The Truth About Father and Son? (6k bonus for FeatherSwag, Helm Master)

In the dimly lit, secret room, the flickering candlelight seemed to be the only source of warmth.

The flickering candlelight cast You Su's shadow on a wavering pattern.

You Su remained silent, as if struggling to make a decision.

Qiao Xiuyun didn't understand the intricacies of the situation. In her mind, all she wanted was to take her sister's body home and bury it in the black sandstone that their ancestors had never left.

The poor girl was completely unaware that she couldn't take the evil corpse with her and might even face annihilation because of it.

Ji Lingruo glanced at the woman in the purple dress, half of her body hidden in the darkness. Zi Yiyi was not wearing a veil, and her sculpted features were outlined by large shadows in the candlelight, adding a touch of solemnity to the scene.

She suddenly looked up, met Ji Lingruo's gaze, then straightened her back and said coldly:

"I will not choose to turn a blind eye. I will definitely bring this body back to the Evil Warding Department for investigation. If the situation is true, I will act according to the law."

Ji Lingruo bit her thin lips tightly; the thing she feared most had still happened.

To them, Zi Yiyi was merely an emotionless bystander, Qiao Xiuyun was no different from a stranger in her eyes. The only two things she cared about were whether You Su could complete the test and whether the Ghost Mite could be exorcised.

This bystander perspective also meant that she wouldn't do anything to protect Qiao Xiuying; You Su's choice had no bearing on the situation.

Ji Lingruo Zi Yiyi's resolute decision, and she clenched Qiao Xiuyun's small hand with a heavy heart.

At first, she couldn't understand what City Lord Xiang meant by "once this coffin is opened, it can't be closed again." Now she realized that what couldn't be closed wasn't the coffin lid, but people's hearts.

"If it can be confirmed that Qiao Xiuyun and her family are not involved in this matter... I will try to reduce their punishment and save their lives as much as possible."

A hint of reluctance still flashed in Zi Yiyi's cold eyes.

Upon hearing this, Ji Lingruo's face regained its vitality:

"Thank you..."

This was the first time Ji Lingruo had spoken to Zi Yiyi so gently. She even nudged Qiao Xiuyun's shoulder, "Xiuyun, quickly thank Sister Yiyi."

With tears welling in her eyes, Qiao Xiuyun realized that her life was in the hands of the person in front of her.

"Thank you, Sister Yiyi."

Zi Yiyi was not a weapon without feelings. It was truly hard to accept that a girl who had traveled a thousand miles to find her sister would die because of her sister. However, she still said solemnly:

"Don't be too optimistic. Although there's a chance she can save her life, she still needs to atone for the mistakes Qiao Xiuying made. Fortunately, your sister didn't cause anyone else's death; she only killed herself."

With that said, the decision regarding the disposal of Qiao Xiuying's body seems to have been finalized.

"May I ask, Fairy, what is your position in the Evil Warding Department?" City Lord Xiang asked politely.

"The Mysterious Order Holder"

Seeing that she had been exposed, Zi Yiyi no longer tried to hide it.

"He's already Mysterious Order Envoy at the Water Condensation Realm; his future is truly promising."

City Lord Xiang sincerely praised her, clearly recognizing her extraordinary status within the Central Continent's Evil Warding Department.

The Evil Warding Department is divided into four levels based on strength and merit: Heaven, Earth, Mystery, Yellow.

In reality, most members of the Evil Warding Department are only at the Yellow level. People at this level have seen some low-level evil spirits and have some experience fighting them. The higher the level, the fewer people there are. It is said that there are only about ten Evil Exorcist hold the Heaven Order Holder across the five continents.

"Now that this matter is settled, please take the Fairy back to report. When Fairy come to Moxie City to judge my case next time, I will treat Fairy well."

City Lord Xiang walked to the door of the secret room, already indicating that he intended to see his guests out.

Zi Yiyi knew that the key was to immediately send the evil corpse back to the Evil Warding Department for proper research. She didn't show much respect to the city lord, and said indifferently:

"Let's go."

As she spoke, she walked to the stone coffin, took out a huge pure white shroud, and was about to take away Qiao Xiuying's body.

The shroud shimmered with a spiritual light; it was a special fabric that could preserve the state of the corpse to the greatest extent possible and effectively ward off Evil Qi.

