After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

"It's true what they say, you can know a person's face but not their heart."

The Imperial Advisor, Ling Yuanshan, stroked his long beard, shaking his head and sighing. His face showed a look of deep sorrow, but the cold, sinister light deep in his eyes was like a poisoned dagger.

"More than that, Your Excellency the Imperial Advisor!"

Zhao Yuanlong gritted his teeth, his rugged face contorted with rage, and the old scar at the corner of his eye was faintly red.

He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute towards the center of the Golden Palace, and continued his accusations with a hoarse, indignant voice, adding fuel to the fire:

"Lin Fengmian, relying on the Empress's favor, has become increasingly arrogant, domineering, treacherous and cunning! It's one thing for him to bully his fellow cultivators and seize opportunities, but he even dares to challenge the majesty of our nine immortal sects. He is ruthless and treats human life as worthless!"

Twelve elite disciples of my Lieyang Sect, the foundation of the sect's future, were framed and killed by him, all perishing in that evil and crooked formation!

In my opinion, there's a 99% chance these thugs have had their minds corrupted by demonic energy!

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his fists clenched tightly, and a trace of the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator unconsciously emanated from his body, causing the faces of several ministers with slightly lower cultivation levels in the hall to turn pale.

"The Imperial Advisor is wise!"

Zhao Yuanlong glared at Ling Yuanshan, his eyes practically spitting fire.

"If we do not quickly bring this demon to justice, how can our nine great immortal sects stand in this cultivation world? Our Lieyang Sect is dedicated to eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path!"

Today's task is our duty! We must capture him immediately, examine his soul, and set the record straight!

Ling Yuanshan, who was standing to the side, nodded repeatedly, sometimes frowning and sighing, sometimes showing indignation, as if he had found a kindred spirit amidst the flowing water.

He patted Zhao Yuanlong on the shoulder, his tone heavy with sorrow:

"What Palace Master Zhao said is absolutely right... Alas, I am also heartbroken to hear of such evil deeds. If he has truly fallen into demonic possession, he will be a great scourge to the cultivation world of my Zhao Kingdom. We must not allow him to continue to go unpunished."

He changed the subject, his face showing reluctance.

"However... this young man is ultimately favored by the Empress, so things may still be a bit difficult to handle..."

The two worked together seamlessly, their voices rising in unison. Although they belonged to different camps—one seeking fame, the other seeking profit—they shared the same goal at this moment: to eliminate Lin Fengmian.

With a face full of grief and indignation, Zhao Yuanlong recounted Lin Fengmian's "crimes," embellishing each one and making it sound very convincing.

The Imperial Preceptor stood by, righteously and sternly condemning the attack and expressing deep sorrow and indignation.

In just a few words, the two of them belittled Lin Fengmian to nothing.

He is vividly portrayed as an utterly wicked villain who colludes with the demons and is condemned to the pillar of shame.

The atmosphere inside the Golden Palace was extremely oppressive.

Below, dozens of civil and military officials looked at each other, their foreheads beaded with cold sweat.

They were all shrewd people; who didn't know that Lin Fengmian was the current Empress's chosen husband, and that he entered and left the harem every day, spending his days with the Empress?

If he were truly a demon spy, he would have been exposed by the Emperor's divine sense long ago, and wouldn't have survived until today.

But now, Zhao Yuanlong is a newly promoted Nascent Soul Grand Master of the Lieyang Sect, arriving with the sect's power and momentum; the Imperial Preceptor Ling Yuanshan is also echoing his sentiments, singing in unison.

These ministers, caught in the middle, dared not help either side, for helping either would mean certain death. They could only lower their heads, keep their eyes down, and wish they could just disappear on the spot.

The atmosphere was so silent it was almost frozen.

Seeing that the time was right, a cold killing intent flashed in Ling Yuanshan's eyes. He turned around, facing the palace gate, and shouted sharply:

"Guards! Arrest Lin Fengmian immediately! Do not fail!"

The armored soldiers outside the hall responded with a resounding roar, and the clanging of their armor quickly faded into the distance.

At this moment, Lin Fengmian was unaware of the turbulent undercurrents within the Golden Palace.

In the Imperial Garden, the sunlight was perfect, and the spiritual flowers and herbs exuded a misty spiritual energy. Lin Fengmian stood leisurely under the spiritual bamboo, instructing Yu Chan'er on her cultivation.

The girl was dressed in a plain white dress and held a short wooden sword. Her movements were light and graceful, and the sword light flowed with a touch of agile suppleness.

"No, no, Yu Chan'er, the key to this 'Gentle Water Sword Technique' lies in generating power from the waist and abdomen, using softness to overcome hardness, and stillness to control movement. The power originates from the ground, flows through the waist and hips, and then is transmitted to the tip of the sword. The power should be generated in a long and continuous manner, just like this."

As he spoke, he stepped forward, his large hand naturally supporting the girl's slender waist, while his other hand gently supported her wrist, guiding her to adjust her posture.

The warmth of his palms, penetrating the thin fabric, continuously conveyed a masculine aura.

Yu Chan'er's cheeks flushed red, her ear tips blushed alluringly, and her breathing became slightly disordered.

"Young master...is...that's how it is?"

Her voice was barely audible, and the sword in her hand seemed to waver slightly.

"Hmm, lower your waist a little more, tighten your core..."

Lin Fengmian gave instructions in a serious manner, feeling the warmth emanating from the girl's soft body and the faint, elusive fragrance, and his mind began to wander.

These days, he uses "spiritual practice" as an excuse every night.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself, delving into and discussing martial arts techniques with this exceptionally talented maid.

He glanced at the sky; it was still early.

But Lin Fengmian was already thinking to himself whether he should "go back to the room to give her some in-depth guidance" so that she could "consolidate" her training results for today.

Just as he was about to speak, a guard hurriedly walked into the Imperial Garden, looking somewhat flustered.

The guard approached, bowed, and spoke in a very low voice:

"Young Master Lu... Something terrible has happened! The Imperial Preceptor wants you to go to the Golden Palace immediately, saying he has important matters to discuss."

Lin Fengmian paused in his instructions, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Imperial Advisor? Ling Yuanshan?

Why is that old dog looking for me? Could it be that the "green hat thorn" in my heart is starting to ache again? Is he trying to cause trouble for me while his empress wife is in seclusion?

"What is it?"

Lin Fengmian released his grip, his tone quite casual.

The guard hesitated for a moment, looked around, took a half step closer, and lowered his voice:

"Reporting to Young Master... it is Zhao Yuanlong, the Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall of the Blazing Sun Sect. He... he said in the main hall, in front of all the civil and military officials, that you, Young Master, are a vicious and wicked demon."

They slaughtered twelve inner disciples of their Blazing Sun Sect, and they want to... they want to capture you and bring you back for questioning, to have your soul extracted and refined!"

What the hell!

Lin Fengmian's heart skipped a beat, and he cursed under his breath.

Sure enough! What I feared most came to pass!

The enemy has come knocking again, and judging from the situation, it's not some small fry, but a fierce big fish: the newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator Zhao Yuanlong!

"Damn it... a Nascent Soul stage monster."

Lin Fengmian felt a slight throbbing in his head and couldn't help but press his temples:

"Although my physical body can withstand a peak Golden Core cultivator, I've never faced a Nascent Soul cultivator head-on before. This is too sudden, this is going to be difficult."