Xiao Xuan and the others were bound with ropes and staggered out of the inn, their hearts filled with coldness.
However, just when they thought they were doomed—
"How dare you be so disrespectful to my guests!"
Who gave you the guts?
A clear yet angry shout rang out like a thunderclap not far away.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure in blue rushing towards them in an instant.
It was Hu Qingxuan I hadn't seen for many days.
At this moment, her beautiful eyes burned with fierce anger as she stared intently at the middle-aged man escorting the Xiao Family members.
"Miss Hu!"
When Xiao Xuan, Xiao Fenghua, and the others saw Hu Qingxuan, it was like drowning people grasping at a last straw; their desperate eyes suddenly burst forth with a glimmer of hope.
When the middle-aged man saw Hu Qingxuan, his brows furrowed subconsciously, but his face showed little fear; instead, a hint of sneer, as if he had expected it, flashed across his face.
Just as he was about to speak in his defense, an even colder, more authoritative female voice suddenly rang out, taking over the conversation:
"I made him do it."
Before the words were finished, a figure appeared before everyone like a ghost.
The newcomer was a woman who appeared to be around thirty years old. She wore a gorgeous light purple dress embroidered with cloud patterns. Her face was cold and beautiful, and her eyes held the authority of someone who had long held a high position, along with a hint of barely perceptible meanness.
She stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze calmly sweeping over Hu Qingxuan before finally settling on the bound Xiao Xuan and the others. Her eyes were indifferent, as if she were looking at a few lifeless pieces of merchandise.
"Martial Uncle Shen?"
When Hu Qingxuan saw who it was, her heart tightened and she gasped in surprise.
The newcomer was none other than Shen Bixia, the junior sister of the current Valley Master of the Immortal Medical Immortal Valley, and also Hu Qingxuan's senior Martial Uncle.
She held a highly respected position in the valley, and her Cultivation was unfathomable, second only to the Valley Master and several Grand Elders.
"Martial Uncle, what... what do you mean by this?"
These are my guests, I brought them back. Why did you have them tied up?
Hu Qingxuan suppressed her panic and asked, trying to remain calm.
She had been away for the past few days to deal with a thorny issue and also to secretly gather information about what was going on outside, but she never expected to return to find herself in such a situation.
What do you mean?
Shen Bixia's lips curled into a cold smile, her voice rising a few decibels, carrying an undisguised reprimand and accusation.
"Hu Qingxuan, how dare you ask me that?"
"I'd like to ask you, what kind of people have you brought back?"
She pointed at Xiao Xuan and the others, her fingertips seemingly carrying ice:
"A remnant of the Wei royal family, a wanted criminal jointly pursued by the Qian Yuan Divine Dynasty and the Confucian school."
Did you know that the entire Yuhua Prefecture has now fallen into the hands of the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty, with Confucianism masters personally overseeing the situation?
"By bringing this hot potato back to the valley without permission, are you trying to kill the entire Medical Immortal Valley?"
Her words came down like a barrage of bullets, each one piercing the heart:
"Harboring criminals wanted by the imperial court is a heinous crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan."
If you want to die, that's none of my business, but don't drag down the thousands of people in Medical Immortal Valley.
"How can the millennia-old foundation of our Medical Immortal Valley be ruined by your momentary folly?"
Hu Qingxuan's face flushed red and then turned pale after being questioned by Shen Bixia in a sharp and stern manner. She opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.
Because everything Shen Bixia said was true.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Xuan understood.
He sighed inwardly, knowing that the matter was unlikely to be resolved amicably. There was clearly a serious division within the Medical Immortal Valley, with Shen Bixia's faction gaining the upper hand.
He took a deep breath, cupped his hands to Hu Qingxuan, and spoke in a hoarse but clear voice:
"Miss Hu, what Senior Shen said is absolutely right."
It was my oversight that brought this trouble to your valley.
Our presence here would indeed bring utter destruction to the Medical Immortal Valley.
We, along with our Xiao Family, will forever remember Miss Hu's great kindness and dare not trouble her and your family again.
We implore Senior Shen to be merciful and let us leave. We will bear all the consequences of our actions, whether life or death, fortune or misfortune, and will have no further connection with the Medical Immortal Valley!
He said this to Hu Qingxuan, expressing his unwillingness to burden her.
At the same time, it was also meant for Shen Bixia, hoping that she would spare their lives in consideration of their "voluntary departure and severing of ties".
Looking at Xiao Xuan's pale face and resolute eyes, Hu Qingxuan felt both guilty and anxious.
Before she could say anything, Shen Bixia preemptively let out a cold sneer:
"You want to leave now?"
It's too late!
Hu Qingxuan's heart sank, and she said urgently:
"Martial Uncle Shen, what do you mean by this?"
You said that their presence here would bring disaster to the Medical Immortal Valley, so letting them leave would be the solution to this predicament, wouldn't it?
"To get out of the predicament?"
Xuan'er, you're oversimplifying things!
Shen Bixia's eyes were sharp as knives, her tone carrying both sarcasm and undeniable certainty:
Do you think the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty and Confucianism are just for show?
Do you really think you can hide the fact that you secretly brought them into the valley?
