Chapter 135: Chaos in the Lower Three Realms

Everything seemed to have fallen silent, yet turbulent undercurrents surged beneath the surface, creating the deceptive illusion of a storm about to break.

The death of Yezheng seemed to have carried away too much of the clamor. The streets that were bustling on ordinary days now held only a sparse few figures, while the various great families bolted their doors tightly, withdrawing behind closed gates to stay out.

Yet, a closer look revealed that all of this was merely a superficial facade; everyone still maintained their connections, merely trying to cover up their deeds with transparent pretenses.

Meanwhile, because of Chu Xingran's death out of fidelity, the Chu family was thrown into utter chaos. Chu Zhaoting, burdened by numerous pressing matters, departed after the customary seven-day mourning period for Chu Xingran.

Though he knew his sister had merely perished in the flesh, his heart still found it immensely difficult to accept the reality. Was a man truly worth the sacrifice of one's own life?

The other families now stayed quietly within their own quarters, ignoring everything happening outside, especially matters related to the Gu family.

They felt profound regret for their part in the rebellion against Yezheng, but since the matter had long since concluded, their remorse served no practical purpose.

"It is entirely your Gu family's fault! By what right do you pin this blame on us? The master planner of this whole affair is none other than your family's heir-apparent, Gu Mojing!" A woman snarled hideously, standing with arms akimbo and pointing angrily at the noses of the Gu family members.

She remained tight-lipped about the deeds of her own daughter, and even glossed over their own complicity, attempting now to completely shirk all responsibility.

This woman was none other than Chu Zhao'an's mother. Accompanied by her husband, she had previously brought Chu Zhao'an to visit the Gu estate several times, until a certain visit after which she failed to take Chu Zhao'an back home.

Gu Mojing already had a wife of his own, as well as children. Therefore, for Chu Zhao'an to remain at the Gu residence and become entangled with Gu Mojing was an inherently scandalous affair.

In the beginning, Gu Mojing had indeed held only simple, passing thoughts, but Chu Zhao'an's arrival changed everything. With each passing day, Gu Mojing became increasingly resolute in his determination to rebel against Yezheng.

"Stop acting as if you possess some shred of honor! What kind of creature your daughter is, and what deeds she has committed, you know well enough in your hearts. Spare us these attempts to splash filthy water onto others!" The atmosphere in the grand hall was delicate in the extreme. A man seated at the very edge spoke up to forcefully contest her words.

The general populace might remain ignorant of the inner workings, but how could they possibly be unaware?

How could the Chu family possibly retain the audacity to speak with such shameless thick-skinnedness, attempting to shift the responsibility onto the Gu family while plotting their own immaculate escape?

It was true that their own youngest daughter had been Yezheng's woman, but both of them were now dead, and the issue they were discussing was not the affair of those two individuals.

To think this woman actually wished to muddy the waters and distort the truth—she was dreaming! They were fully aware of everything Chu Zhao'an had done; walking away unscathed from this was an absolute impossibility!

"Why must Lady Chu throw such a fit? It is merely a female child. If her death can resolve this current crisis, what is so painful about letting her go?" The head of the Chi family looked toward the Chu family with a sneer. Humans were invariably indecisive; what was there to agonize over in a matter like this?

As long as Chu Zhao'an was pushed forward to silence the gossiping tongues of the masses, was a task so simple and straightforward really that difficult to execute?

Were they not usually so deceitful and full of schemes? Why had they suddenly exhausted all their countermeasures? Humans truly were absolute fools.

The only perceptive one among them, Chu Xingran, had been driven to die for love precisely because the rigid minds of the Chu clan members refused to bend. Had it not been for their fierce opposition, would the world ever have suffered so much turmoil?

Presently, due to Yezheng's death, while things appeared calm on the surface, the Lower Three Realms had already plunged into complete chaos.

No one understood that Yezheng was not merely the supreme ruler perched at the pinnacle of the Lower Three Realms; he was the very guardian who maintained their delicate balance. Without him, how could the world fail to descend into chaos?

Yet, lamentably, scarcely a soul could think this clearly. Each and every one of them cared only for grasping immediate profits, never once sparing a thought for the consequences.

