Everyone was shocked by her words. Even the Sect Master and the various Peak Masters looked at Shen Yuexi differently.
Shen Yuexi neither retreated nor yielded. She calmly defended herself, “I didn’t do it. I’m only a second-tier Spirit Warrior. How could I possibly have killed them?”
“It was obviously you! Who else could it have been?” Song Qiqi declared with absolute certainty, her gaze fixed viciously on Shen Yuexi as though it had been dipped in poison.
“Wanting to pin a crime on someone is easy enough—why worry about a lack of excuses? You say it was me. Do you have any evidence?” Shen Yuexi met Song Qiqi’s eyes without flinching. Her phoenix eyes were clear as water.
Ning Xingzhi was the first to step forward and speak for Shen Yuexi. “The Jiuyang Sect may be a minor sect, but its Sect Master must at least possess Spirit Master-level strength. My Little Junior Sister is only a second-tier Spirit Warrior. How could she have killed your Father and five senior and junior fellow disciples? Song Qiqi, don’t make wild accusations!”
The First Peak Peak Master propped up his head, his expression indifferent as he glanced at Song Qiqi. “My disciple is the kindest person in the world. She absolutely would not do such a thing.”
Zhou Ming’an looked worriedly at Song Qiqi. Seeing that she was losing ground, he hurriedly tugged at the Second Peak Peak Master’s sleeve.
The Second Peak Peak Master covered his mouth and coughed lightly, appearing ready to preside over the matter fairly. “Human lives are at stake, so this is a serious matter. Song Qiqi, do you have evidence?”
“I…I don’t have evidence.” The moment evidence was mentioned, Song Qiqi’s confidence faltered. After all, this was only her guess. But with dozens of eyes fixed on her, she could only make one last effort. “But as long as we check whether any of my Father’s fire-element spiritual power remains on her, everything will become clear!”
Shen Yuexi stepped forward and immediately followed Song Qiqi’s words. “Check me. We must check me. However, if nothing is found on me, then Song Qiqi will have deliberately slandered me. The Lingyun Sect surely cannot allow such a sinister and deceitful person to enter its ranks, can it?”
The Sect Master frowned and nodded solemnly. “Naturally. The Lingyun Sect absolutely cannot accept someone who falsely accuses and frames a fellow disciple.”
Shen Yuexi walked right up to Song Qiqi, folded her arms, and raised a brow with a smile. “Then please have the Sect Master examine me. If I’m innocent, Song Qiqi will never be allowed to enter the Lingyun Sect in this lifetime!”
Hearing this, Song Qiqi saw how utterly confident Shen Yuexi was and became increasingly uncertain. She fell into endless doubt.
She truly had no evidence. The person who had come to report the matter had only said that something had happened to the Jiuyang Sect; they had not said who was responsible.
She had merely relied on her intuition to conclude that Shen Yuexi had done it as an act of revenge.
But now that she looked again, Shen Yuexi did not seem the least bit guilty, and she was only a second-tier Spirit Warrior. Could it really not have been her?
Song Qiqi frowned and stared hard at Shen Yuexi, only to see Shen Yuexi give her an eerie smile.
No, this had to be Shen Yuexi’s trap! She had deliberately lured her into agreeing. If Shen Yuexi turned out not to be the culprit, Song Qiqi would never be able to enter the Lingyun Sect for the rest of her life!
She suddenly understood. Her bravado diminished, and she swallowed nervously before saying in apprehension, “Sect Master, Peak Masters, this matter concerns six lives. I was too rash and have no concrete evidence. I’m afraid of damaging Miss Shen’s reputation. Please allow me to investigate thoroughly before conducting the examination.”
Shen Yuexi was displeased when she heard this. She forcefully tugged at Song Qiqi. “What’s there to investigate? If we’re going to check, then check. Check right now.”
At this reaction, Song Qiqi became completely certain that she had been tricked. She hurriedly stopped Shen Yuexi. “Miss Shen, I haven’t uncovered the truth. I was too rash. How could a matter involving six lives be handled so carelessly?”
That was close—far too close! She had almost been tricked by that wretched woman and lost her chance to enter the Lingyun Sect for the rest of her life!
Ning Xingzhi could no longer sit by. He shielded Shen Yuexi behind him. “You make wild accusations, saying it’s her when you think it is and saying it isn’t when you change your mind? You’ve caused my Little Junior Sister severe emotional distress. Do you think saying ‘I was rash’ is enough to resolve it?”
Song Qiqi clenched her fists in anger. But afraid that she truly would be barred from entering the Lingyun Sect, she could only swallow her resentment. “What does this Senior Brother want?”
