After Elder Xuyunzi and the other elders froze for a moment, they immediately understood. Chuyunzi was targeting Li Jing because of something that had happened in his early years.
Chuyunzi had been born into a poor farming family that had tilled the land for generations. When he was fifteen, a rare drought struck. Not a single grain was harvested, yet the corrupt local officials not only embezzled the relief funds, but also demanded that the starving people pay the same taxes as in previous years. Resentment filled the land, misery lay everywhere, and tragedies of people eating people even occurred.
Chuyunzi's parents and relatives had all starved to death in that calamity wrought by both heaven and man. Half-dead from hunger, he had led others in raiding the county granary. After failing and being arrested, he was sentenced to death. Had his master not happened to pass by and save him, Chuyunzi would long since have been separated from his head, his life ended in the underworld.
From then on, Chuyunzi hated every official of the Li Imperial Dynasty, much less Li Jing, the Third Prince born into the imperial family. Li Jing's attire was simply too conspicuous; anyone could recognize him at a glance.
Once Chuyunzi had achieved modest success in his studies, he had knelt before his master's door for three days and three nights, begging only to descend the mountain and take revenge. In the end, the sect granted its approval and sent out an immortal decree, ordering the imperial dynasty to hand over every official involved in the case so they could all be executed.
If not for the constraints of sect rules, Chuyunzi would already have charged into the imperial palace with a talisman sword in hand and slaughtered the entire Li family clean.
Though unhappy inside, Li Jing still bowed to Chuyunzi. "May I ask, Elder, where did this disciple speak wrongly?"
Chuyunzi snorted coldly and rebuked him, "No matter how useless Yuan Shanhu is, he is still at the Immortal Seedling Realm Third Leaf. How could Qin Haoxuan, who has cultivated for merely two days, defeat him? I say there is more to this matter! Qin Haoxuan may well be a spy from another immortal sect—or perhaps a monster in human form."
The moment Chuyunzi voiced that theory, even the other elders found it unreliable. Qin Haoxuan came from Xiaoyu Mountain, and his background was clean and easily verified. Chuyunzi might be targeting Li Jing, but the claim that Qin Haoxuan was a spy was simply too far-fetched. As for him being a monster in disguise—what kind of pathetic monster would disguise itself as a weak-seed disciple?
Everyone felt Chuyunzi was firing arrows without a target, but Zhang Kuang deeply agreed. He stepped forward to testify. "Qin Haoxuan and I are fellow villagers. No one knows him better than I do. Before entering the Taichu Sect, he often went into the mountains to gather herbs. Every few days, he would bring back many rare medicinal herbs. Even many old herb gatherers could not match him. Do you think the son of an ordinary hunter could possess such ability? At the very least, I could not."
"That is because you are inferior to me." Qin Haoxuan, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke. His smile carried a trace of mockery. "Not only can I gather herbs that you cannot, but whenever I feel like beating you up, I can beat you until you are worse than a dog."
Li Jing clapped repeatedly and laughed without stopping. "Junior Brother Zhang, did you hear what Junior Brother Qin said? I think he is absolutely right. What you said only proves Junior Brother Qin's capability. Just because you cannot do something, must no one else be able to do it either?"
"Junior Brother Li! You..." Zhang Kuang's face reddened in embarrassment. He wanted to speak, yet for a moment did not know what to say.
At that moment, Chuyunzi spoke again to bail Zhang Kuang out, every word aimed at Li Jing. "Li Jing! Qin Haoxuan! This is the Law Enforcement Hall! How can you speak so freely here? Zhang Kuang merely cited an example to prove Qin Haoxuan's abnormality. You deliberately twist his meaning. What are your intentions?"
As he spoke, fury blazed in his eyes. His expression made it seem as though he wished to tear Li Jing into ten thousand pieces and grind his bones to ash.
If any other disciple had been harassed so harshly by a law enforcement elder, he would have been too frightened to utter a word. Yet Li Jing merely clasped his hands as though nothing had happened. "Senior Brother, I was only discussing the matter as it stands. Why is Junior Brother Zhang so sensitive?"
