His casual remark caused a wave of gasps around him. Many gods thought, "How can a god with no spiritual power dare to say that fighting Lang Qianqiu, a mighty Eastern martial god, would be a death wish for him? It's too arrogant." It seemed like he was implying that his demotion was out of kindness to Lang Qianqiu, which was absurd. However, Lang Qianqiu didn't think he was exaggerating at all and said, "I said it before, life or death, it doesn't matter! I don't need you to go easy on me."
Xie Lian ignored him and said to Jun Wu, "Please, Emperor, demote me to the mortal realm."
Shi Qingxuan suddenly raised his hand and said, "Wait! I have something to say!"
Jun Wu said, "Speak, Wind Master."
Shi Qingxuan said, "It seems that all the immortals believe that His Highness from the Divine Joy Kingdom took on the name Fang Xin to take revenge and slaughtered the Eternal Peace royal family. But if he wanted revenge, why did he spare Prince Taihua, the Crown Prince of Eternal Peace? Logically, a revenge-seeker would most want to kill the Crown Prince, right?"
This was something people had thought of, but no one felt the need to voice it. Now that the Wind Master brought it up, a few people nodded in agreement. Shi Qingxuan continued, "Although I haven't known His Highness for long, I saw with my own eyes how he risked his life to save Prince Taihua by facing the cursed blade head-on. Qianqiu, if he really hated your royal family, why would he risk his life to shield you?"
Hearing "facing the cursed blade head-on," Feng Xin and Mu Qing both tensed up. A small voice muttered, "Maybe he felt guilty," but Shi Qingxuan quickly raised his voice to drown it out, saying, "That was a cursed blade, a weapon of misfortune! So, I believe there are doubts about this matter!"
Pei Ming said, "I really envy His Highness for having the Wind Master speak up for him so righteously. Our little Pei doesn't have that fortune."
Shi Qingxuan said, "General Pei, don't confuse the issue. Little Pei's case is different, I saw his misdeeds with my own eyes and heard him admit to them."
Pei Ming said, "Isn't it the same today? Prince Taihua saw his misdeeds with his own eyes and heard His Highness admit to them. How is it different?"
Shi Qingxuan was furious and was about to argue further, but Xie Lian stopped him and said, "Wind Master, thank you, I appreciate it. But it's not necessary."
Shi Qingxuan couldn't think of a way to refute Pei Ming at the moment, so he just pointed at him and held his breath.
At this point, Jun Wu finally spoke. He said calmly, "Everyone, please calm down."
His voice wasn't particularly loud, but it was very peaceful, and yet every god in the Divine Martial Hall heard it clearly and quickly stood still. Once the hall quieted down, Jun Wu said, "Taihua, you have always been a bit impulsive. When things happen, you can't just charge ahead blindly; you need to listen calmly, understand the situation, and then make a decision."
Lang Qianqiu bowed his head to receive the lesson. Jun Wu continued, "Since Xie Lian is unwilling to speak fully and requests to be demoted, it's useless. First, detain him in the Divine Joy Palace, and I will personally interrogate him later. Until then, you two should not meet."
This outcome was unexpected.
Jun Wu actually protected Xie Lian, who had no incense, no followers, and was a laughingstock in the three realms!
Lang Qianqiu was a martial god in the East, and he might become dissatisfied because of this, which could be a losing deal. But even so, Jun Wu still protected him—could it be that Xie Lian was highly valued by Jun Wu?
Many gods noticed something and secretly decided not to mention the term "three realms' laughingstock" in public anymore. Shi Qingxuan breathed a sigh of relief and praised the Emperor's wisdom. Lang Qianqiu, however, stared at Xie Lian and said, "The Emperor can interrogate him as much as he wants, but no matter what the result is, I will fight him!"
After saying this, he bowed to Jun Wu and left the hall. Jun Wu waved his hand, and several martial gods came forward to take Xie Lian away. As he passed by Shi Qingxuan, Xie Lian said softly, "Wind Master, thank you very much. But if you really want to help me, you don't need to speak for me. Could you do me two favors?"
