The lower ranking officials that charged forward to apprehend couldn’t block Quan Yi Zhen’s
fists at all and all perished on the spot. Seeing the situation growing severe, Feng Xin, Pei Su,
Lang Qian Qiu all leapt over to surround Quan Yi Zhen, ready to attack. Yin Yu cried, “IGNORE
HIM! DON’T TOUCH HIM! HE WON’T KILL ANYMORE!”
As long as they didn’t prevent Quan Yi Zhen from completing his command, he wouldn’t cause
harm. However, Quan Yi Zhen had already killed over ten martial heavenly officials, so who
would continue to let him run free? Of course no one would believe in Yin Yu’s words. If it was
someone with fast reactions and could remain calm in the midst of chaos, they would’ve
instantly shouted “Drop to the ground, surrender and don’t move” or a command to that effect,
but things were happening too fast, there was no time to react. Yin Yu had never experienced
any incidents of this sort, plus he was already in distress, his ability to make decisions
completely out of sorts, making one mistakes after the other; one wrong step and the rest of the
steps in shambles. Just as Yin Yu was running around with his head cut off, Mu Qing suddenly
appeared behind behind him, “Trying to get away?”
Only then did Yin Yu realized he was also fleeing without direction and he instantly braked,
trying to explain himself, “I wasn’t… ” But Mu Qing didn’t wait for him to speak before twisting
his arm behind his back, and Xie Lian heard a crisp CRACK, Yin Yu’s face twisting.
As a martial god, to be subdued by another martial god whose ability and strength were greater
was a double whammy to both the body and the mind. As for Pei Ming who was only watching
the fight on the side without participating, he commented from the distance, “How come it’s like
his strength suddenly exploded?”
He was referring to Quan Yi Zhen of course. Quan Yi Zhen was already quite capable in
combat, but with the Brocade Immortal on him, the level increased twofold. When other martial
gods faced him one on one, it was actually two against one and it wasn’t fair, but since no one
knew the secret within, they were too embarrassed to attack him jointly, because wouldn’t it be
pathetic otherwise? As they fought, Quan Yi Zhen ran down the main street of the Heavenly
Court while covered head to toe in blood, and when he suddenly saw a palace on the road and
dashed right in head first. The crowd shouted, “HE ENTERED THE PALACE OF YIN YU!”
The command Yin Yu gave him was to ‘leave’ but he didn’t say where, so Quan Yi Zhen went
randomly. Several martial gods also followed him in. Since everyone else was clear of mind,
they held back while fighting Quan Yi Zhen, but he didn’t care for anyone and fought with all
he’s worth against anyone who would obstruct his orders.Thus, this enraged the other martial
gods. Feng Xin shouted, “THIS BRAT REEKS OF EVIL, LET’S BEAT HIM DOWN FIRST AND
TALK LATER!”
Everyone had that very intention, and the moment Feng Xin shouted, no one stayed reserved
any longer, and they all rushed in, surrounding him to beat him to a pulp. Swords swung, palms
blasted, fists flew, legs kicked; half of that already deteriorating Palace of Yin Yu instantly
collapsed!
When Yin Yu, who was still being restrained by Mu Qing, saw with his own eyes his palace fall
apart from the brawl, his eyes bulged and he yelled, “PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!”
As if that would stop the martial gods, but Quan Yi Zhen heard his order and suddenly arrested
his fists. Now he’d done it. All the swords, blasts, fists, and kicks all landed heavily on Quan Yi
Zhen; another tragedy!
Lang Qian Qiu didn’t have the time to hold back his longsword, and struck it deep into Quan Yi
Zhen’s shoulder. Thank goodness his sword was dull and he instantly stopped his attack so
Quan Yi Zhen wasn’t sliced into two. Lang Qian Qiu shouted, “STOP FIGHTING, IT LOOKS
LIKE HE CAN’T MOVE ANYMORE!”
Feng Xin wiped the blood off this face, “Fucking finally!”