“Since you barged into the Assembly Hall rashly without getting to the bottom of the matter, you have shown complete disrespect. Guards, throw her out.”
Seeing that the farce threatened to continue, the Lingyun Sect’s Sect Master pressed his lips together and made his decision. He then walked over to Shen Yuexi and took out a pill for her. “Now that you have joined my Lingyun Sect, we will not let you suffer an injustice for nothing. Keep this Marrow-Cleansing Pill. Although it cannot completely improve your constitution, it can at least clear your meridians and greatly benefit your cultivation.”
“Thank you, Sect Master.” Shen Yuexi promptly bowed and accepted it.
As Song Qiqi watched that pill, greedy and jealous light flickered in her eyes. Her nails dug into her palm until it bled. Why? Why should someone with a non-elemental spiritual root receive a third-grade Marrow-Cleansing Pill? It clearly should have been hers!
Outraged and shocked, she was escorted out by the disciples in full view of everyone.
The Sect Master was an old man with an immortal air. He smiled kindly at Shen Yuexi and comforted her in a gentle voice. “It’s nothing. If you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation from now on, come and seek me out.”
The First Peak Peak Master immediately became extremely haughty. “She is my disciple, so there is no need to trouble Senior Brother with her concerns. The apprenticeship ceremony is over, so I’ll take my precious disciple back.”
With that, he left. Shen Yuexi and Ning Xingzhi immediately followed him.
The Sect Master was left standing where he was. He smiled helplessly. “He’s already sixty or seventy years old. How can he still be so impatient?”
First Peak.
First Peak Peak Master Chu Shanyue sat at the head of the hall and accepted the tea Shen Yuexi offered him. The more he looked at her, the more satisfied he became.
“I’ve finally received the disciple I’ve been longing for.”
Ning Xingzhi covered his mouth and coughed lightly beside him.
The chrysanthemum-like smile on Chu Shanyue’s face froze for a moment. He then said, “Of course, I like your six senior brothers very much too. But the one I like best has to be our Xiaoqi.”
Though he said this, he could not stop himself from grumbling inwardly. Those six stinking boys had nearly shortened his life with how much they infuriated him. How could they compare with sweet and sensible Xiaoqi?
“I like Little Junior Sister best too,” Ning Xingzhi agreed with a nod.
Chu Shanyue suddenly remembered something and waved to her. “Xiaoqi, come here.”
Shen Yuexi stepped forward as instructed and called softly, “Master.”
“You aren’t really someone with a non-elemental spiritual root, are you?” Chu Shanyue asked as he took out a Spirit-Testing Stone.
Shen Yuexi nodded honestly. Chu Shanyue had probably seen through her at a glance anyway. She stepped forward and placed her hand on the stone.
In an instant, the Spirit-Testing Stone began flashing with seven-colored light, filling the entire palace.
Ning Xingzhi’s brows drew tightly together. He had seen a scene like this in a book before. Unable to believe it, he cried out, “Chaos spiritual root!”
He knew that his Little Junior Sister possessed extraordinary talent, but he had never imagined that she would actually have the Chaos spiritual root, a gift seen only once in ten thousand years!
“As expected.” Chu Shanyue nodded in satisfaction. Pride and smugness filled his heart. He then turned serious as he instructed Ning Xingzhi, “To prevent unnecessary trouble, this matter must not be spread.”
He waved his hand. A surge of green wood-element spiritual power rose and enveloped Shen Yuexi. In a gentle voice, he said, “Your Master will remove the fire-element spiritual power from your body now.”
Wood-element spiritual power was primarily used for healing. Like a clear mountain spring, it slowly flowed into her body, making Shen Yuexi feel completely refreshed.
When the mountain-protecting array had activated, she had not been injured, but some of Song Chengning’s fire-element spiritual power had indeed remained within her.
Today, in the main hall, she had deliberately set a trap for Song Qiqi, betting that someone as suspicious and selfish as her would not give up the chance to enter the Lingyun Sect for the sake of dead people.
As expected, Song Qiqi had been afraid.
Shen Yuexi raised her head and looked toward Chu Shanyue. His eyes, which seemed to see through all the ways of the world, appeared capable of seeing straight through the human heart. Knowing that she could not hide the truth from him, she lowered her head and asked, “Master, are you going to cast me out of the sect?”
Chu Shanyue had already seen through her disguise and had most likely guessed that the deaths of those people from the Jiuyang Sect had been at her hands.
People of the righteous path had always considered wanton killing a grave taboo. If it had truly been established in the main hall that she had killed those people, then regardless of right or wrong, the Lingyun Sect would certainly not have accepted her!
She could not help worrying about Chu Shanyue’s attitude.