191: Chapter 191 I'm afraid... I've chilled the hearts of my fellow disciples.

Buzz.

The memory stone hovered in mid-air, but it didn't release any footage of self-defense as Zhao Kun had expected.

The light and shadow distorted, projecting a dim and shaky scene.

The Soul Severing Gorge during a torrential downpour.

In the muddy trenches, a Taiqing Sect Disciple with only level three Qi Refining, half his body corroded to the bone by toxic baleful energy, was death-gripping Gu Changfeng's sleeve.

That hand was as thin as a chicken's claw.

"Elder... it hurts..."

The boy's voice was intermittent, mixing with the sound of rain, making one's heart ache.

"Medicinal Pill... rejuvenation pill... are there any left?"

In the image, Gu Changfeng's hand, covered in mud and blood, reached into his Storage Pouch, fumbling for a long time only to pour out a pile of long-since crushed pill dregs.

It was empty.

The light in the boy's eyes gradually dissipated, and finally, that hand fell powerlessly, hitting the muddy water and splashing a muddy spray.

The image came to an abrupt halt.

Inside the Law Enforcement Hall, there was a deathly silence.

The sinister grin on Zhao Kun's face froze.

He felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.

These weren't accounts; these were human lives.

Gu Changfeng put away the memory stone, his movements as slow as if he were closing the eyes of that deceased Disciple.

"That child was named Wang Erniu. He had been in the Sect for nine years and had just learned how to control a Flying Sword."

Gu Changfeng looked up; those gentle eyes now burned with two clusters of eerie fire that one dared not look at directly.

"When he died, he was still asking me why the Medicinal Pills allocated by the Sect hadn't arrived yet."

"I want to know too."

Gu Changfeng pulled a Jade Slip from his robes, which he had intercepted from the corpse of a Wang Family steward on the previous battlefield using his Intelligence System.

Pa.

He slammed the Jade Slip heavily onto the desk in front of Zhao Kun, causing the pile of fake account books to scatter.

"Junior Martial Uncle Zhao, you shouldn't be unfamiliar with this 'Secret Ledger', right?"

Zhao Kun's pupils shrank to the size of needlepoints.

He stared fixedly at the Jade Slip, his breathing instantly halting.

How is this possible?!

That Steward Wang, who was responsible for transporting supplies, had been missing for a year. The Family thought he had died at the hands of demonic cultivators; how could he have ended up in Gu Changfeng's hands?!

"Afraid to look?"

Gu Changfeng sneered, injecting spiritual energy from his fingertips into the Jade Slip.

Lines of crimson handwriting, like a judge's scarlet brush, were projected directly into the air of the hall.

"March 5th: Taiqing Sect allocated five hundred bottles of 'rejuvenation pills'. They were not entered into the warehouse but were directly transported to the Wang Family Market, yielding a profit of three thousand Spirit Stones."

Gu Changfeng's voice wasn't loud, but with the enhancement of spiritual energy, it penetrated the heavy Restriction of the Law Enforcement Hall and echoed clearly in every corner of the Main Peak.

"April 12th: The mining rights for the Black Iron Ore Vein were privately granted to the Wang Family at thirty percent of the market price. The handler—Zhao Kun."

"May 20th..."

With every sentence read, Zhao Kun's face turned a shade paler.

With every sentence read, the oppressive silence outside the hall was torn apart a bit more.

"Enough!!"

Zhao Kun roared suddenly, his fat body trembling violently.

He panicked.

He completely panicked.

If this ledger were leaked, let alone his position as an Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, even the Wang Family would be the first to push him out to be hacked into a thousand pieces just to save themselves.

"Shut up! This is a forgery! It's slander!"

Zhao Kun leaned on the desk with both hands, his eyes bloodshot, looking like a madman.

"Gu Changfeng! You've colluded with demonic cultivators and forged evidence in an attempt to subvert the Sect! You deserve to die!"

His killing intent was set.

As long as he killed Gu Changfeng and destroyed this Jade Slip, there would be no witness, and he would still have a chance to turn the tables.

Boom!

The spiritual energy of a Foundation Establishment Perfection erupted without reservation.

Zhao Kun sacrificed a deep blue Flying Sword. Poisonous light flickered on the blade; it was clearly coated in a lethal poison.

"Die!"

The Flying Sword turned into a streak of light, aiming straight for Gu Changfeng's throat.

This strike was as fast as thunder and extremely ruthless.

Gu Changfeng stood in place, watching the whistling Flying Sword approach, a deep sense of mockery flashing in the depths of his eyes.

The "wood chess game" dao seed inside his body trembled slightly, and a surge of the endless power of yi wood Wither and Flourish instantly filled his entire body.

He could dodge.

But he didn't.

Since he was acting, he had to go all the way.

To be a hero, one must bleed.

Puchi.

The sound of the sharp blade entering flesh was exceptionally piercing in the hall.

The Flying Sword didn't pierce his throat; instead, it "veered" three inches at the critical moment, stabbing hard into Gu Changfeng's left shoulder and directly piercing through his shoulder blade.

The massive impact sent Gu Changfeng flying backward, slamming heavily against the hall doors.

"Wa—"

Gu Changfeng opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood, his face instantly turning as pale as golden paper.

"Killing... to silence..."

He clutched his wound, blood gushing between his fingers, staining his faded white Daoist robe red.

This scene, through the open hall doors, fell without reservation into the eyes of thousands of Disciples.

It exploded.

It completely exploded.

"Old thief Zhao Kun! How dare you harm Martial Uncle Gu!"

