Slander

Chapter 36: Slander

The vehicle sped along the highway, quickly leaving the cordoned-off danger zone and smoothly returning to Tianchang City.

Seeing the familiar city, Li Yi, covered in blood and grime, finally relaxed in the car.

He currently felt sore and in pain all over. Many parts of his body were damaged from overexertion or prolonged running. His back was especially bad; the first time he dodged that ferocious beast, he sustained several bloody gashes. Though the bleeding had stopped, the pain was still searing.

"Li Yi, once we get back to the safe zone, I'll have the supervisor arrange for a doctor to examine you. You seem to be quite seriously injured," Zheng Fei observed Li Yi's discomfort from the car and said.

"Okay, thank you. I'll trouble you then," Li Yi nodded, not refusing.

Zheng Fei chuckled, "It's the least I can do, no need to thank me. After all, you got injured on this mission, and the company won't abandon you. However, your injuries are considered light. A cultivator at the Spirit Medium realm named He Jun suffered much worse."

"He Jun?" Li Yi's expression shifted. "He's still alive?"

He Jun had bumped into him while fleeing earlier, attempting to use him to lure away the ferocious beast. But He Jun wasn't simple either; he had used He Jun to lure away a group of spider-like humanoid monsters.

"He's alive, probably won't die, but he lost an arm and has multiple severe injuries. If he hadn't been lucky enough to be found by Yang Yilong, who was also evacuating, he likely wouldn't have made it back," Zheng Fei said. "And He Jun was very unlucky; I heard he encountered not one fierce beast, but a whole pack of monsters."

"Of all the people who escaped back, his situation was the most perilous."

Li Yi's expression turned peculiar upon hearing this.

He knew that pack of monsters had originally been chasing him.

"Alright, enough about that. The car has arrived, let's get out," Zheng Fei said.

At this moment, the vehicle stopped.

Li Yi had returned to Safe Zone Sector 1, Unit 89.

It was the same familiar building.

As Li Yi got out of the car, Supervisor Xu Ming immediately walked over with two nurses.

"Li Yi, you should get your wounds treated first. I'll help you store your prey. Someone will contact you later. If you're worried, I can have your prey packed and sent to your room," Zheng Fei offered.

"No need, you handle it. I trust you," Li Yi said.

He wasn't worried about anything going missing. With so many people watching and cameras everywhere, Yang Yilong wouldn't turn against him over a dead prey's corpse.

Zheng Fei nodded. "Okay, you go rest then."

"Li Yi, can you still walk? Do you need a wheelchair? Are you experiencing any dizziness?" Xu Ming examined Li Yi, who was covered in blood and grime, and continuously inquired about his condition.

"I'm fine, I can walk. No wheelchair needed," Li Yi waved his hand.

Supervisor Xu Ming said, "That's good. Your condition is quite stable, but to be cautious, it's best you come with me for an examination. Some hidden injuries aren't visible and can only be confirmed through a comprehensive check-up."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble," Li Yi replied.

"I knew you were tough and wouldn't die. How could a cultivator with your potential fall in the danger zone?" Xu Ming added.

Li Yi sighed, "I was just lucky to survive. I almost didn't make it back."

"It's good that you're alright now. Come with me, I'll take you to the medical room."

Xu Ming nodded and immediately led Li Yi and the two accompanying nurses into the building.

Soon.

The group took the elevator to the medical room on the ninth floor.

There were several patients in the medical room at the moment, the air filled with the smell of blood, and occasional groans could be heard.

Li Yi glanced around casually and saw several injured cultivators.

"Li Yi, you little brat."

A cultivator, wrapped in bandages and lying on a hospital bed, looked pale from blood loss. However, upon seeing Li Yi, he still struggled to curse angrily.

"He Jun?"

Li Yi recognized him immediately. "You really are alive. I didn't expect you to still have so much energy with one arm gone. Cultivators' vitality is truly tenacious."

"Li Yi, if it weren't for you, how would I have been chased by that pack of monsters?" He Jun immediately became agitated and started shouting, "I'm telling you, this isn't over. I'll let everyone know your malicious intentions, how you'll do anything to survive, and how you caused me to suffer such severe injuries."

As soon as he said this, many cultivators in the medical room turned their heads to look at Li Yi, their eyes showing ill intent.

He Jun suffered so badly because Li Yi harmed him?

The other cultivators were also injured and in a bad mood, already filled with anger. Seeing someone like Li Yi who would betray his teammates, they wished they could rush forward and beat him up.

However, no one acted impulsively.

They wanted to see how Li Yi would defend himself and what the truth of the matter was.

