Si Qing returned with a triumphant air.
Having openly extorted half of Qi Yu's gold, her mood was excellent, and she felt as if she were walking on air.
Qi Yu clutched his purse, still mourning the lost gold, when outside, Sui You and Ming Lou knocked and entered.
Sui You and Ming Lou sat opposite Qi Yu.
Soon, Yue Zhi Yin and Qi Nian also entered.
Feng Ming Qi, Feng Si Qian, and Feng Yun Zui stood not far away.
The former patriarch of the Qilin clan, the High God Huai An, also walked in and sat down, casually picking up a peach from the table and began to eat melon.
Oh, no, it should be eating a peach.
Qi Yu had a premonition that this group of people had ill intentions. Just as she was contemplating an escape, Yue Zhi Yin suddenly spoke:
"The Pavilion Master of Jade Clear Pavilion."
Qi Nian rested his chin on his hand: "The Librarian of the Hall of Ten Thousand Scrolls."
Sui You narrowed his eyes: "Young Master of the Moon Court Pavilion of the Phoenix Clan."
Ming Lou raised an eyebrow: "Young Master of Bright Moon Pavilion of the Winged Tiger Clan."
A twisted smile appeared on their faces. Yue Zhi Yin looked pained: "Junior Brother Qi Yu, Senior Brother truly never expected that you would not only be busy with cultivation but also be involved in so many other affairs in private. Alas, juggling so many identities must be exhausting for you."
Qi Yu's heart skipped a beat, then relaxed. She pretended to be unconcerned: "The identities of Pavilion Master Yu and the Librarian of the Hall of Ten Thousand Scrolls were already explained before I acknowledged them. But what do the young masters of Bright Moon Pavilion and Moon Court Pavilion have to do with me? I know nothing about it."
"Ming Lou and I have already seen the portraits submitted by the deputy clan leaders of the two clans," Sui You said, looking at Qi Yu with a sinister glint. "Junior Brother Qi Yu, guess what? Not only do those two portraits resemble each other, but they also bear a striking resemblance to your disguise as Pavilion Master Yu."
Qi Yu cast a pleading look at Si Qing, Yu Zhen, and Li Yu.
The three of them wore expressions of helplessness.
Qi Yu's two hidden identities were already on the verge of collapse; what else could they do?
But Qi Yu still wanted to struggle: "In this world, it's normal for things to be similar and people to resemble each other... Moreover, when I first took human form, I used the myriad appearances of mortals as reference. Perhaps I, the young masters of Bright Moon Pavilion and Moon Court Pavilion, coincidentally chose the same face."
Sui You smiled: "That's a perfect explanation. But, Junior Brother Qi Yu, isn't it strange?"
He hooked Qi Yu's shoulder: "The Phoenix Clan has always strictly guarded its territory. I just checked and found that the young master of Moon Court Pavilion applied for a Fire Spirit Pearl that grants free passage into the Phoenix Clan's territory for convenience."
Sui You then poked Qi Yu's belly: "I just investigated the location of the young master of Moon Court Pavilion's Fire Spirit Pearl, and to my surprise, that pearl is actually on Mount Buzhou!"
Si Qing covered his face.
He wanted to laugh but dared not.
Yu Zhen and Li Yu also turned their heads, struggling to suppress their laughter.
Ming Lou hooked Qi Yu's other shoulder: "Oh, right, Junior Brother Qi Yu, I also investigated the token that the young master of Bright Moon Pavilion uses to enter and exit the Winged Tiger Clan's barrier. I found that the location of this token is also on Mount Buzhou."
Qi Nian said with a half-smile: "Heavens! Are these two young masters currently on Mount Buzhou? What a coincidence! Which little imp on our Mount Buzhou is it?"
Yue Zhi Yin pinched Qi Yu's face: "Junior Brother, don't you think it's a coincidence?"
Surrounded by a group of powerful figures, Qi Yu, with her already half-exposed identities, shrank into a small ball.
Sui You and Ming Lou smiled slightly and summoned the Fire Spirit Pearl and the Winged Tiger Clan token.
The two sacred artifacts stored in Qi Yu's sea of consciousness lit up simultaneously.
And so, Qi Yu's carefully hidden identities, which she had concealed for so long, fell away with a *plop* in front of everyone.
Three incense sticks later.
Qi Yu sat upright in front of everyone.
Yue Zhi Yin gently tapped the table and said sternly: "Alright, the new session of the Three Court Trial officially begins. First, let the first victim speak."
"Junior Brother Qi Yu deceived my feelings!" Ming Lou cried. "In our Phoenix Clan's Moon Court Pavilion, our goods are sold at very high prices, and once sold, there are no returns or exchanges. Furthermore, any item sent back for repair incurs a hefty sum of gold."
