You Have No Proof? I Do! Twisting Facts

Water Department Divine General Xuan Lang froze.

Zhao Xuan stepped forward.

"Qingxiaozi has been guarding the Third Sea Eye for two thousand years."

"When things were at their most chaotic, he was the one holding the line."

"When the spiritual tides backlashed, he was the one bearing the brunt."

"When the demon tides assaulted the formation, he was the one blocking them."

"The Water Department Immortal Officials found the place too miserable and refused to go."

"The Dragon Clan shirked their responsibilities and refused to go either."

"In the end, you were the ones who begged my Jie Sect disciple to go."

"Now that he has returned to the mountain under the orders of his sect, you cannot handle the situation yourselves, and because a few Immortal Officials died, you want to pin the blame on him."

Zhao Xuan stared at Xuan Lang.

"What?"

"When my Jie Sect disciple is useful, he is a hero of the Three Realms."

"When he is no longer useful, he is a prisoner?"

Xuan Lang was forced to take half a step back by the questioning.

Many Jie Sect disciples had already gathered around.

Upon hearing these words, their expressions turned cold.

Qingxiaozi's eyes reddened slightly.

He had indeed suffered these past years.

Yet, no one had ever spoken up for him like this.

The Heavenly Court only knew how to urge him on.

The Water Department only knew how to issue orders.

When something went wrong, they made him take the fall.

When he succeeded, it was because the Heavenly Court was well-managed.

He had never felt aggrieved before, believing only that he was bringing glory to the Jie Sect.

But now, as Zhao Xuan spoke sentence after sentence, he suddenly felt that these two thousand years were truly not worth a damn.

Beside them, Xuan Lang was still gritting his teeth, trying to hold his ground.

"Zhao Xuan, stop trying to incite the Jie Sect disciples here."

"Qingxiaozi guarded the Sea Eye under the orders of the Heavenly Court."

"Now that something has happened at the Sea Eye, he should naturally return to the Heavenly Court to be questioned."

Zhao Xuan laughed.

"Questioned?"

"Fine."

He waved his hand.

A Jade Slip flew out and hovered in mid-air.

"This is the copy of the Formation Map that Qingxiaozi left for the Water Department when he stepped down."

Another Jade Slip flew out.

"This is the confirmation seal left by the Water Department Immortal Official upon receiving it."

A third Jade Slip shimmered with clear light.

"This is the record of the spiritual tides at the Third Sea Eye over the past two thousand years."

A fourth Jade Slip appeared.

"This is the internal damage Qingxiaozi sustained from the backlash of the Sea Eye."

The four Jade Slips hovered outside Golden Turtle Island.

The clear light illuminated the sea.

The evidence was as solid as a mountain.

Zhao Xuan's expression remained calm, but his tone was slightly cold.

"Didn't you say you had no evidence just now? I do!"

Xuan Lang's face changed drastically.

He had not expected that Qingxiaozi would have actually kept copies.

What was even more unexpected was that Zhao Xuan dared to bring the matter out into the open in front of so many Jie Sect disciples.

This was not a defense of Qingxiaozi.

This was an attempt to tear the skin off the Heavenly Court's Water Department in public.

Zhao Xuan looked at Xuan Lang.

"Didn't you want to conduct an interrogation?"

"Then do it right here."

"Interrogate him in front of all the disciples of Golden Turtle Island."

"Let everyone see exactly how the Heavenly Court treats those who work for them."

Xuan Lang's face turned completely pale.

He could not conduct the interrogation.

If he truly went through with it, all the dirty secrets of the Water Department would be shaken loose.

Ahead, seeing that he remained silent, Zhao Xuan said indifferently:

"Not interrogating?"

"Then get lost."

Xuan Lang gritted his teeth.

"You..."

Behind him, Holy Mother Guiling suddenly stepped forward.

"What, do you need me to see you out?"

A monstrous aura surged toward him, causing Xuan Lang's face to drain of color as he nearly tumbled from the clouds.

"Guiling, do not be rude to the envoy of the Heavenly Court."

"What if he turns the tables and claims that we, the Jie Sect disciples, are bullying the weak?"

After Zhao Xuan finished speaking with a cold sneer, Holy Mother Guiling retracted her aura and let out a cold huff.

"True, they have always had such faces."

Xuan Lang finally regained his composure and hurriedly waved a hand at the heavenly soldiers behind him.

"Go!"

The group from the Heavenly Court retreated rapidly.

However, Xuan Lang did not get far before he turned back to cast a deep, lingering look at Jiang Chuan.

On the spot, seeing Xuan Lang retreat, Qingxiaozi's body relaxed, though his voice sounded somewhat hoarse.

"Senior Disciple Brother, did I bring trouble to the sect?"

Zhao Xuan watched the back of the departing Xuan Lang.

