If Lan Chnag had declared something like "the one who killed me was you," it still wouldn't have been as much of a bolt out of the blue.
Xie Lian was practically knocked out by her thunderbolt. "Me?!"
Upon the throne, even Jun Wu's hand seemed to have slipped from its usual spot supporting his temple. The heavenly officials were shocked into silence, and they immediately turned their heads toward the Emperor. However, Jun Wu's hand had quickly righted itself, and he'd already resumed his usual somber pose with his head on his hand. The officials turned their heads back to Xie Lian.
Was this it? The third banishment to manifest before the eyes of all?!
Xie Lian felt his soul shaking, and he forced himself to swallow the habitual "I can't get erect" alibi, which almost escaped through his teeth.
That was only ever an offhand comment used to easily excuse himself, not appropriate for deployment in circumstances such as these. Besides, there was already private gossip circulating the Upper Court about various martial gods and their attitudes toward women. When Feng Xin saw women, he respectfully stayed far away, and Lang Qianqiu blushed the moment he saw them. Mu Qing refused to even acknowledge ugly women, and while Pei Xiu was expressionless when he saw women, who knew what was actually going through his head. Quan Yizhen didn't ever seem to have women on his mind, but Pei Ming's was constantly consumed by them. If Xie Lian tried his usual excuse now, no doubt his name would be added to this list.
"Miss Lan Chang, please calm yourself," Xie Lian pleaded earnestly. "There is definitely no such possibility."
Lan Chang was glaring so hard her eyes were larger than bells. "Yes, there is. It's you, the Crown Prince of Xianle!"
"…"
Even though this woman had died after Xie Lian's first ascension and the timing could perhaps match up, wouldn't the man himself know better than anyone whether he'd met her before?
Amidst the circulating whispers, Xie Lian's expression and tone grew solemn. "Miss, I may not be a saint, but I still know a faithful heart. If I did not love someone, I would never cross any such lines with them," he said sternly. "If I did, I would never allow that person to suffer any speck of grief, even if I had to beg and collect scraps, or busk and perform on the streets to support my family. You are in the Palace of Divine Might; do not speak falsehoods."
Shi Qingxuan piped up as well, "If it really was His Highness who committed such a deed, why would he bring this ghost jiejie to the heavens to confront everyone? And why has Miss Lan Chang only now recognized him? Just think about it; it makes no sense."
It was easy to see as much, but with such a spectacle to be had, who cared? The crowd maintained a reserved attitude, and an official even blindly hypothesized, "Perhaps His Highness lost his memory, so he doesn't remember the things he's done."
"Honestly, it's more believable that he's bold enough to think she wouldn't recognize him after eight hundred years."
Xie Lian was speechless and cautioned the crowd. "My Lords, to prove something is impossible by fabricating something even more inconceivable is a dangerous path to walk."
Feng Xin looked like he wanted to say something, but also like he couldn't make up his mind. In the end, he remained silent.
Jun Wu cleared his throat. "Xianle, how many Golden Belts did you once have in your possession?"
Xie Lian put his hand to his forehead. "Too many. At least ten…"
Mu Qing answered flatly, "Over forty, each with different embroidery and patterns."
He only realized the comment was inappropriate after the words left his lips, and he quickly shut up. Instantly, some of those present remembered that Mu Qing had been Xie Lian's personal attendant and taken care of his daily needs, which was how he knew such details. Many of the officials couldn't help but think, counting Golden Belts alone, over forty! This Highness the Crown Prince really had once lived an
extraordinarily luxurious life. Even Xie Lian himself felt rather embarrassed when thinking on it. Back then, he'd changed into a different extravagant ensemble every day, and his belts had changed every time to match whatever outfit he wore—unlike now, where in an entire year he only wore three sets of clothing over and over again. Those three sets all looked exactly the same too; at a cursory glance, people likely thought him so poor that he only had one set of clothing at all.
Jun Wu asked Xie Lian, "And where are they now, do you remember?"
Xie Lian and Feng Xin were both stumped.
