Chapter 1119: Chapter 1113: Evidence
As Perfected Qiuyue’s words echoed, an uproar instantly swept through the court.
“For many years, the Li Clan has harbored sinister intentions.
They once suppressed the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems alongside the Immortal Suppression Department, and the cultivators of that mountain supposedly fled without a trace.
Yet, this subject has heard that the Huan Gui of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems is currently in the Western Border, serving the Li Clan!
Sheltering evildoers—this is an act of rebellion!”
“Bi Shihu was steadfastly loyal. He feigned cooperation with the enemy forces to lure the Wu Tribe into a trap at Highsun City, intending to eradicate the threat.
Yet, to monopolize the military merit, the Li Clan concealed the Azure Cloud Army and slaughtered all three of Bi Shihu’s armies!
This is the murder of loyal subjects!”
“The Li Clan found the Dusheng Nunnery, where the Crown Prince was located.
Yet, the Li Clan chose to save Li Kuanghua instead of the Crown Prince, causing the Crown Prince to lose his life…”
“…”
“Ten deadly sins! Their crimes are too numerous to record!”
The crowd in the court immediately began whispering among themselves. Their expressions were complex.
They had long known about the events in the Western Border and had avoided the Li Clan like the plague, for every member of the Li Clan was a peerless genius.
Sword Venerable Li Yaozu, whose sword left no surviving souls,
The Holy Maiden, whose miraculous hands could aid a Saint,
Supreme Elder Yunlin, who could destroy the body and annihilate the soul with a single halberd strike, unmatched within the Void Refining realm,
Trickster Immortal Li Yunbing, full of cunning schemes and ruthless methods,
Array Dao Grandmaster Li Tianqi,
Thousand-Mile Divine Archer Li Changyao,
Realm Dao Bodhisattva Li Kuanghua,
Ancient Saint Li Xinnian…
Every single one of these names was enough to make the hearts of the world tremble.
It was as if a powerful hidden faction had risen like a dazzling new star.
This was especially true for the “Ancient Saint” Li Xinnian, who had reached such a profound realm at just over four hundred years of age, causing others in the world to no longer dare call themselves geniuses.
Today, young cultivators on the streets of the Imperial Capital all carried portraits of Li Xinnian, idolizing him without exception.
Generally speaking, one could hardly be called a “Saint” before reaching the Body Integration realm.
The fact that the world referred to Li Xinnian as the “Ancient Saint” meant one thing: this man possessed the undeniable potential to reach the Body Integration realm.
Yet, this was the very faction Perfected Qiuyue insisted on provoking.
Some officials rejoiced, while others stepped a few paces away from Perfected Qiuyue, mostly treating the situation as a spectacle to observe.
As Perfected Qiuyue’s words fell.
Seeing the chaos in the court, Wenren Xianyi gently raised her delicate hand.
A female attendant beside her shouted “Silence!” at the top of her lungs.
Only then did Wenren Xianyi ask casually, “Ten deadly sins. Do you have evidence?”
“I do!”
“This humble one has something to say.”
A calm voice rang out simultaneously with Perfected Qiuyue’s response.
From behind the curtain, Li Chang slowly stood up.
He smoothed out his robes and, under the gazes of everyone present, pushed open the curtain and walked into the center of the court.
Although he only held a Fourth Grade official rank, no one in the court dared to underestimate Li Chang.
Residing permanently in the Imperial Capital, he was the Li Clan member who appeared most frequently in the royal court over the past few centuries, representing the entire Azure Cloud Li Clan.
“You are a mere musician! What right do you have to speak in the royal court?!!”
Before anyone else could speak, a woman in the court shouted coldly.
She wore a simple, elegant long dress, her pure and innocent face inspiring pity, yet she glared fiercely at Li Chang.
Zishu Ling.
Because the men of the Zishu royal family failed to live up to expectations, more women of the Zishu family had appeared in the royal court.
Li Chang didn’t even spare Zishu Ling’er a glance.
Back when the Zishu family wanted a marriage alliance with the Li Clan, had he not already been married, and had Xinghuo not married Zishu Wandong, he might have been the one forced to marry this superficial “songbird” with an incredibly grating voice.
He silently walked to the center and scanned the crowd.
In the past, he had been submissive in the court, and the family’s strength hadn’t allowed him to stand tall. Moreover, he naturally had a peaceful temperament.
But after threatening Wu Neng of the Immortal Suppression Department, Li Chang realized that sometimes being too gentle was useless.
Just look at Wu Neng; after that incident, he had become much more obedient.
“Aside from being a musician, this humble one’s surname is also Li.
I share the guilt of my family. Since I am a ‘person bearing guilt,’ I surely cannot be expected to let my Li Clan suffer accusations without the right to speak.”
Li Chang cast a sidelong glance at Zishu Ling.
“As for you, miss, at least this humble one possesses an official rank. What do you have? His Majesty has numerous descendants; what exactly do you amount to?”
“You…” Zishu Ling’s expression changed.
“As for the ‘ten deadly sins’ Perfected Qiuyue mentioned, it is quite amusing.”
Li Chang laughed and said,
“You are in the Imperial Capital, while numerous almighty experts are in the Western Border.
My Li Clan operates under their command. Yet, even the almighty experts haven’t held us accountable or noticed these so-called ‘ten deadly sins.’
Instead, it is Perfected Qiuyue who has discovered them.
The Perfected One truly possesses immense capabilities; even the almighty experts cannot compare to you.”
“Hahaha!”
Perfected Qiuyue also laughed loudly. Fortunately, he had anticipated this day and made ample preparations.
He sneered, “What an eloquent Li Chang, nothing but sophistry! Did you truly think I had no evidence?”
Li Chang furrowed his brows.
With a wave of Perfected Qiuyue’s hand, cultivators outside the great hall escorted a man inside.
The City Lord of Highsun City, Feng Tu!
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Empress, this is Feng Tu, the City Lord of Highsun City.
He witnessed with his own eyes the members of the Azure Cloud Li Clan killing the Crown Prince!
He also witnessed the Li Clan slaughtering Bi Shihu’s three armies!”
Covered in scars, Feng Tu fell to his knees in the great hall, looking around at the assembled officials.
He had defended Highsun City with his life.
Before he could even enjoy the military merits rewarded by the Imperial Dynasty, he had been dragged to the Imperial Capital by these wolves and tigers.
He didn’t even know what had happened. But now he understood: these dignitaries filling the court wanted to make the rising star that was the Li Clan fall.
These beasts were even more terrifying than the Wu Tribe.
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