But You Su stood firmly in front of the coffin, staring at the female corpse without moving, showing no intention of leaving.

Zi Yiyi frowned slightly, knowing why You Su refused to give up:

"Don't worry about it, you've done a great job. Looking at it now, this matter has nothing to do with Wangshu Fairy's negligence; after all, it was a demon controlled by humans. So we don't need to wait for Wangshu Fairy to arrive; we can close the case directly."

Zi Yiyi essentially revealed the assessment results to You Su in advance. In her opinion, You Su should now be relieved of his burden and return to the sacred mountain in peace. But why is he still unmoved, as if he is bewitched by the female corpse? He even leans forward slightly, as if he wants to crawl into the coffin.

She assumed You Su was too focused to hear what she had just said, so she repeated:

"Let's go, I will protect Qiao Xiuying's family."

Why should we save their lives?

You Su suddenly stood up. Just then, City Lord Xiang opened the door to the secret chamber, letting in a flood of light that shone on You Su. His clear eyes sparkled with light due to the reflection, giving him a sacred air.

City Lord Xiang, standing outside the door, stopped abruptly. He turned to look at You Su, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Does Young Master Ye intend to kill us all?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xiuyun's face turned deathly pale.

Zi Yiyi also looked surprised; in her mind, You Su shouldn't be such a ruthless person.

You Su laughed heartily and calmly asked in return:

"They are innocent, so why spare their lives? Isn't this just making things up out of nothing?"

"If only the world were so clean and honest..." City Lord Xiang shook his head and sighed softly, "Unfortunately, if the laws weren't so strict, countless people would risk touching those forbidden things. In the eyes of these desperate people, their lives are as insignificant as a feather."

"Why does City Lord Xiang sometimes want to save their lives, and then lament the severity of the law? Do you want them dead, or do you not want them to die?"

You Su's tone was playful, completely unlike someone speaking to the lord of a city.

These words indeed provoked City Lord Xiang's displeasure. "Young Master Ye, what exactly are you trying to say? I've satisfied all your questions and requests! But that doesn't mean I've always been so easy to talk to!"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and Ji Lingruo looked at You Su nervously, wondering why You Su was already over.

But You Su seemed completely unfazed by the enraged great cultivator. He put his hands behind his back and slowly asked:

"May I ask, City Lord Xiang, are you aware of the Dream Centipede on your son's neck?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene fell into dead silence.

Zi Yiyi looked at You Su in disbelief. You Su should never have asked this question at this time. The priority now should be to take Qiao Xiuying's body and leave the City Lord's Mansion.

"What did you say?"

City Lord Xiang squinted and frowned, as if he hadn't heard clearly.

You Su straightened his chest and said solemnly, "I'm asking City Lord Xiang about the Dream Centipede on your son's neck...?"

This time, before You Su could finish her question, a powerful force choked her throat, abruptly interrupting her.

Zi Yiyi, with the highest cultivation level, immediately noticed the strange phenomenon appearing on You Su's neck. She quickly stepped forward to block You Su and shouted:

"City Lord Xiang!"

This angry shout also jolted City Lord Xiang awake, causing him to withdraw his hand that had been exerting force.

"Mysterious Order Envoy, you should know what he's saying. These are not words you can casually use to slander someone!"

Zi Yiyi glanced back at You Su, who was clutching her neck and gasping for breath. She bit her lip, finally making up her mind, and then said with a resolute look in her eyes:

"He's right, your son does indeed have a Dream Centipede on him."

"Do you even know what level of evil spirit the Dream Centipede is?! How could you possibly see it! And you still say it's not slander!"

City Lord Xiang unleashed his full power, causing even the secret chamber hidden underground to shake slightly, sending down sparse dust.

"Sister Yiyi, you should have a way to make the Dream Centipede reveal itself, right?" You Su coughed heavily a few times and asked weakly.

"Um."

You Su had caught her breath, stood up straight again, regained her confident smile, and spoke with great certainty:

"City Lord Xiang does not believe me, you can invite him to come and verify it in person."

Upon hearing this, even Ji Lingruo looked at him in surprise, feeling that her senior brother was overconfident.

