If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

"Brother Du is joking."

Zhang Yu's voice was calm, with a hint of casualness.

"I, Zhang Yu, am not a bloodthirsty person, nor do I intend to be an enemy of the entire Wei royal family. I am here to serve my sentence and cultivate my path, and I have no intention of causing trouble."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Yun, who was kneeling on the ground, his face deathly pale, and his tone turned cold:

"As for why they want to control this great formation... it's just that some people, relying on their status, have gone too far and want to break my limbs so that I can be given to Elder Du to vent their anger."

I had no choice but to rely on the power of this great formation to protect myself to some extent.

"To let me vent my anger?"

Du Jun raised an eyebrow, not expecting that he would be involved in this matter.

So he pressed on, "Young friend, what do you mean by that?"

Zhang Yu didn't answer directly. Instead, his gaze shifted to Xiao Sheng, who was peeking around nervously and looking uneasy. A meaningful smile played on his lips.

"As for the specifics, Brother Du, and the members of the royal family, you might as well ask... Prince Jing's heir, Xiao Sheng. He saw everything clearly from beginning to end."

"Xiao Sheng?"

As soon as Zhang Yu finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Xiao Sheng, the heir of Prince Jing, as if under a spotlight!

"Whoosh!"

Xiao Sheng felt as if countless gazes were like tangible swords, piercing him instantly, making his whole body stiffen, his scalp tingle, and cold sweat pour down his face.

"I...I..."

Xiao Sheng opened his mouth, but his tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

In order to please Zhang Yu and protect himself, he helped Zhang Yu cover up a lot of things and even cooperated in the act, saying that Du Jun's visit was "collusion".

Now, he's being asked to reveal the truth in front of so many royal figures, especially the ancestor and the emperor.

He's probably going to get skinned alive.

"Xiao Sheng".

Prince Jing, Xiao Jingfeng, his face darkened, and he shouted sternly, "What exactly happened?"

"explain."

Inside the main hall of the Imperial Clan Court, Xiao Xuan's voice also came through the light screen, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

Xiao Sheng was so frightened by the two sharp shouts that he almost collapsed to the ground.

"It is...it is Prince Rui's heir, Xiao Yun."

Xiao Sheng steeled himself and decided to clear himself of all blame and shift the blame entirely to Xiao Yun, saying, "It was him, he was the one who started the trouble."

He pointed to Xiao Yun on the ground and recounted the whole story in a rapid, rambling manner.

Although Xiao Sheng was afraid, he was still quite articulate and gave a general account of what had happened, emphasizing Xiao Yun's arrogance and Zhang Yu's "forced self-defense."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Jing, Xiao Jingfeng, looked even more displeased, his gaze towards Xiao Yun filled with anger and disgust at his lack of ambition.

This idiot is already arrogant enough, but he actually dared to provoke a scourge like Zhang Yu, and dragged the entire royal family into such a passive and embarrassing situation.

Inside the main hall of the Imperial Clan Court, everyone was in an uproar after hearing Xiao Sheng's account.

"It was Xiao Yun who caused this trouble?"

"That damned bastard, he's good for nothing and good for nothing!"

Everyone's gaze instantly shifted from Zhang Yu to Xiao Yun, who was kneeling on the ground.

The anger and hostility that was originally directed at Zhang Yu has now largely transformed into annoyance and rebuke towards Xiao Yun.

Even Xiao Yun's biological father, Prince Rui, wished he could personally kill the entire scourge.

Although Zhang Yu's act of making the imperial grandson kneel was a slap in the face, there was a reason for it: Xiao Yun provoked and attacked first!

This would be considered a "self-defense counterattack" anywhere!

Even if the royal family wanted to investigate, they wouldn't have a valid argument.

Moreover, why would someone risk their life to fight a powerful and unfathomable expert who controls the Heavenly Prison Array just for the sake of Xiao Yun, this good-for-nothing playboy?

does it worth?

Although Xiao Yun was pressed to the ground by the power of the formation and could not move, he could still hear.

He heard Xiao Sheng's accusations, heard the discussions around him, and especially felt the anger directed at the royal elders who should have been on his side.

His heart sank to the bottom in an instant, and an unprecedented fear and chill swept over his entire body.

He originally thought that the royal family would do everything in their power to avenge him after he had been humiliated.

