"Third, that charge hardly even counts as a crime. It was a meritorious deed, a great service to the Qiuchi Kingdom."
Su Youqian explained at length.
"Tiger Mound was invaded by the Demonic Tree, and our Old Matriarch fought it with all her might. The Grand Marshal knows a little about this. Now, strange beasts from Great Meng Mountain have invaded as well."
"When Great Meng City stood on the brink of disaster, with its very survival at stake, Brother Liu stepped forward. He controlled the Demonic Tree, drove back the beast tide, and saved a million lives in Great Meng City. What crime is there in that?"
"The claim that he colluded with the demonic path is utterly baseless. The Su Family can vouch for him, and so can the Grandmaster Mansion."
"Young Master Ye, don't you agree?"
Han Qi gave a cold snort and cast a frigid glance at Ye Yitian.
Ye Yitian said nothing. His gaze, alight with flames, was fixed on Liu Chengfeng.
He found it strange. Lady Chen had been controlled by the Demonic Tree, so how could Liu Chengfeng, whose cultivation was at the Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury level, control it? It made no sense.
Ye Yitian's silence made Ye Yiqing secretly anxious. She tugged at his sleeve.
"This is true."
At last, Ye Yitian admitted it, though he was deeply unwilling.
"The Old Matriarch was tormented by the Demonic Tree. What means did Liu Chengfeng use to control it?"
Ye Yitian refused to give up. He stared at Liu Chengfeng.
"Well, it's simple. My Brother Liu has unparalleled talent. With one look, he saw the Demonic Tree's flaws and weaknesses. Once he exposed its flaws and subdued its weaknesses, he could control it."
"I asked him to answer, not you."
Ye Yitian's aura surged. The fiery light pressing down on everyone was like a volcano, making them afraid to draw near.
Ye Yitian was powerful, unmatched among the younger generation of the Qiuchi Kingdom.
"Young Master Ye came on behalf of the Grandmaster Mansion, while I represent His Majesty. His Majesty is in seclusion, so I'm the one who makes the decision. What objection do you have to my answer?"
Su Youqian wasn't afraid of him, either. He puffed out his chest.
Ye Yitian's expression turned cold, flames flickering around him. At the third stage of the Reception Divine Treasury, he was far stronger than Su Youqian.
The billowing flames made it hard for everyone to breathe.
"Silence. The trial will continue."
Han Qi's cold voice cut through the air like a blade, forcing Su Youqian and Ye Yitian to each give way.
"I've said my piece. None of the three charges hold. I represent the imperial family, and I pardon him."
The imperial family had made its position clear in the Three Departments Joint Trial.
"None of the three charges hold."
Ye Yitian said coldly, his aura oppressive.
"The Demon Slaying Division has no objections."
Han Qi's final declaration left both Ye Yitian and Su Youqian stunned.
They had planned to join forces against the Demon Slaying Division. They hadn't expected Han Qi to raise no objection.
With all three departments in agreement, Liu Chengfeng was innocent.
And just like that, the Three Departments Joint Trial ended. It had been nothing but a formality; the defendant, Liu Chengfeng, hadn't even had a chance to say a word.
"Watch yourself."
Ye Yitian wasn't a fool. He shot Liu Chengfeng a sharp, icy glance, then left.
"Hey, brother, you're free now."
Su Youqian sidled over to Liu Chengfeng, waggling his eyebrows.
Liu Chengfeng smiled, unsurprised. Nangong Renshe also breathed a sigh of relief. The matter had passed just like that.
"Don't forget your promise. If you can't undo it, then this marriage pact stands."
Just as Su Youqian was gloating, Ye Yiqing doused him with a bucket of cold water, and his face immediately fell.
"If you can't undo it, I'll be the first to take your head!"
Ye Yiqing's proud eyes flashed with a chill as she stared at Liu Chengfeng.
"He definitely can, definitely can. My brother has unparalleled talent. Brother, you'll manage it, right?"
Su Youqian immediately thumped his chest and assured Ye Yiqing, though he wasn't even confident himself.
"See that you do. Come to the Grandmaster Mansion tomorrow."
Ye Yiqing gave a cold snort and turned to leave.
As soon as Ye Yiqing was gone, Su Youqian perked up.
"Hey, brother, let's celebrate your newfound freedom with some wine and women. The girls in the Imperial Capital are so beautiful..."
As he spoke, Su Youqian's eyes lit up.
"Don't forget, you still have to undo the Divine Tablet tomorrow. If you can't, you'll have to marry Princess Ye."
Liu Chengfeng's cold reminder deflated Su Youqian, and he lost all interest in having fun.
