Star Odyssey

Chapter 1777: Conclusive Evidence

Qing Shaohuang was shocked, and King Qing Li angrily shouted, "Lu Yin, don't spout such nonsense!"

He had not said anything before this, as he had been afraid of offending Lu Yin. It had also been useless for him to say anything, but this accusation had to be crushed immediately.

The Great Eastern Alliance was no big deal to go up against, regardless of who might be backing Lu Yin. However, if the Divine Venom Empire was stigmatized as having colluded with the Neohuman Alliance, that would be something else entirely.

Such a crime was enough to eradicate any group or nation. Let alone collusion—even a suspicion of collusion was enough for people to be wiped out. This was always how the Hall of Honor had handled things.

Lu Yin was incredibly vicious; he was actually using such a vile trick to deal with the Divine Venom Dynasty.

Yuan Taishi started coughing from anger. "A- Alliance Leader Lu, even if His Majesty is your enemy, you shouldn't randomly frame my Divine Venom Dynasty! This, this-"

Qing Shaohuang glared at Lu Yin. "Lu Yin, today, you need to prove that my Divine Venom Dynasty has truly colluded with the Neohuman Alliance. If your accusations are false, I swear that I, Qing Shaohuang, will never let you go! Even if it means making a report to the overseers’ council or Arch-Elder Zen himself, I will demand recompense for this and haunt you down for eternity until it is paid!”

Lu Yin turned to face the Chief Justice and then offered a slow bow. "The Chief Justice is here because someone made a report that there is evidence proving that the Divine Venom Dynasty’s Yuan Taishi has colluded with the Neohuman Alliance to develop Vitality Poison here in Venom Flowzone."

Qing Shaohuang suddenly turned to stare at Yuan Taishi.

Yuan Taishi's expression instantly and dramatically changed. "Alliance Leader Lu, don't be ridiculous!"

Lu Yin eyed Yuan Taishi. "The person who made the report is named Yuan Miaomiao."

Yuan Taishi, Qing Shaohuang, and many others turned towards a distant location, which was where Yuan Miaomiao was standing. She faced everyone’s stares and slowly bowed. "Miaomiao reported that Yuan Taishi has colluded with the Neohuman Alliance to develop poison. The evidence is indisputable. I ask the Chief Justice to investigate Luo Ao."

Luo Ao was a rather empty region in Venom Flowzone that was located close to the Divine Venom Continent. The entire area was filled with a highly toxic poison, and it was difficult for ordinary people to even approach the region. Even for Explorers, that area was a death sentence. However, the depths of the region were filled with an even deadlier poison that was known as gong metal. Despite its high toxicity, the metal was not very useful, so very few people would go there to collect gong metal.

Lu Yin had asked the Chief Justice to visit Venom Flowzone because of what he had learned from Yuan Miaomiao. Her information had been concerning enough that the Chief Justice had made the trip himself. As for whether the accusations were actually true, that had nothing to do with Lu Yin.

Lu Yin’s greatest fear at this moment was that the Chief Justice might happen to stumble upon the Second Nightking. If that happened, Lu Yin would have no choice but to allow the Second Nightking to be captured to finish his sentence in Gaia's Swamp.

Still, this was something that had to be done. From the moment that Yuan Miaomiao had first told Lu Yin that Yuan Taishi had been colluding with the Neohuman Alliance in researching Vitality Poison, this was the plan that Lu Yin and Wang Wen had decided upon. This plan could drive Qing Shaohuang into the abyss.

This could quite possibly be the most important step in unifying the Innerverse.

The Chief Justice took Qing Shaohuang, Lu Yin, Yuan Miaomiao, and Yuan Taishi away. They disappeared, instantly traveling to Luo Ao. Everyone else back at the ruins of the imperial palace could only wait.

Balsam's eyes flickered. Sure enough, there was a problem. However, this matter also reminded Balsam that Liu Qianjue and the others were currently attacking Blazing Mist Flowzone. Could Lu Yin have already made preparations? If that was true, then Lu Yin was too ruthless an individual, and his schemes ran too deep.

Of the Innerverse’s eight great flowzones, First Flowzone, Beast Tamers Flowzone, and Soulseal Flowzone were all attacking Blazing Mist Flowzone while Lu Yin was in Venom Flowzone. There was no one who would dare to step forward to help the Great Eastern Alliance in this situation.

However, if everything was proceeding according to Lu Yin's calculations, then the entire situation of the Innerverse was about to drastically change.

