Chapter 392: The Seven Characters of the Sword Palace

The two Palace of Discipline cultivators escorting Xu Qing changed drastically, overwhelmed by shock and fury. They were absolutely certain no torture had been inflicted on Xu Qing, not by them, nor by anyone in the entire Third Division. For three days in the prison, they hadn't even laid eyes on Xu Qing. Now, consumed by anxious anger, they spoke out repeatedly.

"This is impossible; we never used torture!" they exclaimed. "This is clearly your fabrication. Don't you know what kind of place the Palace of Discipline is? How dare you try to extort us!"

Seeing that the Captain's lament had achieved its effect, Zi Xuan knew it was time for her to step forward. As she took a single step, her Guixu cultivation instantly erupted. Threads of power flowed within her eyes, and a terrifying aura distorted the surroundings, causing the heavens and earth to change color and thunder to echo in all directions. Even within the Prefecture Capital, a Guixu cultivation was still a Guixu cultivation; her mere presence was enough to awe all observers. Her expression was grim, filled with contained fury. She ignored the two protesting minor officials and instead looked up towards the depths of the Palace of Discipline.

"I am Zi Xuan, a cultivator from the Human Race Sect of Yinghuang Prefecture, escorting our sect's 'Myriad Dao Radiant Light,' a newly appointed Sword Holder personally designated by the Great Emperor," she declared. "Xu Qing's arrival in the prefecture warrants an explanation from the Palace of Discipline. Is our sect's Dao Child, Xu Qing, being framed out of jealousy, or is he truly guilty?"

The Palace of Discipline was vast, and the Third Division was merely a small section of it. However, both the Captain's previous shouts and Zi Xuan's current declaration resonated loudly, spreading in all directions. Many cultivators within the Palace of Discipline heard them from their respective locations. Initially, upon hearing the Captain's outcry, some powerful figures in the Palace of Discipline were displeased and prepared to intervene to stop the disturbance.

After all, causing such a commotion within the Palace of Discipline inherently incited their displeasure. However, upon hearing the mention of "framed by jealousy," some halted. The phrase clearly indicated a personal vendetta, unrelated to public affairs or their own interests, so there was naturally no reason for them to interfere.

Even those who initially maintained their authoritative stance and intended to intervene stopped short after hearing the Captain's mention of "Myriad Dao Radiant Light" and the "Great Emperor's personal designation." After all, few fools were assigned duties in this place. Even colleagues familiar with Yao Yunhui, the Chief of the Third Division, hesitated upon seeing Zi Xuan's presence. What made them hesitate, apart from Zi Xuan's determined demeanor, were the dozens of indignant Sword Holders.

With no one intervening, the matter naturally escalated. Even the Sword Holders began transmitting messages to summon their colleagues. Seeing the turn of events, Zhang Siyun's mother could no longer remain passive. She had experienced Xu Qing's difficult nature firsthand and understood that this matter could not be prolonged; it needed immediate resolution, otherwise, it would be extremely detrimental to her. After all, her position was inherently unreasonable, and while her original plan might have worked, the opponent's counterattack was too swift and incisive, directly hitting the core issue.

With a grim expression, she walked out of her office, appearing outside the Third Division's prison in a single step, standing before everyone. Her arrival immediately brought relief to the two Palace of Discipline disciples, who rushed forward to greet her. At the same time, the members of the Eight Sects Alliance and the Sword Holders all turned their attention to the arriving Yao Yunhui. Zi Xuan, in particular, radiated an aura that caused the wind and clouds to shift, her phoenix eyes cold as she stared at the stunning beauty before her, whose appearance was comparable to her own.

Yao Yunhui remained silent. Her cultivation was at the Lingzang stage, not Guixu, so she would naturally be wary of Zi Xuan in an isolated location. However, within the Palace of Discipline, she had no fear. Having come to resolve the issue, she took a deep breath, bowed to Senior Zi Xuan, and then turned to Xu Qing, her eyes reflecting apology as she spoke softly.

"Xu Qing, this matter is an oversight on the part of my Third Division," she said. "As Division Chief, I will investigate thoroughly and provide you with an explanation. And now, I can confirm that the branch of the Eight Sects Alliance, and you, Xu Qing, were merely here to cooperate with an investigation. All inquiries are now clear and complete; you have not committed any transgression."

"That is why I had previously ordered your release. But now that such a problem has occurred, the cause is irrelevant, and there's no need to review the prison's video records. This is unequivocally my responsibility, my oversight."

