Chapter 105

At the Hall of Governance, two guards were dragging a blood-soaked man out, one in front and one behind. Lin Yu happened to pass them on her way in.

As the guards carried the man past, one of them spotted Lin Yu, and a hint of joy broke through his grim expression. "Divine Maiden, you've finally come."

"We pay our respects to the Divine Maiden."

Lin Yu nodded, glancing at the man being carried. He looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Oh, this is General Song's nephew," the guard replied.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. So he was General Song's relative—no wonder he looked so familiar. "How did he end up beaten like this?"

"Being foolish and disrespecting His Majesty," a thin eunuch answered, rushing out of the hall before the guards could respond.

He then snapped at the two guards, "Why are you dawdling outside the hall? Get him out of here! His stench is so strong, do you want every official who comes here to smell it?"

"Get lost, now!"

At the rebuke, Song An, who had been on the brink of unconsciousness, regained some clarity. His eyes cracked open a slit, and through his hazy vision, he caught a glimpse of a dark blue hem.

"Yes, yes, you're right, Eunuch," the guard said, bobbing his head obsequiously, and they carried the man away.

"Wait……" Song An managed to say, enduring the pain to look back, and his gaze met Lin Yu's.

Song An's heart nearly stopped. His eyes flew wide.

He had seen Lin Yu before and remembered her—not at Heaven's Mandate Tower, but in the cage at the general's mansion.

She was the substitute victim his sister had picked!

The guards had just called her… Divine Maiden?

How could the Divine Maiden of Heaven's Mandate Tower be her?!

She was just some sacrifice his sister had casually snatched. His sister was dead, but she had risen to the top. A flash of resentment surged through Song An's heart.

He didn't know what had happened that night before the Moon God Festival. He only heard that his uncle had suddenly passed away, and his favorite cousin had vanished without a trace. Later, the Moon God Festival sacrifice had failed.

Through the swirling flurries, as the fire died down, he had pushed through the frantic crowd and finally found his sister's body in the cage on the altar.

Song An had held his sister's charred, disfigured corpse, and Lin Yu's face had surfaced in his mind.

His sister had always been spoiled and cherished her life dearly. She would never have been a willing sacrifice. Someone must have killed her!

It must have been that substitute victim. It had to be her!

Now, the murderer of his sister was right in front of him, but things were different now. She had become the lofty Divine Maiden, while the general's mansion was in decline.

An immense sense of disparity rose from the depths of his heart.

Lin Yu glanced at the blood-soaked Song An, arching an eyebrow slightly, a look of disdain flickering across her face. She almost seemed to be smiling.

The guards gave Song An no chance to linger. With just a brief glimpse, they dragged him away swiftly, as if afraid the eunuch would scold them again.

Once the man was gone, a smile returned to the eunuch's face. "Divine Maiden, please, go and talk some sense into His Majesty……"

"What's the situation inside?" Lin Yu asked casually, withdrawing her gaze. She had heard someone filed a complaint against her with the Emperor, but she hadn't even said anything yet. How had this turned into her needing to soothe Fu Ming?

"Oh dear…… it's a long story……" The eunuch's face crumpled with worry. "You must have heard that someone slandered you for slaughtering innocents and harming cultivators. Two days ago at court, His Majesty already ruled it a slander and heavily punished the one who filed the complaint."

"But…… somehow, the matter got out and became a children's rhyme passed from mouth to mouth. Now everyone in the city knows, and it's caused quite an uproar. In response, His Majesty has killed quite a few people these past two days……"

The eunuch practically pushed Lin Yu forward. "In any case, please, go and talk to him……"

Lin Yu was guided to the door of the hall by the eunuch. The two rows of guards outside eyed her with grim expressions. Lin Yu noticed the hostile gazes and looked back. The eunuch clearly noticed as well and snapped at the guards, "What are you staring at? Do you want to die? If you don't want your eyes gouged out like that fellow earlier, keep your dog eyes shut!"

With that, the eunuch put on another smile and gestured with a 'please' motion. "Divine Maiden, go on in."

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. Was he deliberately making a point? As if he wanted everyone to know that even the guards looked down on her?

Lin Yu couldn't help but grow curious. What exactly had that complaint against her said? She really wanted to see.

