Immortal of the Ages

Chapter 557: A Mad Dog!

The sealing of the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office was no small matter. Naturally, no one supported Dongfang Yong's proposal.

Just then, Dongfang Sheng returned, his face wearing an odd expression. "Thunder Emissary Cao, Governor Jiang, no one has left the Eight Symbols Guard Pavilion in the last half hour!"

"He hasn't fled?" Dongfang Yong shuddered, his voice trembling. "Governor Jiang, Haiyan and Heqing might be in danger!"

There was no need for him to say it; Governor Jiang and the others had already thought as much.

In a flash, they all headed towards the back hall of the western wing.

"Let's go." Dongfang Sheng grabbed his son, his voice grave, "Don't worry, the man is simply mad. After this, no one can save him."

"Such defiance of the heavenly laws, no matter how strong his backing, the entire Celestial Court will execute him!" Dongfang Yong said coldly.

"I hope the sisters are alright, otherwise..." Dongfang Sheng shook his head, dragging his son as they rushed to the western wing.

As they neared, Dongfang Yong's eyes widened, pointing nervously at a graceful room. "There are screams! It means a fight, hurry!"

"Is he just a mad dog?" Governor Jiang was burning with impatience. Though he seemed calm on the surface, inside he was fuming over his lapse of judgment.

He wished he had just killed the young man from the start! His anger surged like a stormy sea, leading the charge towards the grand door of the room.

BOOM! The stone door instantly shattered to dust!

"Lu Yao!" Governor Jiang roared, and the room, full of inscriptions, collapsed on the spot, revealing everything inside to the onlookers!

They all gazed intently. On the floor lay scattered items of clothing and armor, among them undergarments. But all eyes were drawn to the large bed! Beneath the thick covers, a youth appeared, his upper body bare.

He was embracing a beauty on each side, their nearly full bodies hidden beneath the covers, their attire unknown.

From the flush of red on their faces, one might guess they were indeed bare.

At the moment the door was broken through, the youth seemed in the midst of his conquest, prompting the dreamy-like screams from the girls.

The sudden upheaval terrified the three of them, scattering their armor on the ground. They hastily gathered the pieces, wrapping their bodies with the large covers to preserve their modesty.

The youth was none other than Yun Xiao. And the beauties were Jiang Haiyan and Jiang Heqing. Their predicament unfolded before an audience, who stood rooted to the spot like statues.

"Daddy!" Jiang Haiyan and Jiang Heqing, their hair disheveled, hurriedly knelt on the ground in panic.

"We didn't do anything!" Jiang Heqing said, burying her head in her chest. But it was her scream that had echoed loudest just moments before. What would the seniors think?

"..." Jiang Haiyan, meanwhile, said nothing. She bowed her head, her face the very picture of humiliation, as though she were flushed with shame.

Indeed, Yun Xiao had done nothing untoward. Yet in the eyes of the onlookers, he might as well have committed every sin under the sun.

Standing awkwardly aside, he glanced at the dumbstruck Governor Jiang and stumbled over his words, "Governor Jiang, this isn’t what it looks like. We were merely discussing cultivation techniques…"

"Don't you start!" Dongfang Sheng snapped, his face ashen. His command was directed at his own son, Dongfang Yong, who sat slumped on the ground, his eyes red, his face a patchwork of blue and green, filled with disbelief and despair.

He gazed despairingly at Jiang Haiyan, his heart breaking inside.

What should have been a capture of a criminal had turned into this...

Dongfang Yong felt as if his heart were being pierced by a thousand swords.

And so, a deathly silence ensued for a full thirty seconds.

Throughout, only the sound of breathing broke the quiet.

"Daddy..." Jiang Heqing's eyes shimmered with a hint of violet as her voice trembled, "My sister and I... we both care for him. That's why we... even though he doesn’t have an Immemorial Thunder Seed, we believe he has potential."

"Silence," Governor Jiang said sternly, giving her a long look before turning to Jiang Haiyan.

"Look at me."

Slowly, Jiang Haiyan raised her head. Her eyes were red, her breathing labored, making it difficult to tell whether her expression was one of humiliation or shame.

