Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 84 Yin Lei Heaven Code
Just then, a deep, authoritative voice, yet tinged with anger, came from the high stands: "What a magnificent and imposing Marquis Wu's Mansion!"

Before the words had even finished, an old man in a red robe slowly stepped out, his eyes as dark as an abyss, his expression imposing without anger.

—Wang Chongshan, the third elder of the Wang family, appears.

His steps were slow, yet each one seemed to weigh heavily on everyone's hearts. The oppressive aura emanating from his high position made the air itself seem to freeze.

His eyes flashed with cold light, and his voice was sharp and sarcastic: "Xie Mingli, I only spared you because I respected you as a descendant of Xie Chengjun. Now you dare to use your military power to block the arena. Are you planning a rebellion?"

Xie Mingli gritted her teeth, refusing to back down an inch, "Wang Chongshan, my brother's matter is of great importance, and I have the right to investigate the truth!"

Wang Chongshan sneered, "The truth? Based on the one-sided story of a mere child?"

"The Marquis of Wu's Mansion has arbitrarily mobilized military power, blockaded Qingyang County, and besieged the Qingyang Wang family. Do they really think they can control everything in Qingzhou Prefecture? Have they forgotten that there is still a prince here who hasn't left?"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone's expression changed.

The next instant, a majestic voice, like the striking of a golden bell, resounded from the direction of the high platform, each word ringing out with irresistible power:
"I would also like to hear what exactly the Marquis of Wu's intentions are in arbitrarily mobilizing troops to besiege the Qingyang Royal Family."

"Your Highness, can we interpret this act of overstepping our bounds as... the Marquis Wu's Mansion intending to establish its own independent power and disregard the law?"

Just as Prince Duan was questioning Xie Mingli and Wang Chongshan was pressing him relentlessly, Chu Ning suddenly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and spoke loudly:
"The Wang family covets Qingyang, acts insidiously, and uses cruel methods: refining blood pills from living people, using blood pools as sacrifices, and creating countless puppet corpse slaves. Such evil deeds have long aroused public resentment and divine wrath. The Marquis Wu's intervention is merely to rid the people of this scourge and to act on behalf of Heaven."

These words were like a thunderbolt, and the crowd erupted in uproar.

Prince Duan's gaze sharpened slightly as he slowly turned to Wang Chongshan. The latter lowered his eyes, not daring to meet his gaze for even a moment. After a long while, Prince Duan finally put down his teacup, sighed softly, and his tone became somewhat playful: "Today's events are indeed...quite interesting."

He slowly rose, gently waving his folding fan, his tone a half-smile: "Since the truth is still unclear, then let's investigate. The art of puppet making is an evil practice of the Blood Refining Hall, and it is a forbidden art in our Great Qian Dynasty. I... am also very curious to know which audacious person in this world dares to use living people to make puppets."

Wang Chongshan's eyes suddenly darkened, his fingers clenched tightly in his sleeves, his palms already pricked by his nails, from which beads of cold sweat seeped. Yet, on his face, he maintained a respectful and composed demeanor. However, no one knew that his heart was already in turmoil, unable to find peace.

With a light tap of his folding fan, Prince Duan changed his tone, leaving no room for doubt: "Wang Chongshan, if you are truly honest and straightforward, why not come up on stage and have a talk?"

Wang Chongshan remained silent for a moment, then finally bowed and said, "I will obey Your Highness's command."

He slowly descended the platform, each step feeling as if he were stepping on iron blades, instantly escalating the tension on the arena. Chu Ning stood to one side, his gaze wary, his aura subtly gathering.

Wang Chongshan stood in the center of the arena, his gaze first sweeping over Xie Jinghong on the ground, then landing on Xie Mingli. A faint, cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, his tone low but clear: "You want evidence? Fine, I'll show you what the real 'truth' is."

Before he finished speaking, he took out a jade slip with mysterious patterns from his sleeve, and with a burst of Xuan power, the jade slip transformed into a beam of light and was projected into the air.

