While Yun Bei Fen and Mei Chao Bing were enjoying a sweet moment under the stunned gaze of the surrounding disciples, Elder Baili took the initiative to return. Since his little disciple had finally stopped crying, he might as well lend a hand to make sure nobody would forget what happened here.
He folded his hands behind his back and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the couple and Yang Wu Huang, as well as all the bystanders, to him. "Well, I certainly wouldn't have thought that such a misunderstanding had occurred. Well, it's good that it has been resolved."
The disciples around them couldn't help but look at each other. So Elder Baili also felt that all of this could only be a misunderstanding. In that case, nothing should have happened. If he worried that his little disciple had come to harm, he certainly would've done something about it by now.
Yang Wu Huang gritted his teeth but nodded and gave a small smile. It was still better that this was deemed a misunderstanding than anybody accusing him of fanning the flames. He definitely couldn't let that happen.
Elder Baili held back his own smile when he saw Yang Wu Huang's reaction. Did this guy believe he could get away just like that after he spread such a rumor about his disciple? To think that he never might have found out about this if Mei Chao Bing hadn't told him! This guy definitely wouldn't get away just like that!
He once again cleared his throat and turned to look at Yang Wu Huang. "Yang Wu Huang, don't you think that you forgot something?"
Yang Wu Huang froze and turned to the Elder. What did he mean with this? He gave him an uneasy smile and cupped his fists, bowing his head. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what Elder Baili means. Hasn't everything already been cleared up?"
Baili Chao just looked at him.
Yang Wu Huang's gaze darted around and his brows slightly furrowed. "Elder, I really don't understand. If there's anything you'd like to instruct me on, please do so. I would be happy to listen."
Elder Baili sighed as if he was severely disappointed in Yang Wu Huang's lack of self-reflection. "I'll believe you for the moment when you say that you were actually assuming this rumor to be true."
The disciples around them couldn't help but whisper. What did he mean he would 'believe him for the moment'? Was there more to this matter?
"Still, the fact remains that you haven't handled this situation well. If you were indeed worried about Yun Bei Fen, that would certainly be good. But in that case, this matter shouldn't have been brought up in this way. Not with this many people around.
"You said it yourself: Such a rumor would've been able to tarnish his reputation. You also felt yourself to be unable to believe Fen'er when he said that nothing of the like happened. Was that because Mei Chao Bing was there? Then why didn't you come to the courtyard where we are living yesterday and asked Yun Bei Fen there while he was on his own? Or even better, why didn't you involve me from the very beginning? Don't you think that that would have been a better approach?"
Yang Wu Huang gritted his teeth. "Indeed, Elder Baili is completely right. I'm afraid I was too emotional and didn't think things through well enough."
Elder Baili nodded and then looked at Mei Chao Bing and Yun Bei Fen. "Well, now that the issue has been cleared up, Yun Bei Fen won't be troubled by it. So thankfully, no harm has been done in that regard. But you have also troubled Mei Chao Bing with this.
"If he had indeed done anything untoward to Yun Bei Fen, then he naturally should have been held accountable for that. Such a bad deed would certainly also be announced to the public to warn other disciples and set an example.
"Still, that is something that shouldn't be determined by you. You should have reported what you heard to one of the Elders and then let us handle the situation to make sure whether the rumor is true or not. With how you've done this, you've also slandered him." He took a pause and nodded at Mei Chao Bing.
"I certainly do not want to open old wounds but … since Yang Wu Huang has already brought it up, I should say something to this. It has already been several years since Mei Chao Bing's Master betrayed our Teng Yong sect. It is a day that many of us remember very well.
"We have lost one of our highly acclaimed Elders that day and it has made feel some people very insecure. Still, the traitor that day was Mei Chao Bing's Master, not Mei Chao Bing himself.
"We also investigated whether he was involved but Sect Master Zhang, as well as all the Elders of our Teng Yong Sect, have found that he was never involved in anything Elder Feng did. On the contrary, it was Mei Chao Bing who sounded the alarm on that day and alerted us to what was going on. He was fully cooperative with the investigation and we were able to discover several things only thanks to his help.
"The person that suffered the most from Elder Feng's betrayal was certainly Mei Chao Bing. The Teng Yong Sect might have lost one, no, two Elders but Mei Chao Bing lost his own Master. A person he looked up to and to whose teachings he listened for years, a person he regarded as a father figure that was supposed to guide him in his cultivation as well as in his life.
"He has lost that person and with him, his support in the sect and maybe he even lost his direction for a while. But he never strayed from the right way and was always committed to doing the right thing so he shouldn't have to lose the relationship with the other disciples or his home.
"Bringing this matter up again after such a rumor is irresponsible. From the day he joined our Teng Yong Sect, Mei Chao Bing has never broken any of our rules. He shouldn't be slandered like this by a fellow disciple.
"Yang Wu Huang, I ask you to apologize to him and then reflect on your behavior. The two of you are disciples of a righteous sect. Squabbling like this … that is not what a righteous cultivator should do."