Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 168 Fallen Maple Leaves, Broken Wings, Public Opinion Melts Metal

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At dawn, the Cangxuan Sect was shrouded in thick fog.

Thick white fog surged up from the deep valley, engulfing the layers of purple bamboo forest.

The iron guardrails on the eaves tapped gently in the cold wind, making a crisp, thumping sound.

Now, three full days have passed since the theft of the Heavenly Fire and the violent death of the Second Elder, Wang Tianying, at Falling Maple Peak.

During these three days, Zhou Chongyue, the Grand Elder of Law Enforcement, issued the strictest silencing order.

Any disciple who discusses matters concerning Falling Maple Peak without permission will be punished, at best, exiled to the Cliff of Repentance, and at worst, expelled from the sect.

However, this ironclad rule, which was enough to silence all living beings, could not stop the wildfire called rumors, which spread like wildfire throughout the entire Cangxuan Sect.

……

Beside the martial arts training ground halfway up the mountain in Cangxuan Sect.

Several inner disciples dressed in tight-fitting clothes stopped practicing their swordsmanship, gathered together, and whispered among themselves.

"Have you heard? The Second Elder of Falling Maple Peak has fallen..."

A disciple with thick eyebrows and big eyes gritted his teeth, his right hand resting on the sword slung across his waist, and whispered in someone's ear.

This man had received guidance from the Second Elder several times and was considered a semi-disciple. Upon learning the astonishing news from Falling Maple Peak, he was quite indignant, so he lowered his voice and complained to his companion:

"The murder scene was filled with the heavy water aura of the Guixu Sect. I heard that a Guixu Sect disciple token was also found in the Second Elder's palm."

A thin disciple standing nearby shuddered and whispered, "The Enforcement Hall clearly said that the Second Elder was in seclusion... Elder Zhou... why did he keep it from us?"

"What else could it be?"

The disciple with thick eyebrows sneered, his tone full of disdain: "They're just afraid of the Guixu Sect. Now that the Heavenly Fire is gone and the Second Elder has been killed, if they go to war with the Guixu Sect again, won't their paper tiger nature be exposed? Hmph, if you ask me, these people in power are always thinking about how to keep the peace."

"But the Second Elder... he's the backbone of our sect!"

A look of fear flashed in the thin disciple's eyes: "If they can tolerate even the Second Elder being killed, then what about us ordinary disciples when we go out to train? Won't we become easy targets in the eyes of others?"

Such rumors and gossip continued to circulate in every corner of the Cangxuan Sect.

The news seemed to have grown wings; instead of subsiding despite Zhou Chongyue's blockade, it became increasingly detailed and logically intricate.

Even the process of how Guixu Sect bribed the mole, how they used spatial escape talismans to infiltrate, and how they cruelly murdered Wang Tianying was described vividly, as if the messenger was there at the time, watching with wide eyes.

……

Under a pavilion inside Tingquan Pavilion, Gu Yan stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a blue robe.

When he heard the faint whispers carried on the wind, he pondered for a moment and quickly came to an answer.

How could a deliberately suppressed message spread so quickly and so widely?

If no one had been pushing things along, Gu Yan would have swallowed the folding fan in his hand whole.

This is a conspiracy.

Zhou Chongyue, aren't you smart? Aren't you able to see through this trap?

It's alright, I won't scheme against you, Zhou Chongyue, I'll scheme against your group of hot-blooded young disciples who care about sect honor and face.

When tens of thousands of disciples throughout the sect believed that the Guixu Sect was the murderer, and felt humiliated by the sect's high-ranking members' forbearance, even suffering damage to their Dao hearts, a mutiny broke out.

Unless you, Zhou Chongyue, have irrefutable evidence to prove that this is not a conspiracy by the Guixu Sect, you will have to face two choices.

Why don't you attack the Guixu Sect and use your power and strength to suppress the discontent?

Sure, of course that's fine.

The result was that once this happened, the morale of the Cangxuan Sect collapsed.

In the past, these most hot-blooded disciples of the major sects either took matters into their own hands and launched acts of revenge against the Guixu Sect, or they became disappointed with the Cangxuan Sect and feared that they would become the next Second Elder to be sacrificed for the greater good, so they defected to other powerful sects.

However, if you attack the Guixu Sect, you'll be playing right into the hands of the mastermind behind the scenes.

The clash between the two overlords of Dongzhou will be an absolute catastrophe, a bloodbath that will leave the entire Dongzhou devastated and its inhabitants suffering immense loss of life.

"Senior brother, are you looking at the distant mountains?"

Li Qingge's voice came from behind.

Gu Yan turned his head, smiled gently, and saw her dressed in a black outfit. He replied, "No, I'm watching the wind. The grass bends whichever way the wind blows. By the way, Fairy Li, the pressure outside must be immense."

Li Qingge rubbed her dark circles, shook her head self-deprecatingly, and walked to the stone table to sit down.

