What If...I Remember?

Chapter 21

Freezing, Ye Hua turned to the voice. His father stood there, a frown creasing his forehead, and beside Yang Cuo stood Le Xu, whose frown was no smaller than her husband's.

"..." Bai Qian was shocked beyond words, seemingly immobilized by the sudden appearance of Ye Hua's parents, and Zhe Yan recovered most quickly, "Goddess Le Xu, First Prince Yang Cuo, what brings you here to Kun Lun today?" 

"We heard that High God Mo Yuan has returned, and we came forth to firstly confirm that the rumours were true, and secondly to find out exactly what High Immortal Si Yin had done to High God Mo Yuan's body instead of entrusting it to us." Yang Cuo spoke flatly, seemingly agitated as he said so, and the unspoken meaning was clear. By refusing the Celestials the body and stealing it back then, Si Yin had indirectly made the Celestials appear useless, for it seemed as though they were incapable of retrieving the body from someone who merely ranked at High Immortal, much less to talk about keeping a body safe.

And to add fuel to the flames, Si Yin had made it worse by disappearing completely, with no traces left behind. Not even those of Kun Lun knew where he had gone, or where his whereabouts could possibly be. No, not at all. It had just been the Kun Lun disciples realising their Shifu and youngest disciple brother had disappeared in the night. That was all the Celestials had ever known regarding the case. 

An awkward silence continued to spread through the hall, and Bai Qian didn't have to look to see both of Ye Hua's parents glaring at her with withering stares, and Bai Qian stepped forward slowly, walking toward the duo, heads lifting and turning to her as she headed towards the two.

Then, to Ye Hua and everyone else's shock, Bai Qian dropped to her knees and sank into a proper kowtow, and the whole of Kun Lun was entirely silent as Bai Qian straightened up, pulling her hands in front of her again as she kowtowed a second time, then a third. Then, still touching her forehead to the cold marble floor, Bai Qian spoke softly, "I, as Bai Qian and as Si Yin, have done wrong. I stole the body of my Shifu and drugged my brothers to sleep in order to smuggle it in the night, then went into hiding to avoid being caught by the Celestial Tribe. As the person who orchestrated this entire plot, I, Bai Qian, am willing to be punished."

And Ye Hua swore he saw a glint in his mother's eyes as Le Xu lifted her chin arrogantly, "Very well then. We shall bring you back to trial for your crimes."

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Ye Hua was entirely tensed as he watched Bai Qian kneel in front of the entire court. The Heavenly Lord sat upon his throne, staring down at Bai Qian with a stern look, and even in that solemness, Ye Hua definitely saw a smugness in his Grandfather's eyes. 

"High Goddess Bai Qian...we did have a suspicion..." The Heavenly Lord gazed at Bai Qian, studying her deliberately bowed head and averted eyes, and Bai Qian replied curtly, "Heavenly Lord, my features hardly change when I change into a men's disguise. I believe you already had plenty of evidence that I was Si Yin when you sent sentries to await news of my Shifu's return."

"Indeed, indeed." The Heavenly Lord smirked slightly, "High Goddess, I had sentries at the Zi Ming Palace as well. They personally witnessed you entering the palace, with the Jade Purity Fan of Kun Lun in hand, High Goddess, and leaving with a body that belongs to High God Mo Yuan. There was too much of a coincidence." 

Bai Qian kept her head bowed as the Heavenly Lord descended, and he regained his calm expression as he spoke, "High Goddess Bai Qian, the Kun Lun fan hardly chooses an owner, until it deems fit. It wouldn't let anyone but its owner control it. So, High Goddess Bai Qian, how could I not instantly connect the dots when I heard you had it in your hand, summoning thunder clouds with it as freely as you may summon a piece of silver?"