If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1207 Announcement of the Three Realms
"Ah, the culprit is none other than Ma Gu Niang!"

"Oh my god, Ma Gu Niangniang has actually broken her oath to heaven. My family just went to the Ma Gu Temple last year and asked the Taoist priest Guiyin for a painting of Ma Gu offering longevity. What are we going to do now?"

"Even Magu broke her vow to Heaven, can a picture of Magu still be hung in the central hall for warding off evil and praying for blessings?"

"Sigh, you only have one picture. My mother is turning eighty this year, and the statue of Magu was already carved, costing me a full three thousand taels of gold. Now that Magu has become a wanted criminal by the imperial court, how can I still display the statue? Displaying it would be bad luck!"

"Don't talk nonsense. It wasn't that Madam Ma broke her oath. The culprit is Madam Ma's chief disciple, Zhong, whatever. Anyway, it was Madam Ma's beloved disciple who committed a crime. Madam Ma was just a failure to discipline him properly."

“That guy surnamed Zhong is Ma Niangniang’s favorite student. Do you know what ‘favorite student’ means? Ma Niangniang values ​​him the most because he is the most outstanding.”

"This treacherous and shameless villain, who even defies the grand aspirations of Heaven and Earth, is actually Madam Ma's most outstanding disciple? What kind of crooked and evil people are in Madam Ma's family?!"

"That's not how it works. Madam Ma is Madam Ma, and Zhong Yuanzi is Zhong Yuanzi. It's a misfortune for Madam Ma's family to have produced such a scoundrel!"

"As the saying goes, a teacher is like a father, and a student is like a son. Even in ordinary families, if a parent raises an unfilial son, wouldn't they know? Ma Gu Niang is a great sage, and she knew her disciple was a scoundrel, yet she still doted on him and loved him. To the point that he committed all sorts of evil deeds and didn't even care about his oath to heaven. Can you say that Ma Gu Niang is completely without fault?"

As soon as the torture chamber announced the name "Ma Gu Niang Niang," thousands of onlookers inside and outside Zhangtai Palace erupted in uproar.

They didn't know Zhong Yuanzi. They felt nothing when they heard her name and couldn't even remember it.

An ignorant old farmer mistakenly took his Taoist name as his given name, thinking his surname was "Zhong".

But "Ma Gu Niangniang" is a household name, and even the villagers know her.

Zhong Yuanzi, who was "obscure and unknown," was hardly mentioned; everyone was talking enthusiastically about "Ma Gu Niang Niang."

The girl was completely numb.

“Zhong Yuanzi is not my beloved disciple, nor my chief disciple. He was just seeking the Dao on the Undying Mountain. I saw that he had good potential, so I bestowed upon him the destiny of immortality.”

Ma Gu Niang couldn't even argue loudly; she could only suppress her shame and grievances and whisper to the Purple Mansion Immortal.

But at this moment, Master Zifu was also in a state of utter confusion and had no time to comfort Ma Gu Niang.

Because his name followed closely after Ma Gu Niang Niang, "the second culprit, the author of the Xuanmen classic 'Zifu Xuanjing' of Taiyuan Palace in Xuanzhou, Beihai, and his disciple He Zhenjun."

That is, because the "Purple Mansion Mysterious Scripture" and the Purple Mansion True Man were not known to ordinary people, they did not cause a huge uproar inside or outside the main hall.

Or rather, because Ma Gu Niang was so famous, the shocked exclamations of "She's actually the Purple Mansion Immortal!" were all suppressed.

Yes, the Purple Mansion True Man is just not known to ordinary people, but all those who cultivate the Dao and those who are knowledgeable immortals and martial artists have read the "Purple Mansion Profound Scripture" and know about the Purple Mansion True Man.

The Purple Mansion Mysterious Scripture is an introductory Taoist scripture specifically about spiritual cultivation.

The term "beginner level" doesn't mean it's low-level; it simply means it's easy to understand. In fact, the content progresses from simple to complex, is concise and insightful, and was frequently recited by many immortals, such as Grand Tutor Yu.