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead. "Ahem, not really. We're discussing things from eight hundred years ago, after all. I've long forgotten where they disappeared to."
It wasn't because they had been tossed out. At the time, he and Feng Xin often pawned things off whenever their funds grew tight. Too many things had been sold off, and he really couldn't remember whether any belts had been left at the end.
Feng Xin didn't have the heart to discuss this subject in detail but said nonetheless, "The Golden Belt might not have been a gift. Perhaps it was picked up somewhere."
Jun Wu didn't seem to actually expect Xie Lian to remember either. "Xianle. I remember that your cultivation method demands a body of purity, lest your spiritual power be significantly damaged."
"Yes," Xie Lian confirmed.
"Wow, so I was right!" Shi Qingxuan piped up again. "Just looking at His Highness, I could tell he must've cultivated that kind of path. If that's the case, never mind knocking anyone up, I bet he's never even held anyone's hand."
Xie Lian was about to say "That's right," but his mind suddenly presented him with the memory of a pale, slender hand as cool as jade. It made a striking contrast against that bright red wedding veil and a thin, red thread knotted about its third finger. The affirmation stuck in his throat, no longer able to roll out. Everyone in the hall stared at him intently. With one simple look, it was obvious his silence meant Shi Qingxuan's declaration was untrue!
But never holding anyone's hand was too low of a standard—even if hands had been held, it wasn't such a big deal.
Shi Qingxuan immediately added, "Even if he's held hands, he must've never kissed anyone before."
Again Xie Lian wanted to say "That's right"—but this time, endless streams of crystalline air bubbles suddenly floated before his eyes. As the translucent beads dispersed through the water, he saw an exceptionally handsome face, eyes closed, a shapely forehead lined by a widow's peak, beautiful to behold.
This time, not only was he unable to squeeze out a single word, his entire face flushed bright red.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Every heavenly official in the hall understood in an instant, and dry coughs sounded all around. Shi Qingxuan was starting to regret saying anything. He knocked his fan over his own head once and secretly passed a message to Xie Lian through their private communication array.
"Sorry about that, Your Highness. I only wanted to convince everyone that you're really the ascetic sort, but I hadn't realized you weren't. So you've indulged in such experiences; I really couldn't tell!"
That last statement shattered Xie Lian's will. He choked out with difficulty, "Don't say any more. That was…an accident…"
Jun Wu pressed a fist against his lips, clearing his throat loudly. "Very good. You have not violated your vows in these intervening years, correct?"
Xie Lian finally let out a breath of relief. "That's right."
"Then this will be easy," Jun Wu stated. "I have a sword here,
Yanzhen. It possesses a particular ability: should the blood of a virgin flow upon it, it shall not be stained but become brighter as it is washed. Take a drop of your blood and let it fall upon the blade, and we shall see the truth."
Although it had been common knowledge for years that Jun Wu had a hobby of collecting rare and strange swords, the heavenly officials still thought to themselves, Why does My Lord have all these messed-up swords? What's even the use in collecting them…?
Xie Lian himself was feeling more and more nonplussed by the situation and only wanted to end it as soon as possible. Ling Wen brought forth that sensual Yanzhen sword and immediately slid the blade across Xie Lian's hand. Countless eyes watched intently, and Shi Qingxuan clapped.
"Good. Case closed!"
Drops of blood slid past the blade, leaving not a trace behind, as expected. The proof was as solid as the mountains, and the crowd could only drop the subject.
"Ah, I see."
"Then who could it be?"
Their tone was lackluster, dripping with disappointment.
Ling Wen turned to Lan Chang politely. "Miss, please tell us honestly the identity of the heavenly official in question. The fetus spirit in your womb is restless and your powers aren't strong enough to contain it. Only its blood-bound father can calm and discipline it. I…"
Before he could finish, Lan Chang unexpectedly pointed at Ling Wen and cried, "You! That man is you!"
Ling Wen was speechless. "…?"
Ling Wen had probably come directly from his temple to attend this sudden meeting and was currently in the form of a man. He was baffled to suddenly be named the child's father. The heavenly officials sputtered and Pei Ming chortled.