Shi Qingxuan, feeling guilty for setting the Elysium Pavilion on fire, was eager to help Xie Lian with anything, so he said, "Go ahead."
Xie Lian said, "The young man I brought is in the side hall, please take care of him."
Shi Qingxuan said, "That's easy! What's the second thing?"
Xie Lian said, "If General Pei tries to cause trouble for Half Moon later, please help her."
Shi Qingxuan said, "Of course. I won't let Pei Ming succeed. Where is she?"
Xie Lian said, "I hid her in a pickle jar at the Pugilistic Shrine. If you have time, please take her out and give her some air."
"......"
After thanking the Wind Master, the two gods led Xie Lian to the front of the Divine Joy Palace and respectfully said, "Crown Prince, please."
Xie Lian nodded and said, "Thank you."
He stepped inside, and the door closed behind him. Xie Lian looked around and saw that the interior was exactly the same as the Divine Joy Palace he used to know. The last time he passed by, he didn't go in, and now his first time entering was to be detained. It wasn't a good sign.
After the ups and downs of the past few days, he was exhausted and fell asleep immediately.
In his dreams, he saw many things.
It seemed like he was meditating with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting at a desk, his black robe spread out on the floor, and he seemed to be wearing a cold, heavy mask on his face.
Looking down, he saw a young boy, about fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in luxurious clothes, sleeping soundly on the desk.
He shook his head, walked over, bent down slightly, and knocked on the desk with his knuckles, saying, "Crown Prince."
Perhaps the sound was muffled by the cold mask, making it even colder. The boy finally woke up, and when he saw him, he was so frightened that he jumped up and sat straight, saying, "National Teacher!!!"
He said, "You fell asleep again, copy the 'Tao Te Ching' ten times as punishment."
The Crown Prince was shocked, "No, Master, how about you punish me by making me run around the imperial city ten times instead!"
He said, "Twenty times. Start copying now. Write neatly."
The Crown Prince seemed a bit afraid of him and obediently sat up to start copying. He returned to his seat and continued to meditate.
In fact, everyone in the palace was a bit afraid of him. This was due to the sense of distance and pressure he deliberately created.
But this Crown Prince, perhaps because he was too young, couldn't maintain his respect for long. After copying for a while, he said, "Master!"
He put down his book and said, "What is it?"
The Crown Prince said, "I've learned all the sword techniques you taught me last time. Shouldn't you teach me new ones?"
He said, "Sure. What do you want to learn?"
The Crown Prince said, "I want to learn the move you used to save me!"
He thought for a moment and said, "That move? No."
The Crown Prince asked, "Why not?"
He said, "That move isn't practical. At least it's not suitable for you."
The Crown Prince was puzzled, "Isn't it useful? It deflected the force of two swords! You used that move to save me."
The Crown Prince didn't understand, which was normal. He said, "Crown Prince, let me ask you a question."
"Go ahead!"
He said, "Once, there were two people, both starving and desperate, fighting to snatch each other's food. Then a third person came along, wanting them to stop fighting. Do you think just persuading them would work?"
"......Probably not. They want food, right?"
"Yes. Because the root problem isn't solved, no one would listen to your persuasion. So, if this third person wants them to stop fighting, there's only one way: give them what they want. Open his bag and give them his own food."
The Crown Prince seemed to understand but not fully.
He said, "The principle is the same. You must know that once you draw your sword, someone will get hurt. Once power is unleashed, something must bear it.
"So, when you say I deflected the force of those two swords, it's not accurate. I didn't deflect it; I took their attack myself. Stopping a fight by taking the injury yourself is a foolish move, only used when there's no other choice.
"You, as the Crown Prince, don't need to learn that."
The Crown Prince continued to copy the scriptures, but after a while, he still looked thoughtful. He asked, "Do you have any other questions?"
After hesitating for a moment, the Crown Prince said, "Just one thing. Master, if the third person doesn't have enough food, what should he do?"
