A Belated Apology

[After marrying Senior Huo Fei, Wen Yun not only filled a harem with male and female favorites, he also smeared her name and framed her lover... There wasn't a decent thing he wouldn't stoop to.]

One deed after another, each steeped in evil.

The powerful figures around them felt their worldviews shatter.

This was Wen Yun, the First Painting Immortal?

Wen Yun, the pure, unblemished painting fanatic who stood apart from worldly affairs and devoted himself to his art?

At last, Gong Lin straightened.

His voice was hoarse, as though he had not spoken in a long time. "I want to see Huo Fei."

This time, the Flame Hall Disciples held little hostility toward him.

The Flame Hall Elder's attitude softened considerably too. "Gong Lin, our Sect Master is still in seclusion. We don't know when she'll emerge."

Gong Lin spoke again in that rasping voice. "Where is she cultivating? I'll wait outside."

"Ten years or a hundred, I'll wait for her."

Li Zi wiped away a tear of emotion. [System, so Gong Lin never dared set foot in Flame Hall because Wen Yun threatened him? Now he can finally come.]

The System was moved too. His electronic voice trembled.

[By the way, Host, do you know why Huo Fei became a taboo throughout the Cultivation World?]

Li Zi asked, [Why?]

At the mention of it, some of the other powerful figures frowned in displeasure.

Huo Fei deserved sympathy, but it did not change the fact that she had failed their sects' strongest fighters at the crucial moment.

[During the Immortal-Demon War, Huo Fei and the people she led from Flame Hall didn't set the fire at the most critical moment. But there was a misunderstanding.]

[During the Immortal-Demon War, the Immortal Realm's strongest fighters devised a Formation that could kill the Demon Realm Army, but it had no effect on the Demon Prince. They had to use the Formation to destroy the army before he arrived, then fight him. But word of the Formation leaked while it was still being constructed. That meant the Demon Prince was already inside before it was activated. Setting the fire then would have cut off the Cultivators' escape route.]

Everyone present listened with their hearts pounding.

Some of them had fought in that Immortal-Demon War.

Mountains of corpses lay piled up, flesh and blood flying everywhere.

The Demonic Cultivators' wild laughter could still jolt them awake in the dead of night.

They had blamed Huo Fei for so many years.

Had they been wrong all along?

Huo Fei had been gravely wounded in that battle. She had remained in seclusion ever since and had never offered the outside world an explanation.

Was this the truth?

Li Zi asked urgently, [But why didn't she come out and explain? She wasn't the one who leaked the Formation! Why should she bear all those years of condemnation? What gave anyone the right?]

The System's voice wavered. [Because no one would have believed the truth. If they turned the accusation back on her, all of Flame Hall might have been dragged down with her.]

Li Zi said darkly, [Don't tell me that bastard Wen Yun was involved again?]

A Belated Apology

[It couldn't have been Wen Yun who leaked word of the Formation, could it?]

The listeners felt their blood surge.

Was it really him?

So many years had passed since the Immortal-Demon War. Powerful figures from every Sect had fallen in that battle.

After the sacrifice ended, immense grief swept through every Sect, and they held a grand memorial ceremony.

Afterward, the great Sects sank into despondency.

Many of their strongest fighters chose Secluded Cultivation. They had no heart to investigate what had happened back then.

Now that the old matter had been raised again...

If Wen Yun really had leaked the information, had the entire Cultivation World wronged an innocent woman by hating Huo Fei all these years?

Just then, a furious shout rang out from the crowd.

"You contemptible little worm! How dare you insult His Excellency like that! Shut your mouth!"

Before Li Zi could react, several sharp clashes of weapons rang out.

The powerful figures of other Sects surrounded a Sect in the southwest corner whose clothing was particularly eye-catching, standing ready for a fight.

Unlike the plain, uniform clothing worn by the other Sects, its disciples' robes had a pure white base splashed with rainbow colors, as if someone had painted an abstract work of ink art across white cloth.

The powerful figures of the Spirit Sword Sect stepped forward and shielded Li Zi behind them.

The Rosy Cloud Sect were the First Painting Immortal Wen Yun's faithful lackeys.

Every year, the Sect presented him with gifts.

They even hung his calligraphy in their Ancestral Hall for future generations to admire.

Naturally, they took offense at Li Zi vilifying Wen Yun in her thoughts.

Just now, the Rosy Cloud Sect Master had even tried to attack Li Zi.

He was courting death!

Short as she was, Li Zi stood on tiptoe and peered through a gap, utterly bewildered.

[System, what just happened?]

The System was still flipping through the book and looked just as bewildered. [I don't know. I'm still digging up dirt on Wen Yun.]

At that moment, the senior disciple shielding Li Zi could not help answering her. "The ones they've surrounded are from the Rosy Cloud Sect. They're followers of Wen Yun, the First Painting Immortal."

Li Zi gave the senior disciple who had answered her a sweet smile.

Inside, her thoughts had already erupted. [Oh, I get it. Could he be in love with Senior Huo Fei?]

The powerful figures all thought, Huh?

What kind of leap in logic was that?

The System asked too, [Host, what makes you say that?]

Li Zi clicked her tongue in wonder.

[He thinks Gong Lin standing guard outside Huo Fei's Cave Abode insults her. He must have

secretly loved

Huo Fei for ages. Maybe he even stayed at Wen Yun's side just to be a little closer to the woman he loves. What great, sincere devotion! Rosy Cloud Sect Master, I'm rooting for you.]