"Smack! Smack!"
Before the Jade Spirit Official said to stop, the punishment rods continued to land on Jiang Yuan's buttocks. Though his forehead was drenched in cold sweat from the pain, Jiang Yuan still strained to lift his head, trying to see the expression on the Jade Spirit Official's face at that moment.
The Jade Spirit Official, staring at the token in his hand, had gone pale with terror!
"This... this really is the waist token of the North Star Lord! It carries his aura!"
The Jade Spirit Official turned to look at Jiang Yuan, his face a complex mix of fear, surprise, and regret. Jiang Yuan could even read a few words from his expression.
*I'm so screwed!*
"Stop, stop immediately!"
Snapping back to reality, the Jade Spirit Official quickly ordered the two subordinates wielding the punishment rods to halt.
"Lord Jade Spirit Official, could this really be Lord North Star's token?"
Just then, Jia Lang approached, eyeing the token in the Jade Spirit Official's hand with skepticism.
"How could it be fake?"
The Jade Spirit Official shot Jia Lang an annoyed glare, inwardly filled with regret. If this loose immortal had any close connection to the North Star Lord, hadn't he just offended the North Star Lord himself?
But the truth was far more terrifying than the Jade Spirit Official imagined. The man he had ordered to receive 130 heavy strokes was none other than the next North Star Lord!
"Lord Jade Spirit Official, something's off here!"
Jia Lang's eyes darted around, sensing something amiss, and he quickly spoke to the Jade Spirit Official.
"Oh? What do you mean?"
The Jade Spirit Official turned to Jia Lang and asked.
"I once heard that the North Star Lord descended to the mortal realm to search for his celestial pet, Beiluoshimen, and hasn't returned. Why does this kid have Lord North Star's token? Don't you find that suspicious, Lord Jade Spirit Official?"
Jia Lang pointed at Jiang Yuan, voicing his doubts to the Jade Spirit Official.
"Your information is outdated. The North Star Lord has already fallen!"
"What!"
At this, not only Jia Lang but even the celestial soldier guarding the North Heavenly Gate was startled, letting out an involuntary cry.
"Grand Master Zhang Daoling of the Heavenly Master's Mansion personally told the Emperor that the North Star Lord's life lamp has gone out."
All officials of the seventh rank and above in the celestial realm had a life lamp left in the Heavenly Master's Mansion, each sealed with a primordial spirit imprint. When a celestial official fell, the imprint in the lamp would vanish, extinguishing the flame. As a seventh-rank celestial official, the Jade Spirit Official had access to insider information, while Jia Lang and the soldier guarding the gate, being lower in rank, received news much later.
"Speak! How did our Lord North Star die?"
The soldier guarding the North Heavenly Gate, upon hearing of his superior's demise, lost all reason. He rushed over, grabbed Jiang Yuan by the collar, lifted him up, and roared.
"After descending to the mortal realm, the North Star Lord encountered the Eastern Demon Lord of the Demon Realm. Severely wounded, he fled to a cave, where he was attacked by the ancient beast Lili. Unable to prevail, on his deathbed, he passed the position of North Star Lord to me, along with this token."
Jiang Yuan looked at the Jade Spirit Official and Jia Lang, their faces twisted as if they'd eaten something foul, and felt immense satisfaction. Suppressing his laughter, he recounted the North Star Lord's fall to the soldier's questioning.
"Utter nonsense! Lord Jade Spirit Official, this scoundrel is spouting lies. Demon Realm lords can't enter the mortal realm. Don't be fooled by him! In my view, he's connected to Lord North Star's death. Please interrogate him thoroughly!"
"Yes! Lord Jade Spirit Official, our Lord North Star was a Golden Immortal, virtually invincible in the mortal realm. How could he die at the hands of a mere beast? This man must have harmed him in secret!"
After Jiang Yuan finished, Jia Lang and the soldier guarding the gate both appealed to the Jade Spirit Official, refusing to believe Jiang Yuan's story. Even the Jade Spirit Official himself found the account hard to swallow.
"What you've described is indeed too bizarre for me to believe easily. Unless you can provide evidence to prove your words, you'll be adding a charge of suspected murder of a celestial official."
The Jade Spirit Official looked at Jiang Yuan seriously, subconsciously treating him as a suspect.
"Can any of you vouch for him?"
Suddenly struck by a thought, the Jade Spirit Official turned to those who had come to the North Heavenly Gate with Jiang Yuan—Wending Cangsheng, Hamster Pudding, Ding Ye, and Chuangshi Yongge—and asked.
The group exchanged glances. Ding Ye suddenly remembered something and quickly spoke to the Jade Spirit Official: "We can confirm that Jiang Yuan received a celestial inheritance. Everyone knows that."
"Yes, we all know."
Hearing Ding Ye, Hamster Pudding and the others recalled the system announcement from that day and nodded in agreement.
"Could this kid really have inherited the North Star Lord's legacy?"
Watching Hamster Pudding and the others step forward to vouch for Jiang Yuan, the Jade Spirit Official's heart skipped a beat as he muttered to himself.
"But how can you prove that the celestial inheritance he received is specifically the North Star Lord's?"
Just as the Jade Spirit Official was wavering, Jia Lang's eyes flickered, and he asked Hamster Pudding.
"Well..."
Hamster Pudding, Wending Cangsheng, and Ding Ye looked at each other helplessly. They knew Jiang Yuan had obtained a celestial inheritance, but whether it was the North Star Lord's, Jiang Yuan had never told them.
Thus, faced with Jia Lang's question, Hamster Pudding and Ding Ye eventually shook their heads.
"See, Lord Jade Spirit Official? These people have clearly been deceived by Jiang Yuan. Their testimony is invalid!"
Jia Lang pointed at Hamster Pudding and the others, then glanced at Jiang Yuan with a smug expression.
"This matter is of great importance, involving the mystery of Lord North Star's death. It's beyond my jurisdiction and must be reported to the Grand Marshal."
"Someone, go inform the Grand Marshal immediately."
The Jade Spirit Official didn't rashly convict Jiang Yuan. Instead, he played it safe and sent a subordinate to report to his superior.
After the messenger left, the Jade Spirit Official sat back down, had Jia Lang stand behind him, and ordered two subordinates to hold Jiang Yuan by the shoulders, awaiting the Grand Marshal's arrival.
"Jiang Yuan, are you okay? Does it hurt?"
Seeing that Jiang Yuan was no longer being beaten, a worried Hamster Pudding hurried over, took his hand, and asked with concern.
"I'm fine, just my butt still hurts a bit! Hiss!"
Jiang Yuan smiled at Hamster Pudding and shifted his body, only to aggravate the injury and wince in pain.
Just then, a figure approached, surrounded like stars around the moon, slowly making their way to Jiang Yuan and the others.
When Jiang Yuan saw who it was, he froze.
"Whoa! The Grand Marshal of the Three Altars and Seas is actually him?"