CH 46

Chapter 46: Turmoil at the Banquet (Complete)

"Everyone is here."

Ao Yu walked out from the side hall, his expression indifferent as he scanned the immortals. The hem of his black and gold robe fluttered in the wind, and the cold moonlight accentuated the fierceness in his pale golden eyes.

With each step he took, the air around him seemed to grow heavy, as if a giant ax suspended by silk threads hung over the heads of the immortals.

Bai Ze and the Flower Goddess hurriedly approached with concern. "Ao Yu, what happened? Please don't act recklessly!"

They felt uneasy in their hearts. They had only seen Ao Yu in this state during fierce battles in the depths of the abyss. If he truly went on a killing spree now, it wouldn't be impossible. A cold smile curved on Ao Yu's face as his gaze shifted past Bai Ze and the others, landing on Chang Xiao, who was in a disheveled state.

Chang Xiao felt his heart tremble under Ao Yu's gaze. He gently set down the little ones in his arms and anxiously locked eyes with Lady Xianyue, his expression filled with confusion.

Lady Xianyue cautiously asked, "Dragon Lord, do you have something to ask Chang Xiao?"

Ao Yu spoke calmly, "Yun Zhao's drink was tampered with, and Kongming barged in and called out to Chang Xiao. I'm curious, what would they see if I weren't here?"

His words caused an uproar among the immortals.

A bone-chilling sensation crept up from the soles of Chang Xiao's feet. His mind went blank, and he desperately forced himself to recall the previous scene. "I was eating pastries with Yan Yuan at the waterside pavilion... I was relieving myself in the corner... and then..."

And then he walked onto the long bridge and was struck by the Wu Mu. But why did he go onto the bridge in the first place?

Wasn't he supposed to be at the waterside pavilion?

The more Chang Xiao tried to remember, the more his temples throbbed, as if countless fine steel needles were piercing his mind.

"Ah... ah..." Holding his head in pain, Chang Xiao fell to his knees, and Lady Xianyue hurriedly embraced him.

Anxiety filled Lady Xianyue's voice as she asked, "Chang Xiao, what's wrong with you?"

Wu Mu transformed back into a young boy, who said, "I encountered Chang Xiao on the bridge and accidentally knocked him into the water..."

The black-clad young boy watched Chang Xiao's painful state, twisting his hands nervously, fearing that he might have damaged this guy's brain...

When Wu Mu saw everyone looking at him, he added in a low voice, "I did ask him to move aside, but he couldn't hear me no matter what. It's not my fault! I fell into the water too... It's all because the little ferret pounced on me!"

Upon hearing this, the little ferret struggled in Fairy Xiaguang's arms, seemingly ready for another fight.

Qing Jiao among the crowd understood what had happened. All their plans had been ruined by these damn brats.

He gritted his teeth, realizing that he had to disassociate himself from the situation for now.

Kongming asked, "Chang Xiao, do you not remember why you went out or why you went onto the bridge?"

Lady Xianyue also asked, "Yes, where were you planning to go at that time?"

Clutching his throbbing and almost bursting head, Chang Xiao painfully replied, "I... I don't remember..."

Bai Ze quickly approached and held his wrist, channeling divine power to calm him down.

The Flower Goddess also spoke to Ao Yu, saying, "Since Yun Zhao is also involved, should I go in and check on him?"

Ao Yu's icy gaze swept over the Flower Goddess's face. Just as she was about to feel as if he could see through her soul, he spoke sparingly, "Yes."

The Flower Goddess breathed a sigh of relief and pushed open the door, entering the side hall to check on Yun Zhao's condition.

Bai Yu and Si Wuchen exchanged glances and then asked, "What kind of drink did Yun Zhao have?"

Fairy Xiaguang touched her chin in recollection and said, "I saw a maid bring him a cup of wine in a glass vessel, saying it was brought by Kongming."

Qing Jiao smirked and said, "It seems that the wine from Kongming is the problem."

Upon seeing everyone's gaze fixed on him again, Kongming felt a prickling sensation on his back.

He quickly waved his hands and said, "There's nothing wrong with my wine! Besides, we all drank a lot of it earlier!"

