Song Wanníng tore away the last shred of dignity hiding the Sect Master's secrets and revealed everything he had kept hidden for years.
The crowd erupted in shock.
The Sect Master's face flushed red. He stared at Song Wanníng in disbelief, clearly never expecting his secret to be exposed like this.
As he recalled certain events from not long ago, something clicked. His face twisted in anger as he pointed at her and cursed, "So it was you! You're the one scheming behind my back, trying to ruin me!
All I did was keep a few women, nothing outrageous. That's my personal business. What right do you have to accuse me?" After the scandal with the Wangshan Sect's former leader, this kind of issue would normally only invite some private criticism, hardly a punishable offense.
But Song Wanníng's eyes were cold. She showed no concern for how her words might shake the hearts of the disciples watching.
"You keep women? Fine, that's your business. But you used the sect's resources to support them. That's something we absolutely have to address."
Since she had decided to make her move, she wouldn't stop halfway. If she was going to act, she would drag him off that pedestal in one strike.
"Swear an oath to the heart demon, right here and now. Swear that you never spent a single coin of sect funds on those women or their families."
Everyone knew that as Sect Master, it was common to take a little something for oneself. It was an unspoken rule, something most turned a blind eye to. After all, in a world that prioritized cultivation above all else, who had the time to deal with trivial affairs?
But the real issue was that this Sect Master had already lost the trust of the people. Now that someone had exposed this behavior, it became a glaring fault.
And he knew it.
Which was exactly why he didn't dare take the heart demon oath.
"Song Wanníng, don't push too far! Today's meeting was supposed to resolve the issue with Lu Nanfeng. How did it suddenly turn into a trial against me? mI see now. You're just using this chance to take revenge!"
His voice boomed with fury, his face turning purple with rage. Never had he imagined someone would point straight at him, forcing him to step down from his position.
Traditionally, every Sect Master stepped down only after advancing to Divine Transformation. That had always been the precedent.
If he stepped down now, he would become a laughingstock for the rest of his life.
"Yes, you're right," Song Wanníng said calmly, her voice steady and open. "I am taking revenge. So what?"
A scornful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She stood firm and added, "But tell me, did I say anything false?
You've gone after me again and again because of Gu Qingyuan. You even dragged my disciple into it, nearly costing her life. So yes, I'm retaliating. And I don't regret it."
She turned toward the elders and disciples. "Now I want to ask you all something. Don't you feel the same? Don't you think the Sect Master has lost all sense of judgment and is no longer fit for this position?"
Her eyes swept across the crowd, lingering on each face. But instead of fear, people began to feel emboldened.
Song Wanníng never hid her thoughts. She laid them out, honest and direct. Someone like her was far preferable to a two-faced leader.
The Second Elder's eyes flashed. She immediately stepped forward.
Since they had already offended the Sect Master beyond repair, they might as well unite and bring him down.
"I agree with Junior Sister Song."
With that lead, more elders stood up to express their support.
The rest remained silent, but no one spoke up in defense of the Sect Master.
And once the elders made their stance clear, the disciples followed suit. One voice rose, then another, then a dozen, then a hundred.
Calls to remove the Sect Master surged like a tidal wave, the chorus growing louder with each passing second.
It was a scene no one would ever forget.
Even the Lu clan stood frozen, stunned by what they were witnessing.
They had only come to demand justice, yet somehow ended up watching Song Wanníng launch a palace coup right before their eyes.
Master Lu's gaze darkened as it landed on her.
She was dangerous. Ruthless enough to defy tradition and provoke open rebellion.
Yet she had the full support of the disciples.
The Sect Master's position was collapsing beneath him.
"You... all of you..."
His voice trembled as the crowd's shouts echoed in his ears, like buckets of ice water poured over his soul. He looked around at the people before him, his face pale, his heart frozen with disbelief. He had devoted so many years to the sect, and this was how it ended. It was pathetic. It was heartbreaking.
"Fine. Fine! Fine!"
He broke into wild laughter, tears glimmering at the corners of his eyes.
Even the Seventh Elder didn't speak up for him.
That silence said it all.
He had lost, utterly and completely.
But he refused to accept this fate.
"I will ask the Ancestor for judgment. I may not have achievements, but I have endured hardship for this sect. I'm sure the Ancestor will take my side."
His hand shook as he pulled out a transmission talisman.
This was his last hope. If the Ancestor refused to approve the removal, no matter what the others said, they would be forced to back down.
But before he could send his message, a response from the Ancestor arrived first.
He tore it open in haste, only to hear words that made his blood run cold.
"He Xiao, Sect Master of Wentian Sect, is hereby stripped of his title. For mismanaging the sect, bending the rules, and showing clear bias, he is no longer fit for leadership. Effective immediately, he is demoted to Elder."
After Wentian Sect's downgrade, the only remaining Ancestor had been furious. Now, with the sect becoming a laughingstock, his patience had run dry.
He could no longer tolerate it.
The Sect Master stood stunned, dropping the talisman from his hand. His face was frozen in shock and disbelief.
The Ancestor... had abandoned him.
Why?
Why?
He couldn't accept it.
He Xiao still believed he had done nothing wrong. Everything he did was for the good of the sect.
"Sect Master—oh wait, Elder He would be more accurate now. I assume you heard it loud and clear?"
Song Wanníng clicked her tongue, her lips curving in a mocking smile.
"I had planned to let you step down with a shred of dignity, but you insisted on making a spectacle of it... What a shame."
She let out a dramatic sigh, and He Xiao's body trembled with fury.
He finally understood. Song Wanníng had orchestrated everything. She had deliberately ignored his messages to mislead him into a rash decision, then secretly reported him to the Ancestor, ensuring he would be stripped of his title.
Her scheming ran deep.
"Song Wanníng! All of this just so you could take the position for yourself? You climbed over your own disciple's blood to do it! You're a cunning little bitch!"
Hatred flared in his eyes, and his nails dug into his palm so hard he broke the skin. From his perspective, Song Wanníng wanted the Sect Master's seat and had gone to great lengths to bring him down.
But Song Wanníng looked utterly unimpressed.
"You've guessed wrong. I'm not interested in the position. I withdraw from the election." She shrugged, her expression innocent, then tilted her head and smirked. "I just couldn't stand seeing you in that seat anymore."
"You—!"
He Xiao's vision blurred with rage. The taste of blood surged up his throat.
His hands trembled uncontrollably, his vision swam.
After a long pause, he spat a final threat.
"This role isn't something just anyone can handle. Let's see if the next Sect Master does any better than I did. When the Wentian Sect starts to decline, you'll all realize just how foolish today's decision really was."