There are no ancestors at all; I made them all up.

Chapter 272 Is it my fault again?
"What do you mean?" Zheng Qingtian's thick eyebrows shot up. "If you have a grudge against me, just say it. Why talk nonsense here!"

Upon hearing this, many guests nodded in agreement.

Zheng Qingtian, the leader of the Lieyun Gang, is a generous and righteous man who opposes powerful sects that oppress the kind-hearted. He enjoys a high reputation among the people, and many present have heard of his righteous name.

Jin Yuanzhao sneered, raising his voice: "Zheng Qingtian! Even now, you're still putting on an act, trying to deceive the heroes of the world? Your true colors have long been exposed!"

He stepped forward and said, word by word, "You, Zheng Qingtian, are not human at all! You are a descendant of the remnants of the Hundred Clans of the Northern Cold Continent, with the blood of a beast! You have been lurking in my Immortal Dynasty for many years, using the name of chivalry to secretly carry out the despicable act of colluding with alien races and causing chaos in the Central Continent! Today is the day when your true colors will be revealed!"

"what?!"

"Chief Zheng is... a descendant of the Hundred Clans?"

"This...how is this possible!"

The audience gasped in disbelief, but this was quickly followed by confusion and disbelief.

"absurd!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Qingtian, instead of being angry, laughed. He looked around at everyone present, his gaze open and honest, and said, "I, Zheng, am a man of integrity, born and raised in the Central Continent! These fists are meant to strike the invading foreign races and to protect the common people behind me! For many years, I have traveled far and wide, mediating disputes and comforting the displaced. All I have done is uphold righteousness! You say I am a descendant of beasts from a hundred races? That is utterly ridiculous!"

Many onlookers nodded in agreement.

Jin Yuanzhao, however, smiled coldly and did not argue with Zheng Qingtian. He simply waved his hand and said, "Bring witnesses!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several figures were escorted out of the temple gate.

Everyone looked closely, some were surprised, some were puzzled!
But Zheng Qingtian's eyes narrowed: "What... you guys?"

Those being escorted out were none other than the very brothers of the Lieyun Gang that Zheng Qingtian had been so eager to save! And escorting them were two highly respected leaders of the Lieyun Gang!

"Brother Wang! Brother Li! You... how come you're here? What does this mean?!" Zheng Qingtian's eyes widened as he looked at the two helmsmen who were originally his right-hand men, now standing opposite him, his face showing suspicion and confusion.

"Boss..."

The two leaders had complicated expressions and dared not meet his gaze, only bowing their heads in silence.

As Chen Qing looked at the scene before him, a strange sense of familiarity arose in his heart, as if he had seen a similar scene somewhere before, and he vaguely felt that something was wrong.

The old monk Jingyan frowned deeply, not wanting to cause any unnecessary trouble. He stepped forward and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha! Benefactors, today is a pure Buddhist site, and we have distinguished guests present. Why engage in such a violent act, only to increase karmic burdens? Perhaps..."

"Master!" Zheng Qingtian suddenly raised his hand, interrupting the old monk.

His chest heaved, but his eyes grew even more resolute: "A clear conscience fears no accusation! I, Zheng, only seek to act with a clear conscience! Since someone has publicly slandered my innocence and framed me, if I do not defend myself to the end, it will only make me appear guilty! Let him speak! I, Zheng, want to hear what kind of absurd story he can concoct!"

Some people in the crowd who were on good terms with Zheng Qingtian or admired his character also spoke up in agreement.

"The reputation of Chief Zheng is renowned far and wide; how could such a petty person dare to slander him?"

"That's right! If Chief Zheng were truly a descendant of the Hundred Races, how could he be completely devoid of any alien features? This is common sense!"

Faced with the doubts, Jin Yuanzhao's sneer grew even stronger. He strolled forward leisurely, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Zheng Qingtian. He said slowly, "No distinguishing features? Heh, the reason for this matter is indeed extraordinary. To tell you the story, it goes back to... 20,000 years ago."

He paused deliberately, whetting everyone's appetite, before saying, word by word, "This matter is inextricably linked to that famous Hidden Star Dharma Master!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent!

Hidden Star Dharma Master! It's the Hidden Star Dharma Master again!
Chen Qing listened, speechless.

"What? Have I become a scapegoat? Everything gets dragged into my hands?"

He raised an eyebrow, finding it absurd yet also curious, wanting to see what kind of bizarre story this person could concoct and force it onto him.

