Chapter 69: Soul-Search Technique

The Second Elder turned his head to look at the captain of the Enforcement Team and said coldly, "Apologize to Xu Zhanglao immediately."

Xu Zhanglao merely waved his hand, a trace of wariness rising in his heart. The Second Elder had instantly seized the initiative, leaving him unable to make a move. If he allowed them to take Luo Yao away, his disciple would never forgive him.

"Enough, let us not dwell on this. What crime did that girl commit to warrant such a massive mobilization?"

Seeing Xu Zhanglao return to the main topic, the Second Elder immediately snorted, "This morning we discovered Elder Gongsun's life token shattered; clearly, he met with misfortune."

"What does that have to do with this girl? She is only in the Qi Refining stage. How could she kill Gongsun Ming? Even if you and I acted together, it would be impossible to kill Gongsun Ming without sustaining damage."

"Though that is true, she must be connected to Elder Gongsun's death."

The Second Elder immediately recognized the person Zhao Yang described. Although Xu Zhanglao did not go out often, he knew the appearance of the opposing sect's Elders.

Therefore, upon returning to the Xuanyuan Sect, he immediately went to the Enforcement Team to report it.

Fortunately, Xu Zhanglao reacted in time; the fact that Fang Qingyan was here now meant everything was fine.

The Second Elder suppressed his anger and addressed the surroundings, "Bring the witness forward."

Hearing this, Zhao Yang also spoke excitedly, "That's right, it was that Elder from the Ziguang Sect. She is the one who conspired with that Elder from the Ziguang Sect to cause Elder Gongsun's death."

"What?"

Seeing this, the Second Elder's face immediately turned gloomy.

Speaking thus, Zhao Yang described the appearance of the other Foundation Establishment cultivator he had seen.

He knew very well that the death of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was a huge loss for the Xuanyuan Sect, and a thorough investigation would certainly be conducted.

What followed was the Enforcement Team arriving at the door, Luo Yao resisting, Fang Qingyan intervening, the Enforcement Team taking action, which in turn drew out Xu Zhanglao...

Xu Zhanglao snorted, "I merely could not stand to see you harming innocent disciples."

"He was already suffering from demonic deviation and near death, so he took a desperate gamble, called Xiao Yao outside, and intended to harm her. Although I arrived in time, neither of us was his match..."

Thinking of this, he stepped forward, pointing at Luo Yao with a face full of anger, "I saw with my own eyes her luring Elder Gongsun out, and then I saw Elder Gongsun's corpse."

He kept a trick up his sleeve; he did not say he saw Luo Yao kill her master with his own eyes, only that he saw Luo Yao lure her master out, and then saw Elder Gongsun's corpse.

Hearing his disciple's words, Xu Zhanglao's face immediately turned very ugly; how could Yan'er be dragged into this?

Upon hearing these words, Luo Yao and the others immediately changed color.

"In the end, I not only failed to save Xiao Yao, but was killed by Gongsun Ming..."

Fang Qingyan could finally hold back no longer; she stepped forward to refute on Luo Yao's behalf. "The facts are not like that at all. At that time, there was no Elder from the Ziguang Sect; there were only myself, Luo Yao, and Gongsun Ming."

"Hmm?"

The matter was roughly like this; however, to protect Luo Yao's reputation, Fang Qingyan only said Gongsun Ming wanted to harm Luo Yao, not how he intended to harm her, such as using her as a Cauldron.

"I said I always felt he was strange before, and he dared not see me; whenever he had business, he used a Sound Transmission Talisman to contact me!"

Indeed, they heard Fang Qingyan continue, "Later, Gongsun Ming's consciousness returned to normal, regretted his actions, and then sacrificed himself to save me. After his death, Xiao Yao felt that since they had been master and disciple, she found a place to bury him..."

So, upon hearing Zhao Yang's words, Luo Yao had expected it, but still could not help refuting, "You say you saw my master's corpse, but how did you not see who killed my master?"

But when Xu Zhanglao heard of the Heavenly Yin Art, he naturally understood the general situation.

"Xu Zhanglao, what is the meaning of this?"

As the words fell, he appeared beside Luo Yao, extended his hand to touch the Immortal-Binding Rope, and Luo Yao was finally freed.

