2283 Forced To Drink A Forfeit

The accusations from Grand Eunuch Tao were big and everyone in the room was stunned by them.

The people of the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect realized that not even the members of the Imperial Court had been privy to this information as most of them seemed to be surprised too.

It was unexpected, as this was the kind of information one might think would be known by everyone in the higher ups at least. And yet the information had been kept a secret for the majority of the time.

"How do we know this is the truth?

" but not everyone in the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect was going to accept the information at face value.

"How do we know if this person is really related to Yao Changying?

" they questioned.

"Of course, we have undeniable proof of that too.

" Grand Eunuch Tao stated, showing more information.

"As you all can see, the cup had been in contact with Rueshi Kunming, a merchant that is decently known in the unorthodox factions for obvious reasons,

" he stated.

~SHUA~

And as he said this, the information on the Formation screen updated to show the divination that had been done by the Diviners of the Temple.

In it, the man named Rueshi Kunming could be seen not only holding the cup, but even personally putting in the Wrath Leaf Toxin. All of this looked rather unreal, but the proofs and verification attached by well known experts made them stop their doubts.

"Rueshi Kunming has been known to have close contact with Yao Changying for a long time.

" Grand Eunuch Tao continued.

"He's been known to not only trade with her, but also with several other unorthodox factions outside of the Rust Sky world.

" He added, as the scene changed once more.

This time, there were records from various establishments where Rueshi Kunming had been present along with Yao Changying. These records were not from divining, but rather from the individuals records that had been collected by the formation arrays present there.

As such, this proof was a lot harder to deny than the presuppose one.

And when combined with the divination results from the diviners, they couldn't help but agreed that this was indeed the workings of Yao Changying.

"As you all can see, the diviners have clearly shown that Yao Changying was involved in all this and that Third Prince Feng Baxing had been poisoned with Wrath Leaf Toxin.

" Grand Eunuch Tao concluded.

"And just in case anyone has doubts about this, Grand Alchemist Lao is a recognized alchemist by the Northern Immortal Court and is also a resident of the Rust Sky world. As such, his skills are well known.

" He added.

By the time Grand Eunuch Tao had finished his statement, the people of the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect had little to nothing to refute.

There were a few that had thought that the Grand Alchemist had shown preference to the Dao Wind Empire through his work, but his designation was not something that could be ignored. Not even a ruling power of a world could ignore someone who was acknowledged by one of the Immortal Courts.

Denying that would be the same, not giving the Immortal Court face, and denying their authority.

Doing that would bring them more harm than simply accepting the issue.

As such, no one in the entire group of the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect tried to deny it including the patriarch.

Once the explanation had been finished by Grand Eunuch Tao, an awkward silence filled the court, making it hard for anyone to speak.

Fives minutes passed like this, as everyone comprehended all that had happened in this time before Emperor Feng finally spoke.

"Patriarch Yao Hanglu… It is clear that Yao Changying has gone further than what can be considered as an individual transgression.

" Empower Feng stated.

"We all believe that the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect needs to endure their part in this.

" He added, making all the members of the sect gulp in nervousness.

There was not a single individual among them that didn't know what this meant for them. After all, the news about the Dao Wind Empire having to cede a lot of authorities and land to the Temple of the Four Guardian beasts was a well known thing.

That had happened due to the actions of the Third Prince Feng Baxing, and now that it had been unearthed that his actions were due to Yao Changying, there was no way the Dao Wind Empire would not extract a suitable price from the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect.

As for what the price was, the Patriarch and the members of the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect were about to find out.

"What do you say, Patriarch Yao?

" Emperor Feng questioned.

"Wouldn't you say that Yao Changying should at least be tracked down by you and your sect too?

" he asked.

Now that this question had been posed, the sect had no rebuke.

"Yes…

" Patriarch Yao replied.

"Great!

" Emperor Feng said out loud.

"Then you will have no problems with giving your blood to us.

" He quickly added.

Hearing that, the elders of the sect were unnerved.

This wasn't a simple matter, of course. Blood provided like this could be used in various things unrelated to the matter at hand.

Not only could they frame Patriarch Yao in more matters, they could even incite discord among other powers and even invoke curses using it. The uses were endless and as such; they needed to be careful. But before the elders could even express their concerns, Emperor Feng was already prepared with a comeback.

"And don't worry, the blood will be taken and handled by the Temple of the Four Guardian beasts.

" Emperor Feng stated.

"They'll be handling all the matters related to it as well as use it to divine the true position of Yao Channing.

" He explained.

Having said this, there was almost nothing left for them to protest against. They could have pretended it was unsafe to give the blood of Patriarch Yao to a foreign power, but since it was a neutral power such as the Temple of the Four Guardian beasts, the situation changed entirely.

If the Patriarch of the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect resisted giving his blood to the Dao Wind Imperial Court, it could actually be taken as an admission of guilt and as such be bad for them. After all, it would be the same as suspecting the integrity of the Temple of the Four Immortal Beasts.

Though it was probably going to be a lot worse for them, since the involved of Yao Changying and the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect had grown deep due to all the things. Now it was inevitable that they would have to not only pay repercussions but also help find her.

The fate of the Patriarch and the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect was sealed from here, and they ended up having to do whatever that was asked of them.

The climate in the capital City of the Dao Wind Empire calmed down as well, with the sect acquiring to all demands.

The security measures had all been made just in case that the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect decided that they would not heed the words of the Empire and resist them instead. It could have very well resulted in a war and it would have started in the very heart of the empire.

While there was no doubt the Emperor would be fine, there was no telling if the city would be the same, as such the measures were necessary.

But as soon as the orders were given out, the people were eased and the same could be said for the soldiers and the guards.

For them, one of the most difficult situations had just been resolved.

Though that was not the end of it for them, as their work only increased further when the people of the Flourishing Flower Sword Sect were given places to stay in the city.

Officially, it was stated that the sect was working with the Imperial Court and the Temple of the Four Guardian Beasts to help in the investigation, but rumors had already spread across the city.

And once it was known in the city, it didn't take long for it to be known across the empire. A week later, the news had traveled across the entire Rust Sky world with all powers and even commoners knowing about it. The Holy Topaz Empire was especially embarrassed by it. The Flourishing Flower Sword Sect was their 'in-laws' and were now being 'hosted' by the Dao Wind Empire. It was certainly not a good representation for their face and left a lot to be thought about.

For those that were aware about the political climate though it was clear what had happed.

The Flourishing Flower Sword Sect had been offered a toast, but they rejected it; only to be forced to drink a forfeit!

With a mix of humiliation and embarrassment, the Capital City moved onto a new time.