Vindicated After a Wrongful Death - Chapter 35

The others were utterly shocked, and even the white-haired cultivator furrowed his brow.

Soul-snatching was a forbidden art known only to that criminal from the Sandu Secret Realm, yet the guardian spirit beast of the Quyi Sect apparently knew it as well.

Hearing that word, Qu Xing was suddenly seized by a terror that things were spiraling out of his control.

The peacock… was clearly never supposed to speak of this.

The peacock remained in its quiet, kneeling posture. The tears in its eyes had dried, replaced by blood that flowed continuously from the corners of its beak, instantly staining the ground beneath it red.

This was the price for defying the array used to control spirit beasts.

Gu Congxu’s cold vertical pupils held no mercy as he looked at Qu Xing with indifference. “To call soul-snatching a ‘spiritual art,’ you’re nothing but a lying ant. Didn’t you just want the peacock to use soul-snatching to force Xiang Zhongjing to confess and submit to your law?”

Qu Xing’s pupils vibrated violently. He couldn’t believe the peacock would betray the Quyi Sect. Did it want to die?

The surrounding guests were already whispering uncontrollably, and the looks they directed at Qu Xing became increasingly strange.

Sect Leader Yi took the opportunity, using his booming voice to call out, “Sect Leader Qu, weren’t you just swearing up and down that your method could let the Sword Sovereign prove his innocence? How is it that you’ve managed to frame yourself with a crime instead?”

Qu Xing forced himself to remain calm, saying coldly, “The peacock told me it was a spiritual art. I knew nothing of any soul-snatching. Who knows if he’s suddenly biting back because he’s under someone else’s soul-snatching spell? After all, this evil dragon has followed that criminal for many years…”

Gu Congxu froze for a moment before realizing that the “criminal” they were talking about was his master. He was instantly enraged, letting out a savage, terrifying roar. “A stupid ant dares to slander my master! Do you truly think I wouldn’t dare to kill you?!”

The force of Gu Congxu’s roar sent blood trickling from Qu Xing’s ears, leaving his head ringing for a long time.

The onlookers’ expressions grew solemn as they quickly activated their protective spiritual energy and retreated.

This evil dragon really bit anyone he caught; no wonder he was called an evil dragon.

Gu Congxu’s rage didn’t subside. If Xiang Zhongjing hadn’t needed Qu Xing alive, he would have swallowed the man in a single bite. Why would he endure this kind of insult?

With the threat of the peacock’s soul-snatching gone, the quiet Xiang Zhongjing finally looked up, his face void of expression.

Despite everything, Xiang Zhongjing didn’t start by defending himself or accusing Qu Xing. Instead, he suddenly shifted the conversation, asking the monk, “Might I know the Master’s name?”

The monk pressed his palms together and stood with a faint smile. “Suyu.”

Xiang Zhongjing had expected Qu Xing’s stupidity to rattle this monk, who was likely the person behind the three Great Gates—but the man maintained his compassionate, ethereal facade from beginning to end.

Even when Qu Xing said something incredibly foolish, his expression didn’t change at all. He even seemed to look at Qu Xing with a trace of appreciation.

Appreciation for what? His idiocy?

Xiang Zhongjing gave a slight nod and a fake smile. “Master Suyu, I’ll remember that.”

Suyu acted as though he hadn’t heard the hidden meaning, nodding back with a smile.

Xiang Zhongjing knew he wouldn’t get anything useful out of a man this airtight, so he turned his gaze to the drenched, pathetic Qu Xing.

Suyu stood by with an air of a bystander, seemingly having no intention of protecting him. It appeared that Qu Xing, like Qu Weixian, was already “useless” to those behind the Great Gates.

Xiang Zhongjing looked at Qu Xing and said plainly, “Sect Leader Qu, you raised me from a young age. You should know that I’m not a man of many words. Even if I’m wronged, I won’t defend myself.”

Qu Xing’s old face twitched.

Nearby, Gu Congxu nearly went limp at the tip of his tail from the shock.

Not a man of many words? Won’t defend yourself when wronged?

Are you speaking in opposites?

In Gu Congxu’s experience, Xiang Zhongjing wasn’t just a man of many words; he was so talkative it made the True Dragon’s head throb. He wished he had eighteen pairs of hands just to plug the man’s non-stop mouth.

Regardless of what others thought, Xiang Zhongjing maintained that he was a man of few words, a poor little thing who suffered in silence.

