The atmosphere inside the room was eerie. It was so quiet that the faint sound of the wind could be heard; several people even lightened their breathing, afraid that any disturbance might ignite a fire in a certain person that would burn them as well.
Peak Master Tan shot a look at the Peak Master of Jiuping, signaling him to say something.
The Jiuping Peak Master rolled his eyes; at a time like this, opening one's mouth was a death wish. Besides, he was just as shocked and bewildered by the news as everyone else.
However, his eyes instinctively flickered toward his own Sect Leader.
For a long time now, no one had been able to guess what was going through Song Jixue’s mind.
Ultimately, it was Xia Sangyi who broke the silence.
She rose from the bedside, the fine sweat still on her brow. Looking at Song Jixue with a grave expression, she said, "There must be a misunderstanding in this matter."
Seeing his wife speak up, the Lord of Dayin Mountain was about to chime in, but he heard a cold, angry snort from the Lord of Wushan.
"A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could there be! Yan Zibian was the first disciple of Shangyun Peak, a disciple he raised and taught personally. If it weren't the truth, why would he say such a thing at the moment of his death?" The Lord of Wushan looked at Song Jixue with dark, menacing eyes. "Jixue, this is your disciple. You should know him best."
The focus of the crowd fell once more on Song Jixue.
From beginning to end, Lord Yunshan—who hadn't frowned once, nor shown a moment of shock or anger—simply reached out and gently closed the eyes of his lifeless disciple. In a tone devoid of ups and downs, he said, "It’s not her."
The Jiuping Peak Master let out a sigh of relief for some inexplicable reason.
He truly did not want to see a plotline involving mutual suspicion and tragic lovers killing each other.
The Lord of Wushan said fuming, "This is what Yan Zibian heard with his own ears! Do you mean to say you don't believe him?!"
"I believe A-Yao." Song Jixue looked down at Yan Zibian’s pale face. "She only entered Kunlun three years ago. Her spiritual veins are wasted; she cannot cultivate, nor can she manipulate spiritual power for techniques. For three years, she has been nursing her health at Shangyun Peak and rarely goes out. How could she be a traitor sent by the Demon Emperor?"
Xia Sangyi stood on Lord Yunshan’s side and added, "I see A-Yao often, and I haven't noticed anything wrong. She rarely even leaves Shangyun Peak and only sees a fixed group of people. If she were a traitor, she would have no opportunity to send messages to the Demon Realm, not to mention she has no demonic energy on her at all. To hide one's demonic energy to enter Kunlun, one must rely on pills; if that were the case, I definitely would have discovered it."
"A traitor doesn't necessarily have to be a demon," Peak Master Tan said in a deep voice. "One only needs to have a heart that conspires with the demon clan."
Xia Sangyi’s expression faltered slightly at those words, finding it difficult to refute for a moment.
"Jixue," the Lord of Wushan said coldly. "I know you love this woman to death, so it's hard for you to accept being betrayed by the one you love. But now that the Gate of Earthly Ghosts has opened and the demon clan's conspiracy is approaching, we cannot afford to hesitate."
Song Jixue lifted his eyelids, his expression unfathomable.
"Don't be in such a hurry. Yan Zibian wouldn't lie in the final moment of his life, but it's also possible that Chang Yao was framed. There's something off about this." The Lord of Dayin Mountain tried to ease the tension. "Let's hear what Chang Yao has to say first."
At this hour, Chang Yao would usually have already fallen asleep while intoxicated by the mountain's spiritual energy. But today, a female disciple had ignored all attempts to stop her and, dragging her unhealed body, knelt outside the main hall to beg for an audience with her.
Inside the room, Chang Yao found this strange. She pulled back on her outer garment, which she had already half-removed.
"What is it?" she asked.
The maid spoke softly outside the door, "She didn't say. She only said she wanted to see the Mistress once."
"A disciple from which peak?" Chang Yao opened the door and stepped out.
The maid followed her. "She is from Haoran Peak, Peak Master Zhao’s disciple, Cui Miaomiao."
Cui Miaomiao?
Chang Yao searched her memory but had no recollection.
She went to the hall and saw a young girl kneeling in the dark night. On her small face was a pair of large, clear eyes looking up at the woman on the steps under the candlelight.
It was true that the Lady of Yunshan was beautiful.
"Disciple Cui Miaomiao greets the Sect Leader's wife." Cui Miaomiao lowered her head slightly, her teeth biting her red lip in a pitiable manner. "A few days ago, Senior Brother Xue and I returned from an worldly trial with injuries. My brother was in a hurry to take me to the medicine room for treatment when he bumped into the Young Master of Wushan. That's why the two started fighting and accidentally killed the Three-Legged Phoenix. There was a reason for it; if it weren't for me, my brother wouldn't... I beg the Mistress to release him from the Bone-Binding Garden and let me take his punishment instead."
Chang Yao listened carefully, then tilted her head to whisper to the maid, "Didn't I just tell people to have him reflect in seclusion? Why did she say the Bone-Binding Garden?"
The maid also whispered back, "It’s Peak Master Zhao. Xue Hao is his disciple." She paused and added, "But his relationship with his fellow disciples isn't very good."