Letting them go now is no different from burying one's head in the sand.
The Primal Origin Divine Dynasty and the Confucianism will receive the news sooner or later.
When the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty's army presses in and Confucianism masters demand justice, what will our Medical Immortal Valley offer in explanation?
You, Hu Qingxuan, were confused for a moment, and now you've released the person?
"At that time, even if we jumped into the Yellow River, we wouldn't be able to clear our names. The crimes of harboring a wanted criminal and letting a tiger return to the mountain would be enough to bring my Medical Immortal Valley to its doom."
Her words were clear and logical, dissecting the stakes perfectly. The faces of the disciples from the Medical Immortal Valley around her changed repeatedly, and their gazes toward Hu Qingxuan were filled with resentment and dissatisfaction.
Yes, you brought this person back, and now they've caused a huge mess. You think you can just let them go?
It's not that easy!
Hu Qingxuan was speechless after Shen Bixia's words, her face turned pale, and her delicate body trembled slightly.
She hadn't really thought that far ahead, or rather, she wasn't willing to consider the worst-case scenario.
"Then... then in Martial Uncle Shen's opinion, what should we do?"
Hu Qingxuan's voice trembled slightly, and she had a vague sense of foreboding.
Shen Bixia's face darkened completely, a resolute and ruthless glint flashing in her eyes, as she said, word by word:
"Simple!
Now that things have come to this, the only option is to hand them over to the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty and the Confucianism for their judgment.
Furthermore, we must publicly declare that our Medical Immortal Valley has absolutely no connection with such rebellion; it was all Hu Qingxuan's personal behavior, which has been stopped and punished by the elders of the valley.
Only in this way, by making our stance clear and drawing a clear line, can we best preserve the millennia-old foundation of our Medical Immortal Valley and protect the lives of the thousands of disciples and followers within the valley!
"Hand them over?"
Hu Qingxuan was struck dumb, her beautiful eyes wide open, and she exclaimed:
No, absolutely not.
"They are my guests. My Medical Immortal Valley is a reputable and righteous sect, dedicated to saving lives and upholding morality. How could we possibly do such a treacherous and opportunistic thing?"
"What a treacherous and disloyal person!"
Shen Bixia laughed in anger, her voice suddenly rising in pitch, becoming sharp and oppressive:
"Hu Qingxuan, you're quite kind and loyal to these outsiders."
Have you ever considered whether you still have even the slightest bit of affection or loyalty towards the thousands of disciples of the Medical Immortal Valley, your Master, or your fellow disciples?
Are you willing to destroy the entire Medical Immortal Valley for your so-called morality and for the sake of a few unrelated criminals?
Are you really going to kill your master, your fellow disciples, and everyone in this valley who considers you a fellow disciple and trusts you, all for the sake of a few of them?
Shen Bixia's question was like a knife, piercing Hu Qingxuan's heart and also the hearts of every disciple of the Medical Immortal Valley around her.
Yes, on one side are several outsiders, wanted "criminals," and on the other side are the elders and fellow disciples who raised and taught him, and who spent every day with him... Which is more important?
Many disciples' gazes became complicated, and their eyes towards Hu Qingxuan held a stronger sense of dissatisfaction and accusation.
Hu Qingxuan was forced to back away from the questioning, her face ashen, her delicate body swaying precariously.
Her lips moved as if she wanted to refute, but she found that any explanation she gave would seem so pale and powerless in the face of the greater cause of "the safety of the entire sect".
She acted on impulse when she picked him up, without giving it her all.
Now that Shen Bixia has seized on her weakness, her words are like daggers to the heart, throwing her into turmoil and pushing her to the brink of collapse.
Xiao Xuan heard everything clearly, and his last glimmer of hope was shattered.
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
Today, it seems we truly cannot escape our fate.
Just then, another clear, cold female voice rang out, carrying a hint of helplessness and resolve:
"Xuan'er, this time, you really made a mistake."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman with a cool and aloof demeanor walking slowly towards them.
She looked to be in her early thirties, but her eyes were filled with a sense of experience and wisdom.
It was Hu Qingxuan's Master, Zhang Ziyun, the current master of the Medical Immortal Valley.
"Master..."
When Hu Qingxuan saw her Master appear, her eyes instantly reddened, as if she had found her pillar of support, yet also as if she was even more terrified.
Zhang Ziyun walked closer, first giving his most beloved apprentice a complicated look, then turning his gaze to Shen Bixia, nodding slightly as a greeting.
Finally, her gaze fell on Xiao Xuan and the others, lingered for a moment, then slowly shifted to Hu Qingxuan, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable weight:
You shouldn't have brought them back.
If they had not set foot on the territory of our Medical Immortal Valley, this matter would have been none of our concern.
But now that they've appeared in the valley, if this gets out, the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty and the Confucianism will never let us off the hook.
Her words were like the last straw, breaking Hu Qingxuan's last bit of resolve and completely cutting off Xiao Xuan and the others' last chance of survival.
Zhang Ziyun's attitude clearly indicates that he is on Shen Bixia's side.
Or rather, when faced with the life-or-death decision of Medical Immortal Valley, they made the same seemingly cold but "rational" decision.