"The world outside is already beginning to fall into disorder; your Chu family must find a way to resolve this. And you of the Gu family as well, do not sit there in silence—this mess stems entirely from the major failures of your two houses." The Wu family shared the exact stance of the Chi family. In any case, they had no desire to meddle in this affair; preserving themselves was the wisest course of action.

The Liu family likewise wished to wash their hands of the matter. Whoever had provoked the disaster should be the one to clean up the wreckage; nobody should harbor illusions that others would step forward to lend a hand.

The head of the Liu family cast a resentful glare at the Gu family members. Had it not been for the underhanded schemes of their Gu Mojing, his own Liu E would never have been exploited by them, nor would the Liu family have been dragged into this mire.

"Cease your glaring! That member of the Yu family was initially beaten back into their original form by the Scarlet Spirit Monarch solely because of your son. Yet your son's cultivation surged explosively precisely because he seized the spiritual core of the Yu family's young sovereign!" The more the Liu family head pondered, the angrier he grew. He slammed his palm heavily down upon the table, abruptly stood up, and strode away.

The Liu family had indeed been utilized by the Gu clan; they acknowledged their own foolishness in being played like fools by the Gu family.

However, when it came to bearing the ultimate accountability, the Liu family had no intention of bailing out the Chu and Gu families. Whatever punishment was due should be administered accordingly, but they would not shoulder an ounce of responsibility that was not rightfully theirs.

"This world has, after all, descended into chaos. Everyone was wrong!" An ethereal voice drifted from an unknown source, sending cold shivers crawling down the spines of everyone present.

What was happening here? Had they managed to summon a vengeful ghost into their midst?

"Yezheng was never a being that the likes of you could provoke. Why on earth were you so stubbornly foolish? Could he truly be a presence you were capable of contending against?" A few lingering sentences fell, jolting everyone present into sudden, horrified awakening.

Indeed, they had all been wrong!

With Yezheng gone, authority vanished from the realm, leaving no one to hold the reins. All those who had lurked in the dark shadows began to stir restlessly, and the peaceful era of the Lower Three Realms came to an abrupt end.

Yezheng—they had been far too rash and gullible in trusting the words of others concerning him.

As the strange voice faded, the assembled figures departed one after another, leaving only the Chu and Gu families staring at each other in dismay.

They knew they had erred, but nothing could reverse what had been done; they could only drift helplessly with the current tide of events.

They had only sought to preserve their own lives, but had they known things would deteriorate to such a catastrophic degree, nothing could have tempted them to harbor improper ambitions in the first place.

Human greed knows no bounds, swallowing an elephant with the appetite of a snake—they had simply lifted a rock only to drop it squarely on their own feet!

"Enough. This entire debacle is indeed the fault of our two houses; let us face reality!" The head of the Chu household and his wife shook their heads in helpless resignation. What a mountain of sins they had wrought!

The members of the Gu family sat in unbroken silence. Initially, they had harbored profound skepticism toward the entire enterprise; had it not been for the definitive proof presented by Gu Mojing demonstrating that Yezheng was bound by absolute seals, they never would have consented to his plot.

Now look at where they stood: among all the participants, the Gu family had gained not a single benefit, yet they alone bore the brunt of the ultimate retribution.

Ah, what heavy karma they had accumulated!

"I told you long ago to keep a tighter leash on Gu Mojing! Look at you now—everything is entirely of your own making!" Fang He materialized abruptly, hurling curses at the aged patriarch of the Gu family and punctuating his fury with a sharp slap to the table.

Raising his voice to a shrill pitch, Fang He pointed a trembling finger directly at the Gu patriarch's nose and roared, "Back then, I should have simply watched your clan's ancestors be devoured by starving wolves, rather than saving them only to see their descendants use the arts of divination I bestowed upon them to perpetrate evils!"

What an absolute curse! He was the one suffering for past sins; he should never have played the benevolent savior, nor should he have been so blind as to take a scion of the Gu family as his disciple!

How bitterly he regretted his past actions!

Heh, he had almost failed to suppress a laugh—perhaps he should simply descend to the Netherworld to keep his younger brother company instead!