The Confrontation

Three days later, all the Cloud Saint Sect's entry-level disciples under twenty gathered in the square before Cloud Saint Hall. Elder Zhao Youdao, the master of the Execution Hall, stood before the crowd. Behind him, besides several guardians and core disciples, stood two young women: Xie Mei'er and her servant.

Just as Sanbao had expected, the gathering's main purpose was to find him. Fortunately, his name had long since been removed from the entry-level disciples' roster. No matter how thoroughly the two women scanned the crowd, they couldn't find a trace of him.

A full quarter of an hour passed before Xie Mei'er finally gave Zhao Youdao a meaningful glance, signaling that the person they were looking for wasn't among the crowd. But the Execution Hall's stewards had already checked the roster against everyone present. Every disciple was accounted for.

Seeing the elders and guardians sitting motionless on the platform, the crowd gradually grew restless. Just then, Zhao Youdao swept his hand through the air. Everyone immediately straightened and listened, daring not to slack off.

"Everyone, I'm sure you've heard that the Grand Sect Master was assassinated by a scoundrel. Although we haven't caught the culprit yet, the circumstances suggest that someone may have conspired with an insider. From what we know so far, my entry-level disciple Wang Liang is likely connected to the affair. I blame myself for failing to keep a tighter rein on my people and letting him escape. The Execution Hall has already listed him as a wanted fugitive. But there's supposedly another person involved, and we're still investigating. If any of you have clues, please give them to the Execution Hall. We'll make an exception and award a generous amount of merit for any useful information!"

When Zhao Youdao finished, he suddenly took a portrait from his robes. It showed a young man with thick eyebrows, dark eyes, a high nose, and a tall, slightly slender frame.

If Sanbao had been there, he would have been shocked. The young man in the portrait was him. It wasn't a very accurate likeness, but the resemblance was unmistakable.

"I don't know him. I don't know him."

Everyone shook their heads. Nearly two hundred entry-level disciples were present, yet not one recognized the man in the portrait. The only person who knew him, Wang Liang, had already fled to who-knew-where.

Since entering the sect, Sanbao had kept to himself and rarely shown his face. Apart from the three people at Fire Cloud Hall, no one knew what he looked like.

"Could he really not be a Cloud Saint Sect disciple? That's impossible." Xie Mei'er couldn't make sense of it.

Just then, Zhao Youdao jolted as a person suddenly came to mind. The man in the portrait did bear some resemblance to the newly promoted core disciple he'd seen two days ago. Could it be him?

With their target nowhere to be found, the gathering soon broke up.

Half an hour later, Zhao Youdao hurried to Fire Cloud Hall with Xie Mei and the others.

"Who are you looking for? Our Elder Jing won't see anyone except the Sect Master." A-Tie stood at the entrance to Fire Cloud Hall like a door god, barring the group from entering.

"Go report that Zhao Youdao is here to see him," Zhao Youdao barked. He didn't want to pick a fight with a gatekeeper.

"Y-you'll have to wait."

A-Tie had recognized Zhao Youdao, the powerful master of the Cloud Saint Sect's Execution Hall. Besides, the group had arrived in such force that his words had only been for show. As soon as Zhao Youdao finished speaking, A-Tie darted into the inner hall.

Before long, Jing Yifei came to the entrance, his expression icy.

"Elder Zhao, now that the Grand Sect Master is dead, you don't think I matter anymore?"

"Elder Jing, y-you've misunderstood. We've come about your disciple, Luo Sanbao. Could you have him come out? We'd like to verify a few things with him."

Zhao Youdao showed no displeasure at Jing Yifei's coldness. Instead, he answered with a beaming smile, more courteous than he seemed even when speaking to the Sect Master.

"What is it? You can ask me. My disciple is in seclusion, working hard on his cultivation. It really wouldn't be appropriate to disturb him." Jing Yifei rolled his eyes, showing little regard for Zhao Youdao's feelings.

"Well, this, this really won't do. This is Miss Meier, daughter of the Third Sect Master. She says she saw Luo Sanbao with that Spirit Beast..." Everyone present already knew the situation, so Zhao Youdao wasn't worried about revealing anything. Faced with Jing Yifei's defiance, he had no choice but to explain directly and invoke the Third Sect Master as well.

"Greetings, Elder Jing. I really did see Junior Brother Luo with that Spirit Beast that day, and they even..." Xie Mei'er bowed, seeming somewhat afraid.

"Hmph! Don't you dare make baseless accusations. I said it didn't happen, so it didn't. Do you think my disciple would harm him?" Jing Yifei assumed Xie Mei'er had come to silence him over her own shameful affair. He certainly wasn't going to let her get her way.

"Elder Jing, please don't be like this. Just have Luo Sanbao come out and answer a few questions. We'll get everything straightened out. Out of respect for you, we won't make things difficult for him." Zhao Youdao remained unfailingly polite.

"A-Tie, show them out." Jing Yifei couldn't be bothered to entertain them. He turned and started back into the hall.

"Jing Yifei, don't push your luck! This is the Sect Master's order. We've been commanded to take Luo Sanbao to the Execution Hall!" Zhao Youdao finally lost his temper. He pulled out a command token and shouted.

