Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Michyrr

The Discipline Hall elder expressionlessly responded to the Sect Master, "All matters ask about actions, not intentions, and to keep the law is just so. Regardless of what the Sect Master thinks of our views, according to the laws of Mount Li, disciple Qi Jian should be handed over to the Discipline Hall for questioning."

Bai Cai angrily replied, "Martial Uncle Hong, if all matters ask about actions and not intentions, then besides that glance from Third Brother before he died, just what wrongs has Junior Brother committed? Just what exactly did he do that he needs to be questioned by the Discipline Hall?"

Xiao Songgong looked at him and bitterly laughed, "Although Liang Xiaoxiao only glanced at her, he said what he needed to loud and clear. That wolf cub is the main culprit who collaborated with the demons to cause chaos in the Garden of Zhou. And inside the Garden of Zhou and even outside, at least several hundred pairs of eyes can clearly testify that Qi Jian was embracing that wolf cub and exchanging flirting glances. There’s something between the two of them!"

The vast majority of people did not understand the meaning of Xiao Songgong’s words, but the faces of those who knew Qi Jian’s history abruptly changed. Not waiting for these people to say any words to stop him, Xiao Songgong shouted, "Qi Jian is Junior Martial Uncle’s own daughter!"

The mountains erupted with noise!

"She is a woman, and yet she would actually fool around with this wolf-human hybrid, and even touch skin! Does she still want the face to stand for my Mount Li’s good name? For what reason can’t the Discipline Hall question her!"

Xiao Songgong’s frigid and malicious voice echoed through the peak and was simultaneously transmitted through the array to all the other peaks. All the mountains were deathly silent, the Mount Li disciples too shocked to muster any words. Junior Brother Qi Jian...was actually a girl? And she was actually...Junior Martial Uncle’s own daughter? Was this all true?

Xiao Songgong stared into the Sect Master’s eyes and said derisively, "If she were not Junior Martial Uncle’s daughter, how could you possibly cherish her as much as you do? What she wants, you give her. Haven’t Hanshi and the rest encountered something like this? Even Qiushan—do you treat him as well as you do Qi Jian? Did you think I didn’t know? You even want to give the position of Sect Master over to her!"

The disciples on the various peaks of Mount Li were even more stunned at these words. Bai Cai was very anxious and wanted to say something, but he was prevented from doing so by the Sect Master. The Sect Master shook his head at Xiao Songgong, his face revealing a faint sense of ridicule and sorrow.

He truly did particularly dote on Qi Jian, much more so than he did on Gou Hanshi and the others, and not even Qiushan could compare. But this was not because Qi Jian was Junior Martial Uncle’s daughter. It was because she was his final disciple, and also because Qi Jian was a girl. It was such a simple reason, and the Sect Master understood that Qiushan and the others all understood and accepted it. Thus, in the past several years, they had also doted on Qi Jian. He believed Xiao Songgong would also understand this, but would he listen to him right now?

Xiao Songgong would not cease his attacks just because of the Sect Master’s silence. He looked at him and icily continued, "The position of the Mount Li Sword Sect Master is not yours to decide on! If you want to give it to Qi Jian, you must also see if we agree or disagree."

The Sect Master calmly looked back and asked, "Then in your view, who should occupy the position of Sect Master of the Mount Li Sword Sect?"

Xiao Songgong coldly answered, "The position of Sect Master of the Mount Li Sword Sect in the future should naturally belong to Martial Nephew Qiushan!"

This statement was extremely unyielding. All the disciples of all the mountains of Mount Li, even Bai Cai who was supporting the Sect Master, thought that this statement was only right and inevitable. The entirety of the Mount Li Sword Sect, and even the entirety of the world, had long since tacitly approved of this point.

"Talking back and forth, but we still only talk about the position of Sect Master." The Sect Master looked at Xiao Songgong and sighed, his eyes filled with pity and even sympathy. "Senior Brother, when will you learn to look a little farther?"

Because of the Sect Master’s eyes, Xiao Songgong grew indescribably furious. He bellowed, "Could it be that you think I’m a person that clings to power and position? Could it be that you think that I rebelled for my own personal benefit!"

