Mu Rongsa took a sharp breath.

What the heck, why is there blood?

Whose blood is it? Hua ge’s? This is getting serious!

Everyone rushed over. When Lu Yao craned his neck to see, his face turned deathly pale. "This, this..."

"What’s going on?" Mu Rongsa was panicking. This was not part of the plan!

Hua Che wanted him to lure everyone to the east wing of the Shangqing Pavilion, but he never mentioned there would be blood!

Could it be that Hua Che was really... in trouble?

Mu Rongsa grabbed Lu Yao by the collar. "Hey, what did you do to him? Did you kill him to silence him?"

Chu Binghuan had already drawn his sword and swung at the bookshelf. Despite his powerful strike, the bookshelf, protected by a barrier, remained intact.

Hearing the commotion, those outside couldn’t stand waiting any longer and followed Chu Changfeng inside. "Regardless of whether something has happened to Hua Che or not, with blood here, we must investigate."

Xie Wanting said, "There’s a hidden door here, isn’t there? Please, Sect Master, open it."

With no choice, Lu Mingfeng went over and opened the hidden door, revealing nothing more than an ordinary secret room.

However, blood was splattered on the floor, trailing from the entrance to beneath the offering table.

Lu Yao was terrified. "Dad."

Chu Binghuan lifted the floor tile and was about to jump in when Lu Mingfeng stepped in to block him. "Everyone, there’s a labyrinthine formation below that I set up myself. It’s extremely dangerous. It’s better if you don’t go in. Let me go down and check."

Chu Binghuan said coldly, "If there's danger inside, I'm worried the Sect Master may not be able to handle it alone."

With that, Chu Binghuan jumped in, and Mei Cailian quickly instructed the disciples of Yuntian Shuijing to follow. Chu Changfeng wouldn't just sit back and do nothing either.

Mu Rongsa followed, leading a group of disciples from Fengming Valley.

Admiring Hua Che greatly, Xie Wanting naturally joined in as well.

Lu Mingfeng was sweating profusely. That once lonely boy had unknowingly gained so many supporters!?

The moment he entered the dark passage, Chu Binghuan's eyes turned red.

The scene here was shocking!

The ground and walls were covered in blood, splattered and sprayed, leading all the way to the end of the secret passage.

Lu Mingfeng was also frightened. He quickly followed the others forward, horrified to discover that the blood trail was guiding them along the path that unlocked his maze!

Who could have possibly decrypted his maze!?

At the exit of the secret passage, Chu Binghuan was the first to rush out.

The others followed closely and were astonished to find a picturesque landscape, a hidden paradise.

Mu Qinian exclaimed, "Is this really the back mountain of the Shangqing Immortal Gate?"

Xie Wanting replied, "No, it's a secret realm."

Indeed, this place looked exactly like the back mountain but wasn't the real Kunlun Mountain; it was a secret realm created by cultivators.

Lu Mingfeng was suddenly intrigued. "When did a secret realm appear at the end of this passage?"

"Does the sect master not know?" Xie Wanting asked suspiciously. "Then why did you create the secret passage?"

"To prevent demonic cultivators from invading," Lu Mingfeng explained. "The Shangqing Immortal Gate is a thorn in the side of the Fen Qing Palace Hall. To be prepared for any eventuality, I created the secret passage. If Yin Wuhui attacks the Shangqing Immortal Gate, this maze in the secret passage can serve as a hiding place for our disciples."

This explanation seemed reasonable, and Xie Wanting nodded. "But this secret realm..."

Lu Mingfeng quickly denied any knowledge. "I truly don't know about this secret realm."

Mu Rongsa shouted, "There's a house over there!"

Chu Binghuan walked to the stone chamber and found it was indeed protected by a barrier.

The secret passage contained a maze, and the stone chamber was protected by an even more sophisticated barrier. If he wasn't mistaken, it was inscribed with three layers of Taixu seals. (NT: Taixu (太虛) is a Daoist term meaning "Supreme Void.")

The Taixu seals were the highest form of skill in the Shangqing Immortal Gate. Among the eight thousand disciples, even the most senior Elder Qianyang hadn’t mastered them, meaning that only Lu Mingfeng himself could open it.

Chu Binghuan's heart tightened. Right, in his past life, Ha Che could also open it!

Although Chu Binghuan had joined the Shangqing Immortal Gate, his special status meant that if he were to inherit the position of master of Yuntian Shuijing, there would be a competitive relationship with the Shangqing Immortal Gate. No matter how altruistic the Shangqing Immortal Gate was, it wouldn't share its highest skills with outsiders.