Quan Yi Zhen laid on the ground stiffly like he was bound by ropes. On the side, Mu Qing tied
Yin Yu’s wrists with the Immortal Binding rope before letting go of him. Yin Yu fell to the ground
in a daze, and he looked dumbfoundedly at the mess that was his Palace of Yin Yu. Scanning
around, his eyes moved back onto Quan Yi Zhen who dropped to the floor before him. Quan Yi
Zhen seemed to really have a strong life force; even after being beaten to a pulp by several
martial gods just now, his body practically contorted, he didn’t lie for very long before he
suddenly sat up again straight, confused, “What’s going on?”
“…”
The martial gods were all going to go mad from rage, and they all shouted at the same time,
“YOU’RE IN BIG TROUBLE NOW!”
Ling Wen had been following and watching closely behind, and she finally exhaled, her face
pale, but she somehow still managed to coordinate help as she raised two pressed fingers to
her temple and cried in the spiritual communication array, “MEDICAL OFFICIALS,
EMERGENCY AID, NOW!”
Quan Yi Zhen was still very confused. He looked back and saw Yin Yu sitting on the ground, so
he crawled to stand up, seeming to want to help him up. Seeing that completely oblivious face
matched with a background of his smashed divine palace, Yin Yu was still silent but his face
was slowly contorting.
Quan Yi Zhen didn’t know what’s transpired at all, and asked, “Shixiong, what are you doing?”
“…”
It was like Yin Yu suddenly lost all sanity. He puffed an abrupt laugh then shout with eyes
brimming red, “GO DIE!”
Hearing that cry, Xie Lian along with the many heavenly officials present all widened their eyes
instantly. Having received the order, Quan Yi Zhen immediately took action without thinking,
grabbing a sword from the ground, and with the sword in one hand and pulling up his own hair
with the other, he aimed for his own throat.
The moment he moved, the first reaction of the martial gods was he was going to sneak attack
so they jumped back multiple feet away. Yet, they had never expected that he was actually
going to slit his own throat, and by then it was too late for them to snatch his sword, and they all
roared at him. Yin Yu was also astounded but he still hadn’t yet come to and turned away. Blood
was about to splatter when Jun Wu’s figure suddenly flashed behind Quan Yi Zhen!
CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK, within an instant, all four of Quan Yi Zhen’s limbs were
dislodged.
Then, Jun Wu chopped precisely on the back of Quan Yi Zhen’s neck and Quan Yi Zhen lost
consciousness completely, falling back to the ground in a heap, his entire body no longer
resembling that of a human, his blood puddling around him. Finally, everyone, including Xie
Lian, sighed a breath in relief. Everyone, but Jun Wu.
He turned around, his expression showing neither rage nor joy but exceedingly grim, and he
turned to Yin Yu, “With things progressed thus, I trust you have an explanation?”
Yin Yu had his head buried deeply in his hands, and only when he heard him did he
subconsciously look up, “I don’t know anything. I’m not involved. It’s not me. It’s…!”
However, he trailed off as he suddenly snapped out of it, looking like he suddenly realized just
exactly what had come out of his mouth.
Under so many eyes, he told Quan Yi Zhen to go die, and Quan Yi Zhen heeded!
It was impossible for anyone not to have gotten a clue. Mu Qing spoke up, “My Lord, Qi Ying’s
reaction just now must’ve been borne from some wicked spell casted upon him. There must be
something on him that makes him follow Yin Yu’s commands. But what, we don’t know.”
Naturally, Ling Wen who was standing on the side knew exactly what that something was, but
she didn’t dare speak a word. Just coordinating helping hands on scene was as much as she
could do. Lang Qian Qiu said in disbelief, “There’s such a thing in this world???”
Just then, someone pushed aside the crowd to rush in, and it was Jian Yu. It was obvious that
he had been out chasing after and looking for Yin Yu before coming back, and hadn’t yet known
what’s happened, “What are you all doing? What… What’s happened to our Palace of Yin Yu?
HOW DID IT BECOME LIKE THIS?! WHO SMASHED IT??”
