Inside the Helios Dragon sect, Merit Palace.
"I understand, thank you for accomplishing the commission, elder brother Wang. Here is the commission reward, 10 spirit stones." as the receptionist said that, he handed down a pouch filled with spirit stones over to Ben Li on the other side of the desk.
Ben Li said nothing and took the pouch and stored it in his storage ring with a straight face devoid of any emotion. Secretly though, he was feeling dejected that the reward was so low it probably couldn't afford him anything. Much less pay his rent.
What the heck?
I almost got killed doing that commission. I had to encounter some psychopath that can control poison and monsters, had to deal with ghosts who can freeze and decay my body in seconds, and encounter a traumatizing experience of watching torture porn!
And I have to deal with all that for 10 spirit stones? Is the economic situation of the Merit Palace so stable that even disciples actually do this line of dirty work for a paltry amount of 10 spirit stones? Cause this is just underpayment in my opinion...
Ben Li sighed in his heart and sucked it all up. He left the building shortly afterwards with Lu Qing in tow. But just before he could get far enough, a disciple came running and urgently calling his name.
"Greetings, elder brother Wang. I am here to report to you that the venerable Sect elders along with with the honorable Sect leader wishes to invite you into their meeting. They hope that you will comply with your time urgently after this message." said the disciple after bowing with clasped hands.
Ben Li didn't say anything as he pondered with a straight look. But if one looked closely enough, one could see that his complexion was really bad. Almost as if he felt an omen coming.
He shifted his gaze on Lu Qing who was looking at him this entire time. In swift decision, he promptly ordered the disciple before him to escorted Lu Qing to his residence.
It's probably bad if Lu Qing keeps following him this entire time. Considering that he was invited alone, dragging Lu Qing with him will only unnecessarily implicate some bad issues for her. Thus, she sent her back to his residence.
Lu Qing understood that her young master was going to busy for a long time afterwards. She bade goodbye and followed the disciple back to the residence.
Ben Li sauntered forward and headed towards where the meeting place was at while he contemplated what issues had emerged for those old fogeys to come gather and invite him to their meeting. And even though they said meeting, there was no hiding the fact that going there was no different than getting interrogated for questioning.
No way... Could it be that they had found out I'm not Wang Xie? Could it be that they found out I was possessing him?
Ben Li's face slowly contorted as he thought all possibilities that was going to happen. In the end, he had no clue what was going to happen.
...
In a classy tea room permeated with warm herbal aroma, Sect leader and Xingjian both sat quietly before a round wooden table devoid of anything but their warm teacups over saucers.
The two were silent and patient as they were alone in the room. Sect leader had a tranquil smile on his face while Xingjian was blankly dazing off. Both of them were waiting for the other empty seats by their side to be seated by their respective guest.
After a while, a light knock came from the double doors to which a voice echoed on the other side.
"Esteemed elders, Sect elder Wang has arrived." after which, the double doors opened to reveal a middle-aged man with a well-trimmed facial hair entering the room.
"Sect leader and master Xingjian, it's good to see you again." said Wang Liu after bowing.
Sect leader waved his hand and smiled at Wang Liu, gesturing at him to take his seat.
Wang Liu sat down and helped himself some tea. After taking a sip, he exhaled softly and spoke to the others.
"Since the last person coming is my son, I'm sure that we will have to wait longer than expected." said Wang Liu as he lamented on how much time was wasted in this meeting.
This wasn't the first time Wang Xie got in trouble. In fact, some of his troubles would escalate with issues which the elders couldn't possibly ignore. But whenever they would start having these kinds of meetings, Wang Xie tended to avoid it with excuses as much as possible. But in the end, he will have to attend these meetings eventually. Albeit, the elders participating would start getting headaches whenever they had to deal with him.
But now this meeting included Xingjian, an elder who hasn't attended these kinds of meetings and wouldn't even bother what Wang Xie had done unless Xingjian couldn't ignore it.
And also, Wang Liu, who also didn't participate much about these meetings and like Wang Xie, would tend to avoid these kinds of meetings with excuses as much as possible. And succeeded every time.
And also, Sect leader was here to mediate between the two parties.
It is his part of the obligation to suppress any inside conflict between Sect's departments in order to avoid a collapsing of the Sect's structures so that his control over the Sect doesn't loosen with any ends.
Also, he had to be fairly biased about any subject emerging. Whether right or wrong, his decisions must incline to the benefit of the sect. And considering that Wang Xie and Xingjian were involved in these matters, he had to oversee it himself.
Sect leader smiled at Wang Liu and said assuringly. "I think we don't have to wait long enough."
Soon as he said that, a light knock came again from the double doors to which a voice echoed. "Esteemed elders, elder brother Wang has arrived."
