“No, don’t!” Li Jiaying screamed in fear, struggling to break free from their grasp and attempting to escape. But how could a frail young girl ever be a match for three grown men?
Moreover, all three men had reached the peak of their post-natal cultivation.
Yet, she actually managed to break free. However, before she could run, her body trembled and she froze on the spot.
Among the three, a pale and clean-cut young man, who appeared upright and dignified, smirked smugly. “Run! Why don’t you run now?”
Li Jiaying kept her head down, silent.
The upright-looking youth greedily eyed her up and down. “You’re free to leave anytime you want. I’ve given you the chance. If you choose to stay, don’t blame me for mistreating you later, hehe.”
Li Jiaying’s tears flowed ceaselessly, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground, unable to move an inch.
Seeing this, the decent-looking youth became even more smug. He took a few steps closer to Li Jiaying, slightly bent down, and whispered, “Be a good girl, or else…” Li Jiaying’s youthful face turned pale, and she closed her eyes resignedly.
Just at that moment, however,
“Or else what?
Explain yourself clearly.”
Li Tan’s voice was icy cold as he slowly stepped into the cave.
The decent-looking youth, Zhou Ni, was about to erupt in anger because his fun had been interrupted. However, upon lifting his head and catching sight of the man behind Li Tan, he swallowed his anger unwillingly and changed his tone to question instead, “You’re not from our Moyang Sect, what are you doing here?
Master Liu,” the man referred to as Elder Liu turned his head away in annoyance.
Zhou Ni realized the man before him wasn’t simple, so he quickly retracted his wandering hands and respectfully replied, “Nothing, nothing at all. Just some private matters with my junior sister.”
Hardly had these words been spoken when Li Jiaying suddenly rushed into Li Tan’s arms, crying bitterly like a rain-soaked pear blossom.
Li Tan cast a cold glance at him, then gently stroked Li Jiaying’s back, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here now. No one will ever bully you again. Be a good girl and tell your brother everything that happened.”
Brother?
Zhou Ni was stunned. This man, whom even Elder Liu seemed wary of, was actually this woman’s brother?
What kind of joke was this! Recalling his previous actions, he hastily interjected, “Junior sister, we were just sharing some feelings, right?”
Hardly had he finished speaking when Li Tan distinctly felt Li Jiaying’s body tremble slightly in his arms. He raised his head and glared icily at Zhou Ni, “Shut up.”
Zhou Ni, who always considered himself superior, felt his entire body go cold under that gaze, instinctively closing his mouth.
“Don’t be afraid, speak.”
Li Tan withdrew his gaze, his tone turning gentle again.
Li Jiaying, still sobbing, recounted everything that had happened.
It turned out that after Li Jiaying joined the sect, she had lived a relatively peaceful life for quite some time without significant changes. However, not long ago, during a mission, she accidentally met Zhou Ni, and from then on, Zhou Ni began pursuing Li Jiaying, frequently visiting her.
A few days later, Zhou Ni confessed his feelings to Li Jiaying, but was rejected. Instead of stepping back, he became even more aggressive. Li Jiaying reported this to the sect, but Zhou Ni only received a verbal reprimand. Afterward, he harbored resentment and immediately tore off his usual mask of pretense.
To obtain Li Jiaying, he sought alternative methods. The first time, he threatened her with her exam results, but she ignored him. The second time, he threatened her with Li Xiu’s exam results, prompting Li Jiaying to compromise and agree to “be friends” with him. However, the matter did not end there. Zhou Ni soon grew unsatisfied with just holding hands and began demanding more intimate contact.
Yet again, he was rejected, and his previous tactics no longer worked.
This led to today’s incident. Zhou Ni found someone to beat up Li Xiu and then threatened Li Jiaying, saying that if she didn’t obey him, he would make Li Xiu suffer.
“Nonsense! When did I ever do such things? Don’t make up stories!”
Zhou Ni, seeing the Moyang Sect disciples gathering around, grew anxious and hurriedly tried to clear his name.
Li Tan, hugging the still-sobbing Li Jiaying, sneered coldly and questioned, “According to you, all of this is fabricated by Miss Ying to frame you?”
Zhou Ni shamelessly nodded. “Exactly! This woman approached me on her own to gain benefits. Now that she’s had enough, she’s turning her back on me.”
“And what about Li Xiu, the young man beside Miss Ying? How did he end up with those injuries?”
“Hmph, how would I know?
Every day in Jiuzhou, countless people die mysteriously. Are you going to blame all of that on me?”
“Is that so? But just now, what were you doing?
Didn’t she just turn her back on you?
Why would she come to a place like this with you?
Why would she cry so bitterly?”
“Actually, I saw through her true nature and dumped her. But this wretched woman kept clinging onto me, right! If you want to accuse me of bullying this wretch, bring evidence first! What are you getting angry for? Do you think Moyang Sect is your home?”
Zhou Ni spoke with confidence.
Upon hearing this, the man behind Li Tan also realized the situation. This was Moyang Sect’s territory, and now an outsider was yelling at their disciples—what kind of scene was this?
He stepped forward and said, “This is our Moyang Sect’s internal matter. If Zhou Ni did anything wrong, our sect rules will deal with him. You’d better not interfere recklessly!”
Li Tan’s expression turned as cold as thousand-year-old ice. Even the temperature inside the Star-Moon Cave seemed to drop a few degrees under his influence. His gaze swept past Elder Liu and finally settled on Zhou Ni. “Can your sect rules restore justice for Miss Ying?”
“Of course! Our Moyang Sect has always been fair and impartial, never favoring anyone.”
Elder Liu solemnly replied.
Li Tan scoffed disdainfully. “If you’ve always been fair and impartial, why was Miss Ying’s previous report about Zhou Ni met with no punishment at all?”
“That matter, we have already given a serious warning.”
“Hahaha, a warning?
After something like that happened, you only issued a warning? Shame on you for even saying it! I presented a rare ancient text to your sect, and you accepted it willingly, yet you treated my sister so lightly. That would have been forgivable. But now, after such an incident, you dare to tell me it’s just a warning?
If I hadn’t arrived in time today, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life!”
Recalling the image of Li Jiaying dying tragically in flames from his memories, Li Tan’s fury surged, his eyes filled with murderous intent. With a casual raise of his right hand, a stream of true qi transformed into a sharp projectile. In the next second, it pierced through Zhou Ni’s heart.
Zhou Ni fell straight down, his face still wearing a triumphant smile. He probably still believed until his very last moment of death that Moyang Sect would protect him, didn’t he? Li Tan could only swallow his rage.
The moment Zhou Ni fell, Elder Liu, the disciples who had gathered outside, and Li Jiaying in Li Tan’s arms were all stunned into silence.
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