The next day, the public trial of the old Hehuan Sect case was held. Twelve sects, including Five Poisons Valley and the Jade Sword Alliance, gathered in the punishment hall.
Chao Jinsui sat quietly in the observer’s seats, watching the remnants of the Su family being escorted onto the execution platform—this once illustrious family would ultimately vanish between heaven and earth.
Such a verdict was not surprising. Today’s true spectacle had only just begun.
Another person was dragged onto the execution platform—it was actually the Taixuan elder who had presided over the Hehuan Sect case years ago. At Aunt Ping’s command, blood instantly splashed three feet high upon the platform.
Lingyun’s mouth fell open in shock. “They really executed him?”
Chao Jinsui neither affirmed nor denied, only looked toward Aunt Ping: publicly executing the elder who had misjudged the case back then, in order to silence the murmuring voices of the world—this, at least, showed resolve.
Sure enough, Taixuan Wuji’s actions caused an uproar. The major sects watching nodded repeatedly, clearly very satisfied with this handling of the matter. It barely counted as recovering part of Taixuan Wuji’s reputation.
Blood mist filled the execution platform. Taixuan disciples burst into tears, grief-stricken.
Aunt Ping looked toward Chao Jinsui, her tone filled with extreme sorrow. “Miss Chao, this matter has now been concluded. Tomorrow morning, before everyone, Taixuan Wuji will hand over the sect’s treasured relic to you.”
“Now then—are you satisfied?”
Countless resentful gazes shot toward her from all directions, almost piercing her full of holes, as if condemning Chao Jinsui for pressing too hard—not only forcing their elder to death, but even taking their supreme treasure.
Chao Jinsui set down the teacup in her hand and sighed softly.
“Aunt Ping, the way you act makes it seem as though I alone have bullied the entire Taixuan Wuji.”
“If your founding ancestor knew that such a vast Taixuan Wuji was so aggrieved and fragile, I wonder what they would think?”
Lingyun let out a snort of laughter.
The sobbing below abruptly stalled. Shi Chunqiu’s old face flushed red, and even suppressed chuckles leaked from the audience seats.
Aunt Ping and the others stormed off, sleeves flicked in anger.
After lightly driving them away in fury, there was not the slightest smile on Chao Jinsui’s face.
On the way back, her expression gradually darkened.
Regarding the elder’s death this time, Taixuan Wuji would absolutely not blame Aunt Ping for being ruthless; just like how Shi Chunqiu, having lost a granddaughter, would not blame his own past negligence, but would only hate Chao Jinsui for exposing everything.
These two lives—Taixuan Wuji would likely place them both on her head.
She said quietly, “Lingyun, Hongniang, don’t wander around tonight. Pack everything, prepare the carriage. Once we get the item tomorrow, we leave Taixuan Wuji immediately. Do not linger.”
Lingyun and Hongniang exchanged a glance and nodded.
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
The next day, at the agreed time, Chao Jinsui and her group appeared punctually before the stone steps of Guangming Hall.
Chao Jinsui did not know what scheme Aunt Ping was planning, but seeing disciples from various sects gathering one after another to witness the ceremony, she relaxed slightly. Even if they intended to make trouble, they would not act under so many watching eyes.
Aunt Ping asked, “With so many people witnessing, Miss Chao should feel at ease now, yes?”
She raised her hand, and someone brought the item forward.
Inside the box, the yin-yang fish flowed with a faint, dim glow. The moment it appeared, it drew countless burning gazes. The sect’s treasured relic indeed shimmered with radiant brilliance.
Aunt Ping signaled for a disciple to hand the box to an elder of the Jade Sword Alliance. “Even if Miss Chao does not trust our Taixuan Wuji, surely you trust the Jade Sword Alliance?”
Spiritual energy lit at the elder’s fingertips as he examined it. He nodded. “It is indeed the yin-yang fish.”
Taixuan Wuji’s frankness and decisiveness were truly suspicious.
Chao Jinsui exchanged a glance with Hongniang.
