A cold wind swept through the corridors of the Temple of the Moon, as numerous guards and Priests gazed at the imposing Tyrande.
Tyrande, her face as cold as ice, strode towards the crowd, stared into Maiev's eyes, and reprimanded her:
"Maiev, I entrusted the Temple of the Moon to you with complete peace of mind, allowing you to focus on feeding the Emissary with your own flesh and blood. Look at what you've done! Tell me, why did someone break into the Temple of the Moon, and how did the Emissary die?"
Reprimanded by Tyrande, Maiev panicked. She dared not look Tyrande in the eye and stammered:
"It was my fault. I will pray to the Moon Goddess for forgiveness, and I am willing to take full responsibility."
Tyrande snorted coldly, saying with exasperation:
"How can you bear the death of the Emissary? Maiev, you have disappointed me greatly. You must find the murderer of the Emissary before I can plead with the Moon Goddess to try to reduce your crime. I will give you three days."
"Your Excellency Tyrande," Maiev pleaded frantically, "The murderer has vanished without a trace. We don't even know how he infiltrated the Temple of the Moon. Please forgive us, my lord, three days is simply not enough time."
The other priests and guards also pleaded with Tyrande. In Maiev's and the guards' view, finding the murderer was impossible; they had no idea that the murderer had not yet escaped from the Temple of the Moon.
Tyrande waved her hand, looking heartbroken, and said, "Maiev, you are my good sister and my most trusted subordinate. I'll let this mistake slide for now, but the murderer of the Emissary must be found. Alright, I will help you."
Seeing Maiev's grateful expression, Tyrande coldly stated, "The death of the Emissary is of great importance. In the name of the Chief Moon Goddess Priestess, I hereby declare the activation of the Tear of Elune."
Tear of Elune is an artifact guarding the Temple of the Moon, and it cannot be touched lightly. Even Tyrande does not have the right to use it; she must obtain the unanimous consent of all the priests of the Moon Goddess.
With the death of the Emissary at hand, and Tyrande activating Tear of Elune in the name of helping Maiev, the Priests of the Moon Goddess had no objections and quickly reached an agreement.
Unfortunately, Tyrande made a mistake unintentionally; she didn't know that Illidan was hiding in the ceiling above her, disguising himself with magic like a chameleon.
Tyrande's performance did not escape Illidan's notice. When he heard that Tyrande was going to use the Tear of Elune, Illidan felt a chill in his heart, and his last bit of affection for Tyrande vanished.
Illidan, like Xavius, knew about the Tear of Elune. Once the power of the Emerald Dream enveloped the Temple of the Moon, he would no longer be able to hide. He had no confidence in fighting against this artifact bestowed upon him by the Moon Goddess herself.
The greatest sorrow is a broken heart; the person is still the same, but the love is gone.
Illidan calmed down completely and began to reflect on his situation.
We absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom; at this moment, there is only one path before us.
Tyrande was kidnapped.
To avenge the messenger of Emissary, Maiev would be more than happy to kill Tyrande as well.
But Tyrande is, after all, the Chief Priestess of the Temple of the Moon. To survive, she will definitely try to find a way to save herself; this is the only hope of escaping the Temple of the Moon.
Tyrande has already sent someone to retrieve the Tear of Elune; there's no time to hesitate.
Illidan descended from the sky like a great bird, swift as the wind, his right hand firmly gripping Tyrande's neck.
Tyrande's face showed horror. She hadn't expected Illidan to be hiding in the ceiling. She wanted to try the same trick again, but when she saw Illidan's cold gaze, she knew she could no longer move Illidan.
"Release Lady Tyrande!" Maiev, leading the temple guards and the Priests of the Moon Goddess, surrounded Illidan.
Illidan ignored Maiev; he only spoke to Tyrande.
"Honorable Priest of the Moon Goddess, do not attempt to cast the Veil of the Moon Goddess. Although the Moon Goddess Veil is indestructible, it can only protect the surface of your body. My magical power has already penetrated your body, and the Moon Goddess Veil can no longer protect you."
Tyrande's neck was gripped by Illidan, rendering her speechless; she could only convey her understanding through her eyes.
"Very well, Your Excellency Moon Goddess Priest, you may now issue orders to your subordinates. I look forward to your performance."
Illidan embraced Tyrande from behind, his right hand resting on her back.
"Illidan, this is betrayal!" Maiev shouted. "You have killed the noble Emissary the gods! The Moon Goddess will not forgive you! Release Lady Tyrande now and beg for forgiveness from the Moon Goddess!"
Illidan just chuckled. He couldn't reveal to Maiev that Tyrande was an accomplice, otherwise Tyrande would lose any chance of saving herself.
At this moment, Tyrande remained remarkably calm; her mind was racing. She coughed and said:
"I think this is very likely a misunderstanding. Although Illidan is hiding in the Temple of the Moon, it doesn't prove he's the murderer. Illidan, I'll give you a chance to explain yourself. Please tell everyone, are you the murderer of the messenger of the Emissary?"
Illidan paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Of course not."
Tyrande narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze sharpening. "But you're lurking in the Temple of the Moon; you're the prime suspect." Seeing Maiev hesitate, Tyrande spoke first:
"I will not allow Illidan to leave the Temple of the Moon until he is completely cleared of suspicion, even if it costs me my life. Remember this, Maiev. This is the Chief Moon Goddess Priestess's order. If Illidan tries to leave by force, you must kill us all."
Soon a Priest brought the Tear of Elune. This dangerous item was only safe in the hands of the Moon Goddess, so only half of the arm could be brought over.
Staring at the dangerous aura emanating from Tear of Elune, Illidan's expression turned serious. He tightened his grip on Tyrande's arm, and although Tyrande was having difficulty breathing, her expression remained unchanged as she earnestly instructed him:
"Maiev, remember, the moment Illidan leaves the Temple of the Moon, immediately use the Tear of Elune. Do not worry about my safety; for the sake of Moon Goddess, I am willing to give my life at any time."
Maiev took the arm holding Tear of Elune and nodded solemnly:
"I will."
Illidan frowned slightly; he had no idea what Tyrande, this cunning woman, was thinking.
"Now, Illidan, come to my room. We need to talk alone. I need to confirm if you are the murderer. Maiev, you must stand guard at the door." Tyrande remained calm and in control of the situation.
Illidan, having kidnapped Tyrande, entered her room, casually cast a sound-blocking spell, and asked:
"Tyrande, you disgust me. I helped you kill that so-called Emissary, but you cut off my escape route. You want to kill me."
Tyrande no longer concealed anything; she revealed a chilling smile:
"That's right, Illidan, this is my purpose. I liked you at first, but I quickly realized we weren't right for each other. It was because of our special relationship that I became the Priest of the Moon Goddess and rose through the ranks. Now you're about to escape my control, and I can only maintain the power I've worked so hard to gain by controlling you with the Tear of Elune."
Illidan was stunned for a long time. "So that's how it is, it was all a conspiracy by the Moon Goddess."
Tyrande nodded and chuckled, "The Moon Goddess greatly admires you. Only you can stand against Queen Azshara. Unfortunately, you are unruly and blindly arrogant, like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins. That's why we have to resort to some means."
"Illidan, be smart. Don't fight against the Moon Goddess. You are no match for her. Killing the Emissary is nothing. As long as you are willing to serve the Moon Goddess, you will receive Moon Goddess rewards. Everything you desire will come to you, including me, Maiev, and even all the Moon Goddess Priestess."
Tyrande's eyes were full of allure.
Illidan suddenly realized that Tyrande at this moment was no different from those cunning Demons he had killed before.