"It's bigger than we imagined. Not only the inner disciples, but even several true disciples who were traveling outside rushed back overnight after hearing the news. They are now kneeling outside the council hall, demanding a clear explanation from the Grand Elder. Some have even suggested taking their disciples directly to the Guixu Sect to seek justice."

"What did Elder Zhou say?" Gu Yan asked casually.

"The Grand Elder remains indoors."

Li Qingge said in a heavy tone, "He knows there's a conspiracy behind it, but he can't produce any evidence to prove that the Second Elder didn't die at the hands of the Guixu Sect. That token, and that drop of heavy water, their auras are too real, so real that even he himself is starting to doubt whether the Guixu Sect really did make a move."

"That's the terrifying thing about open conspiracy."

Gu Yan sat down opposite him, his fingertips lightly tapping the stone table.

Even knowing it's a trap ahead, he has to jump in to uphold the sect's reputation and quell the disciples' anger. Unless...

Gu Yan paused, his gaze shifting from the distance to the direction of the council hall. "He can find an even more powerful killer."

Just then, a series of noisy footsteps, mixed with orderly shouts, suddenly came from the mountain path in the distance.

"Please, Sect Master, emerge from seclusion! Restore the Second Elder's authority!"

"Severely punish the Guixu Sect and retrieve the Heavenly Fire!"

Gu Yan turned his head and saw hundreds of disciples of Luofeng Peak dressed in red, led by several true disciples, surging towards the council hall.

They had white cloths tied around their foreheads, veins bulging on the backs of their hands, and their eyes were filled with fanaticism and anger.

Behind these disciples, the spectators from Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, Heavenly Sound Pavilion, and other small and medium-sized sects who had not yet left stood in groups of three or five on high ground, pointing and whispering about the scene, their eyes gleaming with schadenfreude.

After all, the fact that the number one sect in Dongzhou was in disarray was undoubtedly the most entertaining show for them.

"Let's go, fairy."

Gu Yan stood up and straightened his collar.

"Where to?"

Li Qingge was stunned for a moment.

"Go and look at that cut wound. If I were the mastermind, I would have given them a big gift today to make this fire burn even brighter."

……

The plaza outside the main hall of Cangxuan was already packed with people.

Zhou Chongyue flashed and stood on the nine stone steps in front of the main hall, looking down at the commotion below.

His face was gloomy, his brows were furrowed, and he remained silent for a long time.

Behind him, the four elders had different expressions.

Some people keep their eyes down and their minds at ease, while others are filled with indignation.

"Elder! Why did you keep this from us?!"

A disciple of Luofeng Peak, who was kneeling at the front, suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot and his voice shrill.

"My master, Wang Tianying, has dedicated hundreds of years to the sect, yet he has died mysteriously in the training ground. The murderer is right there, in the Guixu Sect next door, and you want us to pretend nothing happened? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of Chongshui of the Guixu Sect, or are you afraid of that junior, Zhou Tianqi!"

Zhou Chongyue snorted, staring at the disciple, his tone icy: "Lu Ping, are you questioning this old man?"

"This disciple dares not."

The disciple named Lu Ping kowtowed again, his forehead hitting the bluestone slab with a dull thud.

"But this disciple does not wish to see Master's heroic spirit weeping on Falling Maple Peak, nor does he wish to see the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the sect shed their blood in vain! If the sect does not provide an explanation, this disciple is willing to resign from the sect, even if it means dying in front of the Guixu Sect's gates, to get to the bottom of this!"

Before Zhou Chongyue could rebuke them, hundreds of disciples below shouted in unison, their voices shaking the mountains: "A life for a life! Blood for blood!"

Just as the situation reached a stalemate, a commotion suddenly broke out at the edge of the square.

"The people from the Guixu Sect have arrived!"

Someone shouted something, and the once noisy square fell into an eerie silence.

All eyes turned toward the entrance.

Three dark green sword lights pierced through the morning mist and landed at the edge of the square outside the council hall.

The leader, dressed in a simple blue robe, was none other than the renowned Zhou Tianqi.

Behind him followed closely two Nascent Soul elders from the Guixu Sect.

With solemn expressions, the three men walked into the center of the plaza, neither humble nor arrogant, despite the murderous gazes of thousands of Cangxuan Sect disciples.

Zhou Chongyue looked at Zhou Tianqi, her eyes twitching.

"Nephew Zhou, have you come today to give me an explanation, or to display the might of your Guixu Sect?"

Zhou Tianqi stopped and bowed to Zhou Chongyue on the stone steps, then looked around at the angry Cangxuan Sect disciples.

"Elder Zhou, Tianqi has come here today only to clear his name."

Zhou Tianqi's voice was calm and steady, carrying a faint trace of sorrow.

"I have heard that your sect's second elder has suddenly met with misfortune, and there are rumors that it is related to my Guixu Sect. I, Tianqi, can swear on my Dao heart that the Guixu Sect has never sent anyone to infiltrate your sect, nor has it ever stolen Heavenly Fire. If there is even a single falsehood, I, Tianqi, am willing to suffer the pain of being struck by five thunderbolts and being annihilated by death."

