Chapter 16: Argument

Ma Zhicheng frowned tightly, after checking he immediately discovered that Yun Xiaoxiao had been drugged; he took a pill from his storage bag and fed it to her.

Ma Zhicheng turned his head, glanced at Su Chen, and coldly said: "Speak, what do you intend to do to your fifth senior sister?"

Su Chen kept his composure, glanced at the angrily staring You Qizhi, and explained the whole process in detail, except for the final scene, which he could not explain.

You Qizhi, hearing him mention himself, immediately retorted: "Master, I didn't do it; Su Chen is spitting blood, I saw Su Chen about to act improperly and went to report to you, and you saw it yourself."

Ma Zhicheng, hearing this, felt his disappointment grow deeper; indeed, one may know a person's face but not their heart. Moreover, when he arrived here, what he saw with his own eyes could not be false.

Just then, Yun Xiaoxiao slowly woke up, she rubbed her still slightly aching forehead, sat up, and looked around somewhat dazedly at the three people with swords drawn, not knowing what had happened.

Seeing Yun Xiaoxiao awake, Ma Zhicheng immediately asked with concern whether she was hurt; seeing her shake her head, he relaxed and asked: "Xiaoxiao, do you know why you are here? Did Su Chen invite you?"

Yun Xiaoxiao glanced somewhat dazedly at Su Chen, straightened her wrinkled clothes, and softly said: "I, I don't remember why I'm here; I only remember that the sixth junior brother handed me a cup of tea, I drank it, and then I knew nothing."

Ma Zhicheng let out a light sigh and related everything that had happened.

Hearing this, Yun Xiaoxiao's eyes gradually widened, becoming somewhat incredulous.

She pointed her jade finger at Su Chen, deep disappointment showing in her eyes; she could not believe that, though she held some affection, the sixth junior brother who looked a few years older than her would treat her this way.

Hearing this, Ma Zhicheng trembled all over; he had previously placed great hopes in Su Chen, but he never expected Su Chen to be such a person, making him feel as if he had instantly fallen from heaven to hell.

His left hand trembling, he pointed at Su Chen while his right hand covered his heart, as if he had instantly aged ten years: "Su Chen, your heart is not upright; even if your talent were surpassingly outstanding, you are not fit for cultivation; if you are released today, you will surely disturb the cultivation world, so today I will eradicate you for the cultivation world."

As he spoke, with his fingers trembling, a flying sword appeared before him, indeed a mid-grade flying sword.

Seeing this, You Qizhi's eyes gleamed with the success of his scheme, and he looked at Su Chen with a "you're dead" gaze.

Seeing Ma Zhicheng draw his flying sword and actually intend to kill him, Su Chen's expression finally showed a hint of panic.

He flicked his sleeve, and that inferior flying sword rose under his control, facing Ma Zhicheng's sword in the air; he could not entrust his life to anyone else, for the burden on him was too great.

At the same time, he spoke urgently: "Master, please calm your anger; I have a few questions."

Having said that, he did not wait for Ma Zhicheng's agreement and continued urgently: "First, I left the door and went straight to your cave abode; there I had time to see Junior Sister Yun, and I also needed to prepare the tea in advance."

"Second, as a newcomer unfamiliar with this place, how could I know to bring the senior sister here? Surely someone must have told me."

"Third, if Junior Sister Yun fainted from drinking that tea, where could I have obtained the drug? Master, may I ask whether you have examined the tea's ingredients?"

Hearing this, You Qizhi's face changed dramatically, and he loudly retorted: "Su Chen, we all saw it with our own eyes; do you still want to quibble?"

Ma Zhicheng, hearing this, his expression shifted, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes; he waved his hand at You Tianqi, who was about to continue speaking, and said: "Wait a moment."

As he spoke, he sheathed his long sword.

Then he turned his head to look at the at‑a‑loss Yun Xiaoxiao,

and asked softly: "Xiaoxiao, do you still remember where you drank the tea?"

Yun Xiaoxiao lifted her delicate chin, began to recall carefully, and after a long while softly said: "I remember, it should have been in the courtyard."

Ma Zhicheng nodded, and under Yun Xiaoxiao's guidance, the four of them went to the courtyard together.

In the courtyard, a shattered teacup lay on the ground, and the surrounding moisture had dried up.

Ma Zhicheng squatted, pinched a bit of soil, smelled it at his nose, then carefully recalled everything that had happened, his face grim as if water could drip from it.

He first glanced at Su Chen, then looked at You Qizhi, and said coldly: "Tell me, what's the story with this Lover's Intoxication?"

"Lover's Intoxication." Upon hearing the name, Yun Xiaoxiao's face drained of color, and she immediately looked at Su Chen, a blush rising on her cheek, so much that she dared not look at him again.

Su Chen, seeing this, was somewhat at a loss.

You Qizhi's expression changed drastically, and he stammered: "It might be, it might be Su Chen; yes, it must be Su Chen who stole it while I wasn't paying attention."

Ma Zhicheng's expression grew colder: "Su Chen has only been here a short while—just one month—and has been diligently cultivating, reaching only the third level of Condense Qi."

"How could he know about Lover's Intoxication? How could he steal something from you, a fifth‑level Condense Qi cultivator, without you noticing?"

At the end of his words, Ma Zhicheng almost shouted them out.

At this moment, You Qizhi had already lost all color in his face, frightened to the point of kneeling directly: "I… I, am two…"

He could not utter a complete sentence for a long while.

And Yun Xiaoxiao also looked at You Qizhi, showing disgust.

Ma Zhicheng looked at the still‑talking You Qizhi, his face growing darker, and said: "Silence; even now you still want to drag others into this—I sentence you to face the wall in Han Tan for a year."

Hearing this, You Qizhi's face turned ashen, and he said nothing more.

Seeing Su Chen still doubtful, Ma Zhicheng explained with a smile: "Lover's Intoxication is a drug that can cause hallucinations; it is colorless and tasteless, its effect being to scramble the drinker's memory, making the first person they see appear as their beloved."

Su Chen then understood most of it, but still had doubts: "But why, before drinking the tea, did Junior Sister Yun still see me?"

Ma Zhicheng continued smiling: "This is the terror of Lover's Intoxication; it does not affect only the memory after drinking, but also has a great impact on a preceding period of time."

At this moment, hearing the master lay everything out, Yun Xiaoxiao's already flushed face turned even more crimson, spreading to her jade neck.

At this moment, a lock of hair twined around her forefinger, she tightly pursed her lips, her forefinger constantly turning, and she occasionally stole a glance at Su Chen.

Only then did Su Chen nod slightly, glance at Yun Xiaoxiao, and see her hastily avert her gaze.

He looked at Ma Zhicheng and said coolly: "Master, since the matter has been cleared up, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Ma Zhicheng nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Ma Zhicheng watched Su Chen's retreating back, his eyes carrying a hint of guilt.

After all, he had wanted to kill Su Chen then, but for You Qizhi, who had slandered him, he merely sentenced him to a year of facing the wall—no wonder Su Chen harbored resentment.

Seeing Su Chen walk away, Ma Zhicheng inexplicably felt a twinge of worry.

Suddenly, he thought of something, smiled at Yun Xiaoxiao, and said: "Otherwise, as your master, I will make the decision for you and have you become Dao partners with Chen'er."

Yun Xiaoxiao immediately nodded with some delight, but then she recalled the scene where Su Chen had clearly rejected her; the flush on her face faded, instantly turning pallid, and she shook her head.