In such a solemn occasion, the intimate bickering between master and disciple made everyone present uncomfortable.
Fang Jixue maintained his composure, taking a sip of tea to suppress his emotions before speaking slowly:
“Zhuang Yanxin, you mentioned yesterday that a camellia little demon informed you to go to the Demon Suppression Tower?”
Zhuang Yanxin straightened her kneeling posture. “Exactly.”
Fang Jixue glanced at the law enforcement elder, signaling him to summon the flower demon for confrontation.
The law enforcement elder looked troubled. “Reporting to the Sect Master, all camellias within the Thousand Machines Sect territory were destroyed last night. That flower demon has likely already been silenced.”
Wen Shubai’s fingers, which were peeling a lychee, paused momentarily.
Someone was truly busy last night.
Chu Weiliang looked up at the dome of the Hall of Law Enforcement.
Despite the gloomy atmosphere below, the painted dome above was quite beautiful.
That fool Zhuang Yanxin was in such excruciating pain in her arm at the time that she would have believed anyone standing outside her door—whether they claimed to be peonies, herbaceous peonies, or roses.
As for the real camellia little demon…
Being too disobedient despite An Nan Chan’s favor, she had been casually thrown into the Demon Suppression Tower to receive a beating.
If she hadn’t been busy dealing with these trivial matters last night, she wouldn’t have been caught by Chi Qianqiu.
Seeing the situation turning against her, An Nan Chan grew anxious to defend herself.
“Jixue, we’ve been master and disciple for over a thousand years. You should know me. If this incident hadn’t occurred, we would be married by now. Why would I be so foolish as to ruin our wedding and open the Demon Suppression Tower?”
Fang Jixue regarded this marriage that violated the Grand Master-Disciple Ethics as if he had stepped in dog excrement, desperately wanting to shake it off immediately.
“But, just now, according to Zhuang Yanxin’s testimony, over this past millennium, you… deliberately schemed to obtain supervisory authority over the Demon Suppression Tower. For what purpose?”
“I…”
An Nan Chan naturally couldn’t say it was to consolidate her position in the Thousand Machines Sect.
“I wanted to share your burdens, Jixue.”
“The princess is born of noble lineage and need not trouble herself,” Fang Jixue said indifferently. “Effective immediately, your authority over the Demon Suppression Tower and command of Yu Yaonu are revoked. New arrangements will be made.”
To think someone would scheme against him within the Thousand Machines Sect—how foolish could they be?
An Nan Chan immediately became frantic. “Jixue, you actually believe that little slut Zhuang Yanxin over me?”
Zhuang Yanxin knelt on the ground, secretly pleased that the Sect Master was indeed keeping his promise.
Fang Jixue lifted his eyelids, his voice deepening with natural authority. “I believe everyone. But everyone must give me a reason to believe them.”
This tone was the true Fang Jixue—the Thousand Machines Sect Master who had guarded the Demon Realm Gate for millennia, someone who could easily dictate life and death.
An Nan Chan suddenly realized that despite her busy efforts over a thousand years, in his eyes, she was no different from Zhuang Yanxin.
She finally confirmed that Fang Jixue had no conscience whatsoever!
“Fang Jixue! Who are you fooling! You only choose to believe what you want to believe.”
She suddenly pointed at Chu Weiliang, who was watching the spectacle. “She could seal the Myriad Forms Demon Subduing Array right after reviving—wouldn’t breaking the array be even easier for her? Why have you never suspected her?”
She sneered, “You’re biased! That heart of yours, after a thousand years, still leans crookedly toward her!!!”
Fang Jixue remained silent, not denying it.
Chu Weiliang suddenly let out a soft, derisive laugh.
“Your Highness, if that’s the case, why don’t we swap places? Let Sect Master Fang shatter your soul with his sword, and we’ll meet again in a thousand years—unrecognizing, unneeding, unquestioning. Then you can see for yourself whether that counts as favoritism. Would you want such favoritism bestowed upon you?”
