Chapter 219: Banishment

The Ancient Ship flew directly over the towering city walls, slowly descending until it hovered above a relatively secluded garden on the edge of the magnificent palace complex, a place shrouded by high walls and an Array.

The vessel paused slightly, and a soft ladder of light descended.

Lu Bai, Mo Tang, and the others disembarked one by one.

A group of Dragon Guards was already waiting below. The prisoners were separated, and each was led away by a different guard to a separate location.

‘It seems the Capital City was already prepared. They’re going to hold and interrogate us separately.’

Lu Bai thought to himself, ‘Looks like I’m going to jail again.’

They passed through several highly guarded palace gates and past countless patrolling Imperial Guards whose auras were heavy and stern. Finally, his escort led Lu Bai to a cluster of independent courtyards deep within the Imperial Palace.

The environment here was serene and secluded, with ancient trees reaching for the sky, unusually shaped rocks arranged artfully, and even a babbling brook flowing through.

Its style was completely different from the solemn and majestic main palace complex not far away, more like an exquisitely crafted private garden estate.

A Dragon Guard stopped before a courtyard with a plaque that read ‘Qingxin Garden’. He pushed the gate open, made a “please enter” gesture to Lu Bai, and remained silent, his expression grim.

Lu Bai stepped inside.

The courtyard gate closed silently behind him. A faint light flashed as a Restriction seemed to activate, completely sealing the area off.

Lu Bai looked around.

The courtyard was not large, but it was exquisite.

There was an elegant house with a small open space in front, where several plum trees were planted. Beneath the trees stood a stone table and stools.

In a corner, a small pond with flowing water housed several koi fish swimming leisurely.

All the daily necessities seemed to have been prepared. The place was clean, tidy, and could even be described as comfortable.

This was a far cry from the Celestial Prison he had initially imagined.

However, while the surrounding courtyard walls did not look high, trying to leave would be as difficult as ascending to Heaven.

Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it.

Lu Bai had the three strands of Dust Silk that Yu Daoxuan had given him.

If he were truly convicted of a serious crime in this case—even if it wasn’t decapitation, but imprisonment for a few years, or even a decade—he wouldn’t be able to endure it.

‘At worst, I’ll just have to ask Yu Daoxuan to get me out of the Wu Country.’

Lu Bai settled in. During the day, he practiced the Eight Desolates Returning Essence Scripture, and at night, he continued to cultivate the Piercing Fire Chapter.

He still held a certain obsession in his heart for the path of Cultivation and the pursuit of immortality.

Over the next few days, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice came with his men to take his statement.

After that, aside from someone delivering his meals every day, no one else disturbed him, leaving him in peace and quiet.

What Lu Bai didn’t know was that his case had caused a massive uproar throughout the Wu Dynasty.

The debates in the imperial court alone raged for several days without end.

Officials from all levels of the government submitted memorials one after another. With the Duke of Wei abstaining from politics and the Duke of Chen stationed on a distant border, other great Dukes in the imperial court even began to quarrel over the matter.

—————–

「Audience Hall.」

Qin Shiyue looked at the mountain of memorials piled before her and frowned slightly, a hint of exhaustion in her eyes.

Over the years, she had sensed the undercurrents swirling through the court and the country. The power and influence of several Dukes were subtly growing beyond her control.

After all, she lacked the prestige her father, the Late King, once commanded. Her Cultivation Realm was not the highest, and she was a woman.

She had decided to personally oversee the case not only because it involved the Demon Sect, but also because she wanted to test the reactions of her court officials.

The situation was even worse than she had imagined.

The facts of the case had already been investigated and clarified.

However, Marquis Jingzhong had taken all the blame upon himself.

Among the great Dukes, only Duke Jing stood on her side, arguing forcefully for a thorough investigation and severe punishment for all involved.

Marquis Jingzhong was, after all, a First-Grade Marquis enfeoffed by the Late King. With the backing of three great Dukes and the support of most officials, he was very difficult to touch.

