Chapter 27: Righteous Yu'er
Not long ago, outside Elder Ku's hall: a large number of Taiqing disciples had split up into two opposing factions, each of which was arguing with the other.
Yu'er led one faction. A large group of Taiqing disciples stood protectively around her, glaring at members of the opposing faction. Yu'er wiped the blood from her mouth, anger evident in her fiery gaze.
"Get over here, Ma Shan! How dare you hide behind Senior Brother!"
"You'll pay for bullying Yu'er! Come over here now, and I guarantee I won't kill you!"
Those disciples in Yu'er's faction were glaring daggers at a man in gray, Ma Shan.
Ma Shan hurriedly hid behind Zhao Yuanjiao and argued, "Senior Brother, you have to take my side! We were trying to enter the hall in order to apprehend the spy, but not only did Yu'er physically bar our way, she even struck me! That's how I ended up hitting her by accident."
Zhao Yuanjiao nodded and looked coldly at Yu'er. "Yu'er, why are you stopping my men from apprehending a demonic spy?"
"That's ridiculous! How did Junior Brother Nanfeng become a spy? Senior Brother, can your men not tell right from wrong?!" Yu'er cried out.
"Yu'er, I might not have evidence right now, but Tang and Nanfeng mysteriously vanished this morning. They have to be conspiring!"
"On what grounds are you apprehending Nanfeng without any evidence, then?! I introduced Tang to Nanfeng. Why don't you seize me, too? What if I'm a spy?" Yu'er retorted.
"Ridiculous! Don't make such a big fuss, Yu'er," Zhao Yuanjiao replied. "I simply want to interrogate any suspicious disciples before they can hatch dastardly plots."
"Nanfeng is Elder Ku's disciple," Yu'er replied coldly. "Has Elder Ku approved of your actions?"
"I do things my way, and I don't have to explain things to you. If I'm mistaken, then I'll simply apologize to him later."
"Well, you'll have to get past me, first!" Yu'er didn't seem to fear Zhao Yuanjiao at all, and she refused to relent.
"Yu'er! You're being ridiculous!" Ma Shan suddenly jumped forward. He taunted, "Senior Brother Zhao is Elder Ku's disciple—you're nothing more than an outsider! Why do you care so much?!"
"You—" Yu'er didn't know how to respond, but she doubled down. "I don't care! If you want to get past me, you'll have to knock me down first!"
"Don't worry, Yu'er, we've got your back!"
"Right! If you dare touch Yu'er, you'll suffer the consequences!"
A large group of senior disciples had gathered protectively around Yu'er. She was a popular disciple around the island, and that popularity served as her shield now.
"Senior Brother, Yu'er's gone mad! I think she really might be a spy too. Nanfeng's in the hall right now. Elder Ku is vulnerable while in secluded cultivation, and if Nanfeng were to do anything... How about we seize them both?" Ma Shan suggested.
"Don't you dare!" the group of disciples protecting Yu'er retorted.
Zhao Yuanjiao's face grew grim as he watched the situation devolve.
As the two sides continued in a stalemate, a calm voice suddenly called out from behind Yu'er, "Seniors, are you looking for me?"
Everyone turned to see Xiao Nanfeng walk out of the hall with a huge sack.
"Nanfeng! Where's Elder Ku? Aren't you going to have him adjudicate?" Yu'er smiled in delight upon seeing him, then asked in concern.
"Master is still meditating and won't be able to step out for the moment. Senior Sister, I overheard the entire conversation. Thank you for guarding me, and I'm sorry you were injured on my behalf. Don't worry—I'll defend you now!" Xiao Nanfeng put down his sack and stood side by side with Yu'er.
He hadn't expected that Yu'er would be willing to go against a large group of Taiqing disciples for him—she really was loyal!
"You dare come out? Very well. Men, seize Nanfeng!" Zhao Yuanjiao commanded.
"Yes!" Ma Shan and the others shouted. Just as they were about to charge forward, Xiao Nanfeng held up the token in his hand. "I bear the Ascended token! Who dares go against me?!"
As he infused the token with his qi, a faint rainbow glow could be seen.
Everyone froze, looking at Xiao Nanfeng's token in shock.
"The Ascended token? You've stolen Elder Ku's Ascended token?!" Ma Shan called out.
"That's impossible! The Ascended token is guarded by an array. Elder Ku had to have voluntarily given it to him!" someone else shouted.
"How did you end up with the token, Nanfeng?" Yu'er asked curiously.
"Master handed it to me, of course. This token bears the division leader's authority! Will you not heed it? Are the laws of the sect merely perfunctory?!"
Before anyone else could speak, Xiao Nanfeng then commanded, "All Ascended disciples, obey my order! Seize Ma Shan, the real demonic spy!"
