Upon hearing Zhang Yu's words, Qin Xuehua and the others were completely deflated, unsure of how to refute him.
They had to admit that Zhang Yu had indeed brought about the previous glory of the Marquis Estate's mansion, and the harm they had done to Zhang Yu was also very real.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Luohan knew that Zhang Yu's conflict with the Zhang Family was beyond resolution, so she stepped forward to distance herself. "Brother Yu, this has nothing to do with me."
"It was Zhang Heng; he ordered the deadly attack."
I tried to persuade him, I really tried, but he wouldn't listen; he insisted on doing things his own way.
I... I am innocent.
She wept bitterly, her acting incredibly convincing, placing all the blame on Zhang Heng as if she were merely a helpless woman powerless to stop it.
"You... you bitch."
Zhang Heng was already on the verge of collapse, and Jiang Luohan's sudden betrayal enraged him to the point of bloodshot eyes.
Even if Jiang Luohan was telling the truth, it became the fuse that ignited his anger.
He stared at Jiang Luohan with venomous hatred, wishing he could pounce on her and tear her to pieces.
"You're the slut, your whole family are sluts."
Jiang Luohan was now going all out.
She retorted sharply, each word like a knife, piercing Zhang Heng's sore spot:
He boasts Tiantian about how great he is, that he is the Marquis Yong'an, and that he is a future pillar of the court.
And the result?
"You've ruined a perfectly good Marquis Estate in just a few days. You're really something."
She became increasingly agitated as she cursed, as if she wanted to unleash all the Resentment Qi, fear, and regret that had accumulated over the past few days, and also to cleanse herself of any further guilt.
"I only realized today that the glory of the Marquis Estate's mansion in the past must have been due to Brother Yu's silent support behind the scenes."
You are just a bunch of parasites sucking blood from Brother Yu.
Without Brother Yu, you are nothing.
These words were like the sharpest knife, not only stabbing Zhang Heng in the heart, but also causing Qin Xuehua and Zhang Wanning excruciating pain, their faces turning ashen.
Although they resented Zhang Heng for implicating their entire family and had vaguely suspected that the Marquis Estate's past prosperity might be related to Zhang Yu, being so blatantly and viciously exposed by Jiang Luohan was still an unbearable humiliation and blow.
"You... you're talking nonsense."
Qin Xuehua trembled with anger, pointed at Jiang Luohan, and said sternly:
"Jiang Luohan, how dare you say that?"
How did you humiliate Yu'er back in the Marquis Estate?
And how did she seduce Heng'er? Do I need to spell it all out for her?"
Zhang Wanning also realized what was happening and immediately echoed her mother, saying in a shrill voice:
"Jiang Luohan, you're the worst kind of person."
Back then, you saw Zhang Yu... because his Eldest Brother wasn't favored and his talent was mediocre, so you went to great lengths to bully him.
He always speaks ill of him in front of us, trying to sow discord.
You are the most vicious kind of woman.
Eldest Brother, you absolutely mustn't believe her nonsense.
Dogs fighting, a mouthful of fur.
Qin Xuehua and Zhang Wanning didn't hold back in revealing all of Jiang Luohan's past misdeeds, attempting to prove that Jiang Luohan was the one who was truly heinous.
Want to remain unscathed? No way!
Jiang Luohan was exposed, and she was immediately filled with shame and anger. Her face turned red and white in turns, and she was so angry that she almost vomited blood.
She screamed:
"You're talking nonsense, that's because you tacitly approved it. Without your indulgence, would I dare to do that?"
You are the masterminds! You forced Brother Yu to take the blame! You are the most vicious ones!
The three immediately started arguing, revealing each other's shortcomings and hurling insults, exposing their most shameful and ugly sides to Zhang Yu and the others.
Where is even a trace of the dignity she once possessed as the mistress of the Marquis Estate and the eldest daughter?
She was like a shrew from the marketplace, displaying all sorts of ugly behavior.
Zhang Yu watched the ugly farce unfolding below with a blank expression, his eyes devoid of any emotion, only a cold indifference.
In his eyes, these people—whether it was the arrogant and domineering Zhang Heng, the hypocritical and snobbish Qin Xuehua and her daughter, or the opportunistic and ruthless Jiang Luohan —were nothing more than clowns.
Zhang Yu's gaze slowly swept over each of them, finally settling on Zhang Heng, whose face was ashen.
Zhang Heng,
His voice was calm and even, yet carried a chilling, judgmental tone. "You allowed your slaves to commit violence, severely injuring my brother; your crimes are unforgivable."
"No, Eldest Brother, spare me! I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong!"
Zhang Heng was terrified, no longer caring about face or dignity, and kowtowed, tears streaming down his face, begging for mercy, "For the sake of our blood ties, spare my life!"
Zhang Yu ignored his pleas for mercy and continued:
"Qin Xuehua, Zhang Wanning, you have aided and abetted your sons in committing violence."
