Cave Mansion Recording (Revised)

Shui Jing suddenly raised her head. "I thought you would use some profound technique to shield this beast, but it only cried out twice and you reached such a conclusion?"

"Haha!"

"Hahaha! You are a peak master of Beast Taming Valley. Of course you care more about the lofty Sect Leader's Wife. You might as well stab the mother and daughter pair of us to death with one sword. At least then I would admire your cultivation and courage. Yet you engage in such petty, sneaky conduct, inviting everyone's scorn! I even suspect that Lu Ming's matter was caused by you so-called righteous hypocrites doing something filthy and forcing him to bear the blame."

She laughed miserably, but a pair of weak hands tugged at the hem of her skirt. Lowering her head, she saw Qiao Ling, ghastly pale and bloodless, crawling up from the sedan chair.

Clutching her hem, Qiao Ling said mournfully, "master... let's... go back! It was not the divine beast lord who bit me. I... fell by myself."

She bit her lip and turned her head slightly, looking pitiful beyond measure.

Divine beast? Shui Jing froze for a moment. Her status was low and she lived far away, so she had not yet received the news.

But the Law Enforcement Hall exploded, shouts rising one after another.

The watching disciples refused to accept it. What attack? Assassination? Had they gone mad? Word that this turtle was a divine beast had already spread. Who would be so suicidal as to assassinate a divine beast?

Listen to what this fellow disciple was saying—she fell by herself...

How could someone fall into a turtle's mouth? When Chief Xia talked nonsense, did he not see the bloodstains on the turtle's teeth? They were all cultivators, with keen senses of smell. Everyone could tell whether that blood belonged to this fellow disciple! Xia Da Li wore a baffled expression. He was only acting as a translator, so why were they glaring at him? If they were dissatisfied with that explanation, they should go ask the turtle.

Besides... the atmosphere in the Law Enforcement Hall was far too noisy today. Even if they were interrogating a divine beast, this many disciples should not have gathered at once.

Xia Da Li looked around, his gaze lingering briefly on several disciples.

A trace of amusement rose in him. Someone was trying to steer the crowd.

Someone behind Lu Ming? Was a disciple who had brought ruin upon himself and been crippled really worth this much effort?

He had vaguely heard that Lu Ming had another stroke of fortune and obtained a rather formidable inheritance. Was someone coveting that inheritance?

Shui Jing's heart twisted like a knife. She was too weak. Other than seniority, she had nothing, so even her only disciple had to suffer such grievances in open court.

She pulled Qiao Ling's hand, both angry and anxious. "Nonsense! Tell us exactly how this turtle injured you. Azure Origin Sect does not contain only black-hearted maggots. There are also tens of thousands of passionate disciples. Sand cannot blind everyone's eyes!"

She looked around at the dignitaries in the hall. Had Azure Origin truly fallen to such an unbearable state over these sixty years? Petty scheming and flies gathering around filth everywhere, yet these people acted as though they were blind and could not see it!

"Master!" Tears glimmered in Qiao Ling's eyes as she pleaded with Shui Jing. "If I did not fall, then what else could have happened? Our Azure Origin Sect has stood for thousands of years, and this is its only divine beast! This disciple... is merely a humble ordinary disciple of the Heavenly Mechanisms Pavilion..."

She said no more, but her eyes seemed able to speak, vividly conveying her own lowliness and the divine beast's nobility.

The expressions of the surrounding disciples became strange. Several young disciples of the same lineage even looked indignant. Were Heavenly Mechanisms Pavilion disciples lowly? Did they deserve to swallow their anger? "Outrageous!" Peak Master Yu rebuked. "The Magic Wheel will determine right and wrong. If you have grievances, state them plainly. In this Law Enforcement Hall, it is not yet the turn of a little disciple like you to shoulder criminal responsibility!"

What did he mean by that? Were they all people incapable of distinguishing right from wrong?

Qiao Ling bit her lip and lowered her head without defending herself. A single tear slid down.

Someone in the crowd whispered, "I know. Junior Sister Qiao is Lu Ming's Dao companion. This turtle bears a grudge against Senior Brother Lu. Unable to defeat Senior Brother Lu, it came to assassinate Junior Sister Qiao, and now it even wants to bite back. How shameless!"

