Mo Han heard this and nodded, saying, “I know, but the situation is critical now. We have no choice but to try; otherwise, there will be absolutely no hope left. We can adapt as we go then.”

Hearing Mo Han’s explanation, the Elven Queen pondered for a moment before nodding. “It seems that is all we can do for now. I truly hope there will be results. Alas… the Elven race has always striven to avoid entanglement in worldly disputes, yet in the end, we cannot escape. To think such a thing has actually happened—is this truly fate?” Her tone carried a thread of sorrow.

Not long after, the chief elders and several key figures of the Elven race arrived at the Elven Council Hall. Upon entering, they found the Elven Queen seated rigidly upon her throne with a cold expression. Below her sat Mo Han. These individuals were already generally aware of Anna’s kidnapping. The Elf Princess had been abducted—a matter unheard of in the Elven race for perhaps millennia. It was no wonder the Queen’s face was so grim. Consequently, once everyone was seated, they remained silent, awaiting the Queen’s next directive. Seeing that all were present, the Elven Queen spoke in a low voice, “I trust you all know why you were summoned at such a late hour? This is the note left by the Nether Race. I wish to hear your perspectives.”

After saying this, she commanded that several copies of the letter Mo Han had already seen be made and distributed among them.

The first to speak was an elder positioned near Lui, who said, “This is clearly a ploy by the Nether Race, designed solely to ignite a war between our people and the great Human Empires, thereby draining our strength. Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider this deeply.”

Before that person could finish, another elder near Airy spoke up. “But are we simply to abandon the Princess? Without the Princess, the future of the Elven race itself is equally worrying.”

Another elder aligned with Lui’s faction countered immediately, “That is merely a potential future event. However, if we mobilize troops against the Kanya Empire, our entire race will be plunged into the vortex of war. We cannot invite disaster upon the whole Elven race for the sake of one Princess, can we? I do not believe the Queen would sanction such a move.”

Just then, Airy spoke calmly, “It does not state that to rescue the Princess, we must attack the Kanya Empire. We can feign mobilization to buy ourselves more time, and then devise a plan to rescue her subsequently. I believe this is the best course of action.”

Lui heard this. He also spoke up, “Do you take the Nether Race for fools? If we proceed in that manner, the Princess will only be put in greater peril. Who will bear that responsibility? Elder Airy, will it be you?” The Elven Queen merely stared coldly at those gathered, offering no opinion of her own. Yet, seeing that these individuals had no intention of ceasing their debate, she finally spoke with a slight tone of finality, “Have you all finished arguing? I summoned you here to discuss how to rescue the Princess, not to bicker amongst yourselves.”

Though the words were light, they carried an undeniable authority that could not be ignored.

Those still entangled in fervent debate quieted instantly upon hearing the Queen’s voice, plunging the hall into stillness.

“Elder Lui, there is something I wish to inquire about, and I expect a satisfactory answer.” Seeing that silence had descended, the Elven Queen turned toward Lui and spoke slowly.

Lui seemed to have anticipated what the Queen would ask, showing no surprise. He merely responded smoothly, “Your Majesty, please proceed. If I know the answer, I will certainly reply truthfully.”

The Elven Queen then asked, “I have heard that when young Mo Han sensed the presence of the Nether Race tonight, he attempted to go and rescue the Princess. However, he was obstructed by you midway, which resulted in the loss of precious time. Is this account true? I hope you can clarify.”

Hearing the Queen’s question, all eyes turned toward Lui, including those of the elders beside him. Surprise was evident on their faces; clearly, they were unaware of these details and waited intently for Lui’s response.

Lui, however, remained unhurried and began to speak, “There has been some misunderstanding. I could not sleep tonight and decided to walk about. During my rounds, I discovered Mr. Mo Han in a confrontation with several of our Elven guards. Upon investigation, I learned that Mr. Mo Han had struck them first. Since the guards did not recognize him, they failed to respond properly, leading Mr. Mo Han to resort to violence and injure several of our sentinels.”

