Chapter 38: I won't give you the chance to grow

"Why did you do it?" Xu Shan asked. He remained next to his father, maintaining a safe distance from Qin Ye. 

He knew he wasn't strong enough to face these people with himself at the moment. However, he wasn't scared either. He was just worried that Qin Ye might go crazy and attack him after the reveal. 

Qin Ye furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he queried, wondering if Xu Shan had somehow found out about his past schemes against them. It seemed unlikely - even his closest confidants were not privy to his every move.

"Why did you try to kill the Saintess and blame me?" Xu Shan asked in a straightforward manner. It was only now that Qin Ye felt even more stunned. This guy... Was he trying to shift the blame?

Qin Ye didn't reveal anything suspicious on his face, maintaining his calm. By now, he was sure that Xu Shan could lie and wanted to get out of this mess. 

"I must admit, I am impressed by your ability to be able to lie while under the influence of Seven Star Grass. I'm not sure how you managed it, but it's quite remarkable."

The man could only regard Xu Shan with a sense of pity, as if he believed the young man was still beneath him. 'Did you really think that merely lying under the influence would result in your innocence being proven? You're quite naive.'

"Is this also a lie that you were behind that letter to the Celestial Palace?" Xu Shan asked. "Emperor Qin, I guess you have become very bored after the war within your Dynasty ended. You've been craving war."

"However, to think that you would use such a scheme to start a war against the Eternal Dynasty...? You even tried to kill the Saintess, all so you could achieve your goals while acting righteous? Am I right?"

The Celestial Palace Master was at a loss for words. He was taken aback by the sudden information he had received. The conflicting accounts provided by the two parties left him in a state of confusion. The possibility of Qin Ye's involvement in the matter was so alarming that it left the Celestial Palace Master stunned.

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards Qin Ye, wondering if his presence here was a mere coincidence or something planned.

Even the Eternal Emperor appeared to be deeply concerned, as he frowned intensely. Although he knew that his son was at fault, he couldn't understand why he was trying to shift the blame onto Qin Ye. It left him wondering what was truly going on.

"Young man, I would advise you to think about your next words wisely." Qin Ye's face darkened. "Just because you have your father's backing doesn't mean you can spout any lie!"

"Here I was trying to help you sincerely but to think that you would throw the blame at me instead!!" No matter what, Qin Ye was still the Emperor. He had come here with his best guards since he paid more attention to his safety than anything else. 

Moreover, he had also prepared some things for emergencies. He wasn't worried even if Xu Shan's father tried to fight him. However, he didn't believe the situation could deteriorate to that level. The Celestial Palace Master was never going to believe such nonsense!

"Let's just believe your nonsense for a second and say that I was behind it. Do you have any proof?" he asked. "The Saintess is inside your Palace. This city is yours. And I just came to this city yesterday while the Saintess disappeared a few days ago. No matter how you try to spin it, lies don't become true!"

"Moreover, just because you tried to toss the blame to me, now I'm completely sure that you did it!" He didn't hesitate to speak his mind, moving closer to the Celestial Palace Master. "I only blame myself for trusting you to be innocent!"

Beneath the pale moonlight, the three overlords stood apart from one another, the air thickening with an unspoken tension that hung heavily between them.

The peaceful ambiance was abruptly disturbed soon after when the loud creak of the palace gate echoed through the surroundings.

The focus of everyone's attention shifted towards the gate without them realizing it. Over there, a woman appeared, donning a stunning blue dress.

With her perfect complexion, she appeared as though royalty. Despite a hint of apprehension on her features, her tearful gaze fixed firmly upon the Celestial Palace Master.

"Fei'er!" The Palace Master exclaimed in a mixture of shock and relief as he hurriedly appeared next to Yu Fei at the Palace entrance, tightly embracing his daughter.

He had been extremely anxious about his daughter's well-being, particularly after receiving news of her passing. Seeing her safe and alive brought immense joy to his heart.

"Father!" Yu Fei embraced her father tightly, her tears cascading down her cheeks. She had been confident in her abilities before venturing out into the world from the Celestial Palace, but she never anticipated facing such perilous situations so soon.

After so long, she found solace in her father's presence. She was reassured that she had weathered the storm and was now secure.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so weak! I'm sorry for not listening to you!" Yu Fei sobbed uncontrollably, revealing her inner turmoil.

"Don't worry! I'm here! I'll let nothing happen to you! I'll kill the bastard who did it to you, even if he's the son of heaven!" The Celestial Palace Master spoke, feeling so bad that his daughter had to go through so many things. 

As soon as he saw his daughter, he assessed her condition. He observed that she appeared to be under the influence of some drugs which had weakened her. However, apart from that, she looked fine and didn't seem to be in any discomfort or pain. Her face bore no signs of injuries.

Fortunately, it was easy for someone like him to break the effects. He placed his palm on the head of his daughter, breaking the restriction on her strength. 

In contrast, the expression on the face of the Eternal Emperor was grim, suggesting that the truth could no longer remain concealed.

Even Xu Shan had a frown which wasn't hidden from Qin Ye who finally regained his smirk. 

'Even if you manage to deceive everyone under the influence of the Herb, your fate remains the same - death! Your struggles are futile. I won't give you the opportunity to grow in this lifetime.'