147 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Chapter 147 - Day and Night Reborn as the Malicious Senior Sister Fang Keyuan stood in the hall, his consciousness teetering between clarity and confusion. The Seeking Truth Herb had clouded his mind, making it impossible for him to control his words and actions. Before the elders could stop him, he had confessed all his crimes. His heinous acts were appalling, yet he showed no trace of remorse or guilt in his tone. Fu Ling crouched on the eaves, her eyes blazing with rage. She couldn't fathom how someone could be so shameless, to murder their own flesh and blood without the slightest hint of regret. If not for someone holding her back, she would have leapt down to personally end Fang Keyuan's life. "Don't rush, someone will kill him," Jiu Ying said, her face devoid of expression and her voice icy cold. She lowered her head, her gaze sweeping past Fang Keyuan, then fixating on the young man in elegant attire at the side of the hall, her eyes glinting with a chilling light. The youth bore a striking resemblance to Fang Sijian, though his demeanor and appearance were much more mature. He was the eldest son of the Fang family and the next heir to the Xuanyou Sect—Fang Simian. Being slain by one's own father is an unimaginable blow to a daughter who yearned for paternal love. Fang Keyuan could commit such inhuman acts against Fang Yuanqing, and so he too must taste the bitterness of being sent to the underworld by a loved one's hand. In the front hall, silence hung heavy. All eyes were directed at the high seat. The three sect leaders, familiar with Fang Keyuan, wore varied expressions, while Si Yiguang looked on as if engrossed in a theater. The surrounding stares ranged from shock to disgust, predominantly filled with disdain. Fang Sijian, Lady Fang, the elders and disciples of Xuanyou Sect were all left dumbfounded and horrified, unsure of how to handle the predicament before them. After all, the murder of a child was an undeniable truth spoken from Fang Keyuan's own lips. Among them, only Fang Simian appeared composed. He scanned the crowd, his gaze briefly locking onto the woman below the platform, a trace of cold glinting in his eyes. Identical to his father Fang Keyuan when in anger. This father-son duo shared striking similarities in both temperament and conduct. Feng Suqiu, oblivious to his gaze, moved step by step toward the high seat, her eyes filled with hatred and a murderous intent. When she was but half a foot away from Fang Keyuan, Fang Simian stepped out from the right of the hall, his voice rational to the point of brutality as he questioned— "If you claim he's dead, bring Fang Qishan's body for us to see. How else can you prove that father committed murder?" Fang Keyuan had already confessed to his crimes, yet Fang Simian demanded a public inspection of the corpse. Regardless of the fact that Feng Suqiu was a mother mourning her lost child and Fang Simian was Fang Yuanqing's brother in blood. At this moment, to propose exposing his sibling's corpse to the crowd was indeed heartless. Fang Sijian didn't expect his elder brother to utter such words, and hid his hands in his sleeves, clenched with resolve to intervene. Gao Tianlian immediately pulled him back, shaking his head silently. This issue was beyond their ability to change. Nearby, Lady Fang was equally stunned, her cheeks growing pale as the true horror of the situation dawned upon her. A father killing his child, a brother examining the corpse—these events were chilling to the soul. She looked at her husband, then at her eldest son, her legs almost giving way beneath her. An eerie silence enveloped the room, without the slightest sound. Feng Suqiu had anticipated such a development and had come prepared. She turned around, and the grand doors behind her were thrust open from the outside. An obsidian coffin engraved with runes floated into the center of the hall. The Consul Master of Tian Gua Sect immediately recognized the ritual runes on it, confirming it was indeed a curse transfer array. Fang Keyuan's earlier words were likely true. Unable to bear the view of the corpse within, he softly explained the runes on the coffin for all present. A murmur of voices ensued, and Fang Simian's expression darkened considerably. Without speaking further, he signaled for a slender silver needle to be brought, with the intent to pierce the heart, to determine Fang Yuanqing's condition. Feng Suqiu's heart tightened at the sight of the long needle. She had anticipated Xuanyou Sect's demand for an autopsy and had sealed her daughter's pulse and heartbeat in advance, but she hadn't expected Fang Simian to be as ruthless as his father. A needle through the heart wouldn't affect the dead; however, if alive, the pain would be excruciating. Her lips twitched, her expression shifting slightly. Fang Simian, holding the needle, took a step towards the coffin when Fang Sijian could no longer bear it and burst forth from the crowd— "Brother, let me do it!" Testing with a needle through the heart was unbearably cruel. Fang Yuanqing was kind-hearted and pure, and during their time together at the Yin Mountain, he had grown fond of this younger brother. He couldn't bring himself to witness such torture on the deceased, let alone if Fang Yuanqing was still alive—he couldn't take that gamble, nor would he dare. Hearing his brother, Fang Simian paused but did not give a response as Fang Sijian had already seized the needle from his hand and rushed to the coffin. There he stood alone by the wooden coffin. Lowering his gaze, he caught sight of the delicate pale face within. Turning away, his chest swelled with a deep pang of grief. Seeing Fang Simian advancing, he inhaled deeply, masking the sorrow in his eyes, and waved a hand in his brother's direction. "The sight of piercing through the heart is cruel and terrifying, brother need not witness it lest it dirties your eyes." Fang Simian, unaware of the deep bond between Fang Sijian and Fang Yuanqing, gave it little thought and truly halted. Feng Suqiu was about to intervene when the young man by the coffin had already lifted the long needle and driven it deep into the body's chest. The sound of the blade cutting flesh was faintly audible. Fang Sijian had carefully controlled his strength, nearly penetrating his forearm but leaving no blood to spatter; he swiftly smeared his blood on the