At this moment, Xia Jiye threw caution to the wind, rolling his eyes and fearlessly staring straight at Shen Yunshen.
"Shen Yunshen, if you’ve got the guts, kill me now. If you don’t kill me, you’re not worthy of being this elder."
Upon hearing Xia Jiye’s provocative words, Shen Yunshen’s anger intensified.
"You really think I’m afraid to kill you? Fine, then I’ll grant you your wish."
As he spoke, Shen Yunshen reached out to grasp Xia Jiye’s neck.
Fear flashed across Xia Jiye’s eyes, but he still stood firm without flinching, even closing his eyes, striking a pose of noble sacrifice.
At this moment, someone suddenly stopped Shen Yunshen.
"Elder Shen, let’s not act hastily. Allow me to say a few words."
Shen Yunshen looked up to see Zhao Ya and couldn’t help but frown.
"Ya, this scoundrel is truly hateful, not only colluding with outsiders but also daring to spout such madness. Why not let me just finish him off with one blow?"
Colluding with outsiders?
Hearing these four words, everyone present couldn’t help but be shaken.
Such an accusation is a taboo in any sect.
If true, Xia Jiye would deserve to die a thousand deaths.
Xia Jiye naturally understood this as well and immediately roared out.
"Shen Yunshen, don’t you dare falsely accuse me! I admit we’ve had our disagreements, but that doesn’t warrant such slander and injustice!"
Shen Yunshen coldly replied, "Only you know best whether it’s slander and injustice."
"Elder Shen, let him go, and allow me to question him." Zhao Ya feared Shen Yunshen might act impulsively, causing an even larger commotion.
"Very well. For your sake, Ya, I’ll spare his miserable life for now."
With that, Shen Yunshen casually dropped Xia Jiye on the ground.
Zhao Ya couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly, realizing why Shen Yunshen had been drinking gloomily at the Contribution Department before.
With such a temper, it’s easy to offend people.
Zhao Ya approached Xia Jiye, looking down at him.
"Elder Xia, do you still recognize me?"
Xia Jiye’s eyes were filled with rage, as he snarled, "Zhao, don’t be too smug. I’m telling you, this isn’t over between us."
"So, you bribed those from the Separation Tower to kill me?" Zhao Ya asked coldly.
Xia Jiye was taken aback.
He clearly didn’t expect Zhao Ya to be so blunt.
And before Xia Jiye could react, Zhao Ya continued.
"Elder Xia, I can understand your hatred for me, even wanting to kill me. But you shouldn’t have conspired with an assassin organization for personal vendettas, hiring killers."
"I did not!" Xia Jiye finally reacted, shouting his innocence.
At this point, there was no way he could admit to this, otherwise, he’d be completely finished.
"You didn’t?" Zhao Ya suddenly laughed, then squatted down to gaze into Xia Jiye’s eyes.
At that moment, a thought sprang up in Xia Jiye’s mind.
That was to seize the opportunity of Zhao Ya being close, suddenly attack, and hold him captive.
In doing so, Shen Yunshen and the others might restrain themselves, giving him a chance to escape.
But upon meeting Zhao Ya’s cold gaze, inexplicably, that thought in Xia Jiye’s mind vanished into thin air.
Perhaps Zhao Ya’s too calm demeanor startled him.
Or perhaps it was the barely perceptible yet intimidating aura from Zhao Ya that rattled Xia Jiye’s heart.
Whatever the reason, despite not wanting to admit it, a sliver of fear was born deep in Xia Jiye’s heart.
Looking at the somewhat cringing Xia Jiye, Zhao Ya couldn’t help but sigh softly in his heart.
Of course, he didn’t pity this Xia Jiye.
Once, this Xia Jiye relied on his position as Instructor Elder to make things difficult for him.
Only Zhao Ya’s exceptional memory allowed him to memorize texts and understand them slowly in the Library; otherwise, others might have been completely ruined.
Imagine how many people Xia Jiye destroyed using this method.