The Enforcement Team initially did not believe his words, but Zhao Yang spoke with such detail and even offered to swear an oath to heaven, so the Enforcement Team finally believed it was true.

Hearing this, the Second Elder narrowed his eyes, looked at Xu Zhanglao, and then looked at Fang Qingyan. "Do you mean to say that you and that Luo Yao, working together, killed Elder Gongsun?"

Xu Zhanglao immediately spoke out; upon hearing that Fang Qingyan was also connected to Gongsun Ming's death, he wanted to resolve this matter as quickly as possible so as not to drag his disciple into it.

More importantly, she had not killed her master.

When Luo Yao saw Zhao Yang, her heart sank to the bottom; Zhao Yang was her mortal enemy, and no matter what, he would frame her.

Hearing this, Xu Zhanglao's face immediately changed drastically; he looked at Fang Qingyan nervously, clearly startled. "Yan'er, you..."

The Second Elder merely shook his head. "Whether she is innocent or not, we will investigate clearly. Why must Xu Zhanglao meddle in matters that do not concern him?"

"Second Elder, look, now the truth will soon come to light."

"Of course not." To clear Luo Yao's suspicion, Fang Qingyan naturally did not conceal anything. "Gongsun Ming had been forcing Xiao Yao to cultivate the Heavenly Yin Art; his intentions were impure..."

Xu Zhanglao also recalled Gongsun Ming's strange behavior before. The first time he used a Sound Transmission Talisman, he said he was arranging for someone to do menial work here; the next time, during the great battle, he asked him to let Luo Yao help him here.

"Whether she has any connection to Elder Gongsun's death will be known once she is brought to the Enforcement Team."

"It was him, Yuan Shangzhi!"

"Who does not know the cruelty of your Enforcement Team? If that girl enters your Enforcement Team, even if she does not die, she will lose a layer of skin. If she is innocent, would you not be harming an innocent disciple?"

That is correct; the so-called witness was precisely Zhao Yang.

Only she and Yan Jie were present at the scene of Gongsun Ming's death; there was no third party, so there could be no so-called witness.

And he could just use this point to make a scene, causing Luo Yao to be ruined and disgraced.

Zhao Yang did not expect such a turn of events, but upon hearing the Second Elder ask him to testify, he still stepped forward with a stiff neck.

And just then, the Second Elder and the others discovered Gongsun Ming's shattered life token and were very angry, so upon hearing that Luo Yao had conspired with outsiders to harm her own master, they became even angrier and ordered the Enforcement Team to capture Luo Yao.

"That bastard Zhao Yang!"

Xu Zhanglao was not afraid at all. "Unless you have evidence proving she harmed Gongsun Ming, how could I let you harm an innocent disciple?"

"Without evidence, you arrest fellow disciples?"

However, Luo Yao had no backing anymore, so what did he have to fear? Besides, he had not lied; Luo Yao and her master's death were definitely connected.

The Second Elder nodded; naturally, those two little girls, even if a few more joined them, could not possibly be a match for the Foundation Establishment Gongsun Ming.

Xu Zhanglao was somewhat angry.

But all these matters were communicated to him via Sound Transmission Talisman, not spoken to him face-to-face, so Xu Zhanglao was somewhat angry. However, the first time he agreed was because he owed Gongsun Ming a favor before, and the second time he agreed was because Gongsun Ming paid a heavy price.

However, someone was seen walking out from the crowd.

"Nonsense!"

Seeing the newcomer, Luo Yao's pupils immediately contracted, and she ground her teeth in anger.

"Who else but you!" Zhao Yang couldn't help but exclaim. "I indeed did not see it with my own eyes. At that time, besides you, there was another Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator. How could I dare approach? Isn't that just wishing for a long life..."

"Gongsun Ming brought this upon himself, and moreover, he was not killed by others; he ended his own life."

The Second Elder, however, paid it no mind.

Yet the Second Elder let out a cold snort. "This is merely their one-sided account. I shall wait until I use the Soul-Search Spell to examine her memories, and then I will know whether what they say is true or false."

The Soul-Search Spell was originally a Spell of demonic cultivators, extremely cruel. For the one subjected to it, the light consequence was becoming an idiot, while the severe consequence was death.

(End of this chapter)