The Tsundere Stone Lion

"The third crime is not even a crime; it is a merit, a great contribution to the Qiuchi Kingdom."

Su Youqian spoke in a measured tone.

"When our Tiger Mound was invaded by the Demonic Tree, our ancestor fought it with all his might; the Grand Marshal knows a thing or two about this. At that time, there was also an invasion of exotic beasts from the Great Meng Mountain."

"At the critical moment when Great Meng City faced life and death, Brother Liu stepped forward, controlled the Demonic Tree, repelled the beast tide, and saved the million lives of Great Meng City. How can this be a crime?"

"Colluding with the demonic path is a baseless fabrication. The Su Family can vouch for him, and the Grandmaster Mansion can also vouch for him."

"Young Master Ye, wouldn't you agree?"

Han Qi let out a cold snort, his indifferent gaze fixed on Ye Yitian.

Ye Yitian remained silent, his gaze, flickering with flames, locked onto Liu Chengfeng.

He found it strange; Lady Chen had been controlled by the Demonic Tree, so why was Liu Chengfeng, with his Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury cultivation, able to control it? It made no sense.

Ye Yitian's silence made Ye Yiqing anxious, and she secretly tugged at his sleeve.

"This matter is true."

In the end, Ye Yitian admitted it, though he was clearly unwilling.

"If the Old Matriarch was troubled by the Demonic Tree, what means did Liu Chengfeng use to control it?"

Ye Yitian would not give up, staring intently at Liu Chengfeng.

"As for that, it's simple. My brother Liu has peerless talent. He saw the flaws and weaknesses of the Demonic Tree at a glance. By breaking its flaws and exploiting its weaknesses, he could control it."

"I want him to answer, not you."

Ye Yitian's aura surged, his flaming light oppressive like a volcano, making people afraid to get close.

Ye Yitian was powerful, with no rivals among the younger generation of the Qiuchi Kingdom.

"Young Master Ye represents the Grandmaster Mansion, while I represent His Majesty. With His Majesty in seclusion, I make the decisions. Does Young Master Ye have any complaints about my answer?"

Su Youqian was not afraid of him, puffing out his chest.

Ye Yitian's expression turned cold, flames dancing around him. As a third-tier Reception Divine Treasury cultivator, he was much stronger than Su Youqian.

The rolling flames made some people unable to catch their breath.

"Silence. Continue the trial."

Han Qi's cold voice, like a sharp blade, cut through the air, forcing both Su Youqian and Ye Yitian to take a step back.

"I have finished. The three charges are all invalid. I represent the Imperial Family in granting a pardon."

The three-department joint trial had seen the Imperial Family state their position.

"The three charges are invalid."

Ye Yitian said coldly, his aura still oppressive.

"The Demon Slaying Division has no objections."

In the end, Han Qi's statement left both Ye Yitian and Su Youqian stunned.

They had originally united to oppose the Demon Slaying Division, but they had not expected Han Qi to have no objections.

With all three departments in agreement, Liu Chengfeng was innocent.

The three-department joint trial ended just like that, a mere formality; the defendant, Liu Chengfeng, never even had a chance to speak.

"Watch yourself—"

Ye Yitian was no fool; he cast a cold, sharp look at Liu Chengfeng before leaving the scene.

"Hey, brother, you're free now."

Su Youqian leaned in, winking at Liu Chengfeng.

Liu Chengfeng smiled, not surprised, and Nangong Renshe also breathed a sigh of relief. The matter had passed by so simply.

"Don't forget your promise. If you can't solve it, this marriage contract will stand."

Just as Su Youqian was feeling triumphant, Ye Yiqing poured a bucket of cold water on him, causing his face to fall instantly.

"If you can't solve it, I will be the first to take your head!"

The proud Ye Yiqing's beautiful eyes flashed with cold light as she stared at Liu Chengfeng.

"It will definitely work, it will definitely work. My brother has peerless talent. Brother, you'll definitely be fine, right?"

Su Youqian immediately patted his chest to reassure Ye Yiqing, but he had no confidence himself.

"It had better be so. Come to the Grandmaster Mansion tomorrow."

Ye Yiqing snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Once Ye Yiqing was gone, Su Youqian immediately perked up.

"Hey, brother, to celebrate your regained freedom, let's go drink flower wine. The girls in the Imperial Capital are..."

As he spoke, Su Youqian's eyes lit up.

"Don't forget, you still have to solve the Divine Tablet tomorrow. If you can't, you'll have to marry Princess Ye."

Liu Chengfeng poured cold water on his enthusiasm, and Su Youqian wilted, losing all interest in merrymaking.

Liu Chengfeng promised Su Youqian he would go to the Grandmaster Mansion tomorrow to unlock the Thunder Fire Divine Tablet for the Grand Marshal, instructing Su Youqian to bring him a pot of Golden Wind Jade Dew Wine.

