:: Ninth Heaven ::
It seemed the Sky Lord was in a great mood today, judging from how often he bellowed a laugh while chatting with his guests. And he had every reason to enjoy himself as such. This year, respectable guests from many prestige clans and families had answered the invitation to attend the annual Autumn Festival Banquet held by Celestial Clan.
Earlier, the newly self-proclaimed Ghost Lord, Qing Cang's youngest and only remaining child, had presented their clan's tribute to him; solidifying their continued acceptance of being conformed to Celestial's ruling. Since Lord Dong Hua was also there, the Sky Lord made a grandiose show of his generosity and benevolence toward the future cooperation by accepting the tribute and returned it with gifts of his own. He also pardoned the rest of the Clan for Qing Cang's recent rebellion. He claimed that Qing Cang and a few loyalists' revenge was personal and he did not doubt the sincerity of the Ghost Lord to continue their alliance with Celestial Clan.
To his delight, even the reclusive West Sea King and his family came as well as some of estranged army generals. The Sky Lord remembered they rarely attended any festivities held by him in the past. Those fools were Mo Yuan's strongest supporters back then. After the God of War's demise, they pretended to ally themselves with him but often remained indifferent to his directives. The Sky Lord seethed in annoyance at that particular recollection. It was quite a surprise they chose this opportunity to show their support to the Clan.
Perhaps, it was the ultimate defeat of Qing Cang that brought the changes. Now that his own people and other clans had witnessed how powerful and far superior the Celestials had become. The Sky Lord did not bother to ascertain his speculation; the fact that all of these guests being here was enough to send warnings across other opposing clans; should they ever ponder another uprising.
The Sky Lord's train of thoughts was cut short when Yuan Zhen appeared in front of the dais. The boy dropped to his knees and offered many eloquent praises for his victory over their long-standing nemesis. The Sky Lord looked to the side at his second son just in time to witness him nodding his approval. So the boy did it upon his son's suggestion to gain some favors from him? With that thought in mind, he saw no harm in letting him continue.
"Your Highness, I also wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude," Yuan Zhen smiled tumultuously at all the attention he garnered. Once he started; he would have nothing to fall back on and could only keep moving forward. He drew in a deep breath, built up his courage, then repeated the script he had memorized by heart.
"Your Highness has always treated me well, I owe Your Highness and Consort Su Jin a sincere appreciation for an unforeseen blessing in disguise. Although Your Highness sent me to the mortal realm as a punishment after I was charged with sexually harassing Consort Su Jin, I did not suffer any bitterness. On the contrary, I met a resourceful and renowned mentor. Were I not reincarnated as a mortal at that time, under normal circumstances, it is unlikely for me to be able to become her disciple. It's truly fortunate for me."
"Such scandalous offence. The North Sea King's son harassed Consort Su Jin? Why haven't I heard of this before?" Someone amidst the lines of high table spoke up loud enough to be heard by the rest. It was none other than the secluded West Sea King. Suddenly, confused murmur of voices could be distinctly heard from all around. Before today, none of them ever heard such disgrace ever happened; not even from Celestial's Third Prince's blabber mouth.
Yuan Zhen ignored the loud exclamation erupted around him at his blundering announcement. He hurriedly took out the Cloud Clearing fan from the secret compartment inside his cloth and showed it off, all the while feigning his foolish pride at obtaining such treasure. "My Master is very generous and kind. Your Highness, please take a look, she even gave me this precious magical fan as a parting gift."
Lingbao Tianzun who sat not far away from the Sky Lord leaned forward to take a better look at the fan. When he got a clear sight of the fan in Yuan Zhen's hand, his expression changed. "Your Master gave you this fan? Who is she? What is her name?" He questioned the boy immediately.
Yuan Zhen puffed up in pride and replied the Lord with an air of boastfulness, "She did give me this fan, my Lord. My mentor is none other than Qing Qiu's Bai Qian."
When Yuan Zhen first mentioned the crime he had committed; the Sky Lord realized his mistake of leaving him there. He had done Yuan Zhen's trial in secret to hide the scandal, so not many Immortals knew of what came to pass. It was unthinkable of the boy to bring the old incident out in the public. The Sky Lord gave the boy his fiercest glare, signaling him to stop at once, but it seemed the boy was oblivious to his ire and kept babbling more nonsense.
