20demayo Chapter 207 Flowers in a Mirror, Moon in the Water
Chapter 207 Flowers in a Mirror, Moon in the Water
Chapter 207 Flowers in a Mirror, Moon in the Water
Xuanji Douluo could also sense that Dai Hao's cultivation had been completely sealed at this moment.
Even his mouth was sealed by Tian Sha Douluo using a special method, making it impossible for him to refute Xu Jiawei's words.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xuanji Douluo immediately knelt down on one knee towards the direction of the imperial city.
An aged yet powerful voice, amplified by the surge of soul power, resounded throughout the entire Star Luo Square.
"Your Majesty, please investigate! The lineage of Duke Baihu has been loyal and virtuous for generations, and has devoted themselves to the empire to the point of death. How could they possibly commit such a heinous act as treason?"
There must be someone maliciously framing Duke Baihu and deceiving the Emperor.
I implore Your Majesty to grant this old minister some time to reinvestigate this matter and restore true justice to Duke Baihu!
"Xuanji, I know very well that you must be heartbroken right now. After all, you can say that you watched the White Tiger Duke grow up and were even the closest friends with the previous White Tiger Duke."
But if I weren't absolutely certain, why would I have done this?
Xu Jiawei's voice was filled with just the right amount of grief, as if he were the one least willing to believe it all.
However, the words that clearly pointed out the close personal relationship between Xuanji Douluo and the Dai family instantly struck Xuanji Douluo's weak spot.
Fine beads of cold sweat immediately appeared on Xuanji Douluo's forehead.
The people around him, who were initially unaware of the relationship and were cheering for his righteousness, began to whisper and point at him.
It's important to understand that when it comes to uncovering the truth, the most crucial thing is to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
In his haste, he had undoubtedly made a terrible mistake, placing himself directly in the position of being suspected of being Dai Hao's accomplice.
Before Xuanji Douluo could speak again, Xu Jiawei's words, tinged with disappointment, rang out once more.
"However, I still believe that Xuanji, as the guardian Douluo of my Hall, can distinguish between public and private matters when faced with matters of great importance. In that case, guards!"
"Present all the evidence gathered by the Shattered Star Offering. Let the entire court and all the people of Star Luo see what Dai Hao did during his tenure as the Imperial Marshal, and how much of the Empire's interests he harmed!"
The original source of this so-called evidence was naturally the information that Huo Yuhao obtained from Dai Hao's fragmented memories.
As for its authenticity, after Xu Jiawei sent the Shattered Star Douluo to personally visit the mansions of several noble families on the western border, he confirmed its authenticity.
Faced with the absolute power of a Super Douluo, even if it's fake or just a similar thought, it has become an irrefutable fact.
At the same time, in order to prevent the Western military alliance from mutinying under the influence of this event, thereby affecting the stability of the entire border.
Shattered Star Douluo is currently personally overseeing the Western Army Group, keeping a close watch on the White Tiger Guards who are most loyal to the Dai family.
After the Prime Minister of the Empire respectfully handed the prepared documents to Xu Jiawei, Xu Jiawei's voice, filled with suppressed anger, once again resounded throughout the entire Xingluo Square.
"The first rule is to kill innocent people and claim credit for their crimes. Ordinary merchant caravans from the Sun Moon Empire passing through the Mingdou Mountains will be falsely accused of being infiltrating troops of the Sun Moon Empire and slaughtered indiscriminately to claim military merits."
"Secondly, have your White Tiger Guards disguise themselves as merchant caravans and cross the border of the Sun and Moon Empire to harass the border towns of the Sun and Moon Empire and deliberately provoke trouble."
This has led to a persistent military tension on the empire's borders, blatantly violating the empire's national policy of peaceful development.
Even after only two sentences were read out, the audience was already buzzing with discussion.
Why is the current White Tiger Duke so popular with the people of the Star Luo Empire?
To a large extent, this was also due to the illustrious military achievements he had accumulated through years of fighting against the Sun Moon Empire.
But now, these military achievements that made him famous may very well all be fabricated.
Such a fundamental upheaval has undoubtedly dealt a severe blow to Dai Hao's personal reputation.
