Chapter One Hundred and Eight
A thoughtful and worried look appeared in Feng Yin's eyes. Back then, the Three-Headed Fire Dragon had suffered great damage to its Demonic Power in order to help her refine and absorb the Divine Pill. Moreover, the Nine Nether Purgatory harbored those scheming Demons. She had no idea what had happened to him and Bi Bo, or whether they were safe now.
And what about Yuan Qi? As the son of a True God, the people closest to him were in Purple Moon Mountain. Could it be that he didn’t know Purple Moon Mountain had been sealed, or that San Huo and Bi Bo’s fates were unknown? It seemed she would have to personally visit Clear Pond Palace.
Feng Yin lowered her gaze, a trace of contemplation appearing on her face.
"A Jiu, let’s set aside the matter of Purple Moon Mountain for now. The reason I asked to meet you today is to ask you to temporarily set aside your prejudice against the Immortal Tribe and investigate the truth behind the assassination of His Majesty Sen Jian," Feng Yin began.
Hong Yi was taken aback, his eyes narrowing slightly. "His Majesty’s death was settled back then. It was Yu Feng who did it."
"A Jiu, His Majesty Sen Jian’s death was very suspicious. I suspect he wasn’t killed by Venerable Yu Feng."
"The Heavy Purple Hall was filled with the sword aura of a High Immortal, and His Majesty’s chest was pierced by Yu Feng’s immortal sword," Hong Yi said, his expression darkening. "If it wasn’t him, then who? Do you have evidence to prove it wasn’t Yu Feng?"
Hong Yi’s prejudice against the Immortal Tribe ran too deep. If it weren’t Feng Yin saying this today, he probably wouldn’t have listened to a single word.
"I don’t have evidence yet, but I believe that given Venerable Yu Feng’s character, even if he wanted to kill His Majesty Sen Jian, he would have openly challenged him to a duel, not sneak into the Heavy Purple Hall to assassinate him. Moreover, he has always valued harmony between the Immortal and Demon Tribes. Why would he suddenly assassinate His Majesty Sen Jian and stir up conflict between the two tribes?"
"A Yin, appearances can be deceiving. If the Immortal Tribe were truly so upright and honorable, they wouldn’t have invaded the Demon Tribe back then and caused the deaths of my father and mother," Hong Yi’s voice grew colder.
"Although I don’t have direct evidence, I’ve always had doubts." Feng Yin knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince Hong Yi that Sen Jian’s death wasn’t Yu Feng’s doing, but she still explained patiently. "Although Venerable Yu Feng possesses profound Immortal Power, he is only at the peak of High Lord level and hasn’t attained Divine Attainment. With his Immortal Power, how could he have killed His Majesty Sen Jian alone?"
Hong Yi shook his head. "A Yin, you don’t know this. Back when my aunt was killed by a Demon, His Majesty Sen Jian secretly searched for traces of that Demon to avenge her. He once fought a great battle with that Demon outside Purple Moon Mountain. Unfortunately, he lost. Not only did the Demon escape, but it also injured his Demon Core. That’s why, when I was captured by the High Immortals of the Heavenly Palace back then, he refused to let Sen Yu come to the Heavenly Palace to rescue me."
This was something she had never heard before. Sen Jian was the emperor of the Demon Tribe, and there had always been deep-seated animosity between the two tribes. For the safety of the Demon Tribe, he certainly wouldn’t have let the Immortal Tribe know he was injured.
"No wonder back then, you and Sen Yu only needed to see an immortal sword to conclude that Venerable Yu Feng killed His Majesty Sen Jian," Feng Yin frowned. "A Jiu, since that Demon was able to injure His Majesty Sen Jian back then, it’s entirely possible it returned to the Heavy Purple Hall to assassinate him."
"A Yin, don’t forget, besides the immortal sword, Immortal Qi was also left in the Heavy Purple Hall. Even if a Demon could steal Yu Feng’s immortal sword, how could a Demon wield Immortal Power?"
"That’s precisely why I wanted to see you today." Feng Yin spoke slowly. Seeing Hong Yi’s puzzled expression, she said solemnly, "I suspect someone within the Immortal Tribe colluded with a Demon to steal Venerable Yu Feng’s immortal sword, assassinate His Majesty Sen Jian, frame Venerable Yu Feng, and deliberately stir up conflict between the two tribes."Hong Yi's expression froze for a moment before turning solemn. "Ah Yin, are you saying someone among the Immortal Tribe colluded with the Demon Tribe?"
"Yes."
"Why would you think that?" Hong Yi raised an eyebrow. "Is it the Celestial Emperor's speculation?"
Feng Yin shook her head, her gaze distant. "Back when I helped Sen Yu rescue you from the Immortal Locking Pagoda, I was injured by Venerable Yu Feng. Yuan Qi sentenced me to the Nine Heavens Thunder Punishment."
Guilt flashed in Hong Yi's eyes. "Ah Yin, back then I..."
