Under the gaze of the crowd.
The aloof and superbly beautiful woman, Zhu Wanning, who hadn't said a word throughout, gracefully moved her long slender legs in high heels and stood next to Lin Xiao.
She first bowed to the elders on stage, then cupped her hands in greeting towards her master, Su Mei, and said:
"Master, I...upon discovering Ye Chen trespassing into the Fairy Pool and detaining him, I was on my way back to my residence when I saw Chu Youwei from Shenxiao Peak, who was flying towards Phoenix Caw Peak by using her sword. I approached to ask, but Chu only mentioned she was looking for someone then hastily left."
"From what I see now... just as Senior Brother Lin has mentioned, Chu at that time was probably looking for Ye Chen who was missing."
"Therefore..."
She bit her lips, struggled for a second, then for the first time in her life, she told a lie: "The incident that Brother Ye from Tiandang Peak trespassed the Fairy Pool may... indeed be a misunderstanding!"
As this testimony was spoken.
The whole venue was instantly thrown into an uproar!
The elders on the stage were also whispering in the ear of each other, with a look of astonishment on their faces.
"Zhu Wanning surely knows the score."
"When I was a student in my previous life, I was fully absorbed in the book "Emperor", neglecting this icy beauty full of both beauty and wisdom."
"But having said that, the original Zhu Wanning never lied, valued promises highly, and in the middle of the story, she promised Ye Chen, this scummy man, that she would wait for him in Qinglan Sect and alone was guardian of Phoenix Caw for hundreds of years."
"Such a woman, is actually lying to help me?"
Lin Xiao watched and felt both gratified and a little puzzled in his heart.
"Wanning, is it true what you have said? Did you really meet Chu Youwei?"
Su Mei turned to her prized eldest disciple.
Under the scrutiny of her respected master's gaze, a blush crept up on Zhu Wanning cheeks, lowering her head a bit, "Disciple... dare not deceive Master!"
'I'm sorry master! It's not that your disciple intends to deceive you, this Senior Brother Lin from Shenxiao Peak is a wise person. In that script of heaven's path, he is the only one in Qinglan Sect who sticks to opposing Ye Chen! Therefore, he must have his reasons for what he is doing today!' She silently said in her heart.
"Very good."
Su Mei gave her disciple a complex look for a second, and then turned to True Master Ziyun and the elders on the stage:
"As the Sect leader and elders have seen, my disciple has just confirmed what Lin Xiao has said, now it seems... Martial Nephew Ye's trespassing into the prohibited area of Phoenix Caw Peak last night was indeed a misunderstanding."
Just as her voice faded, an angry roar came:
"Nonsense!"
The whole venue was shaken, and they all looked over.
They saw a young man dressed in black coming over with fury on his face and blood red eyes:
"Zhu Wanning, you lie! You and this Lin Xiao are in the same league!"
"Indeed, Chu Youwei faked her apology to me! But her aim was to lure me into the forbidden area of the Fairy Pool!"
"So she would be thrilled if I were caught in the Fairy Pool! How can she come looking for me out of worry!"
After he finished, the young man steeled himself, then "thud" he knelt down in front of the elders on the stage: "Disciple Ye Chen! I was indeed framed by someone this time! I implore all the elders and chairmen to uphold justice for me!"
His complaint and bout of tears moved everyone.
"This fiery young man."
"Though he is known as a rebel against the world with the airs of Long Aotian, still he can let go of being downright when the crucial time comes and act accordingly."
"A son of luck is indeed not something ordinary people can be."
Lin Xiao sneered in his heart.
He then calmly took a step forward, looking at Ye Chen and said, "Junior Brother Ye, I know you were mistreated by the people from your own sect due to this misunderstanding and you are upset, that's why you are so emotionally worked up and speaking recklessly."
"As your older brother, I understand your feelings, and even feel somewhat sorry, but—"
When he reached this point, Lin Xiao raised his voice, and his handsome face suddenly turned stern: "You cannot frame the innocent because of the wrongs you have suffered!"
"Such narrow-minded behavior, how can it be regarded as the behavior of my righteous path of immortality?"
"In the long run, how can we cast a calm and just heart and achieve The Great Path?"
He spoke word for word, full of emotion, thunderously reverberating as if it was a loud reprimand!
The hall was completely silent!
Everyone was stunned and they were all looking at the young man, handsome, upright, clear-minded, who seemed to be the incarnation of justice when he stood there.
At this moment, most of the people present including Su Mei and Zhu Wanning next to him, all had a question:
"Is this righteous and divine young man in front of us really the same one as the known lazy and incompetent Eldest Senior Brother from Shenxiao Peak?"
Even Ye Chen paused for a few seconds before he responded, angrily saying, "Lin Xiao, you..."
However, his words were not completed when a chubby hand covered his mouth!
Ye Chen was shocked and looked back, only to see that the person behind him was none other than his "apparent master", Daoist Yuan Yi!
"My good disciple, the situation is more powerful than man. Zhu Wanning has a special status in the hearts of the Sect Leader and the elders. No one would believe your words if she testified here."
"But don't worry! I believe in you! For today's grudge, I will help you with a hundredfold payback! With joint efforts from the master and disciple, we will make these people pay in blood!"