Lui twisted the narrative, pinning the blame squarely on Mo Han to exonerate himself. The elves in the hall showed dissatisfaction toward Mo Han upon hearing Lui’s account. Only Elder Airy and the Elven Queen seemed utterly unmoved, listening to Lui’s defense in silence.

Airy displayed no reaction because he fundamentally did not believe Lui’s version. The Elven Queen, having already heard the true account from Mo Han, felt nothing regarding Lui’s fabricated tale.

Mo Han, as the central figure, maintained a faint smile, quietly observing Lui’s impassioned performance. He had long anticipated this; he knew Lui would shift the blame onto him to clear his own name, so he was not surprised in the least.

Seeing this, Lui continued his justification, “In that event, I naturally could not inform him of the Princess’s chambers. Firstly, it was so late; it would have been inconvenient for Mr. Mo Han to seek the Princess, and it would reflect poorly on her reputation. Secondly, since he had injured our guards without cause, who knew if he might do something detrimental to the Princess? That is why I ordered him stopped. Is that also a mistake?” After finishing, Lui even adopted an air of being wrongfully accused, which made Mo Han seethe with suppressed rage, yet utterly helpless.

When Lui concluded, all focus shifted to Mo Han, eager to hear his defense. Mo Han spoke without haste, “Elder Lui has quite the energy for patrolling so late. But I told Elder Lui right at the beginning that, guided by the token of Light, I suspected the Nether Race had infiltrated our ranks and meant harm to the Princess. Yet, without distinguishing right from wrong, you sought to have me apprehended. You remember clearly what you said at that moment, don’t you?” Lui scoffed in response, “How was I to know if what you said was true at the time? That token of Light is used only by you; you can say whatever you wish. How could I know you weren't lying? Furthermore, with our Elven defenses being so meticulous, how could an outsider infiltrate so easily? Naturally, I was suspicious of your words. Who is to say this wasn’t merely an excuse for you to attempt something unfavorable to the Princess?”

Hearing Lui’s seemingly logical defense, the majority of the elves expressed understanding for Lui’s actions at that moment.

Mo Han suddenly began to laugh at this, baffling Lui, who asked, “What are you laughing at?” Mo Han smiled faintly and replied, “Nothing, I just find it strange. The Elder is absolutely correct; the Elven territory is indeed heavily fortified. With such stringent defenses, how could an outsider manage, in such a short time, not only to evade the outer perimeter guards but also to pinpoint the Princess’s exact location, accurately locate the Elven guards protecting her hidden nearby, and finally, spirit the Princess away without triggering the magical barrier? I am genuinely curious about the level of skill required for such a feat. I, possessing the strength of a Sword Saint, could not achieve this without precise intelligence. Yet the Nether Race managed it effortlessly. Do you not find that strange?” Hearing Mo Han’s words, everyone fell into contemplation. Indeed, they had been so caught up in arguing about rescue strategies that they had overlooked such a crucial clue. Now that Mo Han raised it, a large question mark appeared in everyone’s minds, and they could not fathom how the Nether Race had pulled it off. Seeing this, Mo Han continued, “No outsiders have entered the Elven Forest recently. How did the Nether Race acquire this intelligence? I suspect everyone already has a clear idea of the reason.” Upon hearing Mo Han, Airy interjected, “Are you suggesting there is a Nether Race informant within the Elven Forest?” At Airy’s words, everyone in the room gasped in horror. If Airy spoke the truth, what a terrifying prospect that would be! Everyone knew that an enemy hidden in the shadows was the most dangerous kind. If, as Mo Han suggested, there was a spy among them, the Elven race was in grave danger.

Mo Han nodded at Airy’s assertion. “Precisely. There must be an informant, and this person must hold a relatively high position, otherwise, how could they have obtained and relayed such specific details?”