Mo Yan understood immediately and coordinated with Liu Feng that very night, striking from two angles.
He applied his overwhelming cultivation to pressure the Law Law Enforcement Hall, demanding a full investigation into the task assignment process. Meanwhile, Liu Feng subtly whispered to Elder Liu, letting him know about Zhao Ming's close dealings with the Alchemy Peak.
Elder Liu, sharp as ever, immediately realized this was the perfect opportunity to suppress Elder Zhao. He'd already been secretly colluding with the Sect Master, and now with such an excuse to eliminate a rival, he was more than willing to see it happen.
Before Zhao Ming could react, the next day he found himself surrounded by Law Enforcement Hall disciples.
"Senior Brother Zhao," the leading disciple said coldly, "Elder Liu orders you to come to the Law Enforcement Hall for questioning."
Zhao Ming's expression shifted violently. "Who gave you the right to seize me? Elder Liu isn't even responsible for task assignments!"
"This gives us the right." Mo Yan's figure appeared suddenly, slamming a stack of task records in front of him. "These were all tasks you handled, weren't they? Why assign the most dangerous ones to the weakest disciples?"
Cold sweat ran down Zhao Ming's face as he forced himself to remain calm. "Elder Mo, what do you mean? Task assignments follow the rules…"
"Rules?" Mo Yan sneered. "Then I want to ask the Sect Master, what exactly are the rules of this sect!"
Without another word, he grabbed Zhao Ming and flew straight to the council hall. Nothing was hidden along the way, and the disciples from every peak watched, gossip spreading through the entire sect within moments.
The Sect Master looked down at Zhao Ming thrown on the ground, his expression icy. "Elder Mo, what's the meaning of this?"
Mo Yan presented the evidence. "Sect Master, see for yourself! This man abused his authority and deliberately sent my disciple to her death!"
Zhao Ming still tried to feign composure. "I followed the rules completely, no selfish motives! Elder Mo is slandering me!"
A cold glint flashed in Mo Yan's eyes as sword qi erupted around him.
A sharp sword intent shot toward Zhao Ming's forehead, the icy killing aura chilling the entire hall.
"If you say you followed the rules," Mo Yan's voice was freezing, "then tell me, which sect rule allows you to send a Qi Refining Sixth Layer disciple to fight a second-rank demon beast?"
The pressure was so terrifying Zhao Ming trembled, his teeth chattering. "This… this is the task hall's allocation…"
"Still trying to argue?" Mo Yan slashed his sword, the qi grazing Zhao Ming's cheek and leaving a streak of blood. It dripped onto the hall's stone floor.
Frightened out of his wits, Zhao Ming finally broke. "I'll talk! I'll say everything! It's Wei Qingwu! She ordered me!"
Mo Yan snorted, retracting his sword qi. "Would've been easier to say that from the start."
The Sect Master's expression darkened like still water. "Bring Wei Qingwu here! I want to interrogate her personally."
When Wei Qingwu was brought into the hall, she maintained her proud demeanor.
"What a joke." She scoffed at Zhao Ming's accusation. "Do you think I, Wei Qingwu, would go to such lengths for a Qi Refining Sixth Layer outer disciple? Senior Brother Zhao, if you're going to make up a story, at least make it believable."
Zhao Ming shook with rage, unable to produce any evidence, while Wei Qingwu remained calm, insisting she'd been falsely accused.
The elders of all the peaks watched coldly. Though many wanted to seize this chance to weaken the Alchemy Peak, seeing Wei Qingwu so composed, they held back.
Without solid evidence, rash action would only give them excuses.
Elder Liu stepped forward at the right moment. "Sect Master, since both sides stick to their stories, why not first investigate all tasks handled by Zhao Ming? If any violations are found, we can decide further action afterward."
The investigation did indeed uncover problems.
Though no direct proof linked Wei Qingwu to ordering Zhao Ming, Zhao Ming's repeated violations were undeniable. In the end, Zhao Ming was punished for dereliction of duty, sentenced to three years of wall-facing reflection at Si Guo Cliff. Wei Qingwu, lacking concrete evidence against her, faced no charges.
This outcome severely weakened Elder Zhao's faction in the Law Enforcement Hall. The Alchemy Peak escaped temporary trouble, but thanks to Wei Qingwu, a grudge had now formed.
Xie Zhaolin leaned against her window, lightly tapping the frame as she listened to Liu Feng's report.
"Wei Qingwu is confined?" she murmured, a small smile playing at her lips. "Cleverer than I expected."
Liu Feng lowered his voice. "Elder Wei was furious and punished her to stay within the hall until the Outer Sect competition. She can't step out at all."
"A pity." Xie Zhaolin sighed lightly. "That fool Zhao Ming couldn't even produce a shred of real evidence."
She raised her teacup, letting the steam blur her face. "But that's fine. If it all ended at once, it'd be boring. Let her struggle for a while, it'll be much more fun."
In the following days, Xie Zhaolin still occasionally went on sect missions.
Now everyone knew Elder Mo protected her. No one dared interfere secretly, and since she'd officially become an Inner Sect disciple, her treatment had long since changed, even if she still lived in the old Outer Sect quarters.
During this time, Mo Yan naturally advanced to Inner Sect elder. He refused all attempts by the peaks to sway him, claiming he wanted to protect his disciple. He took a secluded peak as his own, becoming the sect's most unique figure—not affiliated with any faction, yet no one dared to underestimate him.
Meanwhile, Xie Zhaolin often covertly collected news outside, particularly about the Hehuan Sect.
What caught her attention was Yu Xiaotang, recently rising fast in prominence. Not only did she have close ties with the Young Sect Leader of Xuanyang Sword Sect, but her cultivation had also leapt forward, reaching the Middle Foundation Establishment stage.
"One year… from early to mid Foundation Establishment?" Xie Zhaolin tapped her fingers on the desk, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "With her talent, even Foundation Establishment is hard. How could she…"
She summoned Mo Yan. "Have you ever heard of this thing called Xitong?"
Mo Yan thought for a moment. "I haven't heard of it, Master. But it may be recorded in the Demon Clan archives. We'd need to check the Demon Realm."
Xie Zhaolin narrowed her eyes. "Looks like a trip to the Demon Realm is unavoidable."
She had a feeling Yu Xiaotang's abnormal progress was tied to Xitong. Whatever it was, she intended to figure it out. After all, something capable of transforming a weakling in such a short time couldn't be simple. A faint unease gnawed at her, driving her to become stronger faster.
Another month passed, and Mo Yan quietly appeared in her courtyard.
"Master," he reported respectfully, "the Fusang Secret Realm opens in three days. A spot has been reserved for you."
His tone grew serious. "Due to restrictions, only Golden Core or higher cultivators can enter. I won't be able to accompany you personally for protection, so please be careful."
Xie Zhaolin smiled lightly. "No worries. It's the perfect chance to test what I've trained over the past six months."
She'd been to the Fusang Secret Realm several times before, knew it well, and wasn't worried about facing any unmanageable dangers.
"There are perils at every turn," Mo Yan said, handing her a black jade pendant. "This can block a Nascent Soul-level strike in an emergency, but it can only be used once."
Xie Zhaolin took the pendant, examining it. "You've prepared well."
"I can't go with you, so I had to prepare more," Mo Yan said with concern. "I've heard all sects will send disciples this time, including… that one from the Hehuan Sect."