"It is not you who brought trouble."

"It is that the trouble has finally revealed itself."

Qingxiaozi was stunned.

Zhao Xuan turned to look at the gathered Jie Sect disciples.

"Did you all see it?"

Zhao Xuan's voice was not loud, yet it carried far.

"This is why I summoned you all back."

"It is not because you did not do well."

"It is precisely because you did too well."

"So well that the Heavenly Court became accustomed to ordering you around."

"So well that all living beings in the Primordial World became accustomed to you stepping in."

"So well that they forgot you are Jie Sect disciples, not servants of the Heavenly Court."

"So from this day forward, remember this."

"Whoever asks for your help, ask for the price first."

"Whoever uses the 'greater good' to pressure you, ask for the responsibilities first."

"Whoever uses the 'will of heaven' to frighten you, ask them by what right they do so."

"Kindness can be given."

"But our lives cannot be thrown away for nothing."

When Zhao Xuan finished these words.

The Jie Sect disciples gathered around began to change their expressions bit by bit.

Some lowered their heads in silence.

Some clenched their fists.

Some looked at Qingxiaozi, their eyes filled with shame.

Because there was more than one person like Qingxiaozi.

They had previously believed that these fellow disciples were out gaining experience and making a name for the Jie Sect.

Only now did they realize that many were actually filling in the gaps for others.

Holy Mother Guiling watched this scene and whispered:

"Senior Disciple Brother, they should be awake now."

Zhao Xuan did not speak, instead looking up toward the direction of the Heavenly Court, his eyes filled with indifference.

High Heaven Hall.

Haotian sat upon the Imperial Throne, his complexion already looking poor.

In recent days, reports from all corners of the Primordial World had flown into the Heavenly Court like snowflakes.

The star patrols were short-handed.

The suppression of the Four Seas was short-handed.

The incense offerings for the City Gods of the human race were in chaos.

There was no one to quell the uprisings of rogue cultivators.

In the past, for such matters, the immortal officials below would simply say, "Please ask the fellow daoists of the Jie Sect for assistance," and most issues could be suppressed.

But now, the Jie Sect disciples had all returned to Golden Turtle Island.

Those troubles that had previously been blocked by them were now hitting the Heavenly Court in the face one by one.

At this moment, Haotian could only suppress his anger and look first at Xuan Lang, who was kneeling in the hall.

"What is the status of the Third Sea Eye?"

Xuan Lang's face turned slightly pale, and the moisture of the sea breeze still lingered on his armor.

Yet, a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes, and he immediately kowtowed:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Your Servant went to Golden Turtle Island to request that Qingxiaozi return to the Heavenly Court for questioning."

"Who would have thought that Zhao Xuan would personally intervene, not only refusing to hand over the person but also publicly humiliating the Water Department of the Heavenly Court."

Haotian's gaze darkened.

The immortal officials in the hall also looked up one after another.

Xuan Lang continued:

"The Jie Sect disciples gathered outside Golden Turtle Island, their words fierce, all claiming that if the Heavenly Court has no one, then stop trying to order the Jie Sect around."

"Holy Mother Guiling even released her pressure, nearly taking action against Your Servant."

"If Your Servant had not been concerned for the dignity of the Heavenly Court and unwilling to clash with a Disciple of a Sage on the spot, I fear I might not have been able to return to the High Heaven Hall today."

These words were not entirely false.

Zhao Xuan had indeed refused to hand over the person.

Holy Mother Guiling had indeed released her pressure.

The Jie Sect disciples were indeed angry because of the Water Department's interrogation.

But Xuan Lang did not mention that Qingxiaozi had completed all the handover procedures.

He did not mention that the Water Department Immortal Official had left behind a confirmation mark.

He did not mention that he was unable to produce any evidence that the Formation Map was incorrect.

And he certainly did not mention that Zhao Xuan had produced four Jade Slips on the spot.

He simply cut the facts in half.

Then, he handed the sharpest half to Haotian.

Haotian looked at Xuan Lang, his voice growing cold.

"Before Qingxiaozi left his post, did he hand over the Formation Map?"

Xuan Lang's heart tightened.

Haotian was able to sit on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor, so he was naturally not someone who could be fooled by a few words.

He immediately lowered his head and said:

"Zhao Xuan claimed that Qingxiaozi had handed over the Formation Map and even produced a so-called copy."

"It is just that Your Servant was unable to verify its authenticity on the spot."

"Besides, that's a secret copy of the Jie Sect."

"If we let them say whatever they want, how will the Heavenly Court's Water Department command the Four Seas in the future?"

As these words were spoken, many immortal officials nodded.

The Formation Map was in the hands of the Jie Sect.

If the Jie Sect said they handed it over, would the Heavenly Court just accept it?

Where would that leave the Heavenly Court's reputation?