An Nanchan was so furious that her brother wasn’t the first to show concern for her that she rolled her eyes.
“A Xiao, you came today to stand up for your elder sister. What happened yesterday must have been Chu Weiliang colluding with my rebellious disciple to frame me!”
Beneath An Jinxiao’s extravagant royal crown, his hair took on a dark crimson hue under the torchlight of the punishment hall. Suddenly, he smirked mischievously. “No, what happened yesterday definitely wasn’t A Liang’s doing.”
An Nanchan: “You…”
You’re siding with an outsider!
The Queen Mother, her long nails gently holding a teacup, remained composed and quietly reminded him, “Your Majesty, what makes you say that? The case hasn’t been fully investigated by Sect Master Fang yet.”
An Jinxiao’s smile abruptly brightened. “Because I know very well. When A Liang does something bad, she never lets anyone find out, much less leaves any evidence.”
He turned to Chu Weiliang with a grin. “So, if I say it wasn’t A Liang, then it definitely wasn’t her. Investigating further would be a waste of effort.”
Chu Weiliang: …
She wanted to smile back, but it seemed she had almost forgotten how.
Back then, this young prince, unaware of his own limits and relying on his privileged status, had acted arrogantly within the Thousand Machines Sect.
Not only did he oppose her at every turn for An Nanchan’s sake, haunting her footsteps all day, but he even dared to wipe his snot on her clothes.
In a fit of anger, she stripped the brat naked and threw him into the Demon Suppression Tower, letting the little demons at the entrance spank him and flick his privates.
Listening to the spoiled child inside cursing and howling was especially satisfying. She only fished him out when he was on the verge of crying himself to death.
After that, whenever An Jinxiao heard mention of the Demon Suppression Tower, he didn’t dare even utter a word.
However, no one else knew about that incident.
Because neither of them ever spoke of it.
One felt it was too wicked.
The other felt it was too humiliating.
Wen Shubai was still leisurely peeling lychees, this time applying a bit more force as he tore the skin.
This King of Garland has a few screws loose—he needs treatment.
The Enforcement Elder was deeply displeased with An Jinxiao’s “arbitrary” judgment.
Logically, the Garland Kingdom was situated beneath the Demon Realm Gate—a small nation with a sparse population, lacking notable figures, and its entire security relied on the protection of the Thousand Machines Sect.
Yet these two siblings, leveraging their connection to the Holy Maiden of the sect, repeatedly acted with utter disregard for others. It was utterly unreasonable!
Clasping his hands, the elder grumbled in a muffled voice, “So it seems His Majesty, while seated in his palace, has already reached a conclusion regarding the Demon Suppression Tower case?”
“Indeed.”
An Jinxiao rested his elbow on the arm of his chair, casually twirled his fingers, and made a vague gesture.
In a flash, the Moon Shadow Guards accompanying him sprang into action. With lightning speed, one guard appeared behind Zhuang Yanxin, wrapped an arm around her neck, and—a white light flashed!
Sssk—
A spray of blood erupted.
“Gah… gahk…”
Zhuang Yanxin’s eyes widened in shock. Before she could comprehend what was happening, her throat was slit, blood gushing horizontally from her neck. She collapsed to the ground, convulsed a few times, and then lay still.
She still had many pieces of evidence against An Nanchan that she hadn’t revealed.
She hadn’t yet experienced the benefits of being under Fang Jixue’s protection.
She still… had secretly purchased camellia-scented powder that she hadn’t dared to use…
A wisp of her soul light was absorbed into the blade by the Moon Shadow Guard, offered as a sacrifice to the weapon.
Her death was swift and clean, leaving no chance to summon her spirit for confrontation.
Surprisingly, Fang Jixue tacitly allowed this course of action.
Wen Shubai’s lychee-peeling hand suddenly stilled.
He slowly lifted his head. “How dare you.”
This An Jinxiao, along with Fang Jixue, wasn’t given a second thought.
The eunuch beside An Jinxiao, ignorant of his own insignificance, raised a delicate finger adorned with an orchid gesture and pointed at Wen Shubai:
“How dare you! On the soil of the Galan Kingdom, our king is supreme. Anyone who dares utter a word of dissent shall be executed with—”
Before the word “pardon” could leave his lips, a shadowy figure had already flashed behind him. With lightning speed, the figure seized his blade, slit his throat, and collected his soul.
