Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Delight appeared on Shao Qingfeng’s face at this moment, and he went over to the Palace Master and saluted him. “Greetings Great Palace Master, please take justice for me, as they are all vicious and ruthless and are seeking to cripple my cultivation.”
At that moment, three people, riding white clouds, flew here from the deepest part of the outer sanctum. One of them was an aged, white-haired woman, whose name was Palace Master Kong Chan. The second one was an old man with a goatee, whose name was Palace Master Hua.
The last one was a man, who has his hands clasped behind his back. It was obvious that this person’s status was higher than the prior two.
He wore a navy blue robe, which was plain and unadorned, and he seemed like an ordinary old man. However, his eyes were extremely sharp, seeming like they were capable of seeing through anyone.
Su Yu’s blood couldn’t help but flow faster when the old man looked at him. The startled Su Yu quickly tried to calm himself down. This old man’s cultivation should have already reached the peak of Divine Master Realm, and as such, it was greater than both Palace Master Kong Chan’s and Palace Master Hua’s.
It was obvious that the person before him was the ruler of the Outer Palace, the Great Palace Master. The Outer Palace had three Palace Masters, including two lower ones and one great one.
Palace Master Kong Chan and Palace Master Hua were Lower Palace Masters, while the old man in front of him should be the Great Palace Master. As such, he was the person who held the greatest power in the entire Outer Sanctum. Even in the whole sect, his power was only inferior to the Right and Left Palace Masters.
His appearance caused everyone here to quiet down immediately, and no matter if it was Xue Qi’s black market faction or Shao Qingfeng’s, they were all afraid of him and became quite restless. After all, the Great Palace Master was famous for his strictness and ruthless means.
The Great Palace Master turned a blind eye to Shao Qingfeng’s complaints as he landed composedly and swept his gaze over all of the black market’s members.
Seeing that they were about to start a great fight, he shouted imposingly, “This is outrageous! Didn’t all of you work hard to pass the strict exam in order to enter the outer sanctum? But, look at yourselves now! What are you doing? You don’t put your efforts into cultivating, but are instead gathering here to fight. Aren’t you wasting all of the effort that you put into reaching here?”
His heartfelt words touched many of the people here. He wasn’t mistaken, as all of the people who managed to join the Red Blood Palace were geniuses who had gone through many difficulties in order to get here. So, he had to wonder… When did they become this muddle-headed and lose their martial hearts?
Many people lowered their heads in shame.
After everyone calmed down, the Great Palace Master looked at the two gangs coldly and asked, “Speak! Tell me what’s going on?”
Shao Qingfeng spoke hurriedly before Xue Qi could manage to reply, “They are taking advantage of their position in order to bully people, and they conspired together to cripple my cultivation. So, it was fortunate that you came here in time…”
“Shut up! I asked them, not you!” The Great Palace Master looked at him coldly. Shao Qingfeng groaned softly as his blood flow stagnated. He almost spouted out a mouthful of blood. After all, the Great Palace Master was questioning the black market’s members!
Ruffian Long also feared him greatly, but he still braced himself and said, “We heard that there is a member of the black market who conspired to murder a guarantor, so we came here hurriedly to save him because it would tarnish our reputation.”
When the Great Palace Master listened to this explanation, he looked at the black market’s members at Shao Qingfeng’s side and asked them, “And… As for you? Tell me the truth.”
In the face of his power and steady gaze, no one dared to tell him a lie. At this moment, Second Tiger came over and sais, “Great Palace Master, it happened like this…”
He then narrated in full detail all that had happened. The Great Palace Master listened to him patiently before he spoke solemnly, while looking at Second Tiger, “Then… Doesn’t this mean that they didn’t lie?”
Second Tiger nodded. “It’s really what happened.”
Shao Qingfeng’s face became deathly pale, as he knew that everything was done for.
“Okay, then let me ask you another question,” the Great Palace Master spoke, while looking at Shao Qingfeng.
Second Tiger said, “Great Palace Master, please state it.”
“Who’s controlling you?” The Great Palace Master asked expressionlessly.
All of the people here were startled when they heard him, and they had to wonder… Is Second Tiger being controlled by someone?
After all, Second Tiger’s actions today were really too strange, and it didn’t seem like he did them willingly.
Su Yu was also startled, while he saw through it and thought… What an amazing Great Palace Master!
