"With this, the matters on the Luofu can be considered resolved," Huaiyan said, his voice grave.
"However... I'm more concerned about the mastermind behind all of this."
After concluding their discussion about Lumina, the three Generals neither dismissed her nor did she leave.
Because she still had one task to complete:
To pin the blame squarely on someone else.
Following Huaiyan's words, Lumina stroked the Phantylia Kitten nestled in her arms and declared, "From the Ambrosial Arbor disaster to the recent Borisin rebellion and prison break, all these events are inextricably linked to the Lord Ravager Phantylia."
Phantylia Kitten: ?
The Phantylia Kitten, who had been lounging in Lumina's arms, suddenly perked up at these words, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
She lifted her head slightly, gazing at Lumina with bewildered curiosity.
Who? Who are you talking about?
Who did you say was behind the Borisin rebellion and prison break?
Perhaps having grown accustomed to Lumina's embrace, the Phantylia Kitten's former majesty and cunning as a Lord Ravager had completely vanished. Her face now wore an expression of guileless innocence.
"That's right," Huaiyan nodded gravely. "The Lord Ravager Phantylia—she's the mastermind behind all the chaos on the Luofu."
Phantylia Kitten: ?
Phantylia Kitten stared at Huaiyan with an expression reserved for idiots, wondering if the old man's brain had short-circuited.
This cat has been by Lumina's side for months, never leaving her. Yet now, out of nowhere, I'm suddenly the mastermind?
Are you insane?
Too afraid to confront Lumina directly, so you're just pinning the blame on someone else?
As Phantylia Kitten pondered, she finally understood.
These cowards must have discovered Lumina was the true culprit. But given her power and contributions to the Luofu, they didn't dare move against her directly.
So they're pinning this absurd, massive blame on the scapegoat for the previous disaster.
Phantylia Kitten's conviction hardened, and a flicker of contempt flashed in her eyes as she gazed at the three Generals.
If that's the case, she thought, the Xianzhou Alliance should just rename itself the Coward Alliance.
"Indeed," Huaiyan confirmed, "Phantylia manipulated Borisin into infiltrating the Xianzhou and incited the Luofu Preceptors to join the Sanctus Medicus Remnants."
"Though none of her plans succeeded, I sense she may never have cared whether they succeeded in the first place..."
Feixiao nodded, her head lowered, palm pressed against her lips as she pondered aloud.
"..."
My heavens, even calling them the "Coward Alliance" seems too generous. They should just be called the "Idiot Alliance" instead.
Phantylia Kitten revised her assessment of the Xianzhou Alliance, deepening the contempt in her eyes.
"Hmm? This cat..." The three Generals were no ordinary individuals. They naturally detected Phantylia Kitten's undisguised disdain.
Feixiao stared at the kitten for a moment before voicing her puzzlement.
"Mm, pay it no mind." Sensing Feixiao's gaze, Lumina gently stroked Phantylia Kitten's head, signaling her to restrain herself and not be so ostentatious.
Even if you want to sneer, at least tone down your expression! It's far too blatant.
Even though Lumina merely held the kitten in her arms and couldn't see its expression, she could feel the palpable contempt radiating from every inch of Phantylia Kitten's body.
Lumina understood what Phantylia Kitten was thinking, but she couldn't entirely blame the Xianzhou party. After all, their opponent was herself—it was only natural they hadn't seen through her plans.
Moreover, Lumina had intentionally or unintentionally left traces of Phantylia's residual aura at the scene, making it only natural that the three Generals' gaze would fix on Phantylia.
Thinking this to herself, Lumina offered an explanation, "This cat was born wild, so its temperament might be a bit... irritable and disdainful of people."
"Please hope the three Generals do not mind."
"I see," the Generals nodded in unison, seemingly not discovering anything unusual about Phantylia Kitten.
This was entirely as expected.
Lumina had personally crafted Phantylia Kitten's physical form and deliberately concealed her aura. If anyone could see through her disguise, she'd sooner bash her head against a frozen block of tofu.
Well... March 7th doesn't count.
She hadn't seen through the disguise; she'd merely guessed... so that definitely didn't count.
Prophets are forbidden from participating in guessing games!
"Sister Lumina, your Little Kitten... hmm, she seems surprisingly perceptive," Feixiao remarked.
As Lumina had said, Feixiao hadn't uncovered Phantylia Kitten's identity, but the undisguised contempt in her gaze had revealed something else.
"Homeless, wandering everywhere. When hungry, it would scavenge for food in trash cans; when thirsty, it would seek out water sources, drinking dirty water when no other options were available..."
"Having witnessed every facet of life under such harsh conditions, it naturally gained a deep understanding of human nature."
Lumina gently stroked the Phantylia Kitten's head in her arms, her voice filled with warmth and tender pity.
Even Lumina couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the Phantylia Kitten's harsh experiences.
Phantylia Kitten: ?
???
This wretched woman has already scripted my entire tragic backstory, hasn't she?
The Phantylia Kitten slowly carved out a question mark in its mind, silently grumbling inwardly.
But outwardly, it showed no resistance or dissatisfaction. Instead, it followed Lumina's narrative with a "happy" meow.
"Meow~"
By now, Phantylia Kitten had completely figured out Lumina's personality.
The more you resisted, the more excited she became.
The more you obeyed, the more excited she became.
So why choose the excitement of obedience when both paths led to the same result?
Because the excitement of resistance was the thrill she derived from toying with others.
But the excitement of obedience came from the inner satisfaction and pleasure she felt.
These two were fundamentally different, and the treatment you received varied accordingly.
At this moment, Phantylia Kitten had completely abandoned any thought of escaping.
Staying with Lumina meant never worrying about food, drink, or fear of anyone.
As for the so-called "majesty" of a Lord Ravager and the so-called "aesthetics of Destruction"?
Phantylia Kitten found them utterly trivial.
After all, by Lumina's side, she could witness countless things far more beautiful than the aesthetics of Destruction...
And what might those things be?
Meow~ Do I really need to explain?