"Noble Jie, did you even finish tending to your reports before you went and found a nice girl to knock up? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…"
This was probably what they called instant karma. Ling Wen shook his head and gracefully declined Shi Wudu's compassionate gesture of giving his "good nephew" a congratulatory red money pocket.
Ling Wen's expression calmed. "I haven't finished, and neither do Ihave the time."
After such a riotous back-and-forth, and after Lan Chang hurled accusations at a number of officials, naturally no one believed her anymore.
Feng Xin couldn't watch any longer and concluded grumpily, "I get it. This ghost woman was completely crazy from the start and is only here to throw blame. She's come to cause trouble on purpose."
Lan Chang cackled, sounding more and more like a crazy hag as she continued. And if she did continue, who knew who she'd accuse next? The heavenly officials changed their tune.
"Yeah, who knows, maybe that Golden Belt was stolen…"
"To be fair, I also have more than one Golden Belt. I actually can't be sure how many I have exactly, and I don't remember if I've stored them properly."
Lan Chang wouldn't let anyone off so easily, however. Putting her hands on her hips, she screamed at the crowd, "What, tryin' ta get away?! Too late! Not a chance! Is it you, is it you, or is it you?!" At this point, it was obvious she was pointing fingers randomly— even Ming Yi, who was silently standing in a corner focusing on chewing whatever his cheeks were stuffed with, was indicted as the father at one point. It was chaos in the great hall, and everyone was shirking responsibility left and right.
"Take her away, take her away!"
"Don't let her spout any more nonsense!"
"Jiejie, you're not my type—don't you slander me!"
"This is downright outrageous!"
Jun Wu waved his hand, and a junior official came to collect Lan Chang. Even as she was dragged out of the Palace of Divine Might, she continued to scream and laugh shrilly. The officials within the hall returned to their assigned positions, their hearts still pounding as their heads throbbed. At first everyone had thought the matter didn't involve them and they only came for a good show. Now they weren't so sure whether they would be the ones getting a bucket of crap dumped over their heads. They might even wind up landing themselves a new play in the Mortal Realm, starring alongside a ghostly lady love with gaudy makeup and a ghostly son who had murdered thousands. Sensing the danger, they all slapped their hands in exasperated helplessness.
"There's no way to investigate this case!"
"I think she's simply wrong in the head. No need to investigate, it'd be a waste of time. Just lock her up."
"This could very well be the Ghost Realm mucking about on purpose."
Xie Lian disagreed, however. "On the way here, Miss Lan Chang was quite self-aware, so why did she suddenly grow erratic the moment she entered the Palace of Divine Might? I'm afraid it isn't something that can be brushed off by calling her 'wrong in the head.'"
Thus, the crowd broke down and divided into two sides to debate and argue; in the end, the conclusion was still that never-changing "We'll see, we'll see." After the meeting was dismissed, Xie Lian bid farewell to Shi Qingxuan, who promised he'd descend in a few days to visit and hang out, then walked out of the Palace of Divine Might sighing to himself.
They say the Palace of Ling Wen is inefficient, but it can't be helped. Every time we gather to discuss anything, there's so much noise andambiguity, and in the end the conclusions are never concrete. How can the Palace of Ling Wen accomplish anything when this is what we give them to work with?
Just then, he sensed someone approaching from behind, and he turned to see Feng Xin. Slightly taken aback, he hadn't even greeted Feng Xin before Feng Xin hastily gave him a warning under his breath.
"Watch out for Mu Qing."
Xie Lian hushed his voice as well. "Mu Qing?"
"That ghost woman reacted oddly when he entered the hall, like she was afraid of him," Feng Xin said. "I don't care to pry into other people's personal affairs, but in any case, watch yourself."
He hurried off after having his say, leaving Xie Lian standing in place. Xie Lian waited until Feng Xin was gone before he started walking again.
Even though he hadn't shown as much, Xie Lian had actually paid close attention to every heavenly official's minute behaviors, as well as Lan Chang's reactions. Naturally, he hadn't missed Mu Qing.