Seeing everyone's gazes converge, and even Chen Qing showing a listening expression, Jin Yuanzhao felt he had the situation under control. He cleared his throat and raised his voice, "As you all know, twenty thousand years ago, the Hidden Star Dharma Master traveled the world, comprehending profound laws. His footprints even reached as far as the Northern Cold Continent! At that time, the Dharma Master possessed unparalleled supernatural powers, fighting his way in and out of the Northern Border seven times. He not only subdued the Qingqiu and Bailing tribes, but also uprooted the Yuehua Prefecture, which colluded with the Hundred Clans and wreaked havoc on the border, and wiped it out in one fell swoop!"

Upon hearing this, many people present nodded in agreement.

The story of the Hidden Star Master sweeping away the demons in the north is widely circulated. Although the details may have been embellished, the general outline is as described.

Chen Qing's expression softened slightly, and he thought to himself, "Although it's somewhat exaggerated, it's not too far off the mark. But what does this have to do with Zheng Qingtian?"

Then, Jin Yuanzhao changed the subject: "But do you all know that there was once a wolf clan called 'Frost Sniff'? Their clan leader was born fierce and foolish, and overestimating himself, he crossed the perilous Northern Underworld and went straight into the territory of my Immortal Dynasty, challenging the divine might of the Law Lord! In the end, he was killed by the Law Lord with a wave of his hand, and his soul was scattered! His wolf followers scattered and fled, and one remnant of them managed to escape into the northern lands of my Immortal Dynasty. Using some kind of secret method, they managed to interbreed with my human race, hide away, and continue their bloodline to this day..."

His words were cold, and his gaze was like a venomous snake coiling around Zheng Qingtian.

As Chen Qing listened, his long-buried memories were slowly stirred.

When he was condensing his Golden Core in the North, there was indeed a Nascent Soul cultivator from one of the hundred wolf-shaped races who transformed into a human tribulation and attacked him, but he annihilated him with thunderous means.

"Could it be..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Qingtian's expression changed slightly, but he took a deep breath, his gaze remaining open: "I, Zheng, was born and raised here. Both my parents are human, as my neighbors can attest! How could I possibly be a descendant of any of the hundred races? Stop spouting nonsense and disturbing my peace of mind!" Jin Yuanzhao calmly replied: "Hehe, you have been hiding for twenty thousand years. If you didn't have special methods to conceal your abnormal bloodline, you would have been exposed long ago! The root of this method is related to a certain Daoist relic left behind after that Hidden Star Dharma Master killed the Frost Sniff Clan Chief! You were able to perfectly disguise yourselves and blend into the human race by borrowing its aura!"

He pointed at the members of the Rift Cloud Gang and said righteously, "It is precisely because we have seen through your true beastly nature and know that you have infiltrated the Immortal Dynasty, harboring evil intentions and plotting treason! That Chief Wang, Chief Li, and these brothers are willing to put aside their own family ties and stand up to testify against you!"

His words were a mix of refutation and attack, delivered with considerable finesse, immediately causing many who had previously firmly believed in Zheng Qingtian to show expressions of surprise and uncertainty.

After all, the idea that those who are not of our kind must have different hearts has long been deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Zheng Qingtian narrowed his eyes, his fierce gaze sweeping over the brothers who were bowing their heads in silence, before looking at Jin Yuanzhao and saying in a deep voice, "No matter how eloquent you are, I, Zheng, have a clear conscience!"

"A clear conscience?" Jin Yuanzhao flipped his hand and took out a small bronze mirror with a wolf-shaped totem engraved on its edge. "This is the secret treasure, the Mirror of Truth, which is used to dispel illusions and reveal the true nature of things! Today, I will let the heroes of the world see your true face!"

He activated his magic, and the mirror immediately emitted a faint light, pointing at Zheng Qingtian!
The atmosphere in the arena instantly tensed up!

Zheng Qingtian's heart tightened. Although he firmly believed in himself, the other party's words were so certain, and he even took out the so-called secret treasure, which made him feel uneasy. However, he did not shy away and wanted to prove his sincerity.

However, at this moment.

"Wait a minute."

Chen Qing suddenly raised his hand and made a grabbing motion!
The small bronze mirror actually escaped Jin Yuanzhao's control and fell into Chen Qing's palm with a "whoosh"!
"you!"

Jin Yuanzhao was both shocked and furious. His cultivation at the third stage of the Golden Core realm had been snatched away from him by a Yin God cultivator out of thin air!
But he quickly suppressed his anger, revealing an expression of "I knew it," and said loudly, "I should have known! You were with him, you're just two of a kind! You came to Kuchan Temple today to use the stolen Buddhist light phenomenon to deceive the world and confuse the public!"

Chen Qing ignored his nagging and played with the small mirror for a while, catching a faint yet familiar aura in it.