Fang Jixue silently closed his eyes, enduring patiently as he slowly rotated the Jade Bead on his bracelet.
The Hall of Law Enforcement elder sternly declared, “Silence! This is the Hall of Law Enforcement. Your Highness need only stand trial according to the law, without making unfounded accusations against others.”
He then turned to Chu Weiliang, “And you, who have been under suspicion from the beginning—the Thousand Machines Sect will conduct its own investigation shortly.”
Chu Weiliang widened her eyes, pouted, and tugged at Wen Shubai’s sleeve, “Shifu~~ he’s scaring me”
Fang Jixue: “…”
An Nan Chan: “…”
Wen Shubai, who had been lazily crossing his legs while leaning back in an armchair and meticulously peeling an orange, now swayed from her pulling.
“Later we’ll establish our own Hall of Law Enforcement at Brahma Heaven Palace—ten times more elaborate than this one. We can simply invite the enforcement elder over as our guest.”
The enforcement elder fumed with anger but dared not speak out: One shouldn’t intimidate people like this.
Fang Jixue couldn’t bear to watch the master-disciple pair’s antics any longer, “Let’s adjourn today’s trial. Take the prisoner into custody—we’ll resume tomorrow.”
As he made to rise, however, matters weren’t so easily concluded, for guests had arrived from outside.
A disciple rushed in to report, “Sect Master, the King and Queen of Galan have arrived.”
An Nan Chan, who had been isolated and helpless moments before, now proudly tilted her slender neck.
Hadn’t her reinforcements arrived just in time?
She absolutely wouldn’t be eating prison meals for a second day.
King An Jinxiao of Galan was An Nan Chan’s younger brother. Both had successively studied under Fang Jixue to learn demon suppression sealing techniques, ensuring the stability of Galan Kingdom’s reign.
Meanwhile, Queen Gu Yucheng was the cousin of the current Holy Maiden of the Supreme Surge Sect.
It was through this connection that An Nan Chan frequently visited Shaking Heaven City, often invoking the Holy Maiden’s authority to bolster her own standing.
This was precisely what Fang Jixue found most distasteful about her.
However, all this had occurred after Chu Weiliang’s death, so she remained unaware.
Huahua whispered in her ear, briefly sharing various rumors it had overheard in the tower.
An Jinxiao and his queen entered hand-in-hand. After they were seated, accompanying eunuchs promptly brought a chair for An Nan Chan.
She haughtily took her seat.
King An Jinxiao of Galan, resplendent in magnificent brocade with dragon and phoenix motifs, seemed to illuminate the entire gloomy courtroom with his presence.
Beside him, Queen Yucheng was renowned throughout Northern Xuan as a great beauty—legend said her suitors had once lined up from earth to heaven.
“I’ve heard about yesterday’s incident at the Demon Suppression Tower,” An Jinxiao began with customary pleasantries. “Fortunately, both Master and Sword Sovereign possess unfathomable cultivation. Those monsters were merely seizing an opportunity to make trouble. I feel completely assured entrusting Galan’s safety to you both.”
As he spoke, his gaze naturally settled on Chu Weiliang standing behind Wen Shubai.
“A Liang?”
Seeing her, he unconsciously rose to his feet, his face lighting up with joy.
“They said you’d returned—it’s actually true! This is wonderful.”
The queen softly reminded him from beside, “Your Majesty, she is now Sword Sovereign of Brahma Heaven Palace’s disciple.”
“Ah…” An Jinxiao appeared to suddenly remember, resuming his seat though his eyes remained fixed on Chu Weiliang.
Though Wen Shubai’s eyes were covered with silk gauze, it didn’t prevent him from clearly observing everything around them.
He tilted his head slightly: “Damned woman, one after another! What’s the deal with this one?”
Chu Weiliang stood perfectly straight with her hands clasped behind her back: “How should I know what’s going on?”
“When I died, this little brat was only eight years old!”
“He even wiped his snot on me.”