Chapter Twelve: The Beautiful Grand Elder
Su Yizhao, disciple of the Hall of Justice, greets the Grand Elder! Su Yizhao suppressed the discomfort in his heart and hurriedly bowed with cupped hands.
“Very good! To endure for so long—the will and perseverance you possess surely far exceed that of ordinary men.”
Su Yizhao was astonished and puzzled.
Is she praising me?
He dared to look up, only to see the lively and beautiful lady sitting on the chair, her lovely eyes appraising him.
In that moment, the conflicting sensations vanished, and the discomfort in his heart disappeared.
“Thank you, Grand Elder!”
He breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Suddenly—
The Grand Elder’s tone shifted.
“How did Liu Qinwu and the other two die?”
His heart clenched instantly.
He was about to respond when the Grand Elder’s red lips parted, “You are Xiu Yue’s companion. Even if you killed them, it does not matter! But do not lie to me!”
Sweat broke out in Su Yizhao’s palms.
Three sentences, and he already felt overwhelmed.
First, praise, easing his guard.
Then, an unexpected question, and then mention of Xiu Yue—there was so much meaning hidden within.
Was she using Xiu Yue to threaten him?
Or perhaps to protect him because of Xiu Yue?
Su Yizhao didn’t dare look toward Li Xiu Yue, his voice trembling, “They—are all dead?”
“Yes,” the Grand Elder’s melodious voice turned icy.
“Please, Grand Elder, speak kindly before the three families. Though I did not kill them, it was my own actions that led to their deaths. I am guilty beyond measure!”
He had already considered this carefully when accepting the task.
To deny everything was impossible.
He could only shoulder some of the blame.
Nine parts truth, one part lie—most convincing.
“I will speak well of you. I have retrieved their bodies—the manner of death was clearly caused by wraiths. Their storage pouches and belongings remain untouched. If it were done by a person, who could possess such restraint? Only a cultivator whose will and perseverance far surpasses others!”
As those words fell, Su Yizhao inwardly cried out in alarm.
Damn! The earlier praise was a trap!
“Grand Elder, please discern the truth!” He controlled himself, determined not to let a drop of sweat show.
The Grand Elder snorted coldly, “Hmph! I have discerned it—they were indeed murdered. The only uncertainty is whether it was you.”
The air in the hall instantly froze.
Neither the sect master nor the hall master dared to breathe, let alone speak in his defense.
Su Yizhao felt that all the mortal dangers he'd previously faced paled compared to the peril now confronting him.
Once it was confirmed he was the killer—
He could not imagine what consequences would follow.
Perhaps the entire Profound Qi Sect would be buried alongside him; the Grand Elder certainly had such power, and the three families had the audacity to demand it.
The more dire the moment, the calmer one must be!
This was the first lesson taught to disciples of the Hall of Justice.
Su Yizhao was now utterly clear-headed.
He wore a resolute expression, his gaze steady upon the Grand Elder, and declared, “In truth, as a gold-ranked justice disciple of our sect, upon witnessing those three unjustly slay fellow disciples, I ought to have intervened or avenged the deaths!”
His words caused those present to draw sharp breaths.
Such boldness?
Was he making things harder for himself?
The atmosphere in the hall grew even more tense.
The Grand Elder’s face turned cold, her eyes fixed on his.
Su Yizhao felt his heart nearly stop.
Just as the oppressive mood was about to break, the Grand Elder softly said, “And then?”
Su Yizhao breathed a secret sigh of relief and replied, “Yet I knew I lacked the strength. A justice disciple never acts without certainty; when we strike, it must be decisive.”
The Grand Elder chuckled, “A justice disciple indeed—very good! So you caused chaos when you saw the violet glow?”
Su Yizhao answered earnestly, “It was chaos, but at that moment it was the only way I could think of to defeat the wraiths.”
“Correct! That violet glow is precious, called the Violet Ore Pill, much like the inner core of a spirit beast—a condensed essence of the entire mineral vein.”
“Violet Ore Pill?” Su Yizhao was utterly confused.
“Where is it?”
His heart jumped violently.
The Grand Elder always struck unexpectedly—he found it hard to cope.
But he kept his composure, replying calmly, “Things were extremely chaotic. To escape with my life, I threw the pill into the midst of the wraiths.”
The Grand Elder’s beautiful eyes narrowed, her tone full of meaning, “It’s not in your storage pouch?”
Without hesitation, Su Yizhao removed his pouch and shook it vigorously.
Clattering sounds—
A few miscellaneous items fell to the floor, causing everyone to peer over with odd expressions.
A plain flying sword, seventeen low-grade profound stones, and a scroll.
The scroll’s cover bore bold letters: “Justice Disciple’s Enforcement Manual.”
The Grand Elder laughed, “Who would expect a gold-ranked justice disciple to be so impoverished?”
Sect Master Wan Gaofei’s old face flushed red as he glared at Justice Hall Master Liu Yushan.
Liu Yushan’s face was stiff; he wanted to explain, but didn’t know how.
In truth, Su Yizhao’s treatment was not poor—higher than most disciples by far.
But recently, his birthmark had drained his profound energy, and his cultivation had soared, so his supply of stones was nearly depleted.
“This is not the hall master's fault—I simply lack financial sense!” He hurried to defend Liu Yushan.
The Grand Elder spoke softly, “Xiu Yue is skilled in managing finances; leave it to her in the future.”
Su Yizhao’s heart leapt with joy!
He was certain the Grand Elder had just tested him.
Damn! This woman is formidable!
Fortunately, now that she was sure he wasn’t the killer, she wouldn’t make things difficult.
She might be a bit sly, but she was fair.
“Thank you, Grand Elder!”
“Xiu Yue says your cultivation is restored and you qualify for direct entry to the main sect. She hopes I’ll help. Do you want my assistance?”
Su Yizhao was delighted and quickly replied, “If the Grand Elder is willing…”
“It’s just a word—would you call that convenient?”
“Thank—”
He was thrilled, but before he could finish thanking her, she interrupted, “On one condition: once you’ve entered the main sect, you must immediately break off your engagement with Xiu Yue!”
“Master—!”
“My personal disciple is not someone just anyone can be paired with!”
Su Yizhao felt a headache.
If this conversation didn’t end soon, she might torment him to death.
He gritted his teeth, “Then I’ll just participate in the trials. Xiu Yue, we’ll meet at the main sect.”
“Don’t let me discover you have the strength to kill them!”
The Grand Elder’s words once again shattered him.
He steeled himself, “A gold-ranked justice disciple’s strength is insufficient to kill them, but entering the main sect through the trials shouldn’t be difficult.”
The Grand Elder laughed, “Well then, if it’s not difficult, I’ll make it harder for you!”
“You—!”
“Xiu Yue, Qingqing, Rong’er, let’s go!”
Su Yizhao watched speechlessly as she supported the three and soared away; in the blink of an eye, they were gone.
Harder, then so be it!
With my profound arts, what is there to fear?
He turned to Liu Yushan, “Hall Master, what realm is she in?”
“Hush! You really didn’t kill them?”
“If I did, would you believe me?”
“Don’t scare me—I wouldn’t believe it! Even though you’re the only gold-ranked justice disciple in a century, you can only dominate within a hundred thousand miles. In the main sect, that’s nothing!”
Su Yizhao said nothing.
He gazed calmly at the distant sky, murmuring inwardly, “Is it really nothing? Then let the storm come even fiercer!”