Chapter 591: The Princess' Justice

Zhang Lingjun had now formally become a princess of the Imperial Court in truth. The sudden transformation shocked countless officials and left them envious, but they all gathered to congratulate her.

Yu Fuli continued, "The guards of the Princess of the Moon are likewise to be deemed innocent. Let them be freed from the yokes of their curse."

Outside the Heavenly Palace, all the purple-furred monsters suddenly found themselves itching all over. The purple fur fell from their bodies in clumps, faster and faster, as though a curse were being unraveled. Within moments, they had transformed back into the soldiers they once had been.

"We're back to normal!"

"Thank you, Heavenly Emperor!"

"Thank you for restoring the princess' name, Heavenly Emperor!"

Countless soldiers bowed toward the Heavenly Palace, tears welling up in their eyes.

The purple fur didn't disappear. It all gathered in clumps high in the sky, combined into one big lump, and then quickly flew into the Heavenly Palace right before Yu Fuli.

Yu Fuli condensed the lump of fur until it was nothing more than a purple fleck of light, which he flicked at Zhang Lingjun.

The light struck Zhang Lingjun's forehead and embedded itself right in the middle of it. Her exquisite features grew even more radiant.

Yu Fuli didn't explain what the fleck of light was, but everyone knew that it had to be extraordinary, that it was a boon from Yu Fuli to Zhang Lingjun.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Zhang Lingjun said.

"From today onwards, whosoever dares to malign the Princess of the Moon shall not be spared," Yu Fuli warned.

The officials froze. Many of their foreheads began to bead with sweat. It was clear that Yu Fuli had known that the Princess of the Moon was innocent to begin with. Whoever had spoken ill of the Princess of the Moon in the past had likely roused his ire.

"Take your position," Yu Fuli told Zhang Lingjun.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhang Lingjun strode toward the ranks of the officials.

An official of rites immediately stepped forward and ushered Zhang Lingjun to a new place befitting her enhanced station. She was brought to an empty seat in the second row.

The hall fell silent again as Yu Fuli considered his officials of court. He said calmly, "Do the four quadrants have anything to report?"

The officials glanced at each other. No one dared speak up; who wanted to call attention to their own problems? What's more, if what they said somehow offended the Heavenly Emperor, they would only suffer for it.

The officials remained stoically silent. No one spoke—until Xiao Nanfeng stepped forward, drawing the attention of all.

"Your Majesty, the Immortal Emperor of Dayin is fomenting rebellion against the Imperial Court. Does that count as a matter of interest?" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

"Hm?" The officials glanced at Xiao Nanfeng in surprise, then at Ao Canghai, wondering why he had allowed Xiao Nanfeng to speak of this publicly.

A complicated expression flitted across Ao Canghai's face. He glanced at Yu Fuli thoughtfully and said nothing.

"Have you any evidence?" Yu Fuli asked.

"I have, in my avatar's body in the city of Yongding. Officials from the surveillance department of the Imperial Court have their avatars present as well and may display it for the entire court."

"Do so," Yu Fuli commanded.

"Summon the relevant officials!" an official of rites called out.

Very quickly, several officials made their way into the palace. Following Xiao Nanfeng's orders, they set up a few relics before sitting cross-legged in meditation, activating the relic and displaying a hologram for all to see.

The officials were transmitting their vision through the relic to form a three-dimensional projection—not a particularly difficult ability to master, though ordinary cultivators would have a hard time reproducing the fidelity of the resulting hologram.

The hologram captured both sight and sound.

The officials were positioned in the Xuanhuang Hall in Yongding, where Dazheng was itself holding a session of court.

Xiao Nanfeng's avatar was dressed in red draconic robes. He sat on his throne as several avatars of officials from the Imperial Court continued to record what was happening.

In the hologram, the officials of court were glaring thunderously at a resplendent golden figure, none other than Yin Shenhua himself.

"Xiao Nanfeng, meeting with you is rather challenging, isn't it?" Yin Shenhua chuckled coldly as he stepped into the hall.

"Guards!" an official shouted.

The next moment, the official fell silent, as did all other officials in Xuanhuang Hall. Their eyes widened in panic; their lives rested in Yin Shenhua's hands.

"Yin Shenhua, what do you want?" Xiao Nanfeng's avatar demanded.

"Weren't you the one who wanted me to discuss things with you? Let's do it, then. What do you want from me to free Mo Shanhe and Yin Tianci?"

A wave of frightening killing intent shot straight toward Xiao Nanfeng. If not for Xiao Nanfeng's recent breakthrough, even speaking might have been arduous for him.

"Mo Shanhe and Yin Tianci were part of Dayin's ploy to overthrow the Imperial Court. I don't dare free them so carelessly, and intend to hand them over to the Imperial Court's judiciary.

"Ha! Xiao Nanfeng, do you still intend to keep talking about this nonsense? I'm asking you if you'll hand them over."

"If I do, you'd have no qualms about attacking me. Would I do so?"

"Then why did you invite me here today?" Yin Shenhua demanded.

"You were responsible for the death of the Princess of the Moon, weren't you? I advise you to head to the Imperial Court and surrender yourself. Otherwise, you shall rue the vengeance of the court for the rest of your life."

"Did you invite me here to humiliate me?" Yin Shenhua demanded.

