74: Young people should be full of energy!

"...Perhaps, there's more to this matter than meets the eye..."

High-Grade Fertilizer's voice was gentle and pleasant, like a clear spring instantly pouring into the atmosphere that had long been scorched by "rules" and "judgment."

She only spoke one sentence and offered one smile.

She effortlessly pushed aside the "Sword of rules" that hung over Codename: Sharp Blade's head, a sword capable of ruining her reputation.

The gaze of the entire hall instantly shifted from the embattled and pale Codename: Sharp Blade to the Holy Maiden of Crimson Flame Divine Palace, who had seemed to remain aloof throughout the entire affair, yet at the most crucial moment, settled everything with a single word!

Even Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at this woman who should have been his "competitor."

He knew that the truly troublesome "enemy" was finally going to enter the fray personally.

High-Grade Fertilizer slowly rose from her seat.

She first nodded slightly towards the City Lord Long Yan and Inspector Leng Yan on the high platform, showing respect. Her composure and etiquette were impeccable.

Then, she turned her eyes, which seemed to contain a sea of wisdom, towards Lin Chen, her face still bearing that gentle, warm smile that made people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.

"Holy Son Lin, a young hero, who exposed the schemes of villains with decisive action, Purple Moon admires you."

As soon as she spoke, she first affirmed Lin Chen's actions and acknowledged the Myriad Sword Pavilion's mistake.

This was the most brilliant aspect of her linguistic artistry!

First, she took an absolutely fair and objective stance to gain the initial trust of everyone present!

"Myriad Sword Pavilion bribed an attendant, cheated to enter, and set an ambush to kill. Such actions indeed severely violate the iron rules of the Qianlong Grand Competition and have utterly disgraced the cultivators of our Eastern Barrens! Lord Inspector will make a just decision regarding this matter."

She lightly brushed over Myriad Sword Pavilion's Guilt with a single sentence, as if it were an insignificant matter.

Immediately after, her beautiful phoenix eyes subtly shifted.

The most fatal "but" arrived.

"However..."

High-Grade Fertilizer's voice suddenly changed, carrying a perfectly measured hint of "regret" and "puzzlement."

Her gaze fixed directly on Lin Chen, like an elder deeply pained for a junior who had "gone astray."

"Holy Son Lin, in the Demonic Meteor Battlefield, you forcibly absorbed Su Mei of the Hehuan Sect's cultivation for your own use. Is this true?"

Boom—!!!

As soon as these words were uttered, a suppressed gasp instantly arose from the crowd!

Absorbing someone else's cultivation?!

This... this was the most infamous evil technique of the demonic path!

Lin Chen's gaze slightly hardened, but he remained silent.

High-Grade Fertilizer, however, seemed to merely be stating an objective fact, continuing to ask in that "regretful" tone:

"After subduing Bai Ruoxue of the Heavenly Fiend Sect, you forcibly took her as a 'female slave' and commanded her day and night. Is this true?"

"After defeating Hua Jieyu of the Hundred Flowers Valley today, you also bound her to your team under the name of 'female slave.' Is this also true?"

Her voice grew louder with each question!

Her interrogations were relentless, giving Lin Chen no chance to catch his breath!

Finally, her beautiful eyes filled with deep "disappointment," she slowly shook her head at Lin Chen and let out a heavy sigh that seemed to resonate with everyone present.

"Holy Son Lin."

"Absorbing cultivation is already a demonic act."

"Humiliating fellow cultivators and taking defeated opponents as 'female slaves' goes against the core tenets of 'respect' and 'righteousness' for us orthodox cultivators!

"A person... a person who is not clean themselves..."

Her voice suddenly rose, filled with a grand and "just" question that struck directly at people's hearts!

"—What right do you have to stand on this moral high ground and judge others' 'sins'?"

"Is it because your fist is bigger than theirs?!"

Killing, yet condemning the heart!

This was the most supreme linguistic trap!

She didn't deny the authenticity of Lin Chen's evidence at all!

She even admitted Myriad Sword Pavilion's mistakes!

But she used a more subtle and grand "moral" standard to forcibly pull Lin Chen from his identity as "victim" and "executor of justice"!

She wanted to thoroughly muddy the waters!

She wanted everyone present to feel this way—

"Yes, Myriad Sword Pavilion cheated, and it's quite shameless."

