Shen Qingci's thoughts raced.
The people from the Miaoyin Sect had probably only just left when the Sect Master sent someone to turn around and bite them.
On their way back to the sect, not a single person inside or outside the mountain gate was discussing Lu Beichen's scandalous behavior. It was clear that the Sect Master had already suppressed the matter.
The Miaoyin Sect had gotten what they wanted by obtaining the Mystic Soul Barrier-Breaking Pill, so they naturally wouldn't spread the word either.
Her Sect Master martial uncle's calculations were truly ingenious.
He had deliberately selected only a fragment of the truth, publicizing only that her senior sister had injured Lu Beichen while completely erasing the cause and effect.
This was an attempt to preemptively bias their master against them. That way, any explanation she and her senior sister offered would be viewed as mere excuses.
Unfortunately, he had overlooked one key detail.
Their master's relationship with this senior brother of hers had always been a mere facade; in truth, a rift had already formed between them long ago.
【Tsk, as if she was the only one who didn't know how to exaggerate and file a complaint!】
Shen Qingci sneered in her heart, but on her face, she timely put on a wronged yet restrained expression.
“Master, the cause of this matter actually began at the Miaoyin Sect's Dao Discussion Conference.”
She recounted everything that had happened in Xiange City in detail:
From how she and her senior sister had gone to the venue after soaking in the spiritual spring, to Lu Beichen wearing the Thousand-Face Illusion Veil to sneak in disguised as a female cultivator, and finally to him being exposed on the spot by a Nascent Soul senior, his veil torn apart, leaving a hall full of female cultivators to witness his true face with their own eyes.
“At the time, Young Sect Master Jiang of the Miaoyin Sect was on stage demonstrating the practical techniques of Consonance Qi-Guiding, and Lu Beichen was hiding in a corner of the back row, peeping.”
“The entire hall was filled with female cultivators, and the Dao Discussion Conference was covering the methods of dual cultivation for companions. What were his intentions as a male cultivator, sneaking in under disguise?”
“When that Nascent Soul senior questioned him, he actually lied and claimed to be Liu Yiyi, an inner sect disciple of the Qinglan Sect. Once exposed, he changed his story, saying his late mother was an old acquaintance of Sect Master Jiang, and that he had come specifically to inquire about the past.”
“When Young Sect Master Jiang asked for his late mother's name or if he had any token of proof, he couldn't utter a single word.”
Jinglian's gaze turned cold.
Shen Qingci emphasized her words: “The Miaoyin Sect's Dao protector wanted to cripple his cultivation on the spot. Seeing his disguise fail, his lies exposed, and his reputation ruined, he actually used our sect's name to pressure them, asking them to overlook it out of respect for the Azure Cloud Sect.”
“Young Sect Master Jiang questioned him on the spot: ‘The Azure Cloud Sect holds the reputation of being the number one sect in the Southern Region, so how could its disciples have such behavior?’”
Jinglian sneered. “And then?”
“He caught sight of me and Senior Sister sitting below the stage, so he called out my name directly, forcing me to step forward and plead on his behalf.”
Shen Qingci lowered her eyelashes. “Master, I was sitting below the stage at the time. All the female cultivators around turned to look at me. Everyone knew I belonged to the same sect as him.”
“In that situation, Senior Sister and I wished we could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!”
Chi Yuan took over the conversation: “I was the one who did it.”
She raised her eyes to look at Jinglian, her expression completely calm. “Lu Beichen did despicable things himself but didn't dare to face the consequences. He dragged A-Ci into it publicly, trying to pull her down with him.”
“I lost my temper for a moment and struck him with a palm strike.”
“You lost your temper for a moment?” Jinglian looked at her.
“Yes.”
Jinglian didn't say anything more, only staring at Chi Yuan.
She knew her second disciple's temperament best.
Usually cold and quiet, she never argued with anyone, let alone struck a fellow sect member. For her to be pushed into striking him in public, Lu Beichen must have crossed her line.
“Well hit!” Jinglian praised.
Shen Qingci was startled and looked up at her master.
Jinglian's voice sank slightly. “Sect Master Senior Brother didn't mention a single word about Lu Beichen's actions to me. He only said A-Yuan hit someone and demanded that I give an explanation.”
