The next morning, the Azure Sky Sect was in chaos.
Elder Zhi's refinement had failed spectacularly. He emerged from seclusion, pale and shaking, having suffered a severe Qi backlash. His spiritual sword was found to be subtly poisoned, and his private storage room was completely cleaned out of all high-value items, including his years-worth of Spiritual Stones.
Elder Zhi's fury shook the entire mountain.
Elder Sun, however, was already prepared. He burst into Lin Wei's shed, his face a mask of false terror. He grabbed Lin Wei by the collar.
"Fool! You failed the task! You were caught, and you brought ruin upon me!" Elder Sun screamed, quickly and carefully transferring his own panic into manufactured rage.
Lin Wei played the role of the terrified, guilty servant perfectly. "Elder! I swear I did not go! I was too afraid! I spent the whole night cleaning your robes, just as I always do!"
Elder Sun dragged Lin Wei, still holding the empty clay vial he had given him, directly to the central square, where Elder Zhi stood, surrounded by Inner Court enforcers.
"Elder Zhi!" Sun cried, falling to his knees and dragging Lin Wei down beside him. "Forgive me! This vile servant, Lin Wei, confessed! He found the Black Frost Toxin and, in a moment of delusional greed, thought he could use it to steal from the Inner Court!"
Elder Sun shoved the clay vial into Lin Wei's hands. "He must have failed, and in his failure, he accidentally tainted your sword! He is the thief! He is the culprit! Kill him, and my debt is paid!"
The lie was flawless: a desperate servant, motivated by greed, failing miserably. It was exactly the kind of tale the high-and-mighty Elders would believe.
Elder Zhi's eyes, narrowed in cold fury, fell on Lin Wei. He was a terrifying sight, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. Lin Wei felt the immense pressure of his Qi, a weight that threatened to crush his bones.
But Lin Wei's Sixth Level, Void-refined Qi held firm. He bowed his head, allowing the fear to show on his face, but his mind was calculating.
Elder Zhi stepped closer, his voice a low hiss. "Look at him, Sun. A Dirt-Scraper with Mortal Roots. Where would he get the skill to enter my wards? He is too weak to be the one who cleaned me out."
Lin Wei seized his chance, whimpering the perfect, desperate half-truth. "Elder Zhi, I didn't steal the Stones, but I did find the toxin! Elder Sun forced me to take it to your residence as a message about his debt! When I saw your guards, I fled!"
Elder Sun went rigid, his eyes bulging at Lin Wei's sudden betrayal.