The person who appeared before Jiang Chen had a horse-like face.
More precisely, it was a middle-aged man wearing a gray and white elixir robe, with small eyes, a pointed nose, and a face like that of a horse.
True to his name, he was called Ma Wu, an elder of the Elixir Peak of the Jiuyan Sect. (TLN: Ma (马) in Ma Wu means horse.)
It was he who twisted the truth in each of Jiang Chen’s nine reincarnations, claiming Jiang Chen had never visited the Elixir Peak and thus pinning the crime of peeping on him.
It was also he who conspired with the protagonist Lin Feng to drug Jiang Chen, causing him to lay hands on his three Junior Sisters and then catch him red-handed!
As a result, Jiang Chen was stripped of his cultivation and expelled from the Jiuyan Sect!
He also colluded with the protagonist to report the fall of the Jiang family’s old ancestor to the Imperial Dynasty in secret after Jiang Chen’s cultivation was destroyed and he was expelled from the sect.
This led to over ten thousand golden cavalry descending from the sky and annihilating the Jiang family of 106 members!
The reason being nothing more than Ma Wu feeling that Jiang Chen’s behavior was improper and that his usual remarks towards the female disciples of the Elixir Peak were frivolous, making him unworthy of being a disciple of the Jiuyan Sect!
In his nine reincarnations, Jiang Chen had always tried to change others’ perceptions of him. But no matter what he did, it only intensified the aura of the villain around him, attracting the hostility of those who considered themselves ‘upholders of justice’!
Looking back at the plots of his nine reincarnations, the only ones who stood by Jiang Chen were the Jiang family.
Yet in the end, the millennium-old Jiang family who never done anything wrong was also branded as villains!
When they were massacred, not a single righteous person stood up to denounce the injustice!
With the scenes of the nine reincarnations vivid in his mind, Jiang Chen clenched his fists, his eyes also brimming with cold light.
If he was destined to be the villain, then he would be the villain!
If this was considered righteousness, then he would annihilate it!
With his eyes slightly closed, Jiang Chen slowly exhaled.
According to the original plot, he was indeed a villain, while Ma Wu was portrayed as a paragon of virtue, intolerant of even the slightest fault.
If that was the case, then he would reclaim his persona.
Only this time, Ma Wu would see what a real villain was like! He would learn what cruelty was!
Jiang Chen would not make a move against Ma Wu here because he was not foolish.
Although the cultivation of the Elixir Peak elder was not high, Ma Wu still possessed the cultivation of the Human Origin. Even if he forcibly made a move, even if he had the ability to kill him in the end, someone would appear to stop him.
“Nephew? Elder Ma, don’t flatter yourself. I am a true disciple of the Ninth Peak, and my master is the Peak Master. Merely an elder of the Elixir Peak, where do you get the qualification to call me ‘Nephew’? What, do you wish to be considered equal to my Master?”
Jiang Chen asked coldly.
Ma Wu was immediately rendered speechless.
Embarrassed and annoyed, he scolded directly: “Jiang Chen! I am, after all, an elder of one peak, and although you are a true disciple, you are still a junior! Such disrespect not only shames Ninth Peak but also disgraces our Jiuyan Sect!”
“What an arrogant claim! Ma Wu, you are just a mere elder of the Elixir Peak. Do you think you can represent the entire Jiuyan Sect?”
Jiang Chen retorted sarcastically.
“Uh…”
Ma Wu was at a loss for words again.
Not wanting to engage in a war of words, Jiang Chen snorted coldly and was about to leave with a flick of his sleeve.
Just then, Jiang Lianyue approached slowly from a distance.
Ma Wu was overjoyed and said amiably, “Niece Jiang Lianyue, your Ninth Peak Eldest Senior Brother has no respect for his seniors and behaves despicably. It’s rumored that he has even made inappropriate advances toward you. In that case, come with me to the Hall of Enforcement to expose his crimes! I will see that justice is done for you!”
Hearing this, Jiang Chen’s expression darkened.
Although the matter had already been dealt with within the peak, he would likely face punishment again if it really got to the Hall of Enforcement!
Then, his master might have to bail him out again!
That’s what Ma Wu was thinking too.
Now, not only Ninth Peak but also the other peaks of the Jiuyan Sect were aware of Jiang Chen’s actions.
The Hall of Enforcement hadn’t intervened simply because this was an internal matter of Ninth Peak, and they had to give face to Xiao Hongyi.