Hua Che, who had no roots or connections and was completely alone, was different. His "clean background" qualified him to explore the wonders of the "Taixu Secret Techniques."

"It seems this matter involves more than just your son," Zhuang Tian glanced at the Taixu seal and directed the accusation towards Lu Mingfeng, "The blood trail leads all the way into the stone chamber. Whether Sect Master Lu knows about this place or not, we should ask you to open the door first."

Lu Yao was so frightened that his teeth were chattering, "Father."

Lu Yao was still a youth, not yet twenty, and couldn't stay calm and composed in the face of danger. His appearance made it obvious to anyone with sense that something was wrong. The others, already suspicious, now demanded that Lu Mingfeng open the door, insisting on clarity.

Lu Mingfeng's face was ashen. Stiffly, he walked toward the stone chamber, each step agonizingly difficult.

That stone chamber, which he had entered and exited countless times over nearly a thousand years, now felt like the ghost gate leading to hell, grinning menacingly at him.

Why?

Lu Mingfeng asked himself, what went wrong?

Besides himself, who else could enter here?

Yin Wuhui?

Impossible! Even if he possessed immense power, he couldn't open the Taixu seal!

What to do? What should he do? With so many people watching, including powerful peers like Chu Changfeng and Xie Wanting, any tampering was impossible. Should he silence them all?

That was also out of the question!

Moreover, he couldn't handle so many people alone. With tens of thousands of cultivators waiting for the outcome at the front of the Shangqing Hall, how could he explain any accident?

Would his thousand-year painstakingly built reputation be ruined in an instant?

As the stone chamber opened, Lu Mingfeng's heart sank.

"Hua Che!" Chu Binghuan rushed in, carefully lifting the barely alive youth from the ground.

Everyone was stunned.

While shocked at Hua Che's miserable state, they were even more astonished by the objects in the stone chamber.

The shelves were neatly lined with bottles and jars, all with special talismans attached. What could they be?

"Old Eight!" Zhuang Tian was anxious.

Chu Binghuan, with his heart pounding, checked Hua Che's pulse. Thankfully, it was only severe blood loss, nothing more.

Chu Binghuan fed him a blood- replenishing pill, and within moments, Hua Che "woke up."

"Master..." he called out softly, his hazy gaze falling on Lu Mingfeng. Instantly, he shivered and shrank into Chu Binghuan's arms like a frightened kitten.

Chu Binghuan's heart softened, and he instinctively held him tightly.

Mu Rongsa was bewildered, looking around and then asked, "What happened? Hua ge, were you kidnapped by Lu Yao?"

Hua Che's clear eyes welled up with tears, making him look extremely pitiful and delicate. He pointed silently at the cabinet and turned his head away.

Truly his mother’s son, Hua Che was adept at feigning weakness and evoking pity. If sent to the imperial harem, his looks alone could command an army and take control of the Phoenix Seal (NT: symbol of authority and power, usually emblematic of the Empress).

Xie Wanting picked up a bottle, "What is this?"

Lu Mingfeng quickly stopped him, "Sect Master Xie, do not open it. The seal seems special, likely a suppressive talisman. It must contain something evil. If it escapes, it will surely bring disaster!"

Xie Wanting paused, his hand halting as he attempted to remove the talisman.

"It's not something evil," Hua Che suddenly said from Chu Binghuan's arms. "Inside those bottles are Golden Cores!"

Everyone was shocked.

Mu Rongsa shouted, "Golden Cores? What Golden Cores? Do you mean the cultivators' Golden Cores?"

Hua Che replied with a laugh, "Of course, what else could it be but the Golden Cores of cultivators?"

Everyone fell into a discussion.

"Why would cultivators' Golden Cores be here?"

"Are the talismans sealing the Golden Cores to prevent their dissipation?"

"Who is collecting Golden Cores here?"

Lu Mingfeng was sweating profusely, trying to stay calm, " Xiao Hua, are you hallucinating from blood loss? What nonsense are you talking about?"

Hua Che, supporting himself with his knee, picked up a jade bottle, "Whether it's nonsense or not, everyone will see."

"Stop!" Lu Mingfeng shouted sternly, "Young friend, you are too young to understand the gravity of the situation. These talismans seal away dangerous evils. If you release them, can you bear the responsibility of unleashing chaos upon the world?"

Without flinching, Hua Che tore off the talisman and inverted the bottle, letting a Golden Core, brimming with true energy, roll out.

Instantly, a deadly silence fell.

Lu Mingfeng's eyes flashed with unprecedented murderous intent, but he forced himself to remain composed, putting on an expression of disbelief like everyone else, "It’s really a Golden Core!?"

