Chapter One Hundred Twenty
Outside the hall, Yan Shuang frowned upon hearing Qing Yi's words, glancing toward Yuan Qi seated on the imperial throne before letting out a soft sigh.
Why had Qing Yi revealed this matter ahead of time? Could it be that the moment had already arrived?
She closed her eyes, the scene from a thousand years ago still vivid as yesterday.
"Why won't you believe Ayin? She wasn't lying—Hong Yi was controlled by the Demon Tribe when he committed those wrongs. The Demon Tribe has truly emerged!"
In Clear Pond Palace, Yan Shuang's eyes were filled with blood and tears as she roared at the figure who remained silent upon the throne.
"Why won't you believe her? Why did you strip her immortal bones, expel her from the Immortal Tribe, and personally deliver her into the hands of that viper Hua Shu? Gu Jin, what exactly are you doing?"
"Fine, if you won't say anything, I'll go to the Nine-Layered Heavenly Palace and ring the Azure Dragon Bell. Those who harmed Ayin, who wronged her—I refuse to let them live comfortably as immortals in the Heavenly Palace. I'll make them regret it for the rest of their lives." Yan Shuang's hand gripping the golden whip was bleeding.
"Yan Shuang!" A sighing voice came from the throne, hoarse as if choked with blood.
Weak footsteps sounded step by step, finally stopping beside Yan Shuang.
The white-robed Immortal Lord was still stained with blood—splotches that seemed never to have faded since that day in Rakshasa Land.
He took Yan Shuang's hand and placed it upon his own wrist, his voice hoarse as if from the depths of hell.
The moment Yan Shuang touched Yuan Qi's wrist, her eyes flew open wide, disbelief flashing within them.
"It is precisely because the Demon Tribe has already emerged that I can do nothing."
"Say nothing, do nothing—preserve your life."
"Don't let Ayin..." The voice broke, almost unbearable to hear, yet it continued with firm resolve: "...die in vain."
A thousand years later, in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos, Qing Yi's voice overlapped with that broken voice from the past in Yan Shuang's ears. She opened her eyes, her gaze resolute and clear, turning once more toward the great hall.
"Reinvestigate the Great Marsh Mountain incident?" Yu Feng was the first to break the suffocating silence in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos, speaking with a hint of reluctance. "Immortal Lord Qing Yi, are you suggesting there were other reasons behind the Great Marsh Mountain turmoil back then?"
Qing Yi nodded. Before he could speak, Hua Shu beside him had already cast a cold glance toward Chang Yun. "Immortal Lord Qing Yi, what other explanation could there be? Back then, eleven High Immortals of the Heavenly Palace personally witnessed that demon fox pursuing you, and the entire sect of Great Marsh Mountain was slaughtered by his own hand. Could all of that be false?"
The tragic memory of Great Marsh Mountain's complete annihilation still stirred unease to this day. Hua Shu's blunt and forceful recounting of past events caused the two figures upon the imperial throne to abruptly darken their expressions.
Qing Yi's expression also turned cold. He looked at Hua Shu and slowly replied, "What the High Venerable says is not false—it is indeed true."
His stern demeanor made Hua Shu's heart tighten with anger. "If it's true, then what is there to investigate? Our Immortal Tribe will eventually invade the Demon Realm to avenge the blood debt of your sect."
"Since the High Venerable mentions it, it was I who was pursued by the Demon Emperor back then, and my mountain sect that was slaughtered. Why can I not stand here today and speak of what truly happened?"
Qing Yi's expression grew slightly colder, a hint of mockery in his gaze toward Hua Shu. "The justice for Great Marsh Mountain shall be decided by my martial uncle. High Venerable Hua Shu, disciples of Great Marsh Mountain still remain. There is no need for the High Venerable to trouble herself."Hua Shu's face flushed with anger. Seeing Yuan Qi's slightly cold gaze directed her way, she dared not offend Qing Yi further and could only sweep her sleeves as she took her seat.
Seeing that she would no longer argue, Qing Yi cupped his hands and looked toward Yu Feng and the other High Venerables. "Esteemed High Venerables, what Venerable Hua Shu said just now is indeed what you witnessed with your own eyes a thousand years ago, and it is not false, but..." His voice paused, filled with profound sorrow, "it is not the whole truth."
Not the whole truth? What else was there that they did not know?
The High Venerables of the Heavenly Palace felt a sudden chill in their hearts, abruptly recalling several events from a thousand years ago. During the chaos at Great Marsh Mountain that year, when the Immortal Generals captured the Demon Emperor and imprisoned him in the Immortal Locking Pagoda to be punished with Heavenly Thunder, that female disciple of Great Marsh Mountain, Ayin, had also offered a different account.
Could it be...
Jing Lei and the others immediately changed expressions. Impatient by nature, he could no longer restrain himself and said to Qing Yi, "Immortal Lord Qing Yi, whatever hidden circumstances remain, speak them plainly. With all the immortals present, we will naturally ensure justice for Great Marsh Mountain."
