As expected, Li Tan, that conceited fool, intended to use his background to pressure him. Useless! Completely useless! As Li Tan revealed the jade token, Zheng Kaishan’s mouth curled into a smirk, almost unable to suppress his laughter.
“Li Tan, what exactly do you mean by this?”
Zheng Kaishan spoke with great authority, feigning ignorance while mentally rehearsing Li Tan’s inevitable panic later.
The surrounding elders instantly understood the situation. This was why Li Tan had dared to act so arrogantly before, openly defying the questioning. His behavior was a blatant insult to Tianlang Sect, thus intensifying their hatred toward him. They had already decided to withstand pressure and jointly punish Li Tan alongside Zheng Kaishan.
Zhang Zhi wore a slightly disappointed expression, while Zhang Zhenshan furrowed his brows, gripping the hilt of his sword. At this moment, inside the grand hall, only Zhang Chenghuan seemed unaware of what was happening.
“Senior Elder Zheng, regarding the charges you mentioned earlier, I indeed lack sufficient evidence to refute them, which is why I did not deny them outright. However, I swear on my honor that I have never committed any act betraying Tianlang Sect. I offer this token as proof of my innocence!”
Li Tan held up the token facing Zheng Kaishan, speaking calmly and respectfully.
Zheng Kaishan glanced casually at the token, scoffing mockingly, “Using a token from another sect to prove your innocence is indeed unique. I suppose you think flaunting your prestigious background will make me overlook your crimes? Hmph, too bad, I don’t buy it! Fellow elders and disciples, would you willingly bow to this despicable spy?”
Immediately, a chorus of agreement erupted.
“No!”
“No!”
“Punish this spy severely!”
“Avenger Senior Brother Liu Yong and Elder Sima!”
The crowd was highly agitated, clearly showing Zheng Kaishan’s excellent propaganda work. Almost everyone was now convinced of Li Tan’s status as a traitor.
“Li young friend is still too young,” Zhang Zhi shook his head in disappointment, already foreseeing the failure of Li Tan’s plan.
“That old fox Zheng Kaishan! Damn it, so cunning!”
Zhang Chenghuan gritted his teeth furiously, completely unconcerned about Li Tan’s identity issue.
Sighing deeply, Zhang Zhenshan slowly stood up, inhaled deeply, and shouted loudly, “Silence, everyone!”
The grand hall fell into immediate silence, all eyes converging on him, especially the three high-ranking elders.
“What instructions does the Supreme Elder have?”
Zheng Kaishan stood up to ask, his gaze now firm.
Zhang Zhenshan said, “Since Li Tan is the descendant of a prestigious family, why would he plot against our humble Tianlang Sect? There must be some misunderstanding. Let’s end this today. I will personally investigate this matter.”
Zheng Kaishan’s face darkened as he refused to back down, “Supreme Elder! The evidence is overwhelming. If you continue to protect Li Tan, where does that leave the dignity of our sect?”
“Hmph.”
Zhang Zhenshan took a step forward, his dantian surging with true qi, unleashing the terrifying pressure of a master realm expert outward. Some disciples with only late-stage martial arts cultivation directly knelt on the ground, while even the several elders at the peak of the innate realm wore extremely grim expressions.
“Are you questioning me?”
Zhang Zhenshan had also resolved to protect Li Tan. From the standpoint of a sect’s master, such behavior was actually quite irrational. However, he had never been a rational person. Li Tan had cured his madness, and the debt of gratitude for saving his life was greater than heaven itself. Today, even if it meant offending the entire sect, he would protect Li Tan at all costs! Zheng Kaishan’s face began to darken, clearly not expecting Zhang Zhenshan to be so firm. Yet unlike last time, he did not retreat but instead stepped forward as well, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.
“Supreme Elder! Please think carefully before acting!”
As he spoke, a terrifying aura surged like a tide, slightly inferior to Zhang Zhenshan’s but not by much.
The three high-ranking elders were immediately shocked.
Zhang Zhi was astonished, springing up like a coiled spring.
There was no mistake in that aura—it was the aura of a master realm! Zheng Kaishan had actually broken through to the master realm! Looking at his father and then at Zheng Kaishan, his facial muscles twitched. After a moment’s hesitation, he still did not step forward.
He indeed wanted to protect Li Tan, but if the sect leader did so, it would mean completely losing the trust of the disciples and elders. Such a huge cost was too great for him to bear, unlike Zhang Zhenshan, who lacked the courage to shoulder such responsibility.
Zhang Chenghuan saw this and was anxious in his heart, but he understood his father’s predicament, so he could only silently cheer for his grandfather.
