Chapter 41: The Heavenly One Sect's Conviction, Withdrawal, Soul Extraction...

Outside the mountain gate, the blizzard raged even more fiercely, its claws bared, yet not a single snowflake could drift in. This area was already shrouded in a barrier. The disciples of the Enforcement Hall were on high alert. At the forefront, the sect leader Chu Yang's face was as cold as ice, and even the unreliable Third Elder had composed himself. The low, oppressive aura was suffocating.

The barrier that protected against wind and snow became a cage for capture.

Xu Zangyu had no way out.

He stepped forward without saying a word.

Chu Yang's face darkened. He turned to Chu Shu and Xiao Mingxin, his voice as cold as ice: "You're not suffering from qi deviation; you seem perfectly lucid. Your crimes haven't been fully exposed, yet you've trespassed on another sect's territory. What sect rule allows you to be so insolent!"

"As a senior brother, you not only fail to set a good example but also disregard the sect rules. You're really something."

As soon as he finished speaking, the disciples of the Enforcement Hall took out chains and locked the two of them up.

It's not hard to tell from Chu Yang's words that both of them had escaped before their punishment period at the Ascetic Cliff was over. Although the chains weren't on Xu Zangyu, he didn't dare to take any chances.

The sect leader's gaze was clearly filled with utter disappointment; the matter of the pharmacy had likely already reached Chu Yang's ears.

Chu Yang stepped forward and said, “It is my fault for failing to discipline my disciples properly, which has resulted in the raising of treacherous and immoral individuals who have harmed your sect’s disciples.”

Wen Qianchu: "Sect Leader, you flatter me. My disciple has only suffered some damage to his foundation; it's nothing serious."

One sentence made Chu Yang's face darken even more; it was not a casual remark, but clearly an irony.

For cultivators, their foundation is their talent. Even a slight flaw can cause a genius to fall into mediocrity. Who wouldn't fight to the death if faced with such a situation?

Xu Zangyu is also a disciple of the Tianyi Sect. If he is not dealt with, the Tianyi Sect may be branded as a heretical sect.

More than a decade ago, the trouble caused by Chu Shu's father harmed countless people, damaged the reputation of Tianyi Sect, and severely weakened its vitality.

Now, this kind of disaster has actually happened again.

When someone who had nowhere else to turn came knocking on his door, how could he ignore them?

Xu Zangyu felt locked in by a low, oppressive force, almost powerless to resist. He was struck by a palm, and his throat tasted metallic. He knelt on the ground.

The two people next to him barely moved before they were firmly held down by the disciples of the Enforcement Hall. "Senior brothers, if you want Junior Brother Xu to feel better, it's best not to cause any more trouble."

Wen Qianchu raised an eyelid, "What is Sect Leader Chu doing?"

“I know the trouble he caused cannot be resolved with a single blow, so I request that Sect Leader Wen accompany me to Tianyi Sect to investigate this matter.”

I had long heard that the leader of Tianyi Sect was a righteous and upright person, but I never expected that he would not protect his own disciples at all.

That slap was quite forceful.

Xu Cangyu endured the pain and got up, but his steps faltered. He was supported from behind by a hand. "It's not time to fall down now."

"I've heard that the Tianyi Sect has extremely strict laws on sentencing. I'd like to see just how perverse those laws are."

Xu Cangyu froze for a moment, then slowly straightened up, freeing his back from that cold, sinister hand.

Wen Qianchu blinked and then suddenly laughed, "Scared? Don't worry, Wumen isn't some kind of demon, it won't kill you because of this."

Wen Qianchu always had a detached expression, his face almost like a mask, making it impossible to discern his true emotions. He possessed a gentle and refined appearance, yet it was difficult for others to feel close to him.

Xu Zangyu's heart sank more and more as he listened, unable to discern whether his words were meant to comfort or to be sarcastic.

Despite the arduous journey, Xu Zangyu felt as if he had arrived at Tianyi Sect in the blink of an eye.

