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Chapter 85: The Pinnacle of the Demon Realm (20)
Chapter 85: The Pinnacle of the Demon Realm (20)
Chapter 85: Chapter 85: The Pinnacle of the Demon Realm (20)
The Elder continued to ask, “I wonder what Miss Chuzheng has to say about this?”
“Coincidence,” Chuzheng spat out two words, icy cold.
“Do you believe such a coincidence, Miss Chuzheng?” The Elder’s aura became fierce, and an invisible pressure swept down.
This pressure targeted only Chuzheng and Li Tang. Chuzheng’s expression didn’t change, as if she didn’t feel the pressure at all. Li Tang, on the other hand, was visibly uncomfortable, but he could only grit his teeth and bear it.
Chuzheng’s unrippled gaze lightly turned and fell on the Elder.
Her lips parted, and she articulated clearly, “Believe. Why not believe it? A coincidence manufactured is still a coincidence.”
“…”
The Elder was somewhat startled, wondering just what power this young girl possessed.
To face his pressure without any sign of feeling it.
“Wan Luo!” the Sect Master rebuked sharply.
Wan Luo, frowning, withdrew his pressure. “Miss Chuzheng, this matter doesn’t look like a coincidence at all! I hope you can tell the truth.”
What Wan Luo probably meant to say was that she had killed Zhao Yue and framed Lin Chen, just like what had happened with Sun Fei.
The affair involving Li Tang had just occurred not too long ago, and now here was another incident, almost as if it had been cast from the same mold.
Any person would suspect Chuzheng and Li Tang.
“You think I did it?” she asked directly and unexpectedly.
“Miss Chuzheng, that’s not what we mean,” the Sect Master responded most quickly. “We just find the matter rather strange and wanted to know your opinion. If someone is trying to sow discord, hurting the harmony between you and me, that would be unfortunate.”
Chuzheng’s fingers tapped her wrist, her gaze indifferent. “I have no opinion. If you think I did it, present your evidence. Without evidence, this matter has nothing to do with me.”
The crowd: “…” What kind of response was that?
“You!” Wan Luo slammed the table and stood up, ignoring the Sect Master’s look, and angrily said, “I think you did this. A month ago, when my junior brother came to inform you, you didn’t show any reaction. Are you dissatisfied with the Law Enforcement Hall’s decision and seeking revenge secretly, aren’t you!”
Li Tang was her person. Wouldn’t she want to help him regain face after he had been wronged?
Chuzheng didn’t argue with Wan Luo, but said solemnly, “Without evidence, you are just being a bully.” Don’t even think of bullying me!
“Wan Luo, Junior Brother!” The Sect Master raised his voice, “Sit down!”
“Sect Master!” Wan Luo was dissatisfied; Lin Chen was his disciple, how could he not be anxious?
With a glance from the Sect Master, Wan Luo was forced to close his mouth.
The Sect Master reassured Chuzheng with a few words and had a disciple bring her a chair.
This matter could not simply be assumed to be her malicious framing of Lin Chen based on similarities.
Wan Luo was clearly very dissatisfied, just because she provided those Spirit Stones to the Sect, now the Sect Master was on her side.
Sect Master: “Lin Chen, tell us, how did your fragrance pouch appear at the scene of Zhao Yue’s death?”
Lin Chen, who had been keeping his head down, perked up and replied with a salute, “Replying to the Sect Master, I lost the fragrance pouch a few days ago. I even searched for it, and many junior brothers can bear witness.”
The disciples kneeling on the ground nodded in agreement, bearing witness.
“I… I’ve seen her.” Suddenly, one disciple pointed at Chuzheng. “I saw her at the place where Zhao Yue died.”
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became subtly charged.
Wan Luo glared at Chuzheng. Didn’t she say there was no evidence? Now isn’t there evidence?
Wan Luo: “Sect Master, someone saw her, what does she have to say now!”
