The entire hall fell silent at these words, only Qing Bai's complexion turned as dark as ink.
Before long, two celestial officials knelt down together.
"This woman has repeatedly disrupted the order of the Heavenly Realm. Regarding the matter of the Sun and Moon Divine Chalice previously, and now the Heavenly Consort, a decision should have been made long ago. We implore the General and the Emperor to be reasonable."
Another celestial official continued, "Currently, the General and the Emperor must prioritize the overall situation of the Heavenly Realm..."
...
With the two celestial officials leading the charge, the other immortals' courage grew. They all knelt and kowtowed, "We hope the Emperor will deal with the sinner and bring justice to the Heavenly Realm!"
Ye Ziling's expression remained normal, but the fingers hidden in her sleeves slowly clenched.
With the Heavenly Consort severely injured, the blame fell upon her, and she had no room to refute. Coupled with past grievances, this black pot was firmly on her.
What a situation where everyone gangs up when someone is down!
"Is the Emperor doubting this General's capability?" Jun Lan narrowed his eyes, his tone suddenly turning cold, and his phoenix eyes swept over those seated with icy disdain.
"This seat merely fears the General will be soft-hearted," Qing Bai slightly lifted his chin, his expression arrogant.
Jun Lan, standing below, let out a contemptuous scoff, "The Heavenly Consort is severely injured, and the Emperor does not care about her, but instead comes to deal with the criminal first."
"Or is it that everyone here doubts this General's ability?"
At these words, the immortals' faces turned ashen, and they quickly defended themselves, "General... your capabilities are evident to all. This humble immortal... did not mean that."
Jun Lan rose, flicked his long robes, and strode away from his seat, leaving behind a single sentence before heading straight out of the hall.
"Then it is settled. This General has matters to attend to and shall take my leave."
Qing Bai stared fiercely at the receding silhouette, his fists gradually clenching.
The troublesome Bai Yu was gone, and now Jun Lan, who meddled in affairs, had arrived.
Ye Ziling watched Jun Lan's disappearing back, unsure whether she felt relief or disappointment.
Soon, Ye Ziling was blindfolded by several guards with silk ribbons and led to an unfamiliar palace.
"Divine Maiden, please take care of yourself." The guards respectfully retreated and closed the door.
Ye Ziling removed the silk ribbons from her eyes and surveyed the furniture around her, her brows furrowing slightly.
She saw a screen, tables, and chairs that were simple yet grand, a small, intricately carved ancient-style sleeping bed, and a magnificent, exquisite dressing mirror...
She felt confused. Wasn't she supposed to be escorted to the Heavenly Prison? Why was she here?
Not only were there guards standing outside the door, but a barrier had also been set up around the area. She couldn't leave this room even half a step.
Ye Ziling raised her hand, attempting to dissolve the barrier, but found that her immortal power couldn't be exerted at all.
She couldn't understand why Jun Lan had imprisoned her here.
–
Although Ye Ziling was well cared for these past few days, Jun Lan had yet to come to see her, and there was no news of the interrogation.
However, continuing to drag on was not a solution, and she would ultimately face the ordeal of bone scraping.
Her current cultivation was insufficient to withstand such severe punishment, and it was effectively a death sentence.
She could no longer wait to be executed. Even a gamble was better than staying here.
Soon, Ye Ziling heard the guards outside the door calling her softly.
"Palace Master..."
These were... disciples of Jiu Ling Palace?
Ye Ziling's heart leaped at the sound, and she immediately stood up and walked to the door.
The door creaked open a sliver, and a pair of clear eyes peeked out.
"This disciple greets the Palace Master."
The youth bowed respectfully. His face was refined, and he was dressed in Heavenly Realm guard attire.
Ye Ziling's brows knitted, "You are a disciple of Jiu Ling Palace? Serving here?"
Ye Ziling recalled that disciples who passed the celestial examination at Jiu Ling Palace could at least secure a guard position in the Heavenly Realm.
"This disciple... is incompetent and could not save the Palace Master." The youth lowered his brows, his face filled with guilt.
"No need to blame yourself. Do me a favor and deliver this spirit letter to Commander Mu."
Ye Ziling spread her palm, and a thin spirit letter appeared before him.
The youth paused for a moment, took the letter, nodded, and then hurried away.
Ye Ziling sat at the table, waiting for a long time. Finally, the door creaked open. She was overjoyed, but what entered her sight was a silhouette in profound black.
Jun Lan, clad in a dark robe with a jade belt at his waist, exuded an aura of noble grace and regal authority in every movement.
He waved his hand, and the guards outside the door shut it tightly.
A flicker of disappointment flashed in Ye Ziling's eyes, and she quickly composed herself, saying respectfully, "Greetings, General."
Damn it, he doesn't come when he should, but comes when he shouldn't. Truly spoils the mood.
The man seemed to hear her thoughts. His phoenix eyes turned cold, and he said, "What? Unhappy?"
Ye Ziling started, then shook her head.
Jun Lan looked at the untouched dishes on the table, his brows furrowing, his eyes deep, "Do these dishes not suit your taste?"
Ye Ziling did not answer but instead asked, "General, have you come to pass judgment on me?"
Ye Ziling walked directly to the table and sat down, picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of food, and put it into her mouth, savoring it. "It's bland."
Jun Lan stepped forward, sat opposite her, picked up a bite of food, swallowed it, and looked at her, saying, "Indeed, it's much paler than the taste of the mortal world."
Ye Ziling raised her eyebrows, "So, when will my sentence be pronounced?"
Jun Lan was taken aback, put down his chopsticks, and said sternly, "Is the military tally still with you?"
Ye Ziling's gaze darkened, and she also put down her chopsticks.
This meal was a struggle.
"So, you are keeping me confined like this because of the military tally?" she
raised her head, meeting his gaze, her tone flat.
She knew Jun Lan wasn't so kind.
In any case, if she were in Qing Bai's hands, she would also be forced to hand over the military tally. These two had the same goal.
Jun Lan's expression became somewhat somber. He reached out and tightly grasped her wrist, his eyes burning, and said, "If you are willing to hand over the military tally, I will spare your life..."
Ye Ziling's heart skipped a beat. She struggled to pull her arm from his constricting palm and said decisively, "I will not give you the military tally."
Her gaze trembled slightly, she pursed her lips, and after a long pause, she said, "Unless I am dead."
Seeing her resolute attitude, a hint of desolation flashed in Jun Lan's eyes. Then, he stood up and stood with his hands behind his back.
He pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned, "I will give you three days to consider."
With that, he flicked his sleeve and left, leaving Ye Ziling alone in her place.
As expected, it was all about power.
She had considered cooperating with Jun Lan, but dealing with a tiger was something she couldn't be sure of.
If Jun Lan, like Qing Bai, achieved his goal and then cruelly cast her aside... wouldn't she lose terribly?