In the field of mental will, Master Zifu is a giant on par with Einstein.

Actually, you can tell what he's good at just by hearing his Taoist name.

At this moment, when the cultivators and martial artists heard that the Purple Mansion True Man had also become the "culprit," their shock and disbelief were no less than that of Xiao Yu in his previous life when people heard that Hawking was involved with Children's Island.

"Why is everyone talking about me? He Sheng is just a high-ranking immortal who transmits the Dharma at Taiyuan Palace. He's not even my disciple. At most, he's just a 'disciple'."

Then there's Yu Fengxian, who introduces He Sheng, the second culprit, simply as "True Lord He".

The rest of their words were all about this humble Taoist priest, as if they were afraid others wouldn't know who I was, but I'm innocent!

Instead of receiving comfort from the Purple Mansion Immortal, Ma Gu Niang heard his wailing.

She listened carefully to the discussions around her, and sure enough, some people stopped exclaiming "Madam Ma" and were shocked: "Madam Ma is one thing, but Master Zifu is a grandmaster-level immortal who created his own school. How could he be associated with being faithless and unrighteous?"

Ma's mother felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Although she did not leave behind Taoist classics that are widely known, she bestowed blessings and longevity upon believers, protected the lonely, widowed, and elderly, and made great contributions to humankind.

Shouldn't the merit of protecting all living beings be the cornerstone of one's character?

—Oh, what am I thinking? My disciples have done such things, it's utterly shameful! And I'm still arguing with the Purple Mansion Immortal about who's superior? We're both completely ashamed now~~~
"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be anxious. The number of people discussing you is less than a tenth of those who criticize me," she said gently, trying to soothe True Person Zifu.

Master Zifu was taken aback for a moment, then regained his composure and said awkwardly, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, fellow Daoist. My cultivation of inner energy is still not up to par, and I am still unable to see through empty fame."

Ma Gu Niang said with a bitter smile, "This is not an empty reputation; we have truly been tainted by an evil karma that is difficult to eradicate."

For countless years to come, when people talk about you and me, they will say that we are faithless, unrighteous, unreliable in our teachings, and allow our followers to commit violence.

She's even considering deleting her main account and creating a new one: completely abandoning her identity and status as "Ma Gu Niang Niang," reincarnating, and starting over with a different persona.

If she were to delete her account and start over, it would be as if she had died once.

Implicated by his disciple, he committed a murderous act, resulting in his death and the dissipation of his spiritual power. Everything had to start anew, a truly tragic situation!
As the two immortals were sighing, the torture chamber read out another awe-inspiring name: "The third prince of the Jade Emperor, the junior brother of Jian Gang, the Right General who protects the Golden Spear Prince, the Kuibu Immortal."

"What? Even the Jade Emperor has broken his oath? The oath was made to Him!" Now everyone stopped discussing Ma Gu Niang Niang and Zi Fu Zhenren.

Compared to the Jade Emperor, those two combined are no match.

"It's not the Jade Emperor!" Before the audience could defend the Jade Emperor, Grand Tutor Yu suddenly stood up and solemnly corrected, "Everyone, please don't misunderstand!"

The Great Celestial Venerable is the holy, flawless, and supreme ruler of the Three Realms, inviolable and not to be profaned.

The culprit was the junior brother of a guardian deity under the Third Prince of the Great Heavenly Venerable—the True Lord Kuibu!

The people inside and outside the palace immediately fell silent, their expressions solemn, just like Grand Tutor Yu.

—Damn it, if you hadn't forcibly linked Kuibu Zhenjun with the Great Celestial Venerable, who would have misunderstood that the Great Celestial Venerable had betrayed his heavenly oath?
Many people, including Magu and Zifu Zhenren, secretly harbored resentment.

However, some people whispered, "Even if it's not the Great Celestial Venerable himself, it's still related to the Great Celestial Venerable."