However, he didn't think the father of the fetus spirit was likely to be Mu Qing; Xie Lian couldn't imagine him doing such a thing. Mu Qing undeniably focused his whole heart and mind on cultivation, improving his martial arts, expanding his territory, and growing his believer base. Furthermore, he and Xie Lian practiced the same cultivation method, and Mu Qing would never even consider ruining his cultivation by touching a woman. However, Mu Qing clearly knew Lan Chang—that was definitely true. But with so few clues, Xie Lian could only shake his head and descend from the Heavenly Court.
With the fetus spirit subdued and Lang Ying and Guzi settled in the wealthy merchant's abode with food and drink, there was nothing to worry about. Nevertheless, it wasn't good to be away for too long. If Xie Lian took his time returning, the wealthy merchant would probably start grousing about his absence. Thus, the moment Xie Lian descended, he went straight to the town of Puqi. When the wealthy merchant saw him, he immediately clutched his hands and cried out in excitement.
"Daozhang! You're a master, a master! You slept in my concubine's chambers last night and the doors were all locked, yet this morning when we opened them, I couldn't believe my eyes! You'd disappeared into thin air! Strong! Too strong! So?! Did you catch the monster?"
"It is caught, don't worry. Everything is fine now," Xie Lian replied. "How are the two children I brought with me?"
It was like the wealthy merchant had received absolution, and he cried joyously, "Good, they're very good kids! They didn't eat much at all! Daozhang, where's your Thousand Lights Temple? I'm gonna donate and offer my gratitude! From today onward, I will proudly wear my title as one of your temple's devotees, and let none dispute that devotion!"
Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but no matter what, he had increased his number of worshippers—and this one was rich too, so he was feeling rather glad. He lectured the wealthy merchant on the topic of virtue, discouraged him from continuing to chase lascivious pleasures, and advised him to be more devoted and loving to his wife and family. Finally, he told him to visit Puqi Shrine on another day, after which Xie Lian left with Lang Ying and Guzi in tow.
The trio returned to Puqi Village. Xie Lian placed that "Please donate and help with renovations" sign in a more conspicuous spot in front of Puqi Shrine, in hopes that when the wealthy merchant came he would see it straightaway. But the moment he pushed open the doors to enter the shrine, he sensed something different about the place.
As they entered the shrine, indeed, it was vastly different. The floors had been swept, the altar table and chairs wiped, the dust cleared, and even the trash in the corner had been cleaned out. It was like the River Snail Girl had paid a visit; everything was too clean—even Qi Rong was gone!
With Qi Rong's disappearance, it was like the entire place had become that much more spacious and bright; even the air had cleared somewhat. In his arms, Guzi was carrying meat pies he had especially brought from town, and when he peeked in and didn't see anyone, he grew anxious.
"Da-gege, where's my dad?"
Xie Lian immediately turned. He hadn't even stepped out the door before he sensed the chilling glint of an oncoming assault. He instantly drew Fangxin to strike back. Clang! That chilling glint was struck high into the air, falling to the ground dozens of meters away.
He had unsheathed Fangxin as fast as lightning and sheathed it with equal speed. He let out a puff of breath but was immediately puzzled.
That's it? No more follow-up moves?
He went to inspect said chilling glint properly. After he struck, it had wound up crookedly planted in the earth. The curved silver arch seemed more and more familiar as he closed the distance between them. Xie Lian brought the two children over, and when he clearly saw the blade, he immediately knelt beside it.
"Isn't… Isn't this Eming?" he exclaimed. "What's wrong?"
Asking a scimitar "what's wrong" was an extremely odd sight. A few farmers walking past gave Xie Lian odd looks and elbowed each other surreptitiously.
"Look at that man, he's talking to a blade…"
"Yeah, I see it. Don't bother with him, let's get outta here…"
But Xie Lian had to ask, because Eming's entire blade body was shaking violently, even the silver-lined eye on the hilt. It shook harder by the minute, like it had contracted a deadly disease.
Xie Lian reached out in spite of himself, worried. "Did I hurt you just now?"