"I hardly humiliated you. Rather, Yin Tianci and Mo Shanhe have indicted you. That year, you allowed the Past Buddha to possess the Princess of the Moon and attempt to assassinate the Heavenly Emperor, causing a ruckus during his birthday banquet. Your intention was to slander the Heavenly Emperor and demonstrate that he was unable to protect even his own daughter, and hence to reveal to the world that he was a cultivator who might easily be overthrown. Isn't that so?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Hm?" Yin Shenhua narrowed his eyes.

"At the time, there were other divine empires, including Dayin, who were poised to rebel, to replace the Heavenly Emperor from his vaunted position as you launched your coup over the Imperial Court. However, none of you expected that the Heavenly Emperor would resolve the situation with incredible speed, without even revealing the possession of the Princess of the Moon. The princess gave her life and reputation to save the Heavenly Emperor, and she ought to be heralded as a hero. As for you, none of you lot will be able to escape. You'll pay a price for the death of the princess."

Yin Shenhua was silent, his face dour. Far away, within the Heavenly Palace of the Imperial Court, countless officials raised their eyebrows upon learning of the truth of the matter. Many had already guessed the outlines of the plot, but this was the first time many were hearing of the truth as well.

To think that such a massive scheme would have underlay the Princess of the Moon's attempted assassination...

"Xiao Nanfeng, you're trying to trick me, aren't you? Even if such a thing were true, what would Mo Shanhe and Yin Tianci know about it?" Yin Shenhua demanded.

"Then let's have the judiciary judge you for your crimes," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"You dare? I might just kill you right away!" Yin Shenhua threatened, unleashing killing intent around him.

"I am a Martial Aspect of the Imperial Court, and one of its representatives. If you strike at me, you'll be indicted for looking down on the Imperial Court—it'll be akin to rebellion," Xiao Nanfeng warned.

"Xiao Nanfeng, aren't you saying all this because you want to get the upper hand in negotiations? Go on. State your price. What do you want from me to release Mo Shanhe and Yin Tianci?" Yin Shenhua said.

"No price is high enough for the lives of traitors—unless you're willing to accompany me to the Imperial Court, prove your innocence, and swear not to attack Dazheng."

"Ha! Do you really think two hostages suffice to command me? I didn't come to Yongding to negotiate. I'm going to leave with Mo Shanhe and Yin Tianci, regardless of what you intend," Yin Shenhua declared.

"And if I don't hand them over?"

"Then perish—both this avatar of yours and your body in the Imperial Court."

"I am a Martial Aspect of the Imperial Court. Do you dare strike at me?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"Martial Aspect? Perhaps that's enough to scare the ignorant, but it means nothing to me. If you don't believe me, I'll kill you right now," Yin Shenhua spat out.

He slammed a palm forward, causing a huge technique to manifest out of nowhere.

"Yin Shenhua, how dare you attempt to kill a Martial Aspect and rebel against the Imperial Court?!" Xiao Nanfeng thundered.

The force of the technique caused Xuanhuang Hall to collapse and Xiao Nanfeng's throne to be crushed. At the last moment, Xiao Nanfeng flashed away and vanished from sight.

"Have you hidden within the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm? So be it. Open!" Yin Shenhua commanded.

With his arm as a blade, he sliced open a passageway into the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm.

However, by then, the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm was filled with blue fog, a sign of the formations that had been set up within.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you won't be able to escape. I'll kill this avatar of yours and make you pay the price of taking me on. Die!" Yin Shenhua roared.

He slammed his palm toward Xiao Nanfeng's fleeing form. The formation of blue fog shattered.

Yin Shenhua gazed into the entirety of the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm, only to find that it was empty. No—there was a crack in the void in the distance, from which Xiao Nanfeng seemed poised to escape.

"You won't be able to get away!" Yin Shenhua strode forward and gave chase. In one great leap, he left the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm and found himself in the Eastern Sea.

He flashed right up to Xiao Nanfeng, who blanched and flashed away once again.

"Again? Is this the red moon illusory realm, now? Do you really think I won't be able to find you there? Break!" Yin Shenhua shouted, punching at the void.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The void cracked. Shockingly, Yin Shenhua had managed to trace Xiao Nanfeng's route into the red moon illusory realm.

Xiao Nanfeng gaped as well. This was the first time he had seen a pursuer able to follow him within. Yin Shenhua was truly a strong cultivator.

Xiao Nanfeng fled into the depths of the red moon illusory realm while Yin Shenhua cackled. "Running, still? Let's see how far you can run!"

Yin Shenhua gave chase. The void flashed, and all entrances and exits to the red moon illusory realm vanished.

At the same time, within the Heavenly Palace, Xiao Nanfeng's main body bowed toward Yu Fuli. "Your Majesty, Yin Shenhua is clearly in contempt of the Imperial Court and attempting to kill a Martial Aspect. I present this evidence to the Imperial Court and volunteer to take him down."

The officials of court immediately understood Xiao Nanfeng's ploy. He had deliberately laid a trap for Yin Shenhua in order to fish for evidence.

Under other circumstances, some of the officials would immediately have stepped forward to criticize what he had done, but upon hearing him speak of the death of the Princess of the Moon, and connecting that to what the Heavenly Emperor had just done to Princess Lingjun, it was apparent that the Heavenly Emperor was behind, or at least had approved, this entire scheme.

Who would dare point out the flaws in Xiao Nanfeng's 'evidence' now? It was clear that the Heavenly Emperor now intended to take revenge for the Princess of the Moon. Would anyone dare to defend Yin Shenhua at this point?