Waves rose across the pitch-black sea, as though some monster lay hidden beneath it, giving people an inexplicable sense of oppression, even suffocation.
For a long time, no one spoke, because they did not know how to answer the Western Prince's question.
Bu Qiuxiao's voice rang out.
"Our studio often uses brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Except when cooking, we never use knives."
He flew before the Western Prince and looked at him calmly. "You should know very well that I have never bought a knife from you, and no one in the studio should have bought one from you either. Am I qualified to ask you a few questions, then?"
The Western Prince looked at him and smiled. "Although I have no proof, I know your One-Thatch Studio is not so clean either."
"If you have no proof, then do not bring it up," Bu Qiuxiao said impassively. "Otherwise, we would have fought our way here ten years ago. Why would we have waited until today?"
"That makes sense," the Western Prince said mockingly. "The Never-Old Forest has existed for countless years. Why did you Righteous Path Sects never interfere, yet choose to act now? You are merely using this as an excuse to suppress my Western Sea Sword Sect."
"The cultivation world is still part of the human world, and ugly, shameful things are inevitable. Everyone understands why the Never-Old Forest has existed for so many years. The problem is that, since you appeared more than a decade ago, its methods have become increasingly extreme. Not only have you colluded with fiends from the Evil Sects, you even sought to influence the war between the Imperial Court and the Snow Nation. More unforgivably still, you dared collude with the Nether Department. How could we allow you to live?"