Of course, the versions invented by the Xianzhou's storytellers varied wildly. Aside from the claim that Jingliu had defected, some even said she had married, had children, and retired to a quiet life in the countryside.
But none of those versions could explain in detail where Jingliu was now.
The disappearance of this Luofu Sword Champion really was suspicious.
There had been no word of her for centuries. Had she been one of the short-life species, she would have long since reached the end of her lifespan.
As one of the long-life species, Jingliu theoretically had an unlimited lifespan, but even she could not escape becoming mara-struck.
Judging by how much time had passed, if Jingliu was still alive, she would have long since reached the age when mara struck.
So the version in which she had defected after becoming mara-struck might well have been the truth.
If a Sword Champion fell to mara and wanted to flee, could the Judges and Nether Envoys of the Ten-Lords Commission stop her?
If she was the one who had brought back this Stellaron, then all the surviving members of the High-Cloud Quintet had gathered aboard the Xianzhou Luofu.
Perhaps Jing Yuan had guessed that the suspect was his respected mentor, Jingliu, and had therefore chosen to conceal it.
If all of Chu Mu's guesses were correct, then why had Jingliu done all this?
Could the former Luofu Sword Champion really want to overthrow the Xianzhou she had once protected?
The contrast was simply too stark.
If she truly hated the Xianzhou, she could have gone on a killing spree back then instead of choosing to flee and disappear for so many years.
Once mara struck, the urge to kill was difficult to control. Clearly, Jingliu had not wanted to return to the