As dusk deepened, the lights of East Pole City had just begun to glow, while the harbor district remained as clamorous as ever.
Chen Qing arrived at Tianbao Supreme Sect's residence in East Pole City.
In the past, he had still needed Elder Deng Ziheng to lead him. Now, he could stand on his own, ranked third among the True Disciples and serving as a pillar of the sect.
Not long after he took his seat in the arranged reception hall, hurried footsteps sounded outside.
"True Disciple Chen!"
Deacon Huang Mei almost ran inside. She bowed deeply, her tone heavy. "This subordinate failed to welcome you from afar, and even more... failed to protect Elder Deng properly, resulting in the elder's death and tremendous losses for the sect. This subordinate deserves death a thousand times over. I beg True Disciple to punish me!"
Chen Qing looked at the travel-worn Huang Mei, whose eyes were faintly red, and knew that she had been under immense pressure during this time.
He waved his hand. "There is no need for this, Deacon Huang. The incident came too suddenly; it was not your fault. The most urgent matter is to uncover the truth, so as to console Elder Deng's spirit in heaven. Sit and speak. Tell me everything you know, exactly as it happened."
Seeing that Chen Qing did not blame her, Huang Mei felt somewhat relieved, though her expression remained grave.
She sat down as instructed, drew a deep breath, and began her account.
"Reporting to True Disciple, beginning two months ago, the Treasure Ships traveling to and from resource sites such as Shattered Star Island began encountering mishaps one after another. At first, there were merely small-scale disturbances, and the losses were not great. But over the past ten days, the situation