The Dewsip Pavilion was located not too far from their lockup caves. Mo Ran arrived shortly after Chu Wanning. Chu Wanning was not bound, but Mo Ran had his hands tied up behind his back. This gesture implied that the good treatment that Chu Wanning enjoyed during his imprisonment owed to his title as zongshi. Else, he would also be treated similarly as a criminal or worse.
Xue Zhengyong was enraged when he saw Mo Ran's bound state. He turned to the Elder Immortal and spoke sharply, "Will Elder Immortal untie my nephew or must we wait until the trial ends???"
The Elder Immortal impassively glanced at Mo Ran and gave a slight nod. A feathered tribe guard came over and slashed the rope around Mo Ran's wrists open.
"Ran-er... Ah, Ran-er. Come here and sit with Uncle."
Mo Ran sat next to Xue Zhengyong and started to talk.
"Uncle, we did not do it."
"I know, I know..."
"Our trial was tampered with. We were fighting for our lives."
"I know, I... Huh?"
Xue Zhengyong furrowed his brows at Mo Ran.
Being faced with the accusation, a grim-looking Eighteen spoke up.
"Watch your mouth. What did you mean, it was tampered with? Many other cultivators went through the same trials as you did, all of them exited unscathed."
Mo Ran indignantly talked back, "Exactly. Shizun and I retain our injuries from the trial."
He might be hoping that the feathered tribe folks started to see things from another point of view, but his hope plummeted when he saw them flashing a round of cynical smiles.
"Well, disciple Mo, those are the injuries you got from your fight with Twenty, are they not? How dare did you spin a story to your advantage?"
Mo Ran, "I did not! Please go back to the cave and check the trial!"
"The trial resets as soon as it concludes. There is no way to verify," the Elder Immortal spoke up to end the lengthy discussion.
Mo Ran still wanted to argue, but Chu Wanning gave him a look and he quieted down instantly.
The Elder Immortal heaved a deep sigh before she continued. The youthful face momentarily carried a burden heavier than time, reflecting the tragic loss of Twenty.
"It is clear to me that the prisoners pleaded not guilty, but the evidence points toward the use of Chu-zongshi's spiritual weapon in committing the murder..."
After Mo Ran, it was Xue Zhengyong who was impatient to talk.
"Elder Immortal, with all due respect, which foolish criminal would leave his spiritual weapon hanging around the neck of his victim?"
The Elder Immortal continued, "... Like Sect Leader Xue pointed out, this was very unlikely. We have done some testing to check the nature of the golden willow vine around Twenty's neck and found that it was a normal willow vine that was imbued with some spiritual power. It does not qualify to be part of any spiritual weapon."
The faces of Mo Ran and Xue Zhengyong lit up immediately. Mo Ran was so happy that the Elder Immortal was both wise and insightful. The same thing could not be said about the rest of the feathered tribe folks.
"This means that Chu-zongshi has been framed."
Mo Ran almost jumped up and hugged the Elder Immortal. Clearly, there was a good reason why the Elder Immortal became the Elder Immortal! Should Zhuque be run by the other idiotic feathered cultivators, Peach Blossoms Spring might as well be closed for good!
Chu Wanning remained quiet. Everything that the Elder Immortal said was what he had thought by himself during his lone imprisonment. Framing him was not an easy task. Obstinately insisting that the willow vine around Miss Twenty's neck was part of Tianwen was simply foolish. Chu Wanning could easily point out the differences between the two of them.
So now that the Elder Immortal herself had agreed that Chu Wanning had been framed, what came next?
"Only select cultivators had been permitted entrance to the Peach Blossoms Spring. If one or more people have a hand in framing Chu-zongshi, it has to be one of them. Or one of us," the Elder Immortal graciously added.
"For that purpose, we solicited some help from Guyue'ye Sect. Grandmaster Hua has kindly donated two thousand Truth Pills to be distributed among all cultivators and feathered tribe folks to dig the truth out of each individual, no exception.
In fact, the cultivators that we sent back are now on their way back to the Peach Blossoms Spring. I hope that Chu-zongshi is happy with how we handle things."
Chu Wanning's face darkened.
Happy?
"Wait a moment," Jiang Xi spoke up. "We agreed to send away the cultivators. Why not just get them to swallow the Truth Pills back at their respective sects?"
Elder Immortal, "Then it will take longer to clear Chu-zongshi's good name. Unless Chu-zongshi and Mo Ran agree to be kept in detainment until we have fed everyone with the Truth Pills?"
Xue Zhengyong slammed his fan shut with a loud sound.
"Preposterous!!! Did Elder Immortal just now not say that our Yuheng Elder was framed? Why do you need to keep them detained if you have arrived at this wise conclusion?"
Eighteen, "Sect Leader Xue, this is our assumption. Forgive me for being honest, but it is also possible that Chu-zongshi planned the whole thing meticulously. What better way to avoid the suspicion than putting yourself in the framed suspect position?"
Both Xue Zhengyong and Mo Ran rose to their feet and cried, "How dare you???"
Chaos quickly ensued and insults were exchanged. Chu Wanning finally had a general idea of the real goal in this setup. The goal was to feed everyone the Truth Pills!
But why?
And what for?
The cultivators that Xue Zhengyong had painstakingly managed to send back were returning to Peach Blossoms Spring. Chu Wanning could not afford to wait any second longer. He had to unravel the plan as soon as possible.
Chu Wanning stood up solemnly and the quarreling adults immediately quieted down.
"Since my innocence is not yet confirmed, I am willing to be the first person to take the Truth Pill," Chu Wanning calmly said. Xue Zhengyong and Mo Ran ripped their eyes open in shock.
Jiang Xi narrowed his eyes at Chu Wanning and said nothing.
"Yuheng, you don't have to...!!!"
"Shizun...!!!"
Eighteen smiled full of delight.
"As expected of Chu-zongshi, you possess the grace and bearing of a grandmaster. Since you are willing to be the first, the others will naturally follow."
A snap of fingers later, four heavy-looking crates were brought into the Dewsip Pavilion. Each of the crates was secured with a silver lock with the feathered tribe insignia embossed on it. The Elder Immortal took off a necklace that hung around her neck and handed it over to Eighteen. Eighteen received the necklace with a red crystal pendant and pressed the pendant against a silver lock. The lock opened with a clear sound and the crate opened to reveal carefully packed Truth Pills. These pills required rare ingredients and a long time to produce. Only a medical sect such as Guyue'ye and maybe Rufeng Sect were able to afford the astronomical price of two thousand pills at once. Hua Binan's contribution did not go unnoticed. This explained why Jiang Xi and Hua Binan were allowed to stay for the trial and also why they were treated with utmost respect within the Peach Blossoms Spring.
Eighteen dislodged a box containing the Truth Pill and carefully held it up in front of Chu Wanning. The pill was the size of a grape, with color as dark as the night.
"Chu-zongshi, please."
Mo Ran cried, "Shizun!"
Chu Wanning did not even give Mo Ran a side glance. He had his own plan. Of course he would not swallow the Truth Pill obediently. The little boy took the Truth Pill from Eighteen and exerted some spiritual power into it. The pill crumbled inside his palm. After the powdery substance seeped between his fingers, what was left was a single black chess piece on Chu Wanning's hand.