Peng Zhen and Gui Bingwen exchanged a glance, both seeing the same fear reflected in each other's eyes.
"You two, stand to the right of the black blob over there," Feng Xin instructed, gesturing to the rightmost part of the circular platform. The elders complied without a word, making their way over while carefully avoiding eye contact with Sect Master Cheng Yuan. From the way they acted, they may as well have been strangers.
"Yang Qing, there are also some things I'll need your input on after the case," Feng Xin said, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "I ran into some interesting things in the Green Fog Region." He deliberately emphasized the last part, his eyes gleaming.
Yang Qing's reaction was immediate. "How many?" he asked, excitement creeping into his tone, his eyes practically glowing.
"About six or seven, though I'll need help handling one of them. It's… rather big and will require careful craftsmanship to make the best use of it," Feng Xin said, slurping his tongue like a hungry dog.
"You two! We have a case going on," Yi Jie cut in, his voice exasperated. "Can you save your discussion for after we settle this? We're already behind schedule, and I refuse to be here past working hours. I have a wine discourse to attend today!"
Yang Qing immediately straightened, his expression turning serious. "Right. Message received."
"I understand," Feng Xin responded swiftly, a smirky grin forming as he swallowed greedily.
Yi Jie offered a small smile, nodding appreciatively.
Isn't there anyone normal among these three? Mao Yunru couldn't help but shake her head at the thought. She could tell Yi Jie was only pretending to focus on the case—his real motive was to get the two to save whatever they were discussing for his wine recipes.
Two gluttons and a wine enthusiast, all of whom seemed to prioritize their hobbies over their work
"Ahem, let's continue where we left off.
Sect Master Cheng Yuan, from both your and Wen Chang's testimonies, it's safe to assume that your feud with her was orchestrated by a few elders from your sect, led by your junior brother and Vice Sect Master, Peng Zhen.
Based on what we've heard from Feng Xin, his co-conspirators were:
Gui Bingwen, the vice leader of the disciplinary hall.
Dong Yanlin, a deacon in charge of external affairs.
Jia Tingfeng, responsible for training core disciples before you took over.
Hao Ye, an elder of the alchemy division.
These four conspired with Peng Zhen to instigate a feud between you and Wen Chang. When you both failed to eliminate each other, they schemed to have you settle your dispute at the Order, leaving the sect defenseless. They emptied the treasury, uprooted the tupelo tree, and incapacitated everyone in the sect while they were at it.
Fortunately, no one was found dead by the time Feng Xin arrived, and from his assessment, their survival was intentional rather than a stroke of luck.
During their escape, Dong Yanlin's true identity was revealed—he was a member of the Blood Ghost Hands Syndicate. In his bid to flee, he sacrificed Jia Tingfeng and Hao Ye, leaving only Peng Zhen and Gui Bingwen as the survivors of the entire debacle. Dong Yanlin is presumed dead, as no remains were left intact after the attack.
That about sums it up, right, Feng Xin?" Yang Qing asked after recounting the events.
"Yes, it does," Feng Xin replied curtly.
"Good.
Now, Elder Peng Zhen, I'd like you and your friend to clarify a few things for me before I make a verdict.
Before that, as you've already heard, my name is Yang Qing. By my side is Head Inquisitor Yi Jie, and at the desk below me is Judicial Assistant Mao Yunru. Now that introductions are out of the way, there are a few things I'd like to know.
First, how did you and Dong Yanlin become acquainted? From what Cheng Yuan said, he joined the sect and became an elder under your referral.
Second, and perhaps the question your senior brother over there is more interested in—why did you betray the sect? Seeing as there were zero casualties when you plundered the sect, it's clear you still had some attachment to it. So what could drive someone like you to betrayal?"
Yang Qing softly asked as he motioned for Peng Zhen to take the floor.
"Greetings, Judge Yang Qing.
The answer to the second question is tied to the first.
I met Dong Yanlin—who was pretending to be a rogue cultivator at the time—during one of my travels outside while tempering myself and searching for opportunities to deepen my cultivation. I was wary of him at first, but he had a way with people. After partnering with him on a few expeditions, we became friends—brothers even, who had shed blood and sweat together," began Peng Zhen.