Chang Yao realized, "So Peak Master Zhao thought reflecting in seclusion wasn't enough and sent him to the Bone-Binding Garden instead?"
The maid nodded.
The girl kneeling below was only fifteen or sixteen, her face still carrying a hint of childishness, yet her gaze was firm.
Chang Yao walked to her and leaned over to examine her closely. Cui Miaomiao seemed to be heavily injured; almost all her exposed skin was wrapped in white cloth. Her complexion was an unnaturally pale white. Perhaps she hadn't noticed it herself, but deep within her autumn-water eyes, there was a layer of colorless gray mist.
"It seems you encountered something terrifying during your worldly trial," Chang Yao said softly. Her soft, boneless fingers lightly climbed onto the girl’s face. As her fingertips brushed against the cold skin, they drew out a fleeting wisp of black demonic energy. "Otherwise, why would you have come back possessed by a Painted Skin Demon?"
Cui Miaomiao’s body trembled. When she lifted her head, her pupils were hollow and vacant. Between the movements of her lips, a monstrous laugh full of yin energy escaped: "Kunlun... already knows your identity."
The finger Chang Yao had on her face paused. Before she could ask more, she heard the Lady of Wushan’s angry roar from ahead: "Chang Yao! You slut who conspires with the demon clan and brings evil demons into the mountain to wound my son!"
The Lady of Wushan had found Chang Yao first. Burning with rage over her son's severed arm, and added to the prejudices she already held, her impression of Chang Yao was at its worst. Driven by anger and hatred, she launched a killing move the moment her sword landed.
A fierce, howling wind carried intense killing intent. Dust and falling flowers were swept up and shredded. Chang Yao did not dodge or hide. Just as the cold, gleaming blade was about to reach her forehead, it was deflected by a golden light, producing a sharp, piercing metallic clash. The resulting gale whipped up the clothes and hair of both women.
A circle of a sword array rose with Chang Yao at the center. Thirty-six pale gold spiritual swords, lined with long talismans, slowly rotated. It was an extremely powerful and domineering protective sword array.
The Lady of Wushan frowned, her gaze cold and resentful.
The Lingxi Sword Array—the unique secret technique of Yunshan. It was the strongest protective array in the world today, passed down only to successive Sect Leaders.
In Kunlun, no one but Song Jixue could bypass the Lingxi Sword Array to harm her even a little.
Chang Yao kept her hands tucked in her sleeves. She smiled faintly at the venomous gaze and said in a soft, gentle voice, "Why is the Lady of Wushan so angry with me that she would go as far as to cross blades and trigger the Lingxi Sword Array?"
The Lady of Wushan gripped her sword tightly, wishing she could cut off Chang Yao’s hands immediately.
"You're asking when you already know!" she said through gritted teeth. "Chang Yao, you are in league with the demon clan—"
Chang Yao interrupted her, "Who said so?"
"Yan. Zi. Bian!" The Lady of Wushan emphasized each word. "Lord Yunshan’s disciple, who returned with him from the West Sea this time! He heard the conspiracy between the Demon Emperor and the Phoenix clan with his own ears! Before he died, he identified you as the traitor hiding in Kunlun!"
Chang Yao’s eyes flickered toward Cui Miaomiao, who was still kneeling beside her. So that's how it is.
She didn't think she had ever offended Yan Zibian.
As his Mistress, she never interfered in Yunshan affairs, nor in cultivation or teaching. At most, she would sit by and eat sweets or drink porridge while watching silently as Song Jixue gave him guidance.
Yan Zibian had always been respectful toward her.
But for him to do this before he died... if he wasn't lying, then the demon clan must have discovered long ago that he was eavesdropping and gave him false information.
What she needed to worry about then was whether dragging her into this was the intention of the Demon Emperor or that great demon of the Phoenix clan.
However, that Painted Skin Demon actually dared to bluff her, making her think Song Jixue knew her true identity as a demon.
"I am not the traitor," Chang Yao said patiently.
"Liar!" The Lady of Wushan pointed her sword at her, her eyes red with fury. "My son accidentally killed the Three-Legged Phoenix. On the surface, you said nothing, but behind everyone's back, you sent a demon to sneak into Wushan and cut off his arm! How sinister! How cruel!"
Chang Yao: "..."
Well, you actually got that right.
"I am very sorry about the Young Master of Wushan," Chang Yao sighed. "But I am a waste who doesn't handle Yunshan affairs. Every day I live a quiet life with my husband, wanting for nothing. Why would I be a traitor for the demon clan? The demon clan doesn't need a waste who knows nothing and can do nothing as a traitor."
"Stop your excuses! Today, I will definitely get revenge for my son!" The Lady of Wushan lost her patience and lunged forward with her sword again. Before she could get close, she was repelled by a sword light flying in from behind.
Song Jixue, arriving a moment later, bypassed the Lady of Wushan in a flash and stood in front of Chang Yao. He gripped the silver-white sword at his waist. Seeing this, the Lord of Wushan and the others behind him all turned pale. Together with Chang Yao, who reached out to press down on Song Jixue’s hand, they shouted simultaneously, "Wait!"
