"Chief Gu... what are you doing here? What a coincidence, we two are really destined to meet." The disciple looked a little flustered, but still tried to remain calm and said nonchalantly.

Gu Changqing smiled faintly and said calmly, "Hehehe, it's not a coincidence at all. I came here specifically to find you."

"How could I possibly trouble Chief Gu to come looking for me? Chief Gu, please go back first. I will return to the sect as soon as I finish my work." The disciple pretended to know nothing and said earnestly.

"Stop pretending at a time like this. It's pointless to keep pretending. Since I've come to see you now, I must have something to say. If you know what's good for you, you'd better come back with me obediently!" Gu Changqing said with a cold smile, without any politeness.

"Chief Gu, what do you mean by that? What have I done to deserve this?" The disciple feigned innocence and asked, puzzled.

"I've seen shameless people, but I've never seen anyone as shameless as you. You know perfectly well why I'm taking you back, so stop pretending." Gu Changqing said with a cold laugh, his tone irritating.

"No, I will not go with you," the disciple said stubbornly.

He's not stupid; he definitely doesn't want to go back to Qingyun Sect with Gu Changqing. If he goes back, he'll be in big trouble.

So now he can only try to stall for time.

Seeing this, Gu Changqing was not angry at all. Instead, he said with a mocking smile, "Hehehe, you think you can just not leave? Do you think you have the strength? If you think you can beat me, then no one can stop you from going wherever you want. But if you can't beat me, then I advise you to obediently follow me back, so you won't suffer."

"May I ask Chief Gu, what mistake have I made that you treat me like this?" the disciple said stubbornly, refusing to back down until he reached the last wall.

Gu Changqing chuckled coldly and said in a deep voice, "Fine, since you're so stubborn and pretending to be confused, then I'll just make it clear to you. The sacred artifact of the Qingyun Sect has gone missing. After investigation, we unanimously believe that you are the prime suspect. Therefore, you have to come back with us for both reason and duty. If you didn't do it, we will clear your name, but if you did, you won't escape. Now, please go back and cooperate with the investigation."

Upon hearing Gu Changqing's words, the disciple appeared somewhat flustered, but still forced himself to say, "This disciple is innocent! What sect sacred artifact? This disciple has never even heard of it. You must have made a mistake. I didn't steal it."

Gu Changqing sneered and said with a look of disdain, "Since you didn't steal it, what are you afraid of? You should go back and accept the investigation. If you are innocent, we will give you justice."

The disciple remained resolute, saying, "No, no, no, I can't go back. What if you torture me into confessing? I'm afraid of pain."

"The reason you don't dare to go back with me is simply because you have a guilty conscience. If you had nothing to hide, why would you be so flustered and making excuses?" Gu Changqing saw through the man's thoughts at a glance and pointed out the crux of the matter.

"I...this disciple didn't, this disciple was just afraid of being wrongly accused!" the disciple said guiltily.

"Whether you're scared or guilty, you must go back with me. There's no room for discussion. I'm not asking for your opinion, I'm informing you. I order you to go back with me immediately, or don't blame me for being ruthless." Gu Changqing said with a cold smile and a serious expression.

"If this disciple doesn't go back, does Chief Gu intend to kill this disciple?" The disciple said angrily when he saw that Gu Changqing was still relentless.

Gu Changqing found the man's words amusing and said calmly, "Heh, are you threatening me? Do you think I'm afraid? So what if I kill you? I've killed people before, one more won't make a difference. If you insist on not going back, then I'll have no choice but to execute you on the spot."

"Chief Gu just said he would never wrong me, but now he wants to silence me. He's so heartless. Being a disciple of the Qingyun Sect is exhausting. I'd rather not be a member of the Qingyun Sect anymore. Now that I'm announcing my departure from the Qingyun Sect, there's no need for me to go back with Chief Gu, right?" the disciple said resolutely.

Seeing that the situation was beyond saving, he decided to go all the way and leave the Qingyun Sect.

"Hehehe, you don't have to be a disciple of the Qingyun Sect, but you still have to go back to the Qingyun Sect for investigation. There's no room for discussion. Whether you agree or not, you have to go, unless you can beat me." Gu Changqing chuckled coldly and said in a deep voice.

The disciple was speechless upon hearing this, not expecting Gu Changqing to be so persistent and unwilling to let him go.

Moreover, he had long heard how powerful Chief Gu's cultivation was, and he was afraid he would suffer if he were to confront him head-on.

So he felt he had nowhere to turn, and without saying a word, he turned and tried to run away.

He couldn't win a fight, so his only option was to run away.

But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that he probably couldn't outrun him.

After all, even though he had hidden himself in the deep mountains and forests, Chief Gu still managed to discover him with ease.

After much thought, he felt there was no way out, and a feeling of despair welled up in his heart.

He was like an ant on a hot pan, jumping around anxiously, not knowing what to do, and secretly thinking about what to do.

This disciple, determined to go all in, said with a resolute expression, "Chief Gu, don't push me. If you push me too far, I'll die right here. If I die, let's see how you find this sect's sacred artifact."

Gu Changqing smiled slightly after hearing this and said calmly, "Didn't you just say that the sect's sacred artifact had nothing to do with you? Now you're saying this again. It seems that what you said earlier was all a lie. If I'm not mistaken, then the sect's sacred artifact is in that wooden box next to you!"

Faced with the disciple's threat, Gu Changqing remained calm and composed.

"Since things have come to this point, there's no need for me to hide anything anymore. The sect's sacred artifact is indeed in this wooden box. If Chief Gu insists on not letting me go, I'll take this wooden box with me and perish together." The disciple was smug, looking like he had succeeded in his scheme.

He believed that Gu Changqing would definitely not watch him and the wooden box perish together, and would definitely compromise.

But the reality may not be what he thought.

"Oh, so the wooden box really does contain a sacred artifact from the Central Gate. You were just denying it, why have you changed your mind now?" Gu Changqing smiled slightly and said calmly.

The disciple said with a resolute expression, "Times have changed. Chief Gu has forced me into a corner, and I have no choice but to resort to this tactic. If Chief Gu is willing to let me go, I can guarantee that this sect's sacred artifact will remain intact in my hands. Otherwise, we will perish together, and neither of us will be able to obtain the sect's sacred artifact."