Xiao Han's gaze glinted with malice, his voice sharp as a blade. "There is only one family in this city with a hatred deep enough to do something like this... The Jun Family. Only the Jun Family would be so sensitive to the 'Xiao' name... and only they would dare strike in such a way."
His words fell like a hammer, and the air in the chamber thickened.
"Think on it," Xiao Han pressed, eyes flashing cold light. "Did the Little Princess not say the man declared, 'I hate the Family name Xiao!'? That alone speaks volumes. He didn't rage at Silver Blizzard City, nor did he curse Tian Xiang's royals. His enmity was precise and aimed directly at our Xiao Family. Later, once Feng Wu revealed his identity, the man's fury turned to violence! Does this not tell you enough? The Silver Blizzard City may not be his enemy, but the Xiao Family certainly is! And as for Families who bear such hatred..."
He paused, his voice dripping with disdain.
"They are long dead. Only one remains in Tian Xiang, and that is Jun Wu Yi's Jun Family!"
The words struck with the weight of thunder.
The three Elders exchanged glances, their brows furrowing. For Xiao Han, blaming the Jun Family was almost second nature. Jun Wu Yi was his mortal enemy. But even he hadn't imagined how neatly the facts seemed to align this time.
"You vile cur!" Mu Xue Tong's voice cracked like a whip, his fury rising in a wave. "I always knew you to be venomous, Xiao Han, but I never thought you so shameless! Your feud with Jun Wu Yi is one thing, but to twist this incident into slander against him, this is despicable beyond words!"
Xiao Han barked back immediately, eyes burning. "Then why don't you explain it? Why such hostility? Why only against the Xiao Family?"
"Hostility?" Mu Xue Tong's laugh was sharp, like broken glass. "This was nothing but a misunderstanding! If that boy of yours hadn't been so arrogant, if he hadn't opened his mouth to provoke disaster, none of this would have happened! And if revenge had been the motive, do you truly think Feng Wu would still be breathing? That man acted with mercy!"
"Mercy?" Xiao Han's laugh was icy. "That man was cruel beyond reason! Look at Feng Wu, his life is worse than death! If this isn't hatred, then what is? And in Tian Xiang City, who else could muster such hatred against the Xiao Family? Who else would dare be so ruthless, even after hearing our ties to Silver Blizzard City?"
The arguments grew sharper, like blades clashing. For a moment, Xiao Han's words sounded dangerously convincing.
"Then tell me this!" Mu Xue Tong stepped forward, his robes billowing from his surge of Qi, eyes ablaze with fury. "In the Jun Family, who has this kind of strength?! Are you suggesting some of their youth have already stepped into Jade Xuan? Impossible! Our intelligence has catalogued every drop of their strength, even their shadowed ties! You tell me... who in their ranks meets these conditions?"
Xiao Han sneered, lips curling. "That old dog Jun Zhan Tian... is he not a Sky Xuan? For him, this would have been child's play. What proof do we have that he wasn't behind this?"
The chamber fell silent.
Then, as one, every man present turned to stare at him.
Their looks were not merely cold; they were the kind one reserved for fools.
Even the Eighth Elder, usually the most taciturn, gave him a look that said plainly: Are you mad?
If Jun Zhan Tian wanted to kill the Xiao Family, he would do it openly, with banners flying and trumpets blaring. He would not skulk about in forests, naked.
"That... that man was very young," The Little Princess finally spoke up, her voice trembling but resolute. Her teary eyes glistened as she recalled the scene. "He was far too young to be that old man's son, let alone the old man himself!"
Her words carried conviction. She had often heard tales of Jun Wu Yi's romance with her elder sister, and her heart held a gentle fondness for the Jun Family. To her, blaming them felt utterly wrong.
"Little Princess," Xiao Han hissed through clenched teeth, "you are too innocent. You do not understand. There are methods in this world... methods to transform one's face, even one's body. What if this were such a technique? And do not forget... Jun Wu Yi himself is a Sky Xuan! Running naked in the woods to exact revenge on the Xiao Family? Tell me, is that not his kind of lunacy?"
Mu Xue Tong exploded with rage. "Enough! Do not speak his name in vain! You know well his condition as he is already confined to his chair, and yet you dare weave this farce? What end do you seek, Xiao Han? If we laid this at Jun Wu Yi's feet and executed him, do you think the Eldest Princess of Silver Blizzard would stand idle? She would throw herself from the city's tallest peak to follow him into the afterlife! What would you gain from forcing such a tragedy?"
Xiao Han's chest heaved, his face red with fury. His lips parted, but no words came.
At that moment, the Little Princess's face suddenly drained of all color. Her lips trembled as she spoke, her voice carrying pure dread. "There is... one more thing I haven't told you..."
The hall froze, and every gaze fell upon her.
"What else?"
Her small frame shivered, as though the memory itself chilled her to the bone. "After that man left... the forest..."
Her eyes widened, horror flooding her voice. "The Maple Forest... it suddenly... disappeared. It turned to ash-gray, and then the wind came... and the entire forest crumbled into nothingness. It was gone... All of it... Just bare land left behind."
Her words echoed like a death knell.
The three Elders shot to their feet at once. Even the Eighth Elder abandoned Feng Wu's side, his hand slipping away from the boy's chest, allowing more blood to gush from his lips as he convulsed.
"Are you certain?!" Their voices overlapped, thunderous, trembling with disbelief. "Do you swear this is true?"
One could not fault their reaction. For men who had studied the mysteries of Xuan Qi their entire lives, who had delved into legends long forgotten, this account was beyond comprehension.
The Silver Blizzard City had spent countless generations gathering relics, decoding treasures, studying the laws of Qi, all in search of a way to surpass the very limits of human cultivation.
Yet now, a nameless man had shown a power that shattered those boundaries.
The Third Elder's voice was grim, steady despite the storm raging in his mind. "We act immediately. I will accompany the Little Princess back to the Maple Forest. We must see this with our own eyes. Xiao Han, you will notify the Tian Xiang Royal Family at once and summon their imperial physician. Spare no expense, Feng Wu must be saved. Eighth Brother, you will remain here to guard the Magnificent Jewel Hall. Dispatch a messenger pigeon to Silver Blizzard, ask if this could have been the Xue Hun Manor's doing, though I doubt it. Mu Xue Tong, you will follow your Sixth Uncle to the Jun Family to gauge their reaction. See if they hide such an expert in their ranks. They remain under suspicion, however unlikely."
He swept his gaze across them, his tone carrying unshakable authority.
"This matter must be handled swiftly and with utmost caution. We move at once."
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Spoilers for the next five chapters!
Chapter 131: A Terrifying Realization
Chapter 132: The Unwelcomed Visit
Chapter 133: Spirit Xuan's Arrogance
Chapter 134: Instant Regret
Chapter 135: Great Humiliation
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