At Xun Kun's blunt words, not only did Ye Chengbi freeze, even Ye Yirui paused midway through sitting down. She turned to look at Ye Chengbi.
Yunxi watched Ye Chengbi calmly. Xun Kun had come to demand an explanation. What interested Yunxi was whether Ye Chengbi had acted on his own, at someone's instigation, or in collusion with evil cultivators.
Ye Chengbi recovered from his surprise and said at once, "Xun Kun Zūnzhě, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by poisoning a second time?"
Xun Kun had no patience for nonsense. Divine Transformation pressure burst forth, rooting Ye Chengbi to the spot. Xun Kun lifted a hand to conduct a soul search.
At that moment, a white-browed, white-haired elder appeared before the four of them. With a sweep of his sleeve, he broke Xun Kun's move.
Ye Yirui rose at once. "Ancestor!"
Seeing the newcomer, Yunxi knew he had come to mediate. She sent a voice transmission to Xun Kun. "Xun Kun, show this Ancestor Ye the image jade. Even if we make a move, we should have our reasons, so no one can say we are young and reckless and lack decorum."
Through the latticework mask, Xun Kun's keen gaze fell on the elder. The corner of his mouth lifted. He turned his wrist and summoned a Memory Jade, then activated it. The scene Wu Tong Zūnzhě had traced back earlier unfolded before Ancestor Ye and Ye Yirui.
Though Ye Chengbi had acted covertly, Mediine King Valley's people were masters of medicine. From the flick of a sleeve and the nearly transparent powdery mist, it was clear what little trick Ye Chengbi had played.
When the Memory Jade finished, Yunxi spoke mildly. "Ye Daoyou, Ye Yirui, are you going to say we cannot prove the powder was poison, and try to argue it was an antidote?"
Ye Yirui pressed her lips together and said nothing. Anyone with half a brain could see it was no antidote. Who delivers an antidote in such a sneaky way?
Ancestor Ye stroked the white beard hanging to his chest with a helpless sigh. "This matter still needs investigation. Mediine King Valley will give the two of you a proper explanation."
Xun Kun snorted, clearly dissatisfied with such delaying words.
Yunxi said evenly, "Ancestor Ye, the ones who poisoned Kunmo Sect disciples were evil cultivators. They wanted to dump the pot on me and Haoran Sect. Ye Chengbi, to make sure those poisoned disciples would certainly die, used the pretext of helping to poison them a second time.
Although we dispelled the poison in the end, the evil cultivators still wouldn't give up. They snuck into Kunmo Sect's quarters at night to silence witnesses and thoroughly incite hatred between Haoran Sect and Kunmo Sect.
Unfortunately for them, I am indeed the true inheritor of Yixian Gate. They failed.
Whether Ye Chengbi did this on Mediine King Valley's orders, on his own impulse, or under the evil cultivators' sway, you owe us an explanation."
Even Ancestor Ye frowned at that.
Ye Yirui spoke at once, "Ran Xi Zūnzhě, Mediine King Valley would never order Ye Chengbi to do such a thing. Please do not implicate the innocent."
Xun Kun gave a cold snort. "Innocent? And my Kunmo Sect disciples were not innocent?"
"No, that is not what I meant," Ye Yirui denied quickly. Resentment surged as she glanced at the kneeling Ye Chengbi. She had begged Ran Xi Zūnzhě to save her younger brother, only for her own uncle to drag them down. And she fully believed Ye Chengbi capable of such deeds.
Ye Chengbi's face shifted from shade to shade. He stared fixedly at Ancestor Ye, hoping the elder would intervene.
He had been certain his work was flawless, that Kunmo Sect would never discover it, and that Wei Yunxi might not be able to resolve his poison. Now his deeds had come knocking at the door, and both visitors had reached Divine Transformation. He had no choice but to seek aid from Mediine King Valley's only Divine Transformation elder.
Ancestor Ye sighed. "How do you want to proceed?"
Xun Kun's voice was cold. "I will conduct a soul search. If this was not Mediine King Valley's order, he will pay with his life. If he colluded with evil cultivators, I suggest Mediine King Valley clean house at once, lest you become tools of the evil path."
"Ancestor, save me! I only wanted to test Wei Yunxi. Why should she be Yixian Gate's inheritor? I refuse to accept it."
Yunxi flicked her sleeve lightly. "If you refuse, then swallow it."
Taking advantage of his power for once, Xun Kun swept his sleeve and dragged Ye Chengbi to his feet, then pressed a palm atop the man's head and began the soul search. This time, no one dared to stop him.
Yunxi looked to Ancestor Ye and Ye Yirui, speaking unhurriedly, "I passed Yixian Gate's trial and obtained the legacy with my own skill. If Mediine King Valley wishes to exchange knowledge, you are always welcome at Haoran Sect. There is no need for such disgusting 'tests.' "
Ancestor Ye felt stifled, but he could only swallow his anger.
That was Mediine King Valley's embarrassment. They excelled at alchemy and medicine, but their combat strength was at the bottom. Though he was a Divine Transformation Zūnzhě, in a real fight he was no match for anyone standing here.
And one sentence had struck him. If Ye Chengbi had acted without his leave, what was his true intent? Was it really only to test whether Ran Xi Zūnzhě was qualified to inherit Yixian Gate?
The next moment, Ancestor Ye and Ye Yirui received their answer.
Xun Kun's lips thinned. He swept up Ye Chengbi's storage ring and tossed the unconscious man to Ancestor Ye's feet. His black eyes fixed on the two. "Who would have thought, the one with the greatest ambition in Mediine King Valley is this Ye Chengbi. To become the next valley master, he colluded with evil cultivators to harm Ye Chengzong, and even joined hands with them to seize Ye Yuchen's Innate Dao Body. Ye Yuchen ruined his plan by injuring his own dantian."
At these words, Ye Yirui shot to her feet, glaring hatefully at the uncle lying at Ancestor Ye's feet. Her earlier suspicions were confirmed. The culprit who crippled her brother's cultivation was indeed her uncle, and her father's death was likely tied to him as well.
Ancestor Ye's hand trembled, tearing out several strands of beard. He had clearly been shaken.
Xun Kun forcibly erased the spiritual imprint from Ye Chengbi's storage ring. The unconscious Ye Chengbi coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his aura weakened noticeably.
Sweeping his divine sense through the ring, Xun Kun turned his wrist and drew out a black token, holding it in the air. He looked toward Yunxi. "He has an evil cultivator's token."
Yunxi saw it clearly. The material matched the token she had obtained from Liu Moyan, though the pattern engraved on it was different.
Ancestor Ye's brows quivered. He gave Ye Yirui a crisp order. "Arui, go personally to Ye Chengbi's apothecary. See what you can find."
Ye Yirui ground her teeth. "Yes, Ancestor."
Xun Kun recorded key findings from the soul search into a blank jade slip and flicked it to Ye Yirui."These are the people Ye Chengbi frequently contacted within Mediine King Valley. You had best investigate them all. If the weeds are not pulled up by the roots, the spring wind will make them grow again."
Ye Yirui accepted the jade slip and bowed. "Many thanks for the reminder, Xun Kun Zūnzhě. Please wait a moment."