The bamboo deer made from summer-green bamboo filled with water. Once it was full, it clacked against the floor.
Cool spring water splashed everywhere, and then the bamboo tube sprang back up, pointing high into the air.
The entire sleeping palace had been reduced to ruins.
The suit Xia Hongmian wore was undamaged, but it was stained with plenty of blood.
She glanced down, then casually took off her jacket. She had meant to toss it on the ground, but when she saw Suzuka Momoka's abdomen blown open and her body disemboweled, she let out an almost imperceptible sigh and covered the corpse with her suit.
Xia Hongmian had won the battle that had just erupted.
She had come prepared, and Tachibana Chidou had already been gravely wounded by the Dragon Girl deity. On top of that, Chidou had been unwilling to fight to the death, so Xia Hongmian had won without too much trouble.
The only problem was that she had come all this way for nothing.
There was no Dragon Pearl inside Suzuka Momoka, the Great Yao shrine maiden.
There wasn't one anywhere nearby, either!
That made no sense!
"Where did it go?"
Xia Hongmian furrowed her brow. She had only glanced at Suzuka Momoka's corpse, without examining it closely, but her perception was sharp enough to confirm that the Dragon Pearl was gone.
Or rather, the most primordial Life Source Quality formed after the Dragon Girl deity's death...
was gone!
Xia Hongmian lowered her head in thought.
She was certain no outsiders had entered Dragon Palace Island besides her and Lin Baici's team.
Had Suzuka Momoka—or Tachibana Chidou—made some arrangement beforehand?
Xia Hongmian shook her head.
That was unlikely!
Otherwise, Tachibana Chidou wouldn't have fought so desperately. As for Suzuka Momoka, she was already dead. If she