Hua Che had anticipated Lu Mingfeng's reaction.

Lu Mingfeng's face remained calm, betraying no flaws. He gave a signal to Lu Yao, who was already trembling on the ground. Perhaps because of their father-son connection, Lu Yao understood instantly. He scrambled over to Hua Che and snatched the nearly dissipating Golden Core, exclaiming in shock, "This aura, it resembles Brother Yuan's!"

Chu Binghuan was taken aback.

Brother Yuan, Elder Qianyang's disciple.

Lu Yao poured out two more Golden Cores in quick succession, saying, "This one seems like Brother Wang's, and this one like Junior Brother Liu's."

The names Lu Yao mentioned were all disciples who had been killed by demonic cultivators and whose bodies were never recovered.

Chu Changfeng asked, "What is dsiciple Lu implying?"

Lu Yao started cautiously, trying to clear his name first, and grabbed Hua Che pleadingly, "Qingkong, they accused me of kidnapping you. Thank goodness you're alright; otherwise, I'd never clear my name. Tell everyone the truth. I haven't seen you since the martial arts competition!"

Hua Che looked at him coldly, "True, it wasn't Lu Yao who kidnapped me."

Lu Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

Hua Che continued, "It was Sect Master Lu."

Both Lu Yao and Lu Mingfeng were stunned.

The observing Shangqing disciples finally reacted, and Lu Mingfeng's senior disciple jumped out, shouting, "You're slandering him!"

Hua Che's narrow eyes gleamed like blades, "I overheard their conversation. Sect Master Lu wants to kill me. Lu Yao knew about it but did nothing, even colluding with him to silence me."

The senior disciple retorted, "How dare you! You're slandering the respected Shangqing Immortal. Do you have any idea of the consequences?"

Mu Rongsa, always ready for a quarrel, put his hands on his hips and retorted, "With so much evidence and a witness, you call it slander? Are you blind?"

The senior disciple argued, "If my master really did these things, why would he place the secret realm's entrance so obviously under the Shangqing Hall? Wouldn't he hide it better to avoid suspicion?"

Hua Che calmly replied, "Are you suggesting someone is framing Sect Master Lu? The Eight Trigrams Formation in the tunnel and the Taixu seals outside the stone chamber, besides Sect Master Lu, the highest-ranking person in Shangqing is Elder Qianyang. Stop beating around the bush and say it directly. Let's see if Elder Qianyang admits it."

Hearing the commotion, Elder Qianyang rushed over, his face changing drastically as he shouted, "I'm innocent!"

Chu Changfeng stroked his chin, pondering. If it were anyone else, it might be dismissed. But involving Lu Mingfeng, the most revered figure in the immortal world, and implicating a highly respected elder, if this incident spread, it would shake the entire immortal community.

Chu Changfeng said, "The Taixu Seals are the pinnacle of Shangqing Sect's techniques. Naturally, Sect Master Lu is proficient, and Elder Qianyang isn't completely ignorant either. However, Sect Master Lu has Hua Qingkong as a witness."

The senior disciple anxiously retorted, "So what? Who knows if he's intentionally framing us?"

Elder Qianyang also became anxious, "Are you implying that I colluded with Xiao Hua?"

Duan Tiange, upon hearing that his Master was being framed, also became frantic. He scolded the senior disciple, "Damn it, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Lu Mingfeng had completely calmed down. He took a deep breath and looked at Elder Qianyang with a hint of anguish in his eyes: "Qianyang, I didn't expect you to be so confused. Harming your fellow disciples...won't you confess?"

"Sect Leader, you!" Elder Qianyang looked at Lu Mingfeng incredulously. They had been together for nearly a thousand years, starting as brothers disciples when they entered the Shangqing Sect. In the blink of an eye, Lu Mingfeng became the Sect Leader, and as an Elder, he had supported him throughout his life, but now Lu Mingfeng was falsely accusing him like this!

Elder Qianyang, aged and frail, felt dizzy and, overcome with anger, spat out a mouthful of blood.

Chu Changfeng hurried to support him.

"I do not fear slander; the innocent will be proven innocent!" Elder Qianyang gasped for breath and pushed away Duan Tiange, who was trying to calm him, shouting, "I implore Sect Master Chu, Sect Master Xie, and Valley Master Mu to seek justice for me!"

Lu Mingfeng had prepared a fallback plan. Should this place be exposed, Elder Qianyang would be the scapegoat.

Evidence would likely be found in Elder Qianyang's residence.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed across Hua Che's face as his gaze shifted to Lin Yan outside the stone chamber.