"Hmph! Let's see who dares to set foot in Fire Cloud Hall today. If one person comes in, I'll kill one. If two come in, I'll kill both!" Jing Yifei's aura surged to its peak in an instant. Though Zhao Youdao and his party were furious, they didn't dare cross the threshold.

Zhao Youdao was a Spirit King at the peak of his cultivation, but Jing Yifei held an exceptionally special position. Even with the Grand Sect Master gone, he wasn't someone Zhao Youdao could afford to offend.

Besides, Zhao Youdao wasn't necessarily Jing Yifei's match in a straight fight.

After all, Jing Yifei was an Artifact Refiner. He cultivated both metal and fire spiritual power, and his soul power far surpassed Zhao Youdao's. If the two really fought, Zhao Youdao wouldn't stand a chance.

Xie Mei'er was just as anxious. Jing Yifei's standing in the Cloud Saint Sect was beyond the ordinary; it was a secret known to many of the higher-ups. Unfortunately, her father was still gravely injured. Otherwise, with his status as Sect Master and Spirit Sovereign, he could have come himself and overpowered Jing Yifei.

The atmosphere instantly turned cold. No one had expected the proud and aloof Jing Yifei to defy Zhao Youdao—and even the Third Sect Master—for the sake of a core disciple.

The two sides stood at an impasse, but in the end, Zhao Youdao was the one to back down.

"Let's go." Zhao Youdao was seething with rage, yet he didn't dare make a move. In the end, he could only leave Fire Cloud Peak with a dark, sullen face.

He cursed Jing Yifei from head to toe in his heart, thinking, I'll have to ask the Third Sect Master to handle this.

After Zhao Youdao left, Jing Yifei finally withdrew his aura and turned toward the inner hall, leaving only A-Tie standing dumbfounded at the entrance.

"Master, I'm afraid today's matter won't be easy to settle." Sanbao stepped out from the side and followed close behind Jing Yifei.

"It doesn't matter. The Grand Sect Master is gone anyway. At worst, we'll pack up and leave. As if we care about this place." Jing Yifei was utterly defiant, speaking as though the Cloud Saint Sect meant nothing to him.

Unable to make sense of the mystery, Sanbao could only nod timidly. In his heart, he had already prepared for the worst.

But things didn't go as Sanbao had imagined. After Zhao Youdao and the others visited that day, Fire Cloud Hall remained unusually quiet for three whole months.

Just as Sanbao began to think the matter was behind them and slowly let his guard down, the situation took a sudden turn.

The Third Sect Master personally brought people to Fire Cloud Peak.

Unable to defy the Sect Master's authority and strength, Jing Yifei reluctantly led the group to the reception hall.

"Elder Jing, the Third Sect Master has come in person. Surely you'll let your beloved disciple show his face?" Zhao Youdao asked with a smug, mocking smile.

"That's right, Elder Jing. We're only concerned for the sect's safety, and we want to avenge the Grand Sect Master. I hope you'll understand." The Third Sect Master, Xie Tianyu, spoke with a smile. His pale face suggested his injuries had yet to heal.

"Sanbao, come out and meet the Sect Master and the elders."

Jing Yifei didn't believe for a moment that Sanbao was involved in the Grand Sect Master's death. He simply couldn't stand Zhao Youdao's conduct. But this time, the Third Sect Master, Xie Tianyu, had come despite being ill, and Jing Yifei didn't dare slight him too much.

"Sanbao greets the Sect Master and all the elders." Bracing himself, Sanbao entered the reception hall and bowed to the Cloud Saint Sect's assembled leaders.

"It's him! Father, elders, it's him! I saw him lying beside that Spirit Beast. He must be involved in the Grand Sect Master's death!" Among the crowd, Xie Mei'er immediately recognized Sanbao.

On that day, Xie Mei's lover, Zhao Hong, had died at the hands of the colorful deer, but Sanbao had still played a part in what happened. Xie Mei'er had long hated him to the bone. Now that her side had the upper hand, she naturally pressed the accusation aggressively.

"If that's the case, Elder Zhao, why haven't you seized him?" The Third Sect Master, Xie Tianyu, had come prepared. He sprang to his feet, positioning himself in front of Jing Yifei, then gave the order.

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Youdao answered in a deep voice.

"Wait, Third Sect Master. Are you really going to arrest someone without sorting out right from wrong? If I said your daughter was abusing her authority to settle a personal grudge, would you dare let me explain it in front of everyone?" Jing Yifei wasn't the least bit afraid. He merely asked in a cold voice.

Sanbao said nothing. He only stared coldly at Xie Mei'er and the others, having already lost all hope in the Cloud Saint Sect.

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

Xie Tianyu was sure he had no secrets in Jing Yifei's hands, so he was entirely unafraid.

"Fine. Since you've chosen to show no shame, don't blame me for being blunt. Your daughter was carrying on an illicit affair with Zhao Youdao's nephew, Zhao Hong. My disciple caught them in the act. That's why you've come here today!" Jing Yifei shouted.

"What? What?" All the elders except Zhao Youdao were stunned. The hall instantly filled with awkward silence.

"Meier, is that true?" Xie Tianyu's face turned livid as he turned to ask her.

"F-F-Father, n-no, nothing like that happened..." Xie Mei'er's face flushed red. She thought Sanbao really had seen her shameful affair. She tried to lie, but looked so unnatural that she could barely get the words out.