"Thirdly, he secretly accepts financial support from several counts on the western border, and within the army group, he privately arms troops that are loyal only to him personally, disregarding the laws of the Imperial Army."
"Article 4: He had private dealings with the heir of the Brilliant Duke of the Sun and Moon Empire, intending to secretly help him instigate a rebellion within the Sun and Moon Empire, divide the territory, and establish a duchy."
Jing Hongchen, who had originally planned to continue watching the show with a smile, found his expression growing increasingly gloomy with each charge brought up by Xu Jiawei. He suddenly felt like he was witnessing his own family's misfortune.
Although he was the head of the Mingde Hall, he and the army of the Sun Moon Empire were still two separate systems.
However, many of the new soul tools developed by Mingde Hall were specifically designed for the five major soul tool regiments of the empire.
He had naturally heard about the specific situation at the border.
But to everyone's surprise, this Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger was willing to do such despicable and dirty things in order to consolidate his position.
As for the heir of that glorious duke, Jing Hongchen had heard of him before.
Although he was a member of the Sun Moon Empire, he was not particularly fond of soul tools, but rather had a special fondness for developing his own martial soul abilities.
He's in the prime of his life, and I've heard he's a very thoughtful person.
But Jing Hongchen also didn't expect that the other party would actually have the idea of betraying the empire.
Regardless of whether the matter is true or false, upon returning to the Sun Moon Empire, he must immediately submit a memorial to the Emperor, reporting the matter in its entirety.
"..."
Xu Jiawei rattled off more than twenty points, listing evidence of Dai Hao's and even the entire White Tiger Duke's Mansion's crimes from various perspectives.
As for this, there are naturally irrefutable facts that have been rigorously verified and are 100% true.
Of course, there are also cases where time is limited and things are not yet fully determined.
However, in order to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, they wanted to compact the soil used to bury the White Tiger Duke's mansion a little more firmly.
Under the absolute power of the Shattered Star Douluo, a Super Douluo, these so-called doubts have all become irrefutable facts.
Xuanji Douluo, still kneeling on one knee, grew paler with each accusation Xu Jiawei leveled.
Especially when he could clearly see the deathly despair in Dai Hao's eyes, who was being held captive to the side, his heart sank to the bottom.
Xuanji Douluo had no children of his own and was entrusted by the previous White Tiger Duke to protect the White Tiger lineage. It can be said that he watched Dai Hao grow up.
However, even he himself had not fully understood the various pieces of evidence that Xu Jiawei had listed, and Dai Hao had not even had the slightest conversation with him about them.
Not to mention, in the audience, the voices of ordinary people from the Star Luo Empire calling for Dai Hao to be severely punished or even tortured to death were constantly heard.
Given the urgency and the public outcry, how could he possibly exonerate Dai Hao and preserve the White Tiger lineage?
Xu Jiawei's voice was filled with regret and disappointment.
"Lord Xuanji, do you now know how heinous the crimes Dai Hao has committed are? Even though I am as close as brothers with Dai Hao, I have no choice but to uphold justice and put family aside today. I hope that you can accept this difficult time."
Before he could finish speaking, an extremely powerful surge of soul energy suddenly erupted from Xuanji Douluo's body.
A dazzling silver-white light flashed by.
Without a second thought, Xuanji Douluo's figure covered more than ten meters in an instant, and he grabbed straight at Xu Jiujiu, who was standing at the front of the Star Luo team.
As Xu Jiawei's biological sister, it would be no exaggeration to say that she was the apple of his eye.
Now that he sees absolutely no hope of breaking the deadlock, the only way to save Dai Hao's life is undoubtedly to hold him hostage for a long time in exchange for a sliver of hope.
Fortunately, the head of the Star Luo Royal Family's Hall of Worship perished due to a failed breakthrough.
Inside the Hall of Worship, apart from Shattered Star Douluo, who possesses the strength of a Super Douluo, there are no other worshippers who can have a substantial impact on him.
As long as we can capture Xu Jiujiu, relying on his level 94 cultivation and the defensive capabilities of the Xuanji Umbrella Martial Soul.