The Lord of Yunshan did not have a divine weapon, but he had a heart-sword, Zhigui, which could manifest into a divine form.
Achieving a heart-sword was the life-long pursuit of countless sword cultivators, let alone manifesting the heart-sword into reality—something that couldn't necessarily be achieved even in two lifetimes. In the world today, only Lord Yunshan had such a level of cultivation.
At this moment, everyone was staring at the hilt of the sword Song Jixue was holding. If they were a second too late and let him unsheathe it, there would be trouble.
Once Zhigui left its scabbard, it would inevitably taste blood. The one in front of him was the Lady of Wushan; could the Lord of Wushan just stand by and watch? If they really started fighting, the scene would be chaotic and dangerous.
"Don't be angry," Chang Yao comforted him with a light squeeze of his hand. She said softly, "The Lady of Wushan is just anxious about the Young Master."
Only then did Song Jixue release the hilt.
The Lord of Wushan and the others looked at the Lingxi Sword Array around Chang Yao with varying expressions.
Those who disliked Chang Yao were frustrated with Song Jixue’s lack of resolve, while those without prejudice marveled at how much Lord Yunshan truly loved his wife.
The Lord of Wushan stepped forward to protect his wife behind him. He looked at Chang Yao with a wary and suspicious gaze, saying in a deep voice, "You must have heard and known why we are here. Chang Yao, wife of the Sect Leader of Yunshan, should you not give us an answer?"
"It wasn't me." Chang Yao’s expression was open, and her answer was firm. "I am not a traitor sent by the demon clan, nor have I gathered any information about the Kunlun Three Mountains to pass to them."
As the Lord of Wushan showed a clearly disbelieving expression, Chang Yao asked him with confusion, "Why would the Lord of Wushan think a waste like me, who can no longer cultivate, would be the demon clan's traitor?"
The Jiuping Peak Master nodded instinctively; it sounded very logical.
The Lord of Wushan coldly stopped his wife, who was about to lose her temper.
Peak Master Tan said, "Even if you can no longer cultivate, you are the wife of Lord Yunshan and the Mistress of Yunshan. That status alone is enough."
"I may be the Mistress of Yunshan, but I do not handle Yunshan affairs. For three years, I have only lived a loving life with my husband. Is that also worthy of suspicion?" Chang Yao reminded him kindly, "Peak Master Tan should be careful not to interfere too much in the private matters of another couple."
Song Jixue lifted his eyelids in sync, scanning them with a half-smile. "Are you all now interrogating me about private conversations with my wife and the management of Yunshan's power?"
Peak Master Tan: "..."
He immediately backed down. He winked at the Lord of Wushan, telling him silently that he had tried his best and that facing Lord Yunshan directly was up to him.
The Lord of Wushan said deeply, "Yan Zibian identified you personally!"
"I believe him too. He wouldn't lie, so it can only be that the information he heard was incorrect." Chang Yao spread her hands. "Why don't you think this is a scheme by the demon clan to sow discord?"
"Sow discord?" The Lord of Dayin Mountain mused.
This Lady of Yunshan, who rarely appeared and was somewhat mysterious in Kunlun, smiled slightly in the face of the suspicious and wary gazes of the various Mountain Lords and Peak Masters. She showed no fear, and her comfortable pace of speaking made it impossible to ignore her.
She was nothing like the timid, weak, and withdrawn person rumors made her out to be.
Chang Yao’s smiling gaze swept across the faces of the Lord of Wushan and the others. "By identifying the Lady of Yunshan as the traitor, you would certainly make things difficult for me, but Lord Yunshan would protect me. Once the seed of suspicion is planted, it is hard to remove. No matter what I say, you won't believe me. If things continue this way, it will inevitably lead the Three Mountains to fight amongst themselves, which is exactly what the demon clan wants to see."
"Think about it, everyone. The Lady of Wushan was so angry she tried to kill me, even triggering the Lingxi Sword Array. If Zhigui had left its scabbard just now, what would have happened?"
They dared not think about it. It was better that such a thing never happened. The Lord of Wushan and the Lord of Dayin Mountain said so in their hearts.
"This is a major matter; we must take a moment to..." The Lord of Dayin Mountain had just started when a streak of blue crossed the night sky. A messenger bird appeared before everyone, carrying news from Wushan: "The evil demon has appeared again!"
The Lady of Wushan was both anxious and shocked. "Wenjue is still there! This time, I will definitely kill that beast!"
"Return to Wushan immediately!" Before leaving, the Lord of Wushan looked at Chang Yao with a frown but said nothing.
One by one, the figures turned and left swiftly. The Lord of Dayin Mountain said, "We'll go too."
Chang Yao let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Song Jixue reached out and stroked her head. "I'll go take a look. You go inside first."
As he turned, Chang Yao reached out and grabbed his sleeve. Song Jixue paused but did not look back.
"Do you believe me?" Chang Yao asked.
If it were anyone else, she wouldn't have asked. But it was Yan Zibian. It was the identification by Song Jixue’s only disciple before he died.
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