Chapter 522: Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing
Yun Xinyue's hands clenched tighter and tighter, almost breaking his finger bones, while sweat poured down his forehead in streams. He said: "Patriarch... I dare not, but I refuse to accept this! I, Yun Xinyue, have always been loyal. Why must I be subjected to Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing in public based solely on the unsubstantiated words of an outsider! Just because... he is your adopted son, Patriarch? If after the Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing, I am proven innocent, will that be the end of it? Will your adopted son's accusations be dismissed? I refuse to accept this... Patriarch, doing this will make our entire clan disheartened... I refuse to accept."
Yun Qinghong laughed lightly: "Since that is the case, then I, as the Patriarch, will make you accept it... Che'er!"
Yun Che responded: "Adoptive Father."
Yun Qinghong said solemnly: "The matter of Yun Xinyue needing to undergo Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing all stems from you. If after the Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing, it is proven that he is indeed related to the harm done to Xiao'er and Tianxia Diqi, then you will have helped my Yun Clan eliminate a hidden threat, which is a great merit. At that time, the Council of Elders will naturally reward you heavily, and the entire Yun Clan will recognize you. However, if Yun Xinyue is innocent... then you have maliciously slandered a member of our Yun Clan. Even if you are my adopted son, I will not let you off lightly! At that time, you must immediately sever all your meridians to atone for your crime... Do you dare to agree? If you do not dare, then this Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing does not need to be done!"
Severing all meridians... this extremely cruel consequence made everyone present shudder. Many Yun Clan members initially thought Yun Qinghong's outburst was to favor Yun Che, but after hearing this, no one thought that anymore. They even felt that Yun Qinghong was being extremely harsh on his adopted son.
Although Yun Qinghong had nearly ten percent confidence in Yun Che, he still left a way out for him... Severing all meridians would be extremely terrifying to any Xuan practitioner, even an Emperor Sovereign. But, he and Mu Yurou had their meridians disabled for over twenty years, and Yun Che could cure them within two months. So even if he really had to sever all meridians at that time, recovering on his own should not be too difficult.
Yun Che nodded without hesitation and said loudly: "Fine! If Yun Xinyue is proven innocent under Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing, I will immediately sever all my meridians... If I go back on my word, anyone present can act on my behalf, and I will not resist!"
Yun Qinghong slowly nodded: "Yun Xinyue, do you have anything to say now?"
With matters having come to this point and Yun Qinghong's words having reached such a level, if Yun Xinyue still resisted, it would truly be abnormal. Yun Xinyue's chest heaved violently, and his legs were trembling faintly. He gritted his teeth and took a step forward, but could not take a second step... because he knew better than anyone what the consequences of undergoing Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing would be.
Yun Qinghong's face showed anger as he said in a deep voice: "Enforcement Elder, without violating the overall interests of the Yun Clan, how should someone who deliberately disobeys the Patriarch's order be dealt with?"
The Enforcement Elder was startled and quickly replied: "Reporting to the Patriarch, disobeying the Patriarch's order... at the lightest, confinement; at the heaviest... the total abolition of all profound arts and expulsion from the clan."
"Yun Xinyue, do you want to become a cripple and be expelled from the clan, or do you want to step onto this Holy Cloud Platform to prove your innocence? If you don't even know how to make such a simple choice, then it only proves that what Yun Che said is not false!"
Yun Xinyue still did not move. At this moment, his spirit was on the verge of collapse, and in fear and confusion, he could barely hear Yun Qinghong's words.
"Since you still do not want to step onto this Holy Cloud Platform, then I can only have someone help you up there." Yun Qinghong faced the direction where the three Supreme Elders were seated, his expression carrying a trace of respect: "Three Supreme Elders, I need to trouble you with this matter. Only if the three Supreme Elders personally handle it will it be the most convincing."
With their extensive experience, Yun Jiang, Yun Xi, and Yun He could clearly see clues from Yun Xinyue's current state. As soon as Yun Qinghong finished speaking, Supreme Elder Yun Xi soared into the air and instantly appeared above Yun Xinyue. Before Yun Xinyue could react, a vast as the sea profound force had enveloped his entire body. He didn't even have time to conceive of resisting before darkness fell before his eyes and his consciousness completely faded.
Even his body appeared in a kneeling position on the Holy Cloud Platform.
The Supreme Elder's profound force was extremely vast. People hadn't even seen clearly what happened before Yun Xinyue was in the center of the Holy Cloud Platform, his entire body motionless, his eyes open but with unfocused pupils, as if he had lost his soul.
In a flash, Supreme Elder Yun Xi had returned to his seat and said lightly: "His consciousness has been drawn away by the Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing. It will probably last about a quarter of an hour. Patriarch, feel free to ask him any questions."
Watching his proud son kneeling like a criminal in full view, and seeing the Supreme Elder's actions and words clearly siding with Yun Qinghong, Yun Waitian trembled all over and roared angrily: "Fine... fine... go ahead and ask, go ahead and ask!! My son is completely innocent and fears no slander! Yun Qinghong, remember your words! If my son is innocent, this Yun Che must sever all his meridians! And as for today's humiliation... I will never forget it!"
Yun Qinghong said calmly: "Grand Elder, calm down. Isn't this about to prove your son's innocence? You should be more at ease." He nodded to Yun Che: "Che'er, push me up. I want to hear every word he says clearly."
"Yes," Yun Che responded, jumping down from the platform, then lifting Yun Qinghong's wheelchair and returning to the Holy Cloud Platform, landing in front of Yun Xinyue.
Behind Huiye Commandery Prince, Yanlong Venerable said in an extremely low voice: "Your Highness, what should we do?"
