......
A long while later.
Chu Yuan returned to the Sect with the only survivor from the town, the little girl.
He went to the Patrol Hall and reported the matter according to the procedures for major incidents.
The Disciple in charge, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately stood up and left to report to his superior.
Chu Yuan comforted the little girl for a long time, and after finally leaving her in the Patrol Hall to be looked after, he also prepared to leave and inform Luo Zhiqing about the matter.
However, not long after Chu Yuan left the Patrol Hall, a team of Disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall suddenly arrived on Flying Swords, blocking his path.
"Chu Yuan, you Sect traitor, do you know your crime?!"
"Traitor?"
Accused of slander, Chu Yuan's sword-like brows furrowed, "I am a traitor? How can you say that?"
"More talk is useless, seize him!"
The Law Enforcement Hall Disciples gave Chu Yuan no chance to explain and directly swarmed him.
Many of them were at the Golden Core Stage, and he did not resist.
It seemed these people had come by order; the Law Enforcement Hall never handled cases this way.
Perhaps the massacre of the town was not so simple.
He wondered who gave this order? Was it aimed at him or Luo Zhiqing?
Chu Yuan did not panic but planned to secretly send a message to Luo Zhiqing later.
He still had many trump cards given by Luo Zhiqing, so even if Luo Zhiqing couldn't arrive in time, he had a way to escape.
Now, he just wanted to let things take their course and see how the situation developed.
Who was behind all of this?
Soon after.
Chu Yuan was escorted to the main hall of the Sect's Law Enforcement Hall, his hands and feet tightly bound by spiritual energy chains.
The spiritual energy chains could seal the Dantian and Qi Sea, but Chu Yuan could already use the spiritual energy from his unformed Golden Core, so he allowed himself to be bound.
At a critical moment, this restraint would be as good as nothing to him, easily broken.
Inside the Law Enforcement Hall's main hall, many Law Enforcement Hall Elders watched coldly, and the Grand Elder slowly walked into the hall.
The moment he saw the Grand Elder, Chu Yuan's eyes widened slightly.
The mission to guard the town was led by the Grand Elder.
Could it be...?
The Grand Elder paced over, looked at Chu Yuan, his gaze icy, his tone filled with an unquestionable authority:
"Chu Yuan, you Demonic Path spy, you left your post during your guard duty, colluded with demonic cultivators, and caused the tragic death of Sect Disciples. Do you know your crime?"
Chu Yuan retorted with cold eyes:
"I didn't, I only left my post to save someone. How could I collude with demonic cultivators?"
"If you don't believe me, you can go to the Patrol Hall and find the little girl I brought back. As the town's only survivor, she can testify for me."
"The evidence is conclusive, yet you still dare to quibble? She must be someone you brought to give false testimony!"
The Grand Elder sneered and commanded, "Law Enforcement Hall, prepare! Follow me and immediately escort this person to the execution ground to be executed according to Sect law!"
As he spoke, the Grand Elder's eyes flickered.
Chu Yuan and the little girl were the only two survivors.
Among them, it was possible that someone witnessed the truth of the town's massacre.
As long as Chu Yuan and the little girl died, no one would ever know about that matter.
The false testimony prepared for that moment could now be used.
"Wait!"
Just as Chu Yuan was about to be led away, a familiar sword light pierced through the air.
Luo Zhiqing, who had received Chu Yuan's message not long ago, appeared in the hall with an icy Aura.
She looked around, her gaze first falling on Chu Yuan, then turning to the Grand Elder.
"Grand Elder, Chu Yuan has followed me for many years, he cannot possibly collude with demonic cultivators. There must be a misunderstanding in this matter."
The Grand Elder seemed to have been prepared, his tone unhurried:
"Sect Master Luo, you have always been emotional, but this matter is absolutely no misunderstanding!"
"Someone!"
With that, a Law Enforcement Hall Disciple walked up with several scrolls, presenting them to the Grand Elder.
The Grand Elder took the scrolls, held them with spiritual energy, and handed them to Luo Zhiqing.
"Sect Master Luo, this is the evidence of Chu Yuan being a Demonic Path spy. Please examine it."
Luo Zhiqing took the scrolls.
Chu Yuan looked at those scrolls.
Undoubtedly, these scrolls were all false evidence.
Just as Chu Yuan thought this, Luo Zhiqing, looking at the scrolls, grew increasingly grim.
Seeing Luo Zhiqing's expression, Chu Yuan's heart tightened, and he instantly realized that this false evidence was probably not simple, even capable of passing off as real.
