After hearing Councilor Lan's words, Councilor Ming could not help but feel greatly dissatisfied. "What do you mean by that, Councilor Lan? From what I know of Councilor Sheng, he would never flee from battle. His Dao arts would not permit him to do such a thing."
Councilor Lan said unhurriedly, "Then how do you explain why Councilor Sheng perished first, and Councilor Duan only afterward?"
Councilor Ming retorted, "Who knew what the circumstances were at the time? And what meaning is there in dwelling on who came first? From what I saw, there was not much difference in the order of their return. How does that lead to the conclusion that they fled in battle? Besides, should we not first investigate why their form and spirit were both destroyed?"
Councilor Lan did not argue with him further. He thought to himself, Of course it matters. This time, the primary blame can be shifted onto your Lower Hall.
However, since both halls had sent people this time, the Upper Hall could not escape responsibility either. Fortunately, most of those who had suffered defeat were their own people, so there was still room to maneuver in how they explained matters to the outside.
He said, "Councilor Ming speaks of investigating the cause. Lan has already sent people to inquire. The specific circumstances should be delivered shortly."
The people Councilor Lan had sent moved swiftly. Not long after they emerged from the secret hall, they compiled the accounts given by those who had returned and submitted them.
Councilor Lan accepted the report and flipped through it. It described how Celestial Xia had launched a full-scale counterattack during the final stretch. This portion was very detailed, but what these people knew went no further than that.
The moment Myriad Immortals' Ferry had been