Qu Xing was truly tired of him and didn’t want to hear any more nonsense. He went straight to the point, coldly piercing Xiang Zhongjing’s intent. “Are you trying to say that I was the one who had the peacock use soul-snatching to control you into killing those disciples back then?”

Xiang Zhongjing laughed and said, “No, I’ll say it again, Sect Leader Qu: I don’t care how you see me. I just can’t stand people throwing mud at me while acting like the victim. It’s too disgusting. Even a saint would lose their temper at that.”

As he spoke, he looked at Suyu and asked with a smile, “Isn’t that right, Master Suyu?”

Suyu’s eyes opened a crack, his smile looking like it was painted on. He maintained his pleasant facade and replied, “Indeed it is.”

Xiang Zhongjing felt this man was even smoother than his own head, his skin likely just as thick as his own.

“Since so many fellow daoists are present, why don’t we settle the events of the past bit by bit?” Xiang Zhongjing said. “After all, carrying this infamy for sixty years has been quite a nuisance.”

As soon as he said this, Sect Leader Yi didn’t wait for Qu Xing to respond. “That would be excellent! After all, it was disciples of the three Great Gates who died. Can the Quyi Sect truly be fair and just if they judge this behind closed doors? We should take advantage of everyone being here to restore the Sword Sovereign’s innocence.”

Sect Leader Yi spoke with righteous indignation. Those nearby looked at him strangely, thinking, Didn’t your Linjiang Peak only join the three Great Gates a few years ago? Even if it was disciples from the Gates who died back then, it’s not your place to be the first to speak up.

However, what Sect Leader Yi said was what most people were thinking, so few disagreed and all nodded along.

Xiang Zhongjing narrowed his eyes and looked at Su Cansheng. “I’ve heard the First Sovereign is a man of justice. I’d like to ask you to act as the adjudicator today and help clear my name. What do you say?”

Su Cansheng knew Xiang Zhongjing was humiliating him, but he couldn’t refuse. “Very well,” he said.

Xiang Zhongjing’s smile deepened. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he turned to the peacock kneeling on the ground.

The peacock’s blood was a dark purple, staining the soil black.

Xiang Zhongjing stepped onto Gu Congxu’s body and, using the Nether Fire, floated down to the clear ground in front of him. Gu Congxu was caught off guard and let out an embarrassing “cheep” from being stepped on. He was so angry he nearly swallowed the man whole.

Ignoring Qu Xing’s hideous expression, Xiang Zhongjing walked slowly to the peacock and leaned down to look at it. “Look up.”

The peacock slowly raised its slender neck, its gaze vacant.

Xiang Zhongjing: “Answer exactly what I ask.”

The peacock stared at him in silence for a long time before giving a small nod.

“Yes.”

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t give the others time to react and went straight to the questions.

“Did you personally see me massacre the disciples of the three Great Gates back then?”

“I did not.”

“Did I use a spirit sword to kill anyone?”

“I did not.”

He looked at the peacock and asked the final question: “Was it you who used soul-snatching to control and slaughter those disciples?”

Xiang Zhongjing had expected the peacock to nod, but surprisingly, it denied it.

“No. They committed suicide.”

This statement shocked everyone, and even Xiang Zhongjing raised an eyebrow in surprise.

His earlier comment about suicide had just been a joke; he hadn’t expected it to be the truth.

Qu Xing was already drenched in cold sweat.

Xiang Zhongjing stood up, walked to Gu Congxu’s side, and reached up to stroke the dragon’s head.

Gu Congxu wasn’t about to let him do that in front of everyone. He bared his fangs instantly, looking ready to bite the man’s arm.

“I’ll eat you!”

Xiang Zhongjing was long used to this. He retracted his hand without even looking, dodging the bite. He looked at the crowd with a smile and said, “Back then, the True Dragon was enraged by the theft of the Nether Fire and wanted to swallow every disciple in the secret realm. I was the one who used my own body to seal him and save them. The irony is that because of their ignorance, they mistook the sealing mark for a life-and-death contract. First Sovereign, would you say I was wronged?”

Su Cansheng’s face was void of expression as he said, “Wronged.”

Everyone present knew the ignorant person back then had been Su Cansheng himself. Hearing this exchange, they found it quite amusing.

It was indeed ironic; the First Sovereign who rose to power by sealing Xiang Zhongjing was actually such an ignorant and shameless man.

