The two doctors who had just tended to Yan Qing's wounds stood up and leapt onto the stage. In front of everyone, they removed their disguises - the taller one was Taiheng's Yu Zikuan, while Yan Zheng still had hair as white as frost, having been disguised as an old man all along.

Yu Zikuan was quite famous, and everyone in Taiheng recognized him. Yan Zheng's pair of ghost eyes were particularly striking, making it difficult to mistake his identity. The appearance of these two together was no less absurd than Qu Duanyun losing to Yan Qing.

It was as if the world had turned upside down, and good and evil had become muddled. The Martial Arts Assembly had never seen such an exciting scene before. Having had their fill of excitement, people no longer gasped in amazement, but instead became inexplicably excited.

The lame old man who had been telling fortunes also stepped onto the stage - when his fake skin was removed, it was clear that it was none other than Hua Jingchun, the Protector of the Demonic Sect. These high-ranking members of the Demonic Sect had actually been lurking here since early morning, patiently watching until now.

This time, it was as if several hundred hornet's nests had suddenly appeared below the stage, and the buzzing sound of conversations could not be suppressed no matter what.

Even if the Ling Sect was in decline, the Red Hook Sect, as a large demonic sect, still had some backbone when facing the imperial court. In the end, how much benefit could the small Ku Mountain Sect bring them?

Yu Zikuan knew that his identity was the most credible, so he immediately stepped forward and got straight to the point: "Six years ago, I accepted the task of assassinating the leader of the Ling Sect. Later, I met Yan Zheng and saw that he was teachable, so I wanted to correct the unrighteous ways of the Ling Sect. Sect Master Qu was right, directly interfering in the internal affairs of other sects is not something that righteous sects should do. In order to preserve the reputation of Taiheng, I faked my death."

Everyone present was well aware of the blood feud between Yu Zikuan and the Ling Sect. They all knew that he would never be bought off by anyone, let alone trample on the bones of his wife and children to speak for the Ling Sect.

"The Ling Sect has accumulated too many sins to be redeemed, and must be destroyed before it can be rebuilt. Yan Zheng and I agreed to take the opportunity to kill Chai Xin and his cronies. Once Yan Zheng gained power, he could re-educate the Ling Sect. The battle formation on Mount Zongwu that day was drawn by my own hand!"

Yin Ci couldn't help but chuckle. Yu Zikuan and Yan Zheng had been together for too long and had learned some skills in twisting the truth - at that time, these two had completely intended to destroy the Ling Sect. Now, using the excuse of seizing power, it was probably to appease the remnants of the Ling Sect in various places and turn the extermination into an "internal struggle".

Fortunately, as a hero of his generation in Taiheng, no one doubted Yu Zikuan. Everyone was waiting with bated breath for him to continue.

"I borrowed Taiheng's connections and found the disciples of the Mi Mountain Sect, seeking a battle formation. In theory, this formation could completely destroy the Ling Sect's Vermilion Tower without harming the innocent. Who would have thought that my battle formation was swapped out for an evil formation that indiscriminately harmed people!"

"I, Yu Zikuan, only wanted to destroy the Ling Sect, why would I unnecessarily harm the brothers and sisters of righteous sects? If it weren't for the Ku Mountain Sect saving us from the fire and water, Sect Master Yan and I would probably have also died under the formation, truly leaving no evidence behind!"

"What Brother Yu said is true. The reason I specially came here today is to clarify this matter - the Ling Sect has countless lives on its hands, this time doesn't make a difference. But I have no intention of doing this, and no one can pin the blame on me."

Yan Zheng drew out his Soul-Reaping Whip, the murderous aura from the whip forcing people to retreat, proving that his identity was not fake in the slightest.

The Dayun's martial arts scene had been progressing steadily for decades, and people had never seen such a scene before. Seeing the ghost eyes that had disappeared for who knows how long reappearing one after another, and the experts who were rumored to be dead coming back to life one by one, the magnitude of the upheaval was enough to overshadow all previous Martial Arts Assemblies.

This was a living legend. People forgot about the terror of the Ling Sect and pushed and shoved forward, wishing they could stretch out their ears and throw them onto the stage.

"My sect was also harmed by villains," Hua Jingchun saw that the atmosphere was good and took the opportunity to pick up where the Ling Sect, their "mortal enemy", left off. "Wu Huai and I are old acquaintances, and I know he can't really be the 'Young Sect Master'. This time, he bribed the elders of the sect and forged our sect's tokens, violating the rules set by our predecessors. The Ku Mountain Sect's involvement in this matter was a deal I made with them - since when can't demonic sects hire righteous allies? What kind of rule is that?"