“Qingtian, what are your thoughts?”

Qin Shiyue gently massaged her temples, asking softly without turning around.

“Marquis Jingzhong doesn’t have much time left. By taking all the blame, he’s simply trying to protect his family.”

Li Qingtian said, “In truth, we don’t even need to punish Marquis Jingzhong. We just need to place him under house arrest in the Capital City. Before long, his lifespan will run out on its own.”

“Mm.”

Qin Shiyue said, “That was my thought as well. We can have Liang Yifan and Yu Weifeng beheaded to serve as a warning to others. As for Marquis Jingzhong, we can strip him of his title and keep him in the Capital City.”

This course of action was a compromise, with both sides taking a step back.

Li Qingtian asked, “Is Your Highness troubled about how to deal with that Lu Bai?”

Qin Shiyue fell silent.

Li Qingtian asked, “Does Your Highness wish to protect him?”

Qin Shiyue nodded, then sighed. “That’s the problem. In the part of this case that involves the Demon Sect, it’s still easy to distinguish right from wrong.”

“But this man disregarded the laws of the Wu Dynasty and killed too many people. If we don’t provide a proper justification for our actions, it will be hard to win over the public. Even Duke Jing can’t speak up for him.”

Li Qingtian mused, “The boy is indeed talented. Even I underestimated him. I never expected him to cause such a huge commotion in Jingzhou City.”

Qin Shiyue asked, “Why don’t you step in to protect him and recruit him into your ranks?”

Li Qingtian recalled the scene outside Jingzhou City, when he saw Lu Bai light that bizarre candle and nearly summon a shadowy figure. He remained silent for a long while before saying, “There’s something unsettling about this boy. To be honest, it wouldn’t be appropriate to let him enter the palace.”

“Is he that formidable?”

Qin Shiyue was a little surprised. “The way you put it, you’ve made me quite curious.”

Li Qingtian said, “I’ve reviewed his record. From Liuxi Town to Bluestone City, and then to Jingzhou City, wherever he goes, he kills. There’s no telling how many people he’s sent to their graves. He is truly worthy of the name Yama.”

“And you can’t control him?”

Qin Shiyue smiled at his words.

“Controlling him would be easy enough.”

Li Qingtian said, “However, recruiting him into the palace to become a Dragon Guard after he’s killed hundreds of people would still provoke dissatisfaction and criticism from the court officials.”

After a pause, Li Qingtian added, “We can spare his life and give him some other form of punishment.”

Qin Shiyue shook her head slightly. “I’m worried that even if we save his life for now, he will die an unnatural death in the near future.”

Lu Bai had offended too many people this time. With Marquis Jingzhong’s connections and reputation in the Wu Country, getting rid of a mere Innate Martial Artist would be as easy as flipping one’s palm.

Her earlier idea of making Lu Bai a Dragon Guard, one of the Imperial Guard, was also due to this consideration.

Only in the Royal Palace, under Li Qingtian’s command, could Lu Bai’s life be protected.

Qin Shiyue pondered for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “I have an idea!”

“Duke Chen?”

Li Qingtian asked.

“Exactly.”

Qin Shiyue smiled. “Isn’t he good at causing trouble? We can exile him to the border, send him to Duke Chen’s army to atone for his crimes through meritorious service.”

“If he wants to cause trouble and kill people, let him kill the people in the south. Besides, he’s skilled at exorcising ghosts and vanquishing evil. He might even perform some extraordinary deeds on the Southern Border.”

“A good idea.”

Li Qingtian nodded. “No matter how powerful Marquis Jingzhong’s influence is, it would be difficult for him to kill someone right under Duke Chen’s nose. This way, exiling him to the army should also help appease the public’s anger.”

Qin Shiyue glanced at the sky.

In another hour, it would be time for the morning court session.

Resolving this matter sooner rather than later would save her from listening to the officials bicker in the imperial court.