Chapter 21 — The God of Light's Swapped Bride

In that extremely tense moment, Y Nhi, mustering all her remaining courage, suddenly stomped her heel on Co Bat Uy's foot. The sudden step caused him pain, and his hand holding the knife weakened for a split second - just a short moment, but enough for Da Vu to take action.

He waved his hand, a beam of blinding white light shot straight towards Co Bat Uy, not aiming at Y Nhi but accurately hitting his wrist holding the knife, causing the dagger to fly away. At the same time, an invisible push force knocked Y Nhi out of his controlling arms, falling towards Quan Chuong An who was standing nearby and promptly caught her.

Co Bat Uy screamed in pain, hugged his wrist that was burned by the sacred light, and staggered back. But the madness was not over yet, he quickly picked up the broken sword lying nearby, the blade was still sharp, and rushed straight towards Da Vu in one last reckless act.

"If I must die, I will take you with me!" he screamed, his eyes bloodshot with rage and despair.

Da Vu stood still, not dodging at all. When the broken sword was about to touch his chest, the entire aura in his body exploded violently, forming an invisible shield of light that pushed Co Bat Uy away, hitting the hall wall hard, the broken sword fell to the ground with a clatter.

Co Bat Uy lay sprawled on the stone floor, his whole body was in pain, but he was still alive, he just didn't have any strength left to stand up and protest anymore.

Y Nhi, just being helped to stand firmly by Quan Chuong An, quickly ran to Da Vu's side, holding his hand tightly, her eyes full of worry checking to see if he had any injuries from the reckless sword strike just now. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice still shaking.

"I'm okay," Da Vu replied, gently squeezing her hand to reassure her. His eyes softened when he saw that she was still safe, even though her face was still dirty and her hair was messy from the struggle. "She's the one I'm most worried about."

He reached out and gently touched the bruise on her arm, his eyes flashed with a sadness he couldn't hide. A warm light gently spread from his fingertips, and in an instant, the bruise gradually faded, and the pain also disappeared. This was the first time he openly used his healing power in front of her without hiding it, and Y Nhi looked at that phenomenon with eyes that were both surprised and filled with absolute trust.

"I'm fine," she replied, smiling slightly even though her whole body was still shaking because the panic attack hadn't completely stopped. "Just seeing you at peace makes me feel much better." Da Vu stepped closer, his eyes looked down at the person who had caused so much suffering to Y Nhi and her family, his voice sounded majestic, not blind anger, but a cold, fair judgment.

"I can destroy you right here, with just a wave of my hand," he said, his voice low but carrying the weight of a thousand years of justice. "But I won't do that. Because true justice does not come from revenge, but from letting you face the consequences of your own actions, in the light of reason and the law."

He swung his hand one last time, not to destroy, but to completely deprive Co Bat Uy of the physical strength that Co Bat Uy had always relied on - a gentle light swept through his body, causing his legs to completely paralyze, no longer able to stand up or hold a weapon, a punishment just enough for him to live the rest of his life in helplessness, facing the crimes he had committed that could no longer be avoided by violence or power.

"No... it's impossible," Co Bat Uy groaned, tears and despair spilling out of the corners of his eyes when he realized his body no longer obeyed his will. "I had it all... power, money, status... why did it end like this?"

"Because you have forgotten that real power does not come from usurping and trampling on others," Da Vu replied, his voice softened somewhat, "but from knowing how to use it to protect and support those weaker than yourself. You had the opportunity to become a good official, someone who could help this whole kingdom, but you chose the path of greed and cruelty. This is the price you have to pay."

The Chancellor, witnessing the entire incident, ordered the military guards to escort Co Bat Uy and Ta Khac Dung back to Nha Mon for official interrogation and trial in accordance with Lam Thanh's laws. "For the charges of kidnapping, forced marriage, collusion with slander, and assault on court officials," he announced, his voice stern, "the Nine Great Families will have to convene an emergency session to consider removing Gu Batwei from his title as Earl, handing him over to the law for proper handling."

News of Co Bat Uy's downfall quickly spread throughout Lam Thanh capital that night. The remaining members of the Nine Great Families, who had long feared his increasingly expanding power, had no hesitation in agreeing to depose, seeing this as an opportunity to rebalance power within the nobility.

Doan Thanh Nhan, upon hearing the news of Co Bat Uy's downfall and Ta Khac Dung's testimony exposing the entire slander plot, was so panicked that he was speechless. She knew clearly that once the truth was completely exposed, it would be difficult for the Lang family to avoid serious legal consequences for participating in a plot to harm their own daughter.

Lang Vinh Khoi, upon hearing the bad news, sat down on the chair in the study room, his face as white as paper. He realized that his decision to turn a blind eye to his wife's plot, and his decision to publicly abandon his biological daughter right on the street, had now pushed the entire family to the brink of collapse, not only in terms of honor but also in terms of legal life.

"What should we do now?" he asked his wife, his voice shaking, revealing complete weakness to her for the first time in his life.

Doan Thanh Nhan could not answer anything, just sat quietly, her hands trembling when thinking about the prospect of the whole family facing legal punishment for colluding with slander. Tuyet Vy, standing in the corner of the room, heard the whole story and felt the ground beneath her feet collapse. She never thought that her initial petty jealousy could lead to such a chain of terrible consequences for the entire family.

Returning to the devastated mansion hall, Y Nhi stood leaning against Da Vu, watching the scene of Co Bat Uy being escorted away in complete helplessness. Her heart was filled with an indescribable feeling of relief, mixed with a bit of pity for the fall of a man who once held supreme power but lost everything just because of greed and selfish possession.

“It's over,” she whispered, her voice still shaking but filled with relief.

"That's right," Da Vu replied, his arms tightened around her, as if wanting to compensate for all the suffering she had endured over the past time. "It's over, Y Nhi. From now on, no one can threaten our lives anymore."

Outside, the first dawn of a new day has begun to appear on the eastern horizon, dyeing a warm orange-yellow color into the sky of Lam Thanh, as a sign of a new beginning waiting ahead.

The Chancellor, before leaving the mansion to escort Co Bat Uy and Ta Khac Dung back to the temple, turned to look at Da Vu with eyes that were both awed and curious. "Your Majesty," he said, his voice careful, "the court will need a full account of what has happened tonight, and perhaps, of your true identity as well."

Da Vu nodded, his eyes exchanging a meaningful look with Y Nhi. "I will present everything clearly to the court," he replied, "but please give me a little more time. There are many things I need to resolve before I can fully face the whole truth."

The Attorney General bowed his head slightly, without further questioning, ordered the military guards to escort the two criminals out of the ruined mansion, leaving Y Nhi and Da Vu standing in the middle of the messy hall, looking at the dawn that was gradually becoming brighter in the broken door frame, as a symbol of what was still waiting for them on the journey ahead.