"What!"
"That's impossible!"
"Th-that can't be!"
"..."
The uproar across the hall rolled like thunder. The words "Lord Chen" struck like a bolt of lightning from the highest heavens.
"It was Lord Chen! If he hadn't forced me, how would I have dared to commit such a wicked deed? I really didn't do anything. I only invited Brother Xuanzhong out. I had no idea Lord Chen would do something like that..."
Liu Tongzhou fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face, seemingly overwhelmed with remorse.
In truth, only one sentence of his account was true: he really had invited Dongfang Tuo's master out.
As it happened, Dongfang Tuo's master had also been a poor judge of character.
After Xu Yi gave Dongfang Tuo the Golden Soul Fruit, Dongfang Tuo returned to the sect and presented it to his master. His master treasured it like a priceless gem and began thinking about how to consume it, extend his lifespan, and strengthen his soul.
But he lacked experience. He searched through the classics, yet couldn't find the answer for a time. He thought of his longtime friend Liu Tongzhou, who knew a fair bit about the Way of Alchemy and precious medicines, and took the opportunity during a get-together to ask him about it indirectly.
Little did he know, Liu Tongzhou had been eager to hear—and even more eager to act.
Liu Tongzhou knew Dongfang Tuo's master well. Unless he really had a Golden Soul Fruit, or knew where to find one, he wouldn't have come asking him about it.
At the time, though, Liu Tongzhou merely made a note of the matter, thinking about how to get some benefits from Dongfang Tuo's master. He had no intention of harming him.
A few days ago, a group of Lords had returned.