The greatest regret of Hong Yi's life was leaving Ah Yin alone in the Heavenly Palace to suffer injustice. He had thought Yuan Qi would protect her, never expecting Yuan Qi to abandon her and even allow Hua Shu to inflict six heavenly thunder strikes upon her...
"It wasn't your fault." Feng Yin lowered her eyes. "Back in Rakshasa Land, I didn't have time to tell you. When Venerable Yu Feng tried to stop you, he accidentally injured me. Feeling guilty and fearing I wouldn't survive the thunder punishment, he personally entered Phoenix Roost Palace to heal me, using his Innate Immortal Essence." Feng Yin looked at Hong Yi. "If he had planned to assassinate the Demon Emperor all along, why would he heal me at such a critical moment, damaging his own Immortal Power?"
Hong Yi was stunned. Having been Demon Emperor for a thousand years, he immediately spotted the flaw in Sen Jian's assassination.
Ah Yin's injury and Sen Jian's assassination were only days apart. Even if Sen Jian was killed by the Demon Tribe, Yu Feng had also used his foundational Immortal Power—he couldn't possibly have had strength left to assassinate Sen Jian. Yet his immortal sword appeared in Heavy Purple Hall, and Sen Jian indeed died by Immortal Power. There was only one possibility...
"Back then, there truly was an Immortal in Heavy Purple Hall, but it wasn't Yu Feng." Hong Yi spoke gravely, anger slowly rising in his eyes. "Someone among the Immortals deliberately framed him."
Feng Yin nodded. "Back then, only I knew Venerable Yu Feng had damaged his Immortal Power. I was bearing heavy punishment, so his healing me couldn't be disclosed. Before I could testify for him, I dissipated in Rakshasa Land. The suspicion of assassinating the Demon Emperor has haunted him for a thousand years."
Although the Immortal Tribe believed Yu Feng back then, his immortal sword had indeed appeared in Heavy Purple Hall. Many Immortal Sects still doubted him, believing his personal ambition had stirred conflict between the two tribes. Unable to prove his innocence, Venerable Yu Feng ceased governing the Heavenly Palace after the Rakshasa Land battle, allowing Hua Shu to rise to power.
"Then do you suspect anyone?" Hong Yi, thinking how he had been used back then, wished he could immediately find that Immortal.
"I do, but it's hard to conclude." Feng Yin said, "Although Emperor Sen Jian was injured back then, he was after all a High God. The Immortal who could kill him must have been at least at the peak of High Lord level. The Sect Leaders of various factions and the other three High Venerables of the Heavenly Palace all had the capability. Too many could have done it, making it difficult to pinpoint."
Hong Yi frowned. "So there's essentially no clue at all."
A glimmer of wisdom appeared in Feng Yin's eyes. "This matter may lack clues, but there are always flaws elsewhere."
Hong Yi raised an eyebrow.
"Emperor Sen Jian wasn't the first to die under unclear circumstances." A cold glint flashed in Feng Yin's eyes. "High Lord Lanfeng was."Back when Lanfeng Supreme Lord was about to be married, he was killed in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos on his wedding day. All evidence pointed to Hong Yi, leading the immortals of the Heavenly Palace to pursue him to Great Marsh Mountain. At that time, Hong Yi was undergoing a tribulation within the mountain, with two senior sect leaders as witnesses, so the immortals had no choice but to relent. However, the Mirror of Worldly Truth clearly showed that the one who killed Lanfeng in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos was indeed a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, using the Demon Tribe’s Supreme Treasure, the Nirvana Wheel. The Mirror of Worldly Truth only speaks the truth. At that time, some High Immortals suspected that the Fox King Chang Qin had killed Lanfeng. Later, the Demon Tribe’s Second Prince Sen Yu proved that Chang Qin had already died at the hands of the Demon Tribe before that, even presenting her Demon Core as evidence. The world speculated that there might be a third Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, but the Fox race firmly denied having such a member. Thus, Lanfeng’s death fell into a dead end.
Today, Feng Yin wanted to see Hong Yi precisely because of that Nine-Tailed Fox Demon in the Mirror of Worldly Truth.
Perhaps there was a third Nine-Tailed Fox Demon even the Fox race was unaware of, but the Demon Tribe’s Supreme Treasure, the Nirvana Wheel, could not possibly fall into the hands of an outsider.
The world only knew that the Nirvana Wheel belonged to the Fox race’s tribal chief. Back then, when the immortals saw Hong Yi summon the Nirvana Wheel at Great Marsh Mountain, they assumed the fox demon who killed Lanfeng had disguised the Demon Artifact to frame the Fox race, never considering another possibility.
The Nirvana Wheel was a twin Demon Artifact. Apart from Chang Qin and Hong Yi, the only one in the world who knew this secret was the Fox King’s close friend, the Celestial Emperor Feng Ran. After Feng Yin awoke, Feng Ran told her this secret.
