Chapter 46: Investigation
Lu You sat cross-legged atop a pile of spirit stones in the secret chamber, continuously absorbing their spiritual energy to replenish himself. A red glow flickered within his pupils as he observed everything happening in the large courtyard.
"Alright. From now on, none of this has anything to do with me."
The reactions of the people in the courtyard did not exceed Lu You's expectations. In front of everyone, Hu Ke had activated the communication talisman and spoken with Fang Ziming and the others. Everyone present had witnessed it—they were all evidence.
"It seems I've already adapted to the local customs. Killing someone... and I don't even feel guilty anymore."
Lu You sighed and closed his eyes.
That night, a sudden explosion erupted in the Heaven sector. The sound was so loud that it could even be heard in the quiet little courtyard where Lu You lived.
Opening the window, Lu You saw a flying sword streak across the sky.
The explosion had even alarmed a Golden Core cultivator.
"All disciples of the Deep Literary Pavilion, do not move, and do not go down the mountain. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy."
Suddenly, a voice transmission reached Lu You's ears. It was sent by a Golden Core cultivator using the pavilion's grand formation. The message was not directed at Lu You alone—both outer-sect and inner-sect disciples could hear it.
The next day, in the outer-sect courtyard of the Deep Literary Pavilion, the cultivators stood in a neat row, behaving obediently. Opposite them stood several inner-sect disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall.
Leading them was none other than Han Tian, the same person who had previously confiscated Lu You's spiritual rice.
After being rescued by Lu You in the ancient tomb and giving Lu You the Foundation Establishment Pill, Han Tian's cultivation had not stagnated. On the contrary, after experiencing a life-and-death battle with the spider demonic beast and completely letting go of his dependence on the pill, his state of mind became clear and unburdened.
He had long been stuck at the peak of the tenth level of Qi Refining, yet he finally broke through without relying on any medicinal pill, entering the Foundation Establishment realm purely through his own strength.
"Senior Brother Han, we truly didn't hide anything! That brat Hu Ke swapped clothes with Lu You, stole Lu You's spirit stones and communication talisman, and even mistook the talisman for Lu You's senior sister. Then right in front of us, he used it to extort Senior Brother Fang. All of us were there and saw it!"
"In fact, Hu Ke already seemed a bit agitated yesterday. But none of us expected him to perish together with the three senior brothers! This really has nothing to do with us!"
The previous night, Hu Ke had gone alone to the Heaven sector. After meeting Fang Ziming, Gu Jintang, and Ruan Zhengnan, no one knew what they talked about. Suddenly, Hu Ke launched an attack, using a large number of unknown talismans to blow up the three Foundation Establishment cultivators.
However, he failed to properly control the power of the talismans. In the end, he was also killed in the explosion.
The Deep Literary Pavilion did not believe that Hu Ke alone could kill three Foundation Establishment cultivators. Therefore, the Law Enforcement Hall had prioritized investigating the Foundation Establishment disciples the previous night.
They suspected that one of Fang Ziming's enemies might have secretly pushed things behind the scenes.
But after a whole night of investigation, not a single Foundation Establishment cultivator was found to be suspicious.
Every lead ended with Hu Ke.
Han Tian was slightly stunned when he heard Lu You's name. He hadn't expected to run into that junior brother again here.
The reason Han Tian remembered Lu You was because, before entering the ancient tomb, Lu You had kindly warned him not to go. Looking back now, although Lu You seemed timid, his sense of danger had indeed been remarkably accurate.
"I already understand the whole sequence of events. Fang Ziming and the other two extorted their fellow cultivators, pushing Hu Ke to the point where he wanted to drag everyone down with him. In the end, they all died together."
Han Tian interrogated each person in the courtyard individually once more. When he found that everyone's statements were basically identical, he finally began lecturing them:
"Even Foundation Establishment cultivators can be killed if they push someone too far. If a Qi Refining cultivator is driven into a corner, they can still strike back and kill you. All of you are only in the Qi Refining realm, yet instead of cultivating properly, you gather together just to bully newcomers. Aren't you afraid that one day you'll end up dead?"
"Anyone here who has ever engaged in extortion—step forward voluntarily. You will return to the spiritual fields and work there for three years as reform through labor. If you perform well, you may still have a chance to reenter the outer sect. But if you've committed wrongdoing and try to conceal it, I will question every outer-sect disciple carefully. If I obtain evidence, those who hid their crimes will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the sect."
Han Tian despised extortion deeply.