Second Tiger was confused.”Great Palace Master, I don’t know what you mean…” He clearly didn’t realize at all that he was being controlled by someone.
The Great Palace Master squinted his eyes. “What a terrifying soul control technique, even the person being controlled has no idea about it!” Not only that, but even the other people here couldn’t see any signs of it!
Second Tiger turned around suddenly and fled. The Great Palace Master wasn’t surprised by this, and as he surveyed the surroundings, he calmly said, “The person controlling him is in the surroundings. Who would expect that our outer sanctum would have such a great soul technique expert?”
As he spoke, he waved his hand and sucked the fleeing Second Tiger back to him, then bound him. The Great Palace Master then tapped him with his finger and sent a resplendent ray into his mind.
Second Tiger’s whole body convulsed and pain appeared on his face. However, it was only after three breaths’ time before the pain was alleviated and he returned to his normal state.
He observed his surroundings blankly, and as his eyes got back their original luster, his face fell when he saw the person before him. “Great… Great Palace Master!”
His current actions were enough to show that he had really controlled by someone before.
“Do you remember who was controlling you?” The Great Palace Master surveyed the surroundings with his gaze, while paying careful attention to each person’s facial expressions.
Second Tiger shook his head blankly. “It seems like my memory from the moment I left the fighting room onward was erased by someone.”
Su Yu rejoiced somewhat in learning that he had successfully erased all memories related to him before using a soul control technique on Second Tiger. He did so just as a precaution for the occurrence of something unexpected happening, and he didn’t really expect that it would come in handy!
The Great Palace Master didn’t find any clues from anyone’s facial expressions, so he said calmly, “I don’t care who you are, but since you dared to control an outer sanctum disciple and cause trouble in the outer sanctum, then I can’t let you off easily.”
Su Yu’s heart shuddered, as he really didn’t expect that he would catch the Great Palace Master’s attention by such actions. As such, Su Yu couldn’t help but be on his guard against him, as this old man was quite thorny!
The Great Palace Master averted his gaze from them, while he took a look at the three corpses on the ground, then gazed at Second Tiger and asked solemnly, “Did you truly kill them?”
Second Tiger’s heart thumped, and while he wanted to shake his head, as he faced the Great Palace Master’s gaze, his whole body shuddered and he didn’t dare to lie. After he hesitated for a while, he knelt on the ground and entreated him, “Great Palace Master, please spare me, as it was Shao Qingfeng who ordered me to do it. I didn’t really want to do it.”
“Fine… Then why don’t you tell me the whole sequence of events clearly?” The Great Palace Master’s expression was still calm as he spoke.
Second Tiger then narrated in full detail all that had happened once again, and it was exactly the same account that he had given before while he was being controlled. Although he was controlled at that time, Su Yu hadn’t made him tell any lies, so everything was the truth.
“It’s unexpectedly true! I had assumed that the person who was controlling him wanted to slander Shao Qingfeng, but everything that he said was really true!” he said, somewhat surprised.
Everyone here was equally astonished. But, after all, there wasn’t anyone who could tell a lie in front of the Great Palace Master.
Shao Qingfeng felt his heart, which had just relaxed a moment ago, sink into an ice hole once again. The Great Palace Master, whose expression was calm, swept his gaze over the crowd, who was looking forward to hearing him give an appropriate punishment. The crowd wouldn’t rest until such a vile and sinister person like Shao Qingfeng was punished!
“From today onward, the Right Palace Master’s people aren’t allowed to open a black market in the outer sanctum, and the cultivation of all those who violated this new decree will be crippled,” the Great Palace Master announced firmly.
Shock appeared on all of the people’s faces, as it seemed like the Great Palace Master wanted to affront the Right Palace Master. Su Yu was also shocked by his great boldness.
After all, the Right Palace Master had been engaged in business in the outer sanctum for many years, yet the Great Palace Master had just turned a blind eye to him. But, now that Shao Qingfeng had tried to harm an innocent disciple like Shangguan Yunque, it had ended up angering him, so he directly drove the whole faction out of the outer sanctum!
Delight appeared on the faces of Xue Qi and the others, as this was a piece of unexpected good news to them. The outer sanctum’s profits weren’t any less than the inner sanctum’s, as there was a large number of disciples in the outer sanctum. In fact, they were 10 times more numerous than the inner sanctum’s, which explained why its black market was extremely prosperous.