“The matter of the disciples’ deaths has been cleared up by the peacock, and I have proven my innocence regarding the secret realm,” Xiang Zhongjing said, opening his arms and turning in a half-circle to look at the disciples of Shangyao Peak and the Quyi Sect. “If you have any other accusations, speak them now.”

None of them could say a word. They exchanged glances, their faces heating up as they lowered their heads.

Su Cansheng watched his back, his expression unreadable.

Even if the elders had tried to prevent the truth from coming out, Xiang Zhongjing had plenty of ways to make sure everyone knew he was innocent.

Su Cansheng suddenly felt he was a joke. He had tried to handle everything perfectly, yet he had messed everything up.

Xiang Zhongjing turned to the shivering Qu Xing and asked seriously, “Old Sect Leader, do you have anything left to say?”

Qu Xing looked at Xiang Zhongjing with pure terror.

At his own birthday celebration, Xiang Zhongjing had single-handedly ruined his reputation in a matter of moments. He couldn’t kill him, and even the peacock had been turned against him.

He was even a bit dazed as to how he had been defeated so thoroughly.

From Qu Xing’s expression, the onlookers knew that everything Xiang Zhongjing said was true. Those baseless crimes from sixty years ago had all been forced upon him by the three Great Gates.

After all, once Song Youqiu’s lamp for Xiang Zhongjing went out, the witnesses were all gone, and the story belonged to whoever made it out alive.

It seemed the most pitiful person was Sovereign Xiang. He had saved everyone only to be betrayed and sealed in a secret realm for sixty years. When he finally returned, he was framed and his reputation destroyed.

If he had been a sensitive person, he would have broken down and gone mad long ago.

Thinking of this, the looks the crowd gave Xiang Zhongjing were full of pity and sympathy.

There was likely no one more tragic than Xiang Zhongjing.

The crowd let out a collective sigh, feeling that this trip had been well worth it.

After throwing the Quyi Sect into total chaos and successfully clearing his name, Xiang Zhongjing didn’t pay attention to the murderous Qu Xing or the strange looks from the crowd. Instead, he walked back to the peacock.

Xiang Zhongjing looked down at it and said plainly, “You had already cast soul-snatching just now. Why did you withdraw it?”

The peacock stared up at Xiang Zhongjing for a long time, until its pupils began to dilate. Then, it gave a soft laugh.

Two tears of blood flowed slowly from its beautiful eyes, falling to the ground and turning into glass-like beads of blood.

Xiang Zhongjing asked, “What are you laughing at?”

The peacock struggled to stand, seemingly wanting to get closer to Xiang Zhongjing. Gu Congxu immediately prepared to force it back to the ground, but Xiang Zhongjing raised a hand to stop him.

He wanted to know what the peacock had to say.

The peacock’s voice grew lower and lower, yet Xiang Zhongjing heard it clearly.

“I didn’t withdraw the soul-snatching.”

Xiang Zhongjing frowned.

Soul-snatching only took an instant to take control. His eyes had indeed met the peacock’s just now; if it had truly cast the spell, he would have succumbed already.

After saying those words, the peacock’s body fell toward Xiang Zhongjing like a feather. It seemed to want to embrace him, but its hands turned into fragments of spiritual energy before they could touch him.

A gust of wind blew, leaving only an empty set of colorful robes on the bloody ground.

Xiang Zhongjing felt that the peacock’s final words were meant as a hint, but he couldn’t figure it out. Just as he was about to stand up, he noticed something in the robes that looked like a glass-like peacock egg.

Xiang Zhongjing hesitated before picking up the egg and putting it in his sleeve. After a moment’s thought, he also picked up the two tears of blood the peacock had left behind.

In the viewing area, Yun Yanli was happily eating melon seeds when he suddenly felt the phoenix on his shoulder peck him.

“What is it?”

Phoenix: “That’s a peacock egg formed from a peacock’s core. If it’s nurtured with spiritual energy, it might come back to life. Young Lord, go get that egg.”

Yun Yanli raised an eyebrow. “What? You’re lonely and want to hatch an egg?”

Phoenix: “…”

The phoenix spat out a tiny flame and said crossly, “I’m planning to eat it! It’s a great tonic!”

Yun Yanli flicked its head. “I’ll ask about it in a bit.”

The phoenix happily nuzzled against his face.

The guests didn’t feel angry about being politely ushered out by Qu Weixian; after all, this was a private matter of the three Great Gates that they shouldn’t interfere with anyway.

They left with excitement, likely ready to spread the word everywhere.