Yao Yunhui spoke with apparent sincerity, then produced a jade slip, as if actively investigating the matter. Her words were deeply significant; while seemingly an apology, they were delivered in her capacity as Chief of the Third Division. This naturally implied her prior unawareness, as if everything were the reckless actions of her subordinates, while simultaneously showcasing her own responsibility. Furthermore, she explained that it was all part of an investigation, using their release as proof that it wasn't a personal vendetta or framing. This again distanced herself from the incident. Finally, her mention of "video records" contained an implicit warning. This scene caused Xu Qing's eyes to narrow slightly, while the Captain raised an eyebrow, casting a glance at Yao Yunhui. Though her scheme was somewhat crude, her method of handling the problem was quite competent.

"I am investigating the cause and effect of this matter, and an answer will soon be available," she continued. "Xu Qing's injuries are severe; I have a Spirit-Nourishing Pill here. Please accept it to begin healing."

The pill glowed with a soft luminescence, clearly indicating its extraordinary nature.

"Rest assured," she added, "whether it's someone designated by the Great Emperor with Myriad Dao Radiant Light, or even a commoner, in the eyes of my Palace of Discipline, all are treated equally, and justice is administered impartially. This is our inherent duty."

As Yao Yunhui spoke, she set the pill aside. Then, the jade slip in her hand flickered. After scrutinizing it intently, an expression of stern authority instantly appeared on her face as she looked at the two Palace of Discipline disciples beside her.

"So it was you two," she stated. "It has been confirmed that you both used private torture."

Before the two Palace of Discipline disciples could utter a word, and just as their expressions shifted, Yao Yunhui abruptly waved her hand. In the next instant, both let out piercing screams, their bodies violently thrown, spewing large mouthfuls of blood, and were swept directly into the distance, their fates unknown.

"Take them to the dungeon," she commanded. Instantly, disciples from the Third Division flew out and carried away the two individuals, whose condition—whether alive or deceased—was unclear.

Yao Yunhui handled this entire scene flawlessly and swiftly, directly assigning blame. This was, of course, also due to the information on her jade slip, which indicated that the prison's video recording jade slip had been deliberately damaged, rendering it unusable as evidence.

Having disciplined her two subordinates, she bowed to Xu Qing and Zi Xuan respectively, her face showing deep shame.

"This matter is due to my oversight in management, which caused Xu Qing to suffer," she said with regret. "I see Xu Qing's injuries are very severe. All of you may return and rest for now. This matter has been investigated, and I will provide you with a full explanation later, and personally visit to check on him."

A cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. The other party's various actions had instantly defused most of the situation. If he continued to insist on the severity of his injuries, the situation might evolve into one where he appeared overly aggressive.

Xu Qing pondered; although his record would now be clear from the outcome, he felt it wasn't enough to end it just yet. He slightly parted his lips, as if wanting to say something.

But he was too severely injured and incredibly weak, unable to project his spiritual sense or voice. The Captain, seeing this, leaned in to listen, and his anger quickly transformed into incredulous shock, as he gasped, "What?! Junior Brother, those two beasts, whose fates are now unknown, took thirty million spirit stones from you?"

Yao Yunhui's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, her emotions inevitably fluctuating. Xu Qing's troublesome nature was once again deeply impressed upon her; even after defusing his previous counterattack, he had instantly changed his approach and continued the offensive.

Thirty million spirit stones was by no means a small sum for her. The sensation of being extorted so brazenly left her feeling as though she had swallowed something truly foul, yet she had no choice but to endure it.

And she couldn't even allow herself to get angry. At that moment, she could only take a deep breath, suppress the turmoil in her heart, and after giving the Captain and Xu Qing a profound look, she forced a smile and slowly nodded.

"I will investigate this matter, if..." Before she could finish her sentence, Xu Qing once again spat out a mouthful of blood, his vital energy becoming even weaker. The Captain, his face etched with grief and indignation, immediately began feeding Xu Qing medicine, letting out a bitter laugh as he did so.

"Is this still the Palace of Discipline?" the Captain wailed, "Arbitrary beatings and blatant robbery! Junior Brother, are we truly in the Human Race Prefecture Capital?" "Heaven will not tolerate this! This..."

Seeing the situation on the verge of escalating once more, veins throbbed on Yao Yunhui's forehead, and fury surged in her heart. Yet, she knew she couldn't prolong this any further, so she gritted her teeth and spoke.

"Investigating this matter will take time, but as for the thirty million spirit stones, the Third Division can advance the payment!"

Her heart bled as she uttered those words.

Hearing this, the Captain's heart burned with fervor, his pulse quickening. After licking his lips, he quickly leaned in to Xu Qing's ear once more. This time, Xu Qing said nothing...