After the Right Palace Master’s black market members were driven out today, the outer sanctum would be wholly controlled by the Left Palace from now on. As the person who led such an operation, Xue Qi would surely get a generous reward.
“As for you, you should learn a lesson from this matter,” the Great Palace Master said to Xue Qi and the others. “It’s fine that you set up a black market in the outer sanctum, as its existence is really necessary, but if you dare to harm some disciples because of your personal feuds, then you will suffer the consequences of being tossed out of the outer sanctum.”
His severe warning made Xue Qi’s heart shudder, and she replied hurriedly, “Great Palace Master, you can rest at ease, as even robbers have their own rules and principles, and we will all conduct business together peacefully. We wouldn’t dare violate the law.”
The Great Palace Master nodded slowly, then looked at Shao Qingfeng with a slightly cold gaze. “You really have been greatly disgraced in the outer sanctum. In the seasonal exam, which will occur in five days, you will go on the stage and fight against Su Yuxian. If you win, I will let you off, but if you lose, I will take your life on the spot.”
The Great Palace Master had unexpectedly set up a match! Everyone looked at each other in dismay, then looked at Su Yu in confusion as they wondered… Does the Great Palace Master know Su Yuxian?
Even Su Yu was startled as he wondered… Did he see through me and discover that I was the one controlling Second Tiger?
However, it didn’t really seem like this was the case, but he still had to wonder… Why did he set up such a match with Shao Qingfeng inexplicably, then let me decide whether he would live or die?
After all, as he was a person whose life was on the line, Shao Qingfeng would surely fight fiercely like a cornered beast, and he would be quite dangerous in such a state. He wondered…
Did I offend this old man at some unknown time? It is my first time seeing him, so how could I have offended him before?
Su Yu looked at Palace Master Kong Chan and Palace Master Hua, who were behind the Great Palace Master, but they both averted their gazes at the same time, not daring to face Su Yu’s gaze. It seemed like they were both left without a choice in this matter as well.
“Fine. This matter will come to end here. As for the punishment for the main culprit, Shao Qingfeng, that will be decided in five days during the seasonal exam.” The Great Palace Master then led his people away and left.
The people in the plaza also followed after him, while passing on the news about what had happened here to others along the way. As for the Right Palace Master’s black market members, their expressions were extremely unsightly.
They looked as if the sky had just crumbled down upon them as they all left, one after the other. As for Ruffian Long and the others, they were all overjoyed, and they went back to celebrate the matter with wine.
“Junior brother Su, we are obliged to thank you, as you eliminated our Left Palace Master’s enemies in the outer sanctum, and if the Left Palace Master hears of it, then he will surely reward you generously.” Xue Qi’s face was rosy and her eyes were bright.
Su Yu’s luck was really great, and each time she ran into him, she had been blessed by his luck. From the discovery of the ghost in the Elegant Spirit Mountain to seeing through Manor Master Zhang’s true colors as a ghost, as well as getting rid of the Right Palace Master’s black market in the outer sanctum, Su Yu truly seemed to bring good luck wherever he went! Moreover, his body was engulfed with fascinating colors, and as they followed behind him, they always ended up witnessing miracles.
Su Yu shook his head and said, “You may have already heard about this, but I already rejected the Left Palace Master’s faction invitation, as I want to just pursue the martial path. I don’t care about anything else.”
Xue Qi was disappointed to hear this, but she still didn’t give up. “It doesn’t matter. If you change your opinion someday, then you can join the Left Palace Master’s faction at any time. I believe that the Left Palace Master would surely welcome you happily, as he’s a person who greatly values talented people.”
Su Yu didn’t really care about such a matter. “Senior sister, can I ask you something?” Su Yu’s mind was still filled with many doubts about the Great Palace Master’s peculiar treatment of him.
Xue Qi nodded. “Just ask me anything. if I know it, then I will surely tell you.”
“May I ask you what mistake I made to end up offending the Great Palace Master? Why does he want to let me face Shao Qingfeng, who’s at the end of his road?” Su Yu knew that it was somewhat futile to ask such a question, as he didn’t know himself how he had offended him, so how could other people know?
But Su Yu was surprised that, after a moment of startlement, she widened her eyes and started sizing him up, then replied in an odd tone, “Don’t you know? I assumed that you were already aware of it.”