“Hong Yi,” Feng Yin looked at him, “the Fox race’s Nirvana Wheel is a twin Demon Artifact, isn’t it?”
Hong Yi was momentarily stunned, then straightened slightly, his lips tightening as a profound, inscrutable look flashed in his eyes.
Feng Yin had not called him A Jiu, but the Demon Emperor. The chaos between the immortal and demon tribes back then involved not only the deaths of Lanfeng and Chang Qin but also led to the fall of the entire Great Marsh Mountain sect. In uncovering the truth of those events, Feng Yin would not tolerate any loopholes.
Hong Yi sighed and nodded. “The Nirvana Wheel is the Fox King’s protective artifact. There have always been two, belonging to the tribal chief and the next successor. Legend has it that when the Fox race’s strongest, the Ten-Tailed Heavenly Fox, is born, refining and absorbing both Nirvana Wheels will transform them into Divine Artifacts.”
A thousand years ago, when Lanfeng died, Hong Yi was still undergoing his tribulation at Great Marsh Mountain. The other Nirvana Wheel was in the hands of the Fox King Chang Qin.
“You’ve always suspected that the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon who killed High Lord Lanfeng in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos back then was Chief Chang Qin, haven’t you?” Feng Yin suddenly asked.
Hong Yi’s hand, holding the wine cup, paused slightly, but he remained silent.
“Although Sen Yu brought back Chief Chang Qin’s Demon Core, you knew the Nirvana Wheel would not recognize a new master. No one but Chief Chang Qin could use it. You suspected that the Nine-Tailed Fox who killed High Lord Lanfeng in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos was Chief Chang Qin, which is why you went alone to Purple Moon Mountain to find the Demon who had bewitched you back then. You wanted to confirm Chief Chang Qin’s fate, didn’t you?” Feng Yin spoke slowly, her gaze unwavering on Hong Yi.
All the turmoil began with Lanfeng’s death. As long as Chang Qin was found, they would know what truly happened in the Nine Heavens back then, unraveling the source of everything.
After a long while, Hong Yi nodded, a resolute gleam appearing in his eyes. “Only my aunt and I can use the Nirvana Wheel. Although Sen Yu brought back my aunt’s Demon Core, Lanfeng’s death occurred after he brought it back. My aunt might still be alive.”When Lan Feng died, Hong Yi was undergoing his heavenly tribulation at Great Marsh Mountain. After that came his demonic transformation and the massacre of the mountain. Later, he was trapped in the Immortal Locking Pagoda until Sen Yu rescued him and brought him back to the Fox race. Only then did he learn of Chang Qin and Lan Feng's deaths, and he immediately sensed something amiss, but he told no one. If Lan Feng had truly been killed by Chang Qin, the Immortal Tribe would surely seek to eliminate his aunt without delay. He had to find his aunt first to uncover the truth. But when he rushed from Rakshasa Land to Purple Moon Mountain, he discovered that Purple Moon Mountain had been sealed off, cutting off even this sole lead.
"With Purple Moon Mountain sealed, the Demon Tribe vanished without a trace. Sen Yu and I spent a thousand years searching but never found a way to enter Purple Moon Mountain."
Hong Yi distrusted the Immortal Tribe and could not let anyone know that Chang Qin might still be alive. He had searched for Chang Qin for a thousand years, with only Sen Yu aware of it.
"You don't know who that Demon is, but someone does," Feng Yin said.
"Who?" Hong Yi raised an eyebrow. "Are you referring to that Immortal who might have colluded with the Demon Tribe?"
"Exactly," Feng Yin nodded. "Back then, High Lord Lan Feng was killed in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos, but that day was his wedding day. Why would he suddenly go to the Hall of Imperial Cosmos right before his wedding? The Hall of Imperial Cosmos is sealed by the Celestial Emperor's power. No one can enter except him, unless that person had his trust and was brought in by him."
Hong Yi pondered, "Who could summon Lan Feng away on his wedding day and be personally escorted by him into the Hall of Imperial Cosmos?"
"I need to go to the Heavenly Palace," Feng Yin's voice rang out.
Hong Yi looked at her.
"As long as something was done, traces must remain. If we thoroughly investigate the Immortal Attendants on duty in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos back then, clues are bound to emerge."
Hong Yi frowned, "Ah Yin, now that Yu Feng has withdrawn from worldly affairs, the Heavenly Palace is managed by the other three High Immortals and Hua Shu. If you rashly go to the Heavenly Palace to investigate the events of that year, I fear Hua Shu might..."
"What about her?" Feng Yin laughed, a faint trace of authority flashing in her eyes. "A mere High Immortal in charge of the Four Seas dares to trouble this Sovereign?"
Hong Yi was taken aback. He couldn't help but look at Feng Yin again, realizing that the woman before him, always calm and composed, was the Phoenix Sovereign of Wutong Phoenix Island, not the Little Immortal Beast Ayin who once needed his protection.
He sighed quietly, unsure whether it was melancholy or sorrow.
His Ayin was truly gone forever.
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