Now his prattle invoked unwelcome interest from many honoured guests. The Sky Lord was about to send him away and redirect their attention somewhere else when Lingbao Tianzun made his unexpected inquiry. His felt an oncoming headache when the name of Ye Hua's former fiancée was dropped suddenly.
Since Mo Yuan's declaration to wed Qing Qiu's Queen, many eyes kept closer watch on the Fox Emperor's family more than ever. Now that Yuan Zhen spoke of the mysterious bride-to-be and piqued their curiosity; it was almost impossible to stop his tattletale anymore.
Su Jin, who sat in the back, was stunned into silence when her alleged molester mentioned her name and their past indiscretion carelessly. How could he ruin her name in front of all guests just like that? The nerve of that wretched boy; she fumed. She regretted ever pleading the Sky Lord for his life. As she was about to get up and shut him down once and for all; Ye Hua's mother tugged at her hand and yanked her down roughly.
"Sit back down. Don't you make a scene here." Lady Le Xu threw her a side-glance; her face set in a mask of indifference. "Leave it to the Sky Lord to deal with him."
Su Jin forced out her smile with effort and dipped her head once; putting a show of perfect obedience before she sat down slowly. Under the disguise of her sleeves, she balled her hands into tight white-knuckled fists, sharp nails digging into her own flesh as she raged on silently in her head.
"Qing Qiu's Bai Qian?" Lingbao Tianzun repeated in surprise.
A guest who sat two rows down from him, the East Sea King, also exclaimed in recognition. She had sent gifts to his newborn son's celebration ceremony after all. "It seems the High Goddess loves to give gifts. She also granted one of her famous night pearl to my youngest," he announced happily. Only then, he took note of Lingbao Tianzun's bemused expression. "Is something amiss, my Lord?"
Lingbao Tianzun shook his head dismissively. "It's nothing. It's just that I remembered gifting this fan to Mo Yuan's Seventeenth disciple. How come it fall in the hand of the daughter of the Fox Emperor?"
"Qing Qiu's Bai Qian is truly generous. She didn't only forgive her maid's past digression but also accept her son as a disciple." Another voice from the left side of the high tables spoke up.
Wang Yi was a sub-clan's head and had good relationship with Celestial Lords. He had witnessed the Sky Lord's displeasure at Yuan Zhen's careless blabbering from the beginning and tried to diffuse the tension. Many guests in attendance seemed to show agreement with his comment.
"While the High Goddess is truly praise worthy, I'm more interested in what the boy said about his crime." The West Sea King's voice boomed and destroyed the good humor going on. Many winced at his rude interruption and glanced back at the Sky Lord warily. Wang Yi threw a nasty glance at the ignorant ruler of the West Sea who failed to recognize the situation for what it was.
"If the boy truly committed such hideous crime, why was his punishment so light?" The West Sea King inquired skeptically.
It was Ye Hua who answered this question, since it was his Consort who was violated. "I was not there at the time, so I did not known all circumstances. I only heard that Yuan Zhen was drunk and did it without any intention. Since it was his first offence, and inebriated, the Sky Lord took pity on him and lessened his punishment."
"The Lord is too generous. Were he a member of my family, I would let him experience a far worse fate. Only then, he would learn his lesson and not to repeat his mistake again." The West Sea King turned to face the North Sea King, whose face paled significantly. "I truly question the way you raise your son." His voice was tinged with reproach and heavy with disapproval.
"I also found it highly alarming that a drunk child can sneak past the royal guards inside the manor so easily. I hope the Sky Lord gave them severe punishment for their unforgivable ignorance. The security of Xi Wu Palace is no laughing matter after all."
Ye Hua made an astonished face as if he realized something all the sudden. "I was away at the time. Since the Sky Lord already took the matter into his own hand, I leave it at that. But I'm quite certain I didn't hear any of palace guards were punished or removed from duties after the incident."
"Yuan Zhen," Ye Hua called out his name. "Tell me the truth, how did you get inside the manor?"
As if on cue, Yuan Zhen quickly addressed the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, I honestly didn't have any idea."