The scene unfolds: in a dark, secret chamber, a ragged, ferocious-looking youth is trapped in a jade cage—it is Xie Jinghong. His eyes are vacant, and his mind is dazed. On the other side, an elder of the Wang family holds an array plate, continuously injecting complex runes into Xie Jinghong's body, forcibly rewriting his soul and will.

Upon seeing this, everyone's expression changed.

"This is the evidence you wanted." Wang Chongshan put away the jade slip, his gaze sharp as a blade: "Xie Jinghong's soul was indeed altered by my Wang family. But have you ever considered why?"

He turned to look at Xie Mingli, his tone suddenly turning cold and sharp: "It's precisely because the Thunder God Sect was worried that your Marquis's Mansion wanted to seize the Yin Thunder Heavenly Scripture. In order to protect the secret scripture, and also because they were wary of Xie Jinghong's extraordinary talent, the Thunder God Sect took advantage of his absence to join forces with all the powerful members of the sect to launch a fierce attack, injuring him and planting the 'Rebellious Heart Curse' on him!"

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Wang Chongshan continued coldly, "The Heavenly Thunder Sect attempted to control Xie Jinghong through the 'Heart Reversal Curse.' The 'Heart Reversal Curse' is so vicious that it can cause a person's soul to backfire and their will to become distorted. If the curse is forcibly broken, the soul will self-destruct, and everything will be destroyed. In order to save his life, my Wang family had no choice but to use a secret method to seal his soul and suppress him with cold jade, protecting him day and night."

He spoke with righteous indignation, as if the Wang family were the ones who endured humiliation and repaid evil with kindness.

Immediately, his gaze shifted sharply to the direction of the Heavenly Thunder Sect on the high platform, and he sneered, "Mu Yun, not only are you determined to protect the Yin Thunder Heavenly Scripture, but you also covet the Nine Heavens Thunder Scripture in the Martial Marquis's mansion's treasury. Am I right?"

On the high platform, Mu Yun, the sect leader of the Heavenly Thunder Sect, rose and smiled, his tone chilling: "Elder Wang's words are truly... a case of 'wanting to find fault, one can always find a pretext.' I wonder what evidence there is for this claim of the Heart-Reversing Curse? Your Wang family insists on it, are you perhaps trying to use this as an excuse to distort the truth and frame Heavenly Thunder?"

The atmosphere in the arena exploded once again.

Xie Mingli's expression changed as she recalled how she had been ambushed by the Heavenly Thunder Sect not long ago, her body had been invaded by the Yin Sha Thunder Poison, and she had even been chased all the way. If Chu Ning hadn't intervened in time, she probably would have died.

At that moment, she finally understood that the Thunder God Sect had planned this all along, and that her brother Xie Jinghong... had been the key to that conspiracy from the very beginning.

Wang Chongshan remained unfazed, his words turning cold and sharp: "You may not know, but the 'Nine Heavens Thunder Scripture' is no longer in the Marquis of Wu's mansion. It somehow ended up in the imperial treasury and is now under the secret control of the inner court. Even if you control Xie Jinghong's soul, what use is it? Holding a puppet is futile." Upon hearing this, many people's expressions changed slightly.

Instead of being angry, Mu Yun, the leader of the Thunder God Sect, smiled and stepped forward, speaking loudly: "Elder Wang is eloquent and can weave a seemingly perfect explanation. But as far as I know, it was not the Thunder God Sect that plotted to harm Young Master Xie Jinghong, but your Wang family's ancestor."

His gaze was sharp, and his voice was like thunder: "In pursuit of immortality, the Wang family patriarch has long since gone mad, attempting to refine puppets using the bloodlines of the direct descendants of various sects and absorb their life force. It is said that as long as seven blood puppet guards are refined, one can seize the creation of heaven and earth and obtain an immortal body."

