She Said That Kisses and Hugs Are Needed for Redemption [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 25.1

What?!

The Divine Lord’s wife is a fake?! The true wife is someone else?!

As Bai Qingyuan’s words fell, the surrounding immortals pricked up their ears, eager to witness the explosive scandal unfolding before them.

On the platform, Divine Lord Qi Ran’s gaze was obscure. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, which only excited the crowd further. They sensed that this gossip was going to be incredibly scandalous. Everyone waited for Qi Ran to speak. After a moment of silence, he gestured toward the people from Aowu Palace below the Star Terrace.

“This is a private matter of this deity. There is no need to investigate it here. Take the people back to the palace first.”

Someone felt this was inappropriate. “But Lord Divine Lord, the young lady from Qingqiu said this matter also concerns the Demon Race. Perhaps your lordship should let her report here.”

“Yes, indeed! Furthermore, the marriage between Qingqiu and the Heavenly Realm is your private matter, but it is also a major event for both clans!” Those who enjoyed the chaos began to chime in.

Faced with this, Qi Ran could no longer simply take them back to Aowu Palace. He pulled Bai Youran by the shoulder, patting her gently. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he whispered, “Rest assured, my wife. I will handle this.”

In the past, he had sought the wrong person, thinking that other girl was the Goddess. Fortunately, he had verified it again later and found the true Goddess. He was beyond grateful for Heaven’s mercy because he had already fallen for Bai Youran the first time he saw her. It was a blessing that the Goddess was her and the person he married was her.

Without the guards blocking her, Bai Qingyuan stepped forward. Even when she saw the warning in Bai Youran’s eyes, she did not retreat a single step. “Bai Youran, for the sake of marrying Divine Lord Qi Ran, ignored years of sisterly affection. She colluded with the Demon Race, conspired against Sister Lancen, and replaced her.”

Those few sentences were like a clap of thunder exploding in the ears of the immortals. Their minds went blank for a moment. As they slowly came to their senses, they wondered if they had misheard. However, seeing the cold and steady demeanor of the young girl from Qingqiu, it didn’t seem like she was misspeaking!

“Bai Qingyuan, even if you are my own sister, I cannot overlook such slander against me.” Bai Youran appeared wounded by her sister’s words. Her eyes reddened, and her restrained appearance made many believe she might truly be the one being wrongly accused.

“Someone come! Bai Qingyuan is suffering from a fit of madness and speaking nonsense. Take her away quickly!” Qi Ran, feeling distressed for the wronged Bai Youran, immediately followed her lead.

On the Star Terrace, the mist was ethereal, and the sky gradually darkened. The guards of Aowu Palace tried to drag her away, but with Long Qian guarding her, they could not get a single step closer to Bai Qingyuan.

The tense atmosphere was on the verge of breaking. The surrounding immortals found the confrontation absurd and began to frown.

“Since you say I am slandering you, why don’t you step onto the Monster-Slaying Mirror now? Prove that you have no demonic energy and have not colluded with the demons.” Bai Qingyuan was in no hurry. After dropping these words, she crossed her arms and looked coldly at Bai Youran, whose face flashed with a hint of panic.

“Exactly! To prove her innocence, the Divine Lord’s wife should go onto the mirror now!” The bolder spectators began to jeer.

This was indeed a good method. Qi Ran looked down at Bai Youran and asked softly, “Why don’t you go first?”

While Bai Youran remained silent, the immortals below were already whispering and discussing among themselves. Qi Ran did not know why his wife was hesitating, so he gently patted her back and encouraged her softly. “As long as you prove you have no connection to the Demon Race, I will handle everything else for you.”

The matter of the swapped marriage was a small thing; after all, the people of Qingqiu already knew about it. At worst, he would explain the reason for the swap later in the Heavenly Realm and solemnly reveal True God Xi Ning’s decree. Since it involved the Goddess of Salvation, the immortals would not make an issue of it once they knew.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Bai Youran’s face was pale, but she could not disregard Qi Ran’s face. She lifted her feet and slowly walked onto the Monster-Slaying Mirror. As her small feet stepped on it, a ripple flashed across the surface and spread outward.

Everyone widened their eyes, watching silently for any abnormality. The mist parted, and something seemed to churn within the water mirror. The hearts of the crowd jumped into their throats; some even secretly prepared their natal spiritual treasures so they could defend themselves immediately if Bai Youran showed any movement.

However, as time passed, the Monster-Slaying Mirror showed no change. In the end, only Bai Youran’s weak silhouette remained on the surface, without a trace of any demonic entity. The immortals breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Bai Qingyuan with complex expressions.

“That’s impossible! She clearly colluded with the Demon Race and carries demonic energy! How can the Monster-Slaying Mirror show no change at all?!” Bai Qingyuan was dumbstruck. The information the Dragon Clan found could not be wrong, and Lord Zhi Wu would never joke about this. Something must be wrong!