If they were truly colluding with Dream Centipede, wouldn't it have been simpler for Dream Centipede to hide himself during this standoff? Who would be foolish enough to bring him here for you to see?

City Lord Xiang snorted coldly, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."

"Is City Lord Xiang afraid?" You Su was fearless. "Since you say we can't see the Dream Centipede, how could we possibly tamper with your son? Especially in front of you?"

"Boy! Just for this disrespect alone, I could arrest you! Don't push your luck!"

"City Lord Xiang is truly impressive." You Su, on the contrary, became leisurely. He raised his hand, and a Jade Bead with flowing light appeared in his palm. "This is a life-saving bead given to me by the First Elder of the Xuanxiao Sect. Guess what will happen if I crush it?"

On the surface, You Su's words were a threat to City Lord Xiang not to act rashly, but more importantly, they were meant to tell him that he had a powerful backer whom he could not afford to offend. Therefore, whether Lord Xiang wanted to cooperate or not, he had no choice but to cooperate.

"What if my son doesn't have the Dream Centipede you mentioned? What then?"

City Lord Xiang's tone was chilling, clearly indicating that he had no intention of resolving the matter amicably.

"Do as you please."

Upon hearing City Lord Xiang let out a cold laugh. You Su's words were exactly what Venerable Su Yin wanted.

He didn't answer, but instead shouted out:

"Bring Wen Ting here!"

It was clear that City Lord Xiang had tacitly agreed to the bet, but Zi Yiyi frowned.

City Lord Xiang's loud shout, seemingly a summons for his subordinates to report, actually employed his cultivation. His powerful voice, seemingly capable of piercing clouds and splitting rocks, was loud enough for Xiang Wenting, who was several courtyards away, to hear.

He's tipping them off!

Ji Lingruo know what You Su was going to do, but she chose to trust him unconditionally, even if it meant falling into danger. However, the way she tightly gripped Qiao Xiuyun's hand betrayed her nervousness.

Before long, Xiang Wenting appeared at the door of the secret room.

He was a far cry from his usual melancholy self, appearing dignified and full of confidence.

Upon seeing this, Zi Yiyi's heart sank.

She couldn't understand why You Su would act so impulsively. This move would not only alert the enemy but also put him in danger, which was completely different from his previous style of planning before acting.

Could it be... that he also had a specific purpose this time?

"Wen Ting, these are immortal masters from the Divine Mountain Evil Warding Department. They have come to investigate the evil spirits causing trouble for my Moxie City. Please pay your respects."

"Yes." Xiang Wenting quickly bowed respectfully to You Su and the others, "Xiang Wenting greets all the immortal masters, thank you for your trouble."

You Su and the others remained silent.

Xiang Wenting was somewhat at a loss, and then asked, "Father, has the investigation yielded results?"

"Indeed, the source of the Ghost Mite has been identified, but the esteemed immortal masters believe you are colluding with evil spirits."

"How could this be!" Xiang Wenting exclaimed angrily, his face filled with grief and indignation. "This evil spirit is deadly and extremely wicked. How could I possibly have any connection with such a thing!"

"I think so too, but we can't stop them from bullying us with their power." City Lord Xiang sighed softly, his words full of sarcasm. "I don't know how they made this connection to you, but the innocent will clear themselves. You should have them investigate."

"Yes!" Xiang Wenting stepped forward, open and honest. "Fellow immortal masters, how do you require me to investigate?"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yiyi frowned deeply, her expression more serious than ever before.

The father and son's conversation didn't sound like casual greetings; it was more like a coded exchange of confirmations. A careful reading of their Xiang Wenting was definitely not possessed by evil spirits. You Su's rash decision was a gamble that backfired...

Among those present, only You Su, with a smile on her lips, remained as resolute as Xiang Wenting.

"Sister Yiyi, cast the spell. Although the Dream Centipede is of high rank, it is not good at attacking or escaping. Once the spell is cast, it will reveal its true form."

Zi Yiyi sighed inwardly, pondering how to rescue You Su while taking out bottles, jars, talismans, and magical Law Treasure to begin preparations.

Soon, talismans with intricate runes were affixed to Xiang Wenting's forehead and joints of his hands and feet, and a golden six-pointed star Magic Array was circulating beneath his feet.

