wish to witness, but it also serves as a warning to each of you."
"The position of Judgent-Tavi remains and will forever stand in the Parliant as a warning to everyone that we must not lose our caution and reverence. That’s all I have to say."
The leader on the central seat finished speaking and then remained silent, perhaps unfamiliar with the Ninth Apostle, or perhaps this was rely his attitude towards everyone.
After that, it was ti for regular discussions. Yet, this ti everyone remained silent. Originally, the agenda was to continue with the Population Increase Plan, discussing various thods to raise the planet’s population, but due to the Ninth Apostle’s death, everyone lost the will to proceed.
"Ha, it seems we’ve let a rat infiltrate us from within this ti." The Sixth Apostle was the first to speak, and the direction of his gaze was towards the end seats including Xue Dili and others.
Xue Dili kept a blank expression, but inside, he was filled with doubt.
Was he exposed? When did it happen?
After all, Xue Dili had recovered half of the Ninth Apostle’s body, using the ashes as golden fertilizer to feed the roots of the Insect-devouring Tree, allowing the rest of the wasted energy to disperse in the Consciousness Space.
But naturally, Xue Dili wouldn’t foolishly expose himself, and his mbership in the Parliant was under a false identity—the Mysticism scholar Blington.
Even if exposed, Xue Dili would only lose the disguise of the Mysticism scholar Blington. However, it could risk exposing his ho planet’s location.
He was already contemplating how to escape if truly exposed, how to discard Blington’s disguise, and how to ensure that the Solar System’s coordinates remain hidden.
The cosmos is so vast; finding the corresponding planet is less likely than finding a specific grain of sand in the ocean. As long as the coordinates remain undisclosed, the opposition would search in vain.
If, by any chance, the coordinates accidentally got exposed, Xue Dili would have to consider enlisting the Interstellar Corps to shift the Solar System’s orbit to more remote areas of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Just a slight shift, within a few dozen days, could lead to a huge discrepancy from the original coordinates.
It would only drive the astronors and geologists on Blue Star into despair, but that wasn’t a major issue.
Just as Xue Dili had prepared for the worst-case scenario and equipped himself with multiple escape plans, the person next to him, Number Eleven, discontentedly said, "Ha, an Apostle possessing Subspace getting ambushed and killed? I can’t fathom how soone could be so incompetent, and this is your first reaction?"
His tone was extrely arrogant, seemingly disregarding the Sixth Apostle altogether.
"But, who was almost killed by Number Nine on their ho planet?" The Sixth Apostle retorted without backing down.
Xue Dili: "?"
He looked around and realized the Sixth Apostle’s gaze was indeed fixed on Number Eleven, not on him. Was he rely caught in the line of sight due to his proximity to Number Eleven?
Were they adversaries?
With just a few words, Xue Dili was able to deduce much information.
Number Nine and Number Six were likely acquainted or frequent collaborators, while Number Eleven seemingly had a grudge against Number Nine. Thus, after Number Nine’s death, Number Six’s first suspicion naturally fell on Number Eleven.
anwhile, Number Eleven seed to have had his ho planet invaded by Number Nine, which at least ant that Number Nine knew the location of Number Eleven’s ho planet. This only reinforced Number Six’s belief that it was Number Eleven who betrayed Number Nine, leading to his demise.
As he watched the two clash, Xue Dili, the true traitor quietly preparing his last al, remained perfectly hidden, watching the drama unfold.
Fight, fight, it’s exciting!
If not for the inappropriate setting, Xue Dili would almost have started clapping.
However, he remained vigilant, keeping an eye on both sides until Number Four stood up and said, "Alright, let it go. There’s no need for baseless speculation anymore."
The Sixth Apostle fell silent. Indeed, he suspected there might be a mole, and his first suspicion naturally fell on Number Eleven, who had scores to settle with Number Nine.
But there was rely suspicion thereof, as perhaps only Number Eleven, besides himself, knew the most about Number Nine among the entire council, making him the most likely suspect.
Despite his lingering suspicions, he refrained from pursuing the topic further.
After all, it was just a hunch.
The eting proceeded without much incident, primarily focusing on how Number Nine had died. Although she, aside from Xue Dili, was among the weakest in the council, she was still of Count Level power, so escaping should have been possible.
Evidently, her escape routes had been completely cut off, leaving her no choice but to be worn down to death.
Ultimately, they gathered no substantive information; Number Six continued to suspect that Number Eleven was behind Number Nine’s death, while the others engaged in mutual questioning, probing if anyone had more information.
The eting concluded amidst such mutual suspicions, although the Apostles at the forefront seed indifferent, while those at the end of the seats began to doubt each other.
When the eting finally ended, Xue Dili glanced at the dimly lit sky and rubbed his temples.
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