Third Chamber — The Fake Treasure!
BAM!
"Just my luck..." Su Xiaobai muttered, dusting off his already ruined robes. He slapped at the dirt, but all it did was leave him looking like he'd rolled in mud for fun.
His heartbeat pounded in his chest like an irate elder slamming their palm on the table during a sect meeting. He could barely hear over the roar of blood in his ears, but his eyes remained locked on the cavern before him.
The massive chamber stretched out, glowing faintly with a mystical light that whispered, 'This place is important. Be amazed, you peasant.'
At its center, a chest hovered above a jade-and-obsidian altar, its radiant glow practically screaming, 'I'm treasure. Come fight over me!'
The thing was so smug it could have grown arms just to give everyone the middle finger.
"That's it! The treasure!" Liu Zhenhai's excited yell shattered the quiet chamber.
His perfectly styled golden hair caught the chamber's light, making him look like a narcissistic god. His eyes gleamed, a perfect combination of greed and ambition.
But he wasn't alone in his ogling.
Wang Fei licked his lips, his gaze so intense it could have melted through the altar. He looked like a hungry dog eyeing a steak.
Beside him, Chen Yong swaggered forward, practically oozing greed.
"Whatever's in there is mine," Chen Yong declared, his sneer so wide it could have stretched into the next dimension. "Step aside, unless you want to regret it."
Fatty Zhou, stunned, crossed his arms and let out a loud snort. "Yours? What did you do, oh mighty inner disciple? Sit pretty while the rest of us risked our necks? The only thing you've earned is a front-row seat to me opening that chest!"
Chen Yong's face darkened like a storm cloud, and he barked, "Shut your filthy mouth, you tub of fat. Outer disciples don't get a say here."
"Oh yeah? Come closer and say that to my face!" Zhou growled, his belly trembling with barely contained rage.
The tension crackled like a lightning array about to detonate, but before anyone could swing a fist or summon a technique, Xiao Yu's voice echoed, filled with doubt.
"Wait... Where's Lan Meiyu?"
"Huh?"
"!"
The question hit like a thunderclap.
"Lan Meiyu?" Wang Fei repeated, blinking.
"Where is she?" Liu Zhenhai echoed, his brow furrowing.
The shadows answered.
Lan Meiyu stepped forward, her figure emerging from the darkness like a ghost bent on vengeance. Her usually pristine robes hung in tatters, revealing streaks of dirt and sweat-streaked skin beneath.
Her every step radiated fury, her eyes blazing like twin suns ready to incinerate everything in their path.
Su Xiaobai's gut clenched. A chill raced down his spine, and for one absurd moment, he wondered if his Yang Qi was about to abandon him in fear. 'She looks like she's here to kill someone. And knowing my rotten luck, that someone is definitely me.'
"SCOUNDREL!" Her voice rang out like a divine decree, slamming into him with the force of a collapsing mountain.
Everyone turned to stare at Su Xiaobai.
'Great. Perfect. Yeah, this is fine,' he thought bitterly. 'Sure, let's just ignore the glowing chest of potential death in the room and make me the center of attention. Love this.'
"Senior sister," he said carefully, forcing a smile that felt about as convincing as a paper shield. "What's—"
"SHUT UP!" Her roar shook the chamber, and her trembling finger pointed straight at him. "You… You dared to violate me! You used my body for your disgusting pleasure in that cave!"
Hiss!
Gasps rippled through the chamber.
"Wait, what?" Wang Fei's jaw dropped.
"This little rat…?" Liu Zhenhai murmured, his lips twitching with something between shock and anger.
"Bastard." Xiao Yu let out a disgusted snort, shaking his head.
Su Xiaobai froze. He tilted his head slightly, his expression calm, but his brain was spinning faster than an unstable formation. 'Violated? Used her body? What kind of fever-dream accusation is this?!'
Of course, he did do that. But seriously—why was she announcing it like this?
Couldn't we settle this outside? Quietly? Like civilized cultivators—or at least in a place without so many witnesses ready to stab me in the back?
"Senior sister," he began again, bowing slightly, "I think there's been a misunderstanding. I would never—"
"LIAR!" Her sword materialized in her hand, glowing with sharp, murderous intent. For a brief moment, Su Xiaobai saw his own pale face reflected in the blade's edge.
Before Lan Meiyu could take his head, Elder Bai's voice rang out, it carried the tone of someone fed up with babysitting a pack of unruly brats.
"Enough!"
The room stilled.
Even the hovering chest seemed to dim its glow in deference to the elder's commanding presence.
"Lan Meiyu," Elder Bai said, her tone colder than an ice cave. "You've accused him of a grave crime. But the Xiantian Sect does not act on baseless claims. Where is your proof?"
Lan Meiyu's grip on her sword tightened, her knuckles white as bone. "I know what he did! He violated me while I was defenseless!"
Elder Bai's eyes narrowed. "Then provide evidence. We do not punish based on outrage alone."
"..."
"..."
The silence was deafening.
Elder Bai's piercing gaze shifted to Lan Meiyu, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. The girl had been defenseless? Helpless against this rogue cultivator? Elder Bai's lips tightened into a thin line. She could smell the nonsense from a mile away.
Lan Meiyu, a disciple of Xiantian sect with enough skill to slap someone like Su Xiaobai into next week, suddenly unable to fend him off? It didn't add up.
What's more, Elder Bai had been observing Lan Meiyu throughout this treasure hunt. The girl wasn't just cunning—she was calculating. Too calculating for someone who was supposedly caught off guard.
'No,' Elder Bai thought, her instincts sharpening. 'This disciple isn't simple at all.'
Lan Meiyu's face turned ugly as the elder seemed to not believe her at all.
At that moment, Liu Zhenhai stepped in to assist, holding up a vial of shimmering purple liquid. "Elder Bai, I have a Truth-Seeking Elixir. Let him drink it, and we'll know the truth."
Elder Bai arched a brow, observing the vial filled with the shimmering blue liquid. "That's a rare treasure. Are you truly willing to sacrifice it for this?"
Liu Zhenhai's gaze burned with self-righteous. "Justice demands sacrifice. If he's guilty, the truth will reveal itself."
Su Xiaobai's lips twitched. 'Oh, great. This guy's playing hero. How noble.'
Without waiting, Su Xiaobai stepped forward and grabbed the vial out of Liu Zhenhai's hand.
"What are you doing?!" Elder Bai barked, stunned.
He uncorked the vial, the fragrant aroma wafting through the chamber. "Let's get this over with," he said flatly, tipping the elixir back and downing it in one go.
The heat hit instantly, spreading through his body like wildfire. It felt like someone had peeled his mind open and pinned it to a dissecting table.
Elder Bai, quickly recovering from her initial surprise, stepped forward, her sharp gaze boring into him. "Who are you?"
She wanted to confirm his identity first—he couldn't be just a spy from a heretic sect, could he?