Chapter 151
Before Bai Ling could reply, Wen Chaoyu interjected, "Yes, yes, let Yin Qiu wake up first. How can we do it without her? She's the main character!"
Even now, Bai Ling still doesn't know about the entanglement between Wen Chaoyu and Ji Wanshu, but on the way back to the palace she has guessed a bit. Bai Ling dares not disagree with Man Jiangxue's words, and can only say to Wen Chaoyu: "...But how should I answer the sect leader?"
"How can you be so stupid?" Wen Chaoyu said. "Whenever there's something to say, just push it onto Man Jiangxue. Just relay what she says. What's so difficult about that?"
But this reason is just too embarrassing to say!
Bai Ling could almost picture Xie Yijun's reaction upon hearing this; she'd probably smash things again, vent her anger on Bai Ling, and give her a good scolding. Bai Ling hesitated, then said, "This..."
The thought of meeting Z with Ji Wanshu soon made Wen Chaoyu very anxious. She encouraged him, "Don't be like that. Even if the sky falls, Man Jiangxue will hold it up. What are you afraid of?" After saying that, she looked at Man Jiangxue and said, "But even so, I also think you shouldn't make things difficult for the younger generation. Why don't you go and talk to them yourself?"
Manjiangxue said, "Can you shut up?"
Having said that, she realized that Wen Chaoyu's words made sense, so she got up and prepared to go to Mingguang Hall to check on the situation. Bai Ling breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this and quickly stepped aside to let Man Jiangxue go with her. Just as the two reached the door, they heard Yin Qiu's voice suddenly ring out behind them: "Wait, I'm going too."
Man Jiangxue paused, turned to look at Yin Qiu, and said, "You finally fell asleep, what are you doing up again?"
Yin Qiu said, "Now that everyone is back, we should not delay and should interrogate them as soon as possible. Compared to this important matter, it doesn't matter whether I get any sleep or not."
Man Jiangxue didn't try to persuade her further. She waved to Yin Qiu, who walked towards her. Then, she turned to look at Wen Chaoyu, who remained motionless, and asked, "Uncle Wen?"
Wen Chaoyu dawdled, thinking to herself that she could only hide from the beginning of the month, not the end, so she might as well die! In the end, she still took Xue Tan and followed them out of Chenxing Palace.
After leaving Jingyue Peak, they soon arrived at Mingguang Hall. Before they even climbed the steps to enter, they saw Lu Huaiwei lying unconscious on the floor. A group of disciples from the Punishment Hall were also ready to take their positions, standing silently on both sides, creating a solemn atmosphere.
Xie Yijun's prayer beads clicked as she peeked out and saw Man Jiangxue and the others arrive. She stopped walking and said, "Come in quickly. I haven't notified the elders of the various peaks yet. Let's just have a few of us interrogate them first. We can pass on the information once we've figured everything out."
Man Jiangxue nodded in agreement, glanced around the hall, and asked, "Where is Wan Shu?"
“She was tired from her journey and looked travel-worn, so I told her to go change and wash up first,” Xie Yijun said. “According to Wan Shu, the two of them were almost at Shangyuan City yesterday, but they encountered a group of assassins on the road who wanted to kidnap Huaiwei. Wan Shu felt that this was suspicious and became suspicious of Huaiwei, so she put her to sleep and brought her back without stopping.”
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but show surprise.
"Assassins?" Man Jiangxue frowned. "Even Wan Shu was kept in the dark about the real purpose of calling them back to the palace. How could someone have assassinated them on the way?"
“I was also surprised when I first heard about it,” Xie Yijun said, “but I just thought about it and realized that it might have been someone sent by Nangong Min.”
Man Jiangxue seemed lost in thought and did not answer. After everyone waited for a while, Ji Wanshu, who had finished getting ready, walked through the courtyard and entered the hall.
Upon seeing Ji Wanshu's figure, Wen Chaoyu subconsciously stepped back and hid behind Bai Ling.
However, Ji Wanshu had excellent eyesight. As soon as she entered, she spotted Wen Chaoyu hiding in the back, looking rather timid. She paused for a moment, then asked in great surprise, "She... how could she be here?"
Although Xie Yijun had told her before that Lu Huaiwei was a spy, she forgot to tell her that Wen Chaoyu was also there. Seeing this, Yin Qiu immediately stepped forward to explain, "Senior Sister Ji, Uncle Wen was brought back by us. She can testify that Senior Sister Lu is indeed a spy of the Ziwei Sect. We invited her here to be a witness."