The crowd below the stage was stunned. Now, whether it was the Jianchen Temple, the Ling Sect, or the Red Hook Sect, they had all stood up for the Ku Mountain Sect. The victims righteously spoke out, and the Ku Mountain Sect was transformed from a troublemaker into an unrestrained sect that upheld justice.

The people of the jianghu loved excitement in the first place, and they especially loved such ups and downs. The surrounding commoners had also watched a play of the underdog overcoming the powerful, and at this moment, they didn't care about black or white, everyone felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration.

Among them, there was no shortage of busybodies shouting and screaming, making even more noise than when they were watching the competition.

"The Ku Mountain Sect is righteous!"

"This is a hero, do you see? This is a hero!"

"Who was it that wronged them in the first place? In the end, they didn't even get any evidence!"

Among them were sects that had been led down the mountain by the Ku Mountain Sect in the Mount Zongwu incident and had narrowly escaped with their lives. At this moment, they immediately realized what was going on and took the lead in echoing the sentiment. This bit of certainty was like a spark in the wilderness, and the clamor gradually changed in flavor, eventually even igniting a burst of joyful cheers.

"That's right, that's right! They're righteous, they have the qualifications!"

In the midst of this thunderous cheering, Qu Duanyun's mind buzzed for a long time before he finally calmed down.

These people had clarified things, but no one had revealed that the "mastermind was the Immortal Gathering". Most people believed in the Divine Emperor Wu, and saying it would only make things worse, which showed that the Ku Mountain Sect still had some consideration for the commoners below the stage.

This was just a competition behind the scenes, and Shi Jingzhi had made his move, so he just had to take it in stride.

Moreover, even if the Ku Mountain Sect could get to the Immortal Gathering and even guess that he was behind it, they couldn't get a shred of evidence. Qu Duanyun was extremely cautious in his actions and never left any clues. If Shi Jingzhi accused him of being the culprit without any evidence, it would only damage his recently improved reputation.

Not to mention that Yin Ci's background was unknown, and Yan Qing also had a pair of ghost eyes. In terms of gaining the favor of the crowd alone, it was still uncertain who would come out on top.

"So that's how it is, we were wrong to suspect Sect Leader Shi."

Qu Duanyun calmed himself and said in a clear voice. His words carried internal energy, forcibly suppressing the various noises, but his tone was still polite and courteous, still maintaining his usual suave demeanor.

"I will withdraw the jianghu wanted notices for everyone later. Today's confrontation is the Ku Mountain Sect's-"

"Wait."

A cold female voice rang out from the periphery of the venue.

"What's the rush, junior brother? The case of Chen Qianfan in the northern lands can't just be glossed over."

It was Shi Zhongyu.

She had somehow escaped from prison and was still wearing the same clothes she had worn when she killed Lin Xun. The bloodstains had dried, adding quite a few brown spots to the plain-colored garments.

Shi Zhongyu held a coarse cloth bundle in her hand, parting the crowded people and walking straight towards the arena. Her aura was relaxed yet firm and righteous, spreading all around. The Taiheng Sect disciples looked at each other, none daring to step forward to stop her.

Now that the injustice against the Ku Mountain Sect had been cleared, what more did she want to do? People deliberately made way for her, just wanting to see how crazy things could get today.

"For the case of Chen Qianfan from the North, I am a witness. Although I did not personally see Chen Qianfan and Wei Chun leave together, I saw with my own eyes both the secret scripture going berserk and the interactions between the Ku Mountain Sect and those two."

Shi Zhongyu jumped onto the stone platform, standing directly in front of Qu Duanyun.

"I have no intention of continuing to make things difficult for Sect Leader Shi," Qu Duanyun said gently, seeing the boiling crowd quieting down. "Now that the Ku Mountain Sect has been vindicated, I will choose a day to invite Senior Sister back to the sect. But the assembly is not over yet, we should first decide the alliance leader."

These words struck a chord with the crowd, and approving voices immediately rose up all around.

Shi Zhongyu smiled.

She rarely smiled. Though beautiful, her smile was full of self-mockery and indescribable bitterness. She put down the bundle in her hand and let out an extremely long sigh, as if expelling all the pent-up pressure accumulated these past days.

"Duanyun, you're still the same as ever," she said softly. "Your conduct is just right, without any flaws. But unfortunately..."

Qu Duanyun frowned slightly, not having a chance to ask before Shi Zhongyu also raised her voice to address the Golden Jade Gang leader, just as he had done—

"Indeed, there is one sect that should not be qualified to participate in this assembly."

