Chapter 208: Unforgivable Crime
Chapter 208: Unforgivable Crime
Qingjiang Prefecture, the County Mansion.
Two rows of long chairs were arranged in a line inside the hall.
The left side was almost empty. Only Young Sect Master Xu, Green Pine, and Cold Stone were seated there.
The right side, however, was packed. At least a dozen individuals with different robes and various statuses filled the seats. Among them were seven or eight merchants, several heads of minor noble families, and a few capable clansmen from the branches of the Seven Clans. Sitting on the long chairs, fire burned in their eyes. Clearly, after a period of exchange, their patience had worn thin.
In the center, seated on the foremost chairs, were Qingjiang Prefecture’s Chief Warden and several Divine Generals. They all wore the same troubled expression, utterly spiritless, as if they had been forced to sit there against their will—clearly wishing they could run away immediately…
But there was no help for it. Old Master Fan was currently too busy to deal with such trifles, so they had to step up.
“Haha, Shoushan Sect, Shoushan Sect…”
On the side of the merchants and minor family heads, someone could no longer contain their anger, sneering, “If one didn’t know any better, they’d think Shoushan Sect was back when it was called the Divine Nether Sect. Such a large temper, such airs! You not only refuse to return the goods that the Demon Hounds kidnapped from us, but you also try to accuse us? Just how much are you trying to extort from us?”
“Extort…”
Elders Green Pine and Cold Stone grew noticeably unhappy and angry upon hearing this.
Young Sect Master Xu, however, remained expressionless, as if such remarks could no longer provoke him. Or perhaps, after a month of investigations and digging to the truth, he had heard similar words or faced similar situations far too often. He merely said coolly, “How your goods ended up in the Crow Mountain demon cave—surely you understand that better than I do? With all the facts laid bare, why insist on lying with your eyes open?”
“Oh dear…”
Magistrate Xue, seated in the middle with his recently healed tongue, forced a bitter smile. “Esteemed gentlemen from both sides, must you argue so fiercely? We all belong to Qingjiang. We’re bound to cross paths again. Even buying a pill might lead to several dealings. Can’t you just show a little tolerance? Why must you fight like this? Old Master Fan is absent; this puts us in a real bind…”
“Trouble?”
Young Sect Master Xu coldly turned to him. “What trouble do you have? I presented all the evidence recovered from Crow Mountain to you before. You claimed you couldn’t spare any manpower for the investigation. So I conducted it myself. After a whole month, I gave you all the details—the transportation and handover of the goods, even the precise records of their quantities in the dossier. And yet, you refused to summon them!”
“I summoned them for you! They are sitting right here! Why won’t you arrest them now?”
“….”
“You, this…”
Magistrate Xue, already looking annoyed, said, “If you’re angry, why take it out on us? We are simply enforcing the rules. It’s true you turned these things over, but it’s all based solely on your word. Every merchant and company gave clear explanations: the goods were stolen. They claim your list is fabricated. How can we just arrest someone based on that?”
“Haha, precisely! Even as a sect leader, you can’t just make baseless accusations against people’s innocence, can you?”
The merchants and minor family heads immediately echoed with sarcastic sneers: “Then I claim I found a batch of Shoushan Sect-made Talismans at Crow Mountain! Solid evidence! Does that mean I should have your Shoushan Sect Leader arrested?”
“Exactly! We even got word from the Demon Lord. They say your Shoushan Sect often trades with them…”
“I wonder how many witnesses the County Mansion requires to make an arrest? We can arrange several anytime…”
“….”
“….”
Amidst the chaotic noise, Young Sect Master Xu slowly closed his eyes, appearing weary.
After a moment, he suddenly opened them again, his brows furrowed as he stared intently at Magistrate Xue. He could clearly hear the impatience and mockery in Magistrate Xue’s voice. His own voice lowered, “Your usual habit of passing the buck to avoid offending others—fine. But these people… their audacity knows no bounds! Not only colluding with Crow Mountain but even having trade dealings with that… that Demon Lord in the South! Such matters…”
“…how dare you continue playing dumb?”
“….”
“You, this…”
Those words made Magistrate Xue bolt upright in his chair. He hissed sharply, “Young Sect Master Xu! How can you utter such wild words?!”
Even Elders Green Pine and Cold Stone jolted in alarm, hurriedly tugging at Young Sect Master Xu’s sleeve.
They had specifically rushed down the mountain to find him precisely because they knew the situation had escalated dangerously.
The Southern Borderlands Pleasure Quarters, the Great Demon Sovereign!
That title alone was a terrifying legend capable of chilling the blood of every single Qi Refiner in the Yuan Nation.
Initially, Young Sect Master Xu’s investigation into the merchants colluding with Crow Mountain, while bound to stir some hostility, seemed relatively minor. Even to the Seven Clans, it hardly ranked as a major affair. Who could have foreseen that as he followed the leads, his investigation would uncover traces of these merchant houses secretly connected to a trade route ending at the very feet of that entity in the Southern Borderlands? Wasn’t that sheer terror?
