Chapter 676: The Indestructible Minister

The Demon Lord sighed deeply and turned to leave. "You can spend the night at Sweet Springs Palace. But first thing tomorrow morning, you'll come with me to the mountain to surrender."

"From now on, I won't be able to enter the palace to see you again," Grand Tutor Qingyang said, remaining on her knees, tears streaming down her face. "Please take good care of yourself!"

Void City experienced its most turbulent night in nearly a century.

The Heavenly Palace Guard, originally tasked with protecting Mount Xuwu, entered the city without a word and openly besieged the Azure Palace.

These two places were almost equally sacred and untouchable in the minds of the common people, yet this morning, they witnessed a conflict between their own kind.

It was simply unbelievable.

For some, the monuments in their hearts suddenly collapsed.

And it was said that the Heavenly Palace Guard launched a full-scale assault, while the Azure Palace's disciples held their ground. Cannon fire roared on the small mountain; onlookers below strained their necks but could only see the sky lit up red by the explosions.

Fu Shanyue, adopting a pragmatic approach, returned directly to Misty Mountain Villa, only sending people out to gather information.

About three hours later, the first-hand news arrived:

The Heavenly Palace Guard ceased their attack and withdrew their troops back to Mount Xuwu.

The Azure Palace was not breached; dozens of disciples were injured, but no one died.

At that time, Fu Shanyue and He Lingchuan were roasting meat over a fire on the grass. Upon hearing this, Fu Shanyue bit into a roasted lamb leg and remarked, "It seems the Heavenly Palace Guard didn't go all out after all."

"After all, that's the Azure Palace," He Lingchuan said. "Try another place? Bai Ziqi could blast it into smithereens within half an hour."

Of course, the Azure Palace's defensive formations were also excellent; He Lingchuan had just witnessed them firsthand.

Even if Grand Tutor Qingyang confesses and submits to the law this time, the Azure Palace will still have a new Grand Tutor in the future. After all, it's one of Void City's renowned institutions with real power. If the Heavenly God were to truly demolish it, how different would that be from publicly shaming Void City and slapping the Emperor's face?

Not to mention Void City has so many foreign guests; it would be a global embarrassment.

Therefore, Bai Ziqi's siege of the Azure Palace was at most a pretense, a formality, to stop when the desired effect was achieved.

"This is to force the Emperor to deal with Grand Tutor Qingyang decisively," Fu Shanyue said idly. He Lingchuan noticed he was not at all anxious about the Emperor's concerns, nor vexed by the Emperor's vexations.

This fellow really doesn't know how to fulfill his duties as a subject.

"Bai Dushi's methods are surprisingly aggressive," He Lingchuan commented. He had fought with Bai Ziqi several times and had some understanding of his character. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing, rarely offending people directly.

Now, directly leading the Heavenly Palace Guard to bombard the Azure Palace simply didn't fit his personality. It could only be that he was fulfilling the Heavenly God's demands.

Did the Heavenly God believe it was necessary to put the Emperor in such an awkward position?

"The Heavenly Palace Guard withdrawing their troops means the Heavenly God issued a new order," Fu Shanyue added. "Where do you think Grand Tutor Qingyang is now?"

"Grand Tutor Qingyang won't be caught so easily," He Lingchuan mused. "The Heavenly God wouldn't dare go too far. Hmm, a wild guess: the Emperor was furious, and perhaps the Heavenly God made some concessions?"

Fu Shanyue immediately felt uneasy. "Wait a minute! Are you saying Grand Tutor Qingyang could escape punishment?"

He wasn't afraid of Grand Tutor Qingyang fleeing. No matter how noble her original status, once she became a fugitive, she would be pulled down from her pedestal and subject to verbal attacks from the demon people of Bega. The vassal demon states would be delighted by this.

But Fu Shanyue was worried that Grand Tutor Qingyang might still find a way to escape blame. In that case, wouldn't everything he and his father had done be in vain?

"Complete exoneration is impossible, but Grand Tutor Qingyang still holds some advantages," He Lingchuan analyzed carefully. "The future developments in this matter might not entirely align with your wishes."

Fu Shanyue sat up straight. "Speak, I'm listening."

"Grand Tutor Qingyang and the Emperor have known each other for many years, share deep affection, and she is a loyal royalist. Whether considering their past relationship or the current situation, the Emperor likely wants to handle her leniently." The wine was warm now, and He Lingchuan picked it up and took a sip. "Just looking at the Heavenly God's unusually aggressive methods instructed to Bai Ziqi, you know they anticipated the Emperor's leniency and resorted to forceful action."

"They likely put a lot of effort into the plan to besiege the Azure Palace," he said slowly. "If Grand Tutor Qingyang had stayed at the Azure Palace, her fate would have been hard to predict. But Grand Tutor Qingyang caught wind of it and, instead of engaging them, simply fled. This move must have been unexpected for both the Heavenly God and Frost Leaf."

Fu Shanyue's expression slightly darkened. He had long held this concern, and He Lingchuan had simply confirmed it.

"If Grand Tutor Qingyang wasn't caught — which is highly probable — then there's a good chance she fled into the Lingxiao Palace in time. This means she could be hiding in Lingxiao Palace right now. Void City is so vast, and that is one of the few places the Heavenly Palace Guard dares not trespass lightly."

Fu Shanyue nodded.

"Bai Ziqi also believes she would infiltrate Lingxiao Palace, so let's assume she has already met the Emperor," He Lingchuan continued. "This is her last chance to plead her case and convince the Emperor tonight to let her off the hook."

The more Fu Shanyue thought about it, the more irritated he became. "Would the Emperor dare to defy public opinion so brazenly?"

"Where are there so many 'defiance of public opinion' in the world?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "It's simply a matter of whether what she says, or what she presents, can move the Emperor."