The double doors open to reveal Ben Li standing on the other side. He quietly stood there seemingly calm and relax. But under the penetrating gaze of three experts, he couldn't hide the suspense in his heart.
He gulped down his anxiousness and did a ceremonial bow before them.
"Core disciple, Wang Xie pays respects to esteemed elders and Sect leader."
"Come, young Wang. Take a seat and some tea. We have much to discuss today." said Sect leader with a smile as he gestures Ben Li to take a seat.
"May I ask why the elders had invited me here in this meeting?" Ben Li sat down on the only empty chair left just for him and maintained a composed look as his gaze landed on the three experts. Indifferent to his nervous heart.
"You mean, you don't know?" calmly asks Sect leader. To which Ben Li shook his head. "Sorry, not a clue."
"Alright then." nodded the Sect leader and turned to face Xingjian on the other side and nodded at him.
"Young brat Wang, I have come across information that you perhaps know the reason why my 9th brat was crippled of his cultivation." Xingjian then began speaking to Ben Li with a calm voice. "This information states that your presence was mostly noticed at the time of my 9th brat's activities. Tell us something, do you know how my 9th brat got crippled?"
Everyone focused their gazes on Ben Li seemingly intent on seeking the truth from him. Meanwhile, Ben Li sighed in his heart that Xingjian mentioned 9th brat.
He was probably talking about Lu Chong. The guy who tried to kill him over his fostered little sister.
Ever since he met Lu Chong, he wasn't so sure that he was Xingjian's disciple. However, after meeting Ran Ranxu, a girl who proclaimed that she was Xingjian's disciple, came to fetch Lu Chong in his peril, then he was sure that he was Xingjian's disciple.
His anxiousness died down a bit and relaxed his thoughts to think. Actually, this situation wasn't difficult to resolve. All he has to do is act innocent as fuck all the way until the end.
If one guy here tries to coerce him, all he has to do is keep talking to make the said guy looks like an asshole.
But if these guys are just going to let him slip pass with his ass intact then he might as well tell the truth.
He planned this out in his head, and he thought it could work.
Truth be told, he took reference to every CSI episode because he thought it was a good idea.
A second later after Xingjian spoke, Ben Li began to speak. "I'm sorry but who is this 9th brat?"
1st step of the game of innocence; act believably oblivious as possible.
Acting oblivious doesn't just make you the first one to claim your innocence, it also lets the others lower their guard around you and the more you converse in this direction, the more you can pinpoint who in this room has the ulterior motive and what importance does he/she have for interrogating you.
Having spoken his question, the elders... Didn't know where to start answering.
Now that they thought about it, calling the person in subject 9th brat was really vague for them. They had a clue who was Xingjian talking about since everyone knows that Xingjian calls his disciples his brats or whatever.
However, it seems it's the first time Wang Xie had heard about this 9th brat... And then again, who would actually call themselves master Xingjian's 9th brat? Definitely no one would ever embarrass themselves with that kind of nickname.
"9th brat is my 9th disciple, Lu Chong. Perhaps you might have heard of him?" killing the silence, Xingjian answered straight. His one crimson eye looking intently on Ben Li's.
Ben Li then gave an "Ah..." acting like he understood something and said. "Yes, I do know someone named Lu Chong.
However, for the matter of being crippled, I would like to first say that I apologize for your lose."
Hearing what he said, the elders fell intrigued. "So, you didn't cripple him?"
"Cripple him?" Ben Li blinked in skepticism and frowned. "Why would I?"
"Someone stated that Lu Chong and you had clashed in arms with the intent to kill." said Xingjian. "Perhaps this had sprouted some hatred within you and you decided to cripple him?"
"That huh?" mused Ben Li, then he said. "Yes, that part is true. We did clash in arms with the intent to kill."
"And you did not cripple him?"
"I'm certain that I never did even before I was unbeknownst to his motives and after I found out about it myself." said he Li shaking his head.
"Then do you know who did it?" now it was Wang Liu's turn to ask. Honestly for him, this discussion was taking too much of his time and wanted to end this now. And now that his son said that he didn't do it, then it was time to let them investigate it by themselves. All he has to do now was to pull his son out of this involvement.
"I don't know if esteemed elders should believe me if I told you. Truth be told, even I found this hard to believe myself."
"Then speak, lad. The truth is always unfathomable the first time it's heard." said Sect leader with his smile.
"Alright." Ben Li nodded and looked at the three. Then he prepared his heart to escalate this party.
"It was Kun Gu. A short old man with a wrinkled face who proclaims himself as the grandmaster of poisonmancy."
At this moment, the three calm elders had their faces warped in shock.