Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"Hahaha, what a huge joke!"

Upon hearing this news, Khans finally couldn't help but burst into bursts of wild laughter.

"Now, how do you plan to explain this?"

"Rebel against the imperial court? Bah! This truly broadens my horizons!"

"You, the dignified Shushan Sword Sect, and the universally recognized immortal sect in the martial arts world, have turned out to be nothing but a den of snakes and rats."

"They claim to be resisting the Empress and upholding the dignity of our sect, but in reality, they're just using this anti-imperial banner to gather martial arts practitioners together so that the imperial court can suppress them and use their blood to gain wealth for themselves!"

"Now that things have come to this, what else do you have to say?"

These words left the Shushan Sword Sect speechless.

Dugu Yun's face was extremely ugly as he glanced at the crowd around him.

Jiang Mohan immediately said, "Impossible. I know Senior Brother Sun's character very well. He would never betray us. This must be the Empress's doing. Sect Leader Ke, please don't fall for her trap."

Khans: "At this point, you still want to defend him? I only believe what I see and hear. Sun Yuwang has used the blood of righteous men to gain wealth and status for himself."

"Absolutely impossible!"

Hao Dayou couldn't help but roar and jump out.

“Junior Brother Sun is a man who hates evil as if it were his enemy. There is absolutely no way he would surrender to the Empress, much less betray a righteous man. I absolutely do not believe it.”

Just then, another disciple came to report from outside: "Reporting to the sect leader, Elder Sun has returned."

Dugu Yun immediately pondered for a moment: "Have him come into the hall immediately, I have something to ask him."

Before long, Sun Yuwang arrived at the main hall, looking exhausted. Upon seeing Dugu Yun, he immediately knelt down and paid his respects.

"Sect Master, your disciple has returned."

Jiang Mohan quickly helped Sun Yuwang up, asking with concern, "Senior Brother Sun, what happened to you?"

Sun Yuwang shook his head with a wry smile: "We've all fallen into their trap. The Empress isn't as simple as we thought. My injuries are all her doing."

As soon as these words came out, the whole room was shocked.

Injured by the Empress? Is that even possible!

"Humph."

Kehans sneered, "It seems that a marquisate of ten thousand households and a fourth-rank official title are not enough. Now you want to put on airs to lure us. Do you think I'm a fool?"

Sun Yuwang then noticed a group of red-robed Tantric disciples standing in the hall, and the one speaking at the head was the Tantric sect leader he had met several times before.

"Sect Leader Ke, what do you mean by that? I don't understand."

"Are you genuinely confused, or are you feigning ignorance, Lord Sun?"

A sarcastic remark instantly turned Sun Yuwang's face ashen: "Sect Leader Ke, I don't recall offending you in any way. What exactly do you mean by that?"

"You know it in your heart, do I need to spell it out for you? If I say it out loud, we'll completely fall out."

After saying that, Kehans turned away and said no more.

Dugu Yun immediately asked, "Elder Sun, let me ask you, what exactly happened during your time in Jinling?"

Sun Yuwang immediately recounted in detail the failed assassination attempt on the Empress at the Jinling Pagoda.

Finally, his eyes were filled with resentment: "The Empress's scheming and cunning far exceeded my expectations, and her martial arts skills were also beyond my anticipation."

"The every move of the righteous warriors lying in ambush in Jinling was already known to her. Our understanding of her was far too shallow, which led to the complete failure of this assassination mission against the Empress."

Dugu Yun pondered: "So, the assassination mission failed because someone tipped us off beforehand, allowing the Empress to know all our plans and ultimately causing us to fail?"

Sun Yuwang nodded: "If I hadn't risked my life to break through, I'm afraid I wouldn't have escaped the Empress's clutches either."

"That's strange."

After listening, Kehans suddenly said.

"All the righteous men died, so why is it that only you, Sun Yuwang, survived? Is it really such a coincidence?"