The Sect Master calmly smiled. "Perhaps it is because you are doing it for the benefit of all humanity."

Without a doubt, this was sarcasm.

Bai Cai who was supporting the Sect Master began to laugh, as did those several dozen blood-stained disciples in front of the dwelling. Only Xiao Songgong, the two Discipline Hall elders, and their disciples behind them found nothing to laugh about.

Xiao Songgong took a deep breath, then said, "You hand over the Myriad Sword Array, abdicate, and let Qi Jian stand trial. I will only administer the sect for five years and then seclude myself in the back mountains, handing over the position of Sect Master to Martial Nephew Qiushan."

The Sect Master paid him no attention. Turning to the two Discipline Hall elders, he said, "My two senior brothers, do you also support this?"

The Discipline Hall elder impassively said, "Sect Master, whether you abdicate or not is not something for the Discipline Hall to decide, but if you insist on withholding custody of Qi Jian, the Discipline Hall will demand that you temporarily hand over your authority."

The Sect Master serenely replied, "My two senior brothers want to discuss rules, so let us discuss rules."

The Discipline Hall elder said stolidly, "May the Sect Master speak."

"At present, Junior Martial Uncle is entrapped in the north. The Mount Li Sword Sect Sword Array has been operational for many days, only waiting for some definite news. Yesterday afternoon, we received news that Junior Martial Uncle had appeared in Xunyang City. The three elders of the Sword Hall brought with them the sect’s elites to enter the Sword Array, preparing to head off to Xunyang City to rescue Junior Martial Uncle. Who could have foreseen that Elder Xiao Songgong would actually collude with outsiders from the Longevity Sect, damaging the Sword Array last night and trapping the three elders of the Sword Hall and every one of my Mount Li’s elites in the belly of the mountain? If you say that Qi Jian and the wolf youth supporting each other in the Garden of Zhou is a sin, then dare I invite the two Discipline Hall elders to ask what sort of sin is this?"

The Sect Master calmly asked the two Discipline Hall elders, "Now Junior Martial Uncle is heavily injured, alone and without help. If he were to die at the hands of those thieves and scoundrels... Since my two senior brothers do not resent Junior Martial Uncle for that old affair of the Mausoleum of Books, shouldn’t you two at this time first cripple Elder Xiao Songgong’s cultivation and throw him in the Discipline Hall’s prison before doing anything else?"

The Discipline Hall elders were silent. The Sect Master looked at the two of them, a mocking smile on his face. Bai Cai spit on the ground in front of him, shameless to the extreme. All the mountains of Mount Li were quiet, and then erupted in countless cries of anger and abuse.

"If Su Li...is my Mount Li’s Martial Uncle, then Elder Xiao Songgong’s action are naturally treason against this mountain."

The other Discipline Hall elder suddenly said, "But if Su Li originally committed treason against this mountain, then Elder Xiao Songgong’s actions are not a crime at all, but actually a great merit."

The Mount Li Sect Master slightly narrowed his eyes but said nothing, his ridicule plain on his face. Bai Cai sneered, "Make it up, continue making everything up. The books you’ve all made up, I’m afraid not even Second Brother or Chen Changsheng have seen them before."

"Su Li has always been a madman."

Xiao Songgong coldly said, "Back then, it was him that prevented the northern expedition. Ten-odd years later, it’s now him that prevents the unification of north and south. Just what does he want to do? He’s not older than us and he entered the sect later than us. If his luck were not good, for what reason should we call him Martial Uncle? Just why should he bring Mount Li to that place? You all don’t care, but the disciples of Mount Li care!"

At this point, neither Xiao Songgong or the two Discipline Hall elders continued to refer to Su Li as Martial Uncle, but spoke of him directly by name—these people that had rushed the main peak of Mount Li had finally revealed their intention. They wanted to borrow the difficult questions raised at Qi Jian by Liang Xiaoxiao’s death and ultimately use this matter to completely eliminate Su Li’s influence from Mount Li.

Of course, all of this had been established on a single foundation.

Su Li must die.