Chapter 1121: Pressured Into a Corner
Chairs ground against the floor as many officials got up and backed away. A large space opened up around Yu Yanluo. It was clear that after seeing the striking resemblance between Yu Yanluo and the Medusa Empress, the others already believed what Xu Yu and Xiao Yao had said.
Zu An had also examined the sculpture in that scene carefully. At first glance, the sculpture did seem to greatly resemble Yu Yanluo, but upon closer inspection, there seemed to be quite a few differences.
The sculpture’s age and temperament made her seem a bit more mature, and a sort of bewitching and dignified presence emanated from her. It made one feel as if they were looking at a powerful and dignified fiend deity, one who looked over all of the world’s suffering. Her eyes in particular looked beautiful and dangerous. Even looking at them through the screen had made the spectators’ fine hairs stand up.
Yu Yanluo’s presence, on the other hand, made people feel comfortable and relaxed. Perhaps because she had inherited her father’s outstanding genes, her face was more delicate and gentle. Comparatively speaking, she was a bit prettier.
Just then, Xiao Yao said, “This is the sculpture the Snake race built for the last generation’s Medusa. All you need is one look to understand that everything I said was true.”
Even the officials who were closest to the Yu clan looked at Yu Yanluo in shock. They didn’t dare speak another word for Yu Yanluo.
Yu Yanluo didn’t retort, and instead stared at the stone sculpture in a daze. There even seemed to be some tears flickering in her eyes.
Zu An sighed. Come on, I know you’re moved because you’re seeing your mother, but you can’t give it all away now, can you? Helpless to do anything else, he could only get up and say, “Using a recording mirror alone to prove Madam Yu is the Medusa is stretching it a bit, don’t you think? After all, it’s possible to falsify a recording too.”
He had just seen Yu Yanluo tamper with a recording stone herself. How the tides had turned.
Whenever he had spoken up for Yu Yanluo before, some officials had voiced their agreement, but this time, there were none. Even though there was no conclusive proof, they had all realized what was going on when they saw the statue’s appearance.
Xiao Yao shook his head. Xu Yu asked, “Sir Zu, are you saying that Brother Xiao forged the recording stone? Brother Xiao might behave a bit wanton and unrestrained normally, but he’s an upright person. Everyone knows his deeds from his earlier years. Why would someone like him produce something like a forgery?”
Zu An said, “Madam Yu has always been gentle and kind. Why are all of you so certain that she’s from the fiend races?”
Xu Yu’s breath caught briefly. But as someone who occupied such an important position, his reactions were fast too. He replied, “This humble official knows that Sir Zu has always been quite close to Madam Yu, so you aren’t willing to believe this matter. If Sir Zu still doesn’t believe me, we can have a specialist examine this recording stone to check for signs of forgery.”
Zu An sighed in admiration inwardly. Xu Yu had made it sound as if he had only spoken up because of his relationship with Yu Yanluo and not for public justice, which greatly reduced the credibility of his future statement.
“Whether or not the recording stone is real or fake, naturally, it needs to be sent back to the capital to be examined by a specialist.” He did his best to stall for time, continuing, “Let’s not discuss whether it’s real for now. Nothing is too bizarre in this world; two people being unrelated by blood, and yet bearing remarkably similar appearances, is something that’s happened before. Are you going to claim Madam Yu is the Medusa just because she looks like this stone statue?”
Xu Yu calmly said, “The world is indeed large, but everyone, please think back to the past. There were only rumors about how those two met back then; no one truly saw any of it. But now, Madam Yu looks identical to the female Medusa. Furthermore, the Yu clan has covered up their trade with the fiend races. This is already enough proof.”
The other officials who were close to Xu Yu all voiced their agreement. Many people even began to criticize Zu An, accusing him of defending Yu Yanluo out of lust.
Zu An exclaimed furiously, “Who were the ones who were frantically trying to curry favor with Madam Yu earlier? And yet all of you are now calling me the one who covets beauty?!”
His cultivation had been growing more and more profound. Furthermore, now that his soul had formed, his rage-filled glare had a powerful intimidation effect. Many of the officials mumbled complaints, but they didn’t dare to maintain eye contact with him.
Yu Yanluo finally snapped out of her daze and said, “This humble one will not claim to have strived to my utmost, but I have done many good things for Cloudcenter Commandery, and even the world’s people. I have never performed any outrageous acts. If the reason Sir Xu has called me over today is only for such senseless things, then pardon me for not keeping everyone company any longer.”
She was a clan leader, and between that and her bloodline, she wasn’t as weak as an ordinary woman. Staying further would prove disadvantageous for her, so her first priority was to return to her base camp first. She would gather the forces loyal to her, then respond.
“You want to leave?” Xiao Yao retorted with a cold expression. He drew his sword and blocked her path.