The council hall was already crowded with people. There was a slight commotion when Xu Zangyu appeared. Chu Yang looked in the direction of the sound, but the commotion quickly disappeared.

It was too quiet, so quiet that Xu Zangyu felt oppressed and couldn't lift his head.

Kneeling before the prince, Xu Zangyu realized that the jade floor was bone-chillingly cold.

Looking up, the people atop those steps seemed impossibly high. No matter how high he raised his head or how straight he stood, he couldn't reach an angle where he could look at them at eye level.

“Xu Zangyu, we will not discuss for now how you leaked the Tianyi Sect’s pill formulas outside the sect, but you used them to make fake medicines for profit, and you cannot escape your guilt.”

A series of thunderous roars, like thunderclaps in a downpour, crashed down. Xu Zangyu felt a chill run down his spine, but he refused to bow his head.

“Now that you have joined the Tianyi Sect, I cannot ignore your words and actions. You have now caused the death of a disciple without a sect. I will punish you with ten lashes. Do you accept this punishment?”

The disciple of the Enforcement Hall held a long whip in both hands. The whip was thin and long, seemingly made from the tendons of a spirit beast. Zhou Hui, standing next to Wen Qianchu, mocked him.

“I’m not afraid of breaking this thin whip when I use it to strike a Golden Core cultivator.”

"Don't you know that the thinner the whip, the more it hurts? Besides, this thing is a soul weapon; it can not only strike the body but also the soul."

He frowned slightly and sighed, "If you're ignorant, just shut up, and no one will know how ignorant you are."

Zhou Hui was speechless. Looking at the person kneeling on the ground and the Tianyi Sect disciples around him, all of whom had changed their expressions, he knew that this thing's reputation was deeply ingrained in people's hearts. He lowered his head in shame and couldn't help but look at Xu Cangyu.

The man's face was a little pale, but he showed no fear.

Zhou Hui thought he would cry and beg for mercy in order to get a lighter sentence.

But it was he who begged for mercy.

"Is ten lashes too harsh, Sect Leader? A disciple once accidentally injured someone and was only punished with three lashes," Xiao Ming thought to himself.

Chu Shu chimed in, "The disciple from the Wumen sect was just standing there peacefully. How could someone kill a disciple of their own sect first? Besides, Xu Cangyu didn't do it on purpose. Why punish him with ten lashes?"

"Shut up, all of you!" Chu Yang snapped. "You can all hold a joint trial, and you can all sit in the position of sect leader."

These two were once Chu Yang's most satisfied disciples, but now they only cause him headaches; they're practically here to torment him.

"I'm asking about Xu Zangyu! Does he plead guilty, or does he have anything else to say?"

"I admit it." Xu Zangyu lowered his head without hesitation.

Chu Yang sneered: "You recognize it so quickly, aren't you afraid of the whip falling on your own body?"

"Since it was my fault, I should be punished."

Chu Shu felt increasingly frustrated by Xu Zangyu's sincere apology. He had thought that Xu Zangyu's extreme personality had been smoothed out, but it turned out that he had misjudged him.

Chu Yang raised his hand to signal, and the Enforcement Hall brought the two people up. Only then did Xu Cangyu's expression change.

Zheng Ru knelt beside him, her expression full of regret: "I thought that person kidnapped you to harm you, so I sought help from your sect. I never expected that this would implicate you."

“If you don’t call for reinforcements, I won’t be able to get out,” Xu Zangyu said.

"Why did the sect leader capture them? They are just ordinary people with no spiritual power."

“Aren’t they your accomplices? The detailed accounts of the pharmacy have been investigated, and all the income went into the hands of the people of Yu’an Village. Since they were involved, they naturally cannot escape their guilt.”

"They're not accomplices; they're just following my orders. Please, Sect Leader..."

He was interrupted before he could finish speaking.

"It wasn't him, it was me."

