"There's no need for such haste, Sect Master." Lin Ya spoke in a calm tone. "My disciple has always acted with deliberation and order. If she has done this, then she must have her reasons. If the Sect Master intends to punish her, you should at least listen to her explanation first. Otherwise, are you intending to repeat the same mistake as the false accusation against Steward Ma just now?"
Before his cultivation had recovered, Lin Ya had always been somewhat tactful when facing Zhao Wuji.
Now?
He had no intention of giving Zhao Wuji any leeway.
Zhao Wuji's expression darkened. He gritted his teeth and barked, "Yun Jin, you better explain yourself! Why did you barge into the main hall without permission? And this man you've brought here, tied up like that—what's the meaning of this?"
Yun Jin stepped forward slowly, her expression calm. "Sect Master, this disciple noticed that Danxia had been frequently heading toward He Shan these past few days. I grew curious and went to investigate. In the same cave where Danxia had previously been confined, I found this child."
Zhao Wuji frowned.
He couldn't help but glance at Ye Danxia.
Could it be that his dear disciple was hiding something from him?
Ye Danxia kept her head bowed low, not daring to say a single word.
Yang Yun, on the other hand, still had some strength left. Though tied up, he remained defiant.
He spoke slowly. "The disciples of Tianxing Sect are truly unreasonable. I am a cultivator from an immortal cultivation clan. I was merely resting here for a moment, and you tied me up like this? I'd like to know, what about me—a mere child—justified such harsh treatment from your sect?"
He even managed to look indignant.
Appearing to be only a child, and with a face as exquisite and delicate as carved jade, no one would naturally see him as a threat.
Yun Jin, however, had tied him with no mercy. His limbs were bound tightly, and his exposed wrists were already bruised and purple. He looked pitiful.
The onlookers were taken aback for a moment.
Some couldn't help showing a hint of sympathy.
Yes...
What wrong could a child possibly commit?
Even if he had done something wrong, shouldn't he be taught gently instead of being treated like this?
Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes and questioned, "Yun Jin, he's just a child. What exactly are you trying to say by bringing him here like this?"
Yun Jin responded by taking out a few boxes and casually opening them.
Zhao Wuji's expression shifted immediately the moment he saw what was inside.
These were the very spirit plants that had gone missing.
Yun Jin explained evenly, "These were found in the cave where that child was hiding. When I found him, he was in the middle of consuming them. If any are missing, he likely already used them."
What?
These spirit plants ended up in the hands of that child?
Everyone's expression changed.
Whatever inexplicable fondness they had initially felt toward Yang Yun vanished almost instantly, replaced by alert wariness.
After all—
Judging by the amount, quite a few of the spirit plants had already been used.
And some of these were high-grade spirit plants. This child's cultivation was only at the Qi Refining stage—how could he possibly consume them directly?
Wasn't he afraid of his body exploding from the overload?
The cultivation world was full of strange things, but the first instinct of everyone present was the same: something was wrong with this child.
Zhao Wuji's gaze turned grim as he stared at Yang Yun. "So, you're the thief. Speak! Why did you steal the spirit plants from Tianxing Sect?"
"Steal?" Yang Yun frowned slightly, still maintaining his arrogant demeanor. "When did I steal anything? These spirit plants were personally given to me by one of your disciples."
"Absurd!" Zhao Wuji exploded in rage. "Do you know how valuable these spirit plants are? Who would give them away for no reason?"
Yang Yun glanced sideways at Ye Danxia, who was kneeling beside him.
Something started to feel off.
When he had received the spirit plants, he'd thought Ye Danxia truly had some skill—worthy of being the beloved disciple of the Sect Master. But if she really were so trusted, why was she kneeling here without even daring to raise her head?
Could it be... the spirit plants weren't hers to give?
Yang Yun was now both angry and frustrated. He was the dignified Demon Sovereign—how could he be treated like a common thief?
He clenched his teeth and said, "Sister Danxia, didn't you personally give me those spirit plants? You told me they were part of your own private collection."
Ye Danxia's body trembled. But things had already come to this point—she could no longer hide it. She lifted her head pitifully. "M-master... it's true. I gave the spirit plants to Xiao Yun. He's not a thief."
With the Black Demon Core embedded in her, Ye Danxia had no choice but to speak on Yang Yun's behalf. Even if she hated it, she had to.
Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes. "You stole from the sect's store of spirit plants for this child?"
Tears welled up in Ye Danxia's eyes. "That day, Xiao Yun was being pursued and came here gravely injured. The people chasing him were vicious, but when they realized this was Tianxing Sect territory, they reluctantly backed off. I saw how pitiful he was and decided to hide him in the cave. He's just a child, Master. I couldn't bear to watch him suffer day and night from his wounds, so I thought of using some spirit plants to help him. Master, I know I was wrong. But you've always taught us to stand up for the weak. To just watch him die without lifting a finger... I couldn't do it. I didn't use any of those spirit plants on myself. I swear. I really just wanted to save him."
As she cried, she kowtowed again and again.
Han Xiaoyu was visibly moved.
He had nearly misunderstood his junior sister.
Of course.
She had always been kind and compassionate. Faced with such a tragic situation, how could she turn away?
"Master, what Junior Sister did was wrong in method, but her heart was in the right place. She only meant to save someone," Han Xiaoyu said softly.
Zhao Wuji's expression eased slightly.
Of course, the bigger reason was that Yun Jin had recovered most of the spirit plants. The loss to the sect was not significant.
With minimal damage done, Zhao Wuji suddenly felt more inclined to forgive Ye Danxia.
Yang Yun, watching her act, quickly caught on.
He too adopted a pitiful expression. "Don't blame Sister Danxia. She only did it to save me. If someone must take the blame, let it be me."
"No. You were forced into it. All the fault is mine alone," Ye Danxia said.
"Sister Danxia..."
"Xiao Yun..."
The two of them gazed at each other with teary eyes, painting a heart-wrenching picture.
Zhao Wuji hesitated for a moment, then said in a softer tone, "Since most of the loss has been recovered, then perhaps—"
"Sect Master," Yun Jin interrupted with a faint smile. "You're planning to just let this go?"
Zhao Wuji frowned. "What do you mean by that? He's just a child. Are you planning to act against him? If word of this spreads, what would that make Tianxing Sect look like?"
Yun Jin spoke evenly. "His name is Yang Yun. I don't know if he's really a child, but when I found him, he consumed a fifth-grade spirit plant as easily as drinking water. Tell me, how could a Qi Refining stage child do that? And what kind of injury requires so many high-grade spirit plants? There's something suspicious about all this."
"Indeed, there are still many things about this child that don't add up," Lin Ya added.
Others nodded in agreement.
A mere child who could absorb the medicinal effects of so many spirit plants without fear of conflict or explosion—this was far from normal.