They really handed it over so easily? Were they planning to intercept and kill them on the road? Yet after everything concluded, once Chao Jinsui’s group left the city in their carriage, the journey remained calm and uneventful—no ambushes appeared.
Chao Jinsui toyed with the yin-yang fish in her hand for a long time, then put it back. “This yin-yang fish… is fake.”
Taixuan Wuji’s forgery was extremely skillful.
If she did not understand the Butian Stone, she naturally would not be able to tell real from fake. But within the Butian Stone lay heaven and earth, vast and boundless—whether demonic energy or spiritual energy was infused into it, it would sink like a stone into the sea. The yin-yang fish could be imitated, but the universe contained within it was not something Taixuan Wuji could possibly forge.
Hearing this, Hongniang frowned. “But the Jade Sword Alliance elder bore witness. Taixuan Wuji can simply deny everything. These humans… truly despicable!”
Chao Jinsui lowered her gaze: the Demon had really guessed correctly.
She had thought that with Taixuan Wuji’s reputation now on the brink of collapse, forcing them to hand over the Butian Stone should not be difficult. Aunt Ping was a clever person; what Taixuan Wuji needed most right now was time. This was the best chance for Taixuan Wuji to reverse its reputation and salvage the situation—handing over the item to settle matters peacefully would have been the wisest choice.
But when clever people stay clever for too long, they become self-righteous; when Taixuan Wuji has stood high above for too long, it can no longer bow its head.
She wanted to take the Butian Stone openly and justly, and did not wish to create more killing—but some people insisted on forcing her hand.
Chao Jinsui sighed. “It seems… force is unavoidable.”
She opened her eyes and flicked Xiao Yanjing that were peeking around. “Go find your master. Tell him I invite him to come.”
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
On their way back, Taixuan City had emptied by more than half within half an hour.
The closer they drew to the mountain gate, the lonelier the streets became.
By the time they reached the main gate, the long street lay empty like an abandoned dead city. Only a half-transparent barrier, like an inverted glass bowl, covered the entire Taixuan Wuji. The moment their group stepped onto the long street, the white-robed Taixuan disciples lying in ambush emerged. Above the sky, the barrier flickered and began to expand, enclosing Chao Jinsui’s group within it.
Seeing this scene—what was left to misunderstand?
Hongniang pulled Lingyun behind her, guarding at Chao Jinsui’s side. “Oh? Taixuan Wuji… waiting here for us, are you.”
Sure enough, as her words fell, Shi Chunqiu appeared with the elders.
“Miss Chao, you should not have come back.”
“This old man kindly left you a path to live, yet you refused to take it and insisted on returning to barge through the gates of hell.”
Chao Jinsui smiled faintly. She released her hand, and the yin-yang fish in her palm fell to the ground and shattered.
“No choice. When Taixuan Wuji’s skin is even thicker than this yin-yang fish, and you dare present such a fake…”
“If I don’t come back to demand an explanation, wouldn’t I be wronged?”
Shi Chunqiu snorted coldly. “At death’s door and you still want an explanation. Do you think you can leave here alive?”
Lingyun popped her head out from behind. “You’re despicable! If the young sect master disappears after leaving Taixuan Wuji, aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to silence the voices of the world?”
“Ignorant child, and you dare interrupt.” Aunt Ping’s voice came from behind. “If we let you leave today, would not everyone dare to barge into Taixuan Wuji in the future? If I do not kill you, where would Taixuan’s authority remain?”
“Chao Jinsui, you are indeed clever but you forget that you are no longer the young sect master of Kunlun Sword Sect. Now you stand with neither sect nor family behind you. Only a single brother depends on you. You are nothing but rootless duckweed.”
“After your death, aside from your brother, who else will pursue the matter? When time passes, this affair will naturally be forgotten by the world.”
If Chao Jinsui were still the young sect master she once was, Aunt Ping would have regarded her more highly and would naturally not act so rashly. But now she was merely an independent cultivator, what did she amount to?
Her death would be light and inconsequential, like a single drop of water disappearing into the sea.