"Yes." Qing Yi nodded, his gaze heavy. "Back then, the Demon Emperor was under the protection of Great Marsh Mountain, yet during his Divine Attainment, he slaughtered the mountain's disciples..." He took a deep breath, as if recalling the tragedy of that time, and slowly continued, "This is true, but it was not done intentionally by the Demon Emperor. At that time, he was controlled by the Demon Tribe, which is why he committed these acts."
As Qing Yi's words settled, the Hall of Imperial Cosmos fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.
Chang Yun's expression shifted, and he slowly let out a breath. All these years, even His Majesty had given up trying to prove his innocence. Who would have thought that in the end, it would be a disciple of Great Marsh Mountain who revealed the truth.
The immortals all turned their gaze toward Yuan Qi, whose expression was stern and cold, and for some reason, they felt a twinge of guilt. The fate of that Lady Ayin from Great Marsh Mountain back then had been utterly tragic, and her existence remained a taboo in the Immortal Realm to this day.
"Immortal Lord Qing Yi." The Kunlun Patriarch, who had remained silent in the hall until now, spoke up, his expression also grave. "Do you have evidence for what you just said?"
"Yes." Qing Yi replied. "This humble immortal is the evidence."
Without waiting for others to inquire, he continued, "When Hong Yi went on a killing spree at Great Marsh Mountain, my master, uncles, and senior brothers exhausted their spiritual power to send Princess Yan Shuang and me away, but we were caught up by Hong Yi halfway. Esteemed High Venerables, with the divine power Hong Yi possessed at that time, killing Princess Yan Shuang and me would have been as easy as blowing away dust. Have you never wondered how the two of us survived in his hands and waited for your arrival?"
Sure enough, confusion appeared in the eyes of the Heavenly Palace High Immortals, and they quietly waited for Qing Yi to continue.
"During his pursuit of us, Hong Yi temporarily broke free from the control of that Demon and injured himself with his own Nirvana Wheel. That is how Princess Yan Shuang and I managed to survive until you esteemed High Venerables arrived."
Upon hearing Qing Yi's words, the immortals frowned, not daring to immediately judge the truth of his account. Hua Mo, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke up, "Immortal Lord Qing Yi, these are merely your own words. If that demon fox truly committed wrongs under the control of the Demon Tribe, why did he flee from the Heavenly Palace back then instead of staying to prove his innocence?"
Hua Mo's words struck at the heart of the matter, showing complete disbelief in Qing Yi's account. Many of the Immortal Lords nodded in agreement.
Qing Yi smiled bitterly. "Back then, Princess Yan Shuang and I were severely injured and rescued, lying unconscious in the Heavenly Palace. At that time, Hong Yi had no one to testify to his innocence. Sen Yu, fearing that Hong Yi would die under the Heavenly Palace's Thunder Tribulation, thus rescued him and took him away."
"Preposterous." Hua Mo snorted. "If he had been willing to prove his innocence earlier, would all of us in the Heavenly Palace have wronged him?"
Qing Yi's expression changed, and he looked toward Hua Mo, speaking earnestly, "Has Your Majesty Hua Mo forgotten one thing?""What is the matter?" Hua Mo's heart tightened.
Qing Yi's gaze swept across the faces of the Venerables and Sect Leaders filling the hall, finally settling on the Peacock King. His voice was heavy with sorrow: "My little martial aunt once strenuously argued that Hong Yi was under the control of the Demon Tribe, pleading desperately with the immortals of the Heavenly Palace to extend the Demon Emperor's punishment period, to find the true culprit for our Great Marsh Mountain. How did you treat her then?"
"Her immortal bones were excised, her immortal registry stripped, and she was struck by seven Heavenly Thunders." Qing Yi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "No one believed her. She was trapped in this Nine-Layered Heavenly Palace, subjected to endless ridicule, and finally died in Rakshasa Land bearing a legacy of infamy, her body lost without a trace."
Qing Yi's voice choked with emotion. His hands hung at his sides, slowly clenching into fists as he looked toward the two seated upon the imperial dais. He dropped to one knee. "Today, what I seek is not only the truth behind the massacre of my Great Marsh Mountain sect, but also to clear the name of my martial aunt Ayin. She was a disciple of Great Marsh Mountain. Even in death, she would never collude with the true murderer who slaughtered our sect, nor would she ever betray her master and her sect! I beseech Divine Lord Yuan Qi, the Phoenix Sovereign, and all Venerables to investigate the true culprit behind the massacre of Great Marsh Mountain a millennium ago, and restore justice to my sect!"
The young Immortal Lord knelt on one knee, his eyes bloodshot and brimming with tears. His words, filled with grief and indignation, echoed through the Imperial Hall.
Upon the imperial dais, Yuan Qi's gaze was profound, the emotions in his eyes inscrutable.
Feng Yin's hands, hidden within her phoenix robes, clenched tightly. She had never imagined that after enduring a hundred lifetimes of human suffering and the tribulations of reincarnation, she would still experience such overwhelming sorrow and, at the same time, such fierce pride.