"But this situation…ahem ahem…at least proves that your trespassing into the Fairy Pool was a misunderstanding, which clears your name! Now it seems that Lin Xiao is a bit humane after all, so you shouldn't bother arguing with him for now."
Daoist Yuan Yi, through the Communication Secret Method, advised earnestly.
"This...."
Ye Chen clenched his fists, but eventually had to swallow his anger, and with a dejected look, he lowered his head and stopped talking.
Yuan Yi pulled Ye Chen behind him, with the usual fake smile on his face, he cupped his hands towards the audience and said:
""Chief Su Mei, Sect Leader, esteemed Elders, and Martial Nephew Zhu and Lin, many thanks for attending today to clear the name of my apprentice!"
"As we've all just heard, it was nothing more than a misunderstanding! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
His diplomatic words gradually eased the tension at the scene.
Following an exchange through the Communication Secret Method with some of the Elders, Sect Leader True Master Ziyun cleared his throat and said:
"Chief Su Mei, as the presiding judge, do you still have anything to ask Lin Xiao?"
When she heard this, Su Mei, who had been staring dreamily at the handsome white-robed Martial Nephew, was momentarily stunned. It took her quite a while to respond.
"In response to Sect Leader, just as Martial Brother Yuanyi has stated, everything is now evident. The incident of intruding the Fairy Pool last night was indeed a misunderstanding. To speak frankly, Martial Nephews Lin and Chu, including Martial Nephew Ye, all are good kids."
"Isn't this truth what we hoped for in the first place?"
"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Well said, Chief Su! Let's put this matter to rest!"
At this, Yuanyi laughed uproariously, and immediately dragged Ye Chen by the arm, saying, "Apprentice, although the whole thing was a misunderstanding, you rashly accused your Martial Brother Lin out of emotional distress. Shouldn't you go over there and make peace with him, and apologize?"
What!?
I, the sole victim in this incident, who was severely injured, have to apologize to that Immortal Stick?
Upon hearing these words, Ye Chen recoiled, utterly unwilling to accept this.
However, he knew in his heart.
As Elder Daoist Yuanyi said, circumstances are beyond one's control!
Finally, he gritted his teeth, and stepped towards the handsome white-dressed young man he despised, and now envied even more.
"Martial Brother Lin, I...I'm..."
With blood-shot eyes and twitching facial muscles, he finally extended a hand, squeaking through clenched teeth, "I'm sorry! Please forgive this rash disciple!"
"Forget it, if a Martial Brother's sincerity reaches this level, it's only natural to let go,"
Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow and said loudly, "Martial Brother Ye, from now on, you should cultivate your moral character and think before you act. Got it?"
With these courteous yet generous words,
All sect Elders and stewards present couldn't help but nod admiringly, relieved.
In the end, just as Lin Xiao was about to bear with his disgust and shake Ye Chen's outstretched hand -
A cold and domineering female voice resounded from outside the hall:
"Ye Chen, you little thief, how dare you injure my disciple!"
The voice, amplified by strong True Power, echoed through the entire Shenxiao Palace.
A terrifying surge of immeasurable Sword Intent descended from above, even stirring up an invisible world of swords in the air!
"It's...it's Martial Sister Hongling!"
The Chairman of Red Cloud Peak, who had been merely observing everything, Daoist Chisong, exclaimed shockingly with a high-pitched shout.
In the next moment, under the astonished, shocked, and terrified gazes of everyone...
A vivid green sword light, along with a blurry female figure, charged into the hall with an unimaginable speed and momentum!
In the split second that followed -
Boom!
Lin Xiao's heart skipped a beat, as he helplessly watched Ye Chen beside him, getting punched and sent flying by a delicate white fist in an uppercut stance!
Whoosh!
Like a kite with a broken string, Ye Chen was sent flying, spewing blood that drew a brilliant arc in the air.
Amid the familiar scent of flowers and alcohol entering his nostrils,
Lin Xiao swiftly turned his head to look.
His otherworldly beautiful yet alcoholic Master had arrived at his side, stepping through the air with her uniquely slender and plump long legs.
"Sorry, Xiao'er, your Master was...hmm."
"Anyway! Let's go with your Master!"
"With your Master here, nobody in the Qinglan Sect would dare to touch you!"
With a look of absolute determination and domineering air, Xiao Hongling then brazenly took the hand of her eldest disciple.
Feeling this overwhelmingly domineering aura
All attendees in the hall gasped, looking closely...
This number one beauty of the Central State's cultivation world had casually flung floating strands of black hair dancing in the wind, her stunningly beautiful face flushed pink with lingering intoxication.
As she spoke briefly, she hiccuped twice, apparently...
She had just recently awoken from a hangover?
"Oh my god..."
"Is this woman drunk again?"
"The key is that Ye Chen did nothing!"
"Just yesterday he was half beaten to death by Zhu Wanning, today he's again beaten up to the point of bleeding from seven orifices!"
"What the hell is going on?"
"Achievement unlocked: 'world where only the male lead gets injured'?"
This time, Lin Xiao was at a loss for words, completely out of energy even to comment!