Who would care about the disappearance of a single drop of water?
Hearing this, Chao Jinsui let out a soft laugh.
“You’re right about everything.”
“But didn’t Chao Taichu tell you? Before I left Kunlun, I destroyed half of Kunlun Sword Sect?”
Kunlun Sword let out an excited ringing cry, golden light blazing forth.
Her sword tip trembled:
“When you judged Madam Zi’s case, did you not hear how that thousand-year Gu King died?”
As her words fell, the barrier shattered with a sound, cracking like a spider’s web.
“Hongniang, protect Lingyun.”
Dominating force spread from the tip of the Kunlun Sword, freezing the rain of arrows filling the sky; Chao Jinsui leapt into the air, her figure elusive, rushing toward the gates of Taixuan Wuji.
After Chao Jinsui advanced in realm, the power of the Qianjun Realm had risen to a terrifying level.
Light as a swallow, yet strength weighing a thousand jun!
Under the vibration of Qianjun Realm spiritual power, the great gates forged of refined iron exploded open with a thunderous blast.
With a tap of her toes, Chao Jinsui charged straight inside.
“Quick! Catch her!”
But she was like an incomparably nimble spirit sparrow, swiftly darting through the rain of arrows and spiritual force. Like a startled swan, like a roaming dragon—those who stood in her way were flung aside one after another.
So unstoppable—she was about to charge straight into the very center of Taixuan Wuji.
At that moment, Aunt Ping let out a cold laugh and struck her cane upon the ground. Amid rumbling thunderous sounds, a massive stone lion rose from the center of the earth.
That stone statue of Taixuan Wuji was actually alive. It stood as tall as a three-story building, its entire body radiating golden light, blocking her path.
Its lion eyes wide, its oppressive aura made hearts tremble.
Chao Jinsui stopped.
Behind her, dozens of Golden Core disciples swarmed forward. Not far away, three Nascent Soul elders watched like tigers eyeing prey. Taixuan Wuji’s disciples had already surrounded this entire area completely. Looking out from afar, Chao Jinsui felt as though she stood within a vast white ocean.
She had done what she believed was right. From beginning to end, she only wanted to persuade through reason; even if she sought the Butian Stone, she had won it openly and justly, with a clear conscience. She only wanted Taixuan Wuji to fulfill its promise and hand over the true Butian Stone.
She had always believed that fairness and justice existed between heaven and earth, but what she upheld meant nothing in these people’s eyes.
Just as in her previous life, when she sacrificed herself for the Dao, and in the end became nothing more than a fleeting joke in the mouths of storytellers.
Aunt Ping clapped her hands in admiration.
“Excellent skill. Your sword truly makes one look at you with new eyes.”
“If you were still the young sect master of Kunlun, with such strength—and if you had brought more disciples to stir trouble in Taixuan Wuji—we really would have had to retreat and dare not act rashly today.”
“But times are different now. Even if you are a heaven-blessed genius, today you will still break at Taixuan Wuji!”
As her words fell, the towering and majestic stone lion before them—the divine beast symbolizing the fairness of law—lowered its sharp claws and let out a roar, restless and ready to strike.
Chao Jinsui asked softly, “Is that so?”
She calmly looked behind her.
All around was silent. And so it became very clear—on the empty streets, distant footsteps were approaching.
Not scattered footsteps, but the thundering march of thousands of troops and horses.
An extremely pleasant voice sounded from behind:
“Who says she has no one to rely on, that she is nothing but rootless duckweed?”
“Who says that if she dies, no one will pursue it?”
“Who says… she didn’t bring enough people?”
Everyone raised their heads and instinctively looked toward where the voice had come from.
On the rooftops beyond the walls, at some unknown moment, a group of black-clad figures had appeared. The sight was striking—like terrifying ghosts from horror legends.
From afar, they looked like a flock of black crows carrying the scent of blood, densely surrounding the entire Taixuan Wuji, bringing an immense sense of oppression.
As if dark clouds pressed upon the city, threatening to crush it.
