Chapter 88.1
Thank you Meg for the Ko-fi!
Editor: Casey
For the first time, Shi Qing discovered someone who was his match in acting.
He watched as his big bear apprentice cowered pitifully in his arms, his voice m.u.f.fled, “Thank you, Shizun. This disciple would have died for sure if you didn’t come.”
Rong Jue could feel the other person’s thin waist that could be encircled by a single-arm stiffen due to his words. Shi Qing tried to push him away, but Rong Jue pretended not to notice. In fact, he only tightened his grip.
Supreme Elder Shi Qing was about to continue to shove him when the people chasing after Rong Jue caught up.
“How dare you run away! I’m going to beat you to a…”
The leader’s harsh words trailed off. He shifted his gaze upwards, only to be confronted by Shi Qing, who was regarding him with a cold expression.
His face drained of all colour as he quickly got down on one knee and paid his respects as a junior. “This disciple greets the supreme elder.”
His lackeys naturally followed suit, their voices somewhat unified.
“Disciples greet the supreme elder!”
Shi Qing looked at the group kneeling to him.
Their leader looked very much like a cannon fodder with his crooked eyes and slanted mouth. He was wearing the same Chi Yun Sect disciple robes as Rong Jue, but the difference was night and day.
He averted his eyes in disgust and sternly asked, “Which peak are you from?”
“T-this disciple is Zhang Paohui from Chi Xia Peak.”
The people behind him immediately replied as well. They were all from Chi Xia Peak.
Shi Qing was as cold as ever. “What guts you people from Chi Xia Peak have. You dare to come to my Qing Jian Peak and harm my Qing Jian Peak disciples.”
As soon as the words were spoken, those kneeling under the ground started sweating rivers.
Zhang Paohui grit his teeth hatefully. He had inquired beforehand and discovered that Rong Jue was not favoured by Supreme Elder Shi Qing. He wasn’t even allowed treatment for his injuries. That was why Zhang Paohui had dared to come over to look for trouble.
How would someone as busy as a supreme elder have time to seek justice for a mere disciple he didn’t even like? Not to mention the fact that Rong Jue was now an invalid. There was nothing to be gained by defending him.
But this guy must’ve taken one too many blows to the head or something. He didn’t act proud like before, instead, he ran at the sight of their group and shouted for help.
He was supposed to be the eldest disciple of Qing Jian Peak, a cultivator who had almost reached the Void Refining Stage! Had he no shame?!
Zhang Paohui dared to bully Rong Jue, but offending Shi Qing was another matter entirely.
Although this supreme elder only got his position due to nepotism, Qing Jiang Peak had an extensive network of influence.
He grit his teeth and tried to spin the situation in his favour.
“Please don’t misunderstand, Supreme Elder. This disciple came to visit because I have always admired Rong-shixiong and heard he was in an accident. But for some reason, Rong-shixiong started running as soon as he saw us. We were worried because Rong-shixiong was still injured, so we chased him here.” Zhang Paohui said, feeling very justified again.
Yes, although his words were slightly twisted, they weren’t far from the truth.
Even if he’d thought of countless ways to humiliate Rong Jue in his head, he hadn’t implemented them yet, had he?
As he thought about it like that, all the remaining guilt on Zhang Paohui’s face cleared. His voice grew louder. “The supreme elder is wise. Please don’t get the wrong idea here.”
Before Shi Qing said anything, Rong Jue, who had been k2018;fearfully’ and k2018;cautiously’ hiding in his arms, got up first.
He hadn’t been lying either.
In his last life, the demon lord was indeed humiliated by these people. At that time, he still believed in justice. Rong Jue thought that Chi Yun Sect would punish these people with the injuries on his body as proof.
But to his surprise, their shamelessness far exceeded the imagination of the Rong Jue of the past.
They teamed up and backstabbed him, saying that he had tripped by himself and that his injuries were so severe because he was now a mortal.
Coupled with the fact that Rong Jue had old injuries that he didn’t seek treatment for, it then resulted in the group’s lies to be taken as the truth.
In the end, he was expelled from the Chi Yun Sect. Not only was he injured, but he also became infamous for falsely accusing his fellow disciples.
The demon lord hid behind Shi Qing. A hint of amus.e.m.e.nt flashed by in his beautiful eyes.
Now that he had been reborn, it was time for these people to have a taste of what it was like to be falsely accused and not given a chance to fight back.
He carefully moved behind his Shizun some more. “Shizun, he’s lying.”
The demon lord utilized 120% of his acting skills. Seemingly filled with bitterness, he lowered his head and whispered, “This disciple was recuperating in my room when these Shidi suddenly barged in. They said that a mortal like me shouldn’t remain in Chi Yun Sect anymore. If I wanted to stay, I have to become their lackey.”
“Of course this disciple refused, but they went too far! They started beating me, not even caring that this was Qing Jian Peak territory! This disciple has no cultivation, that is why I couldn’t fight back. Left with no choice, I crushed the jade slip and asked for Shizun to intervene.”
Zhang Paohui and the others could only watch as Rong Jue told these bald-faced lies.
…
Holy s.h.i.t!
How was this guy even more shameless than us!
What ‘left with no choice’?? He crushed the jade slip as soon as he saw us!
Was Rong Jue’s overly righteous and honourable reputation a sham? Was he actually this kind of person??!!
Zhang Paohui opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. He didn’t know how to respond to Rong Jue’s shamelessness.
Actually, it was good for him that he remained silent. The lackeys behind him remained determined to say their piece.
“Nonsense! That’s not what happened at all!”
