Chapter 112: At Worst, Mutual Destruction

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Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Sun Changfeng could no longer downplay the matter even if he wished to. He subconsciously looked up at Xiao Jihan, only to find the other remaining as composed as ever, regarding him with those cold phoenix eyes.
Sun Changfeng shivered inexplicably under that gaze, and the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger.
Yet at present, the only thing he could do was to appear righteous and justified.
Steadying himself, Sun Changfeng fixed Xiao Jihan with an accusing stare and declared in a clear voice, “The one this disciple accuses is Xiao Jihan, for privately refining the forbidden Beast-Luring Powder and harming his fellow disciples!”
He then recounted the events that had occurred in the secret realm according to his own version.
In his telling, he and Qiu Shuoran had been preparing to withdraw from the dense forest and plan their next move carefully when they unexpectedly encountered Xiao Jihan, who had earlier claimed he would not enter the woods.
Xiao Jihan not only blocked their path but, fully aware that the Beast-Luring Powder would drive the earth dragon into a relentless frenzy, scattered the entire powder upon Sun Changfeng’s body.
Sun Changfeng claimed he had been unwilling to believe that a fellow disciple would strike so ruthlessly over a mere opportunity. He thought the other might simply be inexperienced and unaware that the powder was forbidden. Thus, risking death on the spot, he had earnestly explained what the Beast-Luring Powder was and warned him never to act so again.
Yet to his utter astonishment, his painstaking counsel became the greatest jest in Xiao Jihan’s eyes, for Xiao Jihan told him that the powder had been refined by his own hands.
When Sun Changfeng demanded why he would do such a thing, Xiao Jihan replied that he acted solely because they might snatch the opportunity.
Sun Changfeng’s eloquence was remarkable; he described the scene so vividly that listeners felt as though they were present.
His words rang with passionate indignation and heartfelt grief. Yan Shu even wondered whether flecks of spit had sprayed onto Xiao Jihan’s face, which was more strikingly handsome than a woman’s.
This version of the tale was the most inflammatory Sun Changfeng had perfected over ten years of refinement, best showcasing his own magnanimity and Xiao Jihan’s cunning, deceit, and venom.
He had expected to win the crowd’s support once finished, yet now there was nothing.
Silence reigned all around.
Sun Changfeng looked up; Xiao Jihan remained utterly calm, as if the protagonist of the story were not himself.
As for those nearby, even those who faintly wished to speak in his favor were restrained by cooler-headed seniors or fellow disciples.
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Qiu Shuoran also sensed something amiss. In the past, whenever he and his master related the matter to others, everyone except the masters of the four peaks and the new sect leader would more or less express righteous fury. Today, however, there was nothing.
Anxious, Qiu Shuoran looked up at Bing Shien and said, “Sect Leader and Grandmasters, every word my master has spoken is true. Moreover, Grandmaster Liu saw it with his own eyes: when my master emerged from the secret realm, his body was covered in Beast-Luring Powder.
“Uncle Meng and Senior Sister Pang can also testify. In that dense forest there were only a few of us. We beg the grandmasters to grant my master and me justice!”
No one spoke.
Bing Shien regarded him coolly. “Have you finished?”
Qiu Shuoran stiffened and lowered his head. “This disciple has finished.”
Bing Shien shifted his gaze from him to Xiao Jihan. “Do you have anything to say?”
“This disciple has nothing to say.” Xiao Jihan’s voice was perfectly calm.
At these words everyone was stunned, while Qiu Shuoran and Sun Changfeng’s hearts settled at last and smiles rose to their faces.
Yet their smiles had barely formed when Xiao Jihan’s clear, cool voice continued with a trace of disdain, “This disciple has only the images recorded at the time by a Recording Stone.”
The moment the words fell, the once-silent valley erupted into noise.
Those who had been holding back finally could not restrain themselves and began discussing animatedly.
“Xiao Jihan actually recorded images with a Recording Stone? If he dares say so, the images must favor him, right?”
“Do you think Sun Changfeng and his disciple are the real thieves crying ‘Stop thief’?”
“Whether thief or innocent will soon be clear. I only wonder why he would activate a Recording Stone during an ordinary training expedition. Did he foresee something?”
“Foresee what? That he would scatter Beast-Luring Powder all over Sun Changfeng? I think he foresaw that Sun Changfeng and his disciple would move against him—that is far more likely!”
“If that is truly the case, what a grand performance this has been. Affairs within the Xuantian Sect are truly complicated!”
“One cannot put it that way. Every sect has its share of ill-intentioned people. Let us not rush to conclusions.”
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The speaker was clearly wary; losing face from a beating was a small matter, but if one’s cultivation were damaged as well, the loss would truly not be worth it.
The three words “Recording Stone” made Sun Changfeng and Qiu Shuoran’s faces change at once.
Yet Sun Changfeng quickly regained his composure. If Xiao Jihan had truly used a Recording Stone, neither of them would gain anything, for Xiao Jihan’s refining of the Beast-Luring Powder was fact, and scattering it on him was also fact—resulting only in mutual destruction.
Qiu Shuoran’s face was deathly pale as he transmitted to Sun Changfeng, “Master, this… what should we do?”
Sun Changfeng snorted coldly. “What is there to fear? At worst we fight to the death!”
His reply sounded bold, yet his heart was far less so.
He looked up at Xiao Jihan and said with warning, “Junior Brother Xiao truly possesses a Recording Stone? This is no matter for jest. Think carefully before you speak.”
Xiao Jihan did not even glance at him. He simply took out the Recording Stone, poured spiritual power into it, and a vast image appeared before the crowd.
Everyone looked up together. First they saw a forest of towering trees; then the ground shook violently, trees were uprooted one after another from far to near, and two figures raced toward this place.
“Master guessed correctly after all. That lowly cur Xiao Jihan was waiting ahead. Had Master not been wise, we would nearly have made wedding clothes for that mongrel!”
“Today we shall see that he never returns! You hold off the earth dragon while I seize him. With no one about, there is no need for false courtesy!”
“Senior Brother Sun, is this to be the slaughter of fellow disciples?”
“Junior Brother, why phrase it so harshly? What slaughter of fellow disciples? Shuoran is in peril right now—should you, as his martial uncle, not lend a hand?”
“Lend a hand? You know perfectly well what my cultivation is, Junior Brother Sun. I kindly shared the hard-won clues to the opportunity with you, and I also told you not to enter this dense forest. You refused to listen and charged ahead, attracting the guardian spirit beast. Now that you cannot defeat it, you mean to offer me as sacrifice? Junior Brother Sun and Nephew Qiu, how can you repay kindness with enmity?”
“So what if we do? Today you will serve as the bait whether you will or not!”
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