"fart!"

Lu Ping, who was below, suddenly stood up and threw out a dark jade pendant with his backhand.

"Is this your personal inheritance token, Zhou Tianqi? It's right next to my master's body! You swear on your Dao heart? Even those of the demonic path swear oaths. Who knows if your Guixu Sect has cultivated some kind of bizarre soul-shifting technique!"

Zhou Tianqi caught the flying token steadily, glanced down at it, and a complex light flashed in his eyes.

This token is indeed his.

However, he discovered half a month ago that the token had been lost in the Meteor Abyss.

Zhou Tianqi raised his head, his eyes clear.

"It's precisely because it's mine that it proves someone is framing me. Tell me, would any killer with a brain leave a keepsake with their name on it in the victim's hands after committing murder?"

"Because you think our Grand Elder is weak! You think we're afraid to investigate!"

Lu Ping took a step forward, his spiritual energy surging violently, and pointed at the two elders behind Zhou Tianqi, shouting:

"And those two too! Three nights ago, someone saw two figures dressed in the robes of Guixu Sect elders appear in the red maple forest of Luofeng Peak!"

While many disciples were still indignant, Gu Yan stood at the back of the crowd, watching this fascinating debate with a cold eye.

The heavy water scent is real, the token is real, and Wang Tianying's death is real.

Faced with such preconceived hatred, any logical deduction seems pale and powerless.

Gu Yan looked at Zhou Tianqi, this prodigy who was trying his best to remain calm today.

But his appearance turned him into a pawn on the chessboard.

Zhou Tianqi believed he had a clear conscience and wanted to clear his name to quell the conflict and prevent a major war between the two factions.

However, he underestimated the blind faith of the masses, and he also underestimated the information that the mastermind behind the scenes had about him.

"Senior Brother Gu, have you discovered anything?"

Li Qingge stood beside Gu Yan and said with a solemn expression.

She could sense that the tense atmosphere on the scene had reached a breaking point, ready to explode at any moment.

Gu Yan remained silent, offering no reply, but instead staring at the man who claimed to be Wang Tianying's disciple: Lu Ping.

If he were Lu Ping, his first reaction upon facing the enemy who killed his master would not be to argue here, but rather...

Gu Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Oh no, retreat quickly!"

Gu Yan grabbed Li Qingge's wrist and retreated hundreds of feet like lightning.

In the blink of an eye.

Lu Ping, who was standing in the center of the square, suddenly froze with anger, his pupils dilating and turning as black as ink.

A cold, damp, and heavy aura, yet carrying endless killing intent, suddenly surged out from all the acupoints in his body.

Lu Ping did not rush towards Zhou Tianqi, but instead struck his own chest with a backhand.

"Master! Your disciple is going with you! Guixu Sect... how cruel you are!"

Lu Ping let out a shrill scream, and his entire body withered and shriveled rapidly in front of everyone, as if some invisible force had drained his life force.

The next moment, a dark, heavy water and fire dragon shot up from the top of his head and then exploded in mid-air.

Countless streams of black water, imbued with corrosive power, poured down like a torrential rain, covering nearly a hundred disciples in the surrounding area.

That black water contains the purest heavy water power of the Guixu Sect!

"The Guixu Sect, kill them to silence them!"

It is unknown who uttered the first angry roar.

This sound completely ignited the powder keg that had been simmering for three days.

"kill!"

Thousands of Cangxuan Sect disciples, their eyes bloodshot, frantically rushed towards Zhou Tianqi and his two companions in the center of the square.

Zhou Chongyue stood on the stone steps, his eyes blazing with fury.

He clearly wanted to stop them, but the sudden turn of events left him no time to intervene.

Lu Ping's death looked exactly like he had been cursed from afar by a secret technique of the Guixu Sect.

He looked at the chaotic square, at the heavy black rain pouring down from the sky, let out a heavy sigh, and then drew the golden sword from his waist.

"The entire clan obeys your command."

Zhou Chongyue's voice carried a desolate yet resolute tone.

"We've captured the three members of the Guixu Sect!"

Guixu Sect was ultimately dragged into the mess.

Thousands of disciples roared and wielded their flying swords, rushing towards the three members of the Guixu Sect.

Gu Yan stood silently amidst the countless streams of magical light.

Just now, before Lu Ping died, he saw it all clearly.

A faint white light, barely perceptible even to a Nascent Soul cultivator, flashed across Lu Ping's neck.

That's... silk thread.

Someone is using some kind of powerful puppetry to control this disciple's words, actions, and life.

If Gu Yan's paper-making skills hadn't already reached an unparalleled level, he probably would have been kept in the dark as well.

In this land of Dongzhou, besides Gu Yan, there are actually others who are well-versed in this art.

Moreover, the other party's ruthlessness and cunning schemes far exceeded his expectations.