“We didn’t do anything before you ran off on your own.”
“That’s right! Supreme Elder, don’t listen to his lies!”
The handsome man was acting like a big wolf-dog that had been bullied outside. He held his Shizun’s sleeve and whimpered pitifully.
“Shizun, this disciple only spoke the truth! If you don’t believe me, then look at the wounds on this disciple’s face. Who else could have inflicted these injuries, me?”
The group: “…Yeah, you fell on your own!”
They were just wondering why Rong Jue ran so fast he tripped several times on the way here. This guy was planning this from the start!
Rong Jue tugged on Shi Qing’s slightly cool hand, pretending not to be aware of how stiff the other person was. He guided those fingertips to his cheek.
“These injuries still have traces of spiritual energy left. Everyone knows I’m an invalid now, so how could I have done this to myself? Shizun, everything will become clear once you take a look.”
He was so serious that Shi Qing could only carefully examine the area.
“Indeed, there is still residual spiritual energy here.” He confirmed, shooting the people kneeling on the ground a look of disgust.
“You barged into my Qing Jian Peak, injured my disciples, and now you want to spread lies about Rong Jue?! Does my Qing Jian Peak mean nothing to you?!”
The pressure unique to a supreme ruler at the Amalgamation Stage came crashing down. Zhang Paohui almost collapsed as his legs softened.
Zhang Paohui gritted his teeth and struggled to speak, “Supreme Elder, we really didn’t do anything to Rong-shixiong.”
Even if what Rong Jue had said was more or less what they had envisioned, they didn’t have time to do anything yet!
Shi Qing’s voice was faint, but there was clear impatience present. “You still wish to argue when the truth has already become clear?”
“Do you need this master to tell you the rules of the Punishment Hall?”
If you hurt a fellow disciple, you had to disperse your protective spiritual energy and receive 50 cane strikes.
If Zhang Paohui had really done something, he might’ve admitted his wrongs once Supreme Elder Shi Qing came out to support Rong Jue, if only to minimize his punishment.
Besides, his grandfather was the Supreme Elder of Chi Xia Peak. Even if he was punished, the Punishment Hall’s shixiongs would certainly hold back out of consideration for his background.
But he didn’t do anything!!!
How can he let himself be wronged like this since he was innocent?!
Zhang Paohui reluctantly had to argue: “Supreme Elder, the disciple really didn’t–”
Rong Jue, who had been listening to them in silence, suddenly intervened. “Shizun, since my shidi won’t admit it, let’s just leave it at that.”
He lowered his injured arm that was at an unnatural angle and leaned on Shi Qing. “This disciple is now an invalid that can no longer bring honour to our Qing Jian Peak, and Chi Xia Peak’s supreme elder is Zhang-shidi’s grandfather. Why else would Zhang-shidi act so arrogantly here? If Shizun punishes Zhang-shidi, Supreme Elder Zhang Chang is sure to intervene.”
“This disciple can no longer protect Shizun, so it’s not worth it to offend Chi Xia Peak for my sake.”
Zhang Paohui: “……”
Rong Jue first acted pitifully by mentioning his invalid status, then implied that Zhang Paohui was relying on his grandfather’s authority to come and make trouble at Qing Jian Peak.
Although that was true, but by saying it out loud, people would think that Shi Qing was afraid of his fellow supreme elder if he backed down now.
Rong Jue!
What a vicious move!
Zhang Paohui was about to refute Rong Jue when he noticed the death glare Supreme Elder Shi Qing was shooting at him.
The blue-robed supreme elder laughed, enraged. “I never knew that there was a hierarchy amongst the major peaks of Chi Yun Sect.”
“What, now that my father has ascended, your Chi Xia Peak is trying to take advantage and use me as a stepping stone to elevate your own prestige?”
Zhang Paohui: “Supreme Elder is mistaken, it’s really not like that…”
He shuddered when Shi Qing looked at him again and shut his mouth.
Supreme Elder Shi Qing looked at them…
Like they were already dead.
The lackeys behind him sensed the danger and silently shrank back, wishing they could just shrink into a ball and disappear.
Rong Jue was behind Shi Qing, watching his Shizun get angry for his sake.
There was a slight blush on that beautiful jade-like face due to anger. Even his always cold and distant eyes were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with emotion.
It was really…
The demon lord slightly raised his eyebrows like he was scared out of his mind. He leaned even closer to his Shizun.
Revenge was not the only reason behind his previous words.
More than that, it was to test what could trigger Shi Qing’s temper.
Rong Jue just figured it out.
Just as he expected.
Shi Qing turned him into an invalid with his own hands, while also detesting when others tried to bully him.
What a contradictory person.
Rong Jue recalled a rumour he heard when he first entered the demon realm about a demonic cultivator that enjoyed collecting contradictory souls. The more two-faced the better.
They would confine those souls in a crystal and carry it on their person, taking it out at night to enjoy them in detail.
At that time, Rong Jue didn’t think such people existed in the world.
A person either deeply hated you or deeply loved you. How could they be both at the same time?
But now, he actually saw such a contradictory and beautiful soul in the Shizun he hated the most.
The demon lord sighed sorrowfully in his heart.
It was still too early to imprison Shi Qing in a crystal.
He had to wait a little longer.
Rong Jue had to wait until he grew tired of Shi Qing’s body, until he figured out all the secrets this person was hiding.
Then, he would personally kill Shizun as slowly as possible.
He would confine his beautiful soul inside a crystal and keep it by his side for all eternity.
He could already imagine its dazzling radiance.
Happy holidays! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°