If Chen Ye were to argue back, he would immediately be at a disadvantage—Huayue Mansion didn’t even pursue the matter of you injuring their disciple, and even gifted you a top-grade sword pill. If you still pressed the issue, it would be petty.
But if he were to admit it, he would essentially be accepting the favor of Huayue Mansion, becoming subordinate in comparison.
Fairy Gu’s beautiful eyes slightly lowered, watching Chen Ye quietly, waiting for his response.
She was confident that except for swallowing this loss quietly, he had no other choice but to go with the flow.
Besides,
Chen Ye was likely overjoyed in his heart; no matter what, he had acquired a top-grade sword pill, so he hadn’t lost out.
However.
Chen Ye had witnessed firsthand the Huayue cultivator attempting to harm his disciple; how could he let the matter rest?
With a flick of his wrist, the sword pill he had placed in his Hidden Abyss Aperture spun on his fingertip.
"Using the spoils I’ve rightfully acquired as compensation from your high and mighty Huayue Mansion?"
"Miss Gu’s method of borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha is quite something."
Upon hearing this.
Fairy Gu’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she laughed lightly:
"Instructor Chen, what do you mean by ’borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha’? This sword pill originally belonged to our Huayue cultivator..."
"Let me ask you, in front of everyone, who made the first move?"
Chen Ye suddenly interrupted her.
Fairy Gu’s face showed some anger as she replied unhappily:
"Elder Sun already mentioned earlier that something might have happened inside the Grotto Heaven, which led to our cultivator acting impulsively. Besides, your disciple was unharmed."
What an impudent man!
It’s been so long since anyone dared to interrupt her...
"Oh? He Qinyuan is already an outstanding disciple of Huayue Mansion, but... does he have to be so lacking in character, acting so recklessly and brainlessly, making me doubt whether this so-called Huayue Mansion is just an empty reputation."
With a smirk on his lips, Chen Ye’s gaze swept over the white-haired Elder Sun and then back to Fairy Gu, leisurely saying,
"If, as Elder Sun said, she suffered an immense grievance within the Grotto Heaven, since she has already exited and returned to her mentor’s side, why not report to her elders first and let them seek justice? Why must she, as soon as she appears, recklessly and impatiently use her trump card in front of everyone... how is this an impulsive act? Chen feels that this is more like an attempt to kill and silence, covering up some unspeakable scandal?"
"You!"
Fairy Gu’s cold and proud face was suffused with anger.
She was always self-righteous, viewing Huayue Mansion as an inviolable supreme sanctuary.
In such a remote place in the Yan Kingdom, how dare a mere instructor repeatedly belittle the authority of Huayue Mansion?!
"Chen Ye, stop spouting nonsense! Our Huayue cultivators have always acted with integrity, how dare you slander us like this? Do you think killing and silencing people is killing and silencing? Utterly absurd!"
Fairy Gu’s eyes were cold and stern, her spiritual pressure surged, evidently truly enraged.
How dare he?
Could it be that he really thought she was afraid of him?
Laughable!
"Oh? Integrity?"
Chen Ye did not argue with her, merely raising his hand casually, clapping twice.
"Clap, clap."
"Since everyone says they don’t know what happened in the Grotto Heaven, why don’t we... look at some real evidence."
With the fall of Chen Ye’s clapping,
Among the crowd, nine Lingyin cultivators suddenly walked out.
All these Lingyin cultivators were disciples who had entered the Grotto Heaven with Qing Jun and others.
Jin’er said in surprise, "Hmm? It’s them... we didn’t see them in the Grotto Heaven before."
Among the nine people, there was also a familiar figure—the Senior Brother Bai who had traveled with Zhong Jinliu and the others before rejoining the main force of the Lingyin Sect halfway!
Seeing these nine people appear, each with a hateful look in their eyes, a foreboding feeling suddenly rose in Fairy Gu’s heart.
Among the nine disciples, one male cultivator suddenly stepped forward.
As he took a step, his aura, originally at the Foundation Establishment Fourth-Layer, climbed steadily to finally stabilize at the Foundation Establishment Sixth-Layer!
"Foundation Establishment Sixth-Layer?!"
Many cultivators of the Yan Kingdom showed shock, even Su Xuange was taken aback. Since when did the Lingyin Sect have such an expert hidden among the disciples entering the Grotto Heaven?
This male cultivator was named Zhao Li.
He was no ordinary disciple but a hidden pawn pre-placed by the elders of the Lingyin Sect.
The sect’s high-ranking members had already anticipated that the Huayue cultivators might harbor ill intentions on this journey to the Grotto Heaven.
Thus, the Fourth Elder used a secret technique to conceal Zhao Li’s true cultivation level, allowing him to hide among the disciples, avoiding targeting, and secretly protecting the seedlings of the Lingyin Sect inside the Grotto Heaven.
Also, since Fairy Gu was the daughter of the Lord of Hunyuan City and the Spirit Treasure Sect had been stationed in Hunyuan City for centuries, having profound knowledge about Luoxiao Grotto Heaven.
The Fourth Elder worried she might have other means, so for safety reasons, this plan was not revealed to anyone, not even Chen Ye, until recently.
Unfortunately... the three girls Chen Ye brought were too elusive, and Zhao Li spent more than ten days searching throughout the Grotto Heaven without finding a trace of Zhiwei and the others.
Furthermore, Chen Ye didn’t appear immediately earlier due to secretly discussing with Zhao Li.
Zhao Li strode in front of Chen Ye, looking respectful, and clasped his fists and bowed deeply:
"Zhao Li, reporting to Instructor Chen!"
Chen Ye nodded slightly: "Since you’re here, show what you witnessed in the Grotto Heaven to this fair and upright Fairy Gu, and to that wise and sharp Elder Sun, to open their eyes properly."
"Yes!"
Zhao Li turned sharply, his icy gaze sweeping over everyone from Huayue Mansion, then from his bosom took out a shadow-recording pearl emitting a faint blue light.