Chapter 106

"Nonsense," Fu Ming murmured in Lin Yu's ear, a playful edge to his voice, before turning his blade toward another man. "This one's for the Imperial Censor."

The man at swordpoint froze, the Cyan String pressed against his throat, the edge biting into his flesh. Warm blood seeped down the side of his neck and dripped along the blade.

"The Imperial Censor?" Lin Yu turned her head. "What about him?"

She genuinely had no idea who this Imperial Censor was—she'd never even met the man. Frowning, she asked, "Do you have a grudge against him?"

A flash of cold light passed before Lin Yu's eyes, and in an instant, blood splattered everywhere. The alchemist collapsed with a thud.

"The grudge is against you." Fu Ming took the Cyan String from her hand and sheathed it in one fluid motion. He casually flipped through a few memorials and pulled out a jewel-inlaid dagger hidden beneath them, showing it to her.

It was the very evidence presented during the morning court session two days ago. The bloodstains had been cleaned away, leaving no trace of its former state.

"This is what the Imperial Censor claims proves you harmed cultivators," Fu Ming said, settling back onto the imperial seat behind the desk, his expression unchanged. "If you're going to fabricate evidence, at least put in some effort. They'll send anything to my desk."

These words were aimed at the alchemists below. Many among them were the Imperial Censor's men—had it not been for his orders, none of them would have come to protest the Divine Maiden's supposed crimes against cultivators, demanding harsh punishment for her at every turn. They wished every cultivator in the world would die, leaving only alchemists behind.

Lin Yu stepped closer, and as soon as she saw the dagger clearly, her expression froze. This evidence... it was actually real...

Fu Ming didn't notice the flicker of emotion on Lin Yu's face. He patted the empty space beside him, signaling for her to come over. She naturally walked over and sat down next to him.

Before she could speak, Fu Ming said, "If I see such vulgar objects again, none of you in the entire Changsheng Hall will live to see another day."

With that, he casually picked up the dagger from the desk and tossed it down. It landed precisely at the feet of several alchemists, startling them into trying to dodge, but the shadow guards held them in place. All their faces turned ashen.

What was Changsheng Hall? It was a place only alchemists of high standing could enter. Every alchemist in the realm yearned to be part of it. Was His Majesty planning to make an example of them?

But everyone also understood one thing—the Emperor had always been decisive in his killings, and he meant what he said. If he truly wiped out Changsheng Hall, how could alchemists ever hold their heads up again? Wouldn't they be trampled into the dirt by cultivators, never to rise again?

Lin Yu gently tugged at Fu Ming's sleeve. She pressed her lips together, her tone a bit awkward, speaking only loud enough for him to hear, "That's not fabricated evidence..."

Fu Ming shot her a quick glance, then his gaze fell on the elaborately crafted, almost ostentatious dagger. He looked somewhat incredulous. "What kind of taste do you have?"

"It's not... I grabbed the wrong knife in a hurry to leave..." Lin Yu kept holding onto Fu Ming's sleeve, her fingertips idly tracing the dark bird pattern embroidered on his cuff. Seeing his expression unchanged, she finally blurted out, "Fine, I'll admit it—I didn't remember losing a dagger until just now..."

The situation back then had indeed been chaotic. After dealing with those closed-door disciples of Heaven's Mandate Tower, she still had to race a hundred li to Mount Changguang before dawn to kill Immortal Lord He. After a night of rushing, this was truly her oversight—leaving behind such a glaring piece of evidence.

Fu Ming: "..."

The hall was deathly silent. The dagger lay at the alchemist's feet, and no one dared to touch it. Fu Ming clicked his tongue in feigned irritation. "What are you all standing around for? The evidence of slander against the Divine Maiden is on the ground—won't someone present it to me?"

"Your Majesty." A shadow guard picked up the fallen dagger and presented it respectfully before Fu Ming.

Fu Ming took it expressionlessly, twirling it casually in his palm a couple of times. He examined the ornate dagger once more, then raised his eyes dismissively and said coldly, "Take them away. Kill them all."

He had already spent too long wrangling with these alchemists today. Killing them one by one was too slow. Fu Ming was growing impatient—he had intended to eliminate the entire Changsheng Hall anyway, and since the evidence was genuine, there was no reason to delay further. With one casual sentence, he sealed the fate of every alchemist present.

Kill them all.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, forgive us!"

"We admit our mistakes! We beg Your Majesty's mercy!"

After a moment of stunned silence, the word "kill them all" sent the Hall of Proclamation into chaos. Many burst into tears, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness.

The Imperial Censor had said they only needed to pressure the Emperor, to show him the people's anger over the Divine Maiden affair, and then hold her accountable. Hadn't he said the Emperor wanted the elixir of immortality and wouldn't harm alchemists like them?

How had it come to this—everyone losing their lives?

How could this be happening?!

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Our coming here today was not our own choice—everything was done at someone else's orders!" One alchemist blurted out frantically.

"Nonsense!" A eunuch rushed in from outside the hall. "Take these insolent wretches who have offended His Majesty away at once!"

"They're at death's door and still refuse to repent!" the eunuch scolded.

"Wait—" A clear female voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the chaos with striking clarity. The noise ceased for a moment.

Lin Yu sat on the imperial seat, chin propped on her hand, a gentle smile on her face as she fixed her gaze on the eunuch. Fu Ming sat beside her like a spectator enjoying the show, idly playing with the dagger in his hand.

His other hand rested casually at his side, but due to his elaborate robes, Fu Ming's sleeve nearly covered Lin Yu's skirt. His dark robes and her ink-blue dress overlapped in a way that was impossible to ignore—an intimacy that spoke volumes.