As Zheng Kaishan revealed his cultivation, Zhang Zhenshan’s expression became increasingly grave.
If Zheng Kaishan had only reached the peak of innate realm, forcefully protecting Li Tan would have been no problem at all, and the elders would have dared not voice any opinions. However, with Zheng Kaishan breaking through to the master realm, the situation had completely reversed.
If he insisted on protecting Li Tan, all the elders would openly side with Zheng Kaishan, leaving him without any authority within Tianlang Sect in the future. Should he give up or continue?
Zhang Zhenshan clenched his fists tightly, finally making a resolute decision. He was already over 300 years old, with little time left. The sect had already produced two new masters, and his presence was no longer as indispensable as before.
Therefore, he decided to forcefully take Li Tan and leave the sect.
However, just as he was about to put his plan into action, Li Tan’s eerily calm voice rang out again, still showing no trace of confusion or panic: “Senior, I can resolve this matter myself. There’s no need for you to intervene.”
As Li Tan spoke, he lifted his head to face Zheng Kaishan, his tone turning somewhat cold: “Let me reiterate, I have absolutely nothing to do with what you’ve accused me of.”
“Hahaha!”
Zheng Kaishan burst into laughter. “You’re still stubborn to this point. Put that junk away, it’s tiring to hold up, isn’t it?”
Li Tan chuckled slightly. “For just this sentence of yours, you deserve to die ten thousand times.”
“Arrogant nonsense! Today, no one can make this elder change his judgment!”
Zheng Kaishan sneered contemptuously.
Li Tan gently shook the token. “You’d better open your dog eyes wide and take a good look.”
“Persistent fool! Fine, this elder will see what’s so special about this broken jade token.”
Zheng Kaishan haughtily glanced sideways at the token.
The token was made of jade, exquisitely crafted, with a lifelike dragon carved on it. The dragon coiled around the center, where the large character “Zuo” (左) was prominently displayed.
A familiar feeling surged in his heart. He seemed to have seen this token somewhere before. Zheng Kaishan quickly focused his gaze, then his face suddenly changed. He hastily took several steps back, panicking, “This! This! This is impossible!”
Instantly, the grand hall fell into complete silence. The three elders and the gathered disciples looked puzzled, directing their gazes toward the jade token. Then, they all turned pale and stood up in extreme alarm.
“This token is the insignia of Elder Zuo Shang of the Pill Pavilion, Zuo Qingchun. You have repeatedly insulted it. Don’t you deserve death for that alone?”
Li Tan roared loudly. Although he did not use any cultivation enhancement, the aura of an emperor of men surged forth like a dragon emerging from the sea, silencing everyone around him.
Zheng Kaishan’s face turned deathly pale. “You… you…” He was already stuttering in panic.
The Pill Pavilion was an influential force deeply rooted throughout the Jiuzhou region, undoubtedly one of the most powerful human factions. What concept did Elder Zuo Shang represent?
To put it bluntly, to him, Tianlang Sect could be reduced to a mere three-character entry in history books tomorrow. Compared to Elder Zuo Qingchun, he might be no different from a common ant on the roadside.
Yet he had just now insulted this token. According to the Pill Pavilion’s rules, seeing the token was equivalent to seeing the person himself. This was tantamount to insulting Zuo Qingchun directly. Such a crime truly deserved death ten thousand times over, yet even that would be insufficient.
As for the possibility of forgery, he didn’t even consider it, because no one would dare joke with the token of such a prominent figure. Once exposed, death would become a luxury.
Even if there were someone with the audacity of a lion or a leopard, no one would dare assist in forging such a token.
Having achieved the desired effect, Li Tan retracted the token and asked again, “May I ask, is this token sufficient to prove my innocence?”
Zheng Kaishan recalled the intelligence Liu Yong had previously passed on—Li Tan apparently had a mysterious master. Now it seemed, could that master be Zuo Qingchun?
Still panicking, Zheng Kaishan stiffly nodded twice. Likewise, Zhang Zhi had also reached the same realization. He quickly stood up, pointing at Zheng Kaishan and shouting, “Hurry up and clear Master Li’s name!”
Zheng Kaishan, barely recovering his senses, declared Li Tan innocent.
None of the disciples and elders raised any objections. This was not merely out of fear of Zuo Qingchun’s reputation, but because they genuinely believed in Li Tan’s innocence.
After all, if he had connections with such a powerful figure, why would he go through such trouble to deal with them? One sentence from that master would be enough to summon countless experts eager to assist.
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