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanshu's expression softened somewhat. She glanced at Wen Chaoyu and said with a hint of bitterness, "I understand."
Since they parted ways in Weicheng, the two had not seen Z for a long time. Wen Chaoyu originally thought that she might not see Ji Wanshu again in the future. After all, Ji Wanshu said that she had let go and would not pursue her anymore. So this encounter with Z was something that neither of them expected.
Wen Chaoyu also had mixed feelings. When she saw Ji Wanshu, she felt that her lips were still throbbing. However, Ji Wanshu seemed to have really let go of many things because of that conversation. She did not react as intensely as before, but was surprisingly calm. Wen Chaoyu was pleased with her growth and changes, but she could not help but feel some indescribable feelings.
Perhaps it was disappointment, perhaps it was frustration, Wen Chaoyu couldn't quite put her finger on what that feeling was. Over the years, she had grown accustomed to Ji Wanshu running straight toward her, but now she didn't do that anymore. Even the way Ji Wanshu glanced at her was so brief, and she showed no intention of getting closer. Her whole person was completely different from before.
This left Wen Chaoyu feeling somewhat empty.
·
The sky outside was already bright, and the Mingguang Hall was still lit with lanterns as always. Xie Yijun waved for Man Jiangxue and the others to take their seats, while she stood in the center and said to Ji Wanshu, "Wake them up."
Ji Wanshu immediately went to Lu Huaiwei's side, knelt down and loosened her sleeping sphincter. Lu Huaiwei's eyelashes trembled slightly, she frowned, and opened her eyes with great difficulty. She looked bewildered, lay on the ground in a daze for a long time, and only after a long while did she regain her senses and slowly sit up.
A cold wind rushed through the door and into the room. Although Lu Huaiwei was dressed thickly, she still shivered in the wind and began to tremble. Her face was pale, her hair was messy, and she looked somewhat disheveled and sickly.
The hall was silent; no one spoke. Lu Huaiwei coughed violently for a while before realizing where she was and what her surroundings were like. She looked at everyone in astonishment, still not understanding what was going on.
"Sect Leader, Martial Uncle... what's going on here?"
Xie Yijun, dressed in a crimson robe and wearing a jade crown today, appeared even more dignified than usual. She looked down at Lu Huaiwei and said unhurriedly, "Having witnessed this whole affair, you should have a general idea of what's going on. Tell me, will you confess voluntarily, or will we interrogate you one by one?"
Lu Huaiwei was puzzled, her eyes filled with deep confusion: "Explain what? And... what are you interrogating me about?"
Xie Yijun sneered, "Playing dumb with me?" She raised her hand and pointed to a certain spot, saying, "Look who's there."
Lu Huaiwei turned her head and saw Wen Chaoyu.
"...Wen Chaoyu? What's she doing at our Yunhua Palace?"
Xie Yijun stared intently at her changing expression and said slowly, "Many years ago, Nangong Min planted a spy in the palace. Her name was Xiao Qi, and she was from beyond the Great Wall. She harbored hatred for Jiang Xue, so she went into the palace under an assumed name and secretly colluded with Nangong Min, plotting to harm Jiang Xue and Yunhua Palace. Wen Chaoyu has had contact with this person quite a few times."
Upon hearing this, Lu Huaiwei's face lit up with a hint of surprise. She then stood up shakily and asked, "Who is the spy?"
Xie Yijun watched her act quietly, then said to Wen Chaoyu, "You tell her who she is."
Wen Chaoyu felt slightly uncomfortable under the gazes directed at him, but still stepped forward. He looked at Lu Huaiwei expressionlessly and said, "I'm sorry, Seventh Young Master. I told you back in Weicheng that I didn't want to cooperate with you anymore, but for Yin Qiu's life and... I still agreed. Now everything can't be hidden anymore, and I have no obligation to cover for you. You'd better be sensible and admit it yourself."
Upon hearing what she said, Lu Huaiwei's expression changed drastically, and she said with a pale face, "What... what are you saying...?" It was as if she had only just realized that the person being publicly tried today was not Ye Zhilan, but Lu Huaiwei herself.
"What Seventh Young Master? What cooperation? I don't understand a word you're saying. Protector Wen, are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"
"Mistaken identity?" Wen Chaoyu raised an eyebrow and said, "Although we haven't met Z many times, I'm not so blind as to be blind. Besides, my subordinate has seen you before. Even if I'm blind, he's not."
