Chapter 335 - Inverting the Truth (1/2)
Chapter 335 Inverting the TruthLing Fei became more impassioned as he spoke, as were the crowd under the platform. Many began yelling their “Eliminate the Devil’s Practice!” catchphrase at Xiao Chen. Of course, these people were planted there.
Seeing that the initial results that he wanted had been achieved, Ling Fei suddenly laughed out loud. With a sorrowful expression, he said indignantly, “Xiao Chen! I know I won’t be able to escape your wrath after what I revealed today, but I’m an upright young man with a clear conscience! What do I have to fear death for? Even if it means dying here today, I swear I’ll expose your true identity to the world!”
His increasingly rousing words finally made Ziyun’er lose her patience. “Shut up! How dare the likes of you slander my Master!” She unsheathed her Bloodied Violet Blade and pointed it at Ling Fei’s neck.
Ling Fei feigned panic and hastily retreated. Just as he was close to the edge of the platform, a white radiance came whizzing and sent the Bloodied Violet Blade flying back to Ziyun’er with a crisp clanging sound. It left quite a severe countercharge injury on her and she couldn’t help staggering backward. Xiao Chen held on her shoulders and shook his head at her.
The finger force came from Situ Bei on the other platform. He scoffed and said, “Continue, Hero Ling. I’d like to see who would dare to hurt you with me around!”
Several elderly cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm followed up with, “Speak your mind, Hero Ling! With so many of us Orthodox cultivators here today, we will never allow any follower of the Devil’s Practice to harm even a strand of your hair!” It was evident from their words that they were convinced that Xiao Chen was a spy from the Devils’ sects.
The shouting from all sides grew louder and louder. Right then, Su Yue from the other platform said coldly, “Hero Ling, you have the right to recount everything. However, I’m sure you know how the Immortals’ League punishes a liar.”
With her purple dress and fine black hair on her temples fluttering in the breeze, she still looked every bit the youthful and unrivaled beauty that she had been. As the Fourth Young Lady of the Su family, her words carried substantial weight. Many hecklers in the crowd fell quiet after seeing her stern and frosty expression.
“I can verify that every word that Brother Ling said is true!” Wan Yanyan stepped forward and said loudly, “If Brother Ling and I hadn’t endured it patiently until now, we would’ve long been assassinated by him!” He pointed to Xiao Chen with an indignant look.
Ling Fei sneered. He turned to look at Xiao Chen. “There’s something I don’t understand. Can you clarify it for me, Brother Xiao?”
“Speak,” Xiao Chen said coldly.
Ling Fei sneered at him before turning around to address the crowd again. “The Devil Qi in the Abyss of Devil’s Aura is so dense that anyone who goes near it will be invaded by the Devil’s Carnage. The rest of us warded the Qi off with Senior Situ’s Carnage Destruction Pill…” He then saluted Situ Bei, who was smoothing out his beard and nodding.
“But!” He abruptly shifted his tone and turned around to point at Xiao Chen. “You never took the Carnage Destruction Pill from the beginning until the end! Why weren’t you affected by the Devil’s Carnage?”
The crowd began discussing among themselves. What ordinary cultivator wouldn’t fear the Devil’s Carnage? This was simply unjustifiable.
Xiao Chen said coldly, “I told you that my constitution is unlike an ordinary person’s and regular Devil’s Carnage is incapable of invading me. What are you trying to imply?”
The senior cultivators from distinguished families and sects looked solemn. Naturally, they wouldn’t blindly trust Ling Fei’s words. However, it was unimaginable that a cultivator wouldn’t fear the Devil’s Carnage. Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Perfected Immortal Fengxi, and the rest were frowning deeply. The rim of Murong Xian’er’s eyes reddened as she cried, “Don’t you all slander Brother Xiao Chen…”
Ling Fei put on a taunting smile. “Constitution? Do you think you’d fool everyone with that flimsy explanation? Heh! Last month, you trespassed on the restricted area of the Violet Illusory Land and then suddenly reappeared! Heh! The Devil’s Carnage there is so strong that not even the Elders of the League can get close to it and yet you’re safe and sound! Heh! Your constitution is indeed unlike an ordinary person’s!”
The Elders of the Immortals’ League began to frown. It was true that not even they were brave enough to get close to the opening of the mystic domain, never mind entering it. Perhaps Xiao Chen was truly a man of many secrets.
Xiao Chen’s expression couldn’t get any darker than if he had tried. He said frostily, “What is it that you want to say? You can be frank…”
Ling Fei sneered. “Very well, I’ll say it then! You’re from the Devil Clan! What treachery are you up to in trying so desperately to infiltrate us Orthodox folks?”
Xiao Chen’s fists were clenched so tightly that his bones creaked out in protest. It was his greatest taboo to be accused of being a member of the Devil Clan after a similar incident thousands of years ago. Suddenly, a black Qi flashed in the space between his eyebrows.
Under the platform, a dozen or so shifty-eyed men exchanged glances and began chanting in unison, “Eliminate the member of the Devil Clan! Eliminate the member of the Devil Clan!” Others began shouting as well and soon, the crowd ignorant of right and wrong was also following suit. Quite a few were so emotional that they tried to climb the platform to capture Xiao Chen.
On the other platform, Situ Bei smiled in contempt. “To think the winner of the Immortal’s Sword Assembly is a member of the Devil Clan! Heh! How interesting!”
Beside him, Su Yue said coldly, “There’s no proof that he’s a member of the Devil Clan as of yet. I ask that you refrain from making such swift judgment, Senior Situ.” She then looked at Ling Fei. “Child of the Ling family, don’t be so certain. If you don’t have evidence to prove your claim, the crime of sowing dissension and stirring up public sentiments isn’t something your little family can bear.”
Su Yue’s words prompted quite a few hecklers in the crowd to quiet down. Ling Fei sneered. “Is that so?” He looked at Perfected Immortal Qing Chen. “Perfected Immortal Qingchen, forgive me for daring to ask this question. I’ve never heard of such a person in the Jade Qing Sect. Did he really enter your sect?”
Perfected Immortal Qing Chen frowned. How could he not tell that Ling Fei was pressuring him and threatening him about the consequences so he couldn’t protect Xiao Chen? Beside him, Perfected Immortal Fengxi let out a contemptuous laugh. “Ha! Is every child from the Ling family like you? For all your capability, you sure poke your nose into a lot of affairs! What is it to you when a disciple enters someone else’s sect?”