91: Chapter 92 Closing the Scene

In the seventh breath after the West Anchor stabilized, a crisp "clang" suddenly echoed from outside the Main Stele Area—dark gold short flags landed, and Sun Gold patterns instantly spread out, suppressing the fire energy across the entire front field in a sudden stagnation.

Lu Jin's hand remained tightly locked onto the black-red stone slab, his knuckles white. Stone dust slipped through his fingers, falling into the grey soil without a sound. The dark red fire patterns in his eyes pulsed violently, suppressing his surging emotions.

Ning Yanqiu stepped forward quickly, pressing down on the other corner of the stone slab. Her voice was cold yet soothing: "Don't crush it; this is the only proof to find Observer Lu Chenyuan."

Lu Jin slowly relaxed his knuckles, his palm's black fire lightly covering the edge of the stone slab, firmly locking the old characters on it so they would neither dissipate nor retract—he had to guard this last remaining clue.

"They've arrived." Wen Zhao squatted by the West Anchor, his fingertips brushing over the Line-Marking Nail, his tone grave. The three new spikes in his hand were already firmly pressed against the edge of the Main Stele's fire, standing ready.

Qiao Ye immediately held his long shield horizontally before the seventh-level stairs, his gaze sweeping toward the fog, his tone laced with thorns: "Here to snatch credit again?"

"Not snatching, sealing." As soon as Ning Yanqiu finished speaking, the Cold Mirror Sovereign Crow behind her shoulder lowered its feathers, watching the fog layer vigilantly.

The fog curtain was forcibly cut open by dark gold lines, and three dark gold short flags landed first. The Sun Gold patterns on the edges of the flags lit up, instantly forcing back the scattered fire energy by half an inch, delineating the field-sealing zone. Following closely, four Sealing Enforcers in grey-gold light armor stepped in, holding dark gold short rulers, their steps as steady as pines; two attendants with ledgers followed, one holding a ledger, the other carrying a box, their auras frigid.

Pei Chengxu walked in the center, dressed in tight-fitting gear, his aura steady—the pressure of Apprentice Perfection was undisguised. As a main force of the Pei family's External Affairs Chamber's field-sealing execution team, his purpose for this trip was clear; it was definitely not a test.

He stopped seven zhang outside the West Anchor, his gaze sweeping across the West Anchor, the seventh-level stairs, and finally landing on the stone slab in front of Lu Jin. His tone was calm yet carried an indisputable force: "Lu Jin, there is an anomaly in the opening of the Main Stele's front field; an unregistered ruin gate has appeared beneath the West Anchor."

The attendant with the ledger stepped forward, unfolding the long ledger, its dark gold characters shining brightly: "According to the Main Stele Area's temporary investigation regulations, from this moment on, the western front field of the No. 7 Main Stele is incorporated into the Pei family's External Affairs Chamber's co-managed sealing field. The Vanguard Team is to retreat beyond the western outer ring blood path, hand over control of the West Anchor, records of the ruin gate, samples of abnormal troop lines, old files, and the stone slab beneath the stele for sealing and verification!"

The front field fell silent instantly. Someone in the second echelon cursed under their breath but was immediately silenced—everyone knew the Pei family was reaping the benefits. It was clearly Lu Jin and his team who had risked their lives to take the West Anchor, yet they wanted to snatch the victory based on "investigation regulations."

"We just risked our lives to hold the West Anchor, and you want us to retreat with just one word about 'co-management'?" Qiao Ye laughed angrily, raising his shield slightly. The Bone-Armor Furnace Guard immediately stepped forward, ready for battle.

Pei Chengxu glanced at him indifferently, his tone cold: "What you held down was the risk, not the authority."

Qiao Ye's veins bulged, and just as he was about to rush forward, Lu Jin raised a hand to stop him, his gaze fixed on Pei Chengxu, his tone calm yet sharp: "You want a handover?"

"It is a temporary sealing." Pei Chengxu corrected.

"Sealing the field, or sealing the people?" Lu Jin pressed, "I didn't enter the lower level; I only touched the stone slab. Must I also remain at the field and await verification?"

Pei Chengxu's gaze locked onto the stone slab: "Touching unregistered stele-entry records requires waiting for verification."

