Explanation . . .
"So you find it acceptable to bully the weak and curry favor with the strong? Is that why you're pleading for my mercy so earnestly? Is this the way of your Saint Sunlight Sect?" Xuan Bing's voice exuded icy coldness as she sneered. "No wonder your sect has endured in this world for tens of thousands of years. What an admirable skill!"
The middle-aged man's face was contorted in agony due to the pain in his arm. He was drenched in sweat, as if he had just emerged from water. His voice was hoarse as he admitted, "I... I was wrong..."
"Oh, so you understand the shame. Well, why don't I give you a chance to reveal your true character?" Xuan Bing pointed at his other arm with a finger.
The other arm began to swell and twist, undergoing the same painful transformation as the first arm.
"Why the silence? I know you're quite the talker. I asked for your name, didn't I? Why don't you tell me? Do you look down on me? Are you unwilling to respond?" Xuan Bing spoke indifferently and coldly. "Your attitude irritates me. Given your fondness for ending other people's families, I assume you don't hold your own family in high regard. I don't mind paying your family a visit sometime. I wonder what they're like. Do they resemble you? I think I'd recognize your children on sight. Oh, right, you asked me if I like you? What a pity. You've got that a bit wrong!"
The middle-aged man was trembling, and his lips turned purple.
He understood the implication in Xuan Bing's words and felt the murderous intent in her tone.
Yet, he was powerless to stop her.
He lacked the strength even to beg for mercy.
When he realized that the woman before him was Xuan Bing, he knew that his future was bleak. Hope had abandoned him.
He knew it was all over.
It wasn't just himself; his entire family was ruined.
It was an unforgivable error.
He had only uttered vile words, and now he regretted it deeply. But his deepest hatred wasn't directed at Xuan Bing; it was Han Bingxue whom he loathed to the core. Han Bingxue had manipulated him into uttering those words, leading him to his impending demise.
"Great Elder Xuan..." The white-bearded old man wore a complex expression on his face. He approached Xuan Bing slowly, bowed his head, and, with his silver hair, offered a heartfelt apology. "I am truly sorry."
"Shut up!" Xuan Bing sneered. "Sorry? You expect me to forget your actions because you said you're sorry? Since when did your words hold such power?"
The old man let out a long sigh and humbly spoke, "I realize that an apology alone will never suffice. We have committed an irredeemable mistake. I only want to know how we can make amends and persuade you to spare our lives."
Xuan Bing responded coldly, "Mistake? What mistake? Bai Bufan, please explain to me. What does 'mistake' mean? Perhaps we have different interpretations of this word, with entirely different meanings in our minds. If we can't agree on the definition of this word, how can I be expected to spare you?"
Bai Bufan, the old man, felt deeply ashamed, his face turning crimson. He took a deep breath, suppressing his humiliation, and admitted, "It is our fault. We are in the wrong. We..."
The Saint Elder of the Saint Sunlight Sect, a man in a relatively high position within the sect, bowed his head in regret.
It was a shameful moment.
But it was a necessary one, for the alternative was facing death.
"I am requesting an explanation for the term 'mistake.' I haven't asked for an apology! Why are you assuming fault? Am I in the wrong for questioning you?" Xuan Bing's frigid gaze resembled the scrutinizing eyes of divine beings peering down upon mere mortals.
Her presence was overwhelming and unassailable. She showed no signs of weakness, standing firmly on the side of righteousness.
Xuan Bing pressed on, her questioning leaving no room for negotiation.
Bai Bufan's eyes held a tinge of bitterness, his chest heavy with resentment. The men behind him felt a mix of shame and anger. Their gazes upon Xuan Bing were marked by both fury and fear.
They had long held a deep-seated fear of Xuan Bing, an emotion that couldn't be easily dispelled. Yet, witnessing her humiliate the elderly man filled them with anger.
They were all accomplished cultivators, a group of skilled individuals who were used to wielding power over others. They had never experienced such humiliation before.
None of them could have foreseen such disgrace and shame.
Some even began drawing their swords, causing clouds to gather in the sky. The energy of Dao Origin Stage practitioners slowly coalesced, creating an intensely charged atmosphere, on the brink of a full-blown confrontation.
Xuan Bing regarded them with indifference, her eyes shifting between the men and the darkening sky. She showed no inclination to halt the impending conflict.
In her eyes, a profound sense of malevolence was building. Should any of them make a move, she would respond with unrelenting force, mercilessly subduing them. She was confident that none of them would survive her onslaught.
Furthermore, she harbored no qualms about stirring up a major disturbance, even involving Saint Sunlight Sect. She was prepared to lead them to the brink of annihilation. Her motive lay in her perception of the sect as a significant threat to her master.
By orchestrating a major incident, she hoped to justify her actions against Saint Sunlight Sect, eliminating any potential threats to Cha Eun Xiao, who remained her primary concern.
"Stay still, all of you!" Bai Bufan urgently yelled, turning around to address his companions. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of blood – "Pah!" – his condition worsening due to the overwhelming shame and anger.
Standing before Xuan Bing, he was most senior among the nineteen and could sense her gathering energy. She was slowly accumulating her murderous intent, a vast and deep well of spiritual power amassing beneath her feet.
She was ready!