Chapter 233: Confession and Submission

Since even the Divine Eye Young Master clearly stated “plotting,” there wasn’t much left to discuss.

Though his first move regarding the Ghost Official case had clearly been futile, even bordering on absurd, that was mostly due to issues with the dossier, not flaws in his analysis. Everyone still trusted his methods and his renowned talent and prestige. Now, the dossier itself was sound, yet he had found problems within it. That could only mean one thing.

There really was a problem!

Elder Xue Zhizheng of the Lingwu Sect was actually innocent.

Was it really as everyone suspected? That Second Young Master Fang had colluded with the Lingwu Sect to frame such a person?

……

The Qi Refiners of the Seven Clans were beginning to look pleasantly surprised.

The three Elders of the Nine Immortals Sect also showed considerable relief.

They might have lost ground on the matter of the Ghost Official, but unexpectedly winning back on this issue felt like an unexpected boon.

If Second Young Master Fang could truly be nailed down here for plotting to frame a sect Elder, then forget about him threatening Lu Xiao’s reputation for talent. Even the fledgling reputation the Shoushan Sect had managed to build over the past few months would likely be instantly squandered…

It wasn’t that they would physically harm this Second Young Master Fang.

They wouldn’t lay a finger on him!

But just this one incident could plunge him into utter ruin, even sullying his elder brother’s name.

If the supposedly noble Second Young Master Fang resorted to unscrupulous means to frame others, how could the reputation of the great Immortal Master Fang Chi possibly remain intact?

What terrifying consequences would this unleash? What kind of frenzy would it stir?

Many pondering these thoughts had even started to look genuinely fearful.

Only Fang Cun remained completely calm amid this turmoil.

He seemed utterly unaffected by the “plotting” accusation hurled by the Divine Eye Young Master. His expression hadn’t changed a shade.

Meeting countless gazes, he merely smiled slightly and said, “In that case, why not summon Elder Xue himself and ask him directly?”

The Lingwu Sect Leader’s expression darkened faintly.

Meanwhile, He Zhenzhang, Meng Qing’er, and the others suddenly looked worried.

If the dossier itself had clearly been picked apart, and they now brought the Elder in for questioning…

……

But events had reached a point where there was little choice left.

The Lingwu Sect Leader gave Fang Cun one last look. Seeing his calm expression, he waved a hand to consent.

At this juncture, it would be impossible for the Lingwu Sect to refuse the meeting unless they silenced Elder Xue Zhizheng permanently just then… which he indeed considered… but even silencing him would lead to damaging accusations, severely harming the Lingwu Sect’s reputation. Since Second Young Master Fang had suggested the meeting, taking this gamble felt like the only recourse.

After all, if things truly escalated, while the Lingwu Sect would suffer heavy losses, Second Young Master Fang stood to lose far more. He might only damage his reputation – perhaps seen as hasty and overly zealous but ultimately misguided. Second Young Master Fang, however, could lose everything.

Perhaps it was precisely because many realized this that the atmosphere in the hall grew oppressively tense.

……

Elder Xue Zhizheng was soon brought forward. Although only imprisoned for two days, he was covered in wounds. This Golden Core Refiner, a respected cultivator, had actually had his shoulder blades pierced. Gory and disheveled, he looked terrified and flustered. Even his Qi felt weak and stagnant, and the light from his Core… was shattered beyond recognition.

“His… his Golden Core cultivation… it’s been destroyed?” Someone noticed and exclaimed, their voice trembling slightly.

That a revered Golden Core cultivator had been tortured into losing a layer of cultivation was nothing short of shocking.

The atmosphere in the hall became suffocatingly tense.

“Zhizheng… Brother Zhizheng, do you still recognize me?”

The individual called Elder Xue Wu reacted upon seeing Elder Xue Zhizheng with both shock and deep sorrow. He couldn’t help but fly forward, arms outstretched to support him, scrutinizing the damage to his cultivation. His voice shook as he turned, sweeping his furious gaze across the assembly in the hall, he roared, “What cruel methods! What venomous hearts! Shoushan Sect! How dare you inflict such torture upon a Golden Core Refiner?!”

The Lingwu Sect Leader replied coldly, “Everything my Lingwu Sect does strictly follows the rules!”

Ignoring him, Elder Xue Wu turned passionately back to Xue Zhizheng. “Brother Zhizheng, do you know me? Don’t worry, brother is here today to demand justice! The Lingwu Sect and certain vicious individuals plotted against you… Hah! Wishful thinking! Tell us plainly! How did they slander you? How were you wronged? Speak out boldly! I—” he paused, gesturing to his back, “—and these fellow righteous cultivators of Qingjiang, stand ready to uphold justice for you!”

The expressions within the hall at this point had become distinctly nuanced.

Many could only look towards Fang Cun with a mix of helplessness and pity, sighing deeply.

Did the Second Young Master Fang genuinely believe his status protected him from all consequences?

A pity… he’d gravely underestimated the complexities of the cultivation world…

Among the many gazes, those of the Divine Eye Young Master and Meng Zhixue were particularly sharp. The Divine Eye Young Master seemed to have discerned something. He frowned slightly, looking at Fang Cun with an air of disappointment… even regret.

Meng Zhixue, recognizing Elder Xue Zhizheng, seemed to tremble slightly as well, her lips parting as if countless words choked inside her.