Qing Jiao raised an eyebrow and said, "That's not so certain."

"What do you mean?" Kongming stubbornly stood his ground, fueled by the alcohol, and was about to approach Qing Jiao for a confrontation when his old friends stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing!" Kongming blurted out, his neck stiff. His alcohol-induced vigor made him want to confront Qing Jiao, but his old friends held him back. "Why would I harm Yun Zhao and Chang Xiao? Don't you talk nonsense!"

Amidst the commotion in the courtyard, Bai Ze stood up, straightened his sleeves, and said coldly, "Chang Xiao has been controlled before, there are traces of damage to his divine consciousness, and he... should have ingested some aphrodisiac as well."

Lady Xianyue's eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes were filled with a chilling murderous intent. "Bastard! Daring to plot against my clan member! I'll kill this person to avenge Chang Xiao!"

Fairy Xiaguang rubbed her forehead. Another person had lost their sanity.

At that moment, the Flower Goddess's voice came from the inner chamber, "Ao Yu, Yun Zhao is fine now. He said the drink was given to him by the maid Mingyuan. He came to the side hall to fetch clothes only after she said the little ferret fell into the water."

"Mingyuan?" Ao Yu furrowed his brow and said to Bai Ze, "Go find her."

Just as Bai Ze was about to head towards the pavilion, he saw Sun Yang staggering while supporting someone as they walked over.

Sun Yang shook off the maid from his body and said, "No need to look for her. She suddenly self-destructed her divine soul in the pavilion and is no longer alive."

Everyone exchanged glances, their faces full of disbelief.

"Well, this is quite a coincidence," Lady Xianyue stood up, staring coldly at the maid's lifeless body on the ground.

She then walked up to Ao Yu and said seriously, "Dragon Lord, I swear on behalf of my Clan that we have absolutely nothing to do with this matter!"

Master Kongming, having regained his composure while looking at the corpse on the ground, said, "I brought the drugged wine, and I had the wolf clan's maid deliver it. Then I lured Chang Xiao and Yun Zhao to the side hall. This old man has seen quite a lot!"

Ao Yu remained silent, leaning against the door railing. However, his dragon soul in the sky gradually approached the ground, its sharp teeth exposed.

Suddenly, Lady Xianyue remembered something and turned to look at Qing Jiao, squinting her eyes, "Qing Jiao, you seemed quite surprised when Chang Xiao came over just now."

Without any evidence, Qing Jiao remained calm and composed, as if attending a casual tea party. "Please be cautious with your words, Lady. I did see Chang Xiao go out, and his appearance when he came over would surprise anyone."

Bai Yu hit the nail on the head, saying, "It's not because of his disheveled appearance that you were surprised, but rather the timing of his arrival."

Qing Jiao glared at him with resentment, no longer saying anything. He retreated behind his own clan members, wearing a look of aggrieved innocence.

At that moment, the door to the side hall opened, and the Flower Goddess walked out, saying, "The wine Yun Zhao drank contained purple vine flower essence, which acts as an aphrodisiac when consumed with herbs."

"So that's how it is." Ao Yu looked straight at Qing Jiao, his voice devoid of any warmth. "I remember that just before the banquet started, you suddenly sent us herbs."

The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan spoke in a deep voice, "Long Jun (Dragon Lord), we understand your anger, but it doesn't mean we can tolerate you splashing dirty water on us!"

Tears glistened faintly in Qing Jiao's eyes as he softly explained, "Lord Ao Yu, Yun Zhao is also a member of our clan. There was a misunderstanding during the banquet, and the herbs were sent by my grandfather as an apology on my behalf. There was no other meaning behind it."

He cried, tears streaming down his face, evoking sympathy from some of the scattered immortals. "It might not necessarily be him. It wouldn't benefit them either."

"True, it could just be a misunderstanding..."

"I can't take it anymore. The pressure here is suffocating me. Give me some space to sit down."

The immortals began to discuss among themselves, while Lady Xianyue stared coldly at Qing Jiao, clearly not believing his words.

At that moment, Ao Yu descended the steps and approached Qing Jiao amidst everyone's puzzled gazes.