"But! This Lin Chen isn't a good person either! Absorbing people's cultivation, taking female slaves, isn't he just a little demon?!"

"A liar accusing a thief? Heh, they're birds of a feather!"

Indeed!

High-Grade Fertilizer's words instantly made the public opinion, which had just completely reversed, become confusing once again!

"Hiss... Holy Maiden Ji seems to have a point!"

"That's right! Absorbing cultivation... there's no way to whitewash that, is there? What's the difference between that and a demon?"

"And the matter of 'female slaves'! Although in the cultivation world, the strong are respected, taking female prodigies as slaves... that really doesn't sound good when word gets out!"

"Looking at it this way, neither of them seems to be good people..."

Whispers once again spread like a tide!

The crowd, who had just been full of sympathy and approval for Lin Chen, now looked at him with scrutiny, suspicion, and... alienation!

On the high platform, Inspector Leng Yan, who had been in despair, instantly flashed with the ecstasy of having survived a catastrophe! She immediately seized the opportunity and coldly shouted:

"Holy Maiden Ji is absolutely right! Lin Chen! You yourself are riddled with misdeeds, acting like a demonic cultivator! You have no right to accuse others here!"

The situation, in this instant, once again returned to a predicament extremely unfavorable to Lin Chen!

Even worse than before!

Because this time, he was being attacked for his "dark history" that he couldn't deny!

However.

Just when everyone thought Lin Chen was about to be speechless and fall into a rage under the double shackles of "morality" and "facts"...

Lin Chen smiled.

He looked at High-Grade Fertilizer, who stood in the center of the hall, receiving everyone's "approving" gazes, her face still wearing that "pitying all living beings" smile.

He slowly began to clap.

"Clap... clap... clap..."

The crisp applause echoed through the noisy hall, sounding particularly abrupt.

"Brilliant."

Lin Chen's smile was filled with admiration.

"As expected of the Holy Maiden of Crimson Flame Divine Palace, High-Grade Fertilizer."

"This skill of 'substituting concepts' and 'confusing the public' is truly masterful, it has broadened my horizons."

High-Grade Fertilizer's eyes narrowed slightly, but her smile remained unchanged: "Holy Son Lin, you flatter me. Purple Moon is merely discussing the matter at hand."

"Discussing the matter at hand?"

Lin Chen's smile suddenly vanished!

An aura far colder and sharper than at any previous moment erupted from him!

He did not try to justify the "legitimacy" of his cultivation absorption or taking female slaves.

Because he knew that debating details with such a "Fallacy Creator" would only lead him into the endless linguistic traps she had already prepared!

So he chose the most direct, most domineering, and most effective ultimate counterattack that could evoke "empathy" and "fear" from everyone present!

"Good! I admit it!"

Lin Chen's voice was like thunder, exploding in everyone's ears!

He scanned the entire hall, his gaze sweeping over the faces of every influential figure who had just been whispering!

"I admit it! I, Lin Chen, am no flawless saint!"

"Yes! I am decisive in killing! Yes! My methods are ruthless! Yes! My hands are stained with the blood of my enemies!"

He directly admitted all of his "imperfections" in public!

This move instantly aborted all of High-Grade Fertilizer's prepared follow-up attacks!

Immediately after!

Lin Chen's tone suddenly shifted! Becoming filled with absurd questioning!

"But!!!"

"I am not a saint!"

"Is that a reason for a liar, a cheater, to brazenly set up a killing trap, intending to put me and the hundreds of fellow disciples behind me to death?!"

This rhetorical question was like a heavy hammer, striking hard at everyone's hearts!

Yes!

Is there a logical connection between the two?!

Lin Chen didn't give them time to think!

His voice grew increasingly high-pitched, increasingly filled with a terrifying, inflammatory magic!

"Today!"

"They can disregard the rules and ruthlessly attack me because I, Lin Chen, am 'imperfect'!"

"Then tomorrow!"

"Can they ruthlessly attack a certain senior present because you 'have a bad temper'?!"

"Can they slaughter your entire family because a certain patriarch 'educates their children too strictly'?!"

"Can they label you as 'demonic' and 'act on behalf of heaven' for any small flaw that they find 'unpleasant'?!"

"—Answer me!!!"

