Ling Xiao quietly watched Hei Suo showing off, with no intention of stopping him.
When that fool stepped within five metres of the manor, his face suddenly changed, a terrifying aura forcing him to his knees, the plague’s deadly poison spreading through his body, causing him to scream in agony and sit cross-legged to expel the toxin.
“Sigh, I warned you, please wait, but it seems Brother Hei Suo thinks his life is too long to heed his junior brother’s advice, doesn’t he?”
Ling Xiao sighed, gloating at Hei Suo’s plight.
He hadn’t planned to deal with Hei Suo just yet, but since the idiot was courting death, what could he do?
“Hmph!”
Elder Jin, one of the Supreme Elders of the Law Enforcement Hall, saw this and snorted coldly, leaping into the Plague Bone-Dissolving Formation. The formation couldn’t harm him, but rescuing Hei Suo wasn’t so easy.
The longer Elder Jin stayed in the formation, the grimmer his expression became, the plague’s poison clinging like maggots to bone, impossible to shake off.
Despite his powerful true essence easily resisting it, dispelling it was simply impossible.
“You’ve caused quite a mess, boy, making even the Supreme Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall lose face.”
Venerable Guanghan secretly transmitted to Ling Xiao.
“This disciple is truly wronged, I set up this formation purely to block disciples from other sects, who knew those two wouldn’t listen?”
Ling Xiao replied with a wry smile through transmission.
Venerable Guanghan was secretly delighted. Back when the five Supreme Elders of the Law Enforcement Hall attacked her and the old Hall Master Yang Danlin, they were injured, and she still felt resentful.
Seeing Elder Jin humiliated today, how could she not be pleased?
“Please, Supreme Elder, retreat for now, everyone can follow me into the manor, this formation was meant to stop other sects’ disciples from trespassing.”
Ling Xiao thought to himself, you didn’t take an outer disciple like me seriously, and now you’re suffering, serves you right!
Still, he didn’t want to completely offend this Law Enforcement Elder just yet, so he jumped into the formation, navigating it with special steps. The others followed him into the manor without any trouble.
Elder Jin’s face flushed red, but as a man who valued his reputation, he wouldn’t stoop to argue with an outer disciple like Ling Xiao.
If he wanted to settle scores, he’d do it covertly, giving Ling Xiao trouble behind the scenes, never openly, as he couldn’t afford to lose face.
Hei Suo was rescued from the formation by Meng Yuan, but the plague’s poison couldn’t be cured.
Ling Xiao wouldn’t help detoxify him, if he died, it was his own fault.
But Hei Suo likely wouldn’t die, with four inner sect elders present, their true essence alone could force the poison out.
In the end, Elder Jin saved Hei Suo.
It was clear Elder Jin had a deep connection with Venerable Demon Flame.
“Be careful, little one, Elder Jin is Venerable Demon Flame’s master, and Hei Suo is practically his grand-disciple.”
Venerable Guanghan secretly informed Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao thought, no wonder the five Law Enforcement Elders were biased, turns out Elder Jin of the Law Enforcement Hall is Venerable Demon Flame’s master.
Isn’t this just a den of snakes and rats?
The four inner sect elders and elite inner disciples searched the entire manor and Green Valley but found nothing useful.
Even the treasury of the Plague Demon King, already emptied by Ling Xiao, went undiscovered.
Even if they had found it, it wouldn’t matter.
None of them were skilled in formations, so they couldn’t have opened the treasury.
Thus, Ling Xiao’s theft of the Plague Demon King’s treasures would remain secret for some time.
Still, as the one who completed the mission, Ling Xiao was interrogated like a criminal.
After all, Wanyan Jun and Chen Zui were dead.
Shangguan Lei claimed he had fainted and didn’t know what happened.
So, Ling Xiao was the only one who knew the full story.
Being interrogated was normal.
Thus, Ling Xiao had already prepared his responses.
“Ling Xiao, how do you explain the deaths of Wanyan Jun and Chen Zui?”
Elder Jin asked sternly.
Ling Xiao answered earnestly, “Reporting to Elder Jin, this disciple was focused on completing the mission and didn’t notice how Senior Brothers Wanyan and Chen died. Only after barely repelling the Plague Demon King did I find Senior Brother Shangguan unconscious and saved him.”
“Nonsense! Did you kill Wanyan Jun and Chen Zui, colluding with the Plague Demon King?”
Before Elder Jin could speak, Meng Yuan shouted.
“Who are you to interrupt when a Supreme Elder is questioning?”
Venerable Guanghan scolded Meng Yuan, “Is this how your master taught you, to treat a sect’s meritorious disciple like a criminal?”
Meng Yuan’s face flushed, but he didn’t dare retort.
He didn’t care about Ling Xiao, but he couldn’t ignore Venerable Guanghan.
This woman was a lunatic who even injured his master, let alone him.
“Enough, Guanghan, he’s just concerned for his fellow disciples.”
Elder Jin waved, shielding Meng Yuan from Venerable Guanghan’s terrifying aura.
“Elder Jin, are you saying Ling Xiao isn’t a disciple of the Moonflower Sect? I heard before coming here that he nearly died protecting this manor from Beast King Palace disciples, you can’t be so biased!”
Venerable Guanghan coldly stared at Elder Jin.
“Ahem, Guanghan, rest assured, we just want to clarify things, we won’t wrong an innocent or spare a villain, this involves the True Demon Empire, we must be cautious.”
Another Law Enforcement Elder, Elder Tu, coughed and said.
“Hmph, this matter better be fair, or I’ll take this, along with the last incident, to the Sect Leader for justice!”
Venerable Guanghan snorted and fell silent.
Elder Jin didn’t want internal conflict, so he turned to Ling Xiao, “Ling Xiao, don’t be afraid, just answer a few questions.”
“Please ask, Supreme Elder, this disciple will speak truthfully and fully!”
Ling Xiao said respectfully.
“Good, I ask you, a mere outer disciple with Half-Step Master cultivation, why did you succeed in this Green Valley mission while Wanyan Jun and the others failed? And from start to finish, you show no signs of injury?”
Elder Jin’s tone grew heavier, almost aggressive, “Also, what’s with the formation outside the manor? That’s the Plague Demon King’s signature Plague Bone-Dissolving Formation, isn’t it? How could you set it up?”
From his words, it was clear this old man was here to accuse, hardly speaking like someone addressing a meritorious disciple.