Yet, the Captain clenched his right fist and slammed it violently onto a floor tile. As the tile cracked and burst, his eyes were bloodshot, and his voice turned hoarse as he loudly declared.

"What? They didn't even spare the seventeen sets of offensive formations and fifty-seven magical artifacts I lent you?"

The Captain was utterly heartbroken and distraught, his eyes completely bloodshot.

Xu Qing looked at the Captain, sensing the fervor within him, and nodded.

Yao Yunhui's breathing was unprecedentedly rapid, her emotions fluctuating violently. She glared intensely at the Captain, her loathing for this individual now surpassing even that for Xu Qing.

She was about to speak, but in the next instant, a terrifying divine sense spread from the depths of the Palace of Discipline, enveloping the area as if conducting an inspection.

Upon sensing this divine presence, Yao Yunhui's heart trembled. She knew that her actions had already incurred the displeasure of the higher echelons. Thus, she could only grit her teeth once more, forcing an expression of composure onto her face.

But she had underestimated the Captain. Just as an expression of composure began to appear on her face, the Captain let out another wail: "The three magical artifact fragments Master gave you were also taken?"

"And the more than ten million spirit stones that the Sword Holder fellow daoists wanted to use to purchase my Seven Blood Eyes specialties—they didn't even spare that? That's the hard-earned money of Sword Holders!"

"Ah, and the three Heavenly Palace Pills Senior Zi Xuan gave you—they actually dared to take those too?"

Zi Xuan's expression darkened, and she gazed coldly at Yao Yunhui.

Beside them, the Sword Holders, including Chen Tinghao, looked at the Captain with peculiar expressions, nodding in agreement one after another.

This scene made it difficult for Yao Yunhui to suppress the overwhelming rage within her. Her heart was filled with intense resentment; this repeated extortion, which had ultimately escalated into a collective act of extortion, left her feeling utterly stifled and humiliated.

Seeing this, Xu Qing moved a finger, signaling that it was enough—it was time to stop while they were ahead.

He believed that pushing further would be counterproductive.

The Captain was somewhat reluctant, just about to continue, when Xu Qing once again coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Only then did the Captain fall silent. With a grief-stricken and indignant expression, he hoisted Xu Qing onto his back and walked towards Senior Zi Xuan. Finally, under Yao Yunhui's watchful gaze, the members of the Eight Sects Alliance swiftly departed.

As they departed, the area quieted, and the terrifying divine sense that had emanated from the depths of the Palace of Discipline now transformed into a calm voice.

"Chief Yao," the voice calmly stated, "this is the Palace of Discipline, the Human Race's Palace of Justice. The authority granted to you is for the sake of human fairness, not a place for you to settle personal grievances. In this matter, you have overstepped your bounds."

Yao Yunhui's heart trembled, and she lowered her head.

"An official document just arrived from the Sword Holder Palace," the voice continued. "Its content was a single sentence, seven characters long: 'Yao Yunhui, are you courting death?'"

Yao Yunhui took a deep breath. After a long silence, she spoke in a low voice, "Palace Lord, your humble servant acknowledges her error."

"Conduct yourself properly," the voice concluded. With these four words, the terrifying divine sense within the Palace of Discipline dissipated.

Yao Yunhui stood silently in place. After a long while, she turned and, expressionless, walked into her office.

The moment she stepped inside, she saw Zhang Siyun waiting there, his face filled with concern. "Mother..."

"Yun'er, your two colleagues are quite extraordinary," Yao Yunhui said to her son, her expression unreadable.

Zhang Siyun's heart trembled, unsure how to respond, when Yao Yunhui raised her right hand and delivered a powerful slap.

The slap was delivered with extreme force. Zhang Siyun spat out blood, his body flung against the wall, and as he collapsed, his internal organs churned. He gushed blood once more, and half of his face swelled significantly.

"Worthless!" she hissed. "Your father is worthless, the Taisi Immortal Sect is worthless, and you are just as worthless!"

Yao Yunhui gritted her teeth, unleashing her pent-up rage with that single slap.

Facing his mother's reprimands, Zhang Siyun dared not retort, nor even wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. He could only hang his head, a scene he had experienced countless times since childhood.

After finishing her scolding of Zhang Siyun, Yao Yunhui sat in a chair, took a deep breath, and once again composed herself. She then picked up the tremella soup from beside her, took a sip, and slowly raised her graceful head.

On her flawless, delicate face, her gem-like eyes now gazed towards the direction of the Eight Sects Alliance branch. Her small lips curled slightly into a beautiful arc, her red lips slightly parted.

"Warning me? This only makes it more interesting."