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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
Disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect stepped forward to restrain me. I frowned and glanced at Yunxi, not resisting. If Yunxi were not present, I would have fought to the death to avoid being captured, for I knew this was a conspiracy, and I was likely to be framed and killed.
Framing and deceit have existed since ancient times; countless people have died unjustly, and in the end, no one seeks justice for them. Even if one were to seek justice years later, what difference would it make? The person is already dead—what use is justice then?
One's own life is the most important.
Yet for some reason, I believed in my heart that Yunxi would protect me.
When I saw the body of the Grand Elder lying on the bed, I could hardly believe it. Just two hours ago, we had been laughing with an old man who now lay lifeless before me. Moreover, his martial prowess was so high.
In the Azure Cloud Sect, aside from the Sect Leader and Yunxi, there was no doubt that the Grand Elder possessed the highest level of skill. How could such a master of the Daoist Sect be killed without a sound?
The Grand Elder's chest was caved in, his ribs completely shattered; it was evident he had been killed by a single punch.
In the Grand Elder's Pavilion gathered the Azure Cloud Sect Leader, all Inner Sect Elders, and disciples from the Dragon-Tiger List. Song Qianqiu knelt before the Grand Elder's corpse, his eyes red with grief.
"Many people saw you enter the Pavilion with the Grand Elder from the Azure Cloud Hall, and several disciples witnessed you leaving the Pavilion afterward. Soon after, they discovered the Grand Elder dead on the ground. What do you have to say for yourself?" The Third Elder pointed at me angrily.
"Indeed, we saw Yang Hao leave the Grand Elder's Pavilion not long before his caretaker found him unresponsive," one disciple added.
I replied, "There’s no need to list all this evidence and witnesses. I just want to know if anyone actually saw me kill the Grand Elder?"
"Not that I know of," the disciple admitted honestly.
Cao Bohou snorted and said, "Is there even a need for someone to see it? It's obvious that the murderer struck when no one was prepared. The Grand Elder was benevolent towards others and would never suspect a lowly disciple like you would suddenly attack him."
"What a joke! How could anyone kill a Daoist master who has cultivated for ninety years in a direct confrontation?" I challenged.
"How do you explain that punch?" Sword Princess suddenly interjected. "Under Yunhua Peak, you punched through an impenetrable turtle shell; it’s clear that the Grand Elder’s chest was also severely injured by a punch."
"Is there no one else present who could kill someone with a single punch besides me?" I asked.
Cao Bohou said, "Anyone can kill with a single punch, but no one has ever killed the Grand Elder with just one punch, especially without using Dao Qi! In front of the Birch Cave, there is a Birch Tree that no one can wrap their arms around. It was broken by a single punch, and there is not a trace of Dao Qi left at the break; it was purely the force of that punch. Even the Sect Leader and Yunxi Shifu Uncle could not do that without using Dao Qi! The Grand Elder died under such a tremendous force, with not a hint of Dao Qi in his chest. You think you’ve left no evidence, but in fact, your cleverness has backfired!"
"Kill this traitor!" shouted a disciple outside.
"Kill him!" a crowd echoed.
"Isn't killing him too easy? Extract his Soul and let him endure the pain of being refined by Dao Fire. He should be cut a thousand times before he dies!" someone else suggested.
"Take him away!" said the Third Elder.
Yunxi interjected, "You want to take someone away before I've even finished asking questions? Do you think I'm just air over here?"
"Yunxi Shifu Uncle, the evidence that Yang Hao killed the Grand Elder is solid. Aren't you being too protective?" Sword Princess scoffed.
Sword Princess's master, the Sixth Elder, added, "Yunxi, the Grand Elder watched you grow up. This grudge cannot go unavenged. Moreover, this traitor might be a spy sent by another sect!"
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader looked at me and asked, "Yang Hao, do you have anything to say?"
"Of course I do. Thank you for giving me the chance to speak," I replied as I turned to Cao Bohou and asked, "May I ask if Brother Cao was the first to discover the Grand Elder's death scene?"
Cao Bohou replied, "It was actually a servant who attended to the Grand Elder who discovered it."
