Chapter 237: Spineless

“Whoosh!”

Seeing the fierce battle erupt below, the faces of everyone present changed completely.

Experts from surrounding sects, the Seven Clans, and the County Mansion were thick on the ground. With hidden agendas brewing like undercurrents, the tension was palpable. Yet, at this moment, Fang Cun, He Zhenzhang, and Meng Qing’er—three classmates—stood their ground, blocking three directions. They held a stance that forbade anyone from disturbing Yu Qingli’s vengeance against Xue Zhizheng, causing the surrounding cultivators to freeze, momentarily deterred from rash action.

It was as if these three alone had intimidated the entire assembly of cultivators.

At the Nine Immortals Sect’s camp, Meng Zhixue visibly wavered, seeming conflicted.

But those around her were fellow Nine Immortals Sect disciples. Though they remained silent, their gazes turned icy and rigid as they watched the scene unfold. Influenced by their unspoken disapproval, she ultimately stayed put. Beside her, the Divine Eye Young Master, Lu Xiao, remarked casually, “Vengeance itself may be justified. But resorting to underhanded methods for revenge…”

“…this violates the proper path of humanity, let alone the righteous way of cultivation!”

Meng Zhixue turned sharply to him, whispering, “Brother Lu Xiao still disapproves of their actions?”

The Divine Eye Young Master wore an indifferent expression. “Does Elder Sister Meng believe Immortal Master Fang Chi would act this way?”

Meng Zhixue remained silent for a long moment before shaking her head softly. “I don’t know. I haven’t found that answer yet.”

Lu Xiao gave a slow nod.

But then Meng Zhixue suddenly added, “Yet I envy them.”

The Divine Eye Young Master fell silent and spoke no more.

……

“You people…!”

Above, Elder Xue Wu witnessed this development, his face twisting with mingled alarm and fury, an unwillingness burning in his eyes.

At his side, however, the Chief Warden of the County Mansion and the Divine Generals could only shake their heads helplessly, murmuring to him, “Elder Xue Wu, stating one’s stance is one thing. At this point, can we truly block his vengeance?”

Elder Xue Wu’s fury spiked. He whipped his head towards the representatives of the Bai and Shen Families only to find their expressions grave and unyielding. Sensing his gaze, an elder from the Shen Family murmured, “Elder Xue Wu, when it was time to protect your Xue Family members, we acted. When it called for confronting that Second Young Master Fang, we didn’t back down. But now? The fight is over. Yet here we stand, clinging stubbornly? Have you decided face no longer matters?”

Shocked and infuriated, Elder Xue Wu scanned the surrounding Qi Refiners. Every face showed the same conviction.

Supporting Divine Eye Young Master Lu Xiao’s investigation into the Lingwu Sect’s dossier to overturn Xue Zhizheng’s verdict was one matter. Now that the attempt had failed, and the victims came seeking vengeance, for the assembled powers to forcibly prevent that… that was entirely another matter.

Xue Zhizheng had confessed. His crimes could no longer be suppressed; they would spread far and wide.

Who would dare stand truly united with him now?

Finally, Elder Xue Wu heaved a heavy sigh and stormed away, his sleeves flapping.

……

Meanwhile, Yu Qingli’s Flying Swords danced around Xue Zhizheng, flashing dozens of times in an instant.

Yu Qingli was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Most ordinary Qi Refiners could only fully command a single Flying Sword in combat. Yet Yu Qingli, a born prodigy with potent Cultivation Power and sharp spiritual senses, seamlessly wielded three Flying Swords simultaneously. Each blade followed a unique path, complementing the others without interference, unleashing the combined power of three fighters with one cultivator’s strength!

But against Yu Qingli’s relentless assault, Xue Zhizheng did nothing but dodge. He swayed lightly, ducking left and right, purely on the defensive. Relying solely on footwork, he evaded the whistling blades and searing points of sword-light. He slipped past over twenty strikes in rapid succession, one sleeve severed and floating away.

Against a skilled opponent, purely defending without retaliating invited disaster. How much more so for him, weakened severely by countless tortures?

“Master, why won’t you strike back?!” The cry came from his old servant, shouting from a distance as he saw the sleeve flutter down.

Xue Zhizheng remained silent, his expression unnervingly calm, like an aged man weathered by sorrow and helplessness. In stark contrast, his opponent Yu Qingli erupted into a berserk frenzy. With piercing howls, his killing intent surged. The three sword lights multiplied into dozens of phantasmal blades, endlessly slicing through the air. Surging Cultivation Power churned around him, tinged with an aura of ancient gods and demons. The tide of slaughter pressed forward.

Still, Xue Zhizheng only dodged. His movements held a strange, elusive quality, allowing him to slip past Yu Qingli’s fiercest killing strokes by a hair’s breadth time and again. Several times, sword points grazed his eyeballs, yet they failed to land.

“Whoosh!”

He twisted away from a spell and evaded another rain of blades, only to lose a patch of the beard beneath his chin.

“Huh?”

“Why? He still hasn’t struck back!”

“Does he seek death?”

“He dodges everything! If he seeks death, why fight so hard?”

Mutterings rippled through the crowd, voices low with confusion, heads turning to exchange whispers.