Her tone was full of sorrow.

"I hereby propose to completely remove the Taiheng Sect from the alliance!"

Shi Zhongyu's voice was not sharp, usually gentle and pleasant to hear. But it was precisely these gentle words that exploded like a hornet's nest. The crowd below was already noisy and irritable. Now, the Taiheng disciples were in a disorderly mess, and Elder Zhou's face turned red as his neck thickened, nearly fainting.

One wave had not yet subsided before another rose. Qu Duanyun slightly loosened his fists, his palms covered in a layer of cold sweat. Beads of sweat also appeared on his forehead, and his voice unconsciously became stern: "You are no longer a member of my Taiheng Sect, do not speak nonsense. The interrogation of the Ku Mountain Sect is over. Someone, please escort Miss Shi down!"

Seeing the sect leader give the order, two Taiheng disciples still flew onto the stage, trying to touch Shi Zhongyu.

Who would have thought that Shi Zhongyu would unapologetically turn around and take out an object from her bosom, presenting it to the crowd: "The Taiheng Reverse Yang Token is here, who dares to touch me?"

She injected some true qi into the token, and an ancient and solemn aura suddenly arose, as majestic as a thousand-year-old evening bell. Although people knew it was just a small token, they still couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence.

The Reverse Yang Token had not appeared in the world for nearly a hundred years. This assembly was really too stimulating. Not to mention the dumbfounded spectators, even the knowledgeable disciples of the Yueshui Bureau had flushed faces and rapid breathing, with one of them actually fainting in public from the excitement.

The crowd's attention had long since left the Ku Mountain Sect. The former sect leader and his beloved disciple were in the best position to watch the show. Faced with the situation he had schemed for, Shi Jingzhi almost let out a sigh of lament—if only he had some melon seeds and snacks in hand, it would be perfect.

But with his sweetheart by his side, he wasn't too anxious. Taking advantage of everyone's focus on Taiheng, Sect Leader Shi tilted his head and happily leaned against Yin Ci's chest and abdomen. The latter chuckled and brushed his shoulder.

This time it was Taiheng's turn to be grilled.

The Reverse Yang Token had always been carefully kept by the sect leader. No one would be stupid enough to question its origin. Qi Xundao's corpse was not yet cold, and the Taiheng Sect had just steadied itself after being shaken. Who could have imagined something like this happening?

"This token was hidden by Sect Leader Qi in a flowerpot and given to me when I left the sect. After that, I have been investigating the mystery of Sect Leader Qi's strange illness. Abbot Fang of Jianchen Temple, Sect Leader Qi of Taiheng, and Dark Blood Witch were all formidable elders. For them to die one after another is really too much of a coincidence."

When the previous few parties spoke up, people had already begun to notice. The suspicion on the Ku Mountain Sect was cleared, but the culprit had not been caught! With Shi Zhongyu's words, the crowd suddenly realized the implications. The shouting gradually stopped as people quieted down, all holding their breaths in anticipation.

"Although Abbot Juefei, Qi Xundao, and Dark Blood Witch died of different causes, I carefully examined the circumstances of their deaths. They all perished due to the evil object 'Twin Roots'."

Shi Zhongyu walked a few steps to the edge of the stage and continued in a clear voice.

"The Twin Roots must rely on curse techniques to take effect and need to be swallowed whole. Using the Twin Roots to harm people leaves no trace, but it is by no means easy to administer. From this, I speculated and investigated... The item that caused these three to fall victim to the demonic technique was actually the Sinking Heart Pill distributed by our sect! The mastermind behind the secret murders of these three is hidden within Taiheng!"

The Sinking Heart Pill was a famous treasure of Taiheng that everyone knew about. With this one sentence, without needing explanation, anyone with some knowledge understood what was going on. Many reputable warriors frowned and looked at Qu Duanyun on stage.

Qu Duanyun felt his limbs go cold. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Shi Jingzhi. That man was still sitting in a wooden chair with his eyes slightly closed, half leaning against his disciple's chest and abdomen. As if sensing his peeping, Shi Jingzhi deliberately opened one eye and smiled with devilish charm.

However, with things having reached this point, Qu Duanyun couldn't think of any way to defuse the situation. Every step he had prepared had now become a stone smashing his own feet—

As expected, the Elder Zhou he had specially selected exploded. The old man, disregarding propriety, climbed onto the stage using both hands and feet: "Girl, you can't say such things recklessly!"

Sure enough, Shi Zhongyu took the opportunity to continue: "The elders probably all have this item on hand. Peel one open and you'll know."

