Just as the three of them exited the cherry grove, they heard a piercing whistle coming from Taichu. Warning spirit birds circled overhead, their calls incessant.
The disciples on night patrol, who hadn’t even had a moment to rest, immediately tensed and began relaying messages to verify what was happening.
Ling Luo yawned, looking at the people hurrying out all around them, and said, “We won’t be able to sleep now anyway.”
Mu Xujing frowned, as if remembering something, and quickened his pace to leave first.
Yue Liangze glanced at him and said, “Use Instant Shadow if you’re in a hurry.”
So Mu Xujing formed a hand seal with one hand, and his figure flashed away in an instant.
Ling Luo said irritably, “I asked you two to practice swordsmanship. Why are you teaching him incantations?”
Yue Liangze, holding his sword, replied, “He can’t beat me, so practicing sword techniques is useless. Better to teach him some incantations. See how quickly he learns.”
Ling Luo repeated, “Why teach him?”
After a moment of silence, Yue Liangze answered, “So he can fare better at the Moon Court.”
Ling Luo asked, “You pity him?”
Yue Liangze shook his head.
The two walked along the corridor, and Ling Luo let out a soft snort, saying lazily, “Teaching disciples from other immortal sects without permission—if word got out, every major sect would condemn you. Besides, he’s a young master of the North Palace Moon Court, yet they haven’t taught him a single incantation or spell. Don’t you find that strange?”
Yue Liangze answered seriously, “Is he being isolated?”
Ling Luo gave him a cold sidelong glance, “You’re just taking advantage of being the Sacred Sword Sect Leader’s disciple to do as you please. Interfering with another sect’s disciples’ cultivation when unnecessary is a major taboo. What will you do if he says you taught him the incantation?”
Yue Liangze fell silent after hearing this.
Seeing he hadn’t spoken for a while, Ling Luo added, “Scared now?”
Yue Liangze shook his head and said, “You’re right. With Master backing the Sacred Sword Sect, I can indeed do as I please.”
Ling Luo: “…”
Once again, she felt that Yue Liangze was dark inside.
At the corner ahead, the two encountered Zhan Rong hurrying toward them. Zhan Rong stopped and looked at Yue Liangze.
Yue Liangze slightly lowered his head in a polite greeting, and Ling Luo asked, “Senior Brother Zhan Rong, what has happened so early in the morning?”
Zhan Rong was startled to see the two of them. This usually calm and unhurried person now spoke gravely, “Word has come that the Spirit-Subduing Jade has disappeared.”
Although Ling Luo already knew what had happened, she still put on a surprised expression and asked, “How could the Spirit-Subduing Jade suddenly disappear?”
“Please come with me to the Golden Luan Pool Banquet Terrace to see for yourselves,” Zhan Rong said.
Yue Liangze said nothing but followed him.
By now, quite a crowd had gathered at the Golden Luan Pool Banquet Terrace.
Notable figures from various sects had arrived, and when they saw Yue Liangze being led by Zhan Rong, some changed their expressions.
Hall Master Feng shouted angrily from within the Weak Water, “It must be that demon causing trouble again, stealing the Spirit-Subduing Jade!”
“But wasn’t the Spirit-Subduing Jade only removable by that Sacred Sword Sect disciple?” A man holding a paper fan and yawning sneered as he looked at Yue Liangze approaching. “Besides him, who else could move the Spirit-Subduing Jade even slightly?”
Yue Liangze ignored him, instead looking at the now-empty Weak Water. The Spirit-Subduing Jade he had left there was nowhere to be seen.
Yun Shouxi noticed Ling Luo coming with Yue Liangze and narrowed his eyes. His disciple, sensing the situation, approached before he could speak.
“Everyone saw yesterday that even the Grand Master couldn’t touch the Spirit-Subduing Jade without being repelled. This proves that in the world today, only he can pick up the Spirit-Subduing Jade.”
Qishan’s young master, Cui Huowu, pointed his paper fan at Yue Liangze, his expression somewhat arrogant and scrutinizing: “Among those present, he’s the most likely to have stolen the Spirit-Subduing Jade.”
The Taichu Sect Master stood by with a grim expression, merely glancing at Yue Liangze without speaking.
Cui Huowu, however, felt his reasoning was sound. “Everyone, think carefully—”
“Think about what?” Chu Yi mocked lazily. “Some things are so obvious they don’t require thought, but that doesn’t mean someone would do something so brainless.”