That was the Great Demon Sovereign who invaded the North decades ago, leaving behind a nightmare seared into the collective memory of the Yuan Shen Kingdom people!
Not only the Shoushan Sect—almost an entire lineage of cultivators was erased back then.
Countless Qingjiang Prefecture citizens had perished under the claws and fangs of the demon soldiers serving under that sovereign…
And now? There were still people trading with that Demon Lord…
If anger was the topic, both elders understood Young Sect Master Xu’s rage perfectly.
From both a public duty and a private agony standpoint, it was something Shoushan Sect absolutely could not tolerate. The crux was: he had already done everything within his power. He had documented everything he uncovered, compiled it into dossiers and submitted it to the County Mansion. As the master of the Sect, he had fulfilled his role. Yet, the County Mansion stubbornly ignored it. What good could his relentless pursuit still achieve now?
“What insolence from Shoushan Sect! Daring to fling such a dangerous accusation?”
“Baseless accusations! Instead, we should hold Shoushan Sect accountable for the crime of false incrimination!”
Hearing Young Sect Master Xu’s declaration, the surrounding merchants erupted in fearful indignation, hurling angry curses at him.
“Alright, enough! We all have piles of work to attend to, unlike you Sect folks, lounging in leisure!”
Amidst the clamor, the Sanjiang Trading House manager lazily rose to his feet, stretching his back with a bored thump. Though only at the Foundation Building Realm cultivation level, he showed not an ounce of reverence towards Young Sect Master Xu or the two elders. Instead, he offered a cold sneer, “This little sect master insists on making trouble for our major trading houses, even daring to challenge the Seven Clans? Have it your way! But if you want to frame us? Don’t just babble with pens and ink. Since you claim over and over your ‘thorough investigation’—where are the witnesses? Where is the evidence? Bring it out!”
“If you truly produce irrefutable proof of our dealings with Crow Mountain? Fine, this old man will take responsibility!”
“But if you can’t? Please, do everyone a favor and return to your Sect!”
“If you push this until everyone’s face is ruined? That seat of yours as Shoushan Sect Leader… Heh!”
“….”
“Ha! Well said! Maybe Shoushan Sect truly believes it’s the head of the Six Sects now?”
“What Six Sects? Who recognizes them as such? I only know of the Five Great Sects of Qingjiang!”
“Heh, even if it were Six Sects? So what? In this world, nothing is more important than reason. Nothing trumps truth and logic…”
Watching the main merchants and others stand up laughing, clearly unwilling to remain a moment longer, Young Sect Master Xu, seated on the left, finally radiated icy hardness. He didn’t offer a direct rebuttal. His gaze simply locked onto Magistrate Xue and the others.
That look alone made Magistrate Xue and the Divine Generals squirm uneasily in their seats, hearts pounding.
Had Young Sect Master Xu truly found nothing substantial, they would have dismissed him long ago.
The problem was: within a single month, this young sect leader genuinely had mapped out several shocking connections. Whether the ledgers and materials recovered from Crow Mountain, or the key figures he uncovered—they were all explosive secrets. They didn’t just prove the existence of the trade route; they pointed darkly towards certain powerful figures within the Qingjiang Seven Clans themselves!
Such figures held prestige and position. Who dared to touch them?
Fortunately, the major merchant houses—or rather, the Seven Clans—had reacted with lightning speed. The truly damning evidence had long been concealed.
Without that definitive proof? No move could be made.
Of course, following procedure, after Young Sect Master Xu submitted the dossiers, it fell to the County Mansion’s Chief Warden and Divine Generals to investigate…
But who could blame their current… hectic schedule?
Stuck between these forces, their position was extremely uncomfortable.
Facing Young Sect Master Xu’s relentless pressure, they dared not be too dismissive. They’d summoned who they had to.
But arresting anyone? That was out of the question…
They could only stall. Drag things out one day at a time. After all, they heard certain people further up the chain were already moving behind the scenes…
…
…
“Your Honour! An envoy from Elder Second Young Master Fang of Shoushan Sect has arrived! He requests to see Sect Leader Xu Wenxin!”
Just as the atmosphere in the hall reached its tensest peak, with Magistrate Xue and others feeling their heads would explode from the headache, a bailiff rushed in, loudly announcing. Upon hearing this, the Magistrates and Divine Generals lit up with joy and exclaimed simultaneously, “Quick! Quick! Invite him in immediately!”
The merchant managers and minor family heads heard the words too. Their expressions also brightened significantly.
Each had their own sources. Naturally, they were already aware of what had happened within the Lingwu Sect. While they maintained an air of calm composure, even disdain, truthfully, the month-long relentless pursuit by this stubborn Young Sect Master Xu had made them exceptionally irritable and restless. They’d long been hoping for someone to arrive and force this headstrong youth to back down. They’d been eagerly awaiting this messenger.
What slightly puzzled them, however, was: nearly six or seven days had passed since the events at Lingwu Sect. How come this servant was only arriving now?