Ao Yu's eyes were indifferent, and his voice sounded like the low chant of an abyssal demon in Qing Jiao's ears.

He said, "Whether it's true or false, a soul search will reveal."

"Soul search?!"

The immortals were shocked, as if they had been hit by an unprecedented impact.

The pupils of the chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan dilated instantly, his voice trembling as he tried to stop Ao Yu. "Ao Yu! Do you know that soul searching is as painful as a thousand snakes piercing the heart? How can you utter such malicious words!"

Qing Jiao's face turned deathly pale in an instant, devoid of any trace of color. Soul searching was forcibly extracting memories using divine power, and even divine beings couldn't withstand the pain it brought.

He tried to make his voice sound less desperate and shouted, "You can't perform a soul search on me without evidence! You, you can't do this!"

Ao Yu raised his hand, casually brushing away the purple-robed official blocking Qing Jiao's path. In the blink of an eye, his dragon claw, condensed from clouds and mist, gripped Qing Jiao's neck and yanked forcefully.

Qing Jiao let out a cry of pain as he was thrown to the ground by the dragon claw, his face turning red as he coughed. "You, you can't!"

The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan rushed over, hugging Qing Jiao in distress, his eyes glaring with fury. "Ao Yu! Don't think that you can act lawlessly just because you've regained your spiritual power!"

However, everything seemed futile in the face of absolute power.

Ao Yu sneered, his boots mercilessly stomping on Qing Jiao's chest, as if he was looking down on an ant on the ground. "He says there's no evidence. Let me perform a search, and the evidence will emerge, won't it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the floating dragon claw instantly plunged into Qing Jiao's mind. The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan's pupils widened, and he heard his grandson's sharp, agonized cry in his ears, "Ah—I'm in so much pain! Grandfather, save me!"

The young master's wailing brought the other Mountain Spirit clansmen back to their senses, and they took out their weapons, ready to rush forward.

"Step back!"

Ao Yu turned his head slightly, and black mist surged around him, exuding a fierce killing intent that shook the ground.

No one dared to approach and obstruct him anymore. The fear made them tremble uncontrollably, retreating like ants.

The cries of Qing Jiao sent shivers down the spines of the immortals. The Flower Goddess sighed and presented the Water Moon Mirror, which began reflecting scenes within its surface.

-- Grandfather, Ao Yu is severely injured and crippled. How can you allow me to marry him? Why can't I just find someone else in the clan to replace him?

-- A young man dressed in bridal attire, wearing deer antler ornaments, was bound and forced into a bridal sedan. A voice filled with mockery resounded, "Two wastes, matched together."

-- Chang Xiao, tell me, why is he here?

-- He's just climbing the social ladder. How could he remember where he came from? Grandfather, you've become muddled. Let everything return to its original state and let me fulfill this marriage contract.

The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan was consumed with anger, staring at the mirror and shaking his head self-deceptively. "No... This isn't..."

However, nobody paid attention to his feeble and unconvincing defense. The mirror continued to display scenes of the elegant and noble young master of the Mountain Spirits controlling Chang Xiao to go to a side hall and manipulating a maid to self-destruct her divine essence.

Scene after scene left the immortals too stunned to utter a word, and their gaze towards Qing Jiao gradually filled with disgust.

"How could someone who looks like a dashing young nobleman have such a malicious heart!"

"Kongming and Chang Xiao are really unlucky..."

"He despised the Dragon Lord when he was injured before, and now he shamelessly approaches him!"

Ao Yu raised his hand, instructing the dragon claw to withdraw from Qing Jiao's mind. Qing Jiao writhed in unbearable pain, convulsing and collapsing on the ground like a dead dog.

Ao Yu looked coldly at his pitiful state, his eyes full of mockery as he gazed at the ash-gray-faced chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan. "You see, the evidence has emerged, hasn't it?"

The courtyard grew increasingly quiet, the atmosphere freezing. Even the discerning individuals could see that the Dragon Lord before them was now in a state of rage.

The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan's lips trembled, and he pointed at Ao Yu, but no words came out.

