11: Chapter 11 A good dog doesn't block the way, unless it's a dead dog.

Damn it, not even three seconds of peace before someone comes knocking with a 'surprise'.

Framing me?

This is such a standard third-rate web novel villain trope; you really haven't made any progress, Lin Yun.

The murderous intent in Shen Xiao's eyes flashed and vanished, replaced by extremely calm calculations.

The North Sea Ice Abyss is very far from the Sect; even flying by Flying Sword, it would take several hours for a round trip.

Deacon Sun is at the Golden Core Stage Late Stage, and his travel speed is much faster than mine, since I just reached the Foundation Establishment Stage Middle Stage.

Chasing after him now would definitely be too late, and I might even get counter-accused of trying to destroy evidence out of a guilty conscience.

Physical interception is a terrible strategy.

In that case, I can only use a borrowed knife to kill.

His thoughts raced as he quickly rummaged through the original owner's meager memories.

Soon, he unearthed a dusty corner.

Got it!

Shen Xiao flipped his wrist, and a tattered Storage Pouch appeared in his hand. He probed with his Divine Sense and, amidst a pile of miscellaneous junk, pulled out a yellowed, slightly tattered Talisman.

A Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman.

This was the lowest-grade Magical Artifact issued by the Sect to all Disciples upon entry, a one-time consumable usually used for emergency communication within the Sect.

Because of its poor quality, short transmission range, and unstable signal, it had long been discarded in a corner by the Disciples.

But now, it was the only key for Shen Xiao to break the deadlock.

The key to anonymous reporting is, well, being 'anonymous'.

Shen Xiao didn't hesitate at all; he poured his newly broken-through, yet unstable Foundation Establishment Stage Middle Stage Qi into this thin piece of Talisman paper like a floodgate opening!

"Buzz —"

The Talisman let out an unbearable whine, and the already dim cinnabar patterns on its surface instantly lit up with blinding light, like a small sun being ignited.

The edges of the Talisman paper began to curl and char, and a burnt smell permeated the air.

"North Sea Ice Abyss, old crime scene, Deacon Sun from the Foreign Affairs Hall, forging evidence, come quickly."

Shen Xiao used his Qi to distort his voice, condensing this short and lethal message into a Divine Sense message with an untraceable source, branding it firmly into the core of the Talisman.

Just as the Talisman was about to disintegrate, he locked his Divine Sense onto the direction of Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong's residence and activated it with a surge of power!

"Whoosh!"

A nearly invisible stream of light tore through the night sky at a speed far exceeding what this Talisman should be capable of, instantly vanishing into the horizon.

With a soft "poof," the Talisman in Shen Xiao's hand completely turned into a pinch of fly ash, slipping through his fingers.

Evidence, destroyed.

After doing all this, Shen Xiao immediately dispersed the surging Qi he had just been using and, with a thought, communicated with the System again.

"System, activate Cognitive Masking! Status: Seriously injured, Qi unstable, Medicinal Pill conflict, signs of Qi Deviation!"

[Command confirmed! Cognitive Masking activated!]

Almost instantly, the tyrannical aura of the Foundation Establishment Stage Middle Stage on him receded like a tide, replaced by a more chaotic, more dangerous sense of decay.

His face turned deathly pale again, even more realistic than what he had faked in front of Senior Sister Liu Ruyan earlier.

He pushed open the creaking wooden door, his body swaying as if he might fall at any moment.

He stumbled outward, each step feeling like walking on cotton, uneven and shaky.

His goal was very clear — that "perfect alibi witness" who had just left and surely hadn't gone far yet.

Sure enough, at the exit leading out of the courtyard, a familiar slender figure stood under the moonlight, seemingly preparing to cast a spell to summon her Flying Sword.

It was Senior Sister Liu Ruyan.

She seemed to notice the movement behind her and turned back in confusion, just in time to see Shen Xiao leaning against the wall, struggling to move out step by step.

"Junior Brother Shen? Why did you come out? Your injuries..."

Shen Xiao didn't answer, but instead bowed deeply to her with all his might, his posture filled with the gratitude of someone who had survived a catastrophe and the most sincere thanks.

