Chapter 323
He acted on the thought without delay.
Upon returning to Black Cloud City with Xie Chang'an, Lin Hui skipped the welcome banquet entirely and immediately ordered his adjutant, Ouyang Yining, to compile a full report on recent incidents of Evil Weapons and Insect Canons seeking hosts throughout the surrounding regions.
The recent upheaval had exacted a brutal toll. Even the Mistborn—who had long stood at the pinnacle beyond mortal reach—had sustained heavy losses in the fighting. The data, however, told a more specific story: casualties were concentrated among Mistborn with comparatively weak Evil Energy, the majority being unaffiliated wanderers. Very few City Lord-level Mistborn had fallen; their vast reserves and countless contingencies had kept them insulated. The rare exceptions had succumbed not to combat but to Corruption—specifically, the high-tier Corruption that erupted after their cities were breached and their populations scattered, leaving no one to share the burden of decay.
While Xie Chang'an's banquet raged on the floating island, Lin Hui secluded himself on Clear Emerald Mountain, poring over the freshly delivered dossiers on Evil Energy.
"According to current intelligence, four unowned Evil Weapons and two Insect Canons are still being contested in the surrounding area. That said, the outbreak of Sea Cry pollution has gutted the intensity of all six battlefields. Once it became clear that even Mistborn cannot resist Sea Cry assimilation, most factions abandoned the fight entirely," Ouyang Yining reported, her voice low.
She stood at his side in a waist-cinching black leather outfit. The garment fit her generously, and the few black clasps across her chest looked barely adequate to the task. As his adjutant, she maintained a continuous feed of data and intelligence from the monitoring Moon Tower.
Her dedication had a personal dimension as well. She and Liu Xiao were close, and since Liu Xiao had made no secret of her efforts to push Ouyang Yining toward Lin Hui, the adjutant had her own reasons to be invested in finding a cure.
"Are the Evil Energy profiles ready?" Lin Hui asked.
"Yes. The four Evil Weapons are the Parting Saber, the Jade Emperor Kunpeng Spear, the Eternal Knot Ring, and the Shadow-Piercing Sword. The two Insect Canons are Golden Scale and Momentary Whisper."