Yang Yun narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "The world is vast and full of wonders. My cultivation method is somewhat special. Those spirit plants weren't absorbed, merely stored temporarily using my technique. Is that so strange? You accused me without reason and then kidnapped me outright. One day, I'll make sure the other sects know what kind of place the Tianxing Sect truly is…"
Before he could finish speaking, Yun Jin raised her foot and kicked him squarely in the chest, without the slightest courtesy.
It was a brutal kick. Yang Yun coughed up blood on the spot, glaring at Yun Jin in rage.
Yun Jin gave a faint smile.
"Good. Keep that anger burning.
This protagonist really lived up to the title."
From the moment she'd bound him up until now, Yang Yun had already generated nearly ten thousand Emotional Value for her. At this rate, he was even more reliable than Ye Danxia.
"Sect Master," Yun Jin said slowly, "this person's movements are suspicious, his motives unclear, and he conspired with Ye Danxia to steal the sect's spirit plants. Such a person cannot be let off lightly. If we did, wouldn't that suggest the Tianxing Sect is weak and defenseless?"
Yang Yun lay crumpled on the ground, in too much pain to speak, yet still unselfishly pouring out Emotional Value without pause.
Ye Danxia's heart lurched with anxiety.
She couldn't help but glance at Yun Jin.
Did Yun Jin even realize who she had just kicked?
That was none other than the legendary Demon Sovereign!
Even if he was down on his luck now, he was bound to rise to the peak again in the future. The way Yun Jin was treating the Demon Sovereign right now... she was offending him to the point of no return.
As that thought took root, a twisted sense of delight bloomed within Ye Danxia.
Yun Jin had been swaggering arrogantly all this time, acting like she was untouchable. But finally, she had overstepped and met her match. The more outrageous Yun Jin was now, the more miserable her downfall would be once the Demon Sovereign reclaimed his throne.
Her fate was sealed.
Ye Danxia lowered her eyes, hiding the joy in them, and put on a pained expression as she said sorrowfully, "Xiao Jin, he's just a child. How could you…"
"A child?" Yun Jin arched a brow. "This is the world of cultivation. What can appearance prove? So he looks like a child—who knows what he truly is inside? Could be human, could be ghost. He might even be a spy sent by the demon race. Letting someone off just because of their apparent age? That's laughable."
When she mentioned the possibility of him being a demon spy, both Ye Danxia and Yang Yun's expressions subtly shifted. But seeing that Yun Jin didn't seem to press the issue, they relaxed slightly, assuming she was just making a wild guess.
Yun Jin pretended not to notice their reactions. With upright conviction, she continued, "This matter should be handled just as it would have been for Uncle-Master Ma. The punishment for these two should be the same. If the Sect Master is strict with Uncle-Master Ma but lenient with his own disciples, what becomes of justice?"
Han Xiaoyu grew anxious. "Master, my junior sister…"
"Silence!" Zhao Wuji cut him off coldly.
This was the second time Zhao Wuji had rebuked him.
Han Xiaoyu's face twisted into a pitiful expression.
Zhao Wuji spoke in an icy tone. "So? What do you think counts as just?"
Yun Jin smiled and said bluntly, "First, Ye Danxia was already under punishment. The Sect Master released her privately, and now she has committed another major offense. The sentence should be compounded. Second, this child's identity is unknown. In addition to the theft, he must be monitored until his true identity is confirmed."
"Xiao Jin's words make sense," Lin Ya spoke up immediately in support.
Fang Mingyue's eyes flickered and she added gently, "Sect Master, I also ask that you handle this fairly."
One after another, the other peak masters voiced their agreement.
Soon, the entire main hall echoed with calls for fairness.
Although Huo Lie and the other two elders said nothing, the way they looked at Ye Danxia made it clear—they held no sympathy.
Zhao Wuji's chest heaved.
Was this… a mutiny?
Once upon a time, he had absolute authority. The Tianxing Sect might as well have been his personal domain.
But now?
Even these ants he used to toy with dared to defy him.
And with Zhao Ling's situation uncertain, Zhao Wuji had lost the confidence that once came from his father's backing. He stared coldly at Yun Jin. "Why don't you become Sect Master? You seem to have all the answers. How do you propose punishing the two of them?"
His tone was dripping with venom.
Yun Jin acted as if she didn't notice. "Very well. Then I'll make the decision. These two stole spirit plants. They should repay the value of what they took in full. Imprisonment alone would be far too lenient. Instead, let them serve hard labor. Every day they fail to repay the debt, they will continue their labor."
[+2 Emotional Value.]
Hard labor!
Ye Danxia and Yang Yun's expressions both shifted drastically.
Ye Danxia might have been born a beggar, but she had been adopted into the Yun family while still young. Aside from a few months of hardship after the Yun family fell, she had lived her life pampered like a noble lady. Her previous stint in He Shan had already felt unbearable.
And now she was to perform hard labor?
She might as well be sentenced to death.
Yang Yun's expression turned even darker.
Who did she think he was?
He was the Demon Sovereign!
Yes, he'd suffered in his youth. But ever since rising to power, those early memories had become buried scars—things he never wished to speak of.
And now this woman dared to assign him to hard labor?
She had a death wish.
"This approach seems reasonable," Lin Ya said, turning to Zhao Wuji. "Sect Master, what do you think? If you disagree, perhaps we should call a vote. If the majority of peak masters agree, then the decision will be finalized."
Zhao Wuji's face darkened to ink.
In this moment, he felt both furious and helpless.
And most of that fury and helplessness wasn't even for Ye Danxia.
It was for himself.
This situation had made one thing painfully clear.
He, Zhao Wuji, had been completely sidelined within the Tianxing Sect.
Lin Ya already had the support of most of the elders.
All that remained was the formality of taking his place.
Zhao Wuji's hands gripped the arms of his chair tightly as waves of fear swept over him.
He had ruled the Tianxing Sect for nearly a century.
Was his era truly coming to an end?
"Sect Master, what do you say? Shall we begin the vote?" Lin Ya pressed again.
Zhao Wuji slowly swept his gaze across the room. After a long pause, he collapsed back into his seat, voice weak.
"Do as you wish."
What else could he do?
The Tianxing Sect was no longer his.
"Master! I don't want to do hard labor, I don't want to—!" Ye Danxia cried out, panic rising in her voice.
Yang Yun, though just as furious, remained silent, his face cold.
But no one paid them any mind.
Except for Han Xiaoyu, who looked visibly distressed, not even Zhao Wuji opened his eyes to look.
Soon, the enforcers arrived and took Ye Danxia and Yang Yun away.
What awaited them now was a long, grueling stretch of hard labor.
Yun Jin's expression remained calm.
This—this had once been Ma Hongyu's fate.
Now, it was Ye Danxia and Yang Yun's turn to experience it for themselves.