"That old witch still has leverage?" Fu Shanyue exhaled. "Right, a shrewd old fox who's lived for almost two hundred years, how could she not have some backup plans?"

"The immortality elixir case has been brewing in Void City for a month now; she has had ample time to think about her escape routes," He Lingchuan said earnestly. "She's the Grand Tutor of Bega, having weathered over a century of storms without falling. How could she be a simple person?"

That Grand Tutor Qingyang could be implicated in this immortality elixir case was largely due to luck.

If He Lingchuan, this young hothead, hadn't interfered, Xi Yunhe's many arrangements might never have taken effect.

If Grand Tutor Frost Leaf hadn't been pushing from behind, He Lingchuan alone would certainly not have been able to accomplish this.

"Think carefully, what crime did Grand Tutor Qingyang commit that warrants death?"

Fu Shanyue frowned. "Illegally refining and selling immortality elixirs, isn't that enough? The Heavenly God explicitly forbade it."

"There are many things the Heavenly God explicitly forbids; does everyone obey them?" He Lingchuan asked, glancing at him. "Descendants of Yuan Kingdom are not allowed to leave Twilight Plain, and violators degrade their status to commoners—this is also a Heavenly God's prohibition. Did you care about that when you brought Little Taozi back to Chiyan territory?"

Fu Shanyue touched his nose, unable to speak.

Yes, he himself was a typical example of someone who knowingly broke the law, and the law he broke was that of Void City.

Otherwise, when he crossed the border, how could Zhongsun Mou have had the chance to use the prohibitions as an excuse and go to great lengths to make things difficult for him?

"Illegally selling immortality elixirs is against the law, but so is illegally buying them," He Lingchuan said softly. "Look how many powerful figures in Void City bought them—do they really fear this law? Given Grand Tutor Qingyang's status and position, she should inherently enjoy great privileges. How could she be punished the same as a commoner just for breaking a law?"

The saying "princes and commoners are equally subject to the law" is merely for show; anyone who believes it is foolish.

In fact, the higher a person's status and power, the greater their "margin for error."

A crime that would warrant execution for a commoner, for them, merely results in a few demotions or a half-year's salary deduction.

Their official positions serve as their get-out-of-jail-free cards.

The most typical example He Lingchuan could see was Fan Sheng.

"Twice he ambushed the Chiyan envoy and obstructed the progress of a major case—any commoner who dared to do that would lose their head. But look at Fan Sheng, he's now gone to the eastern front to earn some glory."

The Emperor's punishment for him was like a mere slap on the wrist.

"Those who steal a hook are executed, while those who steal a kingdom become lords"—this is the stark reality.

Fu Shanyue, of course, recognized this principle. "Indeed, sentencing varies in severity depending on the individual."

"The prohibition itself isn't important," He Lingchuan said, taking a sip of wine. "What's important is whom the Heavenly God wants to settle accounts with using the prohibition."

"If you dissect the case, Grand Tutor Qingyang instructed her subordinates to kill some demon people and refine some forbidden elixirs, and that's it, right? Haven't Void City officials done far more outrageous things?" In his time in Void City, He Lingchuan had truly heard endless absurdities from the powerful and scholars, enough to shatter his worldview.

And what he had heard was merely the tip of the iceberg.

How much filth and corruption were hidden within the six-hundred-year-old imperial capital? They couldn't bear to see the light of day; if they did, major trouble would erupt.

Therefore,

"As long as the Emperor is determined to protect her, and as long as the Heavenly God stops hounding her, Grand Tutor Qingyang still has hope."

Fu Shanyue's face fell. This was what he least wanted to hear.

"Of course, with things having escalated this much, Grand Tutor Qingyang will certainly pay a heavy price," He Lingchuan said, patting his shoulder. "You don't need to be disheartened. Regarding the immortality elixir case, the Heavenly God and the Emperor will, in the end, have to give you and all the vassal demon states an explanation. With the crime confirmed against Grand Tutor Qingyang, you've already won! What more do you want?"

Fu Shanyue thought for a moment, then handed him two perfectly roasted lamb ribs. "Here, eat some meat!"

"Oh, speaking of Fan Sheng, another person has also been ordered to the eastern front," Fu Shanyue added casually. "That is General Qingwu; he set off yesterday."

He Lingchuan stopped before taking a bite of the meat. "General Hong got what he wanted?"

"Indeed, who wouldn't want to earn military merits?"

He Lingchuan smiled. "You don't." Fu Shanyue had just become the Crown Prince and only wanted to secure his throne.

Fu Shanyue burst into laughter. "You're right, I don't."

He was already the Crown Prince of Chiyan, the sole heir of the old Fu Shan family. Why would he still strive for military merits?

Just then, an attendant reported:

Other powerful figures had sent people to offer their regards.

"What 'regards'! They just want to pump me for information," Fu Shanyue said, knowing full well. "Those guys are like rats; they knew I went to the Azure Palace!"

The news that the Heavenly God had sent troops to besiege the Azure Palace truly shook the powerful and noble figures of Upper Void City to their core.

Those aligned with Grand Tutor Qingyang probably felt their world collapsing at that moment.

And many others must have been secretly rejoicing.

After eating and drinking to his fill, He Lingchuan returned to his room. The Soul-Snatching Mirror, which had been silent for two hours, immediately asked him:

"Hong Chenglüe has already gone to the eastern battlefield; you won't have a chance to confirm if he's Hu Bin!"

He Lingchuan splashed cold water on his face to cool down. "You've got it backward."

"Huh?" the mirror asked, puzzled. "How did you confirm it?"

Upon hearing the news of Hong Chenglüe's departure to the east, the layer of doubt in He Lingchuan's mind had already dissipated.