This is the Golden Light Evil Revealing Formation, a unique creation by a powerful predecessor in the art of the Evil Warding Department evil spirits, designed to make them manifest. Its only drawback is that the casting steps are too complicated and demanding. It is said that it can even reveal evil spirits that are invisible to those at the Feather Transformation Realm.

"The Dream Centipede, Dream Master Type, has a slender body, about the size of a woman's little finger. Its most distinctive feature is that its entire body emits a seven-colored light. Mysterious Order Envoy, so much time has passed, and I haven't seen Dream Centipede, not even a fly. Can we draw a conclusion now?"

City Lord Xiang stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of absolute confidence.

Zi Yiyi glanced at You Su, who was strolling leisurely, and replied in a low voice:

"The Formation Technique isn't finished yet, no rush."

"Snort!"

City Lord Xiang snorted coldly, as if to say that these people wouldn't shed a tear until they saw the coffin.

But the next moment, his calm and composed demeanor suddenly changed, and he stared dumbfounded at the colorful centipede on his son's neck.

"Is there anything else to say, City Lord Xiang?"

You Su actually walked directly to Xiang Wenting's side and picked up the Dream Centipede in his hand to play with it:

"Your son doesn't have a single wound on his neck, yet this Dream Centipede is staying obediently on Brother Wenting's neck. What do you think is going on?"

Surprisingly, City Lord Xiang did not erupt in rage. Instead, he stared at his son in disbelief. His expression shifted several times, and finally, he choked up and said:

"Wen Ting... tell your father... this isn't true!"

Xiang Wenting's confidence crumbled like a building. His face flushed red with anxiety, like an ant on a hot pan. He hurriedly tore off the talismans from his body as if he had done something wrong.

"Father! That's not true! I didn't!"

"Father believes you! Young Master Ye, how can you prove that this evil spirit is connected to my son? What if someone is framing him?"

You Su shook his head slightly, then squatted down and placed the Dream Centipede on the ground. The Dream Centipede seemed to recognize its master, and began to move its thousand legs rustling as it crawled towards Xiang Wenting.

Xiang Wenting's face turned ashen, and he dodged Dream Centipede's pursuit like a snake or scorpion, but Dream Centipede would chase after him every time, like a loyal dog.

"Young Master Xiang, there's no need to pretend anymore. Don't hurt even the heart of the evil spirits." You Su looked at Xiang Wenting, who was fleeing in all directions, as if he were a clown.

"You unfilial son!!"

City Lord Xiang's face turned ashen, and he roared.

Xiang Wenting suddenly seemed to be tripped by an invisible force, and fell to the ground face-first into the mud.

It's truly laughable and lamentable that a cultivator at the Condensing Water Realm would display such an unseemly demeanor.

Xiang Wenting lay on the ground, his face deathly pale. The Dream Centipede had already crawled into his trouser leg, its hundreds of tentacles making him tremble all over. He hurriedly searched his body, trying to expel the Dream Centipede from his body.

He trembled as he cursed angrily:

"This Dream Centipede has never harmed anyone while it's been by my side! What right do you have to arrest me! You don't care about the source of the Ghost Mite there, so why are you bothering with me!"

"Xiang Wenting, are you sure you've never harmed anyone?"

You Su suddenly took a step forward, his imposing Xiang Wenting.

"Take a close look yourself. How many tiny wounds are there on Qiao Xiuying's neck?"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yiyi immediately turned around and crawled to the coffin, raising the candle to Qiao Xiuying's body.

Although the Ghost Mite were so dense and disgusting, a dozen or so barely noticeable red spots could still be seen on the neck of the shriveled corpse.

She then took out a piece of crystal, thin around the edges and thick in the center, and carefully examined it against a pair of red dots. She immediately stood up excitedly and said:

"It can be confirmed that these are all wounds from the Dream Centipede bites! And it can be deduced that the Dream Centipede bit her at least five times!"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Wenting felt as if he had received his own death sentence. He suddenly deflated, collapsed to the ground, and completely gave up struggling, letting the Dream Centipede crawl back to his Adam's apple.

"I'm the one who wronged her..."

There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. Xiang Wenting's eyes were vacant, and he was about to confess his crimes as if he were admitting guilt.

But at this critical moment, a loud shout suddenly rang out.

"You unfilial son!!"