But now, to his horror, he discovers that things have developed in a way that is completely beyond his expectations.

Zhang Yu's power and mystery instilled fear and apprehension in the royal family.

And Xiao Yun, this "victim," actually became the culprit who "caused trouble" and "brought disaster to the royal family"!

Especially when he caught a glimpse of Du Jun, the chairman of the association who even the emperor had to treat with deference, calling Zhang Yu his brother, through the corner of his eye.

Xiao Yun's heart turned completely cold.

He realized that he might have... kicked a hornet's nest, a hornet's nest that even the entire royal family dared not easily kick!

As Zhang Yu watched as everyone turned their anger towards Xiao Yun and observed the subtle shift in the attitude of the royal family's high-ranking officials, he said expressionlessly, "I have no intention of implicating anyone else in this matter. Xiao Yun is arrogant and domineering; I punish him by making him kneel in front of my prison gate for three days."

Upon hearing that Zhang Yu only punished Xiao Yun by making him kneel for three days and did not make any more excessive demands, both Prince Rui and Xiao Yun, who was lying on the ground, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Although kneeling is shameful, it's better than dying.

However, the brow of the royal patriarch Xiao Xuan did not completely relax.

"Young friend...would you be willing to relinquish control of the great formation?"

Xiao Xuan asked in a deep voice through the light screen, his tone carrying a hint of discussion rather than a command.

"Ten days."

Zhang Yu extended his index finger, his tone calm yet undeniable, "Ten days from now, I will return full control of the great formation."

Ten days later, even without relying on the grand formation, he will have no fear of grandmasters.

Besides, even if you return it, you can always borrow it again, right?

"it is good."

Xiao Xuan readily agreed; there was nothing he could do if he didn't.

Emperor Xiao Zhengshan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that his ancestor had agreed, and quickly spoke up, attempting to curry favor and salvage the relationship:

"Um... Zhang Yu, I know you were wrongfully imprisoned and suffered injustice."

"I hereby issue an edict pardoning your crimes and releasing you from prison immediately."

In his view, this was an immense blessing, and Zhang Yu should be extremely grateful.

However, Zhang Yu's reaction surprised everyone.

"Please don't."

Zhang Yu shook his head violently:

"I quite like the atmosphere of this prison. From now on, I will stay here permanently to cultivate the Tao and comprehend the Dharma."

"What?"

Everyone was stunned, thinking they had misheard.

Do you like the atmosphere of the prison?

What... what kind of weird quirk is this?

"and,"

Zhang Yu changed his tone and said, "Remember, do not reduce my sentence without authorization, and do not try to get me out. Otherwise... whether you will return control of this formation in ten days is another matter."

Everyone: "..."

Are there people who don't want to be released from prison and insist on staying there?

This is simply unheard of.

Although they found it absurd, the royal family members only wanted to quell the incident as soon as possible, and dared not disobey Zhang Yu's wishes.

"Alright...alright, since you like it, young friend...then the prison will temporarily serve as your place of quiet cultivation."

Xiao Zhengshan's lips twitched slightly, and he forced a smile. "I will issue an edict that no one shall disturb your quiet cultivation. All your necessities shall be provided according to... according to the standards for a prince."

"No need, the standard for ordinary prisoners will suffice. I don't like luxury."

Zhang Yu waved his hand and closed his eyes again.

The royal family members looked at each other in bewilderment, and in the end, they could only accept the outcome helplessly.

A crisis that could shake the very foundations of the nation was temporarily brought to a close in this bizarre manner: Zhang Yu remained in prison, Xiao Yun was forced to kneel for three days, and the grand formation was temporarily borrowed for ten days.

Prince Jing, Xiao Jingfeng, and Xiao Fenghua accepted the order and, with their personal guards, retreated like the tide.

Before leaving, Xiao Fenghua took a deep look at Zhang Yu, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in the prison, her expression incredibly complex.

"Today's events are classified as a top royal secret!"

Xiao Fenghua coldly ordered his trusted confidants, his gaze sweeping over the silent jailers and prisoners around him, "If anyone leaks even the slightest information, their entire family will be executed."

"Yes!" Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they quickly agreed.

Just as Prince Jing and Xiao Fenghua led their troops out of the prison and stepped out of the gate...

Zhang Heng, Qin Xuehua, and their group arrived at the Heavenly Prison.