These words caused an uproar, and everyone's expression changed.

Prince Duan, who had been observing the situation with a smile, suddenly changed his expression upon hearing this, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He slowly turned his head, staring directly at Wang Chongshan, his tone as icy as a knife: "The Wang family actually harbors such schemes, yet they use me as a tool to suppress you. Do you really think I am your Wang family's puppet?"

Before he finished speaking, he slightly raised his hand and waved it lightly. Four eighth-rank guards flashed out from behind him and descended from the sky, their auras as heavy as mountains.

"Take it!"

Prince Duan's voice was like thunder. Before Wang Chongshan could even utter a rebuttal, four streams of eighth-grade aura suddenly descended, instantly locking onto him. Wang Chongshan froze, and before he could react, he was suppressed and captured.

A commotion erupted in the arena. The cultivators exchanged bewildered glances, the disciples of the Heavenly Thunder Sect particularly shocked and visibly alarmed. On the arena, Chu Ning narrowed his eyes, his knuckles slightly bent within his sleeve, silently focusing his attention. He vaguely sensed that an even greater storm was quietly brewing.

After a long silence, Prince Duan slowly rose, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping across the entire room.

"Arrest all members of the Wang family and imprison them in the Heavenly Prison. I will personally investigate this matter thoroughly and report the truth to the Emperor."

He paused, pointed with his folding fan, and said, "Xie Jinghong's injuries have not yet healed. He will be temporarily taken care of in my residence and strictly protected. No further mishaps are allowed."

Upon hearing this, Xie Mingli immediately stepped forward, her brows furrowed: "The Xie family will handle the Xie family's affairs. Xie Jinghong is my elder brother. I ask Your Highness to allow me to bring him back to the manor. There is no need for Your Highness to trouble yourself."

Prince Duan's expression turned solemn, and his tone left no room for argument: "This matter is no longer a family feud, but involves the laws of the court and the prohibitions of the state. The secret techniques of the Blood Refining Hall have been revived and have far-reaching consequences. Xie Jinghong must not leave without a step before the truth is found."

His words were firm and resounding, leaving no room for argument, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.

At this moment, Feng Jin was still sitting on the ground, holding the unconscious Xie Jinghong tightly in her arms, her arms motionless, as if she was afraid that if she let go, he would never come back.

Her eyes were blank, and on her face, covered in dust and bloodstains, it was impossible to tell whether the water was tears or sweat. Only a stubborn determination burning in her eyes remained.

"Please step aside." Several of Prince Duan's guards stepped forward and reached out to snatch Xie Jinghong.

"Don't touch him!" Feng Jin's body jolted, and she abruptly looked up.

Her voice was hoarse, yet it carried an almost tearing emotion. She was like a frightened bird, tightly protecting the person in her arms, her eyes filled with defensiveness and fear.

The guards paused briefly, then stepped forward again as ordered.

"You can't take him away!" Feng Jin's voice rose several decibels, she was almost on the verge of collapse, her voice trembling slightly, but she held back her tears. "He's not... he's not a member of the Wang family! You can't just take him away like a prisoner!"

She held on even tighter, even though she was covered in blood and her limbs were trembling slightly, she still refused to let go even a little.

"He just wanted to protect me..." she murmured, as if defending Xie Jinghong, or as if telling herself.

Prince Duan glanced at her, his expression unchanged.

“Miss Feng, taking him away is just a necessary procedure. If he is innocent, we will eventually give him an explanation.”

"But what if he's not innocent?" Feng Jin suddenly looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Would you, like others, hastily convict him and sever all ties with him?"

Before the Prince of Duan could speak, his guards swiftly took Xie Jinghong from her arms.

She was no match for the combined strength of the group. Her arms went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, staring blankly as they carried Xie Jinghong away.

At that moment, she felt as if the sky had fallen. It was as if she had lost the most important thing, without even having the chance to grasp it.

(End of this chapter)