Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Su Yanqing took a deep breath and steadied her nerves.
“What is this mark Bai Xiaoru mentioned?”
『Host, while you were unconscious, Xie Qingxuan left a sea of awareness mark on you. The female lead carries magic treasures that can sense demonic qi.』
“Damn! Then I won’t be able to clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River!”
No… the sect master was her father. Perhaps there was still room to maneuver.
“Qing’er is my daughter after all. To avoid suspicion, let Junior Brother Helian handle this matter personally.”
Su Yanqing: …
Just as she was asking the system whether it could conceal the mark, the handsome exiled immortal on the high platform, silent until now, suddenly stirred…
The next moment, Su Yanqing felt a cedar fragrance waft toward her.
She looked up. At some point, Immortal Venerable Helian had already teleported before her.
Su Yanqing’s long lashes quivered. Her heart flurried, and she instinctively called out, “Master…”
Helian Chuxue examined his little disciple face-to-face for the first time.
When she had entered the sect, he was in seclusion, and all affairs had been left to his eldest disciple. He had not expected that the moment he emerged from seclusion, he would have to clean up her mess.
She was quite a beauty, though… her small face white as jade, her fan-like lashes trembling faintly. She looked so wronged, her pearly teeth lightly biting her lower lip, making one unable to bear scolding her.
Remembering the voice transmissions from several disciples just now, he kept his face cold and extended his fair, slender fingers, lightly touching the girl’s brow to search her sea of awareness.
Looking at the ice-cold Master before her, Su Yanqing closed her eyes uneasily, feeling the cool touch on her forehead.
Suddenly, she sensed a sharp, fierce spiritual energy roaming recklessly through her sea of awareness.
She wanted to dodge, but for some reason, an overwhelming pressure pinned her body in place, leaving her unable to move.
“Master… I can’t take it anymore…”
Su Yanqing’s brows knitted tightly in pain, as if the crown of her head were being smashed open alive.
A moment later, Helian Chuxue gazed at his pale-faced little disciple, withdrew his jade-like fingertips, and said coldly, “There is indeed demonic qi.”
At these words, everyone found it hard to believe.
The sect master’s daughter had actually colluded with a demonic cultivator!
“Impossible, Master must have made a mistake somewhere!” Murong Yi grew anxious and argued loudly.
Mu Yunci’s expression was stern. “Little Five, watch your words! Master only said there is demonic qi… he did not say Little Junior Sister is guilty.”
“This demonic qi was not left by a demonic cultivator. It should be the residual demonic qi from absorbing a demon snake’s inner core, carrying some snake venom.”
Helian Chuxue returned to the high platform. His expression was indifferent as he looked down at the crowd. “Do you still have questions?”
Su Yanqing pressed her aching temples in some confusion: It seemed her Master’s skill was not up to par… a mark even Bai Xiaoru could detect, and he had failed to notice it.
Suddenly, a sharp female voice rang out.
“Impossible! It must be a demonic cultivator! A demonic cultivator cast an illusion spell for her!”
“Master, you can’t be biased toward her just because she’s the sect master’s daughter and I’m only an orphan. That’s not fair!”
“You must not have examined carefully. She really does have a demonic qi mark!”
Bai Xiaoru was so anxious her eyes turned red. She had clearly sensed a demonic cultivator’s mark on Su Yanqing… how had it suddenly become residual poison from a demon snake’s inner core?
The cold, indifferent Immortal Venerable Helian’s tone suddenly turned severe: “Demonic qi from a demon core can be identified with a single probe. Bai Xiaoru, your eagerness to catch the culprit is understandable. But without investigating the truth, you framed a fellow disciple and provoked your Master.”
“I sentence you to three months of confinement and demote you to inner sect disciple!”
Immortal Venerable Helian had always acted fairly, and the situation in the hall immediately reversed.
Su Yanqing raised an eyebrow and began to sigh theatrically: “I grew up here. The Wuji Sect is my home. Why would I collude with demonic cultivators to kill my family?”
“I know Senior Sister has always been jealous of me… my looks, my family background… and that’s why she went to extremes.”
“Ah, I’m not a petty person either. I just want Senior Sister to give me a grand apology, and I won’t pursue the matter further.”
Before Bai Xiaoru could speak, the others had already started chattering.
“Isn’t that too much? A grand bow to someone of the same generation… I couldn’t bear such humiliation!”
“She suffered an unjust accusation. What’s excessive about making this one request? If it were me, I’d be even harsher!”
“Senior Sister Bai only made a misjudgment. It wasn’t intentional. Demoting her from direct disciple to inner sect disciple… such a punishment is too…”
Bai Xiaoru quietly listened to the crowd’s discussion, lowered her eyes, her eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly guilt-ridden.
“This matter… I did wrong Little Junior Sister. I am willing to apologize, but a grand kneeling bow is only for Master and my parents. I cannot comply!”
Then, with a trembling, tearful voice, she pleaded with Master: “Master, I hated the demonic cultivator for killing my fellow disciples. Anger surged up and clouded my reason, and that’s why I made such a mistake.”
“I am willing to atone by service, to hunt down the culprit. Even if I am killed by the demonic cultivator, I will have no complaints!”
“Please, let me contribute a small effort for the dead disciples!”
Seeing Bai Xiaoru’s sincerity and humility, her petite frame straightening her spine, her words moved everyone present.
Only Su Yanqing clapped and laughed: “Hahaha, Senior Sister’s camaraderie for her fellow disciples is truly touching!”
“If that’s so, then when we faced the demon snakes, why weren’t you willing to feed yourself to the snakes, insisting on dragging me and Fifth Senior Brother down to die with you?”
“If I hadn’t resolved to sacrifice myself and jumped off the cliff alone, I’m afraid the three of us would have long been buried in the snakes’ bellies.”
“Senior Sister not only failed to be grateful for my lifesaving grace, but falsely accused me.”
“I only wanted an apology from you. Why make it sound so begrudging? It only makes me look petty.”
“I originally didn’t plan to produce evidence. Since Senior Sister denies it to the death, I have no choice but to make everything public!”
With that, Su Yanqing took out a pre-prepared recording stone and activated it with spiritual energy.
A light screen appeared in the Grand Hall, recreating the scene from that time.
Bai Xiaoru first cried for help, cast the wrong spell, deliberately twisted her ankle, and framed Su Yanqing.
After being surrounded by a swarm of snakes, she made small movements to force Su Yanqing to the cliff edge.
Even the strange smile that curled at the corners of Bai Xiaoru’s mouth when Su Yanqing fell off the cliff… everyone could see it clearly.
Only then did everyone realize that the gentle, kind Senior Sister Bai they knew in public was a different person in private. They all looked at Bai Xiaoru with contempt and disdain.
A coward who feared death and betrayed kindness… how dare she speak of atoning by service?
The good reputation Bai Xiaoru had built over more than ten years was destroyed in an instant.
She lowered her head, saying nothing, tears falling in large drops. She looked pitiful, but no one in the hall sympathized anymore.
Bai Xiaoru had not expected that the Little Junior Sister who had always been a bit slow on the uptake had secretly kept a backup plan.
She only hated herself for speaking too much. Had she known, she would have obediently apologized. After her confinement ended, she would still be the upright, kind Second Senior Sister in everyone’s eyes.
Now, everything was ruined.
In despair, Bai Xiaoru threw herself to her knees in the Grand Hall with a “thud” and wailed loudly.
Meanwhile, inside the cave at the bottom of the secret realm’s cliff.
Xie Qingxuan, demonic qi swirling around him, slowly opened a pair of cold, crimson eyes.