"What happened?" Those unfamiliar with the story immediately asked. In an instant, buzzing discussion filled the air, embellishing a drama of a divine turtle holding a grudge and taking vengeance on a loved one until it seemed lifelike, as though they had witnessed it themselves.

Xia Da Li looked at those people, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Then he slightly turned his head to look at Yu Housheng.

Yu Housheng looked at Su He. "Let me ask you this: do you have proof that Qiao Ling attempted to assassinate you?!"

I do! But I'm deleting the video right now, so I can't answer you. Su He's eyes were tightly shut as he focused entirely on editing the recording in Turtle Mountain.

When Ge Feng had been teaching earlier, he had activated Turtle Mountain's recording function, intending to leave Feng Ya Ya some material. The recording had never been turned off. But it had also recorded him using Elephant Water to discard the medicine vat, and that absolutely had to be deleted! Su He's realm was too low and his divine sense insufficient, making deletion extremely difficult.

Seeing that Su He did not answer and even closed his eyes in refusal, the master of the Law Enforcement Hall's expression turned cold. He took out a token from the judgment desk and was about to throw it down.

This was the Law Enforcement Hall's Interrogation Order. Once it fell, punishment would be carried out.

Qiao Ling's pale eyes filled with panic. "Martial Uncle Yu, don't!" Biting her lip, she shook her head. "The divine turtle has only just arrived in Azure Origin and has no sense of belonging or loyalty to the sect. If Martial Uncle punishes it again, I fear it will never be loyal to the sect. Could we perhaps place a restriction in its primordial spirit? It is a divine beast, not a beast pet..."

A turtle was still a turtle. Even if it was a divine beast, what could it know of acting skills or emotional manipulation?

Qiao Ling closed her eyes and knelt deeply. "This disciple... fell."

She was so pitiful that even seeing her made one feel compassion! Shui Jing grasped her disciple's hand, gritting her teeth in fury, yet not knowing what to say.

A buzzing arose among those attending the hearing.

"Place a restriction!" No one knew who shouted first. Immediately afterward, a group of disciples began shouting along.

"Place a restriction!"

"Place a restriction!"

The entire courtyard was filled with cries demanding that a primordial spirit restriction be placed upon Su He.

Xia Da Li suddenly understood. So this was their objective! His face darkened at once. Which idiot wanted to place a restriction on a divine beast? Divine beasts could not be humiliated. Even a wild beast that had merely embarked upon the Divine Beast Path could not be lightly insulted! To harbor such thoughts was to be begging for a divine beast's beating! Xia Da Li was just about to rise.

At that moment, a sharp Sword Cry rang out. A silver immortal sword came from the horizon, stabbing straight toward Su He's neck.

Su He felt a thorn in his back.

In that life-and-death crisis, a golden streak shot over. Yu Housheng had fired the token, knocking the immortal sword aside.

The sword traced an arc through the air and stabbed toward Su He again, only to be blocked by the light screen Yu Housheng raised.

"Madam, you have overstepped!" Yu Housheng said sternly.

"Move aside!" A cool and aloof voice came from the immortal sword. It was Su Hua Nian.

Yu Housheng's expression turned extremely ugly. Holding back the immortal sword, he rose into the air. "I know what Madam intends. This turtle bit through Qiao Ling's neck, so Madam wants to pierce its neck in return, using that punishment to close this case. But—"

He abruptly raised his head. "This old man does not agree!"

"This turtle possesses a noble bloodline and extremely high defense. Piercing its neck would be no more than a superficial wound, healed within three days. But its injury to Qiao Ling was a malicious attack, intentional revenge, and attempted murder. How could it be dismissed so lightly?! If so, where would the sect rules stand?"

"As the Sect Leader's Wife, Madam should uphold fairness. How can you abandon public duty for private motives?!"

The immortal sword's power weakened, but it did not leave and remained locked against him. Yu Housheng knew she felt guilty; otherwise, with the Sect Leader's Wife's cultivation, even ten of him could not stop her.

Just as he did not know how to advise her further, an ethereal yet majestic voice came from above the Law Enforcement Hall:

"Madam, you have gone too far!"

