Chapter 1538: Goddess and White Moonlight

The emperor subtly glanced at her. Bi Linglong believed she had concealed her feelings well, but to an Earth Immortal, no detail within the entire hall could escape his notice. For instance, he had observed the eye contact among Prince Qi's faction, and even his own loyal officials were divided by various family influences, with him knowing precisely which family each belonged to.

Just moments ago, Bi Linglong's heart had noticeably quickened when she heard Zu An had returned. Though she quickly tried to mask it, she couldn't deceive him.

Zu An was an important official of the Eastern Palace and a key figure under Bi Linglong. Given the current situation, her happiness at his return would have been a perfectly normal reaction. Yet, her deliberate attempt to conceal it raised a red flag.

The emperor frowned, his expression darkening. Although Bi Linglong was his daughter-in-law, he had, in effect, been raising her as a child bride ever since he implanted a part of his soul into the Crown Prince. He would tolerate no other man touching her.

He didn't delve too deeply into the matter, nor did he believe they would be audacious enough to betray him. Still, that didn't mean they didn't need a subtle warning.

Just then, a tall, slender figure slowly entered the main hall. A murmur immediately spread through the court, with reactions ranging from surprise and delight to grim solemnity.

Zu An bowed to the emperor, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

An official from Prince Qi's faction suddenly reacted, shouting, "Who allowed this traitor to enter? Guards, seize him immediately!"

Zu An glared at him coldly. "Who are you calling a traitor?"

For some unknown reason, the official immediately felt a chill run down his spine and his body tremble under Zu An's gaze. He recoiled and dared not reply for a moment.

Little did the official know that during this time, Zu An had killed the Demon Emperor in the Unknowable Land—though he had leveraged the terrain to his advantage, he had still slain an otherwise unbeatable being. Later, during the Royal Court upheaval, he had also killed several renowned Grandmasters. An invincible aura of killing intent had long since solidified around him, naturally making it easy for ordinary cultivators to be intimidated by his presence.

At this moment, both the emperor and Prince Qi looked at Zu An with surprise, evidently sensing something special about him.

Bi Linglong, however, was somewhat puzzled at this moment. Why couldn't she sense any elemental energy fluctuations from Zu An? Was it because of the distance?

Yet, he appeared to be an ordinary person now.

A deep worry creased her brows as she considered this. Could it be that he had encountered some accident during his journey, causing him to lose all his cultivation?

At this point, many other officials in the court made the same discovery. They had initially been caught off guard by Zu An's return, but realizing he was practically crippled, they now thought, why should they fear him?

A group of officials immediately regained their fighting spirit. Led by Yi Chun, the Prefect of Jingzhao, he declared, "Zu An, I have concrete evidence proving that you and Queen Medusa were in the demon realm a while ago..."

"That's right, I did escort her to the demon realm a while ago," Zu An admitted directly.

The court erupted in an uproar. Many who had previously spoken on his behalf now wore expressions of regret, thinking, "He's still too young; he speaks without thinking."

Bi Linglong was both angry and anxious. "Even though everyone knows you surely escorted Queen Medusa to the demon realm, you shouldn't admit it openly! That way, our officials could still try to forcibly clear your name. Now that you've confessed, we can't save you!"

Officials of Prince Qi's faction, however, were overjoyed and immediately began denouncing Zu An's treasonous collusion with the demon race.

At this point, Zu An calmly stated, "I admit I escorted Queen Medusa to the demon realm, but when did I admit to colluding with the enemy and committing treason?"

Yi Chun sneered, "What's the difference?"

"Of course there's a difference," Zu An replied, his gaze sweeping across the assembled court officials, noting mentally how many fewer there were compared to his last visit. "Although Lady Yu possesses Medusa blood, that's an inherited trait from the previous generation, not something she chose. Furthermore, she's also half-human. Why must she be categorized solely as a demon?"

"Lady Yu's reputation, I believe, is well-known to all. For years, she has always been benevolent and charitable. Professionally, her mining enterprises have rendered great service to the court. Personally, she frequently engaged in various charitable acts, helping those in need. In all these years, has anyone ever heard of her harming a single person?"

"Heh, just because it hasn't happened now doesn't mean it won't happen in the future! Those not of our kind are sure to harbor different intentions!" Yi Chun declared emphatically. "Her actions are very likely intended to win over people's hearts, thereby providing greater convenience for her future work on behalf of the demon race."

"What you're doing is called a 'baseless accusation'—convicting someone for something that hasn't even occurred. Commandant Jiang, is this how the laws of our court operate?" Zu An asked, turning to Jiang Boyang, whose official title, Commandant, was equivalent to a chief justice.

Jiang Boyang stroked his beard. "Indeed, the laws of this dynasty contain no such provision."

Yi Chun sneered at Zu An. "Yu Yanluo has been secretly supplying resources to the demon race for years. Surely that's concrete evidence, isn't it? The officials of Yunzhong Commandery have already submitted a report. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do so before speaking to me again."

"I am also aware of this matter," Zu An explained. "Those were merely basic daily necessities. Furthermore, she has half serpent lineage, so providing a little care for her kin isn't a significant issue, is it? It's important to note that she didn't transport any strategic materials or anything of that sort, unlike some people..."

Prince Qi's eyebrow slightly rose. Fortunately, Yi Chun reacted quickly: "Don't beat around the bush! Who knows if she transported strategic materials? Even if they were just daily necessities, those are strictly forbidden by court decree. You're just rambling on to try and clear yourself of any connection with the demon race, aren't you?"