"Brother, that's top-tier vintage; it's not easy to find."

"You can't find it?"

"Heh, don't worry, leave it to me. Where do you think we are? This is the Imperial Capital."

Su Youqian patted his chest in assurance.

Although Su Youqian was dissolute and unrestrained, he was quite reliable when it came to getting things done.

Liu Chengfeng was innocent and had regained his freedom; the Su Family had a palace in the Imperial Capital, and Su Youqian invited Liu Chengfeng to stay there.

Liu Chengfeng refused, preferring to move back into the large courtyard of the Demon Slaying Division.

"Are you addicted to being a prisoner?"

Su Youqian couldn't understand, but Han Qi merely glanced at Liu Chengfeng and made no move to drive him away.

The next day, Su Youqian brought the Golden Wind Jade Dew Wine, and they set off for the Grandmaster Mansion.

"We need to go somewhere else first."

Liu Chengfeng did not head straight for the Grandmaster Mansion, but instead went to find the stone lion.

The Imperial Capital of the Qiuchi Kingdom covered a vast area; it was prosperous and bustling, home to tens of millions of residents and a multitude of god-cultivators.

The entire Imperial Capital was filled with thousands of buildings and crisscrossing streets, exuding an extraordinary atmosphere with carriages flowing like water and horses like dragons; there were all sorts of beings walking on the ground and flying in the sky.

Liu Chengfeng set out in Su Youqian's carriage.

Su Youqian remained true to his dissolute style, accompanied by beauties with a grand procession in tow.

Finding the stone lion was not difficult; through the perception and tracking of his Celestial Body, Liu Chengfeng quickly locked onto its location.

The stone lion stood just outside the city gate of the Imperial Capital. It was a guardian statue over ten meters tall, crouching there with an imposing aura.

This stone lion had stood outside the gate for who knows how many years; it was weathered, gray-black, and covered in accumulated dirt, with even wild grass growing upon it.

It was merely a decorative object outside the gate, and no one paid it any mind.

Liu Chengfeng arrived with the Golden Wind Jade Dew Wine, bowing and paying his respects to the stone lion before sprinkling the wine over its body.

"It's been a long time since I've tasted this. Nostalgic, truly nostalgic."

The stone lion finally deigned to speak. Liu Chengfeng sat beside it, and only then did he notice that the stone lion was facing the direction of the Cloud Mist Marsh.

"Senior, why did you say 'when the sun rises'?"

Liu Chengfeng voiced the doubt in his heart; it was early morning now, and the sun had already risen.

"That sun is not this sun."

Having drunk Liu Chengfeng's wine, the stone lion's attitude was much improved.

"The sun in the Cloud Mist Marsh—"

Liu Chengfeng's heart jolted as he thought of the strange phenomena in the Cloud Mist Marsh.

"You brat have some insight, knowing there is a sun in the Cloud Mist Marsh."

"What will happen if that sun rises?"

The Cloud Mist Marsh not only had a sun but also a moon, with dead corpses surrounding the sun and worshipping the moon.

"Perhaps, the ghosts of the Ghost Walking Mansion might also have a day to emerge."

"The Ghost Walking Mansion, the Black Emperor?"

"How do you know about the Black Emperor!"

This time, it was the stone lion's turn to be shocked.

"It's as if I've seen him in a dream."

How could Liu Chengfeng explain this? He could only brush it off.

"Hmph, if you have seen the Black Emperor in a dream, he would have killed you in that dream as well."

"Is he that powerful?"

Liu Chengfeng felt a shock in his heart; he had already experienced the divine might of the Black Emperor.

"Senior, are you waiting for the sun to rise?"

"I want to drink spiritual energy; it has been a long time since I last had any."

The stone lion did not answer directly, only saying these words.

"There is a Spirit Vein Dojo underground with a Spirit Pool like a lake; surely you could drink from that, Senior?"

Liu Chengfeng did not know how strong the stone lion was, but he estimated that if it wanted to absorb spiritual energy, it should be able to do so.

The stone lion let out a cold snort.

"War General Lihuo made a pact: I can only watch over the Cloud Mist Marsh and cannot absorb the spirit veins, unless the Imperial Family draws the spiritual energy to nourish me."

The Ancient Tree's timid voice echoed in Liu Chengfeng's mind.

"Big mouth—"

The Ancient Tree, acting like a little girl, immediately shrank back.

"You aren't a member of the royal family, so be off with you."

The stone lion's arrogant demeanor made it clear that it wanted to drink spiritual energy.

"It's not like there's no chance; I happen to be heading to the ancestral hall."

"What are you going there for?"

"To unlock the Thunder Fire Divine Tablet."

"What's difficult about that? I was the one who sealed it."

The stone lion looked disdainful, its posture dripping with arrogance.

