When Asmodeus was about to hang up, Hu Tao's voice chimed through the phone, light and playful.
"Asmodeus, don't go downstairs to buy food tonight. Let's eat on the train. Xiangling said we're having a big dinner tonight—something special."
Asmodeus's eyes lit up like stars.
"Great, great~ Another delicious meal, perfect~ I'm hanging up now, come back soon~"
She tapped the hang-up button with a flick of her index finger, humming happily as she tucked the phone into her pocket.
Then she turned toward Barnabas with a casual, almost mischievous grin.
"I've already looked into the situation, Barnabas. That doctor under you—she's truly something else."
Barnabas furrowed her brows, puzzled by the sudden shift in topic.
"What do you mean, Your Majesty Asmodeus?"
Asmodeus tilted her head, then posed a question in return, her tone unexpectedly sharp beneath the sweetness.
"Do you know Bai Lu?"
Barnabas searched her memories and nodded slowly.
"Yes... She's that little dragon girl from Luofu, isn't she?"
Asmodeus's gaze sharpened.
"Exactly. Now, listen closely. Your doctor wanted to capture her—yes, her—for research purposes. That alone was bad enough, but then word got out.
General Jing Yuan heard about it. So did Dan Heng, Luocha, even the train crew. And you may not be personally familiar with them, but you know the organizations they represent: the Cloud Knights, the Luofu Swordmasters, the Star Core Hunters, and the Astral Express.
All of them. Powerful. Dangerous. And deeply connected to Bai Lu. She's their linchpin, Barnabas. Their emotional core. The one person they'd move heaven and earth to protect.
And your doctor just provoked all of them."
Barnabas stared at her in stunned silence. She felt the weight of Asmodeus's words settle like lead on her shoulders.
She remembered, vividly, the cold steel glint of Jingliu's blade as she descended from the heavens—no hesitation, no mercy. The doctor had been obliterated before she even had a chance to scream.
Asmodeus watched her process it all, then leaned in slightly.
"So now, do you understand? Disband the Fatui. Let it go. Keeping them here... it's a powder keg waiting for a spark. You've gathered too many dangerous people under one name."
Barnabas exhaled slowly, the decision already forming in her heart.
She nodded.
Asmodeus's demeanor flipped instantly, returning to her cheery self.
"Great~ Then if there's nothing else, I'll kindly ask you to leave. I'm in the middle of a very intense match."
Dismissed with a smile.
Barnabas turned and left the room, her footsteps heavy.
Outside, the Lady and the Young Man—her most stable subordinates—approached quickly.
The Lady looked concerned.
"Your Highness, is everything alright? You look... pale."
Barnabas barely glanced at her.
"Assemble the others. Divide the Fatui. From this moment on, it's over."
She said no more.
The Lady and the Young Man stood frozen. Their minds reeled.
Disband the Fatui?
Though confused, they knew better than to argue.
—
Far away, in the polished halls of the Interstellar Peace Corporation's headquarters, a different drama unfolded.
Inside the executive conference chamber of the Strategic Investment Department, tension crackled like static.
Aventurine stood at the center of the room, composed and expressionless, as ten high-ranking executives prepared to determine her fate.
Her very position within the department hung in the balance.
Jade sat upright, poised as ever, while Topaz fidgeted beside her, arms crossed, her expression somewhere between annoyed and anxious.
Topaz huffed.
"She doesn't even look nervous. Is she trying to piss me off? I swear, if she acts smug one more time, I'm voting guilty."
Jade smiled faintly.
"Oh? Little Yelina, you seem rather worked up. Don't let her get under your skin."
Topaz groaned.
"She's infuriating. She always thinks she's ten steps ahead of everyone."
As she turned to look out the window, her eyes widened in disbelief.
Across the street, two figures stood proudly with a hand-painted wooden sign held high. Sparkle waved enthusiastically, while Aha leaned lazily against a streetlight.
Jade followed Topaz's gaze, then blinked.
The sign read:
[Joyful Theater is recruiting! Requirements: Former company executive, heart of stone crushed, socialite, former slave.]
Jade's eye twitched.
Why not just write "Recruiting: Aventurine"?
And seriously—doing this right outside the building? Was there no shame?
She glanced around.
Where was security?
Ah. Spotted. The security guard was strung up on a nearby telephone pole like someone's forgotten laundry.
Topaz turned back to the room, flustered.
"I vote not guilty! She must stay!"
Jade raised an eyebrow.
"Yelina, the vote hasn't started yet."
Topaz didn't back down.
"Doesn't matter! If she leaves, she'll end up with them! Do you know what chaos that'll cause?"
Jade tugged at her sleeve, urging calm.
"Little Yelina, sit. Please."
Topaz sat, grumbling.
Then the trial began.
Aventurine stepped forward, voice calm and even.
"In my plan, Aventurine had to die. It was essential. A necessary sacrifice.
And what did it bring us? The shattered Aventurine opened the door to Penacony. That alone justifies the action, doesn't it?
Besides—Aventurine can be repaired."
She produced the shattered gemstone and laid it out on the table.
Then, with a flourish, she revealed ten [Equipment Enhancement Scrolls], their golden glow pulsing in sync with her breath.
"Everything... or nothing."
She slammed all ten scrolls onto the broken Aventurine.
The room erupted in blinding light.
When it faded, the gemstone pulsed, more radiant than ever.
Energy throbbed within, stronger, deeper—a power not just restored, but evolved.
Topaz sprang up.
"It's fixed! That should be the end of it, right?!"
Shuju leaned forward, skeptical.
"No. The Aventurine was broken. You can't just ignore that because it's fixed now. Actions have consequences."
Jade calmly raised her hand.
"Let's vote. I vote not guilty."
One by one, votes were cast.
7 votes for not guilty. 3 for punishment.
Jade stood.
"The verdict is clear. Aventurine—* Not guilty.*"
—
Over ten minutes later, Aventurine, Topaz, and Jade exited the building into the cool evening air.
Sparkle and Aha were still waiting.
Sparkle's grin faded slightly upon seeing all three together.
No new recruit today.
Still, she bounded forward cheerfully.
"Little Peacock! Are you sure you don't want to consider joining the Joyful Theater?
Look what they did to you—you sacrifice for them, and they drag you into a trial.
We'd never treat you like that~ We've got art, freedom, flair—"
Aventurine chuckled softly.
"Tempting, Fool. But no.
That said, a partnership... now that could be interesting.
Merchandising, publicity, creative licensing—"
Sparkle's eyes gleamed.
"Oh? You're speaking my language now. Let's find a place to talk~"
And with that, the two parties walked side by side into the neon-lit city.
Laughter echoing in the distance.