4: Shen Lian has gone mad.

The Law Enforcement Hall of the Heavenly Feather Sect was already packed with Inner Sect Disciples who had come to witness Shen Lian's punishment.

For them, aside from Cultivating within the Sect, the most entertaining gossip was precisely this kind of amusing spectacle of watching Shen Lian get punished.

Moreover, Ye Fan being poisoned was no ordinary serious matter for the Heavenly Feather Sect.

The Divine Calculator of the Tianji Pavilion had once deduced that Ye Fan was a Son of Destiny blessed by fate, destined to reach the Peak of this plane in the future.

Thus, the Heavenly Feather Sect began cultivating Ye Fan with all its might, with all resources infinitely tilted in his favor.

The goal was that when Ye Fan eventually reached the Peak, the Heavenly Feather Sect could also stand proudly at the apex of this world by leveraging his influence.

Therefore, Ye Fan was the entire Heavenly Feather Sect's key protected asset. Any action detrimental to him had to be completely eradicated.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

Sitting on the interrogation platform, Ye Fan's face was pale, and he coughed from time to time, causing endless worry among several Elders.

"This Shen Lian truly deserves to die! To be so deranged as to attempt to poison Ye Fan to death—this time, there can be no forgiveness for him!"

The speaker was a female Cultivator with graying hair, appearing to be in her early forties, her identity being the Sect's Second Elder, Qing Shuang.

"Hmph, if it weren't for that girl Shen Chuyun being so unreasonable and shielding that vile creature, how could Ye Fan have ended up in this state?"

This time, it was an old man who spoke, the Sect's Second Elder, Qing Yun.

"I've long seen that Shen Lian is no good. Today, we must execute this villainous Disciple. Otherwise, how can our Heavenly Feather Sect establish itself on the Primordial Continent?"

The Fourth Elder, Qing Shan, was also filled with indignation.

The several thousand Inner Sect Disciples present also condemned Shen Lian's actions incessantly.

They truly couldn't understand why such a kind-hearted person as Ye Fan was repeatedly targeted by Shen Lian.

Of course, some knew the reason: Ye Fan had won the hearts of seven Prodigy Senior Sisters, making Shen Lian harbor deep resentment.

Seeing this scene, a barely perceptible arc flickered at the corner of Ye Fan's mouth.

Although he didn't know why Shen Lian had suddenly acted, causing some unexpected deviations in his own scheme,

fortunately, the poison he had taken wasn't very potent, and with timely treatment, he was now essentially fine. He just needed a couple of days of recuperation to recover fully.

As for Shen Lian, today could be said to be a day of certain death, with no chance of survival.

"Shen Lian, once you die, there will be no one left in this world who knows of the contributions you once made to the Sect.

It won't be long before your efforts over several hundred years become my stepping stone."

Indeed, Ye Fan's urgent desire to eliminate Shen Lian was also because Shen Lian had made significant contributions to the Heavenly Feather Sect.

Especially nurturing seven Prodigies who each excelled in their respective Domains—this alone would surely become a tale praised throughout the entire Primordial Continent.

Fortunately, those seven Senior Sisters were all biased in his favor. Without him even needing to mention it, they had already arranged an exquisite scheme to rewrite history.

Once Shen Lian died, after several decades or a century passed, and the mortal world gradually forgot Shen Lian's existence, he, Ye Fan, would become the most influential figure in the Heavenly Feather Sect, even the entire continent.

By then, the great feat of nurturing seven Senior Sisters to success, enhanced by their own Luck, would spread throughout the entire Primordial Continent.

After all, what Cultivators lacked least was time.

"Why hasn't Shen Lian arrived yet? Does he even have any respect for the Law Enforcement Hall?!"

Seeing Shen Lian's prolonged absence, the most hot-tempered Qing Shuang immediately grew impatient and urged.

Seeing this, Ye Fan immediately put on a pitiful expression and said to Qing Shuang, "Second Elder, there's no need to make such a big fuss over this.

I believe Senior Brother Shen didn't mean it intentionally. As long as he sincerely apologizes to me, that should be enough."

Qing Shuang looked at him with heartache: "Faner, he has harmed you like this, even tried to take your life, and you're still speaking up for him?"

Qing Shan also said, "Faner, poisoning a fellow Disciple is no longer the minor mischief of the past. This concerns Sect rules; it's not a personal grudge anymore."

Qing Shuang: "Faner, just don't worry about anything. Today, no matter what, we will give you a satisfactory resolution!"

Hearing this, Ye Fan stopped trying to persuade them, inwardly sneering even more coldly.

Shen Lian, today you cannot escape your doom.

"Strange, why hasn't Shen Lian come yet? It's been almost an hour."

The Grand Elder, Qing Lan, who had remained silent until now, finally grew somewhat impatient from waiting.