Zheng Ruo's eyes were red. "He stays in the sect every day and doesn't care about the pharmacy business. I'm the one who manages it all."

"The prescription is correct; the medicine is wrong. It was my purchase of substitute ingredients at a low price that caused the Golden Spirit Pill to be flawed."

“But Brother Xu was completely unaware of this from beginning to end. He hasn’t taken a single penny of the pharmacy’s income over the years. He shouldn’t be the one to bear this blame.”

"Aruo, don't talk nonsense. Those few lashes will kill you."

Hearing Xu Zangyu's rebuke, Zheng Ruo finally burst into tears, "But what will you do, Brother Xu? This isn't your fault."

Zheng Qian kowtowed on the ground, "Sect Leader, what do those two children know? Actually, I bought those medicinal herbs from Jishetang at a low price. They guaranteed that the effects were the same and that they could be substituted. I thought this was a good thing for the people, so I reduced the price of the Golden Spirit Pill by half."

“We have no choice but to follow suit if Jishetang does this, otherwise who will buy our medicine at twice the price?”

After Zheng Qian finished speaking, he noticed that the sect leader's face had darkened even more. Then he launched into a tirade of angry words: "Nonsense! Jishitang is an asset of Qiushui Sect. Qiushui Sect has always been charitable and generous, helping and saving people. How could they do such a heinous thing?"

"Since you claim the medicine was purchased from the Autumn Water Sect, do you have any proof?"

Zheng Qian was stunned. Those medicinal herbs were all traded privately, and there were no receipts. Where did the evidence come from?

"It's all cash on delivery, but I guarantee there's no lying. It really was the medicine that the manager of Jishetang gave me."

Just as Chu Yang was about to lash out, Wen Qianchu suddenly said, "Since he has said so, why doesn't Sect Leader Chu send someone from the Autumn Water Sect over to find out what happened?"

Since Sect Master Wen had spoken, the matter had to be thoroughly investigated, and soon, the people from the Autumn Water Sect were summoned.

The newcomer had a grinning face. Xu Zangyu recognized him and then remembered that this was the person who had invited him out during the disciple competition. His name seemed to be Lu Ming.

Chu Yang: "The reason I invited your sect here today is to verify something."

“I have heard from your disciples,” Lu Ming handed over several account books. “These are all the accounts of Jishetang. There is absolutely no case of selling medicinal materials privately without a record. I don’t know if you have made a mistake and thought the person behind the deal was from Qiushui Sect.”

"Or perhaps, that person deliberately impersonated a member of the Qiushui Clan."

Lu Ming's hand swept across Xu Cangyu's face and instantly transformed into another face. Xu Cangyu looked up and stared in astonishment for a long time, only to find that it was Lu Ming's face that had changed.

"Ordinary people are not as perceptive as cultivators, so it's normal for them to be fooled by disguise techniques."

Seeing the strange looks on everyone's faces, Lu Ming laughed and said, "Is it not good-looking?"

A cold voice drifted over from the side: "Ugly, it's blinding me."

Lu Ming's smile froze. He wanted to see who was so arrogant. He had just shot a dagger at them when his expression suddenly changed. He forced a smile back and said, "It's really lively today. Even Sect Leader Wen has come. It's a pleasure to meet you."

After switching back to her own face, Wen Qianchu covered her eyes again, saying, "Why am I even uglier now?"

Lu Ming: "......"

Everyone who sees Lu Ming praises him for his handsome and dashing appearance, yet he's still called ugly.

His fist hardened again and again, but in the end he swallowed his anger.

Wen Qianchu is indeed someone you can't afford to offend.

Seeing that Qiu Shuizong had produced evidence, Zheng Qian finally turned pale and said, "I was confused. I admit it. I admit it."

"It is clearly—"

Xu Cangyu interrupted Zheng Ruo's words: "The responsibility for the failure to manage subordinates lies with me. Although they were deceived, they also made mistakes. All the income of the pharmacy over the years will be returned to those who purchased the Golden Spirit Pill as compensation. If that is not enough, you can write an IOU and I will pay it back slowly in the future."