“Why. Won’t. You. Fight?!” Yu Qingli’s scream split the air in half. Redoubled power erupted around him, the aura of gods and demons intensifying until it seemed to double in strength. He moved like a vengeful god reborn, lunging forward while trailing innumerable demonic shadows. Xue Zhizheng danced with desperate grace. Though he managed to avoid most attacks, one palm strike finally landed solidly against his chest!

“Whoosh!”

The impact sent shudders through the spectators; many Qi Refiners shot to their feet, expressions stark with bewilderment.

Just what was Xue Zhizheng thinking? Was he truly resigned to being battered without fighting back?

“You…!” Staring at the man he had just struck, Yu Qingli now looked as though he wished he could slice off the hand that had delivered the blow. With a snarl of fury, he seized one of his three Flying Swords from the air. Face grotesquely twisted, he swung it down toward Xue Zhizheng with every shred of force in his body.

“Whatever trick you play! Whether you strike back or not! I will kill you!” His inner voice screamed countless times. “My sister watches me now! I must prove myself! I must let her watch you die!!!”

The blade descended towards Xue Zhizheng.

But in that split second, Xue Zhizheng’s sleeve suddenly swept up! A wave of mighty Cultivation Power surged, directly shattering Yu Qingli’s Flying Sword! Grabbing one broken shard with bare hands, Xue Zhizheng flicked his wrist. A streak of silver flashed towards Yu Qingli!

Yu Qingli twisted frantically. A deep, bleeding gash opened on his cheek.

The onlookers, seeing Xue Zhizheng finally retaliate, felt a surge of relief, craning their necks with tense anticipation.

“Ha,” Xue Zhizheng’s composed face now showed a trace of sorrowful exhaustion. “Out of respect for your father… I offer no justification for your vengeance. Considering your youth… I yielded you the time it takes one incense stick to burn. Repaying obligation to your father. Settling the debt owed to your Yu Family. Seeming like an honorable man before the world…” He spoke softly. “Now… I act.”

Before the final word faded, his hand slowly rose… and thrust forward.

……

“So that’s it…”

A collective understanding rippled through the crowd, tinged with disbelief.

So even now, Xue Zhizheng remembered the Yu Family’s kindness. Even when their son came seeking his head, he deliberately conceded him the time a stick of incense took to burn. His earlier words hinted at hidden truths he refused to voice. Most had not believed him… but witnessing his deliberate concession to Yu Qingli made that belief waver.

Even neutral observers, who initially had thought he deserved his fate, found their judgment shifting slightly.

……

“Lies! All your mouth spills is lies!” Crimson light seemed to blaze from Yu Qingli’s eyes as he screamed, the very air vibrating with his unleashed Cultivation Power. “Still acting at this hour?”

Xue Zhizheng’s figure lunged forward suddenly! A sweep of his sleeve casually dispersed Yu Qingli’s gathering power. He closed the gap instantly. At an angle none could observe, an undetectable smirk curled his lips. His voice whispered, knife-sharp, directly into Yu Qingli’s ear: “Yes. Acting until the very end. Making everyone believe you and your sister are the vile ones. Proving you framed me…”

Before the words fully registered, Cultivation Power coalesced into glittering silver needles at his fingertips. With deadly silence, he aimed them at Yu Qingli’s ribs!

“You—!” Shock and fury choked Yu Qingli. He scrambled back wildly, knocked off balance.

But Xue Zhizheng was instantly upon him again, voice dripping serpent’s venom: “And what if I am?!”

“Hmph! Did you truly think growing up freed you from fear? That you could avenge yourself?”

“DREAMING!”

“Look at yourself! What are you?!”

He punctuated his hissed words with powerful swings of his sleeves. He wielded no obvious artifacts, perhaps possessing none, relying instead on aggressive, wide-ranging magical techniques that kept Yu Qingli pinned. To any outsider, it looked like he held back, unwilling to kill or resort to trickery—merely letting Yu Qingli barely survive. Had he unleashed his full strength, Yu Qingli would have crumpled instantly.

“When I carried your sister to the bedroom… all you did was cry!”

“My single glance sent you crashing to your knees! Kowtowing at my feet! Ha ha! Truly… spineless!”

“How many times I thought to just slit your throat! But your sister… ah… she’d just plead. Endure every humiliation. Perform every vile act… Just to wheedle, ‘Please don’t kill little brother!’ Yet… do you honestly think that’s why I spared you?” Xue Zhizheng leaned closer, his sneer twisting viciously. “NO!” His spit-laden hiss struck Yu Qingli’s ear. “I saw it in your eyes then! The inherent weakness! The core spinelessness that would always chain you! A worm like you could never amount to anything… never threaten me… That’s why your life had no value to end! Ha ha…”

“…”

Each word struck Yu Qingli like shards of jagged poison. His Cultivation Power churned and flailed wildly as madness encroached.

Xue Zhizheng’s eyes were twin shards of ice.

“So many eyes watch…” Xue Zhizheng sneered, his gaze pinning Yu Qingli like a live specimen. “Why pretend to be unbreakable, ‘avenger’? Show us your true, spineless, cowardly self!”