"Send two more Disciples to see what's happening."

Whoosh—

At that moment, a gust of fierce wind swept into the hall from outside the Law Enforcement Hall, causing Disciples with lower cultivation to squint their eyes.

Simultaneously, a wild, arrogant voice rang out from outside the hall.

"No need!"

As soon as the words fell, Shen Lian, lightly waving a Folding Fan, strode steadily into the Law Enforcement Hall.

Everyone's eyes instantly brightened.

At this moment, Shen Lian was clad in a brand new, magnificent black-and-white Confucian-style robe, which set off his entire demeanor as exceptionally noble.

Especially the look of disdain for everything displayed on his face made onlookers afraid to meet his gaze directly.

Shen Lian was originally extremely handsome, but his usually slovenly, unkempt appearance had caused people to overlook this fact.

Seeing this, Ye Fan was momentarily stunned, a surge of intense jealousy rising within him.

Back then, it was precisely because he couldn't bear Shen Lian's superior air that he had subtly hinted to his seven Senior Sisters to make Shen Lian stop wearing such splendid clothes—all to crush his self-esteem.

But now...

"Never mind. Consider this your final moment of glory before death."

Thinking this, Ye Fan's state of mind immediately calmed down again.

"Shen Lian! You openly poisoned a fellow Disciple. Do you admit your guilt!"

As soon as Shen Lian stepped into the center of the Law Enforcement Hall, Qing Shuang couldn't wait to launch her attack.

But...

"Old Wall Lamp, put away your hypocritical act. You've gone to great lengths to set up such a pathetically flawed scheme,

all just to pave the way for that trash, Ye Fan, with my life, right?

If you want my life, come and take it by your own ability. Why put on an act even a dog would disdain?

Look at yourselves, like prostitutes in a brothel—playing both sides, wanting both virtue and vice."

These words instantly plunged the entire hall into silence. Many people's jaws dropped open wide enough to fit an egg.

In everyone's impression, although Shen Lian was a villain, a scoundrel,

he was always extremely proper in matters of etiquette. How could he possibly utter such foul language in front of so many people?

Finally, Qing Shuang snapped out of it, immediately stood up, pointed at Shen Lian, and roared angrily, "You Little Beast! What did you just say? Dare to say it again!"

Shen Lian snapped his Folding Fan shut and replied coldly, "Shut up, you old beast. I advise you not to get too excited.

What you called me here to do today, we both know perfectly well. Isn't it just to take my life?

Such laughable tricks only fool these brainless ant-like trash present here,

telling them how vicious I am, how despicable, and how I deserve to die a hundred times over.

Such games are nothing new. After all, over the past hundred-plus years,

I've experienced them no less than hundreds, even thousands of times. Why reuse old tricks just to give yourselves legitimacy?"

With that, Shen Lian directly turned his back, closed his eyes, and lightly waved his Folding Fan, adopting an air of utter nonchalance.

Qing Shuang never expected Shen Lian to be so audacious. This was completely different from the easily manipulated person he usually appeared to be.

The thought of being humiliated in front of everyone by a dismissed Inner Sect Disciple made her immediately draw her sword, furious beyond measure.

"You... I'll kill you!"

"Junior Sister, calm down!"

Qing Lan timely stopped Qing Shuang, who was on the verge of a rampage.

"Shen Lian! You show no respect for your Elders! Do you know your words just now violate Sect regulations!"

In response, Shen Lang (Note: Likely a typo in the original; should be Shen Lian), with his back still turned, extended a finger towards them.

"Are you even worthy of mentioning the word 'Elders'? Think about your usual actions. Calling you a bunch of beasts in human skin is somewhat insulting to beasts.

In reality, in my Shen Lian's eyes, you lot are things even lower than beasts. What qualifications do you have to deserve my respect?!

Standing here today and speaking with you old beasts is already me lowering my status. If you don't want to listen, then deafen yourselves first!"

The Law Enforcement Hall fell silent as a tomb.

No one could believe that the always cowardly Shen Lian dared to directly insult several high-and-mighty Elders?

At this moment, a single thought flashed through everyone's mind.

Shen Lian has gone mad!

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why he had suddenly become like this.

Only Shen Lian himself knew he wasn't mad. Explaining the reasons to these Old Wall Lamps would surely be futile.

Even if he presented clear evidence of his innocence before them, they would use Heaven-Defying arguments like 'setting aside the facts, aren't you at fault at all?' to exonerate themselves.

Since he couldn't prove his innocence either way, he might as well go mad and berserk.

Besides, having been arrogant for nearly a hundred lifetimes, how could he allow these trash to order him around?

The dignity of a superior, even when a tiger falls to the plains, cannot be challenged by pigs and dogs!