"Then how did you know there was not a trace of Dao Qi left in the Grand Elder's chest? With so many elders present, including the Senior Brother, it wouldn't be your place to examine the body. And even if I had killed the Grand Elder, many people saw me going to Yunxi Shifu Uncle's Yunhua Peak. Why did you specifically go to Birch Mountain to check on the tree I knocked down? Did you know in advance that I was going to kill the Grand Elder?"
Cao Bohou's face turned red as he quickly said, "At that time, I didn't think much of it. I was afraid you would pack your things and run away, so I went to Birch Mountain to find you."
"The fact that there was no trace of Dao Qi left on the Grand Elder's chest was something I told Bohou," said the Third Elder seriously.
"There are very few people who know I live on Birch Mountain. When did Brother Cao start caring about an unfamiliar disciple like me? I don't know if you're targeting the Grand Elder or me. If you want to pin a crime on me without reason, then so be it. With so many people here, it's exhausting to act out such a play."
"You have solid evidence that you killed the Grand Elder and still want to quibble? Drag him out and behead him!" commanded the Third Elder. "As an elder of discipline, how can I allow such lawlessness?"
"Wait, take him down to the dungeon first. No one is allowed to touch him until we find out how the Elder died. Otherwise, don't blame me for killing," Yunxi said. "Cao Bohou, Sword Princess, come with me."
"Third Elder, I also believe that Junior Brother Yang Hao is not that kind of person. Since Shifu Uncle Yunxi has stepped in, let's lock him up for now," Song Qianqiu said, kneeling beside the deceased Elder.
The Third Elder nodded and instructed the disciples to escort me away.
The dungeon of the Azure Cloud Sect was dark and damp, filled with the stench of decaying rat corpses.
The dungeon had once been used by the Azure Cloud Sect to imprison disciples who broke the rules. Later, the sect underwent reforms and abolished the dungeon. Disciples who committed serious offenses were stripped of their cultivation and expelled from the Sect, while those with lighter offenses were sent to the back mountain to reflect on their mistakes by facing the wall or cleaning the graves of their ancestors.
I was shackled with heavy iron cuffs on my hands and feet. Outside the iron door, wild grass grew abundantly. I sat on a piece of blue stone near the entrance and closed my eyes to meditate.
Although I had only recently met the Elder, we had developed a close bond. He even taught me the Time Walk cultivation method, which was quite extraordinary. I had intended to use the Zhou Compass to uncover the truth, but once it appeared, I would attract unwanted attention. It was a Taoist Sacred Artifact that everyone coveted.
Moreover, there were so many people present who wanted me dead. If they insisted that I had fabricated evidence against myself, there would be nothing I could do about it; the timing wasn't right yet.
Outside the dungeon, a dozen disciples from the Azure Cloud Sect were on guard. One pointed at me and said, "I really don't understand why you would kill the Elder."
"I don't even know why I was accused of killing him," I replied calmly without opening my eyes.
"There are all kinds of people in this world; someone like you deserves to be tortured without mercy," another disciple said.
I responded, "I’ve already said that I didn’t kill anyone. Is this really entertaining for you?"
"Hmph! You’re just denying your guilt. If it weren't for Shifu Uncle Yunxi protecting you, you would have been dead long ago!"
This disciple exchanged glances with several others. They summoned their Dao Qi, causing sand and stones from the ground to rise and fly toward me.
My protective Dao Qi expanded outward, deflecting the flying debris as it fell harmlessly to the ground.
These individuals were disciples at the early and mid-stages of Foundation Establishment Realm, while I was at Divine Transformation Realm. My innate talent was already superior to theirs, not to mention my significant advantage in cultivation level; there was no way they could harm me.
"If you don't know your place, I can kill the Grand Elder just as easily as I can kill you," I said coldly.
"Look, he admitted it!" one disciple exclaimed. "I'm going to tell the Third Elder right now."
Just then, Yunxi walked over from a distance. Upon seeing her approach, everyone bowed and said, "Yunxi, Shifu Uncle."
