She thought, What did this have to do with her? He wasn't her son.
Halfway through listening, she froze. "You're saying a Qi Refining disciple injured your son this badly with a single flower petal?"
She looked at Chen Wanqian, who lay on the ground with his breath hanging by a thread and a medicinal pill in his mouth. What Qi Refining disciple was this powerful? If the Flowing Cloud Sect had a disciple that powerful, would it rank last among the four great immortal sects?
"Who did it?"
She swept her gaze over the disciples.
She knew Shen Ji. Having formed his Golden Core at such a young age, he was among the sect's hopes for the future. The female disciple beside him looked familiar, but she couldn't recall her name. She had already reached Foundation Establishment, so naturally, it wasn't her.
Mu Liuyun's gaze fell on Qiaoqiao, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
The little girl was so fresh and lovely, with almond eyes, vermilion lips, a face like a hibiscus blossom, and porcelain-white skin so tender it seemed a pinch would draw water.
She spent her days dealing with elderly elders and stewards and hadn't seen such a beautiful, bright little girl in ages. Meeting those clear eyes, she couldn't help softening.
To think Bai Fu had taken in such an adorable little disciple. She really wanted to snatch her away and raise her as a daughter!
Her tone grew gentle. "Are you the disciple Elder Chen was talking about?"
Qiaoqiao answered loud and clear, "That's me!"
Shen Ji broke into a sweat. Junior sister, you really didn't have to admit it so quickly.
Facing Mu Liuyun, Qiaoqiao couldn't help thinking, [Sigh, senior brother and senior sister can't help at all. In the end, it's still up to me to protect Ethereal Peak's reputation!]
The senior brother and senior sister who couldn't help: ...
Ning Shuang thought that made sense. After these two incidents, she had realized that Ethereal Peak couldn't do without Qiaoqiao.
Elder Chen said, "Sect Leader, she admitted it herself! According to sect rules, a disciple who seriously injures someone in a private fight must receive a hundred lashes of the disciplinary whip, have their cultivation crippled, and be expelled from the sect!"
As long as the sect leader agreed, even if Immortal Venerable Wanghan came looking for trouble, he couldn't be blamed for this.
He cast a vicious glance at Qiaoqiao. She had dared to hurt his son, and she would pay the price!
Once this little disciple was crippled, he would find another way to take revenge on Ethereal Peak and show them the consequences of offending him!
Just as he was gloating viciously, he suddenly heard a flutter of wings. A snow-white immortal crane landed outside the Duty Hall, flapped inside, and shouted, "Qiaoqiao, I found a cave upstream along that river on Hidden Plum Peak! There are so, so many Spirit Stones inside! We're rich! Hahahaha!"
Elder Chen: !!!
Chapter 8: Kill the Body, Crush the Heart
That shout from the immortal crane nearly carried Elder Chen's soul away.
The cave he had gone to such lengths to conceal had actually been found by this immortal crane!
Elder Chen's face went deathly pale. He had placed an illusion around the cave, a barrier over its entrance, and a concealment formation inside the barrier. It should have been foolproof. How on earth had this wretched bird broken through so many layers of defenses and found the Spirit Stones?!
He had planned to settle his son's matter first, then move the Spirit Stones. He hadn't expected to run out of time!
The bells on A Xue jingled softly. "Qiaoqiao, let's hurry and bring the Spirit Stones back! With all those Spirit Stones, we'll be rich!"
"No!" Elder Chen shouted. "You mustn't!"
Those were his Spirit Stones, the Spirit Stones he had painstakingly amassed over a hundred years!!
His Spirit Stones!
If this bunch from Ethereal Peak carried them away, he would be better off dead!
Elder Chen looked utterly distraught. Qiaoqiao leaned closer and asked, "Elder Chen, why not? Could those Spirit Stones be ones you hid away?"
"I-"
Elder Chen opened his mouth, realizing in despair that he could neither admit it nor deny it.
If he admitted it, how would he explain where so many Spirit Stones had come from?
In front of the sect leader, he would inevitably fall under suspicion. But if he denied it, wouldn't his tens of millions of Spirit Stones become ownerless property for them to divide up?
No, absolutely not!
He looked at Qiaoqiao in terror. Her eyes shone, the corners of her lips curved slightly upward, and she watched him with a smile. She looked harmless to man and beast, yet everything was actually within her grasp. Those eyes seemed to see right through him.
So... so terrifying!
That thought actually surfaced in Elder Chen's mind. Belatedly, he realized this Qi Refining disciple was nowhere near as simple as he had imagined. Had she known everything all along?
Had she learned where he hid his Spirit Stones and sent the immortal crane to find them, then deliberately injured Qian'er severely to enrage him, waiting until anger clouded his mind before having the immortal crane announce the Spirit Stones in front of the sect leader, trapping him in a desperate predicament where he could neither advance nor retreat?!
Perhaps she had even brought the sect leader here!
Otherwise, why would the sect leader be here?
The Flowing Cloud Sect Leader: I just sensed that Bai Fu had come out of seclusion and came over for a visit...
The more Elder Chen thought about it, the more convinced he became. From their very first exchange, she had been threatening him!
His whole body shook, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak. Facing Qiaoqiao's smile, he thought, A devil. She must be a devil!!
The question was, how on earth had she found out?
Completely unaware that Elder Chen had imagined an entire drama in his head, Qiaoqiao continued, "Why isn't Elder Chen saying anything? It looks like the Spirit Stones probably aren't his."
"They-"
Elder Chen had barely opened his mouth when he saw Mu Liuyun cast a puzzled look his way, and immediately found himself unable to continue.
Ah!
She's so hateful! Aaaaah!
Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister savored the sight of Elder Chen suffering such a crushing loss, looking as though he might die of pent-up frustration. A wave of satisfaction rose in their hearts. That was what he got for always acting so high and mighty and looking down on their Ethereal Peak. Had he learned his lesson now?
Ning Shuang watched Qiaoqiao with a smile. Although Qiaoqiao's ideas were sometimes a little strange, her earnest desire to defend Ethereal Peak was deeply gratifying to Ning Shuang as an elder.
The immortal venerable really had chosen a fine disciple.
"The Spirit Stones... you can't touch the Spirit Stones!" Elder Chen squeezed out. Just as he was steeling himself to find a solution, he heard A Xue continue, "Oh, right, someone had also placed a seal over the cave entrance. This crane lord had to expend a great deal of effort to break it."