“Zhuzuo, do you have nothing you wish to explain to the Lingjian Sect?” Bai Qi toyed with the Jade Wine Cup, turning to address the Mo Clan members. The oppressive aura of her Return to Void stage cultivation instantly made them feel as if they couldn’t breathe.
“Bai Sect Leader, we truly do not know what wrong we have committed. We ask you to please enlighten us.” The Mo Clan Third Elder rose from his seat and cupped his hands in respect.
Seeing that they stubbornly refused to admit anything, Bai Qi was not angered. She simply moved her fingers, and then [Hao Shuang] was about to fly from its scabbard, hovering above the heads of the Mo Clan members.
At once, some of the previously composed elders were so frightened that they dropped to their knees, their bodies trembling, yet they still kept their mouths shut.
“Third Elder, in terms of age, you are my senior. Back when Sect Master Gu Yun was still around, you and I were already well acquainted. But these past few years, haven’t you met with Yueying Sect’s spies a bit too often?”
“Bai Sect Leader, y-you cannot slander me without proof! I have always been mortal enemies with those demonic cultivators of the Yueying Sect. How could I possibly collude with them!”
The Mo Clan Third Elder’s face flushed with anger, his expression agitated, as if he had suffered a grave injustice from the heavens themselves, nearly smashing his head against the wall to prove his innocence.
At this moment, Mo Xulin, seated at the chief seat to the left, also stood up. He walked to the center of the council hall, neither humble nor arrogant, and said, “Bai Sect Leader, it’s true that my Mo Clan is a subordinate to the Lingjian Sect, but all things must be backed by evidence. If you take the Third Elder’s life without cause, I fear it will be hard to convince the masses.”
“Without cause? Hard to convince the masses? Is Mo Clan Head treating me as some naive young lady?” Bai Qi smiled faintly, but her tone was laced with obvious anger, as if she resented Mo Xulin for not supporting her unconditionally.
She casually tossed a Ying Shi in front of the Third Elder. What it projected was none other than his “intimate conversation” with a stunningly beautiful woman.
Listening to the shameful voices and the content leaking Mo Clan secrets, the Third Elder was so terrified he didn’t dare breathe, bean-sized beads of sweat rolling endlessly down his forehead.
“Mo Clan Head, is the evidence sufficient?”
Mo Xulin fell silent, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. He turned around, and with a single palm strike, brought his hand down heavily upon the other’s Heavenly Cap.
With a loud boom, the elder was sent flying more than thirty feet in an instant, crashing straight through the door. Such ruthless means—ten years ago, Mo Xulin would never have done such a thing.
But ever since his wife passed away, Mo Xulin was no longer that gentle, jade-like gentleman. He had become as cruel and power-hungry as he was now.
“Bai Sect Leader, my Mo Clan will clean up its own house. There is no need for you to dirty your own hands.” Mo Xulin said respectfully. It was true that the Third Elder was at fault, colluding with the Magic Path—such a crime could never be atoned for, even by a hundred deaths.
After the Third Elder’s corpse was thrown out of the council hall, it did not land peacefully. Instead, someone casually sliced it in two with a sword.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside. “Mo Clan Head, you sure have a temper. The clan’s Third Elder—killed just like that, based on a few words and a broken Ying Shi. Truly impressive.”
A youth in black leapt over the indistinct pile of flesh and blood, striding calmly up the steps of the council hall.
Seeing the unfamiliar yet dignified youth enter, the Fifth Elder could not help but ask, “Clan Head, who is this?”
Before Mo Xulin could reply, Gu Shenzhi introduced himself first. “I am Gu Shenzhi, an unremarkable inner disciple of the Yueying Sect.”
“Hmph, so it’s a traitor of the Lingjian Sect!”
As soon as the words fell, Bai Qi’s red lips parted. “Fifth Elder, I haven’t even settled your account for colluding with the Ghost Soul Sect. Besides, my personal disciple is not for you to judge!”
If not for the many eyes and ears present, [Hao Shuang] would have already pierced through his skull.
Her love for Gu Shenzhi would not allow anyone to speak even half a bad word about him. True or false, the outcome was the same: either die, or wish for death.
“Hey, the Mo Clan Fifth Elder is just speaking out for justice on behalf of the Lingjian Sect. What’s wrong with that? Bai Sect Leader, aren’t you being a bit too sensitive? Back then, it was I who rode the horse and mocked the master, not the master seducing the disciple.”
Gu Shenzhi walked up to the Fifth Elder, resting his elbow on the elder’s shoulder, his behavior utterly disrespectful.
He knew well that Mo Xulin had called him here with a plan in mind, and Bai Qi both physically and mentally knew him inside out. Pretending to be cautious was pointless, so he might as well act arrogantly and keep everyone guessing.
He then sighed sadly, leaning close to the Fifth Elder’s ear to whisper, “Mo Xulin and Bai Qi both want you dead, Fifth Elder. I bet you won’t last until the Martial Contest for Marriage. Better get your affairs in order while you can, lest you die without even a coffin to your name.”
With that, Gu Shenzhi patted the other’s shoulder with a smile, as if the two were old friends having a pleasant chat.
The Fifth Elder, already at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, had half a mind to strike down this insolent brat. But when his eyes met Mo Xulin’s, he broke out in a cold sweat.
All the spiritual energy gathered in his palm dissipated. He and Mo Xulin were close friends, and Mo Xulin could never have become Mo Clan Head without his help.
Precisely because of this, the Fifth Elder understood the look in his eyes just now—it was the look of someone who wanted to kill.
“So, Mo Clan Head invited me, a Magic Path disciple, here for what purpose?” Gu Shenzhi asked with a smile, casually wiping the blood from his sword.
[Xiehuang] must be returned. He did not wish for the sword to be stained with blood when he handed it back to Huang’er.
“Young Master Gu, your talent is peerless. I, Mo Xulin, have long admired you. Today, I invited you here simply to witness the style of Mu Yunzhou’s number one genius.” Mo Xulin said respectfully, though who his respect was truly for was unclear.
“So, the elder who just went flying—was he killed just to amuse me?” Gu Shenzhi said sarcastically. “A Ying Shi with no clear origin, and you neither let him explain himself nor let the other elders judge together. Just one palm to kill him—how awe-inspiring!”
Listening to Gu Shenzhi’s words, the remaining four elders began to sense something was wrong. Who had given Mo Xulin the power to interrogate them like criminals, or to kill a clan elder at will?
At first, the elders had only been intimidated by Bai Qi’s aura and dared not question anything. But now, the more they thought about it, the more off it seemed.
“Mo Clan Head, we ask that you give us an explanation, or don’t blame us for convening a clan council to depose you from your position as Clan Head!” The Second Elder was the first to speak, and the others quickly chimed in.
“Three days from now, I will give all the elders a reasonable explanation.” Mo Xulin replied.
Gu Shenzhi sneered, showing no mercy. “Why wait three days? If you have an explanation, you can give it to the elders now. As things stand, it’s not even certain if they’ll live to see the third day.”
Seeing Mo Xulin’s face darken, Gu Shenzhi pressed on. “If you want to curry favor with Bai Qi Sect Leader, then do so directly. Don’t play games with me. Likewise, if you want to eliminate the other Mo Clan forces, then just do it—don’t come up with some grand excuse. Colluding with any of the four sects is a huge personal gain, but for the Mo Clan, it’s nothing but harm.”
His words were like a stone stirring up a thousand waves—so direct and blunt that the elders could no longer sit still.
Yet throughout it all, Bai Qi said not another word. She kept smiling—seductive, enchanting, and with a hint of… madness.