Amidst her unease, she suddenly caught Bai Youran’s gaze. It was full of provocation, mockery, and the look of someone certain of victory. Bai Qingyuan frowned deeply, unwilling to let Bai Youran off. She turned to the calm Long Qian, wanting to ask him what to do.

“Very well. My wife’s innocence has been verified. Can everyone be at ease now?” Qi Ran reached out and took the hand of Bai Youran as she stepped off the mirror, shielding her haggard form behind him. “Furthermore, I cannot lightly forgive Bai Qingyuan for such slander. But considering you are my wife’s sister, I shall not pursue it further. I will let the people of Qingqiu take you back to reflect for a hundred years.”

As he spoke, he waved his hand. Green light gathered at his fingertips as he wrote a few words. With another wave, the writing scattered into starlight and followed the ethereal mist back toward Qingqiu.

“Lord Divine Lord, a single Monster-Slaying Mirror might not be enough to verify if your wife has any issues.” Long Qian gripped Bai Qingyuan’s hand and stood before her, blocking the condemning gazes of the crowd. “You should let your wife’s personal maid, Xia Xin, go up and verify as well.”

The news the Dragon Clan received could not be wrong, but Ancestor Zhi Wu could not be brought out at this time; otherwise, Qi Ran might harbor resentment against her. Therefore, they could only start from other angles to prove that he and Bai Qingyuan were not lying.

The crowd fell silent again. Long Qian was of the Dragon Clan. Under the protection of Lord Zhi Wu, the Dragon Clan rarely appeared in the world, but they always upheld Zhi Wu’s principles of impartiality. Thus, Long Qian’s words carried significant weight.

“Xia Xin.” Qi Ran spoke expressionlessly, directing the trembling Xia Xin onto the mirror. “Let others see if you have colluded with the Demon Race.”

As expected, when Xia Xin stepped onto the mirror, there was no abnormality. With this, both the Divine Lord’s wife and her personal maid were cleared, and the immortals were completely at ease.

“This is impossible.” Bai Qingyuan was stunned. Seeing Xia Xin give her a small smile, she trembled with rage. “Something is definitely wrong!”

“Oh my! I say, young lady, what kind of grudge do you have against your sister to slander her like this?” Those who could no longer watch questioned Bai Qingyuan with a sharp tone.

“They are sisters! To make such wild guesses, it seems she truly hates the Divine Lord’s wife!”

“Could it be that she loves the Divine Lord and wants to push her sister aside to take that position for herself?”

The spectators imagined many scenarios, their words like tens of thousands of long swords piercing Bai Qingyuan’s chest. Being so misunderstood made her heart ache. She shouted at Qi Ran and Bai Youran above, “They used a trick to make it look like they have no connection to the demons! But it is true that she replaced Sister Lancen in the marriage! To stop you from finding Sister Lancen, she even had her captured!”

“Is this girl mad? She keeps throwing dirty water on the Divine Lord’s wife!”

“In my view, she doesn’t look like the wife’s sister; she looks like her enemy!”

Amidst the discussions, Bai Qingyuan stared fixedly at Bai Youran. “You let Elder Nian Ci take Sister Lancen away!”

“No more nonsense!” Having his beloved slandered repeatedly, Qi Ran was now truly angry. He gave a look to the people of Aowu Palace.

Obtaining the order, the guards of Aowu Palace quickly surrounded Bai Qingyuan and Long Qian, attempting to force them off the Star Terrace. Long Qian flicked his sleeve, stopping them several steps away. Seeing Bai Qingyuan beginning a hand seal, he used his cultivation to set up a barrier, blocking everyone out so they would not disturb her.

“You say you didn’t kidnap Sister Lancen, right?” Bai Qingyuan’s hands flipped, churning the surrounding immortal energy. Finally, she bit the tip of her tongue and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, which turned into several red starlights. “Then let us see where Sister Lancen is right now!”

The starlights flickered and flew out of the barrier toward the exterior of the Star Terrace. The crowd recognized that this young girl from Qingqiu was using the ultimate tracking technique of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan; using essence blood as a guide and a thousand years of cultivation as support to find the soul of a clansman. Seeing as this girl was only about a thousand years old, her cultivation would be nearly non-existent after using this technique.

Some felt a slight shift in their hearts, thinking that what this girl said might be partially true. Otherwise, why would she go through such trouble on the Nine Heavens at the cost of her entire cultivation?

As the red starlight was about to vanish, Bai Qingyuan turned back and gave Qi Ran a cold look. “Don’t you want to see how cold-blooded and cruel the person beside you is? Why don’t we go together and see how she is torturing Sister Lancen?”

After saying this, she took Long Qian’s hand, broke through the barrier, and followed the starlight toward the edge of the Star Terrace. The immortals looked at each other, uncertain. But when they saw Divine Lord Qi Ran following with his wife, they immediately slipped away to follow as well, continuing to watch the excitement.

The red light passed through long corridors, flew over various pavilions, crossed bridges, and finally stopped in front of the magnificent Bailan Palace. However, there seemed to be a barrier around the palace; the starlight struck it several times but could not enter.

