Ye Ziling's eyes were filled with killing intent, and her icy gaze fell upon Shen Qingfeng, causing his body to tremble.
"Ye, Ye family?" Shen Qingfeng swallowed, his voice laced with fear.
He admitted to slaughtering the entire Ye family, but the order came directly from Emperor Qingbai, and he dared not disobey.
He was merely a blade in Emperor Qingbai's hand, his only desire to see Shaolin flourish.
His hands had been stained with blood, the lives of hundreds of physicians dying by his sword. How could he have slept soundly in these past few years?
His Shaolin disciples faced annihilation; it was all fate!
"Shen knows his sins are grave, but please, Miss Ye, spare my Shaolin disciples. They are innocent..."
Shen Qingfeng lowered his head, his voice hoarse, "Shen is willing to atone for his past actions. As long as Miss Ye forgives those disciples, Shen is willing to pay any price..."
The surrounding disciples seemed to understand their sect leader's intention, their eyes red as they called out.
"Master..."
"Sect Leader."
Ye Ziling sneered inwardly.
Innocent? Were the lives of her Sacred Physician clan not innocent?
She understood only that debts must be repaid, and those who kill must die. It was only right!
Shen Qingfeng stood up, cast a reluctant glance at his disciples, and then drew the sword at his waist. "Miss Ye, Shen is willing to atone with his death... I hope you will spare my innocent Shaolin disciples. In the underworld, I will also apologize to the Holy Lord and his lady. If there is a next life, Shen is willing to be a cow or a horse for the Sacred Physician clan!"
"Master... don't!"
"Sect Leader!"
Shen Qingfeng's face was pale, his lips bitten until they bled, a truly shocking sight.
Before the disciples could stop him, Shen Qingfeng abruptly raised his sword and plunged it into his own chest, blood splattering everywhere.
His face turned ashen, his eyes tightly shut, and he knelt before Ye Ziling.
Ye Ziling closed her eyes, concealing the emotions within. A sliver of softening touched her heart, only to be quickly replaced by firm hatred.
The exhilaration of revenge felt good, but it did not alleviate the pain in her heart. Even though Shen Qingfeng was dead, she did not feel any happier.
"Father!" Shen Yueru, having just returned from the streets, saw this scene and rushed forward in a panic, embracing Shen Qingfeng. Tears fell uncontrollably. "Father! Wake up! Don't scare me, you can't die!"
Shen Yueru's heart felt as if it were being torn apart. She couldn't lose her father again!
Watching Shen Yueru cry so heartbrokenly, Ye Ziling seemed to see her past self rushing towards her parents' corpses. She deeply understood that soul-rending pain.
If everything could have been stopped, if that massacre had never happened, none of this would have occurred.
Alas, there were no 'ifs,' and nothing could be redone.
Ling Xi stepped forward, reaching out to support Shen Qingfeng's body. He placed a hand on Shen Yueru's shoulder and comforted her, "Junior Sister, let the Sect Leader rest in peace."
Ye Ziling opened her eyes and a flicker of an unusual light flashed in them as she looked at Ling Xi.
She had almost forgotten, there was still one life she hadn't claimed.
Ling Xi noticed the hint of mockery in Ye Ziling's eyes. When their gazes met, his brows furrowed before he looked away.
A mist clouded his eyes, his expression was obscure. Looking at her, it was unclear if he felt guilty or pained, his gaze held an indescribable complexity.
Ye Ziling hated his feigned expression the most, how different was it from Qingbai's!
It was her own fault for being soft-hearted, easily deceived, and valuing emotions.
Ye Ziling tightened her grip on the silver sword, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes.
At that moment, golden light appeared in the sky. An immortal official from the Heavenly Realm suddenly stood in mid-air, their clear voice ringing out.
"By decree of the Heavenly Emperor, the Sect Leader of Shaolin and the elders of the Seven Immortal Pavilion, for leading the chaos in the martial examination, their sins are grave. Effective immediately, they are exiled to Yaodu!"
After he finished speaking, another figure appeared at the edge of the sky. Looking down at everyone, they proclaimed loudly, "By decree of Emperor Qingbai, the three major sects are harboring the Sun Moon Divine Chalices, violating heavenly rules, and slandering the Emperor. Effective immediately, all participating disciples will be paraded through the streets and beheaded!"
The elders of the Seven Immortal Pavilion gasped. This news was like a bolt from the blue. Their expressions turned to utter panic. "No! Emperor Qingbai promised that as long as we did his bidding, he would spare our lives! Everything, everything was his plan!"
The immortal official from the Heavenly Realm displayed a look of disgust, waved their sleeve, and said dismissively, "Audacious mortal, to dare to slander the Emperor, what crime is this!"
Ye Ziling watched as the elders of the Seven Immortal Pavilion were taken away, a clear understanding dawning upon her.
She scoffed at their naivety, having long seen through Qingbai's intentions.
Qingbai's speed in discarding those who served him was quite fast. He had kicked her aside after she helped him seize the throne. To consolidate his imperial position, he had killed everyone who posed a threat.
Qingbai had made her body into the Sun Moon Divine Chalices, partly to win popular support and use the divine chalices to deter the Heavenly Realm, and partly to eliminate her.
She could also see the Heavenly Emperor's intentions. While it seemed like an effort to appease her anger, it was actually to save more lives.
The Heavenly Emperor knew her nature; if she were to act herself, it was estimated that the guilty and the innocent alike would perish.
The immortal official saw the thoughts in Ye Ziling's eyes and smiled respectfully at her. "Palace Master, the Heavenly Emperor has a message for you: grievances only lead to more grievances. The Sacred Physician clan was established to heal and save lives. Do not forget the teachings of your late father."
Ye Ziling sheathed her sword and respectfully cupped her hands, stating solemnly, "Ziling understands."
She could forgive those innocent disciples, but she would personally kill Qingbai.
This debt had to be settled clearly.
The Heavenly Emperor knew everything, yet cared for nothing.
If Heaven does not avenge this hatred, she will!
The light vanished, and the entire execution platform returned to silence, only the smell of blood still lingering.
"Let's go. If we don't leave soon, Brother Ye will be anxious," Bai Yu said faintly, glancing at the corpses on the ground.
"Let's go," Ye Ziling replied softly, walking towards Bai Yu, her Nine Ling Palace disciples following in orderly fashion.
As they passed the execution grounds, Ye Ziling's steps became heavy, as if a thousand-pound boulder pressed down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe.
Bai Yu sensed her discomfort and turned to look at her.
He noticed her eyes were very dark, as deep as a frigid pool, impossible to fathom.
"Bai Yu, do you think I still have the right to be a physician with so much blood on my hands?"
Bai Yu pondered for a moment, then chuckled, "Why not? Revenge is one thing, studying medicine is another. Physicians are also human. If one cannot avenge their loved ones because they are a physician, then who would want to be a physician?"
The two paused, and Bai Yu let out a soft laugh, a faint smile on his lips. "I can now see why the Goddess is so rebellious. If my clansmen were killed, I would probably soak their corpses in wine."
Ye Ziling was amused by his serious demeanor, and the two continued to walk.
Ling Xi watched their receding figures, his fingers in his sleeves tightening, his fingertips faintly tinged with blue, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.
His expression gradually turned cold.
It seemed many things had happened during the time he was not by her side.
The beast was right; if not for his appearance, Ye Ziling would likely have ended up with Bai Yu.