It was City Lord Xiang who made a sudden move! A thunderous palm strike came hurtling towards Xiang Wenting's neck!

No one knew whether he intended to kill the Dream Centipede or personally end the life of this rebellious son who colluded with evil spirits.

"Don't!"

The speed and force of this move left You Su and the others helpless as they watched the tragic scene of a father killing his son unfold.

Instantly, the earth shook and Feather Transformation Realm was terrifying. This Xiang Wenting was probably already reduced to dust.

Surprisingly, as the dust settled, a lean and powerful figure emerged. City Lord Xiang's fierce attack was halted just a foot away from the newcomer, unable to advance an inch.

The visitor was none other than the First Elder of the Xuanxiao Sect, one of the three chiefs of the Evil Warding Department — the Venerable Tian Shu.

"City Lord Xiang, you're being a bit too hasty in sacrificing family for the greater good."

The Venerable Tian Shu looked at the city lord, who stood frozen in shock, with a look of pity in his eyes.

"You deserve this punishment for your crimes. I was hoping you would repent and have your sentence reduced because of your many years of service in governing the city. But you showed no remorse and even sacrificed your own son to save yourself. You have disappointed me greatly."

Before the Venerable Tian Shu, City Lord Xiang was like a weak and helpless child. He could only kneel down, trembling, knowing that there was no way to salvage the situation.

Even if... even if the person in front of him is just a clone of that person, he would never have a chance to fight back.

Unless Venerable Su Yin, who is hiding in the City Lord's Mansion, makes a move, but... how could he possibly expose himself for his sake?

City Lord Xiang suddenly raised his eyes, glaring at the black-clad youth who looked as if he had expected this.

This boy is the source of the collapse. City Lord Xiang suddenly hoped that Venerable Su Yin would not step in to save him, because only in this way could Venerable Su Yin drag this boy down to hell with him!

You Su ignored City Lord Xiang's hateful gaze and put the Jade Bead back into his pocket. It turned out that he had already crushed a Jade Bead when Dream Centipede was exposed.

"You Su, you tell us what exactly happened."

The First Elder spoke to You Su in a kind tone.

"Yes."

You Su cupped his hands in greeting, finally clearing up the confusion for the group:

"Qiao Xiuying, a mere mortal, did indeed achieve rapid progress in her cultivation through the aid of evil spirits, but this was not of her own volition; rather, it was due to Xiang Wenting's coercion. Qiao Xiuying's letter expressing her desire to return home demonstrates that she didn't love Xiang Wenting to the point of abandoning her family or her life. However, she overlooked Xiang Wenting's possessiveness. Xiang Wenting used the Dream Centipede to create dreams for her, ultimately bewitching her into accepting the corruption of the Ghost Mite and embarking on the path of immortality. He then used various means to make her inseparable from him."

However, Xiang Wenting hadn't anticipated that the Ghost Mite could kill a person by sucking their life force. After Qiao Xiuying's death, he became fearful. To prevent his son from being exposed, City Lord Xiang hid Qiao Xiuying's body and began cultivating Qiao Xiuying Ghost Mite within her body. This was evident from the condition of these Ghost Mite, which were almost identical to the two I captured. This was to create the illusion that she was the mother of the Ghost Mite. That's why he generously allowed us to obtain Qiao Xiuying's body; his apparent refusal was actually a ploy to guide us to close the case. Fortunately, the Dream Centipede was too loyal to Xiang Wenting, impossible to shake off, preventing us from wrongly accusing a tragic woman who died for love. City Lord Xiang not only committed the crimes of harboring and slander, but also, knowing the truth had been revealed, he even turned against his own family to clear his name—truly admirable."

After saying this, Ji Lingruo and Zi Yiyi finally realized what had happened. Meanwhile, City Lord Xiang embraced his wayward son, tears of remorse streaming down his face.

Xiang Wenting let his father embrace him. His beard and hair were already messy and covered his entire face. Through the gaps in his hair, one could almost see him looking at You Su from afar, revealing a satisfied smile.

There will be a little plot twist tomorrow, and then this short story will end. The second bonus chapter I owed will be posted in the group chat tomorrow night as a Children's Day gift for everyone!

Thank you for the tip, thank you for the comment, thank you for reading! I've seen them all!