Jun Wu approached Yin Yu languidly, “He heeded your orders. How are you controlling him?”
His voice wasn’t harsh, but there was the oppressive air of power, exceedingly suffocating, and
to be looked down upon from high above, it added another layer of fear in one’s heart. It wasn’t
like Xie Lian never committed major mistakes, but he had never seen Jun Wu like this before. It
seemed, Jun Wu had really let him off easy.
Yin Yu’s mind was already in disarray, and as far as Xie Lian could see, his mind wasn’t very
strong either, his ability to react in situations weak, and at a time like this, he couldn’t utter a
single word. Seeing that he wasn’t responding, Jun Wu said, “Just as well. Even if you won’t
speak I already know. It’s that armour.”
He’s done for. Finished. Everything was doomed.
Yin Yu crouched on the ground, hugging his head anew as waves of talk started from all around
him:
“Astonishing… I have never witnessed anything more inconceivable in the heavens!”
“A heavenly official manipulating another heavenly official to have him kill without reservations.
He’s murdered over ten officials and then he’d tell him to go die?!”
“What a vile heart…”
Among the crowds, when Jian Yu figured out such a major incident had happened, his face also
blanched. Still, he gritted his teeth and charged out, kneeling on the ground, “My Lord! THAT
ARMOUR WAS, WAS, IT WAS ME WHO GAVE IT TO QUAN YI ZHEN, IT HAD NOTHING TO
DO WITH YIN YU!”
Only then did Yin Yu seemed to stir, and he croaked, “Jian Yu…”
Jian Yu braced himself and cried loudly, “I HAD ONLY WANTED TO TEACH THAT BRAT A
LESSON, BUT I HADN’T THOUGHT… THAT IT WOULD CAUSE SUCH A MAJOR
INCIDENT…”
On the side, Quan Yi Zhen was still unconscious, lying in a pool of his own blood, and the
Medicine Masters and heavenly officials had rushed to the scene, surrounding him. Jian Yu
said, “I’ve always hated that brat but Yin Yu had always treated him with courtesy, many here
can stand witness to this. He didn’t know anything about the armour!”
However, at this point, it was too late. There was no one who would believe Yin Yu wasn’t
involved at all anymore. Instantly, someone piped up, “You’re only a low ranking official in the
Palace of Yin Yu yet you already hate him to the point of causing him harm. It’s easy to imagine
that the master heavenly official you serve wouldn’t be any better.”
There were even taunts, “He didn’t know anything? If he didn’t know anything, why would he tell
him to “go die”? Don’t tell me he’s only joking.”
If it’s said Yin Yu’s reactions were all reasonable, that he only lost himself from distress, then,
his last words of “go die” negated everything and could not break him free of condemnation.
Thinking back, when Ling Wen first told Xie Lian this story, she said Yin Yu was “playing a
prank”, which Xie Lian could now appreciate it as her trying to help Yin Yu cover up a little. Jian
Yu couldn’t believe it, “What? Stop talking nonsense, how can Yin Yu say anything of the sort?
He’s always been polite and courteous with that brat, why would he tell him to “go die”? Yin Yu,
you didn’t say it, right? You didn’t say something like that? You wouldn’t have said it!”
However, Yin Yu didn’t answer him, and instead, closed his eyes. Jian Yu just wouldn’t accept it,
and everyone around had become speechless, “We all heard it with our own ears, how can it be
denied?”
Jian Yu quickly said, “There must’ve been a misunderstanding! There’s so much you all don’t
know!”
“No matter the kind of misunderstanding, whether if we know or not, there’s no
misunderstanding great enough for one to want to kill one’s own shidi?”
Hearing this, Yin Yu and Jian Yu were both silenced. That heavenly official continued, “I heard
ever since Quan Yi Zhen went independent and erected his own palace, the people of the
Palace of Yin Yu stopped caring for him. Every time Quan Yi Zhen visited, the excuse was
always no one was around. I was confused at first, so turns out it was because they couldn’t
stand him eh…”
“Speaking of, didn’t someone mistake the wrong person at the Mid Autumn Banquet the other
day? I saw how dark their faces got at the time.”
