The Sect Assembly Plaza was overflowing.
For the first time since the Mortal Sect's founding, every faction had gathered:
Cultivators.Court representatives.Civilian observers.
Not a trial.Not a defense.
But a public reenactment.
Lu Heng
Lu Heng stood at the center.
He did not kneel.
He simply stood there quietly, hands at his sides, back straight as a spear.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"He's not nervous at all…"
"Either he's unbelievably bold…"
"…or he truly did nothing."
Shen Yan Steps Forward
Shen Yan walked into the open space, raising a projection talisman.
"First item," he announced calmly.
"Accounts."
The light curtain unfolded.
Spirit stone allocation procedures appeared in perfect detail:
Time stamps.Authorization batches.Distribution paths.
Crystal clear.
Everyone could see it.
There was no flaw in the process itself.
The Doubt
"But the problem was the final node!"
"The spirit stones vanished!"
"They disappeared!"
Voices rose.
Tension tightened.
Su Wan Touches Her Phone
Su Wan tapped her screen.
The projection split instantly.
A second visual overlay emerged.
And then—
Gasps exploded across the plaza.
The Impossible Image
The talisman seal…
had been overwritten.
A secondary imprint layered precisely over Lu Heng's authorization mark.
"That's impossible!"
"Talisman seals are unique to individuals!"
"They can't be replicated!"
Shen Yan's Answer
"In the Immortal Realm…"
"…yes."
He paused.
"But in the Mortal Sect…"
"…no."
Silence.
Because We Expected This
Shen Yan lifted his gaze, voice steady.
"Because we anticipated something long ago."
"That someone would eventually be framed."
The crowd froze.
Trace Protocol
"All critical talisman seals," Shen Yan continued,
"carry behavioral trace records."
"Who touched them."
"When."
"How."
"Even if the contact lasted only an instant."
Truth Appears
The light curtain shifted again.
A blurred silhouette formed.
Gradually sharpening.
Recognition dawned.
Shock followed.
Not Lu Heng.
But—
the gentle-spoken newcomer.
The Crowd Erupts
"It's him?!"
"The one always preaching 'for the sect's good'?!"
"He was the most reasonable voice!"
The Man's Mask Cracks
His expression finally flickered.
But he forced a strained smile.
"This… must be a misunderstanding."
"I merely passed by the treasury."
Su Wan Speaks
Su Wan finally rose.
Her tone light.
Her words lethal.
"Passed by…"
"…yet perfectly overwrote a critical node seal?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"That route…"
"…was more precise than a navigation array."
A few stunned laughs escaped.
The tension loosened.
Just a fraction.
The Emperor Stands
Only then did Xiao Xuanyin rise.
No aura burst.
No imperial pressure.
He simply stood.
And the plaza fell into absolute silence.
One Question
"I will ask you one thing."
The man instinctively looked up.
"When you sowed doubt…"
"…did you believe the Mortal Sect runs on emotion?"
No answer.
The Emperor's Verdict
"Then you were mistaken."
"We run on openness."
His voice was calm.
Unshakable.
"So open…"
"…that every rumor must walk itself through procedure."
He paused.
Then added quietly—
"Exhausting, isn't it?"
Collapse
The man's face drained of all color.
That single sentence struck harder than any divine suppression.
No Execution
He was escorted away.
No spectacle.
No punishment on display.
Transferred to the Sect Inspection Division.
Lu Heng's Restoration
Lu Heng remained where he stood.
Cleared.
Publicly.
Completely.
Unexpected Promotion
Shen Yan turned to the crowd.
Voice ringing clear.
"Lu Heng."
"Promoted to Co-Governance Steward."
"Reason —"
"In the position most vulnerable to suspicion…"
"…he neither wavered nor panicked."
Applause
Thunderous.
Not for power.
But for trust restored.
That Night
Su Wan studied her phone, eyebrows rising.
"Sect Trust Index…"
"…skyrocketing."
"Even faster than breakthrough surges."
The Emperor Drinks Tea
"Betrayal," Xiao Xuanyin said calmly,
"when used correctly…"
"…is the finest teaching material."
Shen Yan Groans
"Your Majesty…"
"…that sounds a little cold-hearted."
A Single Glance
"Do you believe the Immortal Realm is pure?"
Shen Yan: "…Fair point."
But No One Noticed
As the disgraced man crossed the sect boundary—
A faint smile curled at his lips.
Barely visible.
His Whisper
"So that's how it is…"
"The Mortal Sect…"
"…has moved beyond human governance."
He lowered his gaze.
Voice chillingly soft.
"Then the next move…"
"…must come from higher ground."
And somewhere above the Mortal Realm—
Something ancient stirred.