Pei Ye stood up.
The usual gentle smile was absent from the boy's face. His expression was calm and composed as he clasped his fists and said, "Pei Ye speaks presumptuously. The incident with Kongtong last year was the work of a few individuals, not a conspiracy of Kongtong as a whole. Many loyal and chivalrous heroes among the Seventeen Peaks were also harmed. This Young Hero Zhang at the pool was just such a descendant of a righteous and loyal hero. Now the chief culprits of Kongtong have been executed, and not all of the remaining disciples are criminals or incompetents."
The garden was completely silent. Qun Fei turned his head and fixedly looked at him, while the others at the tables did not change their gaze but slightly widened their eyes.
Moments before, those who were discussing reinstating the boy to the first place in the Jade Sword Manual all fell silent, watching that figure without exchanging glances.
