Chapter 219: Unforgivable Crimes

Whoosh!

Right when all of Lingwu Sect could no longer bear to watch that Shoushan Sect disciple chase their own Elder Xue like a madman, and yet the Sect Leader and others strangely kept silent, a sudden, massive boom erupted from the once-tranquil cottage valley. The small thatched hut was torn apart in an instant by a violent force, sending dust and debris flying. Then, two figures burst out from the small courtyard, soared into the sky, and landed directly in front of the platform atop the northern Main Peak of Lingwu Sect.

“The Sect Leader and Second Young Master Fang are out?”

Everyone hurriedly looked up toward the Main Peak, hearts skipping a beat.

They had all been hoping for the Sect Leader to appear earlier, but he hadn’t. Now that he was here… what did it mean?

Even Elder Xue Zhizheng, who was being relentlessly pursued by Yu Qingli, felt a flicker of relief. He shot a cold glance toward Yu Qingli, seemingly certain that now the Sect Leader had emerged instead of hiding in the cottage, this farce would finally end. After all, the Sect Leader was the head of Lingwu Sect, and he himself was an Elder. How could the Sect Leader possibly allow one of his own Elders to be humiliated like this?

“That… that’s Big Sis…”

Yu Qingli, who was submerged in rage and hatred, suddenly spotted the two figures. Especially when he saw the large urn magically suspended between them, his whole body jolted violently, as though an invisible force had seized his soul.

“Sect Leader Liang, if you would!”

Up on the Main Peak, Fang Cun, his face grim, slowly made a gesture inviting Lingwu Sect’s Sect Leader to speak.

He himself, however, seemed unconcerned with anything else. He gently crouched down beside the urn, looking at the pitiful woman inside.

“I know you are in pain,” he murmured. “But even if you have no more attachment to this world, shouldn’t you at least want to see vengeance served?”

Surprisingly, the woman slowly shook her head.

Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s hum, but her words were clear: “I want… to see… A’Li… grow up…”

Fang Cun froze for a moment, then nodded gently. “I understand.”

He took out a Treasure Pill and brought it to her lips. “You’ll see it,” he promised.

A faint glimmer returned to her nearly dried-out eyes. She clenched her teeth around the pill and swallowed it.

Fang Cun then looked toward the Sect Leader, giving him a slight nod. The corners of his mouth tightened.

…

“That is ENOUGH!”

Amidst the chaos, Sect Leader Liang Xiangzi of Lingwu Sect suddenly turned around and roared towards the mountain slope.

His great sleeves fluttered with suppressed rage, swirling the ever-present mists of Lingwu Sect around him. Sunlight fell on him, casting a hazy aura, but his face was contorted with fury as he swept his cold gaze over the disordered state of his sect. “This is the sacred site of the Lingwu Sect!” he yelled. “Who dares act with such lawless impunity?”

“Sect Leader…”

Everyone was stunned by his words.

Especially the Elders and disciples of Lingwu Sect. Their hearts leapt. Many instinctively stepped forward.

They had all been anxiously waiting for the Sect Leader to speak up, to end the chaos. Yet, stopping the chaos meant directly opposing the Fang Family…

None were sure whether they wanted the Sect Leader to decide swiftly or not.

As for Elder Xue Zhizheng, a faint smile finally touched his lips. Pursued relentlessly by Yu Qingli for so long, his robes didn’t even show a wrinkle. Clearly, his cultivation far surpassed Yu Qingli’s. His composure, stemming from his control over the situation, was worlds apart from Yu Qingli, whom grief had consumed – they were polar opposites.

Then, under countless gazes, Sect Leader Liang Xiangzi suddenly closed his eyes tightly, only to snap them open again. From his eyes roared an almost uncontrollable fury as he shouted: “Elder Xue Zhizheng! Do you know your crimes?!”

“What?”

Elder Xue, who had just worn that faintly satisfied smile, abruptly looked stunned.

Meanwhile, every Elder and disciple in the entire sect stared like they’d seen a ghost, wondering if they’d misheard.

“The Lingwu Sect is an honorable Immortal Sect!” Liang Xiangzi roared, his usually calm face twisted by extreme anger. “Our very purpose is to uphold righteousness and purge evil, to protect the righteous path throughout the mortal world! Among the Six Sects of Qingjiang, though we may lack the depth of the Nine Immortals Sect, the ancient lineage of the Shoushan Sect, or the cunning of Leshui Sect, the words ‘Eradicate Demons, Defend the Dao’ have long been etched into our Lingwu Sect’s heart! Against Demonic cultivators and monsters, even mistakenly killing is preferable to letting them escape! Every disciple, whether still within these gates or departed, carries the teachings passed down by our ancestors – a life of absolute integrity, never to collude with demons!”

“And yet YOU!”

He suddenly thrust a quivering finger, filled with hatred, pointed directly at Elder Xue Zhizheng! “What have YOU done?!”

The entire sect fell deathly silent, utterly bewildered.

Elder Xue Zhizheng’s face was frozen in shock, his earlier calm vanishing.