But the fact that it could be prepared so quickly indicated that there had always been a backup plan.
Could this matter truly be a conspiracy against him and his Master?
Just then, the Grand Elder continued:
"Sect Master Luo, this Chu Yuan, whose village was massacred by demonic cultivators, was the only one who survived. Don't you find it too coincidental, too strange?"
"Over these years, he has used your trust to grasp the Sect's vital secrets, influence the Sect's decisions, make you reduce the severity of handling demonic cultivators, and secretly accumulate power within the Sect. If we hadn't detected it in advance, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
The Grand Elder's words contained truth mixed with falsehood, making them extremely difficult to discern, and they clearly affected Luo Zhiqing, who appeared to be struggling and hesitant.
"Absurd!"
Finally, Luo Zhiqing put down the scrolls and stared coldly at the Grand Elder, "This is slander. I know Chu Yuan better than anyone."
The Grand Elder sneered and waved his hand.
"Then please, Sect Master Luo, personally investigate the Demonic Seed within his body!"
Upon hearing this, both Chu Yuan and Luo Zhiqing were stunned.
Luo Zhiqing hesitated for a moment, then walked in front of Chu Yuan.
Chu Yuan originally didn't understand what trick the Grand Elder was playing.
It wasn't until Luo Zhiqing extended her slender hand, spiritual energy gathered, and probed into Chu Yuan's Qi Sea.
Chu Yuan suddenly felt a change within his body and hurriedly looked inward, discovering a mass of black Qi emerging from his Dantian, exuding a strange Demonic Path Aura.
Chu Yuan's pupils contracted.
Why? How could this be?
Chu Yuan suddenly recalled earlier, before the Grand Elder sent him and his Senior Brothers to guard the town entrance, he had injected something into their bodies, claiming it was his Aura, which could sense the position of each Disciple.
Could it have been at that time...!
On the other side, Luo Zhiqing's expression drastically changed—her spiritual sense had touched a hidden foreign object, a Demonic Seed emitting an evil Aura!
"This..."
Luo Zhiqing's fingers trembled slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The Grand Elder's low voice sounded from the side:
"Elder Luo, this is the decisive evidence. If he weren't a Demonic Path spy, how could this Demonic Seed exist within his body?"
Luo Zhiqing withdrew her hand, her expression one of struggle, her steps subtly retreating, as if all strength had been drained from her.
She looked up at Chu Yuan, her gaze filled with regret, pain, and struggle, "Chu Yuan, you..."
Chu Yuan panicked and quickly spoke:
"No, Master, I—"
"Bang!"
The Grand Elder suddenly kicked Chu Yuan in the chest, who had forgotten to defend himself. Chu Yuan spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and fell to the ground.
This kick not only rendered Chu Yuan speechless but also cleverly triggered the Demonic Seed within Chu Yuan's body, causing it to spread outwards.
Immediately, Chu Yuan was enveloped in black Qi, his Aura extremely sinister.
He looked like a demonic cultivator who had finally lost control of his Cultivation Technique.
Gazing at the black Qi, Luo Zhiqing completely despaired, falling into a daze.
Why.
Why did this happen?
She had clearly thought he was her salvation.
In the end, he was her enemy, and he had deceived her for so many years.
The Grand Elder said coldly:
"Sect Master Luo, the facts are already very clear. For the safety of the Sect, please personally deal with this traitor."
Luo Zhiqing closed her eyes, taking a long moment to compose herself.
She took a deep, pained breath, then slowly gripped her sword hilt, her fingers trembling slightly, her voice low, with suppressed pain:
"All of you, withdraw."
The Grand Elder motioned for the others to leave, a faint, imperceptible sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.
Luo Zhiqing's fingers on the sword hilt were white, her gaze on Chu Yuan incredibly complex.
Chu Yuan was in extreme pain; he wanted to speak, but only a low, hoarse sound escaped his throat, his eyes full of pleading.
Master... I am innocent!
Luo Zhiqing struggled repeatedly, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it, her voice trembling as she said:
"I will abolish your cultivation and destroy your Qi Sea. From now on, you will be a cripple. Fend for yourself."
With that, a sword light flashed, and a sharp pain erupted in Chu Yuan's abdomen, his Dantian's Qi Sea was destroyed.
Chu Yuan fell to the ground, his face ashen, his eyes fixed on Luo Zhiqing, filled with agony and despair.
Luo Zhiqing, however, turned her back and left the Law Enforcement Hall with heavy steps, without looking back.
Vaguely, Chu Yuan seemed to see falling tears.