Yunxi replied, "You all can leave. I need to speak with Yang Hao alone."
"But, Yunxi, Shifu Uncle, the Third Elder has ordered that no one—"
"What does the Third Elder matter? How dare he dictate to anyone?" Yunxi glared at the disciple. "Get lost!"
"Yes, Shifu Uncle." The crowd lowered their heads and retreated.
"Yunxi, what’s going on?" I opened my eyes and asked her.
"I asked a few people, and their stories are surprisingly consistent; they all point to you as the murderer," Yunxi said.
"They're colluding against me. Given my hidden identity until now, I shouldn't be targeted like this; they must be looking for a scapegoat. But still, thank you for trusting me," I replied.
Yunxi looked at my relaxed demeanor and said, "In two days, if I can't find Zhang Jianzi, the Sword Pavilion, Serpent Cult, and Yinshan Yang Family will come to attack Azure Cloud Sect. I know you didn't kill the Grand Elder, but if I release you now, the sect will be in turmoil. Even if I speak, they won't listen."
"So even our Yunxi, Shifu Uncle, has moments of fear," I said with a teasing smile.
Yunxi responded, "I'll try to buy us some time for two days. I have to set aside my grudge against the Grand Elder for now. Regardless of whether we find Zhang Jianzi or not, the Mountain Guardian Formation will activate then. You can take that chance to escape Azure Cloud Mountain."
After saying this, Yunxi left the desolate area behind the dungeon. A few disciples guarding the dungeon showed their displeasure and hurled insults at me. I pretended not to hear and continued meditating.
That evening, Yunxi ordered everyone in the sect to search for Zhang Jianzi's whereabouts. The sect had already lost the Tai Sui Elixir and then had the Grand Elder murdered; however, these matters were suppressed for now. The urgent task was to find Zhang Jianzi.
From the words of the three Supreme envoys, Yunxi suspected that Zhang Jianzi might be hiding within Azure Cloud Mountain. However, as the Guardian of the Mountain, she usually kept her distance from everyone and had a contentious relationship with both the elders and the sect leader. By offending everyone to protect me now, she was met with indifference from them all.
Yunxi was just a girl in her twenties, and no matter how strong-willed she was, she could not withstand the schemes of the patriarchal world directed against her.
As night fell again, I regulated my breathing and stabilized my energy. My Dao Qi became hazy, and one by one, Silver Needles shot out. Taking advantage of the moment when my guards were unprepared, I struck at their necks, rendering them motionless.
My Primordial Spirit rose, stepping out of the iron cage and soaring into the sky, overlooking the entire Azure Cloud Mountain.
The Primordial Spirit is different from the soul; it is a visible entity. Therefore, I deliberately concealed its aura, fearing detection. Ever since I consumed the Tortoise Dan, my vision had sharpened even in the dark.
I saw Song Qianqiu's sorrowful expression at the grand elder's memorial hall, surrounded by many disciples who were keeping vigil. Most of the Outer Sect Disciples had fallen asleep, while a few Inner Sect Disciples still wandered through the mountains.
As the night wore on, everyone gradually succumbed to sleep. The disciples guarding the grand elder's memorial hall began to doze off as well. At that moment, Song Qianqiu instructed those keeping vigil with a few words before he walked down the mountain in mourning attire.
Song Qianqiu's secluded Cave was called Qianqiu Peak, the only mountain named after him. It was said that both his skills and character were rare to find in a century. Within the sect, there was no one who did not admire him. As the grand elder's only disciple who inherited all his teachings, it was only fitting for him to wear mourning clothes.
I observed for a while without harboring any suspicion towards Song Qianqiu. However, when he reached Qianqiu Peak, he paused beneath it as if speaking to someone before ascending the mountain.
After he climbed up, a shadow darted out from the bushes he had just faced and swiftly made its way toward Azure Cloud Hall.
I descended with my Primordial Spirit, following Song Qianqiu up to Qianqiu Peak from a distance. It was extremely dangerous to project my Primordial Spirit outside my body since it had almost no defensive capabilities; if injured, it would surely lead to my soul scattering.
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