"It's extortion!"
"Junior Brother Qi Yu actually pretended to be well-behaved on the surface and fleece me in private!"
Qi Yu felt a little guilty.
Yue Zhi Yin tapped the table again: "Next, the second victim."
"I also have a complaint. Junior Brother Qi Yu is too much," Sui You accused Qi Yu with righteous indignation. "Before, using his identity as the Librarian of the Hall of Ten Thousand Scrolls, he scammed my Phoenix Clan out of fifty thousand stalks of Phoenix Flowers. At the time, I thought he was young and ignorant and didn't pursue it. I didn't expect that besides that, he is also the young master of the Phoenix Clan's Moon Court Pavilion!"
"The Phoenix Clan's Moon Court Pavilion demands a large sum of gold from us every year for our cooperation in spiritual artifacts, weapons, and spirit stones."
"Junior Brother Qi Yu is too dark! He's darker than black sesame!"
Qi Yu felt even more guilty.
She lowered her head and silently picked at her fingers.
Si Qing said calmly: "Speaking of the Hall of Ten Thousand Scrolls, Senior Brother Qi Yu also used my name to sell my sacrificial items to my believers and scam my believers' gold."
Qi Yu protested: "Si Qing, you're being unreasonable! I've already compensated you half the gold for that!"
Si Qing covered his ears and refused to listen.
Yue Zhi Yin smiled at Qi Yu: "Speaking of the Hall of Ten Thousand Scrolls, there are still many accounts between us that we haven't settled, Junior Brother Qi Yu."
"What benefits did you extort from our Beihai using your identity as the Librarian of the Hall of Ten Thousand Scrolls?"
Sui You narrowed his eyes: "You took 50,000 stalks of Phoenix Flowers from our Phoenix Clan."
Ming Lou looked at Qi Yu: "And, the three-hundred-year free land lease contract that you scammed from the Winged Tiger Clan..."
Qi Yu felt as if they were all debt collectors, and she, a pathetic little creature, was surrounded by them, unable to escape.
"I'll compensate you, I'll compensate you, isn't that enough?" she pleaded pitifully. "Of course, within acceptable limits."
Although her words lacked confidence, she was actually relieved.
After all, her identity as the Pavilion Master of the Netherworld Repository of the Demon Clan was still intact...
Her identity as the Master of the Talisman Pavilion of the Divine Witch Clan was also intact...
Her identities in South Sea, Qingyun Bay, the Netherworld Clan, and the Galuo Courtyard were also still intact.
Heh heh.
"I also think you need to give us some compensation, but where should we start?" Yue Zhi Yin looked at Qi Yu. "Let's not talk about that for now. You don't have any other hidden identities, do you?"
Qi Yu shook her head like a rattle drum: "No more, no more. I swear this time there are absolutely no more. This is all of it, really."
Even if there were, she wouldn't tell them.
She just wouldn't tell, she'd hide it, she'd play along.
"If that's the case, let's discuss the matter of ceding land and paying reparations," Yue Zhi Yin said, tapping the table with his fingers.
Qi Nian suddenly interrupted: "Before we discuss reparations, I have one last question to ask."
Qi Yu felt a sense of foreboding.
Qi Nian smiled at Qi Yu: "Junior Brother, more than half of your identities are female. So, are you cross-dressing as a woman, or are you disguised as a man?"
Qi Yu was silent for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Sui You, who was beside her, interject:
"Second Senior Sister, there's no need to ask this question. In our Phoenix Clan's palace, there is a Bathing Fire Hot Spring. If we go in and soak, won't we know whether someone is disguised as a man or a woman?"
"Can't this sort of thing... be hidden with magic?" Chi Ming asked curiously.
"Our Phoenix Clan's Bathing Fire Hot Spring cannot be affected by any spiritual power. Upon entering, it can rapidly increase one's cultivation," Sui You said to Qi Yu with a harmless smile. "This hot spring is something most people can only dream of. Junior Brother Qi Yu, you absolutely cannot refuse."
Qi Yu looked disgusted: "...My current body has an extreme cold attribute, so it's not convenient."
"Don't worry, Junior Brother. The Bathing Fire Hot Spring is pure spiritual water, and it's flowing water that leads to the Celestial Spirit River," Sui You smiled. "This water nourishes the soul. We're taking you to this hot spring not to figure out if you're disguised as a man or a woman, but to help you increase your cultivation and nourish your soul. You must believe me."
Qi Yu: "..."
Do you think I believe you?
Do I look like a gullible fool?
Nourishing the soul is just a side benefit. Your real goal is to expose my identities!
Using the hot spring trick, how despicable!