Balsam had obviously already been aware that the banquet in Venom Flowzone was part of a plot designed by the Sword Sect and the other Innerverse powers to deal with Lu Yin. Just how had things taken such a sharp turn?

The Chief Justice led Lu Yin and the rest of the small group to Luo Ao. He waved a single hand and casually dispersed the poison that filled the area.

There were nearly twenty planets in this region, but because of the ubiquitous poison here, there was no life.

Yuan Taishi glared at Yuan Miaomiao with eyes that burned with killing intent.

Lu Yin stood next to Yuan Miaomiao and looked over at Yuan Taishi. "We’re here, so just tell the truth and tell us where they’re researching the Vitality Poison. Maybe the Chief Justice can simply take care of things."

"It won't be simple. Everyone there will die," the Chief Justice indifferently replied.

Lu Yin was left speechless.

"Alliance Leader Lu, Qing Shaohuang was the one who offended you, and I had nothing to do with the entire matter. Why are you targeting me with this slander?" Yuan Taishi gnashed his teeth.

Qing Shaohuang was also staring at Lu Yin. "Lu Yin, don't think that you can slander my Divine Venom Dynasty simply by bringing us to search somewhere. It’s possible that you stashed some vitality poison here in order to smear my reputation, but the Chief Justice won’t be deceived by you."

Suddenly, the Chief Justice released an attack. He pointed a finger, and the Luo Ao region was torn apart. As a result pair of slitted scarlet eyes opened. There were actually quite a few corpse kings hidden in this place.

Instantly, one corpse king underwent a red-eyes transformation, and its rune lines immediately surged past what even Yuan Shi possessed.

Lu Yin was startled. This was incredibly dangerous! Fortunately, Yuan Miaomiao had given them the location, and Lu Yin had not investigated himself but rather simply shared the information with the Chief Justice. If Lu Yin had tried to handle this himself, then he definitely would have ended up in trouble, especially since even the Second Nightking most likely could not have saved him from this corpse king.

The red-eyed corpse king had a power level of over a million, which was quite powerful. Not even one of the Sixth Mainland’s Cosmic Imprinters would be able to handle this creature. However, it stood no chance against the Chief Justice. It was instantly killed.

They uncovered many traces of Vitality Poison throughout Luo Ao.

Qing Shaohuang could not believe what he saw. "How is this possible? It's fake! It has to be fake!"

He shot a fierce glare towards Lu Yin. "You’re slandering me! You must have done this!"

Lu Yin sneered. "Right, I’m able to capture a corpse king with a power level of a million and toss it here just to slander you, right? In that case, why didn’t I just have the corpse king kill you?

“Whatever, this was done by the Neohuman Alliance, and there’s no evidence that points to any connection to me."

Qing Shaohuang was left speechless, so he instead turned to stare at Yuan Taishi.

The old man had a gloomy look on his face, and his eyes were overflowing with despair.

Realization finally struck home for Qing Shaohuang when he saw Yuan Taishi’s expression, and the emperor’s face turned pale. "This was you? You truly colluded with the Neohuman Alliance? Why? I never mistreated you. Why would you work with them?!"

Yuan Taishi clenched his hands into fists and glared hatefully at Yuan Miaomiao. "I should have killed you! I should have killed you!"

Yuan Miaomiao closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

"Qing Shaohuang, cut the act. You were the one who ordered Yuan Taishi to work with the Neohuman Alliance to research their Vitality Poison. Maybe your Divine Venom Dynasty was actually the first to create the Vitality Poison, and you sold it to the Neohuman Alliance," Lu Yin said.

Qing Shaohuang roared, and his eyes flared. "This is absurd! My Qing family rules the entire Venom Flowzone. Why would I want to cooperate with the Neohuman Alliance? Lu Yin, you’re trying to ruin me!"

Lu Yin picked at his ears. "So it’s true, and yet you still want to fight it? Yuan Taishi has always been right under your nose. With your strength, were you really not able to see that he was working with the Neohuman Alliance? Just stop pretending."

Qing Shaohuang was furious, and he reached out to grab Lu Yin. "This is insane!"

Just one step, but the emperor could no longer move a single muscle. The Chief Justice coldly snorted. "Impudence."

That single word woke Qing Shaohuang up, and he suddenly realized the worst possible outcome.

Regardless of whether he actually had any connection to Yuan Taishi’s collaboration with the Neohuman Alliance, the emperor knew that he would still be taken in for interrogation. With the Hall of Honor’s attitude regarding the Neohuman Alliance, it was truly impossible for the emperor to safely return to the Divine Venom Dynasty. In that case, what direction would the Divine Venom Dynasty take in the future?