Sect Master: “Miss Chuzheng?”
“He says I went there, so I went there? If I say I saw you there, Sect Master, would you start suspecting yourself?”
“Presumptuous!” An Elder roared.
Before the Sect Master could speak, a disciple rushed in. “Sect Master, a disciple requests an audience.”
Interrupted at this moment, the Sect Master frowned. “What’s the matter?”
“About… Zhao Yue.”
The Sect Master and several Elders exchanged glances, and he waved his sleeve, “Bring him in.”
Li Tang was somewhat worried, feeling that today’s events were not so simple.
Chuzheng was calm and composed, seemingly not taking the matter to heart, which somewhat comforted him.
She should have a sense of proportion…
The disciple who had requested an audience outside came in with his head lowered, walked to the center, and thumped to his knees.
“Greetings, Sect Master, and all the Elders.”
“What do you have to say about the death of Zhao Yue?”
The disciple didn’t dare to lift his head, pressing his forehead to the ground as he answered, “Ever since Zhao Yue last saw Senior Sister Song, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and would often find excuses to see her.”
“There was… one time, when he was discovered by Elder Brother Lin, who gave Zhao Yue a severe beating.”
Lin Chen frowned at the speaking disciple; indeed, he had punished Zhao Yue, but that was because Zhao Yue had been inappropriate with a junior sister.
Beyond that incident, he had no further contact with Zhao Yue.
How his Fragrance Pouch appeared at the scene of Zhao Yue’s death, he had no idea.
The only thing he could think of was an incident from a month ago.
This incident and the one from a month ago were nearly identical, save for the main character involved.
“The day that Zhao Yue died, I… I just happened to be at the scene.”
A shock ran through Lin Chen’s heart, and he suddenly looked towards the aloof woman sitting in the chair.
The disciple’s voice continued to ring out, “I saw it was Elder Brother Lin who killed Zhao Yue.”
“Impossible, I didn’t kill him,” Lin Chen retorted.
Wan Luo’s face turned ashen, his voice carrying a warning, “Think carefully about what you’re saying. Falsely accusing a fellow disciple carries the penalty of death!”
“No… I dare not, but I truly saw it with my own eyes,” the disciple trembled on the ground.
“Sect Master, a one-sided statement cannot be used as evidence!” Wan Luo immediately spoke up to the Sect Master, “You should know the kind of character my child has.”
“Just now you were ready to believe the disciple’s one-sided statement. Is this how your Sect operates?” Chuzheng interjected abruptly.
Double standard much!
Wan Luo was instantly face-slapped.
“Empty words prove nothing,” the Sect Master mused, “Do you have evidence?”
The Sect Master hadn’t believed the disciple before, and naturally, he wouldn’t believe him now.
However, unlike the baseless accusation from just before, this disciple responded, “I do, I have evidence.”
Both Lin Chen and Wan Luo’s expressions changed at once.
Lin Chen was shocked because he had never killed Zhao Yue—where could the evidence have possibly come from.
Wan Luo was worried that maybe, just maybe, his own disciple had killed Zhao Yue over Song Fenglan.
Before everyone’s eyes, the disciple took out a stone, “This is a Memory Stone. It recorded the process of Elder Brother Lin killing Zhao Yue.”
“How precious is the Memory Stone! It’s worth more than a fortune!” Wan Luo questioned coldly, “How could you, an Outer Sect disciple, possess such a Memory Stone?”
“This… I brought this Memory Stone from my family. The Sect Master can send someone to inquire within my clan.”
The Sect Master’s eyes narrowed, “Bring it here.”
At once, a disciple presented the Memory Stone to the Sect Master.
The Sect Master looked at the other Elders, infused Spiritual Power, and the image from the Memory Stone was projected into the air.
It was a secluded slope, perhaps due to the distance of the person recording, the figures in the Memory Stone were somewhat blurry, but anyone could tell that they were Lin Chen and Zhao Yue.