"...Little Junior Sister!" A voice reached her, and Ye Ziling realized a figure had appeared behind her at some point.
She froze in place, her blood-stained long sword falling to the bluestone slabs with a crisp sound.
"Senior Brother Ling..." Shen Yueru spoke with difficulty, blood welling from the corner of her mouth. She looked pitiful and miserable.
Jun Lan approached Shen Yueru step by step. Each step felt like it landed on her heart, making it difficult for her to breathe.
The man appeared before her as if by teleportation, bent down, and scooped her into his arms. His pupils showed obvious anxiety. "Junior Sister..."
Lying in his embrace, Shen Yueru tilted her head up, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "Senior Brother Ling... I didn't mean to provoke Miss Ye..."
"Our Shao Lin owes her far too much..."
"I'm going to find Father... Take good care of yourself."
Shen Yueru raised her right hand, her fingertip caressing Jun Lan's brow. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.
Jun Lan's body suddenly stiffened. He lowered his gaze, looking at the person in his arms, who was as pale as paper, and said in a deep voice, "Guards... take the Heavenly Consort back to the palace."
"Make sure to save her!"
Several guards hurried forward from behind, helping Shen Yueru back to the palace in a flurry.
"If you hold resentment towards Shao Lin, you can come at me. There's no need to attack Little Junior Sister," Jun Lan said to Ye Ziling beside him, his tone icy.
"Listen to me... she did it herself..." Ye Ziling tried to explain something, but before she could finish, he cut her off coldly.
"...No need to explain." Jun Lan's face was grim, shadowed by a layer of gloom. He said word by word, "...You've always been a heartless person."
"She stabbed herself. It has nothing to do with me," Ye Ziling frowned. "If I wanted to kill her, would I use such a stupid method?"
If she had wanted Shen Yueru dead, this girl would have died long ago, not lived until now.
If she intended to kill Shen Yueru, would she meet her alone here and then smear dirt on herself?
Ye Ziling's gaze was sharp as she met Jun Lan's eyes, her gaze full of determination.
Jun Lan pursed his lips, staring at her silently, his expression growing increasingly sullen.
"You still haven't let go of your hatred."
"You know very well that Shao Lin is not the main culprit, merely a tool for Qing Bai."
"Why... are you so fixated on Shao Lin and refusing to let go?"
Jun Lan's tone was somewhat aggressive. Ye Ziling frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "So, you also believe I stabbed this sword?"
Jun Lan snorted coldly. "If you weren't scheming, how could there be such a coincidence?"
Ye Ziling pursed her lips, a cold glint flashing in her eyes before disappearing. "Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say."
As expected, the childhood bond of over twenty years ran deep. She thought the brief twenty-odd years in the mortal world had long become like passing clouds in his eyes.
The next day, in the Heavenly Palace Hall.
Qing Bai sat on the main seat, holding a cup of tea. His indifferent phoenix eyes swept over the crowd below, his face still maintaining a solemn and majestic demeanor.
"Tu Yao, I'll give you one chance to explain."
Ye Ziling's face was devoid of any expression. She calmly raised her eyes. "The Heavenly Consort's serious injury has nothing to do with me."
With a "bang," the teacup was slammed forcefully onto the ground, fragments scattering everywhere.
Ye Ziling was slightly startled. Seeing Qing Bai's ashen face, a wave of intense disgust welled up within her.
Qing Bai laughed in fury. "A fine statement of 'nothing to do with you'! Could it be that the Heavenly Consort stabbed herself?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Ziling's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "Just as the Emperor says, this sword was indeed stabbed by the Heavenly Consort herself."
As soon as these words were spoken, the immortal officials in the hall lowered their heads and began to whisper amongst themselves.
"Do you think it's because the Goddess still can't let go of the Emperor, so she can't stand to see the Heavenly Consort happy..."
"Mortals are just mortals; they can't escape the seven emotions and six desires. Jealousy distorts people's appearances. Who can really know?"
"I think this sinner cannot be kept. With so many crimes added up, can't she be subdued?"
"White Cloud Immortal Official is absolutely right. She is merely a mortal body now. If she dares to be so presumptuous to the Emperor now, wouldn't she be even more unrestrained if she cultivated into an immortal in the future? It's better to cut the knot with a swift knife and eliminate her now!"
...
Amidst the clamor, Ye Ziling lowered her gaze slightly, long past being surprised.
"Bang—"
The teacup was thrown heavily onto the table, the tea splashing violently. Jun Lan, standing nearby, had a dark expression.
Seeing this, all the immortal officials fell silent.
The Heavenly Realm hadn't seen much excitement in a long time. In this unfolding drama, no one knew whether General Jun Lan would side with his Junior Sister of many years or with Goddess Tu Yao, whom he had secretly admired for years.
Jun Lan shifted his gaze towards Ye Ziling, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"I recall that impersonating the Heavenly Consort warrants imprisonment in the Heavenly Jail and suffering the punishment of bone scraping, doesn't it?" Qing Bai said slowly, his chilling gaze fixed on Jun Lan. The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly.
He was curious to see how Jun Lan would protect Tu Yao this time.
As their eyes met, the immortal officials felt a chill run down their spines.
General Jun Lan had secretly admired Goddess Tu Yao for years, and Emperor Qing Bai was fully aware of this. Their relationship was so tense that if it weren't for the sake of maintaining order in the Heavenly Realm, they wouldn't have the chance to sit so harmoniously in the hall.
"This crime will be tried by this General," Jun Lan said coldly, looking at Qing Bai.
Qing Bai sneered. "Since it is my Heavenly Consort, the sinner should be handed over to me for judgment. The General is busy with his affairs and need not trouble himself."
Jun Lan lifted the curtain and said lightly, "If this General insists on interrogating myself, what can the Emperor do?"
Upon hearing this, Qing Bai sneered, "General, have you perhaps forgotten that you defied heaven to privately forge a mortal body for someone?"
"Emperor, have you perhaps forgotten that you privately forged the Sun Moon Divine Lamp behind the Heavenly Emperor's back?"
Jun Lan smiled dismissively, his reply unhurried, and then continued, "Moreover, when did the Emperor become so interested in my private affairs?"
Qing Bai forging the Sun Moon Divine Lamp with Goddess Tu Yao's immortal body was for the benefit of the celestial officials and the well-being of the Heavenly Realm's immortal officers. However, he did this behind the Heavenly Emperor's back.
This operation of acting first and reporting later meant that even the Heavenly Emperor couldn't clean up the mess and could only accept the fait accompli and go with the flow.