The two called each other junior brother while referring to themselves as senior brother, and the smell of gunpowder in their exchange grew increasingly thick. To prevent the conflict from escalating further, Elder Xuyunzi hurriedly interrupted, "Let us elders deliberate for a moment. The verdict will be announced afterward." With a wave of his hand, a pale yellow curtain of light that blocked sound enveloped the four of them. Their lips moved, but no one could hear what they were saying.
"Senior Brother Xuyun, what is there to discuss? Why not simply announce the verdict we agreed upon earlier?" Chuyunzi said with clear displeasure.
Elder Xuyunzi ignored Chuyunzi, whose mind had been clouded by hatred, and said to the other two elders, "Qin Haoxuan now has two Purple Seed disciples standing on his side. We should weigh the pros and cons again."
"What is there to weigh? I had not suspected anything at first, but when this Li Jing from the Li Imperial Dynasty stepped forward to defend him, I could tell that Qin Haoxuan was no good thing! Otherwise, why would he come to lend him a hand? I say Qin Haoxuan is either a spy from another immortal sect or a monster in human form!"
Chuyunzi made no attempt to conceal his hatred for the Li Imperial Dynasty and Li Jing. Hating the house and its crow, he had included Qin Haoxuan in his attack.
Elder Xuyunzi and the others did not know whether to laugh or cry. They advised, "Li Jing is also a Supreme Purple Seed. His future achievements will certainly surpass yours and ours. His helping Qin Haoxuan this time is not because of the wine, but because of Xu Yu beside Qin Haoxuan. If he uses this chance to gain Xu Yu's support, his chances of becoming Sect Leader in the future will be extremely high! If we follow the previous verdict, we will offend two Purple Seed disciples at once. This... would be rather inappropriate, would it not?"
"Future matters can wait for the future! If you do not wish to play the villain, then let me announce the verdict. If Li Jing truly becomes Sect Leader, I will shoulder today's matter alone and never drag the three of you into it. I believe Zhang Kuang's future achievements will definitely surpass those two."
Elder Xuyunzi and the others still felt it was inappropriate. Even if they were not the ones announcing the verdict, the verdict had been made with the unanimous agreement of all four elders! Offending two Purple Seed disciples at once meant there would be no good fruit for them to eat in the future.
"How about this?" Elder Xuyunzi pondered for a long time before saying, "Even if we exclude Li Jing, Qin Haoxuan still has Xu Yu on his side! We must give her some face as well. Furthermore, from what we have learned, Yuan Shanhu and the other two started this matter, and Zhang Kuang may even have instigated them from behind the scenes. Therefore, I decide that Yuan Shanhu and the other two will be sent to Ice Cliff to reflect for fifteen days! Qin Haoxuan will be sent to the Lava Cellar to reflect for seven days! As for whether Qin Haoxuan is a spy from another immortal sect or a monster, that still requires investigation. Once evidence proves that Qin Haoxuan is not of the good kind, no matter who protects him, he will be dealt with according to sect rules and teachings. Do you three junior brothers have any objections?"
Elder Xuyunzi's word settled the matter. His reasoning was sound, and the punishments were appropriately measured. The other two elders nodded in agreement as well. Any further objections from Chuyunzi would be futile, so he could only accept reality.
After the discussion was settled, the curtain of light dispersed. Elder Xuyunzi cleared his throat, swept his gaze across the hall, and announced the verdict. "Yuan Shanhu, Zhang San, and Li Si maliciously harassed Qin Haoxuan and damaged the fellowship between disciples. They are to be sent to Ice Cliff to reflect for fifteen days. Reflect seriously. Should there be another offense, punishment will not be spared! After Yuan Shanhu and the other two ceased their assault, Qin Haoxuan still severely injured them. No matter how one puts it, he violated sect rules by engaging in a private fight. He is to be sent to the Lava Cellar to reflect for seven days as punishment! The Taichu Sect rewards and punishes clearly, with no exceptions for anyone. Let this be a warning to all!"
Once Elder Xuyunzi had finished announcing the verdict, the law enforcement disciples standing in two rows along either side of the hall suddenly let out three hoarse roars: "Mighty! Mighty! Mighty!"
Twenty voices roared in perfect unison, deafening enough that the sound waves nearly lifted the roof off the Law Enforcement Hall. Dust shook loose from the beams overhead and fell in a steady shower.
