Meanwhile.
In a top-floor room at the Xijiang Moon Inn, Jiaoren Bai Liuli soaked in a bathtub. Her lower body had turned back into a fish tail upon touching the water and swayed gently beneath it, while her upper body rested against a small table across the rim as she read.
She was not reading the Inquisition's gospel, but an ancient Chinese text annotated in Latin: Lu Gong's Secret Record, none other than the Gongshu Family's closely guarded secret!
On the table lay a similarly annotated copy of the Ink Classic and a handwritten book entirely in Latin, Human Anatomy.
The Latin handwriting in all three books was identical. Bai Liuli understood both languages and read attentively.
At this moment, she had removed her mask, revealing an exceptionally beautiful face-only her face was entirely free of scales, flawless and perfect. Silver scales grew to varying degrees across her body, but they were fine and smooth, natural and harmonious, and did nothing to diminish her beauty.
"Xia'er."
Bai Liuli called softly without looking up from her book.
"My lady."
The only female knight among the knights opened the door and entered. Her long, fiery red hair was tied in a ponytail that hung naturally behind her head, swaying with her steps like dancing flames.
After entering, Xia'er half-closed her right hand, placed it against her chest, and bowed.
Bai Liuli turned a page. "It's noisy outside. What happened?"
Xia'er answered respectfully, "Members of the Gongshu Family Clan clashed with another person from the Central Plains. They seemed to be fighting over an item."
Bai Liuli raised an eyebrow. "The Gongshu Family... puppets?"
Xia'er nodded. "Yes."
Bai Liuli asked, "Ordinary puppets, or 'Raphael'?"
A mocking smile flashed across Xia'er's face. "Only ordinary puppets. How could they compare to Raphael?"
"True," Bai Liuli