The entire sequence was executed seamlessly.
Only after the man had fallen did Chu Weiliang’s figure materialize behind him.
An Jinxiao’s two Moon Shadow Guards, witnessing someone daring to strike behind the king, immediately moved to protect their sovereign.
Yet, each had their blades snatched away by Chu Weiliang with a single hand. Before they could even comprehend what was happening, their throats were slit, and they collapsed like two split wooden stakes, dead.
“Hmph.”
Chu Weiliang snorted through her nose, tossed the two blades to the ground, and returned to stand half a step behind Wen Shubai. She planted her feet apart, hands clasped behind her back, as if nothing had happened.
Many present had witnessed this fierce, protective loyalty of hers—both toward her master and her teacher.
But Wen Shubai half-turned his head and lazily chided, “Where did you learn such crude and clumsy movements? Slow and ugly. Discard them and start over.”
Chu Weiliang’s expression remained stern and unwavering. “Yes, Master.”
The two of them had, in all seriousness, indirectly rebuked Fang Jixue once again.
Fang Jixue, however, responded with an uncharacteristically faint smile, as if in defiance of Wen Shubai’s provocation.
Chu Weiliang knew well: the more he smiled, the angrier he was.
In the blink of an eye, four people lay dead. The tension between two peerless masters of the Ninth Rank of the Supreme Path surged like a hidden undercurrent, suffocating the atmosphere in the judgment hall.
Suddenly, the sound of An Jinxiao clapping alone broke the silence. “Hahaha, A Liang’s skills are as exquisite as ever!”
No one paid him any mind.
Chu Weiliang ignored him as well.
An Jinxiao continued on his own, “Eh? What’s with the silence? It’s just a few deaths. So, what do you think? Isn’t my method clever?”
He spread his hands. “The culprit Zhuang Yanxin has been punished, and the matter of the Demon Suppression Tower is resolved. My royal sister remains the lofty moon of Galan, and my master will soon be my brother-in-law—strengthening our bonds! Hahahaha…!!!”
His laughter abruptly ceased. “No, no, that’s not right. My sister isn’t the moon anymore. A Liang has returned—A Liang is the moon now.”
With that, his laughter once again echoed through the judgment hall. “Hahahaha…!!!”
The smile that had begun to form on An Nanchan’s face froze awkwardly mid-way.
Chu Weiliang felt extremely uncomfortable from the laughter, goosebumps rising on her skin.
In contrast, the Jade Succession Queen remained far calmer, long accustomed to such antics.
When An Jinxiao had laughed his fill, he turned his gaze to Chu Weiliang, his eyes profound and captivated.
Ah, A Liang—she is the moon of Galan.
She is the moon of the entire Northern Xuan.
Words cannot capture her beauty. Everyone should be grateful to have lived to witness her splendor once more.
As he stared, his view was abruptly blocked by a figure in celestial blue.
Fang Jixue had risen.
He had always turned a blind eye to this troublesome disciple, treating the imparting of knowledge as mere formality.
But that was in the past.
Now, she was obstructing him.
He stepped down and stood before An Nanchan. “During your years overseeing the Demon Suppression Tower, did you ever enter it?”
An Nanchan stood up, uncertain how to answer.
Fang Jixue had clearly heard every word of Zhuang Yanxin’s final confession before her death.
He had always disliked others playing petty mind games with him. Within the Thousand Machines Sect, political manipulation and forming cliques for personal gain were most strictly forbidden.
So, how should she answer this question now?
“I… naturally need to regularly enter for inspections. This is the fundamental duty of a Demon Suppression Tower guardian. Although… I once took some shortcuts, over all these years, I have been wholehearted in my efforts…”
【So, you’ve seen her?】
Before she could finish speaking, Fang Jixue interrupted her using the Thousand Machines Sect’s exclusive communication channel, his voice audible only to the two of them.
His gaze was clear and cold, devoid of emotion or desire, yet the voice that reached her ears was unnervingly erratic—completely unlike the calm and pure tone of the person she had known for over a thousand years.
An Nan Chan’s eyes darted about in panic: 【Wh… which him…?】