"Feng'er, please… don't talk like that!"Feng Jiu Ge held his daughter tightly, gently wiping the tears streaming down her pale face, trying his best to comfort her trembling body.
"Don't worry about what happened today," he said softly but firmly. "Give me a week—no, just twenty-four hours—and I'll fix this. I swear, I'll make it right."
His voice began to rise with fury, his expression darkening as rage surged in his chest."I'll make sure—"
Before he could finish, Bai Qing placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"Feng Jiu, calm down."
But the dam inside him broke.
"Calm down?" he snapped. "How can I calm down, Bai Qing? Our daughter—our daughter's entire life is being destroyed before our very eyes!"
"They're tearing her apart just to protect their own reputations! Ruining her name to shield their own hypocrisy!"
"These damn Ten Great Sects… I hate them!"
"Enough!" Bai Qing shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "Feng Jiu, do you even hear yourself?"
"If you lash out now, if you move recklessly, do you realize what will happen? You won't just be putting yourself in danger… you'll drag Feng'er down with you!"
"Do you want to become another Song Zi Xing? Look at him—on the run, hunted, cornered. And even he isn't untouchable."
"We're her parents—we must protect her, not make her burden heavier!"
Her composure crumbled. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed in helplessness.
Feng Jiu Ge pulled them both—his sobbing wife and his broken daughter—into his arms, clenching his fists so tightly they trembled. His heart roared with silent fury, and in his mind, a name burned like fire:
"Fang Yuan… damn you!"
"All of this… it's because of you!"
"If only you weren't dead…"
"If only you still lived, I'd skin you alive and turn your flesh into a robe—for my daughter to wear!"
"So the world would learn—no one, no one, humiliates my family and escapes unpunished!"
"Damn you, Fang Yuan! This is all your fault!"
...
Southern Border – Tie Clan Burial Grounds
Before a solemn tombstone, a lone figure in yellow robes stood quietly, placing a wine jar at its base.
"Father…" she whispered faintly, her voice trembling.
"I'm sorry… I couldn't avenge you after all."
She slowly sat down in front of the grave. As she leaned forward, her face was revealed—dark-skinned, with sharp, sword-like eyebrows and tightly drawn lips.
She was Tie Ruo Nan.
Resting her upper body against the tombstone in a gesture like a hug, she murmured softly, "Fang Yuan… he's already dead."
"Grandfather said.... Fang Yuan used an Immortal Gu—one that causes teleportation—and sent himself to his end."
A faint smile appeared on her face, casting a brief warmth over the somber setting.
"How foolish, right?"
"… Fang Yuan must not have realized it could send him absolutely anywhere."
"He likely teleported straight to his death."
"If I could, I would've brought his body here… let you see that justice was served."
"But wherever he ended up, I'm sure he died a gruesome death. Maybe even his ashes couldn't be recovered."
She let out a bitter laugh. "That's a fitting end for someone like him."
Then, her expression turned to sorrow. "Still… it's a shame I wasn't the one to kill him."
Her moment of reflection was suddenly interrupted by a voice calling out urgently, "Lady Ruo Nan! The Elder is summoning you!"
Tie Ruo Nan turned her head slightly, eyes cold as she looked at the approaching figure. "Understood," she replied curtly.
Rising from the tombstone, she cast one last glance at it."Until next time, Father."
With that, she turned, standing tall. Wings unfurled from her back, and she flew upto the sky. The messenger, still breathless, turned and followed her on foot.
....
"This is all a lie…" A soft voice broke the silence.
A young woman stood still, her jet-black hair cascading over her shoulders like silk. Her eyebrows were delicate, like smoke drifting in the air, and her eyes were clear, calm—like a full moon reflected on still water. Her skin was pale as snow, and her lips, soft and pink, trembled faintly as she spoke.
Before her lay a document. At the top, a hand-drawn portrait of a young man with black hair and black eyes stared back at her.
Beneath it, bold letters declared:
_________________________________
Crimes of the Demon King
1. Fang Yuan, the Demonic Gu Master of the Southern Border, ruthlessly slaughtered his entire clan. He exterminated all mortals and Gu Masters on Qing Mao Mountain, earning the title Demon King.
2. He murdered the renowned Divine Investigator, Tie Xue Leng, who came to investigate the Qing Mao massacre.
3. After reaching the Central Continent, he forcefully seized an ancient inheritance hidden within Tian Ti Mountain.
4. Within a blessed land there, he assaulted and raped the top female disciples of all Ten Great Sects—thus gaining the title Demon King of Lust.
5. Five months ago, Gu Immortals because of his crimes attempted to kill him. In desperation, he used an Immortal Gu to escape, teleporting far away. It was later confirmed that this Gu could send someone anywhere in the world. Demon King of Lust was transported to one of the shattered Nine Heavens—now a void—and is presumed dead.
"May his death bring peace and prosperity to the Gu World."
— Tie Ruo Nan, Tie Clan
__________________________________________________________
Shang Xin Ci read the words silently, then closed her eyes and whispered again: "It's all lies…"
"Benefactor isn't like that."
She gently placed a hand over the image and began to speak, her tone unwavering:
"His first crime… they say he slaughtered mortals. But if that were true, why did he save me and Xiao Die?"
"His second crime… the Divine Investigator went to Qing Mao Mountain because of a request—not because of Benefactor. That's a fabrication."
"And the third? Many inheritances are claimed by force. Even now, the fight for the Three Kings' inheritance on San Cha Mountain continues. Anyone with power can claim it. Why is it a crime only when it's him?"
She paused, her expression hardening.
"As for the fourth..." she shook her head. "It's a complete lie."
"When so many tried to take advantage of me because of my appearance—when even Gu Masters tried to force me—he never once looked at me with lust."
"He looked at me… and turned away to help Xiao Die, who was hurt."
Her voice cracked, just slightly.
"Someone like that… could never harm a woman. Let alone do something so despicable."
She took a deep breath, eyes glistening with emotion.
"The fifth… I know little about Immortal Gu, but I only hope… no, I believe—that Benefactor is still alive."
She smiled faintly.
"Yes, he profited from the Shang Clan… but he didn't use force. He outwitted my father. He outplayed even our Supreme Elder."
"He was bold. Fearless."
She lifted her chin slightly, pride in her voice now.
"Someone that brave wouldn't die so easily."
She pressed a hand to her heart, feeling it beat with conviction.
"In my heart, I know the truth. These accusations… are just slander. Lies."
"Benefactor is the only one who ever understood me. He saw the world the same way I do. He believed in people."
"How could such a man be called demonic?"
"He is righteous."
"It's the Tie Clan… they're using propaganda to bury the truth."
Her vision blurred slightly as memories rushed back—of the day she first met him, of the quiet strength in his voice, and the words he had spoken as he walked away:
"There's no such thing as Gu Masters or mortals," he had said, voice calm.
"We're all human. And as humans, we must help one another."
She lowered her hand and whispered, with iron resolve:
"How could someone like that be evil?"
"He is the most righteous, most virtuous person I've ever known."
Her voice rose—not in anger, but in unshakable belief:
"Even if the entire world brands him a villain, I will not believe it."
"If the world sees him as a demon, then perhaps the world itself is the one that's fallen."