No one spoke. Inside the vast hall, hundreds of people were completely silent, practically a pin drop could be heard.
Ming Qi had returned, and the Glazed Sacred Land had a new leader. Many, especially those who had followed him from the beginning, noticed that Ming Qi had changed dramatically since his return. His increased strength was one thing, but along with it came a thick murderous aura.
Although he was already exhausted after a thrilling battle, having slain two mid-stage Martial King warriors, the murderous aura he exuded just sitting there at this moment made those around him tremble with fear.
One must understand that anyone standing in the hall at this moment possessed at least the ninth level of the Acquired Realm!
After a long silence, Xiao Qi finally spoke hesitantly.
"Zhuang Xiaosheng secretly colluded with the Mohists to destroy the Tianmen Illusion from within."
Bang!
Upon hearing this, Ming Qi suddenly slammed his fist against the edge of the chair, instantly scattering wood and stone into dust.
He hadn't imagined that a mere Zhuang Xiaosheng could bring such great disaster to the Liuli Holy Land.
Secretly glancing up at Ming Qi, Jiu Mei noticed that his expression was utterly gloomy, and a chill ran down her spine. She had been one of the people Ming Qi had recruited, and she naturally feared him. Furthermore, she had been somewhat implicated in this matter. She immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said, "Master, it was my poor oversight that allowed Zhuang Xiaosheng to exploit the situation. The blame rests with me."
Hearing this, Ming Qi frowned, but didn't speak immediately.
When he left, he had indeed entrusted the responsibility of monitoring Zhuang Xiaosheng to Jiu Mei. Zhuang Xiaosheng's covert collusion with the Mo Clan was naturally due to Jiu Mei's suddenness, but Ming Qi hadn't yet considered how to deal with him.
Always a loner, he was ultimately struggling to manage a large sect.
After a moment's thought, he turned his gaze to Xiao Qi's grandfather, Elder Qin.
Ming Qi only learned Elder Qin's name later. As for his actual name, he claimed he had forgotten it himself.
But that was obviously impossible. Since he didn't want to reveal it, Ming Qi didn't bother asking.
After arriving at the Glazed Holy Land, Elder Qin was responsible for refining some standard elixirs. Because they hadn't yet found the right earth fire, they couldn't refine higher-grade elixirs. Despite this, Elder Qin held a significant position within the Glazed Holy Land.
"Old Qin, how should we handle this matter?"
Old Qin twirled his beard, pondered for a moment, then said, "The sect's eight halls are newly established, and the disciples are of varying quality. They have a lot to deal with. Moreover, it's normal for them to make some mistakes due to their youth and lack of experience. I'll shamelessly speak in this girl's favor. I'll put in a note of punishment for now. The most urgent priority is to strengthen the sect."
Old Qin seemed to have read Ming Qi's mind and knew he wouldn't actually punish Ninth Sister for this matter. He also knew that Zhuang Xiaosheng was originally brought into the sect by Ming Qi, and if anything, the source seemed to be him.
Ming Qi had no objection to Old Qin's words. After all, the Glazed Sacred Land was still too weak. Although he was the Lord of Arbitration, he hadn't realized the benefits of this, let alone leveraged it to strengthen the sect. Strengthening the sect's strength was a long-term endeavor.
But there was one thing he could no longer wait for: Zhuang Xiaosheng's head.
At this moment, Ming Qi suddenly remembered something, and he raised his head and said calmly to the crowd, "Everyone, I can tolerate mistakes, but I cannot tolerate betrayal!"
With these words, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew quieter. However, Ming Qi's next words were even more shocking!
"I will go and get Zhuang Xiaosheng's head right now, as a tribute to the disciples of our sect who died in this battle!"
With these words, he suddenly stood up and strode down from the platform.
"This journey is dangerous, absolutely not!"
Even Elder Qin was taken aback by Ming Qi's words. He had always known Ming Qi as a calm and rational person, mature beyond his years, but he had never expected him to be so eager about this matter.
Perhaps it was because he had brought Zhuang Xiaosheng into the sect himself?
Old Qin's mind raced, and he couldn't imagine why Ming Qi would be so eager to take such a risk.
Although Mo Zhonglong, the patriarch of the Mo family, died in battle, the Mo family's legacy remains. Jiufang City alone is an insurmountable obstacle, not to mention the Mo family's reclusive masters. To attempt to enter Jiufang City alone and claim Zhuang Xiaosheng's head is a sheer madness.
But it was clear that Ming Qi wasn't prepared to listen to anyone's advice on this matter.
"I'll go with you."
Ming Qi had just taken a few steps when another person appeared behind him.
The woman, sword in hand, followed without hesitation.
Ming Qi paused in slight surprise, but when he turned around, his expression was perfectly calm.
He met Su Yuan's eyes and said, "Practice your sword well. I can handle this alone."
"The ancestor of Jiufang Palace is said to have reached the Martial Saint realm. He has ample opportunities to kill that man."
At this moment, a voice Ming Qi found vaguely familiar suddenly rang out from the corner.
Ming Qi looked up and saw the speaker, his face immediately filled with surprise.
"Du Fei?"
Du Fei threw back his cloak and said with a wry smile, "Brother Ming, long time no see."
Although they were old acquaintances, Ming Qi was still somewhat surprised. Why was Du Fei here?
"You're not in Lingnan, so why are you here with me?"
Du Fei shook his head, his expression instantly becoming dejected.
Then, he said wistfully, "There's no longer a Lingnan Du family."
Ming Qi was startled and asked, "What happened?"
Du Fei seemed reluctant to discuss the incident, simply saying, "It's a long story, so I won't tell you today. But you, you absolutely cannot go to the Jiufang Palace."
Ming Qi paused, frowning. "To be honest, this matter was caused by me." He then glanced around. "Now I must give an explanation to my disciples."
Ming Qi's meaning was clear. He had brought Zhuang Xiaosheng into the sect, and the matter was no secret. Because of Zhuang Xiaosheng, over a dozen disciples had died. As the sect leader, he felt an explanation was necessary.
Seeing his persuasion was hopeless, Du Fei said, "Since that's the case, I'll give you two things. Perhaps they can help you."
With that, Du Fei held a letter and a gilded flying crane in his hands.
Ming Qi took them, somewhat puzzled, wondering what they were for.
"Let's go."
Du Fei and Ming Qi walked out, one in front of the other. Du Fei's voice rang out, "That flying crane is a valuable token of the Feihe Sect. It will appear as soon as Zhuang Xiaosheng sees it. As for the letter, it will allow you to enter the Jiufang Palace smoothly."