"How long has Lu Yao been with you?" Governor Jiang asked, staring into her eyes.

Jiang Haiyan's delicate body trembled slightly. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at her sister Jiang Heqing, the faint violet glow in her eyes barely noticeable. But she had seen it.

Jiang Haiyan bit her lip and said, "Father, it's been half an hour..."

"Impossible!!" Dongfang Yong suddenly stood up, glaring fiercely at Jiang Haiyan and growled, "He killed Zhao Danming and Chen Yu, and hid here with you, it couldn’t have been more than half an hour!"

Jiang Haiyan, with solemn eyes, responded, "Dongfang Yong, what madness are you spouting?"

"Eh?" Dongfang Yong’s eyes nearly bled as he trembled. "Jiang Haiyan, I said, he killed Zhao Danming and Chen Yu!"

Hearing this, Jiang Haiyan turned to Jiang Taiping and said, "Father, what madness is he spouting? This is the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office."

"They are indeed dead," Jiang Taiping said.

"How can this be?" Jiang Haiyan murmured in disbelief.

"Father, who killed them?" Jiang Heqing asked, looking bewildered.

"It was Lu Yao!" Dongfang Yong's eyes twisted with rage as he glared at the young man in white.

Yun Xiao, hearing this, paused and said to Dongfang Yong, "Are you joking?"

"You are too naive! The iron laws of the Thunder Department are unyielding, and not even your feigned insanity here can absolve you of murder!" Dongfang Yong was hysterical, spurred by the scene he had just witnessed.

"If we prove Lu Yao is the murderer, it means the earlier scene was a deception!"

"Enough, Dongfang Yong!" Jiang Haiyan suddenly stood up. "Since returning from the Soaring Thunder Leap, Lu Yao has been with us. By accusing him, aren’t you accusing us too? Shall we be arrested as well?"

"..." Dongfang Yong looked at her, completely stumped.

"Jiang Haiyan, why are you protecting this audacious murderer? Your father is a Rank 4 Heavenly Officer, and you are backed by the Thunder Department of the Celestial Court. What are you afraid of?" Dongfang Yong was nearly breaking down.

"Uncle Dongfang, he's gone mad," Jiang Haiyan shook her head sadly, looking towards Dongfang Sheng.

"Enough," Dongfang Sheng took a deep breath and held his son.

"Father, let’s not waste time here. We need to find the real murderer quickly and provide an explanation to the Zhao and Chen Families," Jiang Haiyan sighed.

"Within half an hour, no one left the Eight Symbols Guard Pavilion, the murderer is among you," Jiang Taiping stated.

"How can this be possible?" Jiang Heqing gasped.

After this statement, the scene fell into dead silence again.

"Hehe..." Suddenly, a gentle laugh echoed from behind.

Everyone turned to see the laughter came from a tall, charming woman in a violet gown.

It was Thunder Emissary Cao herself. She cast a lingering glance at Yun Xiao, then suddenly began to applaud. "Brilliant, truly brilliant. Such an enthralling drama is rare among the young."

Jiang Taiping quickly asked, "Thunder Emissary, what insights do you have?"

Thunder Emissary Cao eyed Yun Xiao from head to toe and inquired, "This handsome man, he's the new son my brother has taken in, isn't he?"

Jiang Taiping, with a hint of embarrassment, replied, "It is him, but the foster son matter, that’s a misunderstanding."

Thunder Emissary Cao didn't care about the misunderstanding. She coyly raised an eyebrow, surveying Yun Xiao and remarked, "He really is quite handsome, no wonder the sisters are willing to share him."

After a pause, she glanced at the flush on the sisters' faces and chuckled. "Conquering women shows he's also competent in other arenas."

Her comment made even Jiang Taiping cringe. Still, he continued, "Are you saying the murderer isn't Lu Yao?"

Thunder Emissary Cao shook her head quickly. "I didn't say that, but..."

Here, she suddenly gave Dongfang Yong a playful look and teased, "From my years of experience in the Thunder Department, many a crime of passion often involves jealousy and using others to eliminate romantic rivals… Of course, I'm not implying anything, just offering a perspective."