……

Inside the hall, dozens of memorials were scattered haphazardly across the floor before a sandalwood desk. Fu Ming leaned over the desk, unhurriedly wiping fresh blood from the blade in his hand. His expression was indifferent, his gaze sweeping coldly over the magicians kneeling in a row before him.

Lin Yu stepped in, quietly stepping over the corpse of a magician on the floor. The man's face was twisted in a grimace, his throat slit in a single stroke.

As Lin Yu appeared, the scene fell into dead silence.

Hearing her footsteps, Fu Ming looked up, pausing in his cleaning. His gaze swept coldly over the trembling magicians below. "Didn't I say no one was to let the Divine Maiden know of this?"

"Who's tired of living and leaked it to her?"

Lin Yu couldn't read his mood and remained rooted to the spot.

No one dared to make a sound. The magicians all wished they could bury their heads in the floor. The air was stagnant, so quiet it was terrifying—so silent you could hear a pin drop, and not even a breath could be heard.

No wonder Lin Yu had enjoyed two days of peace without anyone bothering her. It was Fu Ming who had silenced them.

"It's not their fault," Lin Yu finally spoke. "It's all over the streets. Shouldn't I know?"

At her words, the magicians all breathed a sigh of relief.

Fu Ming set down the Qing Xian sword and quietly watched Lin Yu for a moment. Then he spoke to her, "Come here."

His voice was far gentler than his earlier harsh tone. Lin Yu obeyed, walking toward him. As she was just rounding the desk, her palm was suddenly touched.

Fu Ming took her hand and pulled her down to sit beside him on the throne. His sudden movement caught her off guard, and Lin Yu nearly stumbled into his arms.

As soon as she sat, Lin Yu sensed something was off. This was the imperial throne—not a seat just anyone could take. She started to rise, but Fu Ming noticed her intent and pressed her down beside him. "Don't move."

Lin Yu shot him a questioning look. Fu Ming didn't explain, only ordered, "Someone, drag this man out and have him torn apart by horses."

Magicians differed from cultivators. Cultivators yearned for immortality through Dao and cared nothing for what came after death. Magicians, however, placed great importance on karmic reincarnation, insisted on intact corpses, and sought a peaceful afterlife. To have a man torn apart by horses after death was the greatest punishment for a magician.

Lin Yu's brow twitched. She couldn't understand what sin a magician—one with no cultivation and no magical powers—could have committed to warrant such a cruel sentence from Fu Ming. Was it merely for spreading the slander that she slaughtered innocents? Or… was he making an example of him?

The other magicians, heads buried in the floor, were even more terrified at the order, fearing they'd be next.

Suddenly, Lin Yu felt a cold touch on her palm. Fu Ming laid the Qing Xian across her front. "Take it."

She instinctively took the hilt, gripping the sword. The bloodstains on the blade had already been wiped clean by Fu Ming, and the sharp edge gleamed with cold light.

Seeing Lin Yu take the Qing Xian, Fu Ming curled his lips into a smile that was almost bewitching. He looked down at the magicians below. "Who was it that said the Divine Maiden was unworthy of her position just now?"

"Step forward and let me see. Being ended by the Divine Maiden's own hand is your honor."

Who would dare answer a call to die?

Seeing no one bold enough to step forward, Fu Ming let out a light laugh. "In that case, then you'll all die together, won't you?"

He patted Lin Yu's shoulder lightly, then pulled her up and walked down from the dais. At that moment, a group of shadow guards filed in, roughly hoisting the magicians, who were practically glued to the floor, to their feet.

Fu Ming held Lin Yu's wrist, guiding her hand with his own, and casually pointed to the nearest man. The magician, his throat pressed against the Qing Xian's edge, went weak in the knees. He was about to kneel and beg for mercy when two shadow guards grabbed him again.

Tears streaming down his face, the magician wailed, "Your Majesty…… I…… I was deceived by evil men. I was just momentarily swept up in anger and joined them in slandering the Divine Maiden…… Spare me, Your Majesty!"

The magician struggled against the shadow guards' grip, trying to kneel and beg. Somehow, he found the strength to break free, and with a thud, he fell to his knees. The shadow guards moved to grab him, but Fu Ming waved them off, signaling them to withdraw.