Liu Chengfeng agreed to go to the Grandmaster Mansion the next day and undo the Thunder Fire Divine Tablet for the Grand Marshal. He reminded Su Youqian to bring him a jug of Golden Wind Jade Dew Wine.
"Brother, this is top-shelf wine. It's hard to find."
"Can't find it?"
"Heh, don't worry. Leave it to me. Where are we? We're in the Imperial Capital."
Su Youqian thumped his chest and promised.
Though Su Youqian was unruly and carefree, he was reliable when it mattered.
Liu Chengfeng was innocent and free now. The Su Family had a palace in the Imperial Capital, and Su Youqian invited him to stay there.
Liu Chengfeng declined and went back to the Demon Slaying Division's courtyard.
"You get a thrill out of being a prisoner?"
Su Youqian couldn't understand. Han Qi merely glanced at Liu Chengfeng, but didn't tell him to leave, either.
The next day, Su Youqian brought the Golden Wind Jade Dew Wine, and they set out for the Grandmaster Mansion.
"Let's go somewhere first."
Liu Chengfeng didn't head straight for the Grandmaster Mansion. Instead, he went to look for the Stone Lion.
The Imperial Capital of the Qiuchi Kingdom was vast and prosperous, home to tens of millions of people, with countless cultivators.
The entire Imperial Capital was filled with countless buildings and crisscrossing streets. It was magnificent, with carriages and horses streaming past, and all sorts of people and creatures traveling along the ground and through the sky.
Liu Chengfeng rode out in Su Youqian's carriage.
Su Youqian's profligate ways hadn't changed. Beautiful women accompanied him, and a grand procession followed his carriage.
Finding the Stone Lion wasn't difficult. Using his Celestial Body's perception and tracking, Liu Chengfeng quickly pinpointed its location.
The Stone Lion stood outside the Imperial Capital's city gate. It was a guardian lion, more than ten meters tall, crouched there with an imposing presence.
No one knew how many years it had stood outside the gate. It was weathered and mottled, its whole body gray-black, caked with dirt, with even weeds growing on it.
It was nothing more than a decoration outside the city gate. No one paid any attention to it.
Liu Chengfeng came bearing Golden Wind Jade Dew Wine. He bowed to the Stone Lion again and again, then poured the wine over it.
"It's been so long since I last had a drink. I miss it. I miss it."
The Stone Lion finally deigned to speak. Liu Chengfeng sat beside it, and only then noticed that it faced in the direction of Cloud Mist Marsh.
"Why did Senior say the sun would rise?"
Liu Chengfeng voiced the question on his mind. It was early morning, and the sun had already risen.
"That sun isn't this sun."
After drinking Liu Chengfeng's wine, the Stone Lion's attitude improved considerably.
"You mean the sun in Cloud Mist Marsh..."
Liu Chengfeng's heart jolted as he recalled the strange vision in Cloud Mist Marsh.
"You've got some sense, kid. You know there's a sun in Cloud Mist Marsh."
"What will happen if the sun rises?"
"Perhaps the ghosts of Ghost Walking Mansion will one day emerge into the world."
"Ghost Walking Mansion—the Black Emperor?"
"How do you know about the Black Emperor!"
This time, the Stone Lion was the one taken aback.
"It's like I saw him in a dream."
How could Liu Chengfeng explain it? He could only brush the question aside.
"Hmph. If you saw the Black Emperor in your dream, he would have killed you there, too."
"He's that powerful?"
Liu Chengfeng was startled. He had experienced the Black Emperor's divine might.
"Senior, are you waiting for the sun to rise?"
"I want to drink in spiritual energy. I haven't had any in ages."
The Stone Lion didn't answer. It only said this.
"There's a Spirit Vein Dojo underground, with a lake-sized Spirit Pool. You should be able to drink from it, Senior."
Liu Chengfeng didn't know how powerful the Stone Lion was, but he figured that if it wanted spiritual energy, it should be able to absorb some.
The Stone Lion snorted coldly.
"War General Lihuo made an agreement. It can only watch over Cloud Mist Marsh, not absorb the Spirit Vein's energy, unless the imperial family draws spiritual energy to nourish it."
The Ancient Tree's timid voice rang in Liu Chengfeng's mind.
"Quiet."
The Ancient Tree was like a little girl. It immediately shrank back.
"You're not a member of the imperial family. Go."
The Stone Lion put on a haughty air, but it was obvious that it wanted to drink in spiritual energy.
"It's not impossible. I happen to be going to the Ancestral Hall."
"What are you going there for?"
"To undo the Thunder Fire Divine Tablet."
"What's so hard about that? I was the one who sealed it."
The Stone Lion sounded dismissive, its air haughty.
"The Ancestral Hall of the Qiuchi Kingdom was sealed by Senior?"