Sect Leader Liang Xiangzi slowly shifted his posture, letting every disciple see the woman inside the urn behind him. Face filled with pain and fury, as if wanting to strike Xue dead that very moment, he cried out, “Look! Look what you did to this helpless woman! You colluded with demons! Learnt their foul arts! Secretly pursued bloodlines! Pretended to be her Dao companion! Stole her essential life force! Refined a Demon Core!”

“Such acts! Even demons would hesitate! And you, a respected Elder of our sect?! How despicably, fiendishly vile!”

“Swish!”

Upon the Sect Leader’s roar, countless eyes immediately snapped toward the urn.

Honestly, most of them, the vast majority, had no idea what it contained. With the Sect Leader and Second Young Master Fang right there, they hadn’t dared to investigate with their divine senses. Yet just by the look of her, it was clear the woman was in a horrifying state, barely breathing, seemingly drained of all vitality. Combined with the Sect Leader’s words about demonic arts and Demon Cores, chilling implications instantly flooded their minds.

“Elder Xue secretly refined Demon Cores?”

“Worse than that! He… he reduced his own Dao companion to that state? That’s practically Human Elixir Refinement!”

“Colluded with demons? Does that mean Elder Xue… he’s tied to Crow Mountain?”

“No wonder… No wonder that Shoushan Sect disciple was so desperate to kill him…”

The thoughts within every member of the sect churned violently. Countless gazes, filled with shock and suspicion, locked onto Elder Xue Zhizheng.

“You—!”

Elder Xue Zhizheng himself paled dramatically, shouting in desperation, “Sect Leader, where do these accusations—”

“SILENCE!” Sect Leader Liang Xiangzi’s roar was like a thunderclap echoing through the void, shaking everyone to their core. Jaw clenched tight with hatred, he bellowed, “When the Xue family first recommended you, I reviewed your dossier! I thought you were a righteous man! Little did I know, you had long ago murdered your own brother during your time as a Great Seal Officer! You seized his two children! Instead of raising them properly, you forcibly took the woman as your own! Worse than that, you secretly practiced demonic arts, stealing the vital essence of others! If I hadn’t exposed you, who knows what other unspeakable evils you would have committed?!”

Shocked and outraged, Elder Xue yelled, “Sect Leader, you—”

“STILL LYING, YOU FIEND!” Another cold roar from Liang Xiangzi echoed throughout the mountainside. “Every wicked deed you committed has been proven! Every vile act, this Sect Leader knows all the grisly details! Dare you still try to argue? You thought to make our Lingwu Sect a cesspool for your filth? You chose the wrong place!”

He then turned sharply to the side and almost shouted at Fang Cun, “Second Young Master Fang! Thanks to your warning, I finally obtained solid evidence against this vile spawn! But the Lingwu Sect has its own rules!” His voice thundered. “No matter his crimes, our sect must handle him first! Your disciple, no matter how deep his blood feud, must wait until our sect has exacted justice before claiming his revenge!”

Fang Cun spun around, clearly displeased. “Elder Liang! He carries a deep blood grievance against my disciple!”

“Every sect has its laws! Lingwu Sect’s rules decree this is how it must be!”

Sect Leader Liang Xiangzi offered Fang Cun not the slightest concession. “This vile spawn sought shelter within our Lingwu Sect to practice his foul techniques, hidden like a cancer! He used the banner of our sect as a shield! He sought to desecrate centuries of our sect’s sacred reputation!” The fury in his eyes burned hotter than ever. “Such a heart-eating betrayal, who could possibly forgive? Even if I said nothing, the eighteen tortures left behind by our sect’s ancestors allow no pardon!”

“GUARDS! Elders! Why are you still standing idle?! Seize this treacherous fiend immediately!”

“……”

“Uh…”

The assembled Elders of Lingwu Sect were momentarily petrified, faces bewildered. But at least on the surface, it was clear that this Elder Xue had committed something truly heinous, angering the Sect Leader to the point of demanding his immediate arrest and severe punishment. Second Young Master Fang seemed eager to get involved, but this time, their Sect Leader truly stood firm. He refused to bow to Second Young Master Fang’s status; he insisted Lingwu Sect punish Xue first.

Seeing Second Young Master Fang silenced like that… some of their earlier frustrations seemed to evaporate.

“You DARE frame me…?”

Before the cultivators could fully react, Elder Xue Zhizheng abruptly grasped the terrifying implications. A wave of icy dread spread from his core, chilling his entire body. His scalp prickled with fury. He knew better than anyone what he had done… and what he hadn’t. He was positive that even if Old Master Fan from the County Palace investigated, no significant problems would be found!

At worst, they might criticize him for not cherishing his Dao companion… and he had plenty of excuses at the ready!

He had been so careful! How had all these imaginary crimes suddenly appeared out of thin air?

There could be no explanation other than deliberate slander!

Helpessness washed over him. He couldn’t believe it…

How dare they take such a risk? Red mouths and white teeth, ruthlessly framing him!

“SWOOSH!”

He roared, sensing grave danger. In that instant, he tried to bolt towards the outer mountains. Escape first. Find allies later.

“Attempting to flee justice?!”

Seeing Xue trying to escape, however, a cold sneer finally appeared on Sect Leader Liang Xiangzi’s face.