It was Feng Yi Ju, the sect leader of Azure Origin Sect.

The immortal sword did not move or speak, merely remaining in stalemate.

Xia Da Li cupped his fists toward the sky. "senior brother, this turtle is not yet three years old. Though it possesses intelligence, it does not understand human feelings. Not to mention that the case remains doubtful, even if it truly injured a disciple, it was merely its beastly nature. It should be taught, not punished. If punished, it will surely harbor resentment. What then?"

He looked toward the Eternal Life Hall, completely focused.

The sky fell silent for a moment. The Sect Leader did not speak, but the Scholar's voice came instead. "Then place a restriction on it!"

As long as there was a restriction, even the most rebellious beast could be brought back into line.

Xia Da Li's expression changed instantly.

Among the observing disciples, some sensed that the atmosphere was rather strange, as though something was wrong. Yet others immediately clapped and cheered, shouting, "Whether divine beast or exotic beast, only a restricted beast is a good beast!"

What beast had no restriction?

Su Hua Nian's immortal sword suddenly released chilling sword qi, pressing the shouting disciples flat onto the ground.

The clamoring instantly vanished! Earlier, she had been healing at the bottom of the pool and had not sensed the outside world. Upon receiving the news, she had hurriedly summoned her sword, believing the turtle had truly bitten someone. But now, it seemed that was not necessarily the case!

By the pool, Su Hua Nian looked toward the Eternal Life Hall.

Shui Jing lay prone on the ground, her eyes full of humiliation. She and Su Hua Nian were of the same generation, and she had even entered the sect earlier. Yet now, Su Hua Nian herself had not even appeared. With only one sword, Shui Jing lacked the cultivation to remain standing.

Sword qi crisscrossed the air as Feng Yi Ju's voice came from the sky. "Madam, if this turtle truly is at fault, placing a restriction on it could also reassure the disciples..."

Before he could finish, Turtle Mountain on Su He's back suddenly shone, projecting an image.

An Ink Turtle bearing a mountain emerged from Elephant Water and came ashore. After traveling two or three li, it encountered a woman. Step by step, the woman approached it...

Qiao Ling, lying prone on the ground, suddenly underwent a drastic change in expression.

In the image, she wore an unfamiliar face as she approached Su He step by step, then suddenly drew her sword.

Battle, shattered illusion, an incoming person, self-inflicted injury, plea for help...

The image played from the moment Qiao Ling encountered Su He until it synchronized with the present.

The air in the Law Enforcement Hall suddenly seemed to freeze. One could hear a needle drop. Only then did a disciple softly say, "This thing is fake, right?"

"This is a Cave Mansion Recording. It cannot be altered," Xia Da Li said with a light laugh.

Yu Housheng was silent for a moment, then pointed through the air. A beast horn fell from Qiao Ling's body, blood dripping from it. Everything became clear.

Qiao Ling had already been ghastly pale while the recording played. Now, she could not even react at all.

Feng Yi Ju's voice from the sky had vanished at some point. He had left without even a word of farewell, extremely impolite.

Yu Housheng's face was like sunken wood as he looked at Qiao Ling. "Why did you attack the sect's divine beast?"

Qiao Ling lowered her head in silence.

"Why?" Yu Housheng demanded.

Qiao Ling raised her head, her face filled with madness. "Haha! Why? It harmed Senior Brother Lu! That was Senior Brother Lu! Beast Taming Valley's First True Disciple, and the first one to discover that it was a divine beast..."

She muttered to herself, seemingly mad.

As for the real reason, naturally she could not say it...

"Throw her into Prison Suppression. She will be tried and judged another day!"

"Yes!" Someone from the Law Enforcement Hall accepted the order and led Qiao Ling away.

Only Su He remained in the hall, lying there with his eyes closed. Feng Yi Ju's voice echoed endlessly in his mind. Place a restriction on him, place a restriction...

Beside him, Shui Jing stood stunned.

Everyone watched silently.

Sword Slave looked at the enormous turtle below. After this incident, it would surely harbor resentment toward the Sect Leader, right? He was the Sword Slave, the one who wielded the Sect Leader's sword for him. In all of Azure Origin Sect, whether human or beast, anyone who harbored divided loyalties toward the Sect Leader was his enemy.

