Chapter 1119: Old Stories

As soon as these words were uttered, the entire room fell silent.

Immediately after, the room erupted with various voices of rebuttal:

“This is absolutely impossible! How could Lady Yu be a demon?”

“Exactly! Demons are all ugly and fierce. Lady Yu is exceptionally beautiful; how could she be a demon?”

“Lord Xu, are you mistaken?”

Normally, these individuals struggled to find an opportunity to curry favor with Lady Yu; how could they possibly let go of such a golden chance now?

Zu An, however, frowned deeply. In truth, he also harbored some doubts about Yu Yanluo’s identity, as after several encounters, her body did seem to be somewhat different from that of an ordinary person.

Xu Yu was certainly not someone who made baseless accusations. Since he said so, he probably had a certain degree of certainty.

Lady Yu might be in danger today.

As expected, no matter how indignant the others in the room became, Xu Yu remained calm and composed. After the crowd clamored for a while, they gradually realized something was wrong, and their voices unconsciously quieted down.

At this moment, Sang Hong spoke up: “Lord Xu, the Yu family is an influential noble family in our Great Zhou Dynasty. Lady Yu, as the clan head, cannot be accused without proper cause.”

For him, bearing the imperial mission, he was naturally pleased to see problems arise for the Yu family.

However, if Xu Yu had no evidence and was merely making false accusations, then he wouldn't mind stepping forward to uphold justice.

Sang Hong’s status was extraordinary, and Xu Yu naturally couldn’t ignore him as he did others. He finally spoke: “I am certainly not saying there’s a problem with the Yu family, but only with Lady Yu herself.”

“According to my investigation, she is not human, but rather a member of the Serpent demon tribe. Not only that, but she is also of royal lineage within the Serpent tribe—a Medusa!”

“Medusa!”

Hearing this name, everyone in the room immediately gasped.

Legend has it that there are many tribes within the Serpent demon race, and each tribe has its own king. No tribe submits to another, leading to constant warfare throughout the years.

However, every few generations, a Medusa is born among the Serpent race—the King of Kings to whom all Serpent tribes would sincerely submit.

It is said that Medusas are incredibly venomous; their blood, if spilled on the ground, could turn a vast grassland into a desert.

They are also ruthless killers; wherever they go, they always bring disaster and turmoil to that land.

And most famously, wherever her gaze falls, all living creatures can be turned into lifeless stone statues.

Thinking of the various legends about Medusa, the expressions of all the officials in the room changed.

Especially when they remembered that Medusas in legends, despite being extremely vicious, possessed unparalleled beauty, and linked that to Yu Yanluo’s astonishingly beautiful appearance, many people’s hearts also began to waver.

Zu An recalled that back in the ice cave of the Great Snow Mountain, when Uncle Ming attacked him, he seemed to inexplicably stiffen for a moment. This gave Zu An the opportunity to successfully summon the imperial decree. At that time, he had clearly felt a change in Yu Yanluo’s aura. Could it be that she had used her Medusa innate ability?

However, as a transmigrator, he was completely unlike the natives of this world, who harbored a deep-seated fear of Medusas.

What’s more, Yu Yanluo was his friend, and it was even less likely that he would turn against her because of her identity.

He already had more than one or two demons and devils around him.

He spoke up: “Lord Xu, to my knowledge, Lady Yu once had a nickname: ‘The Capital’s Foremost Beauty.’ She earned this title years ago while traveling in the capital, bestowed upon her by the city’s princes and nobles. At that time, heroes from all over the world gathered in the capital, and many admired her, even the current Emperor was among them.”

Yu Yanluo’s face had initially been somewhat pale, but hearing him speak of this, a blush appeared on her cheeks. She was accustomed to hearing similar words from others, yet when they came from his mouth, she always felt a little embarrassed.

Then Zu An continued: “Back then, so many talented individuals and extraordinary people couldn’t tell that Lady Yu was a demon, and even the current Emperor couldn’t tell. Yet Lord Xu, you claim to have seen it. That’s truly a bit hard to believe.”

Although not explicitly stated, his words subtly implied a lack of conviction regarding Xu Yu’s claim.

The other officials, as if waking from a dream, immediately echoed him: “That’s right, the capital is full of hidden talents. If even they couldn’t spot anything unusual, it proves that Lady Yu is indeed innocent!”