Li Jing did not care much about the verdict. He had only stepped forward to show goodwill toward Xu Yu and draw her to his side as much as possible. In fact, the harsher Qin Haoxuan's punishment, the happier he would be.
Zhang Kuang was very unhappy with this result. He had intended to follow Chuyunzi's words and make an issue out of spies and monsters, yet the verdict did not mention either matter at all. Naturally, someone who wished Qin Haoxuan dead could not be satisfied. Still, the elders had announced their verdict, so no matter how dissatisfied he was, he could only endure it. Who could blame him for being outnumbered and unsupported?
Li Jing had only entered the sect two days ago, yet he had already begun winning people over. It seemed that when dealing with Qin Haoxuan in the future, Zhang Kuang would have to avoid Xu Yu as much as possible. If he truly drove her to Li Jing's side, his path toward becoming Sect Leader would become even more rugged and difficult.
Zhang Kuang endured it, but Xu Yu was still unhappy. Li Jing had been a victim from beginning to end. Thinking of Qin Haoxuan being locked in the Lava Cellar for seven days, her eyes immediately reddened.
The Lava Cellar sounded terrifying just from its name.
"The elders have enforced the law unfairly. I will seek the Sect Leader and demand justice for you!" Tears swirled in Xu Yu's eyes. Her face was filled with anger, and her tone was resolute.
Qin Haoxuan was moved, but he shook his head slightly. "Forget it. Out of sight, out of mind. It is good to stay farther away from them. I can focus on cultivating properly, without anyone tripping me up."
Xu Yu thought Qin Haoxuan was comforting her, but she did not know that these were his heartfelt words. During the hearing in the Law Enforcement Hall, the restless spiritual energy inside him had tormented him unbearably. Yet he could not show it. All he wanted was a quiet place to sit in meditation and cultivate, rather than remaining in Spirit Field Valley, where so many people were trying to trip him up.
How could kind-hearted Xu Yu know any of this? Her phoenix eyes swept over Zhang Kuang, Yuan Shanhu, and the others as she said coldly, "I will go request an audience with the Sect Leader immediately! When my cultivation reaches great success, I will definitely seek justice for you!"
As she spoke, her gaze also swept across the four law enforcement elders. Hearing Xu Yu's vow and feeling the hatred in her eyes, the four elders could not help feeling uneasy. As the saying went, it was not thieves stealing that one feared, but thieves keeping one in mind—much less being hated by a Purple Seed disciple.
If it had been another disciple, these elders could have devised some scheme to make that person commit an error and then drive him down the mountain.
A Purple Seed? None of the elders dared set a trap... The Sect Leader was no fool. If he learned the whole story, he might truly do something as extreme as wiping out their entire families. They would have to communicate properly and explain themselves afterward.
When the elders thought about how, at their age, they would still have to explain themselves to a newly initiated disciple, bitterness filled their hearts. Yet they had no choice. Who told them she was a Purple Seed?
Elder Xuyunzi had already made up his mind to find Xu Yu immediately afterward and assure her that Qin Haoxuan would not be bullied in confinement. He would even offer spiritual medicine to help Qin Haoxuan cultivate in prison, hoping this grievance could be smoothed over.
Yuan Shanhu and the other two were so frightened that their entire bodies turned cold. Lying collapsed on the ground, they tried their best to edge closer to Zhang Kuang, as though that would make them safer.
Just as the law enforcement disciples were about to take the four away to their places of confinement, Zhang Kuang moved close to Qin Haoxuan and sneered, "Do you think confinement means you can escape me? We shall see."
Qin Haoxuan sighed inwardly. The trouble his foul temper had brought upon him back in the village had finally come time to be repaid. But asking him to bow his head to Zhang Kuang? That was absolutely impossible!
After Qin Haoxuan and the others were escorted away, Xu Yu also returned to her usual serene manner. She walked over to Li Jing and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Li, for speaking up for Senior Brother Qin out of righteousness. Xu Yu will remember it."
Li Jing immediately beamed with joy. A little girl was still a little girl. A small trick, and she was easily caught. He had just been about to say a few polite words such as "no need to thank me" to reinforce the good impression, when Xu Yu ignored him and left directly.
The Law Enforcement Hall returned to silence, but no one's heart could settle down.
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