Liu Chengfeng was astonished. He had heard from Su Youqian that the Qiuchi Kingdom's Ancestral Hall had been sealed for thousands of years.
"A bunch of useless fools. They drink spiritual energy every day and still never improve. I got sick of looking at them, so I sealed it."
Hearing the Stone Lion say that, Liu Chengfeng grumbled to himself that it must have been greedy for a drink. Since it couldn't have any spiritual energy, it had lost its temper and sealed someone else's Ancestral Hall.
"Was Senior the one who loosened the seal?"
Liu Chengfeng asked tentatively.
"Hmph. They're a bunch of useless fools. If it stays sealed any longer, they'll fall into decline. Go undo it. There's no need to rush."
Su Youqian, who was waiting nearby, also found the scene bizarre. Liu Chengfeng had brought wine but wasn't drinking it himself; instead, he was giving it to a stone lion and muttering something to it.
Anyone who didn't know better would think Liu Chengfeng had lost his mind.
"Let's go to the Grandmaster Mansion."
Liu Chengfeng spent quite a while with the Stone Lion before climbing back into the carriage. Su Youqian didn't ask any questions and simply headed for the Grandmaster Mansion.
The imperial palace of the Qiuchi Kingdom stood in the center of the Imperial Capital. The Grandmaster Mansion was in the west, and the Demon Slaying Division in the east.
The journey from the Demon Slaying Division to the Grandmaster Mansion crossed the entire Imperial Capital.
Before they reached the Grandmaster Mansion, they felt a force spreading through the air, hot as the sun's scorching rays.
In an instant, Liu Chengfeng sensed the Dragon Vein Dojo underground. It was the foundation of the Qiuchi Kingdom.
"The Spirit Vein Dojo is in the Grandmaster Mansion?"
Liu Chengfeng gazed at the Grandmaster Mansion ahead. It was vast, with towering buildings, upturned eaves, and high walls. Its presence was imposing.
Hundreds of buildings surrounded the entire Grandmaster Mansion, with the Ancestral Hall at its very center.
The Qiuchi Kingdom's Spirit Vein Dojo wasn't in the imperial family's grounds, but in the Grandmaster Mansion. That really was surprising.
"Back then, the Su Family's ancestor and several brothers followed Divine General Lihuo. Later, they retired to their hometown and established the Qiuchi Kingdom, with the Bayu Mountain Range as its foundation and Cloud Dream Marsh as its source..."
Su Youqian told Liu Chengfeng about the history of the Qiuchi Kingdom.
The founding ancestor of the Qiuchi Kingdom had been an attendant to a Divine General. After retiring to his hometown, he founded the kingdom.
When the kingdom was founded, Divine General Lihuo personally summoned heavenly thunder, condensed earthly fire, planted Crow Nest, built the dojo, and established the Ancestral Hall.
Divine General Lihuo had built the dojo with his own hands, giving the Qiuchi Kingdom's dojo a fire attribute.
That was because the cultivation arts practiced by the Qiuchi Kingdom's founding ancestor and his brothers all revolved around fire.
Later, the founding emperor of the Qiuchi Kingdom, wishing to look after his brothers, gave up the fire-attribute Spirit Pool, drew in Marsh Qi, and divided the Spirit Vein's energy.
A second Spirit Pool was established inside the Ancestral Hall.
From then on, the Qiuchi Kingdom's imperial family had the Marsh Spirit Pool, while the meritous officials and nobles had the earthly fire Spirit Pool.
The Grandmaster Mansion had been built on the dojo, and the descendants of the meritous officials and nobles were the ones in charge of it.
"The Ancestral Hall was sealed thousands of years ago. The spiritual energy is still there, but everyone's been greatly suppressed, especially the Grandmaster Mansion. It's been affected the most."
How could it not be? The Spirit Vein Dojo lay right beneath the Grandmaster Mansion. If the Ancestral Hall hadn't been sealed, its spiritual energy would have directly nourished them, making cultivation much faster.
"If the Ancestral Hall opens, the Grand Marshal will benefit the most. His cultivation method needs earthly fire more than anything."
Liu Chengfeng understood why Ye Ziyang had agreed to Su Youqian's request.
The fire-attribute Spirit Pool had been built by Divine General Lihuo himself and bore the power of a Divine General. Once the Ancestral Hall was unsealed, Ye Ziyang's cultivation would surely advance by leaps and bounds.
"Then you want to undo the Thunder Fire Divine Tablet?"
Liu Chengfeng glanced at Su Youqian.
"Heh, go ahead and undo it, brother. It has nothing to do with me, anyway. If the sky falls, His Majesty can hold it up. I just want to be a second-generation wastrel who lives off the family."
Su Youqian had none of the bearing of an heir to the throne. He just wanted to enjoy life.
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