Su He had his eyes closed, revealing none of his thoughts.

Sword Slave sent Xia Da Li a voice transmission. "Can a divine beast be restricted?"

When it came to taming beast pets, as the peak master of Beast Taming Valley, no one in Azure Origin Sect could surpass Xia Da Li.

Xia Da Li glanced at him as though he were an idiot and said nothing. He knew what Sword Slave was thinking.

But there was nothing he could do!

The Sect Leader had received Great White Temple's inheritance. Perhaps he could accomplish such a thing? Even then, the entire sect would need to join forces to suppress the Divine Beast Bloodline.

So it could not be done? Sword Slave narrowed his eyes, one hand gripping the immortal sword at his waist.

Above, Su Hua Nian's immortal sword suddenly gave a Sword Cry, sword qi crisscrossing and pervading the four directions.

Sword Slave's sword had only been drawn an inch or so before he could no longer pull it free. If he dared draw it even another fraction, he would die on the spot.

The gap was too vast. Before Su Hua Nian, he did not even possess the qualification to draw his sword—even though Su Hua Nian was not here, and only an immortal sword bearing her sword qi stood here.

After suppressing Sword Slave, the immortal sword no longer paid attention to such petty creatures. It plunged down, embedding itself atop Turtle Mountain.

The character "Su" on Turtle Mountain seemed to come alive, dancing like phoenixes and roaming like dragons, shining brilliantly.

Azure Origin Sect, Eternal Life Hall.

Feng Yi Ju opened his eyes and looked at the Scholar in the hall. "You went too far!"

The Law Enforcement Hall disciples had clearly been incited by someone.

The Scholar saluted and admitted his mistake. Raising his head, stubbornness filled his eyes. "Senior Brother, it was not only I who went too far. Madam..."

Feng Yi Ju cast him a single glance, and the Scholar could no longer speak.

Senior Brother still restrained himself too much. A gentleman waited for the right opportunity to act; it did not matter if the methods were somewhat rough. If Senior Brother had been able to make a swift decision according to the moment and directly place a restriction on it—

Even if it was wrong, what of compensating it tenfold afterward? Once the restriction was placed, the matter would already be settled!

The sect desperately needed an absolutely controllable divine beast right now. How could people like Xia Da Li understand the sect's predicament?

After this incident, the divine turtle would likely think of leaving the sect. As the Scholar tapped the armrest, his thoughts turned like lightning.

Three hundred li away, at an unnamed pool.

Su Hua Nian lovingly watched her sleeping daughter on the bed.

This time, she could clearly sense that something was different when her daughter slept.

Her daughter had eaten rare treasures!

Not top-tier high-grade pills or spiritual plants. She had never lacked top-tier pills, but her daughter was too young and her cultivation too weak to absorb them.

What her daughter had eaten was an ordinary ingredient, but of an extremely high grade.

To make an analogy, it was like an apple worth a thousand gold leaves? It was still that thing, yet it was no longer that thing.

Such a treasure was instead better for Ya Ya! The turtle must have brought it.

That aura was even denser on the turtle itself.

As long as someone truly treated Ya Ya well, be it human or turtle, Su Hua Nian would do her utmost to protect them.

The crowd in the Law Enforcement Hall dispersed.

Su He had left long ago. This time, he was swimming through Elephant Water at an unhurried pace, heading toward Su Hua Nian's pool.

The entire Azure Origin Sect could not give him even the slightest sense of belonging, except for that pool.

Among everyone there earlier, he had only gained a little goodwill toward Xia Da Li.

As Su He swam, he thought about the guidance Xia Da Li had just given him.

"The Heart Aperture Divine Treasure is the foundation of cultivation. Do not merely covet the pleasures of the palate. When you have nothing to do, study the divine beast in your heart aperture more."

Su He floated on the water's surface, retracting his limbs and turtle head into his shell. Letting Elephant Water carry him along, he closed his eyes and looked inward, his vision settling upon the divine turtle in his heart aperture.

This was the first time he had truly looked inward since learning he was a divine beast.