Huiye Commandery Prince's face was as calm as water. He held a folding fan and crooked his index finger, making a subtle gesture.
"Grand Elder, Yubai, both of you step down. All Elders, keep an eye on the Grand Elder. Do not allow him to jump onto the Holy Cloud Platform without permission. As for His Highness Huiye, he may do as he pleases." Yun Qinghong looked at Yun Xinyue in front of him and said unhurriedly.
Huiye Commandery Prince gave a light snort but did not leave the Holy Cloud Platform. His eyes stared fixedly at Yun Qinghong's back.
Mu Yubai and Yun Waitian both left the Holy Cloud Platform as instructed. Yun Waitian said angrily: "I don't need anyone to watch over me! My son is definitely innocent! Yun Qinghong, you'll regret this!"
Yun Qinghong smiled faintly: "Heh heh, Yun Waitian, never assume that just because you are his father, you know everything about him. However, I am willing to believe that you were unaware of the things he did. Che'er, you were the one who said Yun Xinyue was related to the harm done to Xiao'er and Tianxia Diqi, so you should ask the questions yourself. Since you were able to discover the clues, you at least know better than we do how to question him."
"Very well," Yun Che nodded. When his eyes met Yun Qinghong's, they couldn't help but smile at each other.
Throughout today's assembly, Yun Qinghong had remained silent at first, so silent that people almost forgot his presence. But from the moment he spoke, the entire situation fell completely under his control. He completely extinguished Huiye Commandery Prince's authority, rendered Helian Peng speechless, and manipulated the emotions of everyone in the Yun Clan with every action and word. He made all the voices of indignation for Yun Xinyue disappear, and even got the Supreme Elder to subdue Yun Xinyue with just a few words...
Yun Che rarely admired anyone. He had thought that he would be the main character of today's Yun Clan assembly, but he didn't expect that the role of the true main character was easily taken away by Yun Qinghong. He sighed inwardly... No wonder I am so outstanding; it turns out I have such a formidable father!
One can imagine what he was like back then!
When the people of the Yun Clan were being led by the nose by what seemed like a flawless script, Yun Qinghong had seen through everything in silence. While everyone was questioning and mocking Yun Che, he chose to believe... And whether to trust or not requires sufficient wisdom in itself.
Yun Che stepped forward. When his body was level with Yun Qinghong, he wanted to remind Yun Qinghong to be careful of someone suddenly acting to silence Yun Xinyue, but before the words left his mouth, he swallowed them back. He believed that with Yun Qinghong's wisdom, he didn't need to remind him.
Yun Che stood in front of Yun Xinyue and asked seriously: "What is your name?"
Yun Xinyue's voice was slow and listless, but it was loud enough to be heard: "Yun Xinyue..."
"How old are you this year?"
"Twenty-seven..." Yun Xinyue said, with a strand of saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth and falling to the ground.
"What type of girl do you like most?"
"Those with... big butts..."
"Oh! I never thought we would have even that tiny bit in common." Yun Che's eyes widened: "Which girl have you slept with recently?"
"Chrysanthemum Girl from Drunken Fragrance Pavilion..."
"Pfft..." Below, spittle sprayed everywhere.
"You scoundrel!!" Yun Waitian's beard stood on end as he pointed at Yun Che and cursed: "What kind of damn questions are those! You... you... you are clearly fearful and guilty, deliberately stalling!"
Yun Che hastily waved his hand: "Supreme Elder Yun, please calm down. This is my first time witnessing the legendary Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing, so I wanted to test if it really does answer anything when asked anything, as the legends say... Hmm, the testing is about done. The Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing is indeed miraculous, so it's time to get to the point. But, well, well... the son of the Yun Clan's Grand Elder actually needs to visit brothels when he wants a woman... Oh! He would rather visit brothels than forcefully take and occupy virtuous women like some children of large clans. I truly admire that. Just this Chrysanthemum Girl... it sounds like, Grand Elder's son, you have quite a heavy taste..."
"You!!" Yun Waitian trembled all over, his eyes fierce, looking as if he wanted to go up and fight Yun Che to the death.
"Oh! Right away, right away!" Yun Che coughed heavily, glanced casually at the face of Huiye Commandery Prince, who had been silent for a while, and then said seriously: "Yun Xinyue, I ask you, two months ago, how did you know that Yun Xiao and Tianxia Diqi would meet outside the city?"
Yun Che did not ask "do you know" but "how did you know". Yun Waitian sneered and said disdainfully: "Under Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing, what is said comes from the depths of the soul and will not be false! Do you think that by guiding him like this, he will make up some reason?"
But, with Yun Xinyue's response, Yun Waitian's expression instantly froze.
"That day... passing by Yun Xiao's courtyard... I happened to hear Yun Xiao sending a sound transmission to Tianxia Diqi... making an appointment for ten o'clock the next morning... to meet at Yuyun Pavilion, seventy li outside the city..." Yun Xinyue answered slowly and clearly.
"Oh!" Yun Che nodded: "It's about what I expected. You indeed eavesdropped on Yun Xiao's sound transmission."
"This... this... ah..." Yun Xiao's tongue twisted. He remembered that on the first day he met Yun Che, Yun Che had asked him if he always used sound transmission to arrange meetings with Tianxia Diqi, and whether that sound transmission was intercepted by someone...
Below, dense whispers broke out. The first question Yun Che formally asked, and Yun Xinyue's answer, made those who had begun to doubt start to sense something.
Yun Waitian's face immediately turned ugly, but he quickly shouted: "So what! Xinyue just happened to overhear it! Does accidentally hearing this sound transmission make him the villain who ambushed them!!"