Those were all undeniable truths, but the conclusion was wrong, “Oh, I know of that incident too,
it was pretty awkward, but it’s still not bad enough to want to harm someone…”
“Yea, it’s a little too small-minded…”
Jian Yu’s eyes were seeing red, and he shouted, “I ALREADY SAID His Highness HAD
NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, I’M THE ONE WHO COMMITTED THE CRIME! I ADMIT TO
EVERYTHING, IS THAT NOT ENOUGH?!”
Yet, even if Yin Yu was to jump into the Yellow River, he wouldn’t be able to wash himself clean.
In the eyes of others, this was only enough to prove that Yin Yu had a malicious but loyal
subordinate. Besides, only two words were enough to shut down all arguments, “Well, “go die”
didn’t come out of anyone else’s mouths!”
Things were becoming more and more heated, and Jun Wu said darkly, “Take them all down.
Ling Wen, stay here and watch over Qi Ying.”
Ling Wen inclined her head to acknowledge the command, and Jun Wu stalked out of the
Palace of Yin Yu. Several martial heavenly officials pulled Yin Yu to his feet, and Yin Yu was
heart-stricken, “Let it go, Jian Yu. Don’t say anymore.”
Jian Yu was also pulled up and bound with the Immortal-Binding rope, and he cried, “It’s always
“let it go, let it go”, this time you mustn’t let it go! Let it go and you’ll be finished! You’ll be
banished! You’ll be banished for sure!”
However, Yin Yu only sighed, “Let it go. If it’s banishment then so be it. Even if I stay here…
there’s no meaning to it.”
Jian Yu cried bitterly, “… YOU, YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER HAVE SAID THOSE WORDS.
JUST THOSE TWO WORDS AND YOU’VE LOST ALL HOPE OF TURNING THIS AROUND!
YOU’D USUALLY NEVER CURSE FOR HIM TO GO DIE, SO WHY OF ALL TIMES YOU HAD
TO SAY IT NOW? THOSE WORDS!”
It was like Yin Yu suddenly aged for ten years, and his eyes had lost its light. He himself
seemed to be a little lost, and he shook his head, “I don’t know why either, I’m just… Sigh, I
don’t want to argue anymore.”
He stumbled a couple steps as he was being taken away, and Jian Yu suddenly cried, “WHY?!”
Everyone turned to look at him. Jian Yu cried, “IT’S NOT LIKE YOU DIDN’T WORK AS HARD!
YOU’RE STRONGER THAN HIM BY TEN THOUSAND FOLD, BETTER THAN HIM BY A
MILLION FOLD! QUAN YI ZHEN IS NOTHING! SO WHAT IF I HATE HIM? WHY IS IT THAT
HE’S LIKE THAT, AND YOU’RE LIKE THIS. WHY ISN’T IT HIM WHO’S BANISHED??”
He gritted his teeth in resentment, so filled with hate for the reality of things, so filled with hate
tears rolled down his cheeks. But, there were many things in this world that just by working hard
wouldn’t be enough.
Perhaps he knew this in his heart, but he just couldn’t accept it, unable at all to swallow this
resentment.
Listening to his cries, Yin Yu’s steps became too heavy for him to move.
He buried his face in his hands and fell to the ground in a heap before the Palace of Yin Yu, and
he roared, “ENOUGH! I ALREADY SAID DON’T SAY ANYMORE!!! PLEASE, JUST LET ME
GO!”
He covered his ears and cried until he was hoarse, “PLEASE STOP REPEATEDLY
REMINDING ME, STOP TALKING, PLEASE, I BEG YOU TO ALL STOP TALKING!!!”
Xie Lian couldn’t bear to watch any longer, “…That’s enough.”
Thus, Hua Cheng dispersed the scene, and the two lightly separated their foreheads.