"The ancestral hall of the Qiuchi Kingdom was sealed by you, senior?"

Hearing this news, even Liu Chengfeng was surprised. He had heard from Su Youqian that the Qiuchi Kingdom's ancestral hall had been sealed for thousands of years.

"A bunch of good-for-nothings. They drink spiritual energy every day, yet I see no progress. It was annoying to look at, so I sealed it."

As the stone lion said this, Liu Chengfeng muttered to himself that it must have been greedy; since it couldn't drink the energy itself, it had spitefully sealed the ancestral hall out of embarrassment and frustration.

"Did you loosen the seal, senior?"

Liu Chengfeng probed.

"Hmph, a bunch of useless fools. If I kept it sealed, they would have declined into nothingness. Go ahead and unlock it, there's no rush."

Su Youqian, waiting on the side, also found the scene bizarre. Liu Chengfeng had brought wine, but instead of drinking it himself, he gave it to a stone lion while muttering to himself.

Anyone unaware would have thought Liu Chengfeng had been possessed.

"To the Grandmaster Mansion."

Liu Chengfeng stayed with the stone lion for a good while before boarding the carriage. Su Youqian didn't ask questions and headed straight for the Grandmaster Mansion.

The imperial palace of the Qiuchi Kingdom was in the center of the Imperial Capital, the Grandmaster Mansion was in the west, and the Demon Slaying Division was in the east.

Traveling from the Demon Slaying Division to the Grandmaster Mansion meant crossing the entire Imperial Capital.

Before they even reached the Grandmaster Mansion, they could feel an aura permeating the air, scorching like the sun.

In an instant, Liu Chengfeng could sense the Dragon Vein dojo beneath the earth; this was the foundation of the Qiuchi Kingdom.

"The Spirit Vein Dojo is in the Grandmaster Mansion?"

Liu Chengfeng gazed at the Grandmaster Mansion ahead. The mansion was massive, with towering buildings, flying eaves, and high walls that exuded an oppressive presence.

The entire Grandmaster Mansion was surrounded by hundreds of buildings, and at its very center lay the ancestral hall.

It was truly surprising that the Spirit Vein Dojo of the Qiuchi Kingdom was not located within the royal palace, but rather in the Grandmaster Mansion.

"Back then, the ancestors of the Su Family and their brothers followed Divine General Lihuo. Later, they retired to their hometown, using the Bayu Mountain Range as their foundation and the Yunmeng Marsh as their source to establish the Qiuchi Kingdom..."

Su Youqian spoke to Liu Chengfeng about the history of the Qiuchi Kingdom.

The founding ancestor of the Qiuchi Kingdom was a retainer of the Divine General who had retired to establish the nation.

At the time of the kingdom's founding, Divine General Lihuo had personally summoned heavenly thunder, condensed earthly fire, planted the Crow Nest, constructed the dojo, and established the ancestral hall.

The dojo was built by the hands of Divine General Lihuo himself, which gave the Qiuchi Kingdom's dojo its fire attribute.

This was also because the cultivation techniques of the Qiuchi ancestors and their brothers were all based on fire manipulation.

Later, the founding emperor of the Qiuchi Kingdom, looking after his brothers, ceded the fire-attribute Spirit Pool, channeled the energy of the marshes, and diverted the spirit veins.

A second Spirit Pool was established within the ancestral hall.

From then on, the royal family of the Qiuchi Kingdom possessed the marsh Spirit Pool, while the nobles and worthies held the earthly fire Spirit Pool.

The Grandmaster Mansion was built atop the dojo, and those who governed the mansion were also descendants of those nobles and worthies.

"Thousands of years ago, the ancestral hall was sealed. Although the spiritual energy remained, everyone was heavily suppressed, especially the Grandmaster Mansion, which felt the impact even more."

How could it not? The Grandmaster Mansion sat right on top of the Spirit Vein Dojo. If the ancestral hall hadn't been sealed, the spiritual energy would have directly nourished them, making their cultivation much faster.

"The ancestral hall opens, and the Grand Marshal benefits the most. His mental cultivation method requires earthly fire above all else."

Liu Chengfeng understood why Grand Marshal Ye Ziyang had agreed to Su Youqian's request.

The fire-attribute Spirit Pool, built by Divine General Lihuo himself, carried the power of the Divine General. Once the ancestral hall was unlocked, his cultivation would surely progress with half the effort.

"So, you hope to unlock the Thunder Fire Divine Tablet?"

Liu Chengfeng glanced at Su Youqian.

"Heh, you're the one unlocking it, brother. It has nothing to do with me anyway. If the sky falls, won't His Majesty be the one to hold it up? I just want to be a second-generation heir who lives off his family."

Su Youqian had no sense of being a successor to the throne; he only wanted to enjoy his life to the fullest.