"The Great Celestial Venerable is the ruler of the Three Realms, why doesn't he strictly discipline the Golden Spear Prince's generals?"

Some people were puzzled and asked in a low voice, "The Jade Emperor has a crown prince? I've never heard of the Golden Spear Crown Prince before!"

Upon hearing this, a well-traveled and knowledgeable merchant immediately remarked, "Since the Jade Emperor has princesses like the Seven Fairy Maidens, why can't he have a crown prince?"

The Golden Spear Prince was not well-known in the Central Plains.

In the counties of central Fujian and the Baiyue region, near the East China Sea, many local people worship the Golden Spear Prince.

The Golden Spear Prince was not actually the son of the Jade Emperor.

He is the son of Zhang Bairen, the mortal incarnation of the Great Celestial Venerable during his tribulation.

Like the Seven Fairy Maidens, despite being a "gifted child" of the Jade Emperor, he held a low position in Heaven, being merely an ordinary divine general. He dared not venture into the Central Plains to compete with the great gods for faith, and could only linger on the fringes of Jambudvipa.

“The Jade Emperor is even more wronged than us. Zhong Yuanzi and He Zhenjun are at least our disciples. Kuibu Zhenjun is just a junior brother under the Golden Spear Prince.” Zifu Zhenren spoke words of sympathy, but his tone was light and lively, and there was a smile on his face. “Now everyone is quietly discussing the Great Heavenly Venerable and no longer talking about us.”

Ma Gu Niang's expression was strange, and she seemed to be struggling internally.

She was as relaxed as the Purple Mansion Immortal, yet her moral sense was so keenly aware that she despised herself for it.

“Yu Fengxian is truly audacious. The immortals she’s implicated are all the most esteemed in the traitorous Celestial Master’s network. She’s completely unafraid of offending us!” the Empress said.

Master Zifu sighed, "She is intelligent and sees things clearly. I entered Guanzhong half a month ago."

I also met He Sheng in Huangshan and chatted with him.

At that time, I never intended to punish He Sheng.

Listening to He Sheng's sorrowful recounting of his experiences, I felt a pang of hostility towards Yu Fengxian.

Though I didn't say it aloud, deep down I was convinced she had offended me and the Tai Xuan Palace. Because she completely disregarded the reputation of me and the Tai Xuan Palace, forcibly keeping He Sheng at the Qin Imperial Observatory, binding him to the Ying clan.

Now, I only wish to sever all ties with He Sheng, drive him out of Tai Xuan Palace, and even slap him to death and send him to reincarnation.

His resentment towards Yu Fengxian remained, but he also felt a growing fear towards her.

So, by doing this, she won't make us resent her more; on the contrary, she's taught us a lesson. She's not at a loss at all.

Magu could only partially agree with this statement.

She had only felt ashamed when she learned about Zhong Yuan's business trip, and had no resentment towards Yu Fengxian, nor did she ever intend to seek revenge.

She came to Xianyang intending to apologize to Grand Tutor Yu. If Grand Tutor Yu was easy to talk to, he hoped to put in a good word for his disciple and resolve the feud between them.

She harbors considerable resentment and will not actively seek opportunities to retaliate against Yu Fengxian, but if the opportunity presents itself, she wouldn't hesitate to kick her while she's down.

She believed that there were many other gods who shared her thoughts.

Therefore, Yu Fengxian's public trial has attracted many powerful enemies.

After Grand Tutor Yu sat down and the discussions in the hall quieted down, the torture chamber continued to read out the identity and background of the criminal.

He read very slowly, deliberately leaving time for the onlookers to be shocked and discuss.

Each of the wanted criminals he read aloud was virtually unknown, at least among the common people. Yet, in the introduction of each criminal, one or more renowned deities or immortals were always mentioned.

Whenever the name of a great deity or immortal is read out in the torture chamber, gasps of surprise always emanate from inside and outside the main hall.

Just as the torture chamber was about to read out the name of "the heinous and wicked Master Luo," a sudden change occurred.

