The carefully selected and doctored "fragments" of Shadow Fox's confession flew like poisoned hidden weapons toward the already fragile bonds of trust among the Five Demonic Sects.
At a secret Underground Trade Gathering, Elder Fire Crow, Yan Luo's trusted confidant in the Demonflame Sect, "unexpectedly" received an anonymous Image-Recording Jade Slip. In it, Shadow Fox's face had been blurred and his voice slightly altered as he "confessed" with "tears streaming down his face." He attributed the attack's failure chiefly to "Fairy Lianhua of the Joyful Union Sect insisting on striking during the celebration, making the target far too conspicuous," and "the Ghost Spirit Sect providing inferior deathsworn, while Venerable Bone Nether begrudged deploying his true elites." He spoke highly of the Thousand Illusions Sect's illusion support and the Spirit Controlling Sect's spirit beasts holding the enemy in check, but barely mentioned the "precious talismans" supplied by the Demonflame Sect, saying only that their "effects fell short of expectations." Toward the end, the jade slip also vaguely suggested that Venerable Bone Nether had considerable grievances against Yan Luo, considering him "petty and incapable of achieving great things," while showing every intention of drawing the Thousand Illusions Sect and the Spirit Controlling Sect closer.
"Bastards! This is outrageous!" Elder Fire Crow flew into a rage and immediately presented the jade slip to Yan Luo. Yan Luo already harbored resentment over the talismans and was dissatisfied with the Ghost Spirit Sect and the Joyful Union Sect because his businesses had repeatedly come under attack. Seeing such a "confession" now only fanned the flames of his fury. "Well, well! That old bone ghost, that bitch Lianhua! They're incompetent themselves, yet they blame me! And the Thousand Illusions Sect and Spirit Controlling Sect get to wash their hands of everything! We'd be better off without