Zhao Ya was never one to be magnanimous.
His nature was to repay a good deed tenfold.
But if someone bore him malice, Zhao Ya would not hesitate to retaliate a hundredfold.
So seeing Xia Jiye in such a situation now, Zhao Ya felt not an ounce of sympathy.
He sighed because Shen Yunshen had escalated the matter to this point, and if not handled properly, it could lead to even greater conflicts.
After all, Zhao Ya could clearly sense the menacing stares from Xia Jiye’s allies.
The current strategy is to have Xia Jiye publicly confess his guilt to calm the situation temporarily.
But that’s easier said than done.
Xia Jiye isn’t foolish. He knows what admitting to the crime of hiring killers would mean.
Zhao Ya would only have to try.
Facing Zhao Ya’s cold gaze, Xia Jiye slightly lowered his eyes and sneered.
"Zhao Ya, I know you’ve been holding a grudge over the previous attack, but I truly didn’t do it. Instead of pressing me, you should ask yourself how many enemies you actually have."
Once finished, Zhao Ya lightly clapped his hands.
"Well, what a brilliant explanation." Zhao Ya smiled while clapping.
"You’re right, in the absence of concrete evidence, I really shouldn’t accuse someone casually."
"Hmph!" Xia Jiye snorted coldly and said nothing more.
At the same time, he felt a vague sense of relief.
Because the situation was gradually turning in his favor.
As long as he stuck to his denial, Xia Jiye didn’t believe the Grand Elder or Shen Yunshen would dare act against him in front of everyone.
The tension in the room subtly shifted.
The elders sympathetic to Xia Jiye all looked menacingly at Zhao Ya and Shen Yunshen.
Although none of them could individually match Shen Yunshen, the numbers gave them confidence.
As for the other onlookers, some sympathized with Xia Jiye, while others thought Shen Yunshen and Zhao Ya were being too arrogant.
Yet, almost no one noticed that Guo Luming, who had been in the crowd, had silently disappeared.
Meanwhile, in a pavilion not far from the Transmission Hall, Guan Xuejiang watched the unfolding situation with resignation, then sighed.
"Senior brother, Yun Shen is good in all ways, but he acts too rashly. I told him not to escalate things, but he just had to stir up such a big mess."
"Now what do you say we do? Xia Jiye clearly intends to manipulate public opinion. We can’t kill him now either," Guan Xuejiang fretted.
He had initially planned to capture Xia Jiye first, then publicly announce the results after interrogation.
This way, it would be logical, and even if Xia Jiye’s allies were displeased, they couldn’t find fault.
Frankly, as the Grand Elder of Azure Dragon Temple, Guan Xuejiang had to act prudently.
He especially needed to balance the various forces, or the carefully maintained peace would be shattered.
Otherwise, he could have simply ordered Xia Jiye’s immediate execution.
At this moment, Guo Luming suddenly said, "Shh, let’s see what Ya does next."
Upon hearing this, Guan Xuejiang also looked out the window.
In the field, Zhao Ya suddenly turned to the puffed-up Shen Yunshen and said.
"Elder Shen, I heard a loud noise just now, with smoke rising from the Transmission Hall. Was there an explosion?"
"Yes, as I was about to take him away, he suddenly pulled out a Hidden Weapon. Luckily, I reacted quickly and kicked it far away, or the consequences would’ve been worse."
"Was the Hidden Weapon round and entirely black?" Zhao Ya inquired again.
"Yes!" Shen Yunshen nodded, then looked at Zhao Ya a bit curiously.
"Ya, why are you asking this?"
Zhao Ya smiled, "Nothing, during the encounter with the assassin from the Separation Tower, they used an identical Hidden Weapon."
As he spoke, Zhao Ya looked down at Xia Jiye, whose smile was gradually fading.
"Elder Xia, where did you get this Hidden Weapon? As far as I know, our Azure Dragon Temple never manufactures Hidden Weapons, do we?"