"Ancestor , the truth is—" Worried that Song Wanníng would twist the facts, the Sect Master stepped forward to explain.
But Liu Lanyi cast him a sharp glance.
That single look was enough to make his chest tighten. The words died in his throat.
Only then did Song Wanníng step forward, sweeping a calm glance at the Sect Master.
"I had just exited seclusion, only to find Gu Qingyuan preparing to soul-search my little disciple. His reason? That someone had poisoned a pill meant for his precious disciple. But they had no evidence, no witnesses. Only baseless suspicion. And they wanted to search her soul and convict her on that alone?
The Sect Master turned a blind eye to justice, refusing to intervene, and even sided with Gu Qingyuan's faction. How could that possibly convince the sect's disciples?" She spoke plainly and directly, with no embellishment. The events were clear.
Liu Lanyi's expression turned cold as she turned to Gu Qingyuan.
"Is what Wanníng said true, Gu Qingyuan? Have you forgotten she is your betrothed?" Before her ascension, Liu Lanyi's close friend had made her promise over and over to take care of Song Wanníng. She was to never let the girl suffer.
And now?
He had dared to turn his back on that trust.
Gu Qingyuan lowered his head, lips pressed tight. "Master Aunt, the engagement between me and Song Wanníng was dissolved long ago."
"What?" Liu Lanyi blinked in surprise and turned to Song Wanníng.
Song Wanníng nodded calmly. "Master Aunt, Gu Qingyuan fell in love with his little disciple. Someone like that—I, Song Wanníng, would never tolerate. I was blind in the past, but the moment I learned the truth, I took the initiative to end the engagement.
We've long since drawn a clear line. There's nothing between us anymore." And she meant for the entire sect to hear it. Let the world witness how "deep" Gu Qingyuan's affections truly ran.
"Shameless!" Liu Lanyi exploded. The pressure of a Divine Transformation cultivator surged out and crushed down on Gu Qingyuan.
With a thud, he dropped to his knees, unable to resist.
"You dare fall in love with your own disciple?" Ending an engagement was one thing, but falling for a disciple—that was truly disgraceful. The entire cultivation world would condemn it.
Ye Chuxue's face turned white. She dropped to her knees beside him, panic in her voice.
"Ancestor, please don't believe Song Wanníng's slander! My master only sees me as a disciple, nothing more! She's the one who acts shamelessly. That's why he had no choice but to dissolve the engagement!" She tried her best to defend herself, but the expressions of those around her remained complicated.
Gu Qingyuan had already admitted it. The more she spoke, the more pathetic it sounded. "It was clearly Song Wanníng who ordered her disciple to poison the pills. I beg the Ancestor to judge fairly. We disciples need justice too!"
Ye Chuxue raised her chin and looked up stubbornly at Liu Lanyi.
Liu Lanyi's eyes narrowed. Without a word, she slapped her.
Smack—
Ye Chuxue was sent flying. Half her face instantly swelled, and blood trickled from the corner of her lips. She landed hard, stunned and shaking.
She couldn't believe it. Liu Lanyi had struck her publicly, and with such bias.
"Chuxue!" Gu Qingyuan panicked and tried to get up to help her, but his body refused to move. It was as if nails had pinned him to the ground.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn't budge.
"Gu Qingyuan," Liu Lanyi said coldly. "Is this what you've taught your disciple? She has no respect for her elders, dares to address me by name, and even points fingers at us. I simply gave her a lesson in your place. Do you have a problem with that?"
How dare someone like Ye Chuxue stand here and act self-righteous.
"…Disciple has no objection," Gu Qingyuan forced out, hands curling into fists against the floor.
Liu Lanyi had never liked him. That hadn't changed after all these years.
Naturally, she would not favor his disciple either.
His downcast eyes were filled with bitterness.
No matter where she went, Song Wanníng was always the one everyone adored, the one protected without question.
They loved her openly, fiercely, and deeply.
She never had to worry about where she stood.
Compared to her, he was nothing more than a pitiful shadow.
The one who had loved him most… was Song Wanníng.
Thinking about it now, it was laughable.
Fortunately, he had Chuxue now.
"Hmph. And you—" Liu Lanyi pointed at him again. "We'll discuss your feelings for your disciple later. For now, get to the bottom of this poisoning incident."
She strode to the stone table and sat down, robes fluttering. "With me here, no one will be wrongly accused."
Her presence alone was enough to silence the chaos.
"Yes, I will investigate it immediately," the Sect Master said, forcing out a smile.
But when he turned away, his expression darkened.
He ordered someone to bring both Li Ruo and Ye Chuxue forward.
The situation was a mess.
No soul search was allowed, and no witnesses had stepped forward.
With both girls insisting on their innocence, how was he supposed to judge?
And with Liu Lanyi's gaze like a dagger on his back, he had no choice but to press on, though his hatred toward Song Wanníng deepened even further.
If not for her bringing out the Ancestor, would he be in such a humiliating position?
"Sect Master, all I did was deliver Qianshan Springwater. I never poisoned anything."
With Song Wanníng standing behind her, Li Ruo was no longer afraid. She held her head high and said clearly, "I am willing to swear a heart demon oath."
A hush swept the crowd.
"She's willing to swear a heart demon oath? Could it be she really had nothing to do with it?"
A few disciples whispered among themselves.
A heart demon oath wasn't just empty words. If false, it would provoke Heavenly Dao's wrath. At worst, the violator could be reduced to ashes.
No one would make such an oath lightly.
Everyone's eyes drifted toward Ye Chuxue.
Had she falsely accused Li Ruo?
Ye Chuxue's expression turned tense. She immediately declared, "I am also willing to swear a heart demon oath. I did not poison anyone, and I did not frame anyone."
Her voice was clear. She had nothing to hide.
"…Wait, both of them swore?"
"Then who's the culprit?!"
The crowd grew more confused. What had seemed clear now felt even more uncertain.
An Ze, standing nearby, clutched his chest in frustration. He wanted to rush forward and speak, but Bai Yang gripped his arm and held him back.
"Senior Brother, it was clearly Li Ruo! She's faking it! Let me expose her!"
But Bai Yang's gaze was deep as he watched Song Wanníng.
"The Ancestor will handle this."
He understood his master too well.
That smiling expression on her face now? It was a warning sign.
She was furious. Absolutely furious.
If An Ze stepped out now, he'd only get caught in the fire.
"Hmph. The Ancestor is obviously biased toward Master! Fair judgment? Yeah, right," An Ze muttered, shooting Song Wanníng a glare.
He felt indignant for Ye Chuxue.
Bai Yang said nothing, but deep inside, he agreed.
He just wanted the truth revealed as soon as possible—so they could drive Li Ruo out of the sect for good.
As the situation deadlocked, Song Wanníng took a step forward and gracefully sat beside Liu Lanyi.