The news that Xiang Zhongjing was alive, his name cleared, and that a True Dragon had returned would shock the three realms and Jiuzhou.

Xiang Zhongjing tucked the egg away and turned to find Gu Congxu back in human form, standing with his arms crossed and looking at him coldly.

Qu Xing was trapped in the small seal Gu Congxu had placed and couldn’t escape. The nearby Quyi Sect disciples held their swords but didn’t dare step forward to save him, terrified of the dragon.

Qu Weixian returned quickly after seeing the guests off, walking up to Qu Xing. “Father.”

Qu Xing looked at him coldly. “I have no such traitorous son!”

Qu Weixian asked blankly, “Back then… when I was severely injured by the Nether Fire, was that also part of your plan?”

Qu Xing froze, his face turning pale instantly.

Qu Weixian stood outside the barrier, a glimmer of hope appearing in his ashen eyes. He looked at Qu Xing expectantly, like a child waiting for a “no.”

Qu Xing seemed to want to deny it, his lips moving but no sound coming out.

Qu Weixian waited for a long time, but never heard the “no” he wanted. The light in his eyes grew dimmer and dimmer until they were once again vacant and lifeless.

Qu Weixian slowly crouched down, staring at Qu Xing’s hem. He murmured, “Is it because Weixian was too stupid and disappointed Father?”

Qu Xing’s eyes trembled as he looked at him, but he couldn’t say a single word.

Xiang Zhongjing, who had been teasing Gu Congxu until his face was red and his horns were about to pop out, gave a laugh. His slender fingers traced lazy circles on Gu Congxu’s shoulder as he said plainly, “He loves you so much; he naturally wouldn’t plan for you to be injured. He’s likely just taking the fall for the person behind him.”

Qu Weixian didn’t understand. With tears at the corners of his eyes, he looked at Xiang Zhongjing.

Xiang Zhongjing stepped forward and pulled him up, ruffling his hair. “How about I drag the person behind him out for you to play with later?”

Qu Weixian’s eyes brightened slightly. He nuzzled against Xiang Zhongjing’s palm and nodded obediently.

“Okay. Zhongjing is good.”

Xiang Zhongjing laughed.

Nearby, Gu Congxu felt a sudden, inexplicable wave of displeasure.

After Xiang Zhongjing comforted Qu Weixian, Su Cansheng, who had finished settling the others, stood not far away. He seemed to be waiting to see how Xiang Zhongjing would deal with Qu Xing.

Ignoring him completely, Xiang Zhongjing spoke to the devastated Qu Xing inside the barrier. “Sect Leader Qu, I’ll need you to lead the way.”

Qu Xing looked up. “Lead the way where?”

Xiang Zhongjing pointed in a certain direction and gave a laugh. “The forbidden grounds. The array.”

If he wasn’t mistaken, there were dragon bones inside the array that controlled the peacock in that forbidden ground.

Qu Xing looked at him with hatred. “Don’t even think about it!”

Xiang Zhongjing said with a smile, “Then I’ll just have to take your son with me.”

Qu Weixian hurried over and even stood on his tiptoes, looking perfectly willing to be taken along.

“Take me. Zhongjing take me.”

Qu Xing: “…”

Qu Xing’s eyes were red with hatred. “I’ll take you. Just don’t let Weixian near there.”

Xiang Zhongjing said, “There we go.”

He turned and beckoned to Gu Congxu. “Sange, let’s go.”

Gu Congxu was sulking some distance away. Xiang Zhongjing had been paying all his attention to Qu Weixian and ignoring him, and now that the dragon’s anger was about to fade, the man finally came back to call him.

The True Dragon summoned up his annoyance again and said with a cold laugh, “Go by yourself. I’m not going.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Xiang Zhongjing was completely baffled. What is it now?

Getting angry all of a sudden, even to the point of not wanting the dragon bones?

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t think much of it and followed Qu Xing toward the forbidden grounds without a change in expression.

After only a few steps, there was a sudden sound of wind behind him.

Xiang Zhongjing’s eyes carried a smile; he had expected it. He slowly extended his arm. In the next heartbeat, the little dragon Gu Congxu had transformed into flew back like a bolt due to the seal. Its body struck Xiang Zhongjing’s arm with such momentum that it wound around his forearm several times.

It nearly made the dragon dizzy.

Xiang Zhongjing gave a muffled laugh. “I thought you weren’t coming?”

Gu Congxu: “…”

Dizzy and fuming, Gu Congxu took a savage bite of Xiang Zhongjing’s finger.