"The Emperor, realizing that the lives of his citizens would not be enough to quell their fury, ordered the treasury opened. Everything remotely linked to Ice Essence, Ice Qi, or Frost Energy was gathered and sent south." Elyon stated.

He paused for a moment and then added, "But even that was not enough. The Imperial Treasury could not meet the Drakes' demands. So the Emperor ordered the various ministries to take loans and make requisitions from the major merchant clans and noble houses. He said it was to prepare for an ancestor's breakthrough. That was the excuse."

Daoist Chu's brows furrowed. "An ancestor's breakthrough? That must have caused confusion. No one would believe the Imperial Court lacked resources for such an event."

"Indeed," Elyon replied. "Many were suspicious, but fear of the court kept them silent. Still, word spread quickly through the merchant networks. People guessed that something massive was being hidden.

The flow of immortal stones, herbs, and treasures in the capital reached such a level that the market nearly collapsed from sudden inflation. By comparing the amount of wealth that moved through the city, my contacts estimate that the compensation given to the Ice Drakes equaled almost a full year of the Darkhan Dynasty's national expenditure."

Even Lin Mu could not mask his surprise.

"That much?" he murmured.

Elyon inclined his head gravely. "Yes. When we think of an empire as vast as the Darkhan Dynasty, even a single month's revenue is enough to sustain smaller kingdoms for decades. Imagine spending twelve times that amount in one move. It shook the foundation of their economy.

Many noble families nearly went bankrupt trying to meet the forced requisitions. And yet, the court made sure none of it was made public. The Ice Drakes eventually accepted the offerings, and peace was restored, but the scars left on the empire's finances remain to this day."

Monk Hushu's gaze softened. "So that is why they silenced the entire affair afterward. Not only to hide their shame but to preserve the illusion of strength."

"Exactly," Elyon said. "To the outside world, nothing happened. The merchants were told that the ancestor's breakthrough succeeded, and the empire prospered. Inside, however, the Emperor ordered all records of the event destroyed. Even high-ranking ministers who were involved were reassigned or quietly exiled."

Lin Mu tapped a finger against the table, deep in thought. "So the Emperor buried his own court's history to maintain peace. But if that is true, it also means that someone managed to abduct an Ice Drake right under the Imperial Court's nose.

Someone strong enough to mask it from both the Court and the Ice Drakes for at least some time. That would not be something ordinary immortals could do." Grand Elder Huo gave a slow nod, his expression grim. "Indeed. The more we uncover, the clearer it becomes that this was not the act of mere poachers. It was orchestrated, perhaps by the same forces that now use Greater Elementals."

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of realization thick in the air. Lin Mu began to piece more things from the information he had learned. 'Perhaps their problematic bureaucracy was also due to this. Perhaps they weren't delaying our entry into the empire due to their own security concerns, but due to the fact they were afraid outsiders might find about their internal instability. Lin Mu understood as his face darkened.

He leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Then this is where we begin. If the Ice Drake was used to create the Greater Ice Elemental, the treasure that catalyzed it must have come from its body being refined in some way.

There's also a chance this was a two-pronged approach by the Ephemera sect. On one hand, they obtain the Ice Drake, and on the other, they destabilize the dynasty. Perhaps they even made a profit selling the Imperial Court treasures through intermediaries too."

Elyon gave a respectful nod. "I will continue my investigation, Lin Mu. I still have contacts in the southern provinces who might have seen shipments or merchants handling those items. If the treasures passed through mortal hands to the people of the Ephemera Sect, they will have left a trace."

Lin Mu's gaze hardened with resolve. "Good. Do whatever it takes. The truth behind this will not remain buried."

The others nodded their heads in acknowledgment, their minds already turning to the next steps.

In that quiet chamber, the flickering lantern light danced across the walls, casting their shadows long and thin. Though they had only uncovered fragments of the truth, the shape of the hidden hand manipulating events was becoming clearer.

Somewhere deep within the Darkhan Dynasty, a secret had been buried beneath blood, gold, and frost... and Lin Mu intended to unearth it, no matter what the cost.

The next few days passed in tireless investigation and quiet anticipation.

Lin Mu and his companions spread their efforts across every connection and network available to them. Messengers came and went constantly, bearing jade slips, written reports, or whispered accounts from informants scattered across the empire.

The chambers of their temporary base in Pale Dusk City became a place of constant discussion and analysis. Yet, despite their best efforts, most of the gathered information seemed fragmented or irrelevant.

Reports from the southern provinces concerned merchant caravans, shifting noble allegiances, and petty sect rivalries. Others spoke of elemental disturbances, but these proved to be natural phenomena or false leads.

Nothing directly connected to the Ephemera Sect surfaced, at least not at first glance. Still, Lin Mu knew better than to dismiss coincidence. He studied every detail, searching for hidden meanings or patterns beneath the surface.

It was on the fourth evening that Elyon returned with something more substantial.

The wolfkin entered quietly, his expression thoughtful and tense. Lin Mu,

Daoist Chu, Monk Hushu, and Grand Elder Huo who had recently joined them, were already gathered around a wide table littered with maps and annotated scrolls.

When Elyon entered, they looked up immediately, sensing from his demeanor that he had found something.