"......"
The Crown Prince continued, "If those two people, after getting food, still want more and fight even harder out of greed, constantly demanding more from him, what should he do then?"
He said, "What do you think?"
The Crown Prince thought for a moment and said, "I don't know... Maybe he shouldn't have intervened in the first place."
......
The hall was golden. Everything was golden, but at this moment, it turned red.
On every golden banquet table lay a person, throat slit, dying a gruesome death.
His hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably. The handsome king was covered in blood, eyes red with pain and hatred, with the queen's corpse at his feet.
He walked over step by step, and the king looked up and saw him, utterly shocked, "National Teacher? You...?!"
A merciless sword stabbed forward.
At the same time, he sensed something and turned sharply. The young Crown Prince stood among the fallen guards at the door.
The boy's eyes were blank, as if questioning whether what he saw was real or a dream. He took a step forward and almost tripped over the threshold, lost and bewildered. He pulled out the sword, and blood splattered on his black robe.
The Crown Prince didn't trip over the threshold but over the corpses on the ground. He fell onto the king's body and finally managed to scream, "Father?! Mother?!"
The king, however, would never speak again. The Crown Prince couldn't wake him up and suddenly looked up, eyes wide with shock, and shouted, "Master! What are you doing? What have you done?! National Teacher!!!"
After a long time, he heard his own dull voice—
"You deserved it."
......
Xie Lian woke up from a restless sleep.
He rubbed his eyes, realizing he hadn't slept long and had a bad dream. Fortunately, something in his arms poked him awake. Sitting for a while, he found two dice in his hands, the ones he brought from the Elysium Pavilion.
In his mind, a fiery red scene appeared. The image was blurry, but a red figure was crystal clear, standing still in the sea of flames, staring at him. Xie Lian sighed and thought, "I wonder how much of San Lang's Elysium Pavilion is left after the fire. If I get demoted again this time, I don't know if I can pay him back even if I sell everything... Decades, centuries, maybe a lifetime to repay him."
After looking at them for a while, Xie Lian clasped his hands together, shook the two dice in his palms, and threw them on the ground. The dice rolled a few times and stopped.
As expected, the luck Hua Cheng lent him had run out. This time, he hoped for two sixes, but the dice showed two ones.
Xie Lian couldn't help but smile and shook his head. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. He quickly collected his smile and the two dice.
The footsteps weren't Jun Wu's. Jun Wu's steps were steady and unhurried. Although Hua Cheng walked with a bit of a casual, lazy attitude, the two shared a similar confident aura. These footsteps were lighter, and when Xie Lian turned around, he was surprised, "It's you."
The visitor wore black, had a pale face, thin lips, and a calm expression. Despite being a martial god, he looked like a civil official. Who else could it be but Mu Qing?
Seeing Xie Lian's surprise, Mu Qing raised an eyebrow and said, "Who did you think it was? Feng Xin?"
Without waiting for an answer, he lifted his black robe and stepped over the threshold, saying, "Feng Xin probably won't come."
Xie Lian asked, "What are you here for?"
Mu Qing said, "The Emperor only restricted your movement, not allowing Prince Taihua to come, but he didn't say I couldn't."
He didn't answer Xie Lian's question. Since Xie Lian wasn't particularly curious, he didn't press further. Mu Qing looked around the new Divine Joy Palace, and after a moment, his gaze fell on Xie Lian. Suddenly, he tossed something to him. A flash of blue passed through the air, and Xie Lian caught it with his left hand, finding it was a small blue porcelain bottle.
It was a medicine bottle. Mu Qing said nonchalantly, "Your right hand is always bleeding like that; it looks pretty bad."
Xie Lian held the medicine bottle and studied him.
Since his third ascension, Mu Qing's attitude towards him could only be described as "sarcastic." It seemed like he was always waiting for Xie Lian to be kicked down again so he could make snide remarks. However, now that Xie Lian might actually be kicked down for the third time, Mu Qing suddenly became friendly and even brought him medicine. This change in attitude was unsettling.