Elder Zhou, concerned about Taiheng, naturally wouldn't care about saving face. He immediately took out his treasured pill and carefully pinched it open. The next moment, the thin roots wrapped inside suddenly burst out, fluttering in the wind before everyone's eyes.

Seeing this anomaly, not to mention the barrage of questions from the orthodox sects, even the old man himself suffered from qi deviation, immediately vomiting a mouthful of blood. He threw the pill to the ground, his entire face turning purple: "What's going on? What's going on!"

"The Sinking Heart Pills have all been tampered with. Judging from Abbot Juefei's situation, it was already like this ten years ago," Shi Zhongyu said loudly. "My Taiheng Sect cannot escape involvement in this series of tragedies, so shouldn't we avoid further suspicion?!"

Here it comes, Qu Duanyun pressed his lips tightly together.

The goal of this group of people from the beginning was not to prove that "Qu Duanyun is the mastermind behind the scenes", but to kick out the entire Taiheng Sect. As for whether Qu Duanyun himself was black or white, it wouldn't change the situation—that Shi Jingzhi never considered him a proper opponent from the start.

The Immortal Gathering's plans in the martial arts world were completely ruined in an instant. He was supposed to be responsible for these affairs, but who would have thought such a big blunder would occur. Let alone seizing the "hundred-year plan", he might not even be able to obtain the position of the next National Teacher.

Things shouldn't have turned out this way.

Qu Duanyun repeatedly sifted through his actions after taking over, and found no flaws. Could this really be the "will of heaven" that his master spoke of... Could it be that the Divine Emperor Wu really favored Shi Jingzhi from the beginning?

No, it wasn't time for him to give up yet.

"The refining of the Sinking Heart Pill is handled by the Immortal Gathering." Qu Duanyun forced himself to remain calm and continued in a gentle voice. "The Immortal Gathering is a mix of good and bad people, so it's very likely that Taiheng was used by villains. Senior Sister, isn't it biased to expel Taiheng under such circumstances?"

The Qu family was famous, and Taiheng had a clean reputation for years. Righteous people were somewhat convinced by this, and since Qu Duanyun never lost his composure, it also gave a good impression.

As for the Sinking Heart Pill, few people present had the fortune to taste it, and it was Taiheng's own people who would suffer. Many small sects who had always been close to Taiheng were moved to pity and couldn't help but nod in agreement. The discussion showed some division--

"With the situation in such chaos, wouldn't it be better to have Taiheng take charge for a bit?"

"Isn't Jianchen Temple doing fine too? With Abbot Juehui leading, it won't fall into disorder. Lady Shi is right, what if the thieves are hiding in Taiheng? Wouldn't that be delivering food right to their mouths?"

"Taiheng is a major sect after all, how could it be so exaggerated..."

Shi Zhongyu ignored Qu Duanyun and was not affected by the discussion below the stage. She wiped her hands clean and publicly untied the bundle she brought on stage. Inside the bundle was a strange-looking magic tool. People were still curious when they saw Shi Zhongyu pull the hairpin from her head and directly insert it into the magic tool.

As the magic tool activated, the "pearl" on the hairpin emitted a soft glow.

"It's a soft fish demon eye! A soft fish demon eye that can record images!" There were merchants from the Golden Jade Gang among the crowd, and some sharp-eyed ones recognized it instantly.

The next moment, the scene of Shi Zhongyu's battle with Lin Xun appeared in mid-air, allowing everyone present to see it clearly - from Lin Xun deliberately adjusting his standing angle, to Lin Xun intentionally colliding with Shi Zhongyu's broken sword.

Even with the twists and turns on the arena today, everyone still gasped in unison.

"Duanyun, I thought long and hard, and I figured that the villain who went to great lengths to harm the seniors must really want to interfere in the martial arts world's affairs. I am alone and powerless, and I spoke up for the Ku Mountain Sect early on, so I'm very likely to be targeted. So I also took a gamble - I bet that the villain would also interfere with the martial arts assembly, which is why I spent a lot of money to buy the soft fish demon eye. It seems I bet correctly."

Shi Zhongyu said word by word.

"The villain earlier smeared the Ku Mountain Sect, and now Lin Xun is risking his life to make me withdraw early. However, when Lin Zhen encountered you, he did nothing. From my perspective, that villain seems to really want Taiheng to win the championship."

"Duanyun... Sect Master Qu, since all the experts of Taiheng have taken the Twin Roots, anyone could be a threat. Then for the stability of the jianghu, shouldn't Taiheng selflessly recuse itself to avoid suspicion?"