This unexpected turn of events was beyond Lin Yan's anticipation. Instinctively, he moved to protect the old man behind him. To his surprise, the old man, leaning on a cane and limping, charged into the stone chamber and furiously attacked Lu Mingfeng: "Hypocrite, give me back my life!"

Even in his shocked state, Lu Mingfeng wouldn't be harmed by an old man. The cane was repelled by his protective aura, sending the old man flying. If Lin Yan hadn't caught him in time, the old man would have broken bones.

Xie Wanting asked, "Who is this old gentleman?"

"Which sect does he belong to?" Mu Qinian looked closer, suddenly widening his eyes. "Am I seeing things? He's a mortal!"

The old man, aged and weak, couldn't withstand the shock and began coughing violently, struggling to breathe.

Chu Changfeng quickly infused him with some true qi, and the old man's complexion gradually improved. "Thank you, Master Chu... cough cough..."

Chu Changfeng remarked, "From your speech and demeanour, you don't seem like an ordinary person."

A chilling smirk crept up on Hua Che's lips.

"I am the second disciple of this impostor," the old man trembled as he stood up, fiercely pointing at Lu Mingfeng. "And I am also the second disciple he killed, An Yu!"

Lu Mingfeng was stunned!

An Yu, whom he had been unable to find, was actually here...

"You...you're An Yu!?" The senior disciple who had just challenged Lu Mingfeng was dumbfounded. Pushing through the crowd, he ran up to the old man, staring at him in disbelief. "You...are you really..."

"Elder Brother." An Yu extended his withered hand, tightly grasping the senior disciple's wrist. "You have two scars on your back, forming a 'cross,' from the demonic cultivator at the Fen Qing Palace during our journey down the mountain. You saved me from his fatal blow."

The senior disciple widened his eyes in horror. "You really are An Yu!? How did you end up like this?"

An Yu gritted his teeth. "You'll have to ask our esteemed Master about that!"

Mu Rongsa was bewildered by this unexpected turn of events. Last night, out of curiosity, Hua Che had instructed him on what to do.

Hua Che seemed to know some secret about Lu Mingfeng, but no matter how much Mu Rongsa asked, Hua Che wouldn't say, only instructing him to stir up trouble and lead everyone to the Eastern Hall of the Shangqing Pavilion, where everything would be revealed.

With Mu Rongsa’s simple mind, he couldn't understand, but as a friend, he trusted Hua Che. Moreover, Hua Che was so capable that whatever he did must have had a reason. Mu Rongsa didn't ask much and acted according to the plan.

The bloodstains in front of the bookshelves in the Eastern Hall were unexpected, as was the secret passage and the secret chamber. Now, there was this old man claiming to be "An Yu," which was just too damn chaotic.

"Hua, Hua ge." Mu Rongsa approached Hua Che from behind, lowering his voice. "What's going on? The old man you had Lin Yan meet is called An Yu, the same An Yu that Lu Yao mentioned?"

Hua Che smiled enigmatically. "Don't you enjoy watching the show? Watch closely."

Mu Rongsa was utterly confused.

Before the third round of the martial arts competition, Hua Che had already left the Shangqing Sect to find An Yu.

During their time at the Mingyue Valley, Hua Che had instructed Chu Binghuan to release An Yu, not without preparation. He had placed a tracking charm on An Yu, allowing him to monitor An Yu's whereabouts at all times.

When he found An Yu, he had taken on the appearance of an old man.

More precisely, he had taken over a corpse. This old man had died of illness, and when An Yu encountered the celestial calamity, he had no choice but to abandon the skeleton he had painstakingly cultivated and enter the old man's body with his soul.

The heavenly tribulation wouldn't strike ordinary mortals, so An Yu narrowly escaped calamity.

It's said that when he pretended to be a corpse, he frightened the family, causing quite a stir.

Hua Che found An Yu and explained in detail his intentions and careful planning, including the plan after the Martial arts Competition.

He wanted to publicly expose Lu Mingfeng's downfall in front of tens of thousands of cultivators from various sects, ensuring he would never recover his reputation.

"You've benefited from taking over the old man's body. Originally, I was wondering how to bring you, this ghost cultivator, inside," Hua Che said. "And thanks to your possession, otherwise Lu Mingfeng would have discovered you long ago."

An Yu exclaimed, "He knew I was still alive?"

Hua Che replied, "Your soul is immortal, and the golden core naturally has a response. Otherwise, where did the calamity at the Mingyue Valley come from?"

An Yu was shocked. " It was Lu Mingfeng in the Mingyue Valley incident!?"

A fierce gleam flashed in Hua Che's eyes. "Wearing black doesn't hide anything. Even if he turns to ashes, I'll remember him."

In his previous life, although he had killed Lu Mingfeng, he had preserved his good name, with mourning across the heavens, a grand burial fit for an emperor, and no celebrations in the immortal realm for ten years, even grander than an emperor's funeral.

In this life, if he didn't ruin Lu Mingfeng's reputation and turn his life upside down, his reincarnation would be in vain!

Hua Che looked at everyone with a look of grievance. " Master Lu, I wouldn't conspire with Master An, would I? When you killed him and extracted his golden core, my mother hadn't even been born yet!"

At this point in the development of events, Chu Binghuan had already guessed most of it. Why Hua Che had spared An Yu initially, and why Hua Che had deliberately set up Lu's father and son, everything was clear now.

In other words, the blood-drenched secret passage was also intentional on Hua Che's part.

Self-harm.

Chu Binghuan subconsciously clenched his fists. Although he was furious, he could distinguish between what was important and what was not. He asked, "Master Lu, do you think this person is an impostor?"

Before Lu Mingfeng could speak, the senior disciple became anxious. "He is indeed An Yu! An Yu, what's going on?"

An Yu had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He gathered his courage and shouted loudly, "He harmed my life, extracted my golden core! I languished in the underworld, living worse than death, and only escaped last year during the Ghost Festival. And him, this despicable creature, actually chased me to the Mingyue Valley to assassinate me. He's the mastermind behind the arson in Mingyue Town!"

His words shocked everyone!

An Yu was emotional, filled with righteous indignation. "Do you all think Lu Mingfeng has extraordinary talent? Do you think he has reached his current position based on his own strength? No, you're wrong! He's just a thief, a beast! He recruits disciples with good talents and isn't stingy with rare spiritual herbs during cultivation. Of course, he wouldn't be stingy because these disciples are just poultry to him, destined to have their golden cores extracted by him to prolong his life. How could he possibly be reluctant?"

"People think that the Fen Qing Palace massacred Lu Mingfeng's disciples for revenge, so Lu Mingfeng has been treating his disciples exceptionally well. It's ridiculous, truly ridiculous! He kills his own disciples, pushes the blame onto the Fen Qing Palace, and continues to reign as the supreme immortal!"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Hua Che clenched his fists tightly.

In his previous life, he had also accused Lu Mingfeng like this. But besides him, there was no one else around, no one to testify, and no one to uphold justice for him.

His only fate was to be killed by Lu Mingfeng to silence him.

Later, he was saved by Yin Wuhui. When he returned to the Shangqing Immortal Sect, he was disheartened by Lu Yao's betrayal. His respected master turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, and his beloved junior brother actually wished for his death.

His mind collapsed, losing his rationality, and he recklessly killed Lu Mingfeng.

Afterward, he argued and tried to prove his innocence, even leading everyone into the secret realm, into the stone chamber, to show them the sealed golden core.

But no one believed him at the time. They were immersed in the grief of Lu Mingfeng's tragic death, the anger of the five thousand disciples of the Shangqing Sect dying tragically, and the disgust towards Hua Che, the son of the Demon Lord.

No matter what Hua Che said, no one listened. They treated it as fabrication, as framing, as sophistry, as a new round of sinister plots.

If only someone had believed him at that time.

It didn't need to be many, just one person would have been enough.

Even if there was just one person, he wouldn't have... fallen into the demonic realm, never to return.

Hua Che felt a wave of powerlessness. He stumbled but was steadied by Chu Binghuan beside him.

Hua Che blinked in surprise, subconsciously meeting Chu Binghuan's worried gaze. Unable to help but smile bitterly, he muttered to himself, "If you had been there, would you have believed me?"

Chu Binghuan's lips trembled slightly, but before he could say anything, Zhuang Tian suddenly stood in front of the two of them and shouted loudly, "Tianyu, protect Qingkong, also take care of Zhao Yao and Xiao Yan, hurry up and leave the secret realm!"

It turned out that Lu Mingfeng, seeing that things were exposed, was preparing to go on a killing spree.

Before Hua Che could react, he was swept up in Chu Binghuan's arms.

Zhuang Tian protected his disciples and retreated to the exit of the secret realm. Before leaving, he smiled at Hua Che and said, "Don't be afraid, Xiao Eight, everything will be okay with Master here!"

Hua Che felt warmth in his heart, with a faint glimmer in his eyes.

If only he had also joined the Lingxiao Palace in his previous life.

 

Translator: DarNan