Zu An smiled slightly. "Being on good terms with Lady Yu counts as colluding with the demon race? As far as I know, Lady Yu was incredibly beautiful back then, outshining all the beauties in the capital. Even now, many in this court still maintain good relations with her. Even His Majesty and Prince Qi were once her good friends. Do you mean to suggest that they, too, colluded with the demon race?"

Both the emperor and Prince Qi's faces twitched simultaneously. This fellow had certainly touched a raw nerve. Back then, they had indeed all been her ardent admirers, each vying for her affection.

However, at the time, the two of them were fiercely contending for the throne and were extremely conscious of their reputations and influence. They were unwilling to compromise their political standing for the sake of a woman.

Other princes and noblemen in the capital were aware of the emperor's and Prince Qi's rivalry. Thus, even though they were captivated by Lady Yu's beauty and showered her with attention, no one dared to employ any underhanded tactics.

Yu Yanluo spent many years in the capital but never favored anyone. Then, she gracefully left, taking with her the longing hearts of countless princes and high-ranking officials.

Later, upon learning that she had married the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery, at least half the men in the capital were left heartbroken.

There were even rumors that the emperor had flown into a rage that day, smashing several teacups.

As for Prince Qi, he secluded himself for three days before he finally recovered.

Most people in the court were aware of this past affair and now wore knowing, amused expressions, watching the unfolding drama.

Yi Chun cleared his throat. "Ahem, what kind of figures are His Majesty and Prince Qi? How can you compare yourself to them? Back then, no one knew of Yu Yanluo's Medusa bloodline..."

"When I first met her, I didn't know she had Medusa blood either," Zu An immediately countered, following Yi Chun's logic. "Furthermore, Lady Yu showed me great kindness in the past, something His Majesty can also attest to. If someone who has been kind to me, and who has committed no actual evil, falls into distress, how could I not offer assistance? Would that not contradict the very values the court has promoted all these years?"

Historically, loyalty was always the foremost virtue promoted by the court. However, since the founding emperor of this dynasty had been a minister of the Meng Dynasty and gained power through somewhat unscrupulous means, it was inconvenient to emphasize "loyalty." Therefore, "filial piety" and "righteousness" were vigorously promoted instead. If Zu An were to fail to repay kindness, he would clearly fall into the category of unrighteousness.

With this advantageous opening, the Eastern Palace officials instantly became invigorated. One by one, they began to speak on his behalf, truly citing classics and quoting extensively, displaying a level of cultural erudition that was enough to make Zu An feel ashamed.

Yi Chun frowned. "This fellow is indeed cunning and difficult to deal with," he muttered. "Righteousness also depends on the recipient. Showing righteousness to a member of the demon race—isn't that just colluding with them?"

"Lord Yi, don't be so narrow-minded," Zu An said calmly. "Lady Yu was being hunted, and while escorting her, we unintentionally encountered a spatial rift. Horrifying otherworldly monsters, known as Pseudo-Scaled Deathworms, were invading through it. It was precisely with Lady Yu's assistance that we were able to successfully kill those invading monsters and, while we were at it, seal the spatial rift, thereby saving the entire Yunzhong Commandery and even the people of the realm."

"In my opinion, Lady Yu should not only be absolved of guilt but ought to be commended!"

One of the things Zu An keenly wanted to achieve on this return trip was to restore Yu Yanluo's status, allowing her to return openly and honorably. In the demon realm, she would often stare south, lost in thought. Though she always claimed to be fine whenever he asked, anyone with eyes could discern the profound loneliness in her gaze.

Yi Chun snorted. "Who knows if what you're saying is true or false? Perhaps you deliberately destroyed the Yu family's mine, rendering its primal stone deposits unusable for the court in the short term. Wouldn't sabotaging the court's resources like that further confirm that you're working for the demon race?"

Zu An wore an expression that said, "I knew you'd say that." "If Lord Yi doesn't believe me, you can ask Abbot Yan of White Jade Capital; she was also present at the time."

He chuckled inwardly, thinking how good it was to have many wives; he could use their names as leverage.

However, Yun Jianyue was the leader of the Demonic Sect, and thus a rebel in the eyes of the court, so it was best not to mention her this time.

Hearing Yan Xuehen's name, the court became lively once more. If Yu Yanluo had been the unattainable goddess of their youth, then Yan Xuehen was another radiant "white moonlight" in their hearts. Almost everyone had been captivated by her graceful demeanor and ethereal presence.

Unlike Yu Yanluo, Yan Xuehen was exceptionally powerful and also a cultivator, possessing a unique status. Few dared to entertain the thought of proposing marriage to her. Yet, even so, the ethereal image of her in a white dress would frequently appear in their dreams.

A group of high officials and noblemen in the court wore expressions of nostalgia, as if recalling their own youth.

Hearing Yan Xuehen's esteemed name, Yi Chun was also somewhat speechless. If she truly chose to testify, no one would doubt her words.

Furthermore, Yan Xuehen was known for her cold demeanor and her strong hatred for evil. It was unlikely that Zu An would have the audacity to speak falsely about her.

Just then, a servant rushed in, hurriedly reporting: "Report! The constables dispatched to the Sang family have been slaughtered, suffering heavy casualties."

Yi Chun paled, taking a swift stride forward. "Where is my son?"