“I’ve heard that Wu Ming Mountain held two Wu Tong Heart Fires—one for our celestial clan and one for the demon clan. I won’t mention the one obtained by the Fox clan, and while Prince Mu Jiu may be highly skilled and well-known across the three realms, what about that boy? On what grounds does he possess the celestial clan’s Heart Fire? That Heart Fire, by all right and reason, should belong to Lord Bei Chen or Brother Nan Wan!”
The intoxicated words of Shou’an made his intent clear to everyone.
Pointing disdainfully at Chong Zhao, Shou’an sneered, “A mere disciple from a declining sect in the Eastern Sea—what right does he have to take the Heart Fire of our celestial clan?”
Given Wu Liang Mountain’s dependence on Yun Xiao, it wasn’t surprising that Shou’an was standing up for Nan Wan. His words resonated with many celestial disciples in the hall, who, though silent, harbored similar discontent. They began whispering among themselves, casting scornful glances at Chong Zhao.
Despite Chong Zhao’s typically calm temperament, he couldn’t help but feel unsettled under the mocking stares from the entire hall.
Bei Chen furrowed his brow, about to speak, when the voice of the Yiren King rose from the throne, calm and steady.
“At the Yiren Tomb, this young celestial brother helped our people by calming the vengeful spirit of Rong Xian. He put in great effort and earned this Heart Fire fairly.”
“Your Majesty!” Shou’an, drunk and heedless of his earlier disgrace, interrupted the Yiren King. “Lord Bei Chen and Brother Nan Wan also entered Wu Ming Mountain—did they not also aid in calming Rong Xian’s vengeful spirit?”
“Yes, they did.”
“If that’s so, why was the Heart Fire given to this boy? Your Majesty, if it belongs to our celestial clan, shouldn’t we decide what’s fair or not? Since we’re unsatisfied, why not ask us celestial disciples who rightfully deserves the Wu Tong Heart Fire?”
Shou’an wasn’t entirely foolish—emboldened by drink and aware of the Yiren King’s need for the support of both clans, he appealed to the hall of celestial disciples as his backup.
Seeing Shou’an provoke the Yiren King, Bei Chen frowned. Since he had been the one to grant Chong Zhao the Heart Fire, he didn’t want the Yiren King to feel pressured. Just as Bei Chen was about to speak, the Yiren King signaled him to hold off.
“The Heart Fire was given to this disciple of the Ethereal Sect, and I believe I acted without bias,” the Yiren King said calmly, his tone a stark contrast to the courtesy he had shown the two clans earlier.
“Your Majesty, tomorrow you will open the Foreign City to the world. A small celestial sect like that can’t possibly protect the Yiren.” Seeing that the Yiren King was unmoved, Shou’an grew indignant.
How shameless! He was actually using the future safety of the Yiren as a threat to force the king into taking back the Wu Tong Heart Fire from A-Zhao! If not for Fan Yue holding her back, Bai Shuo would have been tempted to kick Shou’an a few times.
Initially, the celestial disciples had felt some resentment, but hearing Shou’an’s shameless words left them speechless. Though they envied Chong Zhao, it was another matter entirely to threaten the Yiren King by leveraging the lives of innocent Yiren citizens.
Exchanging the Yiren’s future security for control over the Heart Fire was an utterly disgraceful act—one they would never stoop to.
“Your Majesty, we do not share Shou’an’s intentions,” said a celestial disciple, his face reddening as he quickly stood to apologize.
On the throne, the Yiren King was silent, gazing down with his eyes half-closed, idly turning a wine cup in his hand, his expression unreadable.
The apologetic celestial disciple felt profoundly awkward, inwardly cursing Shou’an’s foolishness.
“So this is the ‘justice’ the celestials speak of? My Yiren clan has been trapped by your hypocritical values in this wasteland for a thousand years; it’s not worth it.”
A heavy sigh echoed from the throne.
The sigh was tinged with sorrow but carried a sharper edge of icy contempt.
From a distance, Bai Shuo raised her head suddenly, a sense of foreboding rising within her.
What’s going on? Was the Yiren King condemning the entire celestial clan over one Shou’an?
The weight of the Yiren King’s words was undeniable, and one of the celestial disciples who had just apologized couldn’t hold back.
“Your Majesty, while Shou’an was disrespectful, you shouldn’t insult our entire celestial clan.”
“What if I did?” The King of the Foreign City looked up, offering a cold smile.
The celestial disciple meeting his gaze paled, and as he tried to speak further, he was overcome by a sudden dizziness, spitting out a mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground without warning.
“Lan Shu Celestial Lord!”
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