Qing Shaohuang turned to look at Lu Yin, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. This young man was targeting the Divine Venom Dynasty. While the emperor could resist, if he was gone, the empire would be done for.

The more Qing Shaohuang considered the current situation and the future, the colder his heart and body became.

"Chief Justice, I- I really am being wrongly accused! This junior has never had anything to do with the Neohuman Alliance!" Qing Shaohuang protested as he tried to prove his innocence.

"Whether you've been wronged or not, it will all come out during your trial," the Chief Justice replied coldly. Space suddenly solidified in the entire local region, preventing anyone from entering it again. Lu Yin and the others were then taken back to Venom King City’s imperial palace.

When everyone saw Yuan Taishi’s pale face and desperate expression, as well as Qing Shaohuang’s pale complexion, it was clear that Lu Yin’s claim was true.

Qing Li and everyone else from the Divine Venom Dynasty felt as though the sky was falling on them at that moment.

"Yuan Taishi has colluded with the Neohuman Alliance and will be taken to Mt. Microcosms for investigation. Qing Shaohuang will also be investigated. No one from the Divine Venom Dynasty is allowed to leave Venom Flowzone until this investigation is concluded." The Chief Justice indifferently pronounced the two men’s sentences.

Lu Yin immediately agreed, saying, "The Great Eastern Alliance will do its best to assist the Hall of Honor in investigating the Divine Venom Dynasty."

"Let Little Sheng return. Help Little Sheng1 as best you can, but bring him back!" These were the last words that Qing Shaohuang spoke before he was taken away.

A banquet held to celebrate a cultivator’s breakthrough had ended with the conclusion of Qing Shaohuang being arrested and dragged away to his own trial. Everyone turned to look at Lu Yin. Not one person knew how to treat him at this moment.

King Qing Li stared at Lu Yin with complicated feelings. Regardless of whether Qing Shaohuang had actually cooperated with the Neohuman Alliance, the emperor would not have a very good future. Even the best outcome would involve Qing Shaohuang serving a lengthy prison sentence, and the Divine Venom Dynasty would absolutely be investigated by the Hall of Honor. Qing Li could not even imagine how many people would suffer from this, and even he might face a terrible outcome. Given the Hall of Honor’s methods, even though the Divine Venom Dynasty would not be destroyed, it would lose a layer of skin at the very least.

Qing Longlong approached Lu Yin, staring at him. She then turned to look at Yuan Miaomiao. "What the hell is going on? What did you say?"

Yuan Miaomiao's eyes dimmed. "Longlong, Yuan Zhong isn’t my grandfather. He actually killed my parents, and he also colluded with the Neohuman Alliance."

"What does that have to do with my father?" Qing Longlong shouted hoarsely.

Yuan Miaomiao shook her head. "I have no idea what His Majesty has to do with anything. I only reported Yuan Taishi."

Qing Longlong was startled. Yes, Yuan Miaomiao had only reported Yuan Taishi’s activities, not Qing Shaohuang. The only reason why Qing Shaohuang had been arrested was because of his association with Yuan Taishi. The emperor’s arrest had absolutely nothing to do with Yuan Miaomiao.

Even if Yuan Miaomiao had not reported Yuan Taishi, but instead reported someone else, Qing Shaohuang still would have been taken away and investigated because he was the emperor of the Divine Venom Dynasty.

"Why right now? Why?" Qing Long asked weakly.

Yuan Miaomiao looked at her friend. "If not now, then when could I have made a report? What would it have accomplished?"

"You could have told my father!"

"I had no evidence. The Chief Justice was the one who gathered the evidence. I never had a chance to say a thing to His Majesty. If I had tried, I would have died." Yuan Miaomiao also felt quite bitter about the situation.

Qing Longlong could not release her friend’s hand. It was true. If Yuan Miaomiao had made a report to Qing Shaohuang, then Yuan Taishi would have died, but Yuan Miaomiao would have died as well. This matter could not have been allowed to spread, and anyone who became aware of it would have been killed. Yuan Miaomiao definitely would have died. Qing Longlong was able to realize this herself, and she could not blame her friend. All she could say was that Lu Yin had visited at the right time, and Qing Longlong had actually been the one who had allowed Yuan Miaomiao to meet Lu Yin.

This was all her fault!

[1] This is Casanova. His name in Chinese is Qing Sheng, but the closest meaning in English to his Chinese name is Casanova, as his name means playboy. ☜