He frowned, looked up at Zheng Qingtian, and said, "Brother Zheng, are you really going to use this object of unknown origin to protect yourself? This object has a strange aura, and the person who jumped out to accuse you is even more sinister. How can you be sure that there isn't some scheming and framing involved?"

Zheng Qingtian pondered for a moment, then said solemnly, "Brother, I understand your intentions, but I only seek to act with a clear conscience! If this mirror truly reveals anything, whatever the outcome, whether it is a blessing or a curse, whether it reveals a human or a demon, I will bear the consequences without hesitation!"

"it is good."

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Qing sent the small bronze mirror flying toward Zheng Qingtian.

Zheng Qingtian reached out and took it, took a deep breath, then faced the mirror towards himself, released a little magic power, and activated the magic mirror!
On the other side, Jin Yuanzhao's eyes flashed with the smugness of a successful scheme, and his hand, hidden in his sleeve, made a mysterious hand seal!

"Om-"

The mirror shone brightly, its cool light shining down on Zheng Qingtian. Like ink splashing on a painting, a thin, scroll-like halo spread across Zheng Qingtian's body!

Upon seeing this strange sight, Chen Qing's eyes narrowed sharply, and he murmured, "So that's how it is, just as I thought!"

But just as the halo of light covered Zheng Qingtian, a sudden change occurred!
"Chichi!"

On Zheng Qingtian's exposed skin, a thick and hard layer of gray-black hair grew at a speed visible to the naked eye!
His facial features were also slightly distorted, his mouth and nose seemed to be elongated, and a fierce aura spread uncontrollably!
"This...this is?!" Zheng Qingtian stared in shock at the changes in his body, feeling a strange and violent aura surging in his blood, and was momentarily bewildered.

"A demonic manifestation! It's a demonic manifestation!"

"He...he truly is a descendant of all races!"

"That Zheng Qingtian! Such a masterful disguise! A fraud who steals fame from the world!"

After a brief moment of shock, the onlookers erupted in uproar. Many showed wariness and hostility, their magical artifacts gleaming faintly as their auras locked onto Zheng Qingtian!
"Hahaha!" Jin Yuanzhao burst into wild laughter, "Fellow Daoists, have you all seen clearly? This fiend is none other than a foreign spy who has been lurking in the Immortal Dynasty for many years! His heart is despicable! Today, we must not let him escape!"

Then, he suddenly pointed at Chen Qing!

"And there's another one! He's fraternizing with this fiend, attempting to confuse the public with evil magic and strange phenomena. He must be an accomplice! What are you all waiting for? Do you want these beasts to collude with us from within and without, and wreak havoc on the foundation of our Central Continent? Seize them all! Dead or alive, no matter what!"

"Insolence!" Mang Shoutuo stepped forward, his burly body blocking Chen Qing's path, and roared, "My young master is the legitimate heir of the Marquis of Donghai, a noble of the Immortal Dynasty! How dare you, a petty scoundrel, slander him?"

"The heir of the Marquis of Donghai?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was startled again, and their gazes towards Chen Qing immediately became more wary and suspicious.

The Marquis of Donghai's mansion guards the eastern border and wields immense power; it is not to be easily offended, but one cannot completely trust a single statement.

Jin Yuanzhao was taken aback, clearly not expecting Chen Qing to have this identity, but he reacted quickly, immediately replying in a sinister tone: "The heir of the Marquis of Donghai? Hmph! Who knows if it's true or not? Even if it is, how can we know if he doesn't harbor treacherous intentions, wanting to use the power of foreign races to carry out his schemes of seizing power and overthrowing the Immortal Dynasty? In short, today's matter concerns the safety of the Central Continent. Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free! Fellow Daoists, follow me..."

"Amitabha……"

Just as tensions were about to rise, the old monk Jingyan, who had been observing coldly, spoke again. He stepped forward, standing between the two sides, clasped his hands together, glanced at Chen Qing, and then looked at Jin Yuanzhao, saying slowly, "Benefactor Jin, please calm down. This benefactor possesses the light of enlightenment and wisdom, and is a distinguished guest of our Buddhist sect. Judging from his words and actions, he may not be as you say. How about this, let him and Benefactor Zheng stay in our temple for the time being, so that we can investigate the truth and then make a decision?"

He seemed to be trying to smooth things over, but in reality, he wanted to take advantage of the situation to keep Chen Qing here, which is why he stood by and watched the situation unfold.

However, before the old monk Jingyan could finish speaking, Chen Qing suddenly raised his hand again and made a grabbing motion!
"Buzz!"

The small bronze mirror fell into his palm once again!
At the same time, a golden glint flashed in his eyes as he said to Jin Yuanzhao, "You should take a look too!"

(End of this chapter)