Upon entering the sect gate, it was just as Zhou You had sensed.
Hundreds of people gathered in an open space, each with varying expressions.
Blood was splattered on the ground, and eight men and women, beaten to the brink of death, huddled on the ground.
“Quite bold, aren’t you?”
A young man holding a folding fan looked disdainfully, his right foot grinding on a girl’s face. “You dare to come and trouble me? Don’t you know that it’s Ye Zekai’s good fortune that I, Pan Er, killed him?”
The girl still stubbornly shouted, “The Hua Xing Sect handles matters unfairly! Disciples are forbidden from killing each other! These are your own rules!”
Pan Er laughed heartily, “Go on, shout! See if anyone cares!”
The girl’s expression was sorrowful and indignant, “The Hua Xing Sect is unjust!”
This whole family naively believed that the Hua Xing Sect would handle this matter fairly.
But in reality, from the moment they arrived until now, none of the Hua Xing Sect’s Elders or Sect Masters had appeared.
“You really dare to shout?”
Pan Er’s right foot continued to stomp down, splattering blood.
The girl struggled with all her might, reaching out to grab Pan Er’s right foot.
Pan Er shifted his body to the side and kicked her in the chest, sending the girl tumbling and flying away.
Thud!
Ji Hao lifted his foot, caught the girl’s body, and placed her on the ground, then nudged her with his foot to check if she was alive.
Pan Er looked up, “Zhou Xian, you just took leave from this young master a few days ago, and now you’re back already?”
In that instant, Zhou Xian’s face visibly turned pale, and his body was still trembling.
“Took leave?”
Zhou You murmured, this excuse was quite interesting.
When disciples descended the mountain, they were supposed to report to the Elders.
If they had a master, they would naturally seek their master.
How could it be taking leave from a fellow disciple?
Zhou Xian lowered his head, unable to speak.
“Come here.”
Pan Er shook his folding fan, “My shoes are dirty, lick them clean. As long as you perform well, you can pay a little less for this month’s tribute.”
“Hahahaha.”
A group of young men behind Pan Er all burst into laughter.
The other onlookers had various expressions, but all of them looked very displeased.
“Zhou Xian’s return is truly timely.”
A black-robed young man laughed, “Soon, there will be someone to bury the corpses. But this time, don’t handle it so sloppily again. It’s just a corpse, how could it fall down the mountain?”
Zhou Xian clenched his fists tightly, his body trembling incessantly.
Pan Er’s lips curled upwards, and he sharply shouted, “I told you to come here, are you deaf?”
Zhou Xian’s body trembled again, and he subconsciously walked forward.
Zhou Chen anxiously said, “Brother!”
Zhou Xian’s steps halted, and he stood in place, fearful.
“Oh?”
Pan Er looked at Zhou Chen, “What? Did you bring your younger sister this time to show filial respect to me?”
Zhou Xian was horrified and hurriedly said, “No, it’s not like that, it’s not like that…”
Pan Er coldly said, “I said she’s here to show filial respect to me, and you say she’s not? What? After going home, have your wings hardened or something?”
Zhou Xian was so frightened that his entire body trembled, “Young Master Pan, I… I…”
Seeing this, Zhou You couldn’t help but frown.
This kind of fear was not something that developed overnight, but accumulated over many years.
It was like a baby elephant tied with a thin rope; even when it became an adult elephant, it dared not resist.
Ji Hao’s face was full of disgust, but he uncharacteristically remained silent.
Pan Er pointed his folding fan at the girl in front of Ji Hao’s feet, “If you kill her now and send your younger sister to my room tonight, I’ll forgive you for the mistake you made last time. Don’t think I don’t know that you deliberately threw the corpse down the mountain and leaked my name.”
Zhou Xian stiffly walked towards Ji Hao.
Ji Hao looked up, staring coldly at Zhou Xian.
At this moment, Zhou Xian even drew the sword at his waist.
Zhou You’s expression was indifferent, still showing no reaction.
Suddenly, Zhou Xian turned around and roared angrily, “According to the sect rules, if you bully fellow disciples, you should be expelled. If you torture and kill fellow disciples, you should be punished even more severely by the sect rules!”
Pan Er was stunned, then burst into maniacal laughter, “Oh? Ah hahahaha, what day is it today? Even a good-for-nothing like you dares to question me?”
Zhou Xian’s lips trembled, he looked around, and angrily rebuked, “Everyone knows how Pan Er and his two companions bullied fellow disciples. But you all just refuse to testify, refuse to speak up. Yes, I dug out the corpse and threw it down the mountain, and I told others that Pan Er and his two companions killed him. But so what? I said it!”
“I also know that one of you told him what I did.”
“But don’t you understand? Ye Zekai wasn’t the first to be tortured and killed by them. Who’s next? Is it me or you?”
The surroundings were silent, with only the mocking laughter of Pan Er and his companions.
“You idiot.”
Pan Er shook his head, his eyes full of disdain, “Why don’t you understand? Does anyone care about your lives? You’re still talking about sect rules with me, do you good-for-nothings have the right to talk about it? Don’t you know the power of my Pan Family? I came to the Hua Xing Sect not because I begged to come, but because the Hua Xing Sect needs me. Understand? Good-for-nothings.”
Everyone was silent, like cicadas in winter; sometimes they had heard some whispers.
But the specifics were unclear.
The only thing they knew was that the Hua Xing Sect was extremely lenient with Pan Er.
Pan Er then turned his head, “First, make sure those on the ground who haven’t breathed their last do so, then deal with this good-for-nothing Zhou Xian.”
Zhou Xian angrily rebuked, “Isn’t it enough that you killed their family members? Do you have to exterminate them all?”
Pan Er’s eyes suddenly turned cold, “What are you, a good-for-nothing, shouting about here? Here, I am the sect rule, I am the law. Whoever I say must die, must die!”
Two people walked out from behind Pan Er, and the black-robed young man coldly said, “I’ll give you a suggestion: obediently come over and accept your death, and you can suffer a little less. Otherwise, you should think about how Ye Zekai died.”
In that instant, Zhou Xian was not afraid, but…
Vomiting.
He seemed to have thought of something terrible, causing him to vomit continuously.
The black-robed young man had already walked over and swung his sword at the girl on the ground.
As for Ji Hao and the others, they didn’t care at all.
Clang!
Zhou Xian endured the discomfort and swept away the opponent’s sword when he was unprepared.
This was the bravest he had ever been.
Even at this moment, in his confusion, he had forgotten Zhou You’s existence, and even more so, he had forgotten that Zhou You had requested to come.
After swinging this sword, Zhou Xian straightened his back.
He was supposed to be a man of integrity, and when he saw injustice, he would naturally draw his sword to help.
The black-robed young man was furious, “You dare to fight back?”
Sword light surged, rapidly sweeping towards Zhou Xian’s head, and at the same time, his Blood Spirit appeared on its own.
Clang!
The moment the two swords collided, half of the black-robed young man’s head flew off.
As blood and brains splattered everywhere, Zhou Xian’s body no longer trembled, and he tried his best to remain calm.
He understood very well that it must have been his Second Uncle who made the move.
Ji Hao couldn’t help but turn to look at Zhou You, was this guy’s move that fast?
Zhou You’s expression was as still as an ancient well, he merely looked calmly ahead, watching this farce.