STARTING MY CULTIVATION WITH TIME MANAGEMENT

Chapter 764: Chapter 1 A Very Strange Turn of Events

Shushan, Criminal Law Hall.

The interrogation of Jiao Xiao True Person was drawing to a close, with both human and material evidence complete, it was basically confirmed to be the mischief of a Heavenly Demon.

Long Eyebrow Immortal, Jade Capital Sect Leader, and Elder Ming Hua of Ziyun Peak, where the victim was from, all approved of the Criminal Law Hall’s audit findings and were about to sign and make it official.

An Zhisu, dressed in plain white linen clothes, stood serenely below the hall, silent and unspoken.

Long Eyebrow Immortal suddenly asked:

“Jiao Xiao, in calling you here for questioning, do you harbor any resentment?”

This question was so simple that even An Zhisu had no problem answering, she replied softly,

“The Sect handles matters according to the rules, Jiao Xiao holds no resentment.”

“Hmph,” Long Eyebrow Immortal was somewhat displeased.

To Long Eyebrow Immortal, the initial impression of Jiao Xiao True Person was naturally unfavorable.

Most valued disciple Seven Kills, who had fallen in love with a mortal while in the Mortal World, and who had a daughter, then for the sake of protecting his beloved child, faced a siege from the elders of the Asura Path and did not retreat, ultimately succumbing to heavy injuries and entering a seclusion that led to his death. How was Long Eyebrow Immortal supposed to feel about this?

In his view, An Zhisu was the main culprit behind Su Jian’s death in seclusion… Of course, that might be an exaggeration, but not without reason. An Zhisu’s very existence was a constant reminder of how much of a failure he was as a mentor, thus he could not possibly show her a kind face.

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Only when An Zhisu formed her Second Grade Golden Core, displaying a talent for cultivation similar to her father, did Long Eyebrow Immortal’s attitude soften somewhat.

And then An Zhisu took up Sentiment Inquiry Path, getting herself entangled with her junior brother…

Overall, Long Eyebrow Immortal both admired and was annoyed with An Zhisu.

What he admired was her talent for cultivation, her Golden Core Grade Rank, as well as the swordsmanship talent inherited from Su Jian; what annoyed him, of course, was her stubbornness, her lack of adaptability, as well as the deeply affectionate nature also inherited from Su Jian.

“Ah, if only there were no such thing as Ling Yunpo, how good that would have been…”

“May I ask the Immortal,” seeing Long Eyebrow Immortal had yet to make a sound, An Zhisu asked softly, “what is the verdict of my trial? May I leave now?”

“You’re in such a hurry to leave, is it to see your junior brother?” Long Eyebrow Immortal asked coldly.

An Zhisu nodded faintly, her cheeks turning a slight red, head bowed without an answer.

“Let me ask you,” Long Eyebrow Immortal continued, “if one day your father comes out of seclusion and does not approve of your relationship with Qing Heng True Person, what will you do?”

An Zhisu’s face turned somewhat pale, and she lowered her head to say,

“I will try my best to persuade my father.”

“And if he does not listen, what then?” Long Eyebrow Immortal scoffed, saying offhandedly, “You are a Second Grade Golden Core, and Qing Heng True Person is but Third Grade, how could your father agree to you becoming Daoist Companions with him?”

An Zhisu did not answer, but it was obvious that she completely disagreed with Long Eyebrow Immortal’s speculation.

How could her mentor be the type to judge a person’s worth by their Golden Core Grade Rank?

Long Eyebrow Immortal saw her stubborn look again and immediately felt a great headache.

This father and daughter pair were exactly alike—placing too much trust in their own judgments, refusing to listen to others!

“Immortal, I would also like to say something,” Elder Ming Hua suddenly spoke.

“Speak,” Long Eyebrow Immortal gestured with a wave of his hand.

“May I ask Jiao Xiao True Person,” Elder Ming Hua said indifferently, “if one day, you must choose between the Sect and your Daoist Companion, what would you do?”

Jade Capital Sect Leader immediately interrupted him, saying,

“Ming Hua! At the Criminal Law Hall, do not ask questions irrelevant to the matter at hand!”

It was clear that this was an attempt to sow discord, and one wrong answer could enrage the Long Eyebrow Immortal—the Jade Capital Sect Leader would never tolerate this!

“Jade Capital, hold.” Suddenly, the Long Eyebrow Immortal spoke up, his gaze fixated on An Zhