Chapter 648: All-Out Protection

In Meiying Venerable’s eyes, Qin Ya was no longer just the Inspector under her command, nor was he simply a Pill King. He was quite possibly the only Alchemist who could cure her mother of the strange poison, Hundred Flowers Withered. The weight of this was immeasurable.

For Yann Yuntian to want to kill Qin Ya was tantamount to extinguishing her mother’s only hope!

How could she possibly agree to such a thing!

BOOM, BOOM…

The more she thought, the angrier she became. Her Evil Qi grew denser, surging and spreading out!

Even a Celestial List expert like Yann Sheng couldn’t help but turn pale, his heart trembling violently. His gaze toward Meiying was filled with terror and utter disbelief!

To think that Qin Ya actually had such a Venerable protecting him.

“Alright, that’s enough. Stop this farce.”

At that moment, an indifferent voice rang out, yet it carried immense authority that blanketed the entire grand hall. The oppressive clash of auras immediately dissipated.

The Divine Lord spoke indifferently, “I am now fully aware of all that has transpired. Qin Tianjue is the victim in this matter. His act of killing Yann Xiao was purely in self-defense. It was an unfortunate necessity, and not a crime punishable by death.”

Upon hearing this, the faces of Yann Yuntian and Yann Sheng instantly darkened.

‘Self-defense? An unfortunate necessity? Not a crime punishable by death?’

The Divine Lord’s actions were a clear display of favoritism toward Qin Ya. Yann Yuntian also understood that if he were to act forcefully now, the outcome would not be in his favor. ‘Meiying alone is difficult enough to deal with, let alone the unfathomable Divine Lord… but how can I be willing to give up just like that!’

“Divine Lord, what about my son then?”

“Did he deserve to die?!”

Yann Yuntian snarled, his eyes, like flames, fixed on the Divine Lord.

But the Divine Lord’s gaze remained placid, as if he couldn’t care less. He spoke indifferently, “Then in Marquis Lieyan’s opinion, how should Qin Tianjue be dealt with for it to be considered appropriate?”

“I want him… to cripple his own Cultivation! And destroy his own Divine Acupoints!”

As his words fell, the entire grand hall plunged into silence.

A silence so profound, you could hear a pin drop.

Crippling one’s Cultivation and destroying one’s Divine Acupoints! If these two most important things for a Martial Artist were destroyed, then all their years of dedication to the Martial Arts would be for naught. How was that any different from suicide?

Yann Yuntian’s demand was even more terrifying than simply killing Qin Ya.

“Heh.” At that moment, a soft chuckle broke the silence, laced with endless coldness. Qin Ya’s gaze was as cold as Frost Snow, and his tone was utterly indifferent as he said, “You want me to cripple my Cultivation and my Divine Acupoints? Are you dreaming, old dog?”

HISS…

Even those with extraordinary mental fortitude like Ce Tian and Yann Sheng couldn’t help but be startled by Qin Ya’s audacity. Good heavens, he actually dared to insult a Venerable.

But on second thought, it seemed normal. Considering the outrageousness of Yann Yuntian’s demand, it was already a sign of great rationality that Qin Ya hadn’t just attacked him outright.

“You have the guts to say that again.”

“Yann Yuntian, are you fucking deaf?”

Just then, an arrogant laugh slowly drifted in.

A robust, white-haired middle-aged man in a white robe was seen slowly walking into the grand hall. He walked up to the Divine Lord, bowed, and said with a hint of respect, “Celestial Marquis… Zhao Songyuan, pays his respects to the Divine Lord.”

The corners of the Divine Lord’s mouth turned up slightly. “Celestial Marquis Zhao, there is no need for such formalities.”

Seeing this man, Yann Yuntian’s eyes flickered with surprise. He said, “I didn’t expect to meet Celestial Marquis Zhao in the grand hall today. What a surprise.”

Zhao Songyuan, one of the Ten Great Celestial Marquis.

And among the Celestial Marquis, he was the one closest to the Divine Lord.

This was because the Zhao Family’s daughter, Zhao Yan… was the Divine Lord’s most favored consort.

“Yann Yuntian, cut the crap. I’ve heard about that Yann Xiao of yours. He was simply not skilled enough. He deserved to die.”

These words nearly made Yann Yuntian attack him on the spot.

Yann Sheng, standing at the side, was already completely bewildered.

‘What is going on? Yann Xiao is the one who died, and Qin Ya is the killer. So why does it seem like we’re the ones being persecuted? Everyone is targeting us.’

‘The Commandery Princess of Meiying County, the Lord of the Divine Country, and now a Celestial Marquis… just what kind of power does this Qin Ya have that they’re all helping him?’

Yann Yuntian could also see it now. This Qin Ya definitely held some unknown power. Otherwise, why would so many people step forward to protect him?

He ignored Zhao Songyuan and addressed the Divine Lord directly, “Divine Lord, I ask you to give my son justice. If we let it go just like this, I… cannot accept it.”

The Divine Lord’s eyes narrowed slightly. He then said, “Let’s do this, then. We will temporarily imprison Qin Tianjue in the Supervision Mansion. Does Celestial Marquis Yann have any further objections?”

Hearing this, Yann Yuntian nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

‘The Supervision Mansion… a forbidden place for others. But to the Divine Lord, it’s like his own back garden! Imprisoning Qin Ya there sounds like a punishment, but it might as well just be a change of residence.’

“Divine Lord, this…”

“Enough. This matter is settled.” The Divine Lord waved his hand dismissively and then said to Ce Tian, “Commander Ce, I’ll trouble you to personally take Qin Tianjue into custody.”

“Yes, Divine Lord.”

Qin Ya understood his significance to the Divine Lord and the others, so he felt no great fear in his heart. He gave Yann Yuntian a deep look before leaving the grand hall.

Seeing this, Meiying Venerable followed him out.

“Alright, the matter is resolved. Everyone is dismissed.”

“Yes.”

Although Yann Yuntian was still unwilling to accept it, there was nothing he could do.

「A short while later, in a garden within the Divine Palace.」

The Divine Lord and Zhao Songyuan were playing a game of Go. Black and white stones covered the board, placed down one after another. One player’s style was steady and majestic, balanced in offense and defense. The other’s was like a fierce tiger leaving its cage, full of aggressive attacks. The two went back and forth on the board in a spectacular game.

“Heh, I’ve lost again.”

Zhao Songyuan slowly placed the white stone in his hand down and sighed in resignation.

The Divine Lord just smiled faintly, offering no words of consolation. “How did Celestial Marquis Zhao have time to enter the palace today? And at such a coincidental time, no less.”

“Divine Lord, now that’s not very kind of you,” Zhao Songyuan said. “Since you already found a way to cure Yen’er, why didn’t you inform me sooner? If Ying’er hadn’t come to visit me a few days ago, I still wouldn’t know a thing.”

“Heh, I knew Ying’er went to see you, and I knew she would tell you about it. That’s why I didn’t say anything. However, your appearance today was perfectly timed. Otherwise, with Yann Yuntian’s temper, who knows what kind of scene he would have made.”

“Hmph, he’s not an idiot. He knows several of us are protecting Qin Ya. If he dared to make a move, unless he could unite with the other major families, he wouldn’t gain any advantage. And why would those other families unite with him? It wasn’t their sons who died. So he can only submit obediently.”

“Aren’t you afraid he’ll get desperate and do something reckless?”

“Tch, then we’d have the perfect reason to suppress him.”

“Enough idle talk. Let’s play another round.”