"Senior Sister... the grace of saving my life, Shen Xiao... will never forget it." His voice was hoarse and dry, as if his vocal cords had been frozen by cold air.

Seeing him like this, the last trace of doubt in Senior Sister Liu Ruyan's heart dissipated, and she hurriedly stepped forward to support him: "No need for formalities, fellow Disciples should help each other. Your health is what matters, go back and rest quickly."

Just then, Shen Xiao seemed unable to suppress his internal injuries any longer, abruptly straightening his body and letting out a series of terrifyingly violent coughs.

"Cough... cough cough!"

This time, what he coughed up was no longer blood with black ice crystals, but a mouthful of dark red blood clots carrying a weird, scorching heat!

The blood clots landed on the ground, actually emitting wisps of white smoke and releasing a strange smell of intertwined ice and fire.

He clutched his chest in pain, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, and gasped with difficulty: "Senior Sister... your Medicinal Pill... saved my life... but, but it seems... it conflicts with the cold poison in my body... now... it's like fire burning and ice churning inside me, so... so painful..."

Senior Sister Liu Ruyan's expression changed drastically.

Without thinking, she immediately stepped forward, supporting Shen Xiao's swaying body, and a wisp of gentle Qi probed into his body again.

This probe made her heart sink heavily!

She saw that inside Shen Xiao's Meridians, it was a complete mess!

A gentle and mellow medicinal power was clashing and tearing at an extremely overbearing cold energy, like two armies at war!

Those already fragile Meridians were even more shattered in this 'civil war,' even showing faint cracks.

This sight was ten times more dangerous than what she had detected before!

If things went wrong, it would result in broken Meridians and a shattered Dantian!

In an instant, a thick sense of guilt surged into Senior Sister Liu Ruyan's heart like a tide.

She had done a bad thing with good intentions!

She had only thought about saving him, but forgot to consider whether the medicinal properties were compatible.

This Junior Brother Shen was already suffering from strange cold, and she had fed him a nine-turn soul returning pill that was extremely Yang and rigid; wasn't this equivalent to lighting a powder keg inside his body?

"Don't speak, focus your mind and calm your Qi!"

Senior Sister Liu Ruyan made a prompt decision and could no longer worry about leaving.

She helped Shen Xiao, almost half-dragging and half-carrying him back to that dilapidated small house.

After placing him on the bed, Senior Sister Liu Ruyan took out a jade pendant that was entirely emerald green and emitted wisps of coolness from her Storage Pouch, and hung it on the head of Shen Xiao's bed without any explanation.

"This is a 'Calm Heart Jade,' it can soothe your restless Qi and slow down their conflict." Her tone carried a hint of unquestionable command and apology, "Rest here in peace, do not manipulate your Qi recklessly! I will go to the alchemy room now, consult the Elder, and seek a way to detoxify and harmonize your condition!"

After speaking, she took a deep look at Shen Xiao, who was deathly pale and on the verge of death on the bed, and turned to leave quickly, her figure carrying a hint of obvious anxiety.

The door was gently closed.

The next second, Shen Xiao on the bed sat up abruptly, his eyes instantly recovering their deep, clear, and calm state.

He reached out and took down the Calm Heart Jade that was emitting a cool aura, playing with it in his hand.

The jade pendant felt warm and smooth to the touch, and although it didn't contain much Qi, it was pure and long-lasting.

The most important thing was that Senior Sister Liu Ruyan, this Golden Core Stage Great Master, would be busy running around for his "injuries" for the next several hours.

The most perfect, most authoritative, and most irrefutable alibi had been firmly secured.

Meanwhile, at the North Sea Ice Abyss.

Above the ice layer that had not melted for ten thousand years, the cold wind was like a knife.

Deacon Sun's figure appeared sneakily among the ruins of the destroyed Ice Soul Demon Spider nest.

He carefully looked around, and after confirming no one was there, he cautiously took out an oil-paper package from his bosom.

Opening the package, inside was a small pinch of spider silk shimmering with a ghostly blue light, emitting a cold and vicious aura.

This was high-grade demon spider silk he had bought at a high price from the black market, enough to pass for the real thing.