Lin Chen almost roared the last three words with all his might!

Boom—!!!

In everyone's minds throughout the entire hall, it was as if thunder had exploded!

Fear!

A chilling, bone-piercing fear instantly shot from the soles of their feet directly to their crowns!

They finally understood!

They understood the most terrifying core logic in Lin Chen's words!

If today they agreed with High-Grade Fertilizer's twisted logic of "because you are 'imperfect,' others have the right to 'judge' you."

Then tomorrow, when the butcher's knife fell upon their own heads, they would have no room to resist!

Because... in this world, who truly is a flawless saint?!

In an instant!

Everyone's eyes in the entire hall changed!

Their gaze towards High-Grade Fertilizer was no longer approval, no longer admiration!

But rather, the fear and anger of seeing a schemer who wanted to enslave everyone with the shackles of "morality"!

Public opinion at this moment experienced a backlash more thorough and terrifying than any before!

And just as everyone was thoroughly swayed by Lin Chen's words, and the atmosphere of the entire hall was about to completely spiral out of control...

Lin Chen moved again.

He looked at High-Grade Fertilizer, whose face could no longer maintain "composure" and "wisdom," revealing panic and disbelief for the first time.

A cruel smile appeared on his face.

He slowly took out another... shadow-recording stone from his storage ring!

"Again... again?!"

Someone in the crowd let out a groaning gasp of surprise!

Lin Chen tossed the new shadow-recording stone in his hand, his smile filled with the playful amusement of a cat toying with a mouse.

"Holy Maiden Ji."

"Your words just now were truly righteous and awe-inspiring, I, Lin, am deeply impressed."

"However..."

"Regarding why you have so painstakingly 'targeted' me..."

"I, Lin, happen to have some 'insights' from an 'old acquaintance' here..."

With that, he flicked his finger again, activating the shadow-recording stone!

The light screen lit up once more!

And this time, appearing on the light screen was a familiar figure that made High-Grade Fertilizer's pupils constrict sharply into pinpricks!

—Ji Wuye!

Her own younger brother!

From within the light screen, Ji Wuye's voice, full of "malice" and "scheming," resounded triumphantly throughout the entire hall!

"...Lin Chen, my sister has already prepared everything for you!"

"The first step, 'praise to kill'! She will use all the resources of the Crimson Flame Divine Palace to mold you into an unprecedented peerless prodigy! To make you stand against everyone! To make you arrogant and conceited!"

"The second step, 'sow discord'! She will use those 'dark secrets' about you, such as absorbing cultivation and taking female slaves, to divide all forces that might ally with you! To make everyone think you are a reclusive, cruel demon!"

"The final step! Is today's Hongmen Banquet! She will unite with the Sky Patrol Hall and all the forces you have offended, using your most 'arrogant' and most 'isolated' moment to cast you into the abyss in the name of 'justice'!!"

"...My sister's wisdom is flawless! How could a brute like you, who only knows how to use brute force, be her opponent?!"

When the last word of Ji Wuye's foolishly smug voice fell.

The entire Listening Tide Banquet Hall had completely turned into a dead zone.

Everyone's gazes were like the sharpest, most substantial knives, slowly slicing at that beautiful figure whose face had long lost all color and whose delicate body trembled violently!

High-Grade Fertilizer!

This top-tier "Fallacy Creator" who manipulated public opinion and human hearts!

Ultimately, she was completely backstabbed by the foolish "pawn" she most looked down upon!

Completely destroyed by the "open conspiracy" game she was most skilled at!

"Pfft—!"

A mouthful of fresh blood suddenly gushed from her mouth!

She was actually so angered that her mind lost control, and cracks appeared in her Dao Heart!

And just as High-Grade Fertilizer completely became the laughingstock of the entire hall, swaying and about to faint...

A gentle, old, and dignified voice, full of "grace" and "wisdom," yet also carrying a hint of a senior admonishing a junior with indulgence and helplessness, slowly sounded from the most mysterious chief guest seat.

"Alas..."

"Young man, don't be so hot-headed..."

Everyone looked over in shock!

They saw an old man dressed in simple hemp clothes, with white hair and beard, a benevolent face, looking just like an ordinary old neighbor, slowly putting down his teacup.

The Great Yan Dynasty — the current Imperial Advisor!