Chapter 408: Chaos Begins with Two Women (Part 1)
The Law Hall elder said expressionlessly, "In all matters, we judge actions, not intentions. Upholding the rules must be thus. Regardless of what the Sect Master thinks of us, according to Mount Li's sect rules, Seventh Sister must be interrogated by the Law Hall."
Bai Cai said angrily, "Uncle Hong, if we judge actions and not intentions, then aside from that one look Third Senior Brother gave before he died, has Little Junior Brother committed any misstep? What exactly has he done that requires him to be taken to the Law Hall for interrogation?"
Xiaosong Palace sneered at him and said, "Although Liang Xiaoxiao only glanced at her, he made it very clear: that wolf cub is the true culprit who colluded with the demon race to wreak havoc in the Zhou Garden. And in the Zhou Garden, and even beyond it, at least several hundred pairs of eyes saw clearly that Seventh Sister was embracing that wolf cub, exchanging flirtatious glances. What kind of relationship do they have?"
Most people didn't understand the meaning of Xiaosong Palace Elder's words, but those who knew Seventh Sister's background changed expression drastically. Before these people could speak to stop him, Xiaosong Palace shouted, "Seventh Sister is Little Uncle's biological daughter!"
An uproar erupted across all the peaks!
"As a woman, she actually dallies with a wolf clan demon, even having intimate physical contact with him! Does she have no shame! Where does she place Mount Li's pure reputation! Why can't the Law Hall interrogate her!"
Xiaosong Palace's cold, malicious voice echoed at the peak's summit, and simultaneously spread to the other peaks through the sound transmission array. For a moment, the peaks fell silent. Mount Li's disciples were too shocked to speak. Little Junior Brother Seventh Sister... was actually a woman? And moreover... the biological daughter of the Grandmaster? Were all these things true?
Xiaosong Palace stared into the Sect Master's eyes and said mockingly, "If she weren't Little Uncle's daughter, why would you dote on her so much? Whatever she wants, you give her. Have Hanshi and the others ever received such treatment? Even Qiushan—have you treated him as well as Seventh Sister? Do you think I don't know? You even want to pass the position of Sect Master to her!"
Hearing this, the disciples on Mount Li's peaks were even more astonished. Bai Cai was anxious and wanted to say something, but the Sect Master stopped him. The Sect Master looked at Xiaosong Palace and shook his head, a faint trace of mockery and sorrow appearing on his face.
—He indeed doted on Seventh Sister exceptionally, far more than on Gou Hanshi and the others, even beyond Qiushan. But that wasn't because Seventh Sister was Little Uncle's daughter or his closed-door disciple, but because... Seventh Sister was a girl. Such a simple truth, the Sect Master knew Qiushan and the others understood and accepted it. Over the years, they too had been especially fond of her. He believed Xiaosong Palace also understood, but how could the other party listen now?
Xiaosong Palace didn't stop his attack because of the Sect Master's silence. He continued coldly, "The position of Mount Li Sword Sect's Sect Master isn't yours to give. If you want to pass it to Seventh Sister, you'll have to see if we agree."
The Sect Master looked at him calmly and asked, "In your view, then, who should be the Sect Master of Mount Li Sword Sect?"
Xiaosong Palace said coldly, "The position of Mount Li Sword Sect's Sect Master should naturally go to Nephew Qiushan in the future!"
This statement was very forceful. Among the disciples of all the peaks, even Bai Cai, who was supporting the Sect Master, felt this was only natural. The entire Mount Li Sword Sect, and even the whole world, had long tacitly accepted this.
"After all this talk, it still comes down to the position of Sect Master." The Sect Master looked at Xiaosong Palace with a sigh, his eyes filled with pity, even sympathy. "When will you, Senior Brother, learn to see further?"
Xiaosong Palace inexplicably grew angry at the other's gaze and shouted, "Do you think I'm someone greedy for power and position? Do you think I'm committing insubordination today for my own benefit!"