Even with royal retainers pursuing him, he was still confident that he could escape with Dai Hao, whom he had exchanged for.
However, Xuanji Douluo herself had to admit that her desperate gamble was undoubtedly a bad move.
But in order to save Dai Hao's life, he couldn't care less about anything else.
After all, only by living can one talk about the future, and only then can one seize the opportunity to seek a chance to clear one's name.
"Enemy attack! Protect His Majesty!"
"Oh no! Xuanji's offering is aimed at Her Highness the Princess!"
Under the gaze of more than 200,000 eyes, Xuanji Douluo's outstretched hand was about to firmly grasp Xu Jiujiu's snow-white neck.
On that old face, an irrepressible joy appeared as he saw a glimmer of hope.
But in the next second, everything in front of Xuanji Douluo became like flowers in water or the moon in a mirror, impossible to grasp or touch.
The surrounding scenery changed dramatically in an instant.
The vast sea, calm and still, is like a boundless, enormous mirror, clearly reflecting the bright, round moon hanging in the sky, like an ice plate.
The pale moonlight shone down, carrying with it a chill that could freeze one to the bone.
Xuanji Douluo's pupils suddenly contracted.
He felt every hair on his body stand on end, and an indescribable feeling of suffocation surged wildly into his heart.
Under the cold moonlight, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his limbs and bones seemed to be frozen completely.
He was, after all, a genuine Title Douluo with a cultivation level of 94.
While his mental strength wasn't exceptional, it wasn't to the point that he was completely unaware that he had been in an illusion all along.
Before he could even process what had happened, he was left to ponder the unexpected turn of events.
A slightly playful, yet somewhat teasing, female voice suddenly rang out amidst the illusory world.
"Hey, Huo Yuhao, I think this Xuanji Douluo is pretty good at it. He succeeded on his first try, so there's no need to seal his memories. Let's try a few more times."
"In that case, according to our original plan, shouldn't we just send him on his way?"
Xuanji Douluo looked at the black-haired boy and blonde girl who had also appeared in this strange illusion, especially Di Ruiqiu's undisguised casualness, as if he, a dignified Title Douluo, was really like a stray dog on the roadside, at their mercy.
Since becoming a retainer of the Star Luo royal family, he had never been so slighted.
An indescribable rage welled up from the bottom of his heart, and his already wrinkled old face instantly turned ashen.
"You brat, how dare you insult me like this!"
Xuanji Douluo's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger.
"Huo Yuhao, do you know what you're doing? I am the Guardian Douluo of the Star Luo Empire! By creating this illusion, are you trying to make an enemy of the entire empire?!"
After realizing that what he had just experienced might have been just a realistic illusion, Xuanji Douluo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This means that Dai Hao was not captured by the Xingluo royal family, nor did he brazenly attack the Xingluo princess in full view of everyone.
Perhaps all along, I was still lying in my own bed, soundly asleep.
Otherwise, it's completely inexplicable how I could have been so easily dragged into this illusion without even realizing it.
It can only happen in dreams.
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao tilted his head, seemingly puzzled.
With a faint smile playing on his lips, he paused for a moment, then spoke as if suddenly realizing something.
"You're not naive enough to think that everything that just happened was all an illusion, are you?"
Xuanji Douluo's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and his cloudy eyes suddenly fixed on Huo Yuhao in front of him.
He naturally took Di Rachel's small hand beside him, and their soul power flowed and merged with each other without any hindrance in an instant.
That gentle voice once again echoed in this illusion.
"Some things in there are indeed fake. But the fact that you attacked Princess Xingluo in front of more than 200,000 viewers is something that truly happened in their memories."
As soon as they finished speaking, a strange light twisted and rose from the two of them, condensing into a huge golden vertical pupil in mid-air.
A deep dragon roar resounded simultaneously from the two of them, and an extremely intense bloodline aura surged out in an instant, turning the sea surface within a hundred feet into a golden ocean.
Immediately afterwards, Di Rachel's entire body seemed to disintegrate, transforming into countless golden streams of energy that swept upwards towards Huo Yuhao and the golden vertical pupil in mid-air, as if connecting the two together.
(End of this chapter)