Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Unbeknownst to her, Ming Yue's title as "Fairy of the Moon" continued to grow and solidify her as an important figure in the war. This act of hers was one of many that people talk of.

But at this moment, there were more pressing matters to attend to. 

Walking together with Xiao Yin and Hei Yue, they reached the commander's tent and walked in to see the others cleaned up and in new clothes. All twenty of them including Ya Lang stood with their hands to their sides as they waited for Ming Yue to arrive.

Standing in front of the war table were Commander Yu Zhen and Zi Jing, who sat on a chair with his cane on hand. The former looked at them all before stepping forward to speak. 

"So then, since you've returned so late with news to report, tell us. What is it?" she asked. 

Ya Lang walked up and began to recount all that they had discovered, from the new race of beasts to the Qing Chai and her camp. It took nearly an hour to say it all and by the end, Yu Zhen had her captain on the war table, marking the locations. 

"A Vore Demon is it? And it looks like there would most likely be more than just the one. As for these creatures you speak of, do you have them?" 

The captain nodded to which Zi Jing spoke out with a tone of urgency. 

"Well, what are you waiting for? Take it out and show me."

Doing as the commander said, Ya Lang retrieved the lizard corpses from his spatial ring and laid them all out in front of them. 

Having been in that ring for most of the trip, their bodies were still fresh albeit cold. But the stone-like skin and the light pink flesh were easy to see. 

Zi Jing immediately got off his chair and hobbled forward to examined the bodies. Looking at the one Ya Lang had killed, he grabbed the skin with one hand, bringing it up close to his eyes. 

"Interesting, very interesting, it certainly resembles stone but it is a bit flexible and much tougher. It is both a disguise and armor. But, there are a few weak points... hmm."

He looked towards Yu Zhen and nodded before standing up to face the soldiers. 

"They are quite unique and in fact, not in the catalog, so they are undiscovered. With that, everyone will be awarded properly and we can perhaps, dissect one of these to eat. Of course, I will be keeping one or two to research with the others. It shouldn't take too long. And as for the name..."

He rubbed his chin and furrowed his brows, thinking of a name on the spot. After a few seconds, his expression changed to one that was slightly dissatisfied but accepting. 

"Since they resemble stone so much, might as well call them "Stoneskin Lizards", sounds good enough. I just have to send a few messages but that can after we examine their corpses. Once, we have a more conclusive report, this can be added to the catalog."

It was a nonchalant method but one that practically showed his power and authority. 

After all, he was one of the Five Commanders and one whose expertise was in research and development. That included studying gems, metals, flora, and fauna. He might not be a master in each one but he was no less an expert. As someone titled the "Greatest Genius" of the Bright Star Kingdom, something like this was standard for him. 

Yu Zhen looked at him before turning back to the others. 

"So then, the Vore Demon, until we learn more about these Stoneskin Lizards, I suggest avoiding that area. We don't know fully what we're are dealing with here, do you understand?"

Everyone looked to each other and Ya Lang spoke. 

"We were actually discussing what to do when the time to deal with the demons was to come. Ming Yue here has also made a suggestion or two."

The commander's eyes honed in on the captain as her mouth curled up into a smile. 

"I see, well then, there is no harm in a bit of discussion. Let's hear it then."

What came after was a long discussion in which ideas and thoughts were tossed around. After Ya Lang explained the plan that Ming Yue suggested, the two commanders had many things to say.

"What sort of traps could we even place in a marsh?"

"Fire? Some sort of restrainment? At the very least, a formation to slow them down."

"Where would we even place them? It's a marsh, the land itself isn't an ideal environment for any sort of operation, much less something like this."

"If we were to lead her and have her chase us, we would need to have a path laid out. Furthermore, we need to think about her comrades."

"As for dealing with the Vore Demon, that in of itself is a difficult task."

Zi Jing looked at Ming Yue to ask her a question. 

"Although I do not doubt your strength, a Vore Demon is very dangerous. There are few but each one of them is powerful, especially in close quarters. Their mouths are quick. Like snakes, they can pounce on you in an instant. And as far as weaknesses go, there is only one."

He held his hand up and lifted one finger. 

"If they fill their mouths completely with bodies, they cannot eat and so, are left defenseless. But they are quick, such a window lasts only seconds before they can consume more. It is especially worse when their bloodline is used, this I'm sure the others have told you."

Ming Yue nodded. 

"They can eat even more". she replied. 

"And despite knowing that, you are willing to take on the role of assassinating them. As far as I know, didn't you lose your sword? I heard from the others that you had been asking around about where your weapon has gone. How are you even going to do it then?"

He asked her this, hoping to gain some answers. 

As for the young cultivator, she was not bothered or surprised by them. Instead, she took out her dagger and formed the Boltwind Nails on her left hand. 

"I have these which will work just as well. And as for my sword, I already know where it is but I cannot get it."

She answered truthfully but withheld the information about her and Yin Bing. With all these people around her, it wasn't wise to reveal anything. 

Zi Jing's eyes lingered on her for a few moments. There was no doubt in his mind that she was hiding something but he leaned back on his chair, letting it go.

"Alright then, are you confident?" he asked.

She nodded and said nothing else, putting away her weapons. 

Looking to Yu Zhen, the two commanders looked at each other before looking towards their soldiers. 

"Alright then, I'll need a month, perhaps two. One to examine the bodies of these lizards and another to draw up plans for this operation", said Zi Jing.

Yu Zhen then continued. 

"Meanwhile, we'll need to scout out as much of these marshes as possible. Any possible paths and locations from traps should be recorded and marked. We'll be needing a detailed map of this area anyways. For now, however, food supplies are still a problem and we barely even started working on this new stronghold."

"Yes, Commander Yu Zhen, Commander Zi Jing!"

Ya Lang and the other soldiers saluted and turned to leave as did Ming Yue. 

"Ming Yue, you should stay, we still have a few things to discuss", said Yu Zhen.

She stopped and stood to the side, waiting for everyone to leave before it was just the three of them. There was an odd silence between them before Zi Jing began to talk. 

"While I won't pry into your business about your sword, I must ask, does it have anything to do with the Cerulean Serpent?"

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