"Lord Bai Zhi, I came here with the Flower Master to collect some wine, but when I arrived, I found this place filled with intense ghostly energy. By the time I got here, I saw Jingheng had already fallen into the ghostly path!" Bai Ming exclaimed.
Jingheng watched Bai Ming's actions coldly. Although Bai Ming and Bai Zhi were brothers, Bai Ming spoke illogically while pretending to uphold justice.
Bai Zhi glanced at the piece of skin in Jingheng's hand and immediately demanded, "Jingheng, do you know that for a god to enter the ghostly path, it's punishable by death?"
Jingheng stifled his sarcasm and answered with a smirk, "I know, so what?"
"You don't intend to explain yourself?" Bai Zhi asked again. Jingheng recalled that in his past life, Bai Ming had also discovered him falling into the ghostly path but had not behaved this way. Instead, Bai Ming had deceived Jingheng into hiding in the Heavenly Realm's death prison, promising that his brother Bai Zhi could clear his name. The next day, Bai Ming arrived with a decree from the Sovereign Lord that nearly took his life.
"Why would I explain myself when Bai Ming is spreading lies? You can't imprison me," Jingheng retorted.
Now, it wasn't just Bai Zhi who was taken aback; Bai Ming's hand, which held the silver spear, faltered for a moment, and Rong Wan seemed about to speak, but Bai Ming stopped her.
Despite what he said, Jingheng felt a chill in his heart. Bai Zhi was supposed to be in charge of investigating for the Sovereign Lord, yet so much time had passed, and the Sovereign Lord still hadn't shown up. Wasn't the delay just to make him confess?
Today's events were just part of a larger plan. Jingheng was over a hundred years old, and the true god had left him in the Heavenly Realm to take the god's place after achieving perfection. Now, with the Sovereign Lord in control, keeping Jingheng around was redundant.
There weren't many who could manipulate the remains of celestial gods, and this piece of skin was likely created by someone everyone knew. Today, its purpose was to tempt Jingheng into thinking it was a demonic object, thereby pushing him into the ghostly path. As for the specter, who knew who had manipulated it?
Whether he confessed or resisted, it wouldn't make a difference.
Shackled in divine restraints, Jingheng suddenly turned to Bai Zhi.
"Lord Bai Zhi, what time is it?"
"Why?"
Bai Zhi tightened his grip, fearing what Jingheng might say next.
"If the masses are to be buried, we should choose a favorable time," Jingheng remarked.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Bai Zhi snapped.
"Do you know why the true god left me here when he returned to the void?" Jingheng asked.
"When the true god returned to the void, he left the golden lotus. After a hundred years of cultivation, it was to act in the place of the true god."
Hearing this, Jingheng couldn't help but feel the bitter irony.
He was the golden lotus, born to uphold the way, but there was another reason the true god had left him: "When the time is complete, he will accomplish great things." Everyone understood the true god's intentions, but now, with a hundred years passed and the Sovereign Lord in charge, no one mentioned it. If it weren't for Chou Zhi mentioning it in his previous life, Jingheng might never have known.
Thinking of Chou Zhi, he frowned, but this expression was caught by Bai Zhi. He felt that Jingheng's behavior was unusual. If it were the past, Jingheng would be nervous and ask what to do. Today, however, he let them shackle him without even trying to explain. He still held the piece of skin—he could have used it to clear his name.
But he didn't...
Bai Zhi turned his head, seeing Jingheng looking down, stepping on a small weed. Then Jingheng shook his head slightly. Just a child who hadn't grown up, learning nothing from Rong Wan all these years, probably scared to the point of speechlessness.
With this in mind, Bai Zhi's eyes grew more disdainful, thinking the true god had made a mistake in leaving behind this golden lotus.
Yet Jingheng released his foot, and the weed beneath him regained its vitality.
"Do you know why the Sovereign Lord wants you to kill me instead of doing it himself?" he asked, his voice low.
This question made Bai Zhi's pupils dilate for a moment. How did Jingheng know the Sovereign Lord wanted him dead?
Jingheng leaned in close to Bai Zhi's ear and whispered, "I've heard that Bai Ming recently conquered a city in the demon realm and now controls most of the Heavenly Realm's soldiers."
Bai Zhi's expression remained unchanged, but there was a hint of unease and caution in his eyes. Jingheng had always stayed close to Rong Wan and hated hearing about these matters. Where did he get his information?
Without waiting for Bai Zhi to fully process this, Jingheng continued, "I'm still the golden lotus left by the true god. Regardless, I should be judged by the true god. Bai Zhi, you've overstepped."
With that, Jingheng released a burst of lotus fire that consumed the piece of skin.
"If I die, then Bai Zhi and his allies will be accused of defying the true god. Would you like that?"