TGCFNM -Chapter 259 The Divorce Case Hearing

Chu Ling leaned on the table and looked at Ling Da, who was adjusting his hat across from him. “So… where are your remains?” he asked.

Ling Da touched his furry cap and replied, “Right underground where I saw you. There are a lot of people down there too.”

“An underground street?” Bai Su murmured. “I thought places like that no longer existed.”

“What underground street?” Chu Ling asked.

Bai Su explained, “It’s a street beneath the ground. You can think of it as a place where transactions that can’t be done openly take place.”

Chu Ling understood. Even the things being traded weren’t meant to see the light of day.

But…

“Why bring Ling Da’s remains down there, to an underground street?” Chu Ling asked curiously.

Ghost Scholar stroked his beard and said, “When the temple opened, they found Ling Da’s remains and brought them down to the underground street. There might be something on Ling Da—something that could serve as the key to opening the temple.”

Chu Ling looked at Ling Da and asked directly, “Do you have the key?” Then he grabbed Ling Da’s arm and turned him around, examining him carefully.

Ling Da, being pulled, complained, “I don’t have a key. Stop pulling on my clothes.”

Ghost Scholar rubbed his forehead. “The ‘key’ is just a metaphor. They probably want to understand the Witch Clan through Ling Da since they’re trying to enter the temple to seek treasure.”

Ling Da turned to Ghost Scholar. “Then they’ll die.”

“Even Heaven and Earth can’t stop someone from recklessly seeking death,” Chu Ling said, giving up and sitting back down.

Ling Da said seriously, “They really will die.”

Chu Ling stared at him. “Then it depends on whether human conscience can overcome greed, or whether greed completely devours them.”

No one could save them except themselves.

After the midday rest, Chu Ling changed into her official robes and stepped out of the room.

The main hall of the Fulai Inn had been cleared of tables and chairs, leaving only a single table, a chair, and a piece of wood for knocking on the table to command attention.

Yun Aoxue had arrived early and stood alone in the center, while both sides of her were filled with people. Many others had gone upstairs.

Zhang Zhenfeng hadn’t arrived yet, so a number of people were pointing and whispering about Yun Aoxue, passing all sorts of comments into the air.

But she stood quietly, without arguing or explaining.

These people came because she had deliberately spread the news, making it a spectacle—ensuring that everyone would know about this. Even if the divorce couldn’t be granted in the end, she wanted to make her stance clear.

Soon, Chu Ling entered through the back door and went straight to the lone chair, sitting down.

Yun Aoxue bowed, “Yun Aoxue pays respects to Your Honor.”

Chu Ling smiled and nodded, raising a hand to indicate she didn’t need to bow.

Wan Sanjin, standing beside Chu Ling, glanced around before deliberately saying, “Your Honor, that cowardly turtle is afraid of the divorce, so he didn’t even show up.”

Chu Ling curved her lips, trying to suppress a laugh. “A man should have some sense of responsibility. If he can’t even handle that, what does that make him?”

Su He muttered quietly, “A weakling.”

Chu Ling cleared her throat. “No need to be rude. After all, he’s from… what sect was it again…”

“Lishui Sect,” Yun Aoxue reminded him.

Chu Ling let out an “oh”: “After all, he is also from the Li Shui Sect… hmm, a disciple.”

After saying this, Chu Ling looked apologetically at everyone: “Sorry, my time wandering the jianghu hasn’t been long, so I truly don’t know people without a reputation. So… is he someone everyone praises in the martial world? Does he have any famed deeds that I’m unaware of?”

The moment Chu Ling asked this, the crowd went completely silent.

Everyone was thinking about what reputation Zhang Zhenfeng might have in the jianghu, or what deeds he had done that were widely praised. But after thinking for a long while, no one could come up with a single thing.

In that intense silence, a woman suddenly pushed through the crowd and strode forward, her eyes slightly cold as they landed on Chu Ling: “You have a narrow view, no wonder you don’t recognize him.”

“You know him?” Chu Ling asked.

The woman replied proudly: “Of course. Cousin Feng is a peerless talent, elegant and charismatic, highly skilled, punishing evil and upholding justice—praised by all.”

Chu Ling gave a mischievous smile: “Really? I don’t believe it.”

“You!”

“You need to bring him out for me to see who he really is. Otherwise, like you, I’d just be imagining things,” Chu Ling rolled her eyes. “If Zhang Zhenfeng doesn’t show up soon, I’ll just consider him a cowardly failure and directly approve the divorce.”

The woman’s face lit up: “Then just decide it straight away.”

“Wait!”

A man in white robes strode in, waving a folding fan, a faint smile at his lips—truly elegant and charismatic.

He stopped next to Yun Aoxue, his gaze casually falling on Chu Ling: “You’re an official from the court?”

Chu Ling slammed her hand on the table and stood up, pointing at the man and looking at the earlier woman in disbelief: “You call this a peerless talent? Elegant and charismatic? Have some standards…”

Zhang Zhenfeng folded his fan, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.

Yun Aoxue tilted her head toward him: “You promised me you’d come today, so please behave and follow the court’s rules.”

Zhang Zhenfeng’s brow briefly furrowed with anger, then softened instantly. He looked at Yun Aoxue sincerely: “You know, I never wanted things to come to this. After all, no one can replace you in my heart. For the sake of both sects and our friendship, I hope you’ll reconsider.”

Yun Aoxue looked at him in surprise: “Wasn’t it you who forced me to divorce? If I don’t agree, you’d break my legs and take my secret manual?”

Zhang Zhenfeng froze in place—what kind of words were these? When had he ever said anything like that?

Yun Aoxue painfully turned her head and, accidentally meeting Chu Ling’s eyes, blinked once. This was a trick she had learned from observing Lord Chu: a single look could silence someone completely.

The woman was moved: “Cousin Feng, so you really are willing to divorce for me. They were all lying to me. From now on, I’ll only trust, respect, and love you.”

Zhang Zhenfeng was completely overwhelmed—why was this woman even here?

Yun Aoxue looked at the woman: “Duan Ru, since your feelings are mutual, then I’ll let you two be together.” Saying this, she painfully closed her eyes.

Zhang Zhenfeng’s face brightened: “Xue’er, I knew you couldn’t let me go. Actually, we…”

Chu Ling clapped a piece of firewood at just the right moment with a loud crack, directly stopping Zhang Zhenfeng from speaking: “So, you’re both agreeing to the divorce of your own free will, right? Then come and sign the papers.”

Yun Aoxue’s heart leapt, and she stepped forward immediately.

Duan Ru also looked at Zhang Zhenfeng expectantly.

Zhang Zhenfeng hesitated, then grabbed Yun Aoxue’s sleeve: “Earlier I was blinded, my judgment was clouded, that was my fault. But Xue’er, I nearly died climbing the Heavenly Ladder for you. I was seriously injured collecting herbs for you. When I learned you were getting engaged, I drank late into the night… I gave so much for you, have you really forgotten?”

Chu Ling spoke slowly: “Giving your all while pursuing someone is meant to earn a reciprocal effort. Otherwise, at the time of divorce, it becomes a shackle binding you, making it seem like ingratitude.”

After speaking, Chu Ling deliberately cast a glance at Duan Ru. If she didn’t try harder, Yun Aoxue wouldn’t be able to finalize the divorce.

Duan Ru clenched her teeth: “Cousin Feng climbed the Heavenly Ladder to pick flowers for me, and gathering herbs was also partly for me.”

Zhang Zhenfeng: “?”

What nonsense was this woman talking about?