"When I felt I had gained enough from my travels, I decided to return to the sect for secluded cultivation. I invited him to come along and join the sect. He was at the sixth stage of the Foundation Establishment realm and didn't seem too old, so I thought he'd be a great addition. Surviving as a rogue cultivator and one with foundation realm level strength to boot, meant he was resourceful, which would be a boon to the sect. I had seen him fight firsthand—I knew he was capable and I considered him a brother. Inviting him with me seemed the reasonable option on all fronts," Peng Zhen paused, a bitter smile appearing on him.
"At first, he pretended to be hesitant, but he eventually agreed, and we returned to the sect together. I recommended he be made a deacon handling external affairs. I figured that, as a former rogue cultivator, he might struggle to adjust to sect life, but in that position, we could make full use of his connections and he would get to enjoy a modicum of freedom without being restricted to the sect so much.
Given my prestige, it wasn't difficult to secure him the role," Peng Zhen continued.
"A few months in, he had already won over most of the sect with the loan deals and sales channels he helped establish for our herbs.
A year later, an accident happened," Peng Zhen said, taking a momentary pause, an air of regret and guilt enveloping him.
"Because of our friendship, I never had any wariness toward him. I treated him as a brother. One night, he came to my cultivation peak for a drink, just as we had done many times before.
It had always been a drinking habit of ours to seal our cultivation bases when drinking to get the full effect, and this time was no different. I did so as usual, but the moment the wine touched my tongue, an overwhelming wave of drowsiness crashed over me.
I immediately tried to unseal my cultivation, but Dong Yanlin struck with extreme speed and precision, hitting all of my acupoints and stopping me dead in my tracks. Even in that brief moment, I could tell—he was stronger than me. Even if my cultivation had been unsealed, I doubt I could have stopped his attack.
I passed out moments later," Peng Zhen explained, with a bitter shake of his head, complex emotions swirling within him, fueled by not only the contents of his narration but also the discovery he made about Dong Yanlin's background. Even dead, he still couldn't help but feel fearful of him, especially with his connections to the Blood Ghost Hands Syndicate.
Shaking his head clear of the frightful thoughts he continued. "When I came to, I found myself staring into his mocking gaze as he sat across from me. I was surprised to be alive, but he soon explained why.
It turned out he had planted a gu and a blood seal curse on me. Right then and there, I tried to detonate myself, but the gu swallowed all of my explosive energy, and the blood seal paralyzed me.
Immediately after my failed attempt, he warned me—if I tried to take my own life, the blood seal would turn me into a corpse cultivator under his control, and he would use me to destroy the sect.
I essentially became a puppet to him," Peng Zhen explained, his voice faltering slightly as he did, evoking the feeling of helplessness he felt at that moment.
"As it turns out, our meeting wasn't purely by chance but rather something he had orchestrated. He'd been eyeing our sect for quite some time, looking for a safe way in, all so he could get his hands on the tupelo tree. meeting wasn't an accident as he had been eyeing our sect because of the tupelo tree."
Peng Zhen paused briefly, his expression that of someone who looked to be hesitating about something. After a few seconds, he sighed, seemingly looking like someone who had arrived at their decision.
"Our sect founder had a history with one of the members from the syndicate," Peng Zhen began, his statement drawing looks of interest from Yang Qing, Mao Yunru, Yi Jie and Feng Xin.
"He got into an altercation with that member, which ended up in a brutal chase and fight to the death that reached all the way into the Green Fog Region. The reason for that fight was our tupelo tree which was in its seed form back then.
Our founder and that member ended up gravely injured, with our founder choosing to flee deeper into the Green Fog Region, rather than continue with the fight. From that moment forth, he never left the region, as it offered the best hiding spot, considering the enemy he had made," explained Peng Zhem, with a solemness in his tone.
"I'm guessing Dong Yanlin may have had ties with that member, which may be why he targeted us and the tupelo tree," he added.
"He was wary of Cheng Yuan and never wanted to confront him directly. That's why he proposed the scheme to create a feud between Cheng Yuan and Wen Chang, hoping they would severely wound each other, making it easier for him to deal with them. He was the one who supplied most of the herbs planted in the treasury vault—the ones used to deceive Wen Chang," Peng Zhen said, his eyes flashing with remorse before shifting to confusion as he finally noticed Wen Chang's absence from the courtroom.