Cui Huowu was taken aback by his words, then coldly replied, “Are you saying I have no brain?”
Chu Yi snorted with laughter, “I didn’t say that.”
“But apart from the Immortal Lord of Dan Water, indeed no one else can touch the Spirit-Subduing Jade,” Cong Xiu stepped forward, looking directly at Yue Liangze as he asked, “Do you know anything about this?”
“I don’t,” Yue Liangze stood holding his sword, facing the suspicious or mocking gazes of everyone, remaining calm with a hint of aloofness. “After the Golden Luan Pool Banquet yesterday, I never returned to this place, nor did I touch the Spirit-Subduing Jade.”
Cui Huowu sneered, “When did the Spirit-Subduing Jade disappear? Where were you at that time?”
Ling Luo couldn’t help but glance at this person.
Qishan’s young master.
Foul-mouthed, loves to cause trouble and pick fights, fears nothing, and especially hates the Sacred Sword Sect and East Island Tianji.
The Taichu Sect Master turned to look at a disciple behind him. “Mu He, you tell us.”
The Taichu disciple named Mu He gritted his teeth and said, “I was on patrol duty in the inner court last night. At the fifth watch, the Spirit-Subduing Jade was still there, but by the sixth watch, it had vanished.”
“I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, so I specifically went down into the Weak Water to check, but the Spirit-Subduing Jade was still gone.”
Ling Luo remembered that in her previous life, Cui Huowu had asked Yue Liangze where he was and what he was doing between the fifth and sixth watches. Yue Liangze had said he was waiting for Bai Cang in the cherry grove.
Cui Huowu then asked, “Can anyone confirm this?”
Yue Liangze said calmly, “I was alone.”
At that point, Cui Huowu and others had been ecstatic, seizing on this point to ridicule him mercilessly.
Things like, “You planned this all along! I never thought the dignified Sacred Sword Sect would act so despicably!”
“Can’t stand seeing others succeed, can you? Stealing someone else’s divine weapon wasn’t enough. Too embarrassed to take it directly, so you decided to steal it secretly. Have you no shame?”
“Even if it’s the Sacred Sword Sect, such dishonorable behavior is inappropriate, isn’t it?”
“I never imagined that someone who looks so decent would be such a contemptible, despicable person!”
Even bystanders grew angry hearing this.
Though the various sects may fear the Sacred Sword Sect and outwardly show respect and deference to its members, privately they always harbored resentment and dissatisfaction.
On the surface, they might be cordial, praising you as talented, young, and promising, but behind your back, they’d curse you as a libertine with loose behavior just for drinking a cup of wine.
They respect you on the surface, but you’d better not make mistakes. If you do anything inappropriate, you’ll immediately face questioning and abuse from multiple sects.
Ling Luo narrowed her eyes at Cui Huowu’s smug face. Sure enough, after hearing Mu He’s words, he immediately questioned Yue Liangze: “Where were you during this time? What were you doing?”
Yue Liangze showed no panic or anger, giving the same answer: “Waiting for someone in the cherry grove.”
Cui Huowu pressed, “Can anyone confirm this?”
Yue Liangze pressed his lips together, not wanting to involve others in trouble.
Ling Luo cursed him inwardly for being too nice while stepping forward to say, “I can.”
Chu Yi was surprised to see his little junior sister step forward, nodding haughtily to the Qishan young master, saying, “I can confirm. I was in the cherry grove watching him duel with someone.”
Yun Shouxi watched Ling Luo speak up for someone with a calm expression, saying nothing.
Cui Huowu, seeing another person from East Island Tianji challenge him, darkened his expression further and demanded, “Who did you see him dueling with?”
“Me,” said Mu Xujing, who had arrived with the North Palace Moon Court delegation, his face expressionless. “Last night, I dueled with him in the cherry grove until dawn. We just came directly from there.”
Cui Huowu was surprised to see him but sneered, “The word of a lowborn bastard—”
A crisp slap silenced him, shocking everyone present.
Jiang Miao withdrew her hand after slapping Cui Huowu, resuming her obedient and polite demeanor, her eyes above the veil gazing steadily at him.
Cui Huowu, holding his stinging face, looked at Jiang Miao in disbelief: “You dare—”
“Young Master Cui,” Yun Shouxi said calmly, “The person before you is the head of the Moon Court. It’s not your place to question her.”
Cui Huowu gritted his teeth, his expression gloomy as he let out a cold snort.