Before Qing Jiao, who was still gasping for breath on the ground, could take a breath, Lady Xianyue grabbed him and slapped him across the face with a loud "smack."

She exclaimed angrily, "How dare you control Chang Xiao twice!"

The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan hurriedly intervened, protecting Qing Jiao in his embrace.

He felt both anxious and angry, but faking a soul search was impossible. He gritted his teeth and yielded, "Calm down, my lady. Qing Jiao acted recklessly. He's still a child, and it was his long-standing admiration for Dragon Lord Ao Yu that led him to make this mistake. Once he recovers, he will personally apologize and make amends to the Wolf Clan!"

Lady Xianyue's face was covered in frost, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. She sneered, "Once he recovers? You're delusional."

The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan's heart skipped a beat, and he replied, "What else do you want?"

He never believed that these immortals would do anything now that the truth was exposed. After all, the damage caused wasn't significant, and a sincere apology and compensation were already sufficient.

"Do you really think," Lady Xianyue turned around and stepped back, coming to Ao Yu's side, "that the Dragon Lord will let you all leave unscathed?"

The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan and Qing Jiao in his arms were struck as if by lightning. They looked around in terror as black mist seeped up from the ground, enveloping Qing Jiao completely.

"Grandfather, save me!" Disregarding any semblance of dignity, Qing Jiao screamed in terror, the sound piercingly shrill.

The chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan simultaneously used his magic to dispel the black mist while shouting, "Ao Yu, have you gone mad? Qing Jiao is an immortal! Do you want to kill him?"

Bai Ze and the Flower Goddess were also somewhat panicked. Immortals should not be indiscriminately killed. They weren't worried about Qing Jiao, but rather about whether killing him would provoke the wrath of the heavens.

However, whether it was the comforting words or the warning cries, none of them had any effect on Ao Yu. The shining golden Dragon Soul descended, its tail striking the chief of the Mountain Spirit Clan and slamming him against the stone wall, creating a web of cracks.

Long-suppressed killing intent surged from the depths of Ao Yu's heart. The Dragon Soul roared like tumultuous waves, and Ao Yu's black mist lifted Qing Jiao into the air.

Qing Jiao's five senses were bleeding, and he reached out from within the black mist, struggling as he said, "Yun Zhao... cough... Yun Zhao won't let you kill me... You can't kill his clansmen..."

"Unfortunately, I won't let him know."

As Ao Yu uttered his final words, the black mist engulfed his remaining body without mercy, swirling and mingling with ghostly wails.

"Peng!"

With a loud bang, the entire mass of black mist exploded, leaving behind only a small cluster of white ash that scattered on the ground like inconspicuous dust.

Amidst the shocked gazes of the immortals, Ao Yu calmly walked up to the pile of white ash, casually kicked it towards the trembling purple-clad official, and looked down at them from a superior position, saying, "Go, take your young master back."

After speaking, he retracted the barrier and said in a calm tone, "The truth has been revealed. You are free to do as you wish."

The immortals had not yet recovered their senses as they watched Ao Yu, who had just crushed Qing Jiao into ashes, turn around without a second glance and enter the side hall. They looked at each other, all sitting on the ground, slowly regaining their composure.

Inside the side hall.

Ao Yu sat by the bedside, where the youth's flushed face had subsided and he had fallen into a deep sleep. At this moment, the door was pushed open with a loud noise, and disheveled footsteps echoed on the floor.

Bai Ze, who had regained his senses, was both angry and anxious. "How could you completely annihilate his soul!"

Ao Yu's gaze remained on Yunzhao's face as he raised his hand to help him cover his antlers. He spoke in a calm voice, "I know what I'm doing."

"Know my ass!" Bai Ze exclaimed in pain and frustration. "Aren't you afraid of being struck down by the heavens?"

"I will stay in the bamboo forest during this time and take care of him. Don't let him come over," Ao Yu lightly brushed his fingers over the youth's delicate cheek and then turned to head towards the bamboo forest on the back mountain, leaving Bai Ze stunned.

Bai Ze slumped beside Yun Zhao's bed, gazing at the figure walking away, murmuring, "He wasn't this infatuated when they got married..."