He found the corpse of an unknown Yao Beast that had been frozen into an ice sculpture and was preparing to quietly stuff this pinch of spider silk into the wound of the corpse, forging it to look like traces left by the Ice Soul Demon Spider.

Just as his fingers were about to touch the cold corpse, a voice without any emotional fluctuation, like the cold wind of this Ice Abyss, suddenly sounded behind him.

"Deacon Sun, the Discipline Hall did not order a re-investigation of this case. Why are you here in the middle of the night?"

Deacon Sun's body stiffened as if instantly frozen.

This voice...

All the blood in his body seemed to congeal, and he turned his head mechanically, bit by bit.

Under the moonlight, Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong's face, as stiff as stone, was shrouded in shadow, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright, like two unsheathed sharp swords, nailing him firmly in place.

Deacon Sun was struck with Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, subconsciously wanting to hide the spider silk in his hand into his sleeve.

"I... I was ordered to come here to inspect... inspect if there were any missed clues at the scene..." His voice trembled uncontrollably due to extreme fear, unable to form a complete sentence.

Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong's face was as dark as water, completely unmoved, and he just took a step forward.

"Show me your hands." His voice was not loud, but carried an irresistible majesty, "Open your Storage Pouch. The Discipline Hall suspects you are involved in the case of a fellow Disciple being harmed and needs to verify you."

"No... Head of Discipline Hall, this is a misunderstanding!"

Deacon Sun still wanted to quibble, but Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong's terrifying Nascent Soul Stage pressure had already crashed down like a tangible mountain!

With a "thump," Deacon Sun's knees softened, and he knelt directly on the ground, his whole body shaking like a sieve, unable to even muster a thought of resistance.

Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong was expressionless and grabbed through the air.

The oil-paper package in Deacon Sun's sleeve and the Storage Pouch at his waist flew into his hand uncontrollably.

Opening the oil-paper package and looking at the vicious spider silk, rage burned in Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong's eyes.

Caught red-handed!

"Good, a very good Foreign Affairs Hall Deacon!" Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong laughed out of extreme anger, "Framing a fellow Disciple and disrupting Sect discipline! Come here!"

Two black-clad law enforcement Disciples hidden in the shadows appeared.

"Seal his cultivation, bind him with the Immortal-Binding Rope, and take him to the celestial prison!"

"Yes!"

The shrill screams echoed over the ice field for a moment before being completely sealed off by a Restriction from Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong.

The news was transmitted back to the Qingming Sect at the fastest speed through the internal encrypted channels of the Discipline Hall.

Inside Lin Yun's Immortal Cave, he was pacing back and forth anxiously, waiting for the good news from Deacon Sun.

Suddenly, a jade communication Talisman on the table lit up.

He was overjoyed, thinking the matter was done, and hurriedly picked it up.

But when he read the message inside, the joy on his face instantly solidified, turning into extreme horror and rage.

"Deacon Sun... caught on the spot by Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong? Caught red-handed?!"

"Crack!"

The communication Talisman in Lin Yun's hand was crushed into powder on the spot by his furious Qi!

Jade dust fell from between his fingers.

How could this be?!

How could Head of Discipline Hall, Zhou Tong suddenly appear there?! It was as if he knew everything in advance!

"Pfft —"

Overcome with rage, he could no longer suppress his churning blood, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out.

It was Shen Xiao again!

It must be him!

Meanwhile, in the dilapidated small house.

In Shen Xiao's mind, the cold yet pleasant notification sound of the System rang out.

[Ding! Successfully thwarted the Child of Destiny's framing plan, the target's Luck is severely damaged, and reputation has dropped significantly!]

[Judgment: Plunder successful! Obtained destiny value: 10 points!]

[Child of Destiny's current Luck value: 75/100.]

[Host's current destiny value: 25/100.]

[Ding! Unlocked new System function: Plot Deduction.]

The System notification sound slowly faded in his mind, and Shen Xiao lay comfortably on the bed, playing with the Calm Heart Jade that still held the residual warmth of Senior Sister Liu Ruyan.

The moonlight outside the window was just right, and everything had ended perfectly according to the script.

However, before the smile at the corner of his mouth could fully bloom, the System panel that had just quieted down flashed a row of scarlet warning text without any warning.