Xue Tan was timid and had been cowering ever since he arrived at Yunhua Palace, afraid that anyone would give him a second glance. Now, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say in front of everyone, "Seventh Young Master, things have come to this point, so you should just accept it. As a person... you should dare to take responsibility for your actions, right?"
"What do I have to admit?" Lu Huaiwei's voice was hoarse, and her eyes gradually reddened. "I've never seen you before, I don't even know who you are, how could you... how could you frame an innocent person out of thin air?"
Wen Chaoyu chuckled and said patiently, "Alright, the first time we met was five years ago. At that time, the sect leader asked me to kidnap Yin Qiu to the Ziwei Sect. It was you who gave me a Z-tool in Shangyuan City, which allowed me to successfully infiltrate Yunhua Palace. You can't have forgotten that, can you?"
Lu Huaiwei paused for a moment, then recalled, "Back then, on my way back to the palace, I was severely injured by another protector of your Ziwei Sect named Qin Zheng. I lay in bed for several days and didn't go anywhere except the medical pavilion. How could I possibly have gone to Shangyuan City to give you Z-tools?"
Wen Chaoyu said, "That's because you pretended to take a bath, didn't want anyone to follow you, and took the opportunity to go down the mountain to meet me. After you returned to the palace, you pretended to faint in the bathhouse and covered up the matter."
After speaking, she glanced at Yin Qiu, who then continued Wen Chaoyu's words: "That's true. It was Senior Sister Ye and me who found you in the bathhouse and brought you back to the medical pavilion. That was also the first time Meng Jing saw you after entering the palace, and I still remember it. Now that I think about it, how could you have been unconscious in the bathhouse all afternoon?"
Lu Huaiwei's face grew increasingly pale, tears welling in her eyes. She said bitterly, "Xiao Qiu, even you..." She choked back a moment, then shook her head and smiled bitterly, "I didn't originally intend to bathe. It was Senior Sister Ye who said a bath would make me feel better, so I went. Bathing doesn't require anyone to accompany you, does it? But then, I don't know how, I lost consciousness while bathing. I don't even know why I fainted, or why I was unconscious for so long. Are you really going to accuse me of being a spy just because of this?"
“Of course, it’s not just this,” Xie Yijun said upon hearing this. “Go and bring Ding Lianzhen here.”
Several disciples of the Punishment Hall received their orders and immediately went outside the hall to drag Ding Lianzhen into the main hall. When Lu Huaiwei saw her, she asked in surprise and doubt, "This is..."
Ding Lianzhen, with chains on both hands and feet, knelt on the ground. She had been watched by many disciples in the palace these past few days, and her mind had long been numb. At this moment, she no longer hunched over or buried her head, afraid to show her face. She looked up at Lu Huaiwei, her eyes filled with overwhelming hatred.
"She was sent to Tianchi for violating palace rules. You found her on the way and asked her to be your subordinate and harm people for you," Xie Yijun said. "You deliberately set fire to her and burned her so that she could impersonate a female disciple named Cheng Xiu from Liuli Peak. After that, the two of you cruelly murdered the real Cheng Xiu, and then conspired to harm a group of refugees in Yao Dingcheng. You even tried to frame the Duan family. You are simply arrogant, insidious and vicious!"
As Xie Yijun finished speaking, Lu Huaiwei's vision went black, her head spun, and she staggered a few steps before tears welled up in her eyes.
“Cheng Xiu… Ding Lianzhen?” Lu Huaiwei burst into tears, extremely anxious. “How could she be Ding Lianzhen? I had some dealings with Junior Sister Cheng before. After she was disfigured, she became depressed and was ostracized by the disciples at Liuli Peak, so she couldn’t stay there. I took pity on her, so I took the initiative to transfer her to the post station in Qingluo City to be in charge of boiling water in the boiler room. Later, she said she was tired of that place, so I transferred her to Yaoding City.”
After she finished speaking, she suddenly lunged at Ding Lianzhen, grabbed her collar, and questioned, "Who instructed you... Why did you slander me! I treated you this way, asking for nothing in return, yet you repay kindness with enmity and smear me! I travel around outside the palace year-round, never staying in any one prefecture or city for long. No matter where you are, I rarely speak to you, and even when I see Z, it's just a brief greeting. We have no relationship or grudges, so why would you do this to me!"