Only then did Jiang Miao turn her gaze away, nodding respectfully to Yun Shouxi.
“How do we know you two aren’t conspiring to lie!” Cui Huowu persisted.
Ling Luo looked at him with mocking eyes, “If Young Master Cui doesn’t believe us, you can go to the riverside in the cherry grove. The marks left from last night’s duel are numerous. One look would confirm it.”
Hearing this, the Taichu Sect Master signaled to Cong Xiu with his eyes, telling him to go check.
Cong Xiu vanished immediately using Instant Shadow.
Ling Luo said unhurriedly, “The marks left by sword techniques can indicate how long the battle lasted. We only left at dawn, and just as we exited the cherry grove, we met many people hurrying this way. We also encountered Senior Brother Zhan Rong in the corridor.”
“Senior Brother Zhan Rong can confirm that we came from the direction of the cherry grove, can’t he?”
Zhan Rong stepped forward and said, “It is exactly as Ling Luo says.”
Cui Huowu coldly looked at Ling Luo and said, “You had nothing better to do than seek him out in the middle of the night to practice swordsmanship in the cherry grove? I see the three of you are quite close!”
Ling Luo smiled slightly and said, “As sword prodigies who have broken through the life-and-death boundary, naturally we have much to discuss. When Young Master Cui achieves such enlightenment, I can converse with you about swordsmanship as well.”
“Immortal Lord San Xi has quite a sharp-tongued disciple,” Cui Huowu said through gritted teeth. “But she’s a bit too close to the Sacred Sword Sect.”
Yun Shouxi said, “Young Master Cui’s targeting of the Sacred Sword Sect is quite rare to see. As the son of Qishan’s leader, you’re not too bad.”
This remark mocked both father and son. How could Cui Huowu tolerate that? He immediately shouted in anger, “Yun Shouxi!”
Feng Yunhong said calmly, “Enough. How can a junior like you directly address Immortal Lord San Xi by name?”
Feng Tianyao, standing nearby, rolled his eyes at Cui Huowu.
Idiot.
Mocking the Sacred Sword Sect might not provoke any response, but you foolishly dragged Immortal Lord San Xi into it as well. Who would dare help you now?
An angry shout came from afar: “Junior? He should look at himself before quibbling with a junior!”
The Lord of Qishan, Cui Shou, arrived on his flying sword, landing in front of Cui Huowu, coldly looking at Yun Shouxi in the Weak Water.
Cui Huowu called out, “Father,” full of grievance, his deflated momentum instantly reviving.
Cui Shou glanced at Ling Luo, his sword intent bursting forth, “This disciple of yours is disrespectful, defying my Qishan’s young master. This grudge cannot be settled so easily!”
Ling Luo didn’t even take this sword’s intent seriously. As Yun Shouxi was about to act, Yue Liangze moved faster, stepping forward to block the attack, and the sword intent shattered upon contact with him.
A light laugh came from afar, seemingly distant, yet the person instantly appeared above the Weak Water.
“That Qishan young master baselessly accused my junior brother of stealing the sword, acting high and mighty like he was passing judgment on a criminal, with nonstop accusations. This grudge indeed cannot be settled so easily.”
As Bai Cang descended his sword to the Weak Water in front of Yue Liangze, a white sword light passed by Yun Shouxi and Feng Yunhong, with a speed neither could block, clearly targeting Cui Huowu.
Cui Huowu felt the fierce wind approaching but was frozen by the sword intent laced with killing intent, like being bound by venomous snakes, unable to move, only fearfully awaiting death.
His eyeballs trembled as his father drew his sword to block, but was forced back several steps by the sword light. Though he barely managed to defend, he grunted in pain, wounded.
Those present were somewhat surprised. This sword strike renewed their wariness of the Sacred Sword Sect.
Bai Cang usually smiled all the time, getting along well with all the major immortal sects, and no one had ever seen him angry or upset, nor had many witnessed him in action.
But that sword strike reminded them that though the Sacred Sword Sect had few disciples, each one was a monster.
Sweat dripped from Cui Huowu’s forehead, and he shuddered when he met Bai Cang’s smiling eyes, quickly turning to support his father, “Father, are you all right?”
“Everyone, aren’t you being a bit hasty?” Bai Cang said with a smile.
The Taichu Sect Master was quite troubled. He stepped forward and said, “Everyone, losing the sword has already left me unable to face our ancestors. Please stop bickering.”
I’m the most confused and angry one here, what are you all arguing about?