Chapter 249: Trying to Steal a Chicken, Only to Lose a Handful of Rice

Chapter 249: Chapter 249: Trying to Steal a Chicken, Only to Lose a Handful of Rice

Yan Ying, of course, knew Ye Xiaohan couldn’t possibly be a spy. However, she had no explanation for the power that had suddenly erupted from him, nor for that Fangtian Halberd.

It was true she was the sole Direct Disciple of the Celestial Dao Palace’s Master, and she even had another, secret identity.

But right now, she truly had no way to refute Su Yuanju.

"Senior Brother Yan, as the Palace Master’s Direct Disciple, you are naturally not a spy," Su Yuanju said. "But you are still young, and it’s inevitable that you might misjudge someone’s character. Now that this has happened, why not send him to the Precepts Hall for a thorough investigation? If he’s innocent, his name will be cleared. If there truly is a problem, then you, Senior Brother Yan, will be seen as having upheld justice over personal ties. That’s far better than being implicated yourself, wouldn’t you agree?"

His words sounded as if they were for Yan Ying’s benefit, but they were laced with malicious intent.

Yan Ying’s face turned pale with anger. "Cut the crap," she said. "I, Yan Ying, will protect Ye Xiaohan. Furthermore, I will report this matter to my master. If any of you still have objections, you can take them up with him."

As she spoke, she walked over to Ye Xiaohan, grabbed his arm, and prepared to lead him away.

Su Yuanju immediately blocked her path. "Senior Brother Yan, I’m afraid that won’t do," he said. "If we resolve the matter this way, then what’s the point of the Sect’s rules and regulations?"

"Su Yuanju, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?"

"What a thing to say, Senior Brother Yan. I am the Saint Heir of the Celestial Dao Palace. Is there anything wrong with me handling this matter in accordance with the Sect’s rules and regulations?"

"Junior Brother Ye, what exactly happened with you just now?" Yan Ying ignored Su Yuanju and questioned Ye Xiaohan directly.

"I’m not wrong!" Ye Xiaohan still only had those three words.

And besides rage, those three words held no other emotion.

"You see, Senior Brother Yan?" Su Yuanju said with a smile. "Even now, he doesn’t think he did anything wrong."

"He didn’t do anything wrong in the first place," Yan Ying retorted. "Hu Wenlai was the one who insulted him first."

The leading Steward Elder, whose surname was Dai, stepped forward. "Yan Ying," he said, "Ye Xiaohan has severely injured over a dozen disciples. By that fact alone, he is already in the wrong. Sending him to the Precepts Hall for punishment and investigating why he concealed his Cultivation is simply us acting in accordance with Sect regulations. If you have other objections, why don’t you go request a written order from the Palace Master? Then you can come to the Precepts Hall and take him away. I can promise you that we will wait for three hours. In these three hours, we will absolutely not make things difficult for him. How about it?"

Yan Ying shot a fierce glare at Su Yuanju, then nodded to Elder Dai. Turning to Ye Xiaohan, she said, "Go with Elder Dai to the Precepts Hall. Don’t worry. If they dare to harm a single hair on your head, I will definitely get justice for you."

"I’m not wrong!"

Ye Xiaohan repeated those three words. But this time, after he spoke, an endless, malevolent aura erupted from his body.

He once again slammed his Fangtian Halberd into the ground, sending out another ripple of energy.

The dozen or so people around him, including Yan Ying and the Steward Elders, couldn’t help but retreat several steps.

"Anyone who calls me a barbarian, come and face me in battle!"

It was obvious that at this moment, Ye Xiaohan was like a mindless puppet.

"Yan Ying, look at this..." Elder Dai asked hesitantly.

Although Yan Ying held no official authority within the Sect, she was, after all, the Palace Master’s only Direct Disciple. Her status was undeniable. Moreover, her talent was second to none among the younger generation. As for the future position of Palace Master—whether it would be passed down to her or to the Saint Heir, Su Yuanju—no one could say for sure.

Before Yan Ying could even speak, Su Yuanju had already launched an attack on Ye Xiaohan.

"What is there to say about a madman who so flagrantly disregards the Sect’s rules and regulations? He must be taken down!"