After having touched foreheads for so long, Xie Lian felt it a bit numb and a bit itchy even, his
front uncomfortably warm. He wanted to raise his hand to rub at it, but his limbs couldn’t move.
Hua Cheng seemed to have detected his little discomfort, and raised his hand to help him rub
like it was the most natural thing to do in the world before dropping his hand. Outside by the
stone wall, the ghost mask wearing Yin Yu had been pacing back and forth, and after a while, he
turned to Quan Yi Zhen and said coldly, “You want to come out?”
He intentionally changed his voice. Quan Yi Zhen nodded, “I do.”
Yin Yu replied, “Very well. Look here!” Then, in the blink of an eye with flashing speed, the
shovel was whacked against Quan Yi Zhen’s head!
CLUNK! Quan Yi Zhen instantly dropped silent. Xie Lian was stunned, “No way. He whacked
him dead?? He really killed him??”
Hua Cheng laughed heartily, “Don’t worry gege, he’s not dead, just fainted.”
After the shovel was swung, Yin Yu exhaled a breath. In the end, he seemed to have decided to
dig Quan Yi Zhen out of the wall after all, and raised the Earth Master shovel, digging through
the wall shovel by shovel. Xie Lian understood.
If Yin Yu was to save Quan Yi Zhen directly, Yin Yu wouldn’t be able to fight him and win, and he
risk exposing his identity, which would be distressful. The relationship between the two shixiong
and shidi truly was distressful to the extreme, and who’s the more distressed couldn’t even be
compared. It was probably for the best that Yin Yu pretended not to know him.
“San Lang, should we maybe also think of a way to get out of here now?” Xie Lian said.
Hua Cheng seemed to be enjoying himself hanging where they were, “Hm? Already?”
Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Well, yeah? You want to live in here?”
“If it’s with gege, I don’t see why not.” Hua Cheng said, “Alright, fine. I was joking.” He schooled
his expression and reached out to cover Xie Lian’s ears.
“What’s this?” Xie Lian asked.
Hua Cheng smiled, “I’m too lazy to walk out, so might as well just blow the whole place up.”
“…”
Xie Lian was just thinking whether if they would blow up others who were also swallowed by the
mountain spirit when his expression changed suddenly, “Wait.”
Hua Cheng bore the same expression and dropped his hands. The two listened intently, and a
moment later, Xie Lian whispered, “Did you hear that?”
Hua Cheng also lowered his voice, “I did.”
Yin Yu was on one side of the stone wall digging holes with the Earth Master shovel, and on the
other side of the stone wall, there was someone else who was talking.
There weren’t any silver butterflies spying, they heard the voice directly themselves, because
that person was standing really, really close to the stone wall, almost pressing against it and
speaking. Xie Lian held his breath to listen, but could only hear muffled, intermittent, indistinct
words, like “ate them?”, “Upper Court”, “martial gods”. His mind whizzed, and he exchanged a
look with Hua Cheng, then tried with difficulty to move closer towards the voice.
That voice belonged to a man, and he seemed to be conversing with someone because every
time he said something, he would pause for a moment. Yet, Xie Lian didn’t hear any sounds
from the one he was conversing with. Maybe it was because the other was further away.
Once they shuffled over silently, that voice became somewhat clearer. Although words were still
somewhat blurred here and there, Xie Lian at least heard fuller sentences.
That man said, “His Highness the crown prince has also come. I don’t want to take this step, I’m
sure you’re the same, but he’s beyond saving.”
Xie Lian wondered inwardly, ‘Me? How am I beyond saving? Wait, this voice…’
This voice was very familiar; he must’ve heard it before, and had heard it for a long, long time,
not just the once or twice. But since it was a long, long time ago, he couldn’t match the voice to
the man instantly. Just as he was thinking really hard, that man added, “Then let him end here.”
Suddenly, Xie Lian remembered who this voice belonged to.
He twitched his lips and muttered without a sound, “Guoshi?!”
The person on the other side of the stone wall had the exact same voice as the esteemed
master who once taught him in the Kingdom of XianLe!
——–