She had never, in the end, forgotten that she was a disciple of Great Marsh Mountain. For a thousand years after that Water Condensation Beast's death, the one who still remembered the infamy she bore was none other than her fellow disciple from the same sect.
"Immortal Lord Qing Yi, this king knows the disciples of Great Marsh Mountain died unjustly, and that Lady Ayin met a tragic end. But the reappearance of the Demon Tribe is a matter of grave importance. Besides you, who else can prove that the Demon Emperor was controlled by the Demon Tribe back then?"
The Peacock King's voice was unhurried. Just at that moment, a clear, beautiful voice rang out at the entrance to the hall.
"And me!" A figure clad in fiery red strode across the threshold and came to stand beside Qing Yi.
Everyone looked up. Yan Shuang, Princess of the Eagle Clan, her golden whip coiled at her waist, appeared just as formidable and heroic as she had a thousand years ago.
Yan Shuang bowed respectfully toward Yuan Qi, Feng Yin, and the assembled Immortal Venerables, pointedly bypassing Hua Mo and his daughter.
Hua Mo had not expected Yan Shuang's sudden appearance. His eyes darkened as he suppressed the anger between his brows.
"Divine Lord Yuan Qi, Phoenix Sovereign, back then, Qing Yi and I were the only ones who escaped from Great Marsh Mountain. Although the Demon Emperor slaughtered our entire sect, he was indeed under the control of the Demon Tribe at that time. Fortunately, he regained his senses at the last moment and wounded himself with the Nirvana Wheel, allowing Qing Yi and me to escape by chance." Yan Shuang's expression was steady as she looked toward Yu Feng. "Venerable Yu Feng, back then, it was you who led the High Immortals of the Heavenly Palace to capture Hong Yi using an Immortal Formation, and later imprisoned him in your Immortal Locking Pagoda. You should know that Hong Yi's body bore not only wounds from Immortal Power but also injuries from Demonic Power, is that correct?"
Upon hearing this, all the immortals in the hall turned their gazes toward Yu Feng.
Yu Feng nodded. "That is correct. When the Demon Emperor was captured back then, his body indeed bore wounds not only from Immortal Power but also injuries left by attacks of Demonic Power."
When Hong Yi was imprisoned in the Immortal Locking Pagoda, Yu Feng had also seen his wounds. But at that time, Hong Yi, Qing Yi, and Yan Shuang were all severely injured and unconscious. No one knew what had happened at Great Marsh Mountain. The immortals were filled with righteous fury, single-mindedly intent on executing Hong Yi, so he had not investigated further.
"Even so..."Hua Mo was about to speak when Yan Shuang cut him off, turning her gaze toward him. "Even so, does Your Majesty Hua Mo still believe that Qing Yi and I are merely speaking one-sided words without evidence?"
Hua Mo choked on her words. "You...!"
"Your Majesty must not forget something Elder Xianshan once mentioned when all the immortals gathered at Great Marsh Mountain after the tragic death of High Immortal Lan Feng."
Venerable Yu Feng and the other immortal lords recalled the events of that year, their expressions turning solemn.
"Are you referring to Elder Xianshan's statement about the appearance of demons at Great Marsh Mountain?"
Yan Shuang nodded. "Back then, Ayin was injured by that demon. Despite the protection of Great Marsh Mountain's guardian formation, the demon could come and go as if it were nothing, which shows the depth of its demonic power. If we still cannot uncover the truth behind the massacre at Great Marsh Mountain today, who can guarantee that our own sects and clans will not become the next Great Marsh Mountain?"
Having served as the Eagle Clan princess for over ten thousand years, Yan Shuang understood that compared to the injustice suffered by Great Marsh Mountain, these immortal sect leaders and venerables cared more about the safety of their own sects and the Heavenly Palace. The threat of demons emerging was no less dangerous than an invasion by the Demon Tribe.
"Divine Lord Yuan Qi?" Seeing the stalemate in the hall, Yu Feng turned to Yuan Qi. In the hall, only Yuan Qi could make a decision regarding this unresolved case from a thousand years ago.
Officially, he was the master of Clear Pond Palace and a divine lord of the Immortal Realm. Privately, he was a disciple of Great Marsh Mountain—no one would be more eager to uncover the truth of that year than him.
Yuan Qi had been gazing at Qing Yi, who knelt halfway in the hall. No matter how heated the debate became, his eyes never left him. Only when Venerable Yu Feng called out did he slowly raise his head.
The look he cast upon the hall full of high immortals sent a chill through their hearts. If Qing Yi's sorrowful words earlier had been like weeping blood, the gaze of Divine Lord Yuan Qi now held nothing but iron resolve.
"For sixty thousand years, Great Marsh Mountain has stood as a foundation of virtue. My master, Dong Hua, bestowed grace upon the Three Realms, and my fellow disciples upheld righteousness for all living beings. In sixty thousand years, Great Marsh Mountain has never produced a single unjust or untrustworthy individual. Yet, a thousand years ago, such a sect was massacred in a single day. And now, even the words of its sole remaining disciple are met with disbelief?"
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