Seeing Xie Lian not moving, Mu Qing smiled slightly and said, "Use it or not, it's up to you. No one else will bring you any."
This smile wasn't insincere; it was clear that he was genuinely in a good mood. Although Xie Lian didn't feel pain in his right hand, there was no need to leave it injured. Jun Wu had given it a temporary fix, but having medicine was better. So he opened the blue porcelain bottle and absentmindedly poured it on his right arm. Instead of powder or pills, a light blue mist flowed out, wrapping around his right arm with a fragrant, cool scent. It was indeed good stuff.
Mu Qing suddenly asked, "Is what Lang Qianqiu said true? Did you really kill those members of the Eternal Peace royal family?"
Xie Lian looked up at him. Even though Mu Qing was trying to hide it, Xie Lian could still see a hint of excitement in his eyes. It seemed he was very interested in the details of Xie Lian's massacre at the banquet and asked, "How did you do it?"
At that moment, another set of heavy footsteps approached from behind. Both of them turned around, and this time, the visitor was Feng Xin. As soon as he entered, he saw Mu Qing standing next to Xie Lian with a smile and warily asked, "What are you doing here?"
Xie Lian raised the small blue porcelain bottle in his hand. Mu Qing slightly restrained his smile. He had just said Feng Xin wouldn't come, but Feng Xin came immediately, so it wasn't a good time to smile. He said, "This isn't your hall. If you can come, why can't I?"
Feng Xin ignored him and turned to Xie Lian. Before he could speak, Xie Lian said, "If you two are here to ask the same question, I'll answer it once. There's no need to doubt; everything I said in the Divine Martial Hall today is true."
Feng Xin's face turned slightly pale. Mu Qing, however, couldn't stand his expression and said, "Enough with the solemn face. Who are you trying to impress?"
Feng Xin glared at him and said, "Not you. Get out!"
Mu Qing said, "You have the right to tell me to leave. You talk about loyalty, but how many years did you last? Didn't you leave too?"
Feng Xin's forehead veins bulged. Xie Lian sensed the conversation was heading in a bad direction and raised his hand, saying, "Stop. Stop."
Mu Qing wasn't the type to stop. He sneered, "Everyone says you couldn't bear to see your old master fall and left out of righteousness. But let's be honest, you just didn't want to waste your time with a failure, right?"
Feng Xin swung a punch and said, "What do you know?!"
With a "bang," Mu Qing took the punch squarely on the face. He was a typical pretty boy, and after taking such a fierce punch, his face was like a smashed persimmon, bleeding profusely. But he was tough and didn't even grunt, returning the punch without a word.
Both of them had their own magical weapons after ascending, but when angry, they preferred to fight with fists. Feng Xin and Mu Qing had been evenly matched for eight hundred years, and even now, they were still evenly matched, exchanging blows with equal ferocity.
Feng Xin shouted, "You think no one knows your dirty little secret, hoping he'll do something terrible so you can be happy!"
Mu Qing spat, "I know you always look down on me. It's hilarious; look at yourself! What right do you have to look down on me? It's just the pot calling the kettle black!"
Lang Qianqiu and Xie Lian hadn't even started fighting, but Feng Xin and Mu Qing were already at it. The two had long-standing grudges, fighting and cursing each other, not listening to each other's insults, let alone Xie Lian.
Xie Lian remembered when they were young, Mu Qing spoke softly and never shouted at anyone, and Feng Xin only fought when Xie Lian told him to, stopping when told. But now, things were different.
Xie Lian, dragging an injured arm, rushed to the door to call for help, but before he could leave the hall, there was a loud crash. Feng Xin and Mu Qing were startled by the noise, stopped fighting, and looked towards the source of the sound.
The doors of the Divine Joy Palace had been kicked open. Outside the doors, instead of the wide and open Divine Martial Street of the Immortal Capital, there was a lifeless darkness.
In the darkness, countless sharp silver butterflies flew towards them.