He himself had risen from a menial disciple to the outer sect, and finally entered the inner sect. He knew better than anyone the hardships and struggles faced by menial and outer disciples. He had even volunteered to take charge of collecting spiritual rice, just so he could handle the task fairly—offering the menial disciples some protection so they would not be harassed by others on top of the already harsh taxes.
Yet those who clawed their way up from the bottom did not protect people who shared their fate. Instead of seeking fairness for their former selves, they bared their fangs and turned back to exploit the very people they once were.
It was truly unforgivable.
After cleaning out the treacherous elements in the courtyard, Han Tian retrieved a brand-new set of outer-sect robes and went alone to the courtyard where Lu You lived.
"Senior Brother Han."
Lu You opened the door. When he saw Han Tian, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. Then, noticing Han Tian's attire, he immediately congratulated him.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on successfully reaching Foundation Establishment and joining the inner sect."
"Junior Brother Lu, I also came to congratulate you. I thought it would be difficult for us to meet again, but I didn't expect that you would enter the outer sect."
Han Tian's gaze was full of sincerity.
"For someone with mixed spiritual roots to enter the outer sect, the hardship and difficulty must be several times greater than what I experienced. I should be the one congratulating you. Besides, your warning back then is still fresh in my memory. Only now do I finally have a chance to repay that kindness."
As he spoke, Han Tian placed the brand-new robes into Lu You's hands and stepped into Lu You's courtyard.
"Senior Brother..."
Lu You glanced outside the door. The Law Enforcement Hall had arrived with more than one person. Han Tian delivering clothes to Lu You and entering his courtyard had already been witnessed by many people.
"Back then, I was only afraid—that hardly counts as a warning. But Senior Brother, coming into my courtyard like this and even bringing me clothes... tomorrow the entire courtyard will probably suspect that you're my backer."
"Junior Brother Lu, I am not your backer. Justice is your backer."
Han Tian had deliberately delivered the clothes and entered Lu You's room to show that they had a prior connection, so that Lu You would not be bullied by outer disciples again.
"After coming from the spiritual fields to the outer sect, were you disappointed? I suppose it was also because I sold you that talisman manual, and then you ended up entering the Deep Literary Pavilion. Thinking about it now, when you were bullied, I was actually one of the accomplices."
"Senior Brother Han, you jest. Back when I was in the spiritual fields, I was fortunate to receive your care. Only after joining the outer sect did I realize just how lucky I was to meet you. If it weren't for you, I would have long since been extorted into leaving, how could I possibly have had the chance to become an outer-sect disciple?
"This Verdant Cloud Sect cannot possibly be full of people like Senior Brother Han. But as long as there are people like you here, I won't be disappointed."
Lu You cupped his hands and continued, "But I do have one question. With so many disciples in the Verdant Cloud Sect not following the rules, don't the elders know about it?"
Han Tian hesitated for a moment before answering.
"In the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme. The upper ranks of the Verdant Cloud Sect are all extraordinary talents. Our sect master has Divine Transformation cultivation. The eight peak masters are all Nascent Soul cultivators, and the elders are at least Golden Core."
"Even a single session of closed-door cultivation for them can last a hundred years. A hundred years to them is just an instant, but to us, it might be an entire lifetime. So what if mistakes are made? Perhaps before the sect master even emerges from seclusion, we will already have exhausted our lifespans and died. Over time, the rules set by the sect master... cease to be rules at all."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Besides, where do you think the sect's geniuses get their resources? Who do you think grows the spiritual rice they eat at every meal?"
"We both came from menial disciples. From one mu of spiritual fields, we have to hand over ninety percent of the harvest. The ones who work the hardest in the fields end up receiving the least."
"But what choice does the sect have? If they give the spiritual rice to you or me, could we become Nascent Soul cultivators? But if they give it to a genius, there's a chance the sect gains another Nascent Soul."
"As long as the number of Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect continues to grow, the sect becomes stronger. And those spiritual fields? Even if you and I refuse to farm them, there will always be others who come eagerly to take our place."
"So some things are very difficult to change. Even if we are dissatisfied, we cannot change the fact that the Verdant Cloud Sect treats people like us as expendable materials. As long as the sect master lives and the Nascent Souls remain, no matter what happens to us, the Verdant Cloud Sect will remain powerful."
Lu You's heart suddenly jumped into his throat. His eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at Han Tian.
But Han Tian's expression remained strangely calm.
"Senior Brother... why are you telling me all this?"
Instinctively, Lu You became wary. The talismans inside the small cauldron were already prepared, ready to be activated at any moment.
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