Ma Shan was one of the spies whom Tang had revealed when he confessed. It was precisely because he was a demonic spy that he had rushed to be the first person present at the scene, to even be willing to injure Yu'er so as to seal Xiao Nanfeng's lips before he could reveal anything about the demonic infiltration.
"You, you're lying!" Ma Shan retorted.
The disciples were all in an uproar. They looked toward Zhao Yuanjiao, Elder Ku's most senior disciple. Despite the fact that Nanfeng held the Ascended token, he had been denounced as a demonic spy and was worthy of suspicion. The majority of the disciples chose to side with Zhao Yuanjiao instead.
Zhao Yuanjiao's face was a potpourri of emotions. After a moment's thought, with a flash of determination, he finally shouted, "Nanfeng, you're being unreasonable! How dare you use the Ascended token to besmirch a fellow disciple! Take him down!"
Only then did Xiao Nanfeng recognize the man in front of him—it was precisely the disciple in a pile of tattered rags, that he had bribed with just four taels of gold! Could he have been in disguise in order to get close to me?
Just then, Yu'er tugged on the sleeve of Xiao Nanfeng's shirt. She whispered, "Even if you have Elder Ku's Ascended token, don't go overboard! Ma Shan might be vile, but if you slander him, it'll only enrage Zhao Yuanjiao all the more."
Xiao Nanfeng was speechless. He was telling the truth! Why didn't anyone believe him?
"Who's this Zhao Yuanjiao?" he couldn't help but ask.
"He's Zhao Yuanjiao, head disciple of the Ascended division, and Elder Ku's most senior disciple," Yu'er whispered back.
Xiao Nanfeng raised his eyebrows. My senior brother? Him?
Upon realizing Zhao Yuanjiao's actual identity, Xiao Nanfeng knew that this was not a man he should make his enemy. He called out, "Within Ma Shan's mouth should be a poison pill, no, a pill of false death. It's given to demonic spies so that they can feign death and escape that way if their identity is discovered. Check his mouth and see if such a pill exists—you'll see whether I'm lying or not!"
Everyone looked toward Ma Shan, whose face immediately grew dark. He had no idea how Xiao Nanfeng knew even such a secret.
"He's lying, Senior Brother! You have to believe me!" Ma Shan howled.
"Open your mouth!" Zhao Yuanjiao wasn't a fool. Xiao Nanfeng's additional information was so precise that it would easily be obvious whether he were lying, and the information was something he could verify at once.
"Senior Brother..." Ma Shan's eyes betrayed a jolt of panic.
Zhao Yuan, sensing Ma Shan's unusual behavior, immediately reached out and pinched his lower jaw.
Ma Shan was forced to open his mouth wide as Zhao Yuanjiao squeezed his throat. He inspected Ma Shan's mouth with his other hand and quickly pulled out a pill from between his teeth.
Ma Shan turned ashen.
Everyone was stunned. Was Ma Shan really a demonic spy?
"How do you explain this?!" Zhao Yuanjiao shouted.
"I, I—" Ma Shan desperately thought of a way to extricate himself from this situation.
Zhao Yuanjiao's gaze suddenly grew colder. "Were you the one who betrayed us a month ago? Who killed all those junior disciples?!"
Ma Shan tried to defend himself. "Senior Brother, I'm not a demonic spy, really! I'm naturally timid, and this pill is meant to protect me from my enemies. I don't know how that lad learned about it, but—"
Before Ma Shan could finish, Xiao Nanfeng interrupted him. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. You're not the only demonic spy we know about—there are seven others who will be interrogated with you."
"What did you say?" Ma Shan blanched. Just what had Chen Hai and Tang revealed? How much information had they given away?!
Xiao Nanfeng raised his Ascended token high into the air again. "Disciples of the Ascended division, listen up! Seize the remaining demonic spies. Their names are..."
The disciples all looked toward Zhao Yuanjiao, who glanced momentarily at Xiao Nanfeng before calling out, "What are all of you waiting for? Seize these spies!"
At least for the moment, even though he still suspected Xiao Nanfeng, he would have to pay attention to and act on what Xiao Nanfeng had revealed.
"Understood!" The disciples rushed off in search of the suspects.
"Apprehend Ma Shan. Keep him in a cell for interrogation!" Zhao Yuanjiao instructed.
"Understood!" A few remaining disciples immediately strode forward to restrain Ma Shan.
"I'm innocent, Senior Brother!" Ma Shan called out, still attempting to claim his innocence, but not daring to resist his capture.
"Whether or not you're innocent will be revealed in due time," Zhao Yuanjiao replied coldly.
