Chang Hong stood beside Zhao Hua like a cold white statue. The first thing visible in his reaction was not anger. His gaze swept across the crowd before he looked at Zhao Hua. He understood that this was no longer merely an insult aimed at one woman. It had become a stain upon the place where he stood, in front of people judging both the Radiant Sword Sect and himself. When his eyes finally moved toward Zhao Hua, a faint trace of disgust appeared. It was almost impossible to notice, but it revealed that he was not protecting her wholeheartedly. He was measuring how deeply this scandal might damage his own name. Rong Tian watched everything while keeping his breathing calm. His thoughts, however, remained sharp. He knew Qi Yu had opened a social wound that could not be closed with tears or an angry shout. In a city like Biratama, a noblewoman’s disgrace

The sudden change in direction only made Qi Yu laugh. Her laughter was neither melodious nor polite, but sharp and wild, cutting through the air like claws scraping across an old wooden door.She looked at each person who had just changed sides, then raised her chin as though she truly enjoyed how easily the crowd could be led by a woman’s tears. “Hehehe... all of you are truly remarkable,” she said while wiping the corner of her eye because she found it so amusing. “A moment ago, you were judging her like damaged goods in a market, but now that she is crying, you have suddenly become judges from heaven. You change masks very quickly.”Several people were immediately offended, but Qi Yu gave them no room to respond. Her voice became even sharper as she continued, “You speak of a woman’s honor as though it were a sacred scripture. In truth, what you fear is not sin, but the falling value of your own daughters. Rich people are strange. What they fear is not corruption, but a lower marri