: The Unspoken Words

Lava Immortal Palace, Main Hall.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, usually small and compact, had once again swelled to an immense size!

It threw its head back and roared, its dragon horns nearly scraping the ceiling.

It was furious, it had exploded!

"She cannot be allowed to leave alive, Ning Xiaohui cannot be allowed to leave alive!"

"Absolutely not!!"

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had schemed and prepared for so many years, paying such a painful price, gradually weakening the Lava Immortal Palace step by step.

It wanted to regain its freedom!

After all this hardship, the final moment was finally in sight.

How could it allow Ning Xiaohui to ruin its grand plan!

"That useless brat Ning Zhuo is unreliable; he was forced by Zhu Xuanji to go on stage and act!"

"I can only rely on myself!!"

"I—the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit—would rather die than be bound again."

"I want freedom, freedom!"

It roared at the sky, unwilling to accept failure, determined to stake everything on one desperate gamble.

However, it was constrained by the Three Sects Master, even though the latter had long since perished. Its authority was insufficient to directly kill Ning Xiaohui.

Ning Zhuo was also unreliable!

Cornered, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit could only resort to its old trick, borrowing the power of the Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts.

Just like when it had intentionally left behind the Mechanical General.

But this time, its move was even grander!

Boom!

Amidst the loud noise, the Five Elements Artillery Towers fired. They didn't kill many, but they successfully enraged the demonic beast tide.

The demonic beasts launched a full-scale, frenzied assault.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit maneuvered the defensive forces, deliberately reducing the magical energy support for the light shield.

The golden spherical shield immediately weakened to sixty percent of its strength.

Crack, crack, crack...

The attacks from the demonic beasts quickly covered the surface of the spherical light shield with cracks.

This time, pushed to the brink, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was ruthless. Unlike before, it didn't increase the flow of magical energy. Instead, it diverted crucial magical energy to other, unimportant mechanical structures.

Thud.

With a dull sound, a large hole was torn open in the spherical light shield.

The Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts roared with excitement, surging into the breach like a tide, cascading down like a waterfall, pouring violently into the Lava Immortal Palace!

And directly below the Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts was the Historical Records Pavilion.

Main Hall.

Over a hundred fiery whips materialized, lashing out at the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit one after another!

But the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, contrary to its usual fleeing posture, stood tall and proud, roaring like a dragon, appearing immensely heroic.

"Playing the turtle for so long, who in the world knows that in life, I was the rampaging flood dragon?!"

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's eyes shone like blazing suns. Even as it endured the lashing fiery whips, it continued its manipulation.

A large number of mechanical constructs flew into the air, clashing and battling with the Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts.

Under the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's command, the mechanical constructs intentionally herded the demonic beasts towards the Historical Records Pavilion.

"What was that sound?!" Ning Xiaohui had sensed something was wrong the moment she heard the explosive boom.

The next instant, she realized what was happening, her face turning deathly pale.

When she opened the door of the Historical Records Pavilion and saw the surging horde of Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts surrounding the area from all sides, with even more beasts continuously falling from the sky, she was utterly stunned.

Intense fear gripped her entire body.

In that moment, she was so terrified she froze on the spot!

A figure suddenly appeared nearby, casting a spell aimed directly at Ning Xiaohui's head.

It was Yang Chanyu!

"Don't even think about it!" At this critical moment, Zhu Zhen appeared, not only blocking Yang Chanyu's attack but launching a counterattack.

Yang Chanyu was shocked.

She hadn't expected another person to be hiding nearby.

Zhu Zhen was a member of the Southern Bean Royal Family, specially dispatched abroad to continuously gather intelligence on other countries. He was a powerful Golden Core cultivator.

Remaining hidden and undetected was one of his areas of expertise!

As soon as Yang Chanyu blocked Zhu Zhen's counterattack, several Golden Core figures surrounded her.

They were the Golden Core ancestors of the Zhou, Zheng, and Ning families!

"The fish has taken the bait, hahaha!"

"It's you again, Yang Chanyu!"

"Empty Gate... you were the ones who started the last Golden Core free-for-all, weren't you?"

The Golden Core cultivators from the three families gritted their teeth, summoning their magical treasures and attacking together.

Yang Chanyu's heart sank. She could only continuously retreat and evade.

But her attempt to conceal herself failed.

Zhu Zhen chased closely behind her: "Yang Chanyu, you've been hit by my spell. You'll be marked for an hour. Give up now; you can't escape!"

Ning Xiaohui's pupils contracted, her whole body trembling with fear.

Only then did she realize she had just brushed with death. If Zhu Zhen hadn't stopped it, she would have been killed by Yang Chanyu.

Watching the Golden Core cultivators battle fiercely in the air, slaughtering madly among the Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts, Ning Xiaohui fully understood her true situation.

"I'm the only one who entered the Historical Records Pavilion!"

"I hold all the evidence of the true culprit in my hands!!"

"It's the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit who wants me dead!!!"

"Escape, I must escape immediately."

Ning Xiaohui, having examined the Historical Records Pavilion's documents, was the person on the Fire Persimmon Mountain who understood the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit the best.

A large number of mechanical constructs rushed to the vicinity of the Historical Records Pavilion.

Ning Xiaohui didn't dare trust these mechanical puppets at all; she knew they were all under the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's control.

Fortunately, the battlefield was extremely chaotic. Spotting a gap, she immediately fled at full speed!

This scene was witnessed by Sun Lingtong.

But he did not act!