body's chest and punctured the fabric with the needle, faking a heart-piercing scene. A strong scent of blood rose in the air. All had transpired within seconds, and Feng Suqiu barely reached the coffin side as it ended. She noticed the bloody hole on his arm, and before she could react, the young man raised his eyes to meet hers. In those eyes, she saw pain mirrored in her own. In the next moment, his lips moved subtly. There was no sound, yet she distinctly recognized the word he mouthed—"strike." She widened her eyes, her right hand trembling at her side, cheeks reddening as she finally raised her hand and slapped hard across the young man's right cheek. Everyone knew the reason behind that slap. Fang Yuanqing was an acknowledged illegitimate child of Fang Keyuan, a brother to Fang Simian and Fang Sijian. For Feng Suqiu not to lash out would be abnormal. Fang Sijian pressed his lips tight, squeezing his sleeve to keep the wound from bleeding further. Though struck, he remained calm. After a moment, his voice trembled as he offered the verdict, "Fang Qishan is indeed deceased." Fang Simian frowned and stepped forward. The corpse's heart had been pierced, and the coffin was now pooling with blood. From half a meter away, he saw the faint red within. The long needle lay quietly in the crimson, a ghastly sight. Technically, if Fang Yuanqing had been dead for a while, there shouldn't be any blood. He looked toward the woman, doubt filling his eyes, "Why is there blood, when did she die?" Feng Suqiu let out a cold laugh, "Qingqing passed half an hour ago, else why would I have waited until now to come to Xuanyou Sect?" Fang Simian said nothing more, lowering his eyes to see the corpse's skin still pale, the flesh below still soft. She had indeed died recently. He felt something was amiss, yet all evidence pointed to Fang Keyuan, and Fang Yuanqing was undeniably deceased. Even desiring a rebuttal, he was left without basis for one. As a chill settled over the atmosphere, Fang Keyuan collapsed in a dead faint atop the platform. Fang Simian quickly supported his father, escorting him away, while discussions commenced among those present on how to resolve the situation. Jin Lin had barely opened his mouth when Si Yiguang preempted his words. Xuanyou Sect was the premier sect, the Si family the foremost of the eight clans. The statuses of these two factions were equal within the righteous path, but there was an undercurrent of rivalry between them. Over the years, they had managed to keep each other in check, striking a balance. Yet Fang Keyuan and Si Yiguang were both harboring plans to thwart one another secretly. Given Fang Keyuan's disgraceful downfall, the Si family couldn't possibly miss this chance to exert pressure on the Xuanyou Sect. As soon as Si Yiguang uttered the words "Clan Judgment," the other prominent clans readily agreed. The three sect leaders exchanged glances; Jin Lin first conceded, followed by Heng Lian's nod in agreement. With Lu Qi deceased, the Spiritual Sword Sect was temporarily overseen by an elder who also expressed approval after a brief pause. Remarkably, everyone's opinions aligned on this matter. Quickly, the discussion shifted from whether to convene a tribunal to deciding between a Sun Judgment or a Star Judgment. The former would publicly expose Fang Keyuan's infanticide to the world; the latter would confine the tribunal within the major sects and clans, making today an opportune time for such a judgment. Si Yiguang, eager to drag Xuanyou Sect from its pedestal, fervently advocated for a Sun Judgment, whereas the three sect leaders, concerned about the sect's reputation, deemed a Star Judgment sufficient for punishing Fang Keyuan. Inside the hall, two factions engaged in heated debate. Outside, Fang Keyuan was slowly regaining his senses by the ice lake. After consuming the ice lake water, the effects of the Seeking Truth Herb rapidly diminished. The situation had reached a point of no return. Both father and son pressed their lips tightly together, speaking not a word. Today’s events had clearly been orchestrated well in advance. Fang Keyuan's expression twisted; he had vaguely guessed something was amiss with the parrot back in the hall, his attempt to forcefully exert energy in his delirium had caused him to faint. Still bewildered, his mind only cleared upon seeing the wound on the back of his hand—Feng Suqiu, Jin Lin, and the parrot had all targeted him. He turned away, unable to face his sons, dreading how they would perceive him. In the silence, footsteps echoed from the rear mountain. In no time, Fang Sijian appeared before them. His purpose was to consult with his father and brother on how to handle the situation. With the tribunal now a certainty, Fang Simian's eyes instantly turned cold and fierce upon hearing the news. Before Fang Keyuan could react, he withdrew a small knife from his waist and handed it over, his words equally icy and merciless— "At this point, there’s only one solution." "To protect the sect's reputation, Simian implores father to resolve this personally before the tribunal convenes." Fang Keyuan was instantly stupefied by these words. He never expected that his most cherished eldest son would utter such words to him. Fang Sijian, too, was incredulous as he stepped back two paces. Fang Simian's act of urging his father to commit suicide was no different from Fang Keyuan's act of killing his child to save himself. In the eyes of his father and brother, his cherished bonds of father-son love, brotherhood held no scarcely any value at all. Author's Note: Merry Christmas (albeit a bit late). There will be no more Fang Qishan; only Sister Yuanqing remains. Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated with nutrient solution during 2020-12-24 23:58:45~2020-12-25 23:59:10~ Thanks to the little angel who threw a grenade: Duan Xian Ge 1; Thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: Duan Xian Ge 2; Longing to Be a ?, Manhole Cover, Fierce Cheese Eater, 1; Thanks for the nutrient solution from the little angels: Words Not Reaching 50 bottles; Little Black Flower, Gurulu Hulu 20 bottles; Mo Ran Lishang ◎, Xiu Yuanxi 15 bottles; Li Zhien's Little Wife, Cannon Fodder 10 bottles; Nanyue 8 bottles; Genji 6 bottles; 479963925 bottles; Mo Jin 3 bottles; Mirror Water Moon, Smelly Baozi 1 bottle; Thank you all so much for your support, I will continue to work hard!