Zhang Wanning was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, repeatedly kowtowing.
"Eldest Brother, I was wrong. I was bewitched before."
Please, for the sake of our past relationship, forgive me this once. We will never dare to do it again.
"Jiang Luohan,"
Zhang Yu ignored Zhang Wanning's pleas for mercy, his gaze falling on the woman who had once driven the original owner of this body mad with desire. "You, opportunist, kick someone when they're down, your past actions and today's words are utterly disgusting."
Jiang Luohan trembled all over; Zhang Yu's icy gaze made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
She finally realized how ridiculous and foolish her "Brother Yu" act was in front of Zhang Yu now.
The way he looked at himself was as if he were looking at a piece of dirty trash.
"No... Brother Yu, it's not like that, let me explain..."
She made a final attempt, her eyes brimming with tears.
But Zhang Yu had already looked away, as if even glancing at her was beneath him.
Qin Xuehua, confident in her status as Zhang Yu's mother, though flustered inside, didn't show it. Instead, she questioned, "Speak, what exactly do you want?"
"You'll know exactly what I want right away?"
Zhang Yu leaned back on the soft couch, his gaze sweeping over Prince Jing and Prince Qi. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination:
"Zhang Heng, strip him of his Cultivation, break his limbs, and leave him to fend for himself."
"You unfilial son! How dare you!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Xuehua, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly shrieked, pointing at Zhang Yu in a sharp, piercing voice:
"Zhang Heng is your own brother, your blood relative. How could you be so cruel and heartless?"
Aren't you afraid of retribution?
What wouldn't I dare to do?
Zhang Yu's gaze suddenly turned cold, and the aura he had been holding back was suddenly released.
A powerful, pure aura, far exceeding everyone's expectations, instantly enveloped the entire hall.
That was clearly the aura of the Innate Realm.
Bang!
Qin Xuehua, who was closest to the source, was directly hit by the aura and was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground in a sorry state. Her Qi and Blood churned, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.
"First... Xiantian?"
Ignoring the pain, Qin Xuehua stared at Zhang Yu as if she had seen a ghost, her voice distorted with extreme shock and fear, "You... when did you acquire Xiantian Cultivation?"
That's impossible.
Zhang Heng and Zhang Wanning were completely dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning, standing there frozen in place.
In their deeply ingrained impression, Zhang Yu was always that Martial Dao failure who, after years of arduous training, had only reached the First Rank, someone they could bully and trample on at will.
Even though he later seemed to have "ingratiated himself" with the Imperial Family, they only assumed that he did so through money or some other shady means.
They never imagined that he possessed such powerful Xiantian Cultivation.
What does it mean to Xiantian in one's twenties?
It signifies an unparalleled genius, a future Grandmaster, and even... the possibility of reaching an even higher realm.
At this moment, they somewhat understood why the Imperial Family treated Zhang Yu with such courtesy, even subtly currying favor with him.
Such a young Xiantian with limitless potential is absolutely worthy of any force's full investment and patronage.
The thought that such a future Grandmaster, or even a Great Grandmaster, was framed and forced to take the blame by their own hands made Qin Xuehua regretful enough to slap herself.
If... if only we had treated him better back then, even if it was just to maintain a semblance of peace, how glorious would the Marquis Yong'an's Estate be now?
What kind of honor and prestige must Qin Xuehua possess?
Zhang Heng was even more unable to accept this reality.
He could accept Zhang Yu currying favor with the Imperial Family, and he could accept Zhang Yu's noble status because of the Imperial Family.
But he absolutely could not accept that his "useless" Brother, whom he had always despised and bullied, had actually surpassed him in Cultivation, reaching a level that he might never be able to reach in his entire life.
This completely shattered his pitiful self-esteem and Daoist heart. His eyes turned bloodshot, he looked like a madman, and he made strange "hoarse" noises.
Zhang Wanning was equally shocked, her gaze towards Zhang Yu filled with disbelief and deep fear.
It turns out... he was no longer someone they could even dream of.
Their previous scheming and arrogance seem so laughable in the face of absolute power.
Only Jiang Luohan, having witnessed Zhang Yu's methods before, was not too shocked.
But her heart was ice-cold. She saw it more clearly than Qin Xuehua and the others: Zhang Yu's secret was definitely more than just his Xiantian Cultivation.
The fact that the Imperial Family treats them with such respect, and that even the president of the Pill Association shows them such deference, is not simply due to their potential.
Unfortunately, all of this is no longer relevant to her.
From the moment she chose to attach herself to Zhang Heng and kicked Zhang Yu when he was down, she forever lost the right to stand by his side.
Just as Zhang Yu was about to continue, Emperor Xiao Zhengfeng suddenly burst into the Heavenly Prison, bringing news that Marquis Yong'an had led his troops into the capital.