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's massive body almost filled the entire Main Hall. It couldn't command the mechanical puppets to target Ning Xiaohui specifically.

To eliminate Ning Xiaohui, it had to rely on outsiders.

Originally, Ning Zhuo was the dagger in its plan to kill, but now that Ning Zhuo wasn't here, it surveyed the overall situation and immediately set its sights on Sun Lingtong.

"Sun Lingtong!" The next moment, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's voice suddenly rang in Sun Lingtong's ear.

"Kill Ning Xiaohui!"

"She entered the Historical Records Pavilion; she knows all of Ning Zhuo's secrets!"

Sun Lingtong's body trembled slightly.

"Quick, act!" the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit shouted.

Sun Lingtong stared wide-eyed: "Who are you? Popping up out of nowhere to scare people, and now you're trying to trick me?!"

Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit: ...

Ning Xiaohui stumbled and staggered, searching for a path to survival amidst the chaotic battlefield.

Two Foundation Establishment-level Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts, detecting fresh flesh and blood, charged at Ning Xiaohui.

Thud, thud.

Two dull sounds echoed as the two Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts were blown apart mid-charge.

It turned out a Zhou family Golden Core cultivator had intervened, protecting Ning Xiaohui.

Ning Xiaohui hurriedly ran.

More Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts swarmed towards her.

Zheng Shuang hooked his hand, throwing out his Moon Hook.

The Moon Hook flew into the air, releasing a large amount of Golden Core magical power, coalescing into a magical分身 of Zheng Shuang.

The magical分身, holding the Moon Hook, landed beside Ning Xiaohui and began slaying the Blazing Flame Demonic Beasts.

Ning Xiaohui was saved again.

"Did you discover anything in the Historical Records Pavilion?" the Moon Hook分身 asked.

Ning Xiaohui shuddered, jolted awake: "Right! I should expose the truth now. Then the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit and Ning Zhuo would be finished. They'd be too busy protecting themselves to have the energy to kill me..."

Thinking this, Ning Xiaohui quickly shook her head and blurted out: "I had just started looking through them when this happened. I didn't have time to see anything yet."

The Moon Hook分身 nodded, not suspecting anything: "I'll escort you out first."

Ning Xiaohui: !!!!!!

In that moment, she was utterly shocked, utterly terrified!

Those words just now weren't what she wanted to say, yet she had said them.

She had no control over herself!

"How... what's happening?!"

"Why did I say that?"

"I clearly wanted to tell the truth! Why can't I control myself?!!"

Ning Xiaohui strained to widen her eyes, looking at the Moon Hook分身, wanting to cry for help.

But at that moment, a Golden Core-level Blazing Flame Demonic Beast charged over.

The Moon Hook分身's expression turned grave: "Run quickly! I'll hold it off!"

Ning Xiaohui was only at the Qi Refining stage. The Moon Hook分身 had to maintain distance to prevent her from being caught up in the Golden Core-level battle.

Seeing the Moon Hook分身 about to leave, Ning Xiaohui seized this last opportunity and shouted—

"Senior, you must be careful!"

The Moon Hook分身 was momentarily surprised, then laughed heartily: "Little girl, it's you who needs to be careful. This is just a magical分身 of mine."

"No, that's not what I wanted to say at all!!" Ning Xiaohui screamed inwardly.

Fear!

An intense, overwhelming fear gripped her heart tightly.

Ning Xiaohui felt almost suffocated by it.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Why can't I even speak a single word of truth?"

"The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit... yes, it must be it!"

"This is its territory. It's interfering with me! It wants to kill me!!"

Ning Xiaohui's face was ghastly pale, devoid of any color.

The face of the Criminal Puppet was also very pale.

He sat listlessly in the prison cell, the lamplight faint, his expression full of sorrow.

Suddenly, a hidden door opened in the center of the stage, and the Black-Clad Messenger Puppet emerged slowly.

The lights on both sides focused on the Black-Clad Messenger Puppet, accentuating the darkness of the surrounding prison cells.

A low drumbeat accompanied the Black-Clad Messenger Puppet's every step, making the audience below the stage feel a sense of darkness and pressure.

The Criminal Puppet sprang to his feet as if electrocuted, shouting: "I didn't confess! I didn't confess! I never said you were the real culprit!"

The Black-Clad Messenger sang in a cold voice: "Worry not, I have a plan. Just pin the blame, and you'll escape this ban."

After singing this line, he explained in detail: "Commoner, cease your sorrow. I have come here to help you escape danger."

"Simply accuse Fang Qing, and I guarantee you will be spared!"

Clang.

A gong sound suggested the character's shock.

The Criminal Puppet was so frightened he took a step back and fell onto his seat.

He looked at the Black-Clad Messenger and sang urgently: "Fang Qing is a virtuous official; how can I falsely accuse? I am but a commoner; how dare I cause a fuss?"

"This fabricated charge, how can it hold true?"

"Ah me, ah me..."

The Criminal Puppet shook his head and waved his hands, slightly turning his body to face the audience, spreading his hands open: "How can I be so base? How can I invert black and white? How could I deceive the common folk?"

The Messenger Puppet sneered.

The sound of the Jinghu fiddle suddenly rose sharply.

The Black-Clad Messenger sang: "What does it matter if he's an upright, virtuous official? The common folk are but a motley crowd."

"A motley crowd is easiest to sway. Just talk enough, and public opinion will melt metal."

"When has the truth ever been important?"

"As long as we falsely accuse him, he will be doomed!"

With this, the second act of the play "Fang Qing Clears His Name" concluded.

(End of )