He wanted to ask about her, but given the circumstances—and the fact that his own actions had landed him here—he chose to stay silent. He was already on thin ice; there was no need to make things worse. Instead, he pressed on with his testimony.
"I suggested bringing in other elders to further sell the ruse," he continued.
"Convincing those who had long been dissatisfied with Cheng Yuan wasn't difficult. And should anything have happened to them, I wouldn't have felt the slightest guilt—anyone willing to betray their sect for selfish grievances deserves no sympathy," he added, his tone sharp and cold.
"Dong Yanlin's scheme gave me the perfect opportunity to root out the dissidents—except for Gui Bingwen. He was the only one I confided in about my predicament. Dong Yanlin wouldn't suspect him because, as far as the sect was concerned, he was being forced into retirement by Cheng Yuan. If I wanted to outmaneuver Dong Yanlin, I needed an extra hand. Other than Cheng Yuan, Gui was the only one I could trust to go along with my plan," Peng Zhen said, a small, grateful smile appearing on his face as he glanced at Gui Bingwen before shifting his focus back to his testimony.
"The plan to instigate a feud between Cheng Yuan and Wen Chang worked, but I knew my senior brother well enough to be certain he wouldn't fight her to the death as Dong Yanlin had hoped.
After their battle, I suggested they take their dispute to the Order," Peng Zhen paused briefly before continuing.
"This was to ensure that, in case my plan against Dong Yanlin failed and the sect was destroyed, the two most powerful people in the sect would still be alive and safe at the Order—preserving a chance for its reconstruction.
It's much easier to rebuild with two Core Formation experts at the helm. My death, and Gui's, wouldn't change the bigger picture—but theirs would," Peng Zhen said, casting a brief glance at his senior brother.
A complicated air hung between them, lingering for a moment before dispersing slightly as Peng Zhen resumed speaking.
"Dong Yanlin may have put on an act around me, but after seeing the extent of his schemes, I concluded that he was an overly cautious person. I suspected he would support having Cheng Yuan and Wen Chang removed from the sect.
With that in place, we needed one more crucial ally—without which everything would have collapsed—the Tupelo tree.
The tree had already gained sentience, and without its approval, no one could have uprooted it. It was the most powerful being in the entire sect. Only Cheng Yuan and I knew of its sentience, making it nearly impossible for Dong Yanlin to uncover this secret.
I revealed my plan to the tree—my intent to eliminate Dong Yanlin and whoever he was colluding with outside the sect. The tree readily agreed to help. With that, I was confident that two peak Foundation Establishment experts, a spiritual tree with the strength of a peak Core Formation cultivator, and a Sky-rank treasure would be enough to handle any unforeseen circumstances.
But as it turns out, I had grossly underestimated Dong Yanlin—and his background," Peng Zhen said, a bitter smile forming on his lips.
"If it hadn't been for that spell and Inquisitor Feng Xin's intervention, we would have long been dead, dooming the sect along with us.
I never intended to involve the Order in my schemes, but it was the only place where I was certain Cheng Yuan and Wen Chang would be safe if things went wrong," Peng Zhen said slowly, his tone filled with remorse yet firm with conviction. He looked and sounded apologetic, but the resolve in his eyes made it clear—knowing the consequences, he would do it all over again.
"Given Dong Yanlin's cautious nature, I doubted he would enter a place without ensuring an escape route. I suspected whatever measures he had in place would be enough to injure my senior brother, which is why I felt uneasy having the two in the same vicinity—especially if Dong Yanlin was pushed into desperation.
As for Gui Bingwen, he was merely acting as a loyal friend and sect member.
I am prepared to accept whatever punishment you deem fit, but please show mercy to my sect and spare Gui Bingwen," Peng Zhen said, solemnly bowing at a ninety-degree angle. He considered kneeling but hesitated—he didn't want to sully the Order's pristine floors with his tattered robes.
A heavy silence settled over the courtroom. Cheng Yuan stood frozen, his jaw slack, his body trembling as he wrestled with a storm of emotions.