Ding Lianzhen's eyes were contorted with rage as she forcefully slapped Lu Huaiwei to the ground, snarling, "I harmed you? I was manipulated? How long can you keep up this act in front of everyone! I begged you so desperately at Tianchi to let me go and find someone else, but you refused, saying I was the most suitable candidate. Later, when my master passed away, those inhuman scum at Tianchi wouldn't let me return to the palace to see him off. Now I wonder if you deliberately orchestrated that! Because I didn't get to see my master one last time, I harbored resentment and agreed to your lies, yet you've ruined me like this! I, Ding Lianzhen, was once highly regarded at Tianyin Peak, but now I've fallen to such a state—all thanks to you!"
The more she spoke, the more indignant and furious she became. Her anger flared up, and she gripped Lu Huaiwei's neck tightly with both hands, snarling, "Go to hell!"
Lu Huaiwei was seriously ill and very weak. She was no match for Ding Lianzhen's ruthless attack. Her face turned red from being pinched, and her eyes rolled back.
"Stop!" Ji Wanshu stepped forward and kicked Ding Lianzhen away. "There are still many things that haven't been fully clarified. Even if you want revenge, this is not the time!"
An uproar immediately erupted inside the hall.
"Senior Sister, Senior Sister Ji..." Lu Huaiwei gasped for breath, clinging to Ji Wanshu's leg as if grasping at a lifeline, "Believe me, believe me... I really didn't do these things, I'm really innocent!"
Even now, Ji Wanshu still couldn't accept that Lu Huaiwei was the spy, but with Wen Chaoyu in front and Ding Lianzhen behind, she had no choice but to believe it, whether she wanted to or not.
"Let go!" Ji Wanshu said coldly, turning away. "I treated you as a friend, but you...you..." She was so angry that she couldn't speak.
Seeing Ji Wanshu's attitude, Lu Huaiwei felt utterly hopeless, as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She sobbed uncontrollably, saying desperately, "It wasn't me...it really wasn't me..."
Yin Qiu had been observing from the sidelines for a long time. When he saw Lu Huaiwei's appearance, he couldn't help but feel suspicious. He whispered to Man Jiangxue, "Uncle-Master, why do I feel that Senior Sister Lu doesn't seem to be lying?"
Man Jiangxue's eyes flickered, her gaze never leaving Lu Huaiwei. She patted Yin Qiu's shoulder, got up from the wooden chair, and gestured for Ji Wanshu to help Lu Huaiwei up.
"Both of them have testified that you are the palace spy, and they both have solid evidence. If you say it wasn't you, then how do you prove yourself?"
Lu Huaiwei slumped to the ground, her eyes glazed over, and said, "I...I've explained everything, but you won't believe me..."
“Your words are unconvincing and full of loopholes,” Man Jiangxue said. “If you want us to believe you, you need to provide strong evidence or explanations.”
Lu Huaiwei's eyes were red as she looked up at Man Jiangxue: "They came prepared and meticulously fabricated lies to kill me. These events spanned such a long period, not just a day or two. Perhaps, without my knowledge, I had already fallen into their trap. My martial uncle wants me to prove myself, and I want to, but... but after listening to them, I'm almost convinced I'm the spy. But martial uncle, I really am not..."
"You say you're not a spy, and Zhilan says you're not either," Xie Yijun said, her head throbbing with anger, her brows red from pinching. "Then there must be a spy in Yunhua Palace! I'll set aside Zhilan's suspicion for now, but you're different. You're a disciple of the elder of Wuhui Peak, you have a better chance than Zhilan to get the materials to make the Z-tool. You were in the city when Yao Dingcheng was dealing with the refugees, and as for Ding Lianzhen, you've been staying outside the palace for years, you can come and go to Tianchi anytime. And then there's the Gu poison, right, and the Gu poison on Yin Qiu's body. If it weren't for your orders, where would Ding Lianzhen get the Gu poison to feed her? Even now, you still want to deny it!"
Lu Huaiwei was overwhelmed by the series of events that followed. Her face was deathly pale, and she was trembling all over. She asked, "Gu poison? What is Gu poison?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Back in Yaoding City, Ding Lianzhen poisoned the wine and tricked Xiao Qiu into drinking it. She said that you instructed her to do it, didn't you know?"
Lu Huaiwei's lips parted, but she couldn't speak; all she could do was breathe heavily.