Finally, Qu Duanyun had nothing to say.

With Shi Zhongyu putting it like this on the table, as the Taiheng Sect Master, there was only one answer he could give.

...Did he really lose? With all the advantages of geography and manpower, and the plans he had accumulated over many years, he lost to a "man-made demon" who left the palace less than a year ago?

Under the eyes of the public, he tried to maintain a proper smile. However, this move after move, sealing off his retreat, even if he racked his brains, he couldn't find a way to fight back.

Qu Duanyun's mind was unusually blank. He subconsciously clenched his hands, wanting to grasp something, but only the pain in his palms responded to him. On one hand, he knew he had been thoroughly defeated, with no luck involved, and on the other hand, he was furious about it, with his true qi rampaging inside his body.

There was nothing more frustrating in the world than being defeated by an opponent you look down upon. Qu Duanyun forcibly swallowed the blood surging to his throat, his body trembling slightly.

...It wasn't over yet, it couldn't end. Otherwise, what did his efforts over the years amount to?

With mixed feelings in his heart and the heavy atmosphere around him, Qu Duanyun's words finally showed a hint of resentment: "Taiheng should indeed avoid suspicion. However, although the Ku Mountain Sect has not done evil along the way, they have rarely done good deeds either. The matter of Mount Zongwu where they took advantage of favors, I believe everyone still remembers. I'm afraid they are only here for their own selfish desires and cannot bear the burden of the righteous path..."

Although there was some truth to it, these words were really a bit heavy. Seeing Qu Duanyun's unusual coldness, the people below the stage did not immediately agree with him, but whispered among themselves.

Shi Jingzhi leaned against Yin Ci, curving his eyes, and pinched the other's wrist - it was time to drop the final piece.

The Ku Mountain Sect did not let Qu Duanyun's momentary loss of composure slip by. As soon as Sect Master Qu finished speaking, Yin Ci decisively stepped forward and walked towards the stunned leader of the Golden Jade Gang.

"Sect Master Qu is absolutely right, I was just about to forfeit."

Yin Ci's tone was sincere, and paired with that immortal-like face, he appeared especially upright.

"My master is critically ill, and our participation in the assembly this time was originally to seek the Shi Rou to save his life. My revered master's health is poor, so he naturally cannot take on the position of alliance leader. I also need to take care of my master and have no time to spare..."

Yan Qing, who originally considered himself a spectator, was sipping his fragrant drink below the stage while marveling at the events. Suddenly hearing this, he almost spat out all the liquid in his mouth.

"The Ku Mountain Sect is a small sect and previously had a notorious reputation. If we obtained the position of alliance leader, I'm sure everyone would feel uncomfortable. Why not let my sect's Yan Qing temporarily take this position, and wait until the culprit is brought to justice and the Taiheng members are cleared of suspicion before holding the assembly again. It won't be too late."

Demon Lord Yin displayed his acting skills to the fullest, and anyone who saw it would be moved. The Ku Mountain Sect had just cleared its name, and the impact of this scene was magnified several times.

The crowd below the stage was silent.

Each sect was quietly making their own calculations.

Compared to the series of shocking news earlier, Yan Qing's bit of demoninc bloodline seemed to be nothing. On the contrary, having demonic blood might make him easier to control - it was an obvious weakness handed to them on a silver platter, and they could make him step down whenever they wanted.

This time, Taiheng was hopeless, and there was still a powerful "villain" eyeing them from the outside. No one wanted to be the one to stick their neck out.

Taking a step back, that kid Yan Qing could at least wield the Compassion Stone Sword, so he shouldn't be a bad seed. Compared to the Ku Mountain Sect's master and disciple whose strength was immeasurable, pushing such a person up temporarily seemed... not impossible?

Even standing on the side of the Ku Mountain Sect, Shi Zhongyu couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth.

This way of serving the masses was truly unprecedented.

When Yan Qing was dragged onto the stage by Jin Lan, he still hadn't come to his senses.

Yan Qing silently confronted the thousands of faces below the stage, not daring to even breathe. His whole body was wrapped in bandages, and he held a drink in both hands, his ghost eyes filled with bewilderment and panic.

At the first cry of "Alliance Leader", Yan Qing's hands trembled, and the cup containing the drink shattered on the ground.

He had finally broken free from the misfortune of the ghost eyes and did not fall into the demon sect as his father had hoped.

But had he used too much force and struggled a bit too far?

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Yan Qing: I was so scared that the milk tea in my hand fell to the ground.jpg