Yu Yanluo didn’t feel any fear. With a wave of her hand, the World Painting emerged to protect her. She said, “Could it be that you all wish to condemn me without proof…”
However, her expression suddenly changed halfway through her sentence. The World Painting fell to the ground, and she also fell backward weakly.
Zu An moved quickly to support her, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Yanluo’s complexion was pale. She stared at the teacup on the table and exclaimed, “I was poisoned!”
Because of her shocking beauty, many people had targeted her with ulterior motives. She was normally always careful whenever she ate or drank. But this time, since it was a gathering of the high-level figures of Cloudcenter Commandery, and even Zu An and the Imperial Envoy were present, she hadn’t expected someone to poison her in such a situation. That was how she had fallen prey to the plot.
Zu An glared at Xu Yu and called out, “Mister Xu, you dare feed us poison? What exactly are you planning?”
The other officials were alarmed. They began to transfer their ki to examine their own conditions. Xu Yu reached out his hand to appease them, saying, “Don’t worry, everyone. Only Yu Yanluo’s tea had Hundred Flora Powder added to it.”
Xiao Yao frowned and asked, “Xu Yu, what is the meaning of this?” As a proud and aloof individual, he naturally couldn't bear to see such treacherous behavior.
Xu Yu explained, “Brother Xiao, I know your sword skills are great, but if you really fought, it would be bad regardless of which side was injured. That’s why I sought out this drug to first restrain the suspect. Once we’ve reported things to the court, his majesty will come to a decision. Brother Xiao, please don’t worry. This drug temporarily prevents one from using ki; it isn’t a highly toxic drug.”
Even though Xiao Yao was discontent, there wasn’t much he could say. Instead, Zu An said coldly, “Sir Xu, the Imperial Envoy is here, and yet you didn’t discuss things with him and instead acted on your own. Furthermore, you’ve used an underhanded method. Do you have no respect for the court’s laws?”
Xu Yu cupped his hands toward Sang Hong and explained “The reason why I didn’t contact Sir Sang ahead of time is mainly because Yu Yanluo’s status is too important. A slight mishap would throw all of Cloudcenter Commandery into turmoil and calamity. Furthermore, it’s clear to see that Sir Zu and Yu Yanluo are close friends. For fear that someone might act on impulse, I had to act first. I hope Sir Sang can forgive me.”
The expressions of those present turned strange, because things really had turned out as Xu Yu had expected. Zu An had long been protecting Yu Yanluo. If they had told him ahead of time, Yu Yanluo might already have been prepared for this situation.
Zu An was about to speak when Sang Hong interrupted, saying, “Sir Xu was indeed considering the bigger picture.” Then, he looked at Zu An and continued, “Sir Zu, Madam Yu has saved you before, so it is only natural that you are worried about her. However, this case is related to the human and fiend races’ thousand-year grudge; it is not something to treat lightly. We will investigate the truth. If Madam Yu was wrongly blamed, we will naturally uphold justice for her.”
Xu Yu felt deep admiration. This Sang Hong was an old fox after all. He had downplayed Zu An’s act of saving Yu Yanluo as just a repayment of gratitude, which made it seem that he wasn’t coveting beauty or acting against the court. Not even his majesty could punish Zu An over the matter in the future. Furthermore, Sang Hong had inserted himself into the investigation. Even if more intelligence arrived, he could no longer hide it from Sang Hong.
Sang Hong spoke to Zu An through ki, sounding a bit anxious. “Ah Zu, the humans and fiends have a deep grudge of blood; it’s not something anyone can resolve. Don’t involve yourself. Even if you aren’t worried about yourself, you have to think about the people waiting for you back at the capital!”
He knew that Zu An normally acted carefree, but he actually had a stubborn side to him deep down. If Zu An really did fall for this situation, the consequences would be difficult to fix. He didn’t want his own daughter to become a widow before she even married, or for his grandson to lose a father before he was even born.
Zu An’s expression changed several times. He was clearly carrying out an intense internal struggle.
Yu Yanluo’s lips moved slightly as she said softly, “Sir Zu, lower your head. I have something to say to you.”
Zu An knew she couldn't use her ki normally and couldn't communicate in private through ki. He lowered his head and moved over. Yu Yanluo gestured towards him, saying in a gentle and soft voice, “Move a bit closer.”
Even thought Sang Hong didn’t feel much for the other sex anymore, he was still a bit shaken up when he heard that. This woman really is a seductive fox after all! No wonder Zu An was smitten by her. For the sake of his own daughter, he was naturally unhappy to see a rival as powerful as Yu Yanluo.
The other officials felt great jealousy. Yu Yanluo looked as if she were about to bite down on Zu An’s ear as her lips moved slightly. Even though they knew she was the Medusa and felt a bit of fear, this woman was still just too beautiful!
There were countless people who had fantasized about this woman speaking words of endearment to them. They had never expected to see her act so intimate with another man that way. Many people even regretted not speaking out for her earlier. So what if she was a Medusa? Wasn’t her father also a human who had married a Medusa?