Deacon Fang (Seeking Follow-up Reads, Monthly Votes)

These items lacked any spiritual fluctuations, and Li Yunjing could not tell if they were magical artifacts, spiritual tools, or anything of the sort.

At this moment, the stone chamber was empty. Seeing the two inner sect disciples standing honestly in the center in quiet anticipation, Li Yunjing followed Chen Zongfu's lead and stood behind them, waiting for the arrival of the big shot.

Li Yunjing closed his eyes slightly, using the time to mentally review his preparations.

From the deaths of Senior Brother Han and the others, to the clean-up process, to the story he would tell, he also recalled how, before reaching Red Sun Valley, he had buried the four extra Storage Bags along with several items that could not see the light of day.

Only then did he let out a long breath in his heart.

"Step, step, step..."

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, the sound of footsteps finally echoed from far to near.

Standing behind the others, Li Yunjing saw the two inner sect brothers involuntarily tense up, and he immediately knew that the Deacon in charge of receiving him had arrived.

Before long, Li Yunjing heard dozens of footsteps come to a halt.

A thin, elderly man appeared before the four of them. He had a head of silver hair, but his eyes were sharp and piercing, and his demeanor was naturally imposing without needing to show anger.

"Greetings to Deacon Fang!"

The two inner sect disciples at the front bowed first, and Li Yunjing and Chen Zongfu followed suit, bending over to pay their respects.

"Hmm!"

Deacon Fang nodded. Ignoring them, he sauntered behind the desk and slowly sat down.

"A menial disciple?"

Once settled, Deacon Fang looked at Li Yunjing, a playful expression appearing on his face.

In all his years as the primary Deacon of Red Sun Valley, this was the first time he had ever seen a menial disciple.

"Yes! This disciple is Li Yunjing, a disciple of the Menial Hall."

Li Yunjing bowed again, explaining himself to the powerful figure.

"Tsk tsk..."

"How interesting. The sect has discovered Red Sun Valley for hundreds of years, yet never has a menial disciple been responsible for escorting grain and supplies."

At this moment, Deacon Fang did not seem to care about the deaths of the outer sect disciples, instead focusing all his attention on Li Yunjing.

The sudden appearance of a menial disciple was far more interesting than the deaths of a few outer sect disciples.

"Hehe! This disciple doesn't know either; I was just sent here in a daze."

Li Yunjing scratched his head, putting on a simple and honest expression, as if he truly knew nothing of the situation.

"Hmm! Bring your identity token here for me to see."

Deacon Fang was noncommittal and gave the order.

"Yes! Here is this disciple's token! Additionally, here is the mission assigned by the sect, containing ten Hundred Treasure Pouches filled with grain and supplies!"

Li Yunjing hurried forward to the front of the desk, carefully retrieved his identity token and the ten Hundred Treasure Pouches, and placed them gently on the desk.

"Hmm! Interesting! To think this mission was issued personally by a true disciple?"

After looking at Li Yunjing's identity token, Deacon Fang looked surprised.

This time, Deacon Fang examined Li Yunjing carefully and smiled. "Speak! What is your background? Who is your backer?"

Hmm? So direct?

Li Yunjing was taken aback; he had not expected such a powerful figure to speak so bluntly.

As for the other three, they looked at Li Yunjing with curiosity—did this kid have some special status?

Before Li Yunjing could answer, Deacon Fang added, "Think carefully, and answer truthfully!"

"If your backer isn't someone of note, then given that four of your companions are dead, I have every reason to claim you colluded with outsiders to murder your fellow disciples. I will have you locked up, interrogated under torture, and investigated slowly."

"Hiss..."

Li Yunjing drew a sharp breath. Was this old man so vicious?

He would force a confession even on trumped-up charges?

"Of course, if you do have a backer, I will give them face and leave this matter alone. Since your incident occurred outside of Red Sun Valley, it would naturally be handed over to the sect's Law Enforcement Hall to handle."

Deacon Fang looked at Li Yunjing playfully and spoke slowly.

The other three could not help but shiver; was Deacon Fang really that ruthless?

"Hiss..."

Even Li Yunjing was stunned. He had never expected this Deacon to operate in such a manner!

This completely disrupted his train of thought, and he realized that all his previous preparations seemed to have lost their utility.

Such clean and ruthless efficiency was not one of the outcomes he had calculated!

"Reporting to Deacon Fang! This disciple has a good relationship with the Yu Family!"

As he spoke, Li Yunjing lifted his Taoist robe to reveal the Mystic Jade Inner Armor underneath, then raised his leg to point at his Gale Boots. "These were provided by Miss Yu Yunyi, which is how I came to possess top-tier magical artifacts."

"Hmm? The Yu Family?"

Deacon Fang was stunned; he hadn't expected this kid to actually have connections!

It seemed he really was a well-connected individual. He wondered what he had done to offend Wei Henian, causing such a true disciple to personally issue a mission to have him transferred out.

Deacon Fang's mind began to calculate rapidly.

Wei Henian?

The Yu Family?

Which side would be better to lean toward?

"Besides, Young Master Fu Chao of the Fu Family is my good brother! For my sake, Brother Fu Chao stood in front of thousands of people and declared that touching me was the same as touching him!"

Before Deacon Fang could make a decision, Li Yunjing continued to pull strings: "Fu Chao is willing to go to such lengths for me! As his brother, I naturally have to return the favor!"

"Wei Henian dared to make things difficult for Fu Chao, and I certainly couldn't stand for it. He wanted to retaliate against me by sending me out on a mission, but man proposes and heaven disposes—we were attacked by spirit beasts halfway there. I was the only one who relied on my 'Gale Boots' to escape with my life..."

The more Li Yunjing spoke, the more agitated he became, as if it had all truly happened.

The other three disciples were stunned, wondering if any of it was actually true.

Was it really that explosive?

"Shut up!"

Deacon Fang slammed the table, his expression turning ugly.

At this moment, the look he gave Li Yunjing was extremely unkind.

Troublemaker!

What a real troublemaker!

How did this kid get assigned to him?

The Yu Family was fine; they were at least reasonable.

But the Fu Family were all lunatics!

Those guys were completely unhinged. If that Young Master Fu Chao had really said that touching Li Yunjing was the same as touching him, then trouble had truly arrived at his doorstep.

"Is everything you said true?"

At this moment, Deacon Fang ruthlessly unleashed a massive pressure, bearing down on Li Yunjing until he could barely breathe, before finally stopping.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Li Yunjing's face turned deathly pale. After coughing a few times, he said, "With your status... investigating this shouldn't be difficult... that day in the 'Menial Hall' and the Elegant Fragrance Garden, thousands of people saw it clearly..."

"Hmph! Then I shall waste a Communication Talisman to verify it."

Deacon Fang said coldly. A light flashed in his hand, and a talisman ignited without wind, transforming into a streak of light that flew out of the stone room and vanished in the blink of an eye.