By now, he had calmed down. Although Ma Shan's identity was yet unclear, Zhao Yuanjiao did suspect his guilt. As for Xiao Nanfeng, Zhao Yuanjiao still didn't trust him fully.
"I've only heard your side of the story. I'll need to head into the hall and ask Master to verify it." Zhao Yuanjiao glanced askance at Xiao Nanfeng coldly.
"Master's at a critical period in his meditation. No one can disturb him at the moment!"
"Move aside! Or are you trying to hide something by blocking my way?" Zhao Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes.
"With this Ascended token, I defend this hall! No one is to step inside until Elder Ku comes out! Disobeying this command will be considered going against the authority imbued within this token!" Xiao Nanfeng raised the Ascended token up high as he blocked the doors to the hall with his body.
"And if I insist on entering?" Zhao Yuanjiao released his aura.
Xiao Nanfeng immediately felt a surge of energy, titanic in strength, pressing against his body and the doors. His forehead beaded with sweat. Just how strong was this senior brother of his?!
Yu'er walked up to Xiao Nanfeng and helped relieve him of some of the strain. "Senior Brother, Nanfeng holds the Ascended token! Shouldn't we submit to his authority?"
"Yu'er, move aside! Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens next!" Zhao Yuanjiao cried out.
Just as Zhao Yuanjiao seemed prepared to strike them both down, a gray-robed elder slowly walked out of the hall—none other than Elder Ku himself.
"Master? You've come out!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed in relief.
"It escaped once more! What a pity." Elder Ku sighed, frowning.
Xiao Nanfeng blanched. The skeleton had escaped again?
"Who escaped, Master?" Zhao Yuanjiao asked curiously.
Elder Ku only shook his head, his face lined with regret, not offering any further explanation.
"What were you arguing about just now?" Elder Ku asked calmly.
"Master, this disciple is of unknown provenance and background. I suspect him to be a demonic spy!" Zhao Yuanjiao pointed at Xiao Nanfeng.
"Master, I already exposed Ma Shan and the other spies, but he refuses to believe me!" Xiao Nanfeng explained.
Zhao Yuanjiao was unconvinced. "Master, I suspect that this is all a ploy by the demonic sect upon realizing that I was about to capture Xiao Nanfeng. Since you trust him deeply, Master, the demonic sect's more than willing to sacrifice a few ordinary spies to ensure his safety."
Xiao Nanfeng shot Zhao Yuanjiao an odd look. It sounds like you would make a far better novelist than cultivator—what a convoluted plot!
"Master, during the first selection trial, this disciple lied and embarked on the voyage by claiming to have had connections within the sect! However, I've confirmed that he has no such connections. The only possibility is that there were demonic spies helping him from behind the scenes. Furthermore, we've been unable to validate his identity, even now! Who's to say that he hasn't given us all a fake name?" Zhao Yuanjiao continued.
"Oh?" Elder Ku furrowed his brows.
"I spent twenty taels of gold to purchase a boarding token from a qualified applicant. Doesn't that count as 'connections'? As for my identity, my parents vanished a decade ago. The servants all claimed that they were dead, and they seized what was rightly owed to me by taking advantage of my age! I barely escaped from captivity, with no family and estate to my name. How could I have registered my identity? I hardly want to seek sympathy for my childhood and upbringing! As for my name, Nanfeng, I swear on my life that it was what my father left me," Xiao Nanfeng replied resolutely.
He continued, "Ye Dafu, of the Mortal division, can corroborate my claims. As for you, Senior Brother, if you did suspect me, why not interrogate me outright? Why try to approach me under false pretenses in the form of a beggarly, impoverished disciple to trick me of my gold?"
Zhao Yuanjiao froze. "When did I ever pretend to be beggarly or impoverished? When did I trick you of your gold? You stuffed it in my hands! Do you think I would care for four taels of gold?!"
"Senior Brother, did you really trick Nanfeng out of four taels of gold? How could you eye such a paltry sum?" Yu'er gaped at him.
Zhao Yuanjiao: …Can we drop the matter of these four taels of gold already?!
"Master, I swear that what I have said is the truth and nothing less. Please, Master, I hope you'll verify this for yourself!" Xiao Nanfeng bowed toward Elder Ku.
"Master, I'm certain there's something wrong with this disciple. There's something he's hiding from us!" Zhao Yuanjiao cried out.
"Enough!" Elder Ku shouted.
Everyone fell silent.
"I believe that Nanfeng is not lying, and that he is no demonic spy," Elder Ku stated firmly.
"Master!" Zhao Yuanjiao cried out.
"Thank you for vindicating me, Master!" Xiao Nanfeng bowed to Elder Ku again.
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