Su Yuanju’s words were righteous and stern, but before his attack could even reach Ye Xiaohan, Ye Xiaohan simply lifted his Fangtian Halberd. With a horizontal arc, a wave of Halberd Aura spread out.

It slammed into Su Yuanju, sending him flying backward as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Su Yuanju, a cultivator at Soul Emergence Realm Tier Three, couldn’t even block such a casual move from Ye Xiaohan. And this was after Su Yuanju had attacked first, while Ye Xiaohan hadn’t even moved an inch from his spot.

Everyone who witnessed this was left utterly dumbfounded.

"This..."

"Yan Ying, we cannot wait any longer on this matter," Elder Dai said. "Otherwise, how will we answer to the other disciples? If everyone starts to follow his example in the future, how is the Sect supposed to be managed?"

"No, that’s not right," Yan Ying said, finally noticing the abnormality in Ye Xiaohan’s eyes. "Look at his eyes! It’s best if we leave this matter for my master and the Elder Council to decide."

Su Yuanju climbed up from the ground, clutching his chest and glaring at Ye Xiaohan with hatred.

’This really backfired on me.’ He had lost an incredible amount of face in front of so many disciples.

Just then, Third Elder Cheng Tong of the Celestial Dao Palace arrived on the platform. He looked at the crowd and asked, "What’s going on here?"

"Third Elder, it’s like this..." Elder Dai recounted the events without embellishment or subjective conjecture.

After hearing the explanation, Cheng Tong cast a grim look at Yan Ying, then at Su Yuanju.

Then, he walked up to Ye Xiaohan and placed a hand directly on his shoulder.

As he made his move, Ye Xiaohan’s shoulders tensed as if he were about to swing his Fangtian Halberd. But Cheng Tong was faster, his hand landing on Ye Xiaohan’s shoulder before he could strike.

Immediately, Ye Xiaohan’s body went limp, and his crimson eyes gradually returned to normal.

That powerful aura slowly dissipated, like air leaking from a balloon.

The moment the aura vanished, the Fangtian Halberd transformed into a stream of light and shot into the space between his eyebrows, disappearing as if it had never been there.

"This..." Watching this unfold, Cheng Tong’s eyes were also filled with shock.

"None of you need to interfere in Ye Xiaohan’s matter any further," Cheng Tong declared. "I will personally take him to see the Palace Master and let the Palace Master decide his fate."

Cheng Tong was, after all, the Third Elder of the Elder Council, the fifth most powerful figure in the entire Celestial Dao Palace. Above him were only the Palace Master, the Vice Palace Master, the Great Elder, and the Second Elder.

Who there would dare to defy his words?

Yan Ying found this outcome acceptable. If the Great Elder had arrived, she might have gone to her master at once, but with the Third Elder, that wasn’t necessary.

The Great Elder was Su Yuanju’s master, but the Third Elder was known among all the Elders for being the most impartial and just.

"Su Yuanju," Cheng Tong said coldly, supporting the limp Ye Xiaohan with one hand while his gaze fixed on Su Yuanju. "Among the disciples of the Celestial Dao Palace, you may compete in enlightenment and the speed of your Cultivation progress. But you should never compete in schemes and machinations. Go to the Precepts Hall and receive one month of wall-gazing. I will inform your master. This is your only warning!"

"This disciple obeys!" Su Yuanju responded weakly.

"The assessment will continue. The Elder Council will give everyone an explanation for this matter tomorrow morning," Cheng Tong said, nodding to Elder Dai.

Then, he took Ye Xiaohan and flew up into the air.

At that moment, watching the backs of Cheng Tong and Ye Xiaohan as they departed, Yan Ying was also filled with questions.

However, she didn’t dwell on it there. ’I’ll just ask my master about it later,’ she thought. She turned to the heavily injured Su Yuanju and said coldly, "Su Yuanju, I’ll be keeping a record of today’s events. You’d better watch your back!"

After speaking, she turned and walked off the platform, approaching the anxious Wang Xing and Qi Wei. "Don’t worry about Xiaohan," she said. "I’m here."

Just then, a woman’s clear, cold voice echoed throughout all of Laojun Mountain.

"Master Yunchen, an old friend has come to visit. Are you not going to come out and greet me? If these disciples of yours continue to obstruct me, then I, this venerable one, will not hesitate to stoop to disciplining them for you."