"What about you then?" Lu Jin raised his eyes, sweeping over the sealing ledger behind him, "Your sealing ledger has already shone upon the stone slab; shouldn't you also stay and await verification?"

A low chuckle rippled through the front field. Pei Chengxu's expression darkened slightly as he signaled—the four Sealing Enforcers stepped forward simultaneously, and their dark gold short rulers landed. There was no roar, no firelight, yet all the fire lines around the West Anchor were encased in a thin dark gold border, suppressing Lu Jin's fire energy tightly.

"The aerial path is sealed." A flash of Cold Mirror light appeared in Ning Yanqiu's palm; the mirror line hit the dark gold border and was actually bounced back, "If the Master Crow advances another three zhang, it will be counted as a border violation."

Wen Zhao stared at his Line-Marking Nail, his tone grave: "The low lines have also been recalibrated. If a Red-Eyed Rat dares to move one step toward the West Anchor, it will be considered interfering with the sealing."

"They aren't sealing the path; they are sealing our status." Grey Pupil's voice came from the Priest Court, the firelight in his grey eyes dim, "Using investigation regulations to suppress our authority, turning us from the masters of the controlled area into outsiders with no right to touch the evidence."

Lu Jin did not impulsively open fire—he knew the Pei family's Sun Gold sealing was meant to force him to strike first, then slap him with the charge of "obstructing an investigation." He looked up, his tone firm: "You may seal the field, but according to the Military Court's forward station regulations, we must first verify the existing wartime ownership!"

"Trying to stall for time?" Pei Chengxu raised an eyebrow.

"Do you dare not to verify?" Lu Jin's tone turned abruptly cold, and he immediately issued orders, "Wen Zhao, illuminate the battle damage lines; Ning Yanqiu, shine on the supplementary marking holes; Qiao Ye, press the shield against the stairs, do not attack; Grey Pupil, suppress the fire sequence; Wu Fu, protect the anchor, do not take the initiative to attack!"

As the orders fell, the Vanguard Team instantly stabilized their position—Wen Zhao flipped his palm, and three thin flames lit up, corresponding respectively to the break-formation point of the Stele-Armor Guard, the shadow-breaking point of the Stele-Shadow Beast, and the suppression point of the West Anchor's fire wheel, clearly marking the Vanguard Team's battle merits. Ning Yanqiu raised her Cold Mirror, and a cold white light precisely illuminated the supplementary marking hole on the back of the West Anchor, where the Old Military Court's three-survey patterns appeared strikingly. Qiao Ye's shield was pressed firmly against the stairs, and the Bone-Armor Furnace Guard stood shoulder to shoulder, their aura intimidating.

Pei Chengxu's eyes darkened slightly: "Lu Jin, the Main Stele's front field is no child's play; a few battle damage lines cannot block the investigation regulations."

"If they can't block it, there is still the Vanguard Command." Lu Jin's Vanguard Command lit up in his palm, but the Military Court fire patterns that had just emerged were firmly pressed down by the fourth dark gold short ruler, as if pinched off by an invisible hand.

"The Vanguard Command grants you the right to clear the way, not to privately investigate old files." Pei Chengxu's tone was rigid.

"Are you even qualified to change the Military Court's orders?" A gruff, cold laugh came from the Vanguard Command. Instructor Han Tiecheng's half-body projection appeared in the dark red fire mist. His armor was still stained with battlefield dust, and the fire sign by his shoulder still carried residual warmth—he had evidently rushed over urgently from before the Military Court's war map.

The whole field was in an uproar. Pei Chengxu bowed in salute but still refused to yield: "Instructor Han, Lu Jin has touched unregistered records. The Pei family is sealing the area according to the investigation regulations, which is not a breach of rules."

"Stop trying to fool me with half-baked rules!" Instructor Han Tiecheng roared, "Sealing is not clearing the field, and verification is not snatching the account! Lu Jin is the Vanguard core of the western outer ring of the Main Stele Area that I personally signed off on. The West Anchor was taken by him at the risk of his life. As long as he holds the Vanguard Command, the control belongs to him!"

As his voice fell, three black iron fire signs popped out from the Vanguard Command, hovering in mid-air, with dark gold characters clearly visible: [Western Outer Ring blood path, opened by Lu Jin's Vanguard Team] [No. 7 Main Stele West Anchor, credited to Lu Jin's Vanguard Team] [Ning Yanqiu, Qiao Ye, Wen Zhao, incorporated into the same group's battle merits].