……

Fang Cun also looked toward Elder Xue Zhizheng. His tone was impassive. “Just speak.”

Upon meeting Fang Cun’s gaze, Elder Xue Zhizheng’s body jerked violently. His eyes flashed with a venom that seemed ready to swallow him whole, yet beneath it flickered obvious fear and panic – clearly forged by the torments he’d endured these past two days…

Then, his gaze slowly retreated. Under the intense scrutiny of the entire room, he slowly lowered his head.

“I am guilty!” His voice was deep, but startlingly clear.

“What?” Elder Xue Wu and the Qi Refiners of the Seven Clans were utterly astounded, wondering if they’d misheard.

“All the previous charges against me… they were true. I have already confessed.” Elder Xue Zhizheng stated it again, his voice flat and heavy. “I admit to every crime. There is nothing else to say…”

His low voice seemed to drift through the hall. Everyone was dumbstruck.

The Lingwu Sect Leader appeared utterly incredulous, his pupils contracting slightly. The other Lingwu Sect Elders and disciples, however, looked grimly vindicated, directing looks of hostility towards Elder Xue Wu and the others from the Seven Clans. Beside Fang Cun, He Zhenzhang and Meng Qing’er stood frozen, mouths agape in shock nearly large enough to swallow an egg.

……

“This… this isn’t possible…” In the profound silence, Elder Xue Wu reacted first. He exclaimed loudly, seeming ready to shake Xue Zhizheng into sense.

Divine Eye Young Master Lu Xiao also paused momentarily. His gaze fixed on Xue Zhizheng. He spoke softly, “Since Elder Xue admits to all crimes, this junior has some confusion to clarify. According to the charges, you are accused of embezzling valuables, practicing forbidden demonic arts, and secretly communicating with demons. But the Dragon Stones you allegedly embezzled, the forbidden arts you reportedly cultivated, and the specific demons you supposedly contacted… all of them—”

“What is there left to ask?” Elder Xue Zhizheng suddenly lifted his head again, eyes bloodshot. His voice was icy. “The Dragon Stones I embezzled? I spent them all at Crow Mountain buying demonic techniques for Demon Core Refinement from demons. The demons who sold me those forbidden arts? They are already dead.”

In one breath, he answered all three points of doubt raised by the Divine Eye Young Master.

The hall became so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Even the Divine Eye Young Master seemed momentarily silenced, seemingly unable to formulate a further question.

“Elder Xue, have you lost your mind?” Elder Xue Wu, hearing this, was torn between shock and fury. He cursed hatefully, then seemed to realize something. He jumped up, sneering coldly, “Ah! I get it! So this is the Lingwu Sect’s clever ploy! You must have used Soul-Dazing magic on him! How else could anyone be so foolish? He didn’t even say a single word trying to help himself! He must have—”

No one responded, but it was clear many silently agreed.

Just then, a light laugh rang out. “I might not spot other things, but I can tell he hasn’t been Soul-Dazed!”

Everyone turned. It was a girl with a crooked braid leaning against a pillar behind Fang Cun. Meng Qing’er.

“And who are you, to just declare—” Enraged, Elder Xue Wu instinctively started to shout her down.

“But when it comes to expertise in the paths of affecting the soul, who in Qingjiang Prefecture surpasses my Yun Huan Sect?”

Before he could finish speaking, a breathtakingly beautiful woman seated on one of the meditation cushions – the Yun Huan Sect Leader – spoke. She glanced lightly, almost approvingly, at Meng Qing’er before turning her eyes back to the hall. “Though she is young, she is a disciple trained by my Yun Huan Sect. That much she would certainly be able to discern. This man’s spirit is completely lucid and unclouded. Nonsense to claim he is Soul-Dazed!” Then she addressed Meng Qing’er directly. “Good child, well done. Return to the mountain after this; you shall train under me.”

“Huh?” Meng Qing’er was stunned, then hurriedly bowed, beaming. “Thank you, Sect Master… no! Thank you, Master!”

Witnessing her being bestowed such a significant boon so openly, the hall plunged back into stunned silence.

Though it was clear this showed bias, Yun Huan Sect’s acknowledged expertise in such matters was undeniable. If they declared Elder Xue Zhuzheng wasn’t Soul-Dazed, then he wasn’t. No one present had the standing to argue otherwise!

But if that was the case…

……

“What else do you have to say?”

While minds were still reeling, everyone watched as Fang Cun turned to face the Divine Eye Young Master.

The Young Master was still staring at Elder Xue Zhizheng, his expression taut, as if troubled by some lingering puzzle.

At that moment, however, he could only fall briefly silent before shaking his head gently.

“If you have nothing more to say, then shut that mouth of yours!” Fang Cun suddenly barked a cold laugh, his tone filled with disdain. “All this talk of ‘Divine Eye Young Master,’ ‘Prodigy among Prodigies,’ ‘Heaven’s Chosen One’? Even comparisons made to my elder brother? Hah! The world truly has more boastful tongues than truly capable hands. No real weight behind him, yet kicking up such a fuss? From now on, when this particular ‘Young Master’ is around, kindly stop trying to use us of the Fang family for your clumsy schemes!”

As he spoke, he flicked his wide sleeve and strode out of the great hall!