Xu Yu looked deeply at Zu An: “Naturally, this humble official would not dare to compare himself to the Emperor. However, according to my investigation, the Medusa bloodline does not manifest from birth but only awakens at a specific age. When Lady Yu visited the capital years ago, she was still young, and her bloodline had not yet awakened, so it’s perfectly normal that those in the capital couldn’t discern it.”

Zu An scoffed: “But not long ago, Lady Yu visited the capital again and even met with the Emperor. She also met with many other members of influential noble families. How is it that still no one noticed anything amiss?”

Xu Yu said in a deep voice: “After a Medusa’s bloodline awakens, their growth is extremely rapid. Once Lady Yu achieved a high level of cultivation, she naturally found a way to seal her bloodline, preventing outsiders from seeing through her disguise.”

Zu An burst out laughing: “Lord Xu, your words are a bit too domineering. Whether you say it this way or that way, you’re always right. What’s the point of discussing then?”

Many of Yu Yanluo’s supporters also echoed him, though their voices were much quieter than before.

No one present was foolish. By this point, they had understood that Xu Yu’s purpose in gathering everyone was likely to target Yu Yanluo. Fearing involvement, they all began to distance themselves.

At the same time, Xu Yu’s confidants naturally spoke in his favor. With one side waning and the other waxing, a balance was reached between the two factions.

Then Sang Hong cleared his throat and said: “Lord Xu, everything requires evidence. Moreover, Lady Yu’s status is extraordinary; even slight mishandling could lead to immense repercussions.”

He naturally understood that Zu An’s words subtly implied his protection of Yu Yanluo. Although he was tasked with dealing with the Yu family this time, he couldn’t allow Zu An to be implicated because of it.

Alas, young people just can’t keep their composure, easily captivated by beauty.

Aren’t two at home enough for you?

“I naturally have evidence,” Xu Yu said, looking outside. “By my estimation, he should be arriving soon.”

Just then, a lazy voice came from outside: “Let us drink today and get drunk today; tomorrow’s sorrows can wait for tomorrow.”

When the first word was heard, it seemed to be very far away, but by the time the last word was heard, a cool breeze swept through the room, and a figure had already appeared in the hall.

He had a scruffy beard, a few wisps of curly hair on his forehead, and a drowsy look. A huge teal gourd was slung diagonally across his back, and a strong smell of alcohol emanated from him, noticeable from a distance.

His clothes were stained dark, whether from old wine or grease was unclear. He wore loose, baggy trousers and a pair of worn-out straw sandals. He was as slovenly as could be, a stark contrast to the immaculately dressed officials in the room.

“Xiao Yao!”

Soon, an official recognized him. The events at the welcoming banquet had left too deep an impression.

Moreover, the contrast between the renowned Sword Immortal, the Libationer’s third disciple, and this man who looked like a street vagrant, was simply too striking.

Xu Yu was overjoyed and rose to greet him: “Brother Xiao, you’re back. Did everything go smoothly?”

Xiao Yao nodded, then looked towards Yu Yanluo, who was seated not far away. His gaze sharpened, and he spoke: “When I first heard Lord Xu’s claims, I was quite shocked, so I specifically made a trip to the demon realm to verify them.”

Everyone’s hearts tightened, thinking that the main event was about to begin.

Xiao Yao picked up his wine gourd, took a swig, then casually pulled over a chair and sat down. He didn’t immediately accuse Yu Yanluo but instead began to recount an old story: “The previous Medusa Queen possessed astounding talent and extraordinary cultivation, making her a top-tier existence even among the demon race, which was filled with powerful individuals.”

“She led the Serpent tribe to become increasingly powerful. Unfortunately, this inevitably created many enemies.”

“Once, during a critical moment of her secluded cultivation breakthrough, several powerful demons and human experts launched an attack. In the ensuing great battle, she was severely wounded and fled, but on her way, she was saved by a young man who had unexpectedly wandered into the Serpent tribe...”

Hearing him recount these old tales, Zu An’s heart sank. He quickly transmitted a secret message with his vital energy: “Brother Xiao, do you know that Yu Yanluo is your junior sister, also a direct disciple of the Libationer, code-named ‘Painting’?”