"Kill him! Charge inside!"

"For Wang Erniu! For our dead fellow brothers! Rebel!"

Anger, like a flood breaking through a dam, instantly washed away the barriers of reason.

Thousands of light beams from Magical Artifacts soared into the sky, and a torrent of colorful techniques slammed hard against the Law Enforcement Hall's defensive grand array.

Rumble!

The grand array shook violently, and cracks spread across the light screen.

Zhao Kun looked at the distorted, murder-filled faces outside the hall and finally felt fear.

He wanted to retreat.

But Gu Changfeng, that "heavily injured" person, was staring fixedly at him right now, a strange arc curving at the corner of his mouth.

It was as if he were looking at a dead man.

"It's not over yet."

Zhao Kun's heart leaped, and a wicked thought was born from his desperation.

Since he had already made a move, he had to finish it!

His figure shifted, and his five fingers formed a claw, bringing a sharp whistle that tore through the air as he lunged straight for the crown of the fallen Gu Changfeng's head.

"Go to hell for me!"

At the very moment that palm was about to touch the tips of Gu Changfeng's hair.

Heaven and earth changed suddenly.

The originally clear sky darkened without any warning.

It wasn't dark clouds.

But a surge of purple Qi.

A grand surge of Eastern Purple Qi came rolling in from the edge of the eastern sea, instantly submerging the entire Main Peak of the Taiqing Sect.

Buzz.

A clear and resonant sound seemed to descend from the Nine Heavens.

It was a gaze.

A gaze that crossed space, carrying supreme majesty and indifference, locked onto Zhao Kun.

"Kneel."

A cold female voice echoed between heaven and earth.

Just two words.

Yet they were as heavy as Mount Tai pressing down.

Crack!

Zhao Kun's palm, which was about to fall, shattered inch by inch in mid-air, and a mist of blood exploded.

Next were his arm, shoulder, and spine.

Thud.

Zhao Kun didn't even have time to scream before his entire body was slammed into the ground by an invisible giant hand.

His knees shattered, embedding deeply into the hard obsidian floor.

Bleeding from all seven orifices, he was unable to move.

Purple Mansion pressure!

That was a crushing suppression of a life level superior to Foundation Establishment.

Outside the hall, the originally restless crowd instantly quieted down.

Everyone looked up, gazing with reverence toward the summit of the Main Peak, where the purple Qi swirled.

Although they hadn't seen her true form, everyone knew who it was.

Si Yuanzhi, the only Purple Mansion True Person of Taiqing.

"The Immortal Master has ended her seclusion!"

"Greetings, Immortal Master!"

Thousands of Disciples knelt down in unison, their voices like a mountain call and a sea roar.

Gu Changfeng leaned against the hall door and pulled out the Flying Sword from his shoulder, bringing with it a spray of blood.

He grimaced in pain, but in his heart, he gave a thumbs up.

The timing was truly perfect.

"Zhao Kun of the Law Enforcement Hall, colluding with external enemies, reselling Sect resources, and harming fellow Disciples."

Si Yuanzhi's voice sounded again, without a hint of worldly emotion, yet it pronounced Zhao Kun's death sentence.

"Abolish his cultivation, throw him into the death cell, and await sentencing."

"Those from the Wang Family involved must bind themselves and come up the mountain to plead for forgiveness within three days, otherwise..."

"When the Taiqing Sword is drawn, not even a chicken or a dog will be left alive."

Domineering.

Protective.

This was the true Drunken Peak Master who once severed the Vast Sea with a single sword strike.

Zhao Kun lay on the ground like a pile of mud, his eyes filled with despair and regret.

It was over.

It was all over.

The purple Qi gradually dissipated.

The terrifying pressure weighing on everyone's hearts also vanished with it.

Gu Changfeng struggled to stand up.

Several Inner Sect Disciples hurriedly rushed forward, wanting to support him.

"Martial Uncle Gu! Don't move! Quickly take a Medicinal Pill!"

"Don't touch the wound!"

Gu Changfeng gently pushed away the several hands reaching out.

He used that broken sword to support his body, shakily straightening his spine.

Blood dripped down his robes, pooling on the ground in a startling red.

He turned around, facing the direction of the Main Peak, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.

"Disciple Gu Changfeng thanks the Sect Head for upholding justice."

Afterward.

He turned around and faced the thousands of Disciples with bloodshot eyes.

There was no emotional speech, nor were there cheers of victory.

He only gave a miserable smile and pointed to his still-bleeding shoulder.

"This bit of blood is nothing."

Gu Changfeng's voice was hoarse, yet it clearly entered everyone's ears.

"In my life, I, Gu Changfeng, am not afraid of bleeding, nor am I afraid of dying at the hands of demonic cultivators."

"I only fear..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across those young and tender faces, his voice trembling slightly.

"I only fear hurting the hearts of my fellow Disciples."

"I only fear that Wang Erniu, who died in the Soul Severing Gorge, will ask me one more question when he reaches the underworld..."

"Elder, where are my Medicinal Pills?"

Silence.

Then came the sound of uncontrollable sobbing.

A burly Inner Sect Disciple suddenly wiped away his tears, raised his magical sword, and roared hoarsely.

"Martial Uncle Gu!"

"Martial Uncle Gu!"

One person called out, and a thousand responded.

The sound waves were like a tide, shaking the mountain gate.

Amidst these deafening cheers, Gu Changfeng lowered his eyelids, concealing the deep indifference in his eyes.

The people's hearts were won.

Zhao Kun, as a stepping stone, was well worth it.