The Sect Master smiled calmly and said, "Or perhaps, you might be acting for the benefit of the entire human world."
Undoubtedly, this was sarcasm.
Bai Cai, who was supporting the Sect Master, laughed. The dozens of Mount Li disciples with blood on their clothes in front of the cave dwelling also laughed. Only Xiaosong Palace, the two Law Hall elders, and their disciples couldn't laugh.
Xiaosong Palace took a deep breath and said, "Hand over the Ten Thousand Swords Formation, step down, and let Seventh Sister be interrogated. I will only act as caretaker for five years, then retreat to the back mountain and hand the Sect Master position to Nephew Qiushan."
The Sect Master ignored him, turned to the two Law Hall elders, and said, "Two Senior Brothers, do you also support this proposal?"
The Law Hall elder said expressionlessly, "Whether the Sect Master steps down or not is not for the Law Hall to decide. But if you insist on not handing over Seventh Sister, the Law Hall will demand that you temporarily surrender your authority."
The Sect Master said calmly, "If the two Senior Brothers want to talk about sect rules, then I'll talk about sect rules."
The Law Hall elder said expressionlessly, "The Sect Master may speak."
"Little Uncle is currently trapped in the northern lands. The Mount Li Sword Formation has been operating for many days, awaiting specific news. Yesterday afternoon, news arrived that Little Uncle appeared in Xunyang City. The three elders of the Sword Hall led the sect's elite into the sword formation, preparing to go to Xunyang City to support Little Uncle. Who could have predicted that Elder Xiaosong Palace would collude with outsiders from the Eternal Life Sect, secretly sabotaging the sword formation last night, trapping the three Sword Hall elders and our Mount Li elite deep within the mountain belly. If my disciple Seventh Sister supporting the wolf clan youth in the Zhou Garden is a crime, then I dare ask the two Law Hall elders, what crime is this?"
The Sect Master looked at the two Law Hall elders and asked, "Now Little Uncle is severely injured, isolated and without support. If he dies at the hands of those petty villains... Since the two Senior Brothers don't hold a grudge against Little Uncle over the old affairs of the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, shouldn't you first abolish Elder Xiaosong Palace's cultivation and throw him into the Law Hall prison?"
The Law Hall elders remained silent. The Sect Master looked at them with a mocking smile. Bai Cai spat on the ground in front of him, utterly disgusted. After a moment of silence on Mount Li's peaks, numerous angry shouts of condemnation rang out.
"If Su Li... is our Mount Li Uncle, then Elder Xiaosong Palace's actions are naturally the crime of treason against the sect."
One of the Law Hall elders suddenly spoke, "But if Su Li himself is guilty of treason against the sect, then Elder Xiaosong Palace's actions have no crime at all; on the contrary, they are a great merit."
Mount Li's Sect Master narrowed his eyes slightly, saying nothing, his mockery plain to see. Bai Cai, supporting him, sneered, "Spin it, keep spinning it. The stories you make up, I'm afraid even Second Senior Brother and Chen Changsheng haven't heard."
"Su Li has always been a madman."
Xiaosong Palace said coldly, "He was the one who stopped the Northern Expedition back then, and for over a decade, he's been the one preventing the unification of north and south. What exactly does he want? He's not older than us, he joined the sect later than us. If it weren't for luck, why would we have to call him Uncle? Where exactly is he trying to lead Mount Li? You may not care, but there are Mount Li disciples who do!"
At this point, neither Xiaosong Palace nor the two Law Hall elders addressed Su Li as Uncle anymore, but called him by his name directly—these people who had stormed Mount Li's main peak had finally revealed their intentions. They wanted to use Liang Xiaoxiao's death to attack Seventh Sister, and ultimately use this matter to completely erase Su Li's influence from Mount Li.
Of course, all of this was built on one foundation.
Su Li must die.
...
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(Next chapter, I'll try to write it before half past twelve.)