This was the moment he was waiting for, since the day the Crown Prince came to his father and revealed his plan. This was the one and only chance for him and his family to prove he was innocent and all charges against him were falsified. And if it could help his mentor getting her justice, it was all the more reasons for him not to fail. After coming back from the Mortal Realm, Yuan Zhen learned the truth of his parents and his mentor's past. He was beyond grateful for her timely intervention on his behalf, despite the prior dispute between the three of them. He could not and would not let his mentor down. He would show her he had grown up and could stand on his own now.
"All I remember is that I was talking to Consort Su Jin on my way back to the Grand Hall, then things became muddled and I lost my consciousness. The next time I open my eyes, I was already inside the manor and the Consort was crying and accusing me of molesting her somehow," said Yuan Zhen. He hoped his voice came out strong and confident.
"That's enough." The Sky Lord got up from his seat, his face darkened with fury and disbelief the boy dared say as much. He pointed his shaking finger to the ungrateful, damnable grandson. "Your trial was concluded and you were found guilty. It's pointless to deny your sin. Have I not spared your life once? What are you trying to do here?"
"My Lord, I found his story highly disturbing. And the West Sea King is quite right. If there is such security loophole in my palace, it must be investigated thoroughly. I couldn't chance another breach, what if next time Your Majesty is the target of some assassination attempt?" Ye Hua insisted; his concern was sounded and reasonable. Many Immortals expressed their apprehension on the precarious safety of their own and asked the Sky Lord to let the Crown Prince get to the bottom of this suspicious attack.
The Sky Lord opened his mouth, fully intending to deny their requests; then shut it. They were already suspected the Ninth Heaven's defense was lacking, based on Yuan Zhen's words. If he ordered Ye Hua to cease the interrogation now, many would question his decision. Some might even think there were conflicts or mutiny within their rank. That would not do at all. The Sky Lord gritted his teeth and dropped himself unceremoniously back on his seat. He waved his hand and let Ye Hua continue.
"Yuan Zhen," Ye Hua said to him in a grave tone. "You mean to say you got drunk and lost control then?"
"That isn't the case, Your Highness," Yuan Zhen cried out pitifully; still a little shaken seeing how furious the Sky Lord was. Had they not be surrounded by guests, he did not doubt he would be severely punished for speaking his mind.
"I didn't drink any spirit that day. The only drink I had was a cup of tea offered by Consort Su Jin. How could anyone get drunk on tea? Besides, even if I really got drunk somehow, how could I know where Consort Su Jin live? It was my first trip to the Ninth Heaven after all."
"If that was what truly happened, why didn't you tell the truth to the Sky Lord?" Ye Hua frowned. "Why wait until now? If you're trying to wreck havoc here for your petty revenge, know that things won't end well for you and your family."
Yuan Zhen looked at the Crown Prince and the people around him. Helpless and dejected, he admitted in a small, defeated voice. "Consort Su Jin insisted that I did it. She even tried to hang herself afterward, saying her honour was tarnished. The Sky Lord was so angry, I really haven't a chance to explain myself as I do now."
The boy raised his fist and palm to honor the Sky Lord. "But the Lord was kind enough to spare my life and only sent me to experience six bitterness in the Mortal Realm. I was beyond thankful of his mercifulness. What's more could I ask? Today, if Your Highness didn't demand the truth from me, I dare not speak openly of the past."
Hushed whispers echoed furiously around the Hall as the North Sea King's son confession came out. Anyone with enough sense and clear head was able to glean the unspoken in his words. Some Immortals wore peculiar pensive expression on their faces. It seemed the Royal Family of the Ninth Heaven was more scandalous and corrupt than any could ever imagine; if a suspect could be charged with such serious accusation then sentenced based on mere words of mouth.
Before the Sky Lord could refute the veiled insinuation made against him. A group of men seemed to gather outside the Grand Hall. He squinted his eyes to get a better look and saw Mo Yuan was in the lead. There was more than ten people trailing behind him. What were they doing here? He had sent an invitation to Mo Yuan as it was custom. The Master of Kunlun rarely attended this kind of gathering anyway. Today he not only came out of his hiding hole but brought all of his disciples. The Sky Lord a foreboding feeling that their unusual appearance suggested something unpleasant is bound to happen soon.
Note : Don't forget to check out Chapter 34, there're 2 updates this week.