The magician slammed his forehead hard against the golden bricks, knocking his head repeatedly. He shouted with each bow, "Your Majesty, forgive me! Your Majesty, forgive me! Your Majesty, forgive me!"

Again and again, thud after thud.

Suddenly, the magician froze, because the sword at his neck spun sharply, its tip pressed right against his throat!

If he moved even a fraction, Qing Xian would pierce his throat. The magician's eyes went wide, and he dared not move.

Fu Ming rested one hand on Lin Yu's shoulder while the other held her sword hand. He was almost embracing her from behind, his voluminous sleeves nearly obscuring her entire form.

Fu Ming was a head taller than Lin Yu, so in this position, his chin rested right on top of her head. He lowered his head, his jaw brushing gently against the side of her face, so close they could hear each other's breathing.

The distance was too close. Fu Ming's body heat radiated clearly from behind her, spreading through her entire being. Lin Yu's hand holding the sword stiffened. She was barely putting in any effort, entirely relying on Fu Ming's strength. He, in turn, seemed to be teaching her how to wield the blade, turning her wrist.

"Do you know what the biggest mistake you've made is?" Fu Ming asked suddenly.

The magician swallowed hard, the sword tip far too close. He stammered, "Y-Your Majesty, it's…… listening to others."

Fu Ming burst into laughter, his chin resting on Lin Yu's head, his gaze lazily sweeping over the magician. "Wrong."

"The one you should be begging for mercy from isn't me—it's her."

The magician immediately understood. He was just about to turn and beg Lin Yu, but before he could get the words out, a chill swept across his throat, followed by warm blood flooding his mouth. In an instant, his eyes widened, and he clutched his neck, toppling backward!

"A mistake is a mistake. I never give anyone a chance to repent."

Fu Ming raised his hand, moving Lin Yu's along, easily piercing the magician's throat. He cast his eyes downward, as if in regret. "Another one dead. How boring."

"Ah." He let out a soft sigh, almost whispering into Lin Yu's ear. "Our Divine Maiden is so delicate. She can't even hold a sword, let alone kill. So pitiful and endearing, and yet someone went so far as to slander her, saying she slaughters innocents. How ridiculous."

As he spoke, Fu Ming kept his head bowed, his lips faintly brushing against Lin Yu's ear. His breath caressed her earlobe, and Lin Yu felt a ticklish sensation at the side of her ear.

At his words, Lin Yu couldn't help but look up at Fu Ming. She said in a low voice, "Alright, that's enough from you……"

Fu Ming remained in his embrace from behind, unmoving. They were so close that when Lin Yu turned her head, she was almost face-to-face with him, their cheeks brushing together. Lin Yu said, "Stop with the nonsense."

If he wanted to dispose of the magicians, fine, but why drag her into the act as well.

For mortals, immortality was an impossibility. Yet magicians strove desperately for eternal life and blessings in the next life. Longevity and reincarnation weren't mutually exclusive—if you could attain immortality, that was good; if not, you could quickly accumulate enough blessings and reincarnate, pursuing a better next life. That wasn't bad either.

They were different from cultivators. Cultivators needed immortal karma, fortune, cultivation, and merit to have a chance at entering the celestial realm and stepping into the threshold of longevity.

Magicians, on the other hand, needed none of that. Their lifelong pursuit was refining the elixir of immortality. For that purpose, using humans as test subjects for medicine had naturally come into being.

Both Fu Ming and Lin Yu understood that magicians were merely a show, kept on the imperial payroll to appease the people and give them a hollow, distant hope.

That was the way of the world. Everyone wanted to become immortal, everyone wanted to live forever. Some could become cultivators, but more were ordinary people without immortal karma. Many harbored resentment. Cultivators couldn't be allowed to hold a monopoly, so magicians who sought pills and elixirs came into existence.

But without exception, they all rose on the backs of human lives. Gods demanded living sacrifices. Cultivators served the gods, harming their own kind and committing heinous crimes. Magicians needed countless living people to fuel their alchemy.

But the world maintained its balance, so where would so many people come from?

Gods had to be killed. Cultivators had to be killed. Magicians had to be killed as well.

To end this world, there was only one way—kill, and keep killing, until it was all cleansed.