Chapter 892: Demanding Answers
Bie Tianxin was dead? Although this man’s realm and talent could not compare to the true geniuses at the top of the Carefree List or the Gold Point List, he was still a famous figure on the continent.
After all, not everyone could be like him, with both parents being powerful figures in the sacred domain. In fact, aside from Her Highness Luo Luo, no one else could claim such a birthright. A man like this had actually died? Who would dare to kill him?
Thinking of this, over a thousand gazes on the cliff platform once again turned to Chen Changsheng.
Everyone knew that Chen Changsheng and the State Church—or more precisely, the old National Academy—had a deep grudge against Wu Qiongbi and her son Bie Tianxin.
Moreover, who dared to kill Bie Tianxin and had the ability to do so… there were far too few on the continent. Besides His Holiness the Pope, who else could it be?
Chen Changsheng saw the trace of grief in Bie Yanghong’s eyes and knew that what Wu Qiongbi said was true. So Bie Tianxin was really dead.
His mood grew heavy, realizing that today’s matter was even more troublesome than what he had deduced yesterday with the Wisdom Sword.
Back then in the capital, when the Li Palace initiated the Academy Tournament, he and the National Academy had confronted Bie Tianxin and that servant of his. But the matter was quickly resolved thanks to a very timely letter from Bie Yanghong and Su Moyu’s transfer from the Li Palace Affiliated Academy to the National Academy.
After that, Wu Qiongbi had come to the National Academy at night, intending to kill Xuan Yuan Po to establish her authority, but was driven away like a stray dog by a letter from Su Li.
In both instances, Chen Changsheng and the National Academy had not come out at a disadvantage, so he had never thought to seek revenge against Wu Qiongbi and Bie Tianxin. As time passed and countless major events occurred, he had nearly forgotten these past grievances. When he encountered Bie Tianxin in Hanqiu City a few days ago, he hadn’t even glanced at him.
“What exactly happened? Please speak plainly, sir.” Chen Changsheng looked at Bie Yanghong.
Bie Yanghong gave him a deep look and said, “My son was unfilial, but I believe he did not deserve death. Today, I have come to find out why he was killed.”
Chen Changsheng said, “The last time I saw Bie Tianxin was in Hanqiu City. I hadn’t seen him in the three years before that.”
Gou Hanshi stood up and said, “Sir, please accept my condolences. This junior believes there may be some misunderstanding. May I respectfully ask you to elaborate on the details?”
Bie Yanghong clasped his hands behind his back and gazed at the Tong River on the plain beyond the cliff. His expression gradually turned cold.
“My son died yesterday on the Gorge River, twenty li east of Fengyang County. His bones were ground to ashes and scattered into the riverbed. If my wife and I had not left a brand on his body and used other secret methods, we might never have noticed. When we later discovered something was wrong, we could no longer find where he was. The perpetrator’s mind is cruel and meticulous—truly admirable.”
How could this powerful figure admire the murderer of his own son? Naturally, this was sarcasm.
The more he admired, the more he wanted that person dead, and to die miserably, far worse than having bones ground to ashes.
The cliff platform was silent. Everyone listened to these words with grave expressions.
When Fengyang County was mentioned, Tang Thirty-Six and Hu Thirty-Two exchanged a glance, a sense of unease rising within them.
Chen Changsheng said, “I did go to Fengyang County, but I did not see your son.”
Bie Yanghong was not surprised that he admitted to going to Fengyang County. Over ten thousand believers had witnessed it—who could deny it?
He looked into Chen Changsheng’s eyes and asked, “Did Nan Ke take you flying over a certain stretch of river?”
Chen Changsheng recalled the scene and said, “Yes.”
Bie Yanghong was silent for a moment, then said, “The remains of his bones and ashes lie beneath that stretch of river.”
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng remained silent and did not speak.
As the one involved, he naturally knew this must be a conspiracy. The problem was that this conspiracy was extremely well-crafted, leaving him with nothing to say.
Wu Qiongbi shouted at Bie Yanghong, “Why are you still wasting words with him!”
The cold mountain wind swept across the cliff platform, stirring her white hair, making her look somewhat disheveled.
Chen Changsheng had never liked her, but seeing her grief, sympathy arose in him, and he said, “It really wasn’t me.”
Wu Qiongbi turned to stare at him, her eyes filled with venomous hatred, as if she wanted to devour him. “Then hand over that evil dragon!”
Chen Changsheng was puzzled as to why Wu Qiongbi kept targeting Zhi Zhi and asked, “Did someone actually see her kill Bie Tianxin?”
“No. Even if there were an eyewitness, they could be bribed. I wouldn’t necessarily believe it.”
Bie Yanghong looked at him and said, “But some evidence, though silent, is more trustworthy because it cannot be bought or faked.”
With these words, he extended his right hand.
That famous little red flower still hung from his pinky finger, swaying gently in the breeze.
But everyone’s attention was not on the little red flower; it was above his palm.
A very pure starlight radiated from his palm, enveloping more than a dozen extremely tiny ice particles.
Those ice particles were so fine that from a distance, they were hard to see. But when they appeared, the temperature on the cliff platform at the peak, spanning several li, instantly dropped a few degrees.
A thin layer of frost even formed on the grass beside Bie Yanghong.
What was this thing, so bitterly cold?
Chen Changsheng did not recognize these objects, but he was very familiar with this cold aura.
The next moment, his expression changed slightly.
Was this conspiracy truly so hard to break?
“This is the deep-cold dragon breath unique to the Frost Dragon, impossible to forge.”
Bie Yanghong looked at Chen Changsheng and said, “Your Holiness, how do you explain this?”
At these words, murmurs arose in the crowd, then gradually fell silent.
Countless eyes turned to Chen Changsheng.
Gou Hanshi and the vice dean of the Huai Academy grew solemn.
The Prince of Xiang and that divine general exchanged a glance but remained silent.
Huai Bi, however, let out a cold laugh.
Many important figures knew that there was now only one Frost Dragon on the continent.
Those cultivators who did not know had learned of this through the earlier discussions.
That Frost Dragon was the protagonist of the legend of Beixin Bridge in the capital, and it was also the guardian of the current Pope, Chen Changsheng!
…
…
“Who says deep-cold dragon breath must come from a Frost Dragon?”
“Even if it is a Frost Dragon, who can be certain it’s Chen Changsheng’s black dragon?”
“The dragon race lives on the islands of the Southern Sea. The Golden Dragon clan has left, but the Frost Dragon clan remains. Who knows if another Frost Dragon has come to the continent?”
In such a tense and oppressive atmosphere, only someone with such a flippant tone could speak like this—naturally, it was Tang Thirty-Six.
He already sensed that today’s matter would be extremely tricky and troublesome. Neither Chen Changsheng nor he could think of a way to break the situation.
So he could only try to muddy the waters with disruptive tactics, hoping to find a way out amidst the chaos.
Many people, when faced with Tang Thirty-Six’s methods, would become passive and then respond improperly.
But Bie Yanghong’s response was very simple. He looked at Tang Thirty-Six seriously and said, “My son is dead. Please don’t do this.”
Tang Thirty-Six was silent for a long time, then stepped back.