However, they would have a reason to get involved if there was a victim who took the complaint directly to the Hall of Enforcement. And for a disciple like Jiang Chen, who tarnished the sect’s reputation and violated its rules, the Hall of Enforcement was never lenient.
Even with the backing of the Jiang family, it would be the same! Meanwhile, Jiang Lianyue.
She ignored Ma Wu’s smug look and walked straight up to Jiang Chen.
Tears shimmered in her eyes, and a sweet smile played on her lips as she softly said, “Lianyue greets Eldest Senior Brother.”
That smile melted glaciers of millennia and revived the grass and trees.
That smile could make all flowers look dull, with the whole world becoming merely a backdrop.
Jiang Chen was stunned.
Ma Wu was also dumbfounded.
The two juniors beside Jiang Chen had their mouths agape in an “O” shape! What was going on?!
Just yesterday, Jiang Lianyue looked at Jiang Chen with disgust in the main hall.
How come she was smiling so beautifully today?
Everyone in the Jiuyan Sect knew that Jiang Lianyue and Jiang Chen had a terrible relationship.
But now, to any discerning eye, it seemed that her affectionate eyes only had room for Jiang Chen!
“? …Junior Sister, there’s no need for formalities.”
Overwhelmed with shock, Jiang Chen instinctively responded.
He was the most confused of all!
Even if it were nine lifetimes of reincarnation, a thousand years of time, he had never seen Jiang Lianyue show such an expression toward him!
For a moment, he had no idea how to react.
Ma Wu was the first to snap out of it and shouted, “Niece Jiang Lianyue, you have the bearing of an empress! Do not get too close to such a disgrace to our sect, lest you be led astray!”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianyue’s smile vanished, and her fair cheeks turned cold as ice again.
“A disgrace to the sect?”
She repeated these words as her aura began to surge violently.
A visible chill emanated from her feet, spreading one zhang, two zhang, until it covered dozens of zhang!
In an instant, the area within ten zhang of the peak gate was enveloped in cold air, turning it into a wintry landscape with withered vegetation and frost everywhere.
Those disciples with decent cultivation had to circulate their spiritual power to resist the cold invading their bodies.
The ones with lower cultivation were already affected by the cold, almost frozen into ice sculptures.
Jiang Lianyue didn’t care about her fellow disciples.
She opened her right hand, and her purple mansion trembled as an Ice Jade Cold Sword appeared in her grasp. (TLN: purple mansion= spiritual reservoir within a cultivator’s body.)
“Today is your day of death!”
Staring at Ma Wu, Jiang Lianyue’s voice was like a vengeful ghost.
Ma Wu was completely flabbergasted!
He wondered if Jiang Lianyue had mistaken her target!
If she really had the intent to kill someone, shouldn’t it be directed at Jiang Chen?
“Why are you doing this, Niece Jiang Lianyue? Is it because this scoundrel has been stirring up your mind? You are still young. Do not be deceived by the wicked and turn against your own people!”
Ma Wu urgently tried to dissuade her while stepping back.
Without a doubt, the scoundrel he referred to was naturally Jiang Chen.
Little did he know, that very remark intensified the murderous intent emanating from Jiang Lianyue.
“Whoosh—”
A cold wind suddenly rose, and Jiang Lianyue’s graceful figure disappeared amidst the cold breeze.
When she reappeared, she was already behind Ma Wu. The Ice Jade Cold Sword swung, and several streaks of Icy Sword Qi formed, beautiful yet deadly, each one targeting Ma Wu’s vital points!
A sense of danger surged within him, and Ma Wu swiftly turned around.
Seeing the Sword Qi already upon him, he let out a low shout, and pill fire burst from his seven orifices, converging into several fire snakes and attempting to melt the icy Sword Qi.
He had overestimated himself and underestimated Jiang Lianyue!
One was an elder of Elixir Peak, and the other bore the bearing of an empress.
Although they were of the same realm, their combat abilities were clearly not on the same level.
The Icy Sword Qi quickly slashed through the fire snakes while carrying the surrounding spiritual energy and shot forward through the air.
Everything happened too fast, leaving Ma Wu with no time to react.
He hadn’t expected it.
Just one move! He, an elder of Elixir Peak, was about to be directly slain by Jiang Lianyue!
At the moment of life and death,
“Enough!”
A red streak of light came from the clouds above Ninth Peak and landed in front of Ma Wu.
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