Kaelen Vance withdrew his Divine Sense from the upper volcanic strata, letting his perception settle back into the quiet lava tube.
He reached for his porcelain cup, taking a slow sip of the warm jasmine tea.
“Auditor General Jiang is dead,” Kaelen said, his voice quiet in the dim cavern.
Princess Valeria froze, her silver hairpin trembling in her fingers. “Jiang? The High Auditor from the Central Dynasty Censorate?”
“His corpse is sealed in a lead-lined vault behind Furnace Warden Krahl’s iron bedframe,” Kaelen replied smoothly. “Preserved in cold spirit-ice. In his hands is a cracked jade cylinder with the imperial vermilion seal.”
Valeria’s face hardened with cold, royal fury.
“Five years ago, Auditor Jiang was dispatched by the Imperial Censorate to audit the Western Marches,” Valeria said, her knuckles turning white against the slate table. “He was legendary in the capital for his incorruptible nature. He brought down three corrupt dukes in the Eastern Border without accepting a single copper coin.”
She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