Hao Dayou was furious: "Sect Leader Ke, what do you mean by that? Can't you see my junior brother is covered in injuries?"

"Maybe this is just a ruse?" Kehans sneered. "The Empress has eliminated everyone, but she spared the one with the highest cultivation foundation. Don't you think there's something fishy about this?"

Despite his injuries, Sun Yuwang questioned, "Sect Leader Ke, what do you mean by that? Are you doubting me?"

"What do you say?"

Khans glared with his large, bell-like eyes and shouted loudly.

"It was your greed for wealth and power that led you to secretly inform the Empress of this righteous man's assassination plot."

Only then did the Empress calmly devise her plan, and in one fell swoop, wipe out all the righteous men hiding in Jinling.

You obtained the position of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households and concurrently Governor of Shu Commandery by relying on the blood of your righteous colleagues.

You betrayed the righteous, using their blood to help yourself gain wealth and glory.

Now, you shamelessly resort to a self-inflicted injury ruse to gain the sympathy of your fellow disciples.

With one decisive move, we wiped out the Shu Mountain Sword Sect and all the righteous warriors behind them.

"By then, it wouldn't be a problem to bestow upon you the title of duke or even a king of a different surname."

"You are so slanderous!"

In his desperation, Sun Yuwang coughed up blood.

"Khans, I, Sun Yuwang, swear to Heaven that I have never betrayed any righteous men, nor have I ever betrayed my sect!"

"If swearing worked, there wouldn't be so many terrible things in this world."

Kehans smiled contemptuously, then looked at Dugu Yun: "Sect Leader Dugu, the facts are clear. You can decide how to handle it yourself."

Dugu Yun's face was ashen: "Elder Sun, tell me honestly, tell everyone here, did you betray the sect and those righteous heroes of the martial world!"

"Sect Master, please understand! Your disciple has truly not betrayed the sect or the righteous warriors. Our whereabouts were already known to the Tyrant, and the Tyrant's strength is unfathomable, Master!"

Dugu Yun: "Then tell me, what is your explanation for the court's conferment of official titles upon you?"

"This disciple truly did not know. This was a divisive tactic employed by the Empress. Sect Master, you have no idea how deep the Empress's cunning is. She knows our every step perfectly."

Sun Yuwang knelt on the ground, spitting blood as he tried to defend himself.

Jiang Mohan couldn't bear to watch any longer and pleaded with Dugu Yun, "Sect Master, please let Senior Brother Sun recuperate first; his injuries are truly severe."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yun immediately stood up and walked to Sun Yuwang, raising his hand to examine his wrist.

"There are still thirteen sword energies intertwined within your body that have not been dispelled. It seems that what you said is true. You did encounter a powerful expert. This matter has nothing to do with you."

Upon hearing this, Sun Yuwang breathed a sigh of relief.

But the next moment, Kehans also grabbed Sun Yuwang's wrist and began to treat him.

A moment later, he sneered and flung his hand away: "Elder Sun is indeed seriously injured. He was struck by seventy-two sword energies at the same time."

An ordinary person would have been unlikely to survive, but each sword strike somehow avoided vital points; it was an incredible coincidence.

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yun's expression changed drastically, and he carefully examined the injuries once again.

As expected, there were traces of the fifty-nine sword energies that had been neutralized in Sun Yuwang's body, but none of them were fatal.

"Elder Sun, tell me honestly, have you truly betrayed the sect?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Yuwang shook his head: "No, I didn't, I really didn't, Sect Master, you have to believe me, you really have to believe me!"

"Then explain why none of the sword energies within you are fatal!"

"That, that must be the Empress's scheme..."

Khans laughed: "Yes, yes, it's all the Empress's scheme, everything is her doing, you're the only innocent one."

Anyway, the righteous heroes of Jinling have all been captured, so what happens is entirely up to you. Of course, this was indeed part of the Empress's scheme.

"I've merely joined you in scheming against righteous heroes of the martial world. In the end, you, Sun Yuwang, are already a lackey of the imperial court."