“Heh, this Sect Master senior brother of mine is truly growing more backward as he ages.”
Seeing that her master was already angry, Shen Qingci decided to add fuel to the fire: “Master, there is also something suspicious about Senior Sister's mission this time.”
“There was a massive error in the intelligence for the Blood Thorn Ridge mission. The Mission Hall marked it as occupied by a mid Golden Core stage evil cultivator and recommended it for late Golden Core stage disciples.”
“But after I arrived with Senior Sister, although we only saw Golden Core evil cultivators on the outskirts, the one controlling everything behind the scenes was actually a peak Nascent Soul old monster.”
“Those eight Golden Core evil cultivators were merely pawns discarded by that old monster. Everything from clearing the outskirts to the rogue cultivators' acting was part of his layout.”
“If Senior Sister hadn't been vigilant and repeatedly investigated before entering the valley, she and I would probably have walked right into his ambush by now.”
Shen Qingci raised her eyes, meeting Jinglian's gaze. “Master, for the intelligence to be off by this much, it's definitely not something that can be brushed off as a mere 'oversight.'”
“There is a whole major realm of difference between mid Golden Core stage and peak Nascent Soul. Collection, verification, and archiving—it is impossible for such a low-level mistake to be made at any stage.”
“Unless... someone did it deliberately.”
Jinglian's fingers resting on her scabbard suddenly tightened.
The swords from past generations planted in the Sword-Falling Terrace buzzed in unison. The sword array was stirred by her sword domain, the sea of clouds tumbled down, and the spiritual energy in the entire side hall seemed to be instantly sucked dry.
“Eight Golden Core evil cultivators serving as pawns, a peak Nascent Soul old monster hiding behind the scenes, fake rogue cultivators acting, clearing the outskirts... A Mystic-grade Mid-rank mission taken by a late Golden Core stage disciple, yet the intelligence was off to such an extent.”
Jinglian repeated her youngest disciple's words, her gaze as sharp as swords. “Good. What a fine 'oversight.'”
She looked at her two disciples, the sword intent in her eyes not yet fading. “Your master already has an idea of what's going on regarding this matter.”
“I will personally review the archives regarding the source of information, verification process, and everyone who handled the Blood Thorn Ridge mission.”
“The Mission Hall's rules require a triple-verification process: one stage each for collection, review, and archiving. For all three stages to fail simultaneously—I cannot think of any other possibility besides those few people.”
“Master, do you mean...” Chi Yuan frowned.
“If they cannot touch me, they will target my personal disciples. Severing my arms, disrupting my path of cultivation.”
“They deserve to die!”
Seeing that the fire was sufficiently stoked, Shen Qingci took the opportunity to drop another hint:
“Master, that Nascent Soul old monster was particularly skilled in using poison. And when Lu Beichen left the sect this time, he claimed he was returning to his clan for a funeral. Yet the direction of the Lu family is completely opposite to Xiange City, and yet he appeared at the Dao Discussion Conference.”
“I feel that this is far too much of a coincidence.”
How could Jinglian not understand her youngest disciple's underlying meaning?
At this moment, she was extremely glad that Qingci had gone along with A-Yuan. With the Shen family's secret guards accompanying them, they had made it through the journey without any actual mishaps.
If something had happened to A-Yuan...
Jinglian did not dare to think further.
This disciple was someone she had personally rescued from a pile of corpses back then.
She had raised her for so many years, always treating her as her own child.
Whoever touches her, dies!!!
Had she, Jinglian, focused too much on self-cultivation over the years, making people think she was an easy target?
How dare they use such underhanded methods to plot against A-Yuan.
【Senior Brother, you truly deserve to die.】
After laying low and staying quiet for so many years, have you finally lost your patience and couldn't resist making a move?
Chi Yuan lowered her eyes and remained silent.
She was all too familiar with this expression on her master's face.
The last time she saw it was thirty years ago, when a rogue cultivator in the market had spoken insolently, insulting her master.
That person's tongue was shredded by sword qi, his dantian pierced by sword intent, and before his Nascent Soul could even escape, his body and soul were utterly annihilated.
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