"Don't shout, don't yell! I'm coming, he's coming~~"

A clear, middle-aged male voice, like a thunderclap, suddenly rang out above Zhangtai Palace.

"Boom, crack~~" With a whooshing sound, something fell from the sky, smashing the glazed tiles on the roof of Zhangtai Palace and breaking two roof beams.

Bricks and pieces of wood flew everywhere, and a young Taoist priest in a blue robe fell to the ground in the center of the main hall with a "plop".

"This is Luo Hui, the nominal disciple of Huolong Zhenren, the disciple of 'Donghua Dijun'. I've brought her to you now, so don't call her anything."

Everyone in the hall subconsciously looked up through the hole in the roof to see the immortal who had thrown down Master Luo.

All that could be seen were the colorful auspicious clouds that filled the sky, slowly dissipating.

A faint sigh lingered where he stood: "The Eastern Golden Palace is filled with myriad splendors, where the teachings and knowledge are imparted to promote the Xuanjiao. Once the elixir is perfected, one ascends to the heavens; but if one goes astray, all things come to naught."

The sigh was powerful and echoed in the hall for a long time before it completely dissipated.

"It's Emperor Donghua! He actually took action to clean house." Ma Niangniang's expression was inscrutable, and she seemed to be moved. "The Emperor is indeed an Emperor. He is open and honest, and publicly admitted that Daoist Luo had done wrong and committed a serious crime."

He even personally delivered the person over, instead of having his disciple do it for him.

The Purple Mansion True Man said, "The Fire Dragon Daoist can't come over! He committed a murderous calamity ten years ago, died, and is now reincarnated!"
He probably hasn't even entered the Dao yet; he's just a boy of about ten years old.

Alas, Fire Dragon Taoist is wronged! He himself is undergoing tribulation, and his nominal disciple has caused this disgraceful incident.

Emperor Donghua was even more wronged, as he had to help his disciple reincarnate and undergo tribulations, and also help his disciple clean house.

You really can't just take on any apprentice!

We were originally carefree and unburdened by karma, and we only cared about saving all living beings. But now, because of our disciple's foolishness, we have been caught up in a great calamity, resulting in our reputation being ruined and our bodies burdened with karma.

That's so unfair!

Ma Gu Niang said, "We should learn from Donghua Dijun. It's better to take the initiative to clean house than to be singled out by Yu Fengxian."

The two of them were not the only ones who could guess that it was Emperor Donghua.

At this point, the general public had a very high opinion of Donghua Dijun.

"Unlike other great gods and immortals, Emperor Donghua did not protect his own. He believed that if something was wrong, it was wrong and he had to admit it."

"Yes! The Emperor must have been angry too, smashing a hole in the roof of Zhangtai Palace. But at least he frankly admitted that his disciple had made a mistake."

"The Great Immortal is indeed a Great Immortal. Other immortals should really learn from his demeanor and magnanimity."

Even Grand Tutor Lian Yu stood up again and said, "Daoist Luo has been brought to justice. The Emperor has personally taken action to clean up the sect, so he can be exempted from the Shadow Formation wanted list and the 'Three Realms Report'."

"What does 'reporting to the Three Realms' mean?" Ma Gu Niang didn't understand, but felt her heart pounding with fear.

The Purple Mansion True Man was also awakened by his spiritual senses, and felt a sense of great dread that was about to befall him.

"Damn it, we underestimated Yu Fengxian's ruthlessness. She... she won't let us off so easily!"

Magu swallowed hard, and said uneasily, "How is she going to deal with us? Is she going to spread the word throughout the Three Realms, letting all living beings in the Three Realms know that our disciples have betrayed us?"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Master Zifu said bitterly.

Suddenly, a soft voice reached their ears, "Madam Ma, True Man of the Purple Mansion, there is an emergency court assembly in the Lingxiao Palace. The Jade Emperor requests your presence. Come quickly, lest His Majesty remain waiting."

(End of this chapter)