Bai Qingyuan stopped and looked back at the arriving Qi Ran and Bai Youran, her lip curling in mockery. “The result of the tracking is that Sister Lancen is currently inside Bailan Palace. Do you still think I am lying?”

“Lord Divine Lord, who exactly is this Lancen the girl mentioned? The Divine Lord’s wife wouldn’t truly be imprisoning someone here, would she?”

These people didn’t dare ask aloud the more scandalous questions, such as whether the wife truly replaced someone to marry into the Nine Heavens, or if she truly made a secret deal with the Demon Race to steal someone’s position. But they had seen the verification earlier, so the second doubt seemed unlikely. However, even if the wife had no demon connections, if it were proven she took someone else’s place, that would still be thrilling news!

Qi Ran’s temple throbbed. He looked down at the panicked face of Bai Youran and guessed that this matter was likely true. Sighing inwardly, he wanted to continue covering for her, but the immortals behind them were not easily fooled, and Bai Qingyuan in front was even harder to deal with. Fine, it was just imprisonment. He could shoulder the consequences for her.

“Then let us go in and see.” A flash of green light shot from his fingertip, and the barrier around Bailan Palace vanished instantly. Without obstruction, the red starlights rushed inside. The crowd followed once more.

After walking through many twists and turns, everyone stopped with Bai Qingyuan and Long Qian in front of a large rockery. A stream gurgled nearby, and birds sang amidst the fragrance of flowers. It was a serene scene, hardly looking like a prison. Bai Qingyuan saw the starlights circling the rockery as if wanting to get inside. She turned to Qi Ran and tilted her chin. “Sister Lancen is likely inside this rockery.”

Qi Ran remained expressionless and silent. Long Qian, calm and steady, directly shattered the massive rockery with a single punch. With a loud boom, rocks fell, and dust settled to reveal a narrow entrance before the crowd.

“Ah?!” Some who had believed in Bai Youran’s innocence were stunned. “There really is a secret cell.”

As Bai Qingyuan and Long Qian strode inside, some of the curious immortals followed stealthily. Qi Ran patted the person in his arms, soothing her in his own way. “Don’t worry, I won’t blame you. But when they ask later, do not speak. Let me shoulder everything for you.”

Bai Youran’s eyes were moist as she bit her lower lip. Her pink lips turned pale, making her look incredibly innocent and pitiful. “Lord, I only didn’t want her to appear before you. I didn’t do anything to her. It was my fault; I am already married to you, I shouldn’t have been so jealous.”

Before their whispering finished, there was movement at the entrance. The sound of noisy footsteps grew closer, and those who had gone in reappeared. The crowd watched as Bai Qingyuan and Long Qian walked out supporting a girl who had already fainted. They hurriedly crowded forward, wanting to see what this supposed “true wife” looked like.

“Bai Youran, what else do you have to say?!” Bai Qingyuan’s heart ached for Fu Lancen’s injuries, and her gaze grew even more resentful as she looked at Bai Youran.

“This matter has nothing to do with my wife.” Qi Ran attempted to shield his beloved. The coldness on his face had softened, and his tone was slightly gentler. “My wife is frail and has never managed the affairs of Bailan Palace. I saw that she missed her family, so I let Elder Nian bring the younger generation of Qingqiu to the Nine Heavens to accompany her. I simply do not know why this junior would appear here.”

These words were very strained, and the crowd basically did not believe them. However, out of respect for Qi Ran’s status, they only exchanged looks and continued to watch the drama in silence.

“Divine Lord Qi Ran, as the only Divine Lord of the Heavenly Realm, do you truly intend to shield Bai Youran like this?” Bai Qingyuan could not understand why Qi Ran still tried to gloss over the matter at this point.

She wasn’t about to let a traitor like Bai Youran have a good outcome. Supporting the gradually awakening Fu Lancen, she stopped channeling spiritual power into her and brushed the hair from her ear, revealing the scars on her cheek. “What do you mean you ‘don’t know why she is here’? Are you suggesting she ran into that cell herself and injured herself like this?”

Looking at the shocking wounds on her face, neck, and collarbone, she grew even more furious. “Look closely! These wounds are tainted with demonic energy! Is that not enough to prove that the person who imprisoned and harmed her has ties to the Demon Race?!”

A gentle breeze blew, and wisps of demonic energy seeped from the wounds. The crowd was stunned and began to observe the horrific injuries carefully. After looking for a long time, they realized the scars indeed looked like they were caused by a demonic entity. They looked at the friends who had followed them inside; seeing them shake their heads, they knew Bai Qingyuan and Long Qian had not used any underhanded tricks in the cell just now.

Then, the injuries on this girl were truly caused by her captor. And who could imprison her in the secret cell of Bailan Palace? Only the delicate-looking Divine Lord’s wife!

But when she was verified on the Monster-Slaying Mirror just now, there was no abnormality. How could this be? Could it be that someone else in Bailan Palace was tainted by demonic energy?

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