Li Yi didn't want to take the blame for no reason. He said coldly, "He Jun, you were being chased by a beast and deliberately led it towards me, almost killing me. If I hadn't broken through in desperation, evolved my body, entered the Spirit Medium realm, and fought that beast to the death, I would have been its meal by now."

"As for you being chased by another group of monsters, that's your bad luck, and you have no one to blame but yourself."

After speaking, Li Yi directly took off his shirt, revealing the scratch marks on his back.

Upon seeing them, many people immediately recognized that these were indeed wounds inflicted by a fierce beast's claws during their escape.

"So that's what happened."

Seeing that Li Yi's explanation was reasonable and supported by his wounds, their expressions immediately changed. They then looked at He Jun with complicated feelings, as He Jun had made his accusations without any proof, offering no evidence that Li Yi was the cause of him being chased by monsters.

Li Yi continued, "He Jun, you are inherently evil. When you fled in the danger zone, you didn't just harm me. You already killed your two assistants before. You used them as bait to hold back the ferocious beasts. Otherwise, how could you have possibly run back safely? Fortunately, the last Cultivator exposed your sinister intentions before dying and warned me. Otherwise, I would have been killed by you too."

"You, you're spouting nonsense! Li Yi, when did I ever use my companions as bait? You're slandering me, smearing my name. Everyone, don't believe him. If I had really done what he said, I would have returned safely. How could I be so badly injured?"

He Jun's pale face instantly turned red. While he had intended for others to help him stall the ferocious beasts, he had never used them as bait.

He hadn't expected that Li Yi, who looked honest and upright, would actually be so cunning, spewing lies so effortlessly.

Li Yi didn't give him a chance to retort. He felt that there was no need for honor when dealing with someone like him. It was just mudslinging, as if he were the only one capable of it. He continued, "I'm slandering you? Everything requires evidence. If you think I harmed you, then present your evidence. Don't play the victim here to gain sympathy."

"I, I can't produce evidence, but Li Yi, where's your evidence? You said I killed my two assistants and lured that Biao to attack you. Then you must also provide evidence that will convince everyone. If you can produce evidence, I'll admit it. But if you can't, you're slandering me, and I'll never forgive you."

He Jun roared from his hospital bed, furious. His wounds even burst open again, and blood began to seep out.

However, deep down, he didn't believe for a moment that Li Yi could produce any evidence.

The people were already dead in the danger zone, and their bodies were likely gone by now. Where would he find evidence?

Therefore, with no one to contradict his claims, He Jun felt righteous and unafraid.

Li Yi stared at him intently. "You want evidence? I'll give it to you, but we'll need a witness. Xu Ming, I need Yang Yilong to act as a witness for this matter. Can you notify him?"

He then looked at the supervisor, Xu Ming, who was standing nearby.

Xu Ming immediately nodded. "This matter concerns the deaths of two Cultivators. If you can provide evidence, I can invite Yang Yilong to be a witness."

"The evidence is inside that ferocious Biao's stomach. If everything is as I said, He Jun's two assistants must have been eaten by that ferocious Biao. Coincidentally, I brought back the Biao's corpse. If we dissect its stomach and analyze the flesh and blood inside, everything will be clear," Li Yi said.

"That makes sense. The truth will always come out. If that's the case, digging into its stomach will reveal the evidence. Even an undigested bone, if subjected to DNA testing, can reveal the results. This medical room has the necessary equipment. Wait here, go clean yourself up and treat your wounds first. I'll make the arrangements."

Xu Ming immediately promised to handle the matter properly.

"Alright, I'll wait for the results here," Li Yi said.

Xu Ming didn't delay and quickly ran off.

This matter was very serious, involving murder and the reputation of Cultivators. Moreover, at this critical juncture, mishandling it could lead to severe consequences.

"What? You brought back the Biao's corpse?" At this moment, He Jun started to panic.

But how was that possible?

How could Li Yi have actually killed that Biao?

He was a Cultivator who hadn't even awakened his Spirit Medium. Wait, no, it seemed he had awakened it.

Suddenly.

It was only then that He Jun noticed that Li Yi's eyes were exceptionally bright, shining with a faint glow – a sign of entering the Spirit Medium realm.

Thinking of this, a chill ran down his spine.

"No, that shouldn't be right. Even if he really awakened his Spirit Medium, he absolutely couldn't have defeated that Biao." He Jun's expression on the hospital bed shifted erratically, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead without him realizing it.

If the accusation of betraying and killing teammates were proven, he would never be able to redeem himself.

It was precisely for this reason that he had wanted to kill Li Yi along with the others.

That way, no one would know what he had done in the danger zone.