What the demon lord didn’t understand was that her care for Chong Zhao wasn’t only born out of childhood friendship or guilt for abandoning an arranged marriage. The real reason she would sacrifice anything to protect him was because it had been her own father, General Bai Xun, who had personally delivered the evidence of Chong family’s treason to the imperial court.
Her father had acted with a minister’s duty, but Chong Zhao—what wrong had he committed? She owed him, and nothing short of her own life could repay that debt.
Bai Shuo’s gaze was filled with both shame and honesty, as if she had always been waiting for this moment.
Chong Zhao, hardened by years of celestial cultivation, quickly pieced together the truth. His father’s crime, it seemed, was not as clear-cut as he had once believed.
The whole world might have falsely condemned his family, but not General Bai Xun. His father had been indebted to Bai Xun, their families had been connected through marriage, and they’d been close allies for decades. Bai Xun had no reason to covet power, nor to act out of anything but royal decree.
But why? Why had Bai Xun personally uncovered this?
"The General’s Household… General Bai…" Chong Zhao whispered, his hands bleeding from the burns, though he seemed not to notice. He looked at Bai Shuo, mumbling, "Why… why was it your family that condemned mine? Why? Why?"
"A-Zhao," Bai Shuo’s voice caught as guilt flooded her eyes.
Suddenly, he lifted his head, meeting her gaze intensely. "The case against my family… did it all start with the private army at Mu Xiao Mountain?"
Bai Shuo choked up and nodded. "Yes. A-Zhao, I… I’m sorry. It was my fault…"
"You have nothing to apologize for. My family’s treason… I am a traitor’s son. General Bai saved my life, giving me a chance to live. I owe you a life debt, not the other way around."
In his heart, Chong Zhao knew that everything had started with his own choices back then. If only he’d known the truth, if only he hadn’t called up that private army recklessly, perhaps… perhaps he could have convinced his father to abandon his rebellion. Perhaps the Chong family might have been spared.
Stumbling back into the cell, he let out a bitter laugh.
"How laughable. I spent years cultivating, all in the name of redressing an injustice, to avenge the Chong family by killing the Ziwei Star…" He lowered his head, his expression unreadable, with a twisted smirk that seemed almost painful.
"After all this, I’m the biggest fool of them all. Thirty-six lashes of the punishment whip mean nothing. I should’ve been dead long ago." He lifted his head again, looking at her. "The General did nothing wrong; it was the Chong family that bore the guilt. But even so, the hundred souls of my family watch me from below…" He struck his own chest forcefully, spitting out blood.
"A-Zhao!" Bai Shuo cried out in terror. "What are you doing?!"
His eyes, blood-red, glinted with a dark energy—violent and clouded. Bai Shuo’s heart skipped with fear.
"A-Shuo, I can accept anyone’s kindness in this world, except that of your Bai family." His voice was thick with emotion. "For saving my life and your years of protection, Bai Shuo, today, I return everything to you!"
Chong Zhao closed his eyes and struck his spirit core with a powerful blow.
A flash of celestial energy surged out, sending a stronger golden light bursting from the Phoenix Hall. Outside, Qing Yi’s expression changed as he flung open the doors and rushed in, only to freeze at the scene before him.
The golden barrier imprisoning Chong Zhao had been torn apart. Bai Shuo, covered in blood, was tightly holding onto Chong Zhao. His hand, which had been aimed at his own spirit core, had instead struck her shoulder, and the sickening sound of bones breaking echoed through the hall. Bai Shuo’s arm hung limp and broken.
“Bai Shuo!” Qing Yi cried out, momentarily too shocked to approach.
Ignoring her shattered arm, Bai Shuo clung to Chong Zhao with her other hand, her eyes wide and desperate. “A-Zhao, this isn’t your fault. It’s mine—all of it’s my fault. Please don’t blame yourself. Just live, okay? Just live…”
Chong Zhao stared blankly at her tear-streaked, blood-covered face. The darkness in his eyes faded, replaced by a painful mixture of sorrow and compassion. He reached out, trying to touch her broken arm but hesitated, his hand trembling. Finally, he nodded, his voice hoarse.
“Alright, A-Shuo. I’ll… I’ll confess. I’ll go to Celestial Lord Jin Yao…”
Just as he finally said these words, a deep bell rang out from the center of Phoenix Island. Moments later, a powerful surge of lightning ripped across the sky—a thunderclap in broad daylight that shook the entire Phoenix Hall.
“What’s happening?” Bai Shuo and Chong Zhao looked around in confusion.
“That’s Thunder Immortal Jing Lei’s Punishment Whip!” Qing Yi muttered, looking at Chong Zhao in surprise. “Could it be that someone is taking the punishment on your behalf in the main hall?”
“Uncle Master?!”
“Master?!” Chong Zhao’s face went pale. He turned into a flash of light, rushing straight toward the main hall.
Bai Shuo tried to follow, but Qing Yi held her back. “Bai Shuo, you’re seriously injured!”
With a pale face, Bai Shuo hurriedly grabbed a few pills from her dimensional pouch, swallowing them quickly. “Master Qing Yi, I’ll be fine. Master Song Feng’s old wounds haven’t fully healed—if he’s the one taking Thunder Immortal Jing Lei’s thirty-six lashes, it will be dangerous!”
Realizing why Chong Zhao had left even an injured Bai Shuo behind, Qing Yi nodded and helped her as they both rushed toward the main hall.
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