The pharmacy's account books were all taken over, and Chu Yang flipped through them one by one, only to exclaim in surprise, "Only six thousand taels in five years?"

Six thousand taels of silver would be beneath the notice of anyone present; it wouldn't even buy a painting from Chuncifang.

Xu Zangyu said, "There is absolutely no fraud. Ordinary people are different from cultivators; every penny they earn is hard-earned. If the sect leader doesn't believe me, he can send someone to investigate."

Lu Ming hadn't paid any attention to the person kneeling on the ground until he heard the familiar voice, at which point he froze.

It was him.

The matter is settled.

The whip used for punishment was brought out again. The sight of it was terrifying. Lu Ming smiled and said, "Since there is a misunderstanding, and I misjudged the person impersonating us, let's just let it go with compensation."

Chu Yang: "Since this matter has nothing to do with the Qiushui Sect, young friend Lu, you should not interfere in the internal affairs of our Tianyi Sect."

Lu Ming: "......"

You old fool, you were so polite when you asked him for help, but now you just throw him away after you've used him.

The atmosphere immediately became tense. The disciples of the Enforcement Hall picked up their thin whips, and suddenly a person rushed in from outside the hall.

"Don't hit them!"

The person who came was in a hurry and went forward to help Xu Cangyu up, but was stopped by the people from the Law Enforcement Hall.

Chu Yang: "What is Young Master Xue doing?"

“Since he is a disciple who came to my Anxiang Pavilion to study, he is also considered half a member of Anxiang Pavilion. How can we let you hit him as you please?”

Xue Wenxiang only went back to handle some matters when Xu Cangyu was arrested. She had to leave her unfinished business behind and rushed over, only to find these people not only interrogating him but also about to torture him.

Anyway, Xue Wenxiang was furious and didn't speak kindly.

Chu Yang was truly furious. These disciples were practically turning against him today. As the sect leader, couldn't he even touch one of his own disciples?

“Xu Zangyu should be punished for admitting his guilt. Besides, the affairs of Tianyi Sect are not for an outsider to interfere in.”

As expected of Sect Leader Chu, a single aura of pressure immobilized the still young Young Master Xue. Seeing that they were about to make their move, Xue Wenxiang shouted anxiously:

"Don't move! Xu Cangyu is my betrothed and will be a member of Anxiang Tower in the future. If Sect Leader Chu really hits him, he will be making an enemy of Anxiang Tower."

Chu Yang couldn't believe what he had heard. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and all he wanted to do was pick up his whip and lash Xue Wenxiang as well.

"Nonsense! Nonsense! Young Master Xue, I used to think you were just young when you were chasing after Chu Shu, but now you're setting your sights on other people. Tianyi Sect is not a place for you to act so recklessly."

He bound Xue Wenxiang with a Binding Immortal Rope and threw her aside. Just as he was about to continue, Chu Shu suddenly knelt down.

"I don't know what Young Master Xue is dreaming about. He and I have a proper marriage contract. We are husband and wife, and I also bear responsibility for his mistakes."

“I had no idea that he was in such dire straits that he had to take such a risk. This is my fault. If the sect leader is to punish me, please allow me to share the punishment with him.”

Chu Shu had a capricious personality, but over the years she had never spoken out against Chu Yang, until because of Xu Zangyu, Chu Shu repeatedly defied him.

His vision went black and black again, but thanks to his strong willpower, Chu Yang managed not to faint from anger.

Chu Shu hadn't given up yet and was still thinking about it.

He still dared to recite it.

Chu Shu's father made a mistake, and he was justified in killing him. However, entrusting his son to him left Chu Shu to carry on the family line, and he felt extremely guilty.

Why are they all staring at Xu Zangyu?

What tricks did this kid use to incite them all to turn against him?