The light of the fire signs surged violently, and the dark gold sealing border trembled slightly, unable to suppress the pressure of the Military Court's battle merits any longer—this was a battle record acknowledged by the Military Court; no matter how strong the Pei family was, they dared not openly defy it.

Instructor Han Tiecheng's gaze swept toward Pei Chengxu: "If you want verification, copy the battle records; if you want to remove the Vanguard, bring a formal removal order from the Military Court. If you can't produce it, get out of the Main Stele's front field and stop pretending to be the commander here!"

Pei Chengxu's expression shifted. He knew that if he pushed any harder, it would be openly becoming an enemy of the Military Court. After a moment of silence, he took a step back but still held his bottom line: "The ownership of the West Anchor can temporarily not be transferred, but the stone slab beneath the stele involves Old Military Court records and cannot be held by Lu Jin alone. It must be viewed by three parties and sealed on-site."

"Three parties?" Lu Jin raised an eyebrow.

"The Military Court, the Pei family, and the original holder of the Vanguard Team." Pei Chengxu looked at Ning Yanqiu, clearly wanting to pull Lu Jin down from the main position of the controlled area.

Wen Zhao whispered a reminder: "He is turning us into evidence custodians, stripping us of the right to control the area."

Lu Jin did not respond, only looking down at the stone slab—on the edge of the stone slab, within a scratch, a speck of gold as fine as dust was vaguely visible, its color identical to the Sun Gold sealing material on Pei Chengxu's sealing ledger. Ning Yanqiu understood instantly; the cold mirror fragment disk shifted slightly, capturing the image of the gold speck into the bottom of the disk to keep as evidence.

"The stone slab can be viewed together, but it will not leave the West Anchor." Lu Jin raised his eyes, his tone indisputable, "View it here, copy it according to the battle records. If you want to take it away, first revoke my Vanguard Command, erase my battle merits, and then change the supplementary marking hole acknowledged by the Main Stele—if you can change it, I'll yield!"

Cold light flashed in Pei Chengxu's eyes: "Do you know that if you keep stalling, Young Master Pei Tiange will come down personally?"

"Let him come, and remember to bring the full account of the well-sealing from last night." Lu Jin did not yield an inch.

Instructor Han Tiecheng cursed in the projection: "Stop with the smart-alecky talk, follow the rules!" He then looked at Pei Chengxu, "The Pei family can investigate, but the field-sealing is only allowed to press on the periphery; you are not allowed to touch the Vanguard Team's wartime authority. The stone slab is to be viewed on-site, and the battle records are to be kept by all three parties!"

Pei Chengxu was silent for a long time before finally raising his hand—the fourth short ruler was withdrawn. The dark gold sealing field stopped compressing inward but still encircled the outer edge of the West Anchor, the perimeter of the stairs, and the rear retreat line, dividing the Main Stele's western front field into two layers: the outer layer for the investigation-sealing field, and the inner layer under the control of Lu Jin's Vanguard Team.

"In a quarter of an hour, the Pei family will copy the stone slab." Pei Chengxu stared at Lu Jin, "If there is any further anomaly in the Main Stele's authority, the sealing field will automatically upgrade."

"Report to me before upgrading." Instructor Han Tiecheng said coldly.

Pei Chengxu did not argue further, only giving Lu Jin a deep look: "What you protected today is the position, not the answer."

"I know." Lu Jin lowered his head, his gaze falling on the two characters "Upper Collection" on the stone slab—he already understood that the person who scraped off these two characters was highly likely related to the Pei family.

Just at this moment, a crisp sound suddenly came from the depths of the Main Stele, like a fire spike embedded in the core of the stele being ejected. Everyone looked up simultaneously, only to see the black-red fire patterns in the center of the Main Stele suddenly dim by an inch. Then, a speck of dark crimson firelight popped out, tumbling in the air and splitting into an old signaling code of three short and one long, hovering between the sealing field and the West Anchor.

Instructor Han Tiecheng's voice instantly deepened, his tone carrying an unprecedented gravity: "Don't touch it! This is the Old Military Court's three-survey signaling code—it's an emergency transmission from the Third Survey Route Team back then!"