From the eunuch's angle, it looked as though Fu Ming's hand was resting at Lin Yu's side. He looked up, saw the scene, and drew in a sharp breath. The blood in his veins seemed to run cold.

He knew the Divine Maiden had been personally chosen by His Majesty and must be highly favored, but what was this—her sitting on the imperial throne alongside the Emperor?

And so intimately at that?

"Tell me, who ordered you?" Lin Yu asked lightly. "Say it, and I'll spare your life."

The alchemist who had spoken hadn't made a sound since the eunuch entered. A shadow guard forced him to his knees, gripping the back of his neck. "The Divine Maiden is asking you a question. Speak up."

"It was..." The alchemist's eyes darted around. The other alchemists had already been taken away—their fate wasn't hard to guess. He was the only one left in the hall now.

No... besides him, there was one more.

The alchemist's Adam's apple bobbed. He squeezed his eyes shut and nearly shouted, "I have a condition!"

"Granted." Fu Ming didn't even ask what it was, saying lazily.

Lin Yu didn't even need to wait for the alchemist to state his condition—she could already guess what he would say. So she spoke first, pausing to consider her words. "As for this... eunuch?"

"Execute him on the spot." She still wore a smile, knowing the eunuch had been staring at her ever since he entered the hall.

The eunuch's face changed, a venomous look in his eyes. "This servant is terrified! This servant knows not what crime he has committed to incur the Divine Maiden's wrath and provoke such murderous intent!"

"The Divine Maiden holds such prejudice against this servant—if this servant must die, at least let me die knowing—what have I done to offend you?"

"Do I need a reason to kill you?" Fu Ming laughed, his tone meaningful. "Head Eunuch Gao, you truly think highly of yourself."

Hearing those words, Head Eunuch Gao's spine ran cold. Sweat beaded at his temples. Knowing he was as good as dead, he gritted his teeth and slammed heavily onto his knees.

Even if he had to die, he'd leave a stain on this tyrant and this sorceress—expose their illicit relationship to the world.

The Divine Maiden of Heaven's Mandate Tower—anyone could take that position. But it absolutely couldn't be a powerless orphan. She had to be brought down!

He raised his voice: "I beg Your Majesty to investigate! The Divine Maiden acts like this, and Your Majesty continues to indulge her, allowing her to run rampant—it will eventually ruin her!"

"What will the people of this realm think of the Divine Maiden, and what will they think of Your Majesty?!"

"Your Majesty!" Head Eunuch Gao's forehead struck the hard ground, his words earnest. "If Your Majesty truly dotes on someone, make her an imperial consort or empress. Why elevate her to a divine altar and grant her a position as Divine Maiden that she does not deserve, dragging down an entire dynasty for nothing?"

"Your Majesty knows well how important the position of Divine Maiden is to us. You favor her so much that you've been blinded by her to the point of ignoring the truth, have you? Harming cultivators, bewitching the sovereign, stopping at nothing. This servant dares to ask Your Majesty—how can such a person win the people's respect? How can she achieve Ascension?!"

Head Eunuch Gao spoke rapidly, nearly all in one breath. When he finished, he gasped heavily, kneeling on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. His forehead was split open, his hair damp with cold sweat. Blood mixed with sweat streamed down his face and seeped into his eyes, blurring his vision.

Fu Ming propped his head on one hand, listening with great interest. His expression barely shifted, but he couldn't help but admire it—truly worthy of a strategist sent by the Imperial Censor. He certainly knew how to exaggerate.

Usually timid and cautious, playing the role of a eunuch—but now, at death's door, seeking a quick death free of torture, he showed real nerve. Not even afraid of exposure, daring to rebuke the Emperor to his face.

"Excellent. Truly a strategist." Fu Ming smiled pleasantly, directly exposing his identity. Head Eunuch Gao shuddered.

"You're saying I'm infatuated with the Divine Maiden, blinded by her, and have become a tyrant—is that it?"

The hall was eerily silent, broken only by the sound of Gao's breathing.

"I am but a mortal, worlds apart from the Divine Maiden. How could I possibly be worthy of her? Head Eunuch Gao, you jest. That is blasphemy against the Divine Maiden. Do you know your crime?" Fu Ming studied Gao. "But since you seek death, I shall grant it."

Lin Yu paused, feeling the words were strangely familiar, as if she'd heard them somewhere before.

"Cyan String, go."

The longsword on the desk flew out instantly, penetrating Head Eunuch Gao's chest in the blink of an eye!

Struck through the heart, Gao spat a mouthful of hot blood from his throat, then collapsed to the ground, eyes shut. Clean death.

"Throw him out. Chop him up and feed him to dogs." Fu Ming retrieved Cyan String. Then, as if struck by another thought, he raised his hand to halt several guards.

"Chop him up and make it into a meal. Send it to the Censorate. Make sure the Imperial Censor eats every bite." He added, "If he can't stomach it, force it down his throat. Make sure he finishes it all. Understood?" Fu Ming smiled.

Since this strategist wanted a clean death and no suffering, then they'd just have to torment his master instead.

A hint of malice tinged his brow. "Consider it his last meal before execution. Make sure he eats every last bite before he goes."

"Do you hear me?"

Several guards exchanged glances. It was genuinely unsettling, but no one dared to object. They steeled themselves, accepted the order, and quickly carried the corpse away.

Just as they disappeared through the doors, a chill brushed against Fu Ming's wrist. Beneath the cover of his robes, Lin Yu pressed her fingertips to his pulse. "Your heart is beating very fast."