“Senior Sister Lu, Xiao Qiu, Meng Jing, and I encountered a flute player on our way to Yun Jian City,” Bai Ling said. “That person could harm Xiao Qiu from a distance with the sound of his flute, and only she could hear the sound. This is the effect of the Gu poison. After we left, you had plenty of time to follow us and test whether the Gu poison was effective. According to Uncle Wen, you also went to Jin Cheng to find her after we left Yao Ding City and asked her to go to Wei Cheng to rescue Xiao Qiu. You are not only a spy for the Ziwei Sect, but you also know who the other murderer who destroyed the Ruyi Sect is.”
Hearing this, Lu Huaiwei's sadness gradually turned into anger. She tried her best to calm herself, clenching her fists tightly, and said, "Nonsense! When my master returned to the palace, you all rushed to Yunjian City. I stayed in Yaoding City for a few days to recuperate. After that, I didn't go to Jincheng at all. Jincheng was peaceful and without any trouble, especially with Senior Sister Ye personally overseeing things. What would I be doing in Jincheng? You…you're trying to pin all the blame on me! Every time I arrived in a prefecture, I would sign and register at the post station. So many disciples have seen me. If you don't believe me, go to every prefecture and ask them yourselves, and see if I'm lying!"
Bai Ling paused, glanced at Man Jiangxue and Xie Yijun, and then said, "Even if someone can testify for you, it's not enough to clear your name. You traveled back and forth between various prefectures and cities. There were always gaps in your journey. No one knows where you actually went on the road."
Lu Huaiwei said indignantly, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext!"
Bai Ling scrutinized her, and seeing her reactions over the past half day, she couldn't help but feel uncertain. As everyone whispered among themselves, Yin Qiu took out a bracelet from her sleeve and showed it to Lu Huaiwei, saying, "Senior Sister said she doesn't know anything about Gu poison, so does Senior Sister recognize this?"
Tears streamed down Lu Huaiwei's face as she forced herself to stand upright, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Of course I recognize it; it's mine."
Yin Qiu asked, "How did you get here?"
Without hesitation, Lu Huaiwei replied, "About six years ago, when Senior Sister Ji and I were strolling around Shangyuan City, she bought it from a vendor from the Western Regions and gave it to me as a gift."
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanshu frowned deeply and said, "When did I ever give you this?"
Upon hearing this, the last glimmer of light in Lu Huaiwei's eyes was completely extinguished, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Senior sister! Are you going to harm me too?"
Ji Wanshu looked at him strangely: "What have I done to harm you? This thing has a unique shape; once you've seen it, you won't forget it. I never lie, and I rarely buy things for others myself. What's there to deny?"
“But I definitely didn’t buy this bracelet myself,” Lu Huaiwei said, panicked and helpless. “It must have been a gift from someone else, it must have been… But I clearly remember it was you. If it wasn’t you, then who was it? I… I can’t remember…”
Ji Wanshu snorted coldly, turned around, and didn't even want to look at her anymore.
“The patterns engraved on this gold bead are the totem of the Western Ling Kingdom,” Yin Qiu tossed the bracelet to Lu Huaiwei and said, “Senior Sister, take a look.”
Lu Huaiwei's limbs stiffened, and she didn't reach out to take it. She just watched the bracelet fall to the ground and said, "So what... what crime are you going to pin on me now?"
“It’s not that I’m trying to frame you,” Yin Qiu said. “Since this bracelet wasn’t given to you by Senior Sister Ji, it means it was your personal item. There are indeed Western Region vendors in Shangyuan City, but they mostly sell food and spices. Almost none of them sell jewelry or clothing. And no one in the Central Plains would wear clothing from beyond the Great Wall, let alone something from a fallen kingdom. Moreover, in the entire Yunhua Palace, only you have this item, and no one else does. The Gu poison came from beyond the Great Wall and did not spread to the Central Plains. Senior Sister Lu, all these suspicious points point to you alone.”
With witnesses and physical evidence readily available, every single point was clear and unambiguous. No matter which accusation was made, Lu Huaiwei could not provide a reasonable explanation. Standing among the crowd, she felt as if she were in a frozen wasteland, a chill running deep into her bones.
“Okay, okay…” Lu Huaiwei was silent for a moment, then suddenly gave a sad laugh, “Things have come to this point, I won’t blame anyone. You’re all right, you just wanted to find the traitor. I understand, I understand everything…”
She staggered, her eyes dim, and suddenly reached out and drew the long sword from Ji Wanshu's waist, holding it to her neck, and shouted, "Since that's the case, then I can only prove my innocence with my death!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she committed suicide on the spot. The blade cut through her neck, and blood stained the hall in an instant.
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