As soon as she finished speaking, Dongfang Sheng collapsed on the spot.

"Dad..." Dongfang Yong was dumbstruck, looking utterly bewildered.

"I was just about to say..." Yun Xiao took a deep breath and turned to Dongfang Yong, "When I came back earlier, it was you who instigated Zhao Danming and Chen Yu to warn me, wasn't it? In your eagerness to pin the crime on me, you didn’t hesitate to kill two sworn brothers as close as your own kin. Such deep-seated hatred, Dongfang Yong."

".." Upon hearing this, Dongfang Yong was utterly flabbergasted. He shuddered and instinctively looked around. He saw that Jiang Taiping and the other officials were all staring at him! Their gazes made Dongfang Yong fearful.

"No, no, no!" Dongfang Yong quickly grabbed his father's hand, saying, "Dad, it's not like that! Lu Yao conspired with Jiang Haiyan to frame me!"

"Shut your mouth!" Dongfang Sheng's face turned pale as he could only tremble and kneel before Governor Jiang, his voice quivering, "Governor Jiang!"

He only cried out once and said nothing more, but all his pleas were embodied in that single kneel.

Jiang Taiping pursed his lips and said, "It's getting late. First, head to the Nine Thunders Arena. You four participate in the selection. We'll investigate this case afterwards."

With that statement, the matter was decisively concluded!

"Wha…!? Why?" Dongfang Yong could hardly believe his ears. His voice was filled with anguish and despair. "The murderer is obvious, isn't it?"

He lifted his head and found Yun Xiao smiling back at him—a smile Dongfang Yong would never forget for as long as he lived. It began innocently enough, but as he continued to stare, that innocence morphed into a challenge, seasoned with profound indifference. The slight curl of Yun Xiao’s lips sent a surge of blood to Dongfang Yong’s brain.

Thinking of Zhao Danming and Chen Yu only deepened his grief. "Governor Jiang!" he nearly cried out, his voice choked with emotion. "Why! He didn't just kill Zhao Danming and Chen Yu, he slaughtered thirteen Arbiters in Sangju City. Everyone knows he did it. Why is he not guilty? Why?"

"Enough!" Dongfang Sheng slapped him across the face and dragged him away forcefully.

"Jiang Haiyan! Those two died for you and your sister. How can you let them die with their eyes still open? How can you live with yourself?!"

Dongfang Yong’s wretched voice echoed long after he was pulled away. Once the father and son had departed, Governor Jiang turned to Thunder Emissary Cao. "I’m terribly sorry for this mess. I cannot shirk my responsibility."

"It's a trivial matter." Thunder Emissary Cao smiled charmingly and winked at Yun Xiao. "Let’s talk this out nicely. You shouldn’t bully my nephew, you know."

Her words made Jiang Taiping even more uncomfortable. He knew Thunder Emissary Cao’s sister loved nothing more than stirring trouble and watching her brother squirm.

"Don’t worry. The real culprit must be someone else. After the selection is over, we will handle it. We won’t let this affect the Thunder Department’s reputation," Jiang Taiping assured her.

"You're right, the real culprit might indeed be someone else. Lu Yao, this boy, he looks so pure and righteous." Thunder Emissary Cao’s eyes twinkled briefly before she gracefully departed.

"Liu Mumu, you may leave as well." Governor Jiang gestured, signaling the other celestial officers to withdraw as well.

Liu Mumu cast a long, meaningful glance at Yun Xiao before turning to leave.

Soon, only Yun Xiao and the Jiang Family remained.

Governor Jiang’s gaze suddenly became as vast as the ocean, pressing heavily upon Yun Xiao.

"Governor Jiang, rest assured, I bear you no grudge, and as long as I live, Jiang Heqing will not die," Yun Xiao declared.

Beside him, Jiang Heqing’s eyes shimmered with a violet light, and she too, offered a slight smile.

"Something this big happened in the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office, someone must die to close the case," Governor Jiang stated gravely.

Yun Xiao nodded. "To save both me and your daughter, Dongfang Yong’s death was justified."