Regarding the crowd's vicious thoughts, Jie Tianran nodded with satisfaction.
"Very good."
"When our Sacred Palace deals with those who betray it, this is exactly how it should be done."
"Today, I will make an exception and allow all of you to carry out the punishment together, to judge this traitor."
"Anyone who wishes to personally punish the traitor — regardless of status or cultivation — may step forward."
The moment Jie Tianran said this, the crowd fell silent once more.
Shuangxue may have deserved to die, but she was still Chu Feng's grandmother's person. Who truly dared to strike her?
If Chu Feng's grandmother held a grudge, who could bear the consequences?
But at that very moment, in the sky beyond the plaza, someone let out a furious shout.
"Shuangxue, you ungrateful traitor! You have betrayed the grace of the Palace Master — you deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
It was a middle-aged woman, her face twisted and monstrous like a man-eating ghost. She activated the Punishment Grand Formation and launched it at Shuangxue.
Yet her cultivation was far too weak. The formation swept over Shuangxue's body, but Shuangxue remained completely unharmed.
Although her body felt no pain, Shuangxue's heart was pierced with agony.
The woman who had struck her first held an insignificant status — most people present didn't even recognize her.
But Shuangxue recognized her.
This was a woman she had once helped.
It had been a casual act of kindness.
But for that middle-aged woman, it had been life-changing.
At the time, the middle-aged woman had kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude, swearing she would serve Shuangxue as a beast of burden for the rest of her life.
Shuangxue had thought that even such a small kindness was worth it.
But she never imagined that when she fell into crisis, the very first person to strike her would be someone she had helped.
Though the middle-aged woman's strength was pitiful, her attack opened the floodgates.
In an instant, more and more people began to strike.
In the blink of an eye, countless formations raged over Shuangxue's body like a violent tempest.
Shuangxue could never have withstood such power — let alone that she had long since perished, her corpse left mangled beyond recognition.
Yet even so, those who had activated the formations only grew in number rather than dwindling.
Eventually, the vast majority of the plaza was attacking. Those who held back had become the rare exception.
This was no longer simply about punishing a traitor — it was about demonstrating loyalty to Jie Tianran.
If you didn't strike, it might mean you harbored treasonous thoughts of your own.
Still, there were those who refused to act.
Like Lingxiao.
"Lingxiao, just do it already — even a token strike would do."
"Besides, she's already dead."
At that moment, numerous voices around Lingxiao urged him in this manner.
But Lingxiao still didn't move, because he knew Shuangxue should never have died.
Chu Feng had done nothing wrong, and neither had Shuangxue.
In fact, all it would have taken was for Jie Tianran to declare that Shuangxue should live, and not a single person here would have objected.
Yet the moment Jie Tianran said she deserved to die, these people discarded all past sentiment without a second thought, eager even to refine her corpse as a show of devotion.
Lingxiao could not accept this.
The Seven Realms Sacred Palace was never supposed to be like this.
But the one who found it hardest to accept was Chu Feng's grandmother.
From the palace above, she could see everything unfolding in the plaza below.
She watched as those who had once received Shuangxue's kindness now wore the same monstrous expressions, as if they bore a deep, personal hatred against her.
This, strangely, left Chu Feng's grandmother expressionless.
She had once believed that the only person she didn't truly understand was Jie Tianran.
Today she realized she didn't understand the entire Seven Realms Sacred Palace.
"Enough."
Finally, Jie Tianran spoke again.
The absurd spectacle of corpse desecration came to a complete end.
"Shuangxue deserved to die."
"But the mastermind behind Shuangxue — she received even more of the Sacred Palace's resources, even greater kindness. Doesn't she deserve to die even more?"
Jie Tianran asked.
"Of course she deserves to die!"
"She must suffer an even harsher punishment!!!"
The crowd's voices echoed once more. Even though they didn't know who this person was, their fury had already reached a boiling point.
Seeing this, Jie Tianran reached a hand upward into the sky, and a figure descended from the heights above.
Jie Tianran had pulled her down to the plaza.
But in that instant, the plaza — which moments ago had been roaring with fervor — fell utterly silent.
And figures like Lingxiao widened their eyes in shock.
Because the person who had descended, was none other than Chu Feng's grandmother.
Also known as Jie Tianran's wife.
Jie Nianqing!!!
"Lady Nianqing?"
Staring at Chu Feng's grandmother, everyone was struck with disbelief.
After all, she was bound in chains — and from the looks of it, she was the true mastermind, the second person to betray the Sacred Palace.
"What's wrong?"
"Just moments ago, you all said she deserved to die."
"Now you're all afraid?"
"Because she is Jie Nianqing?"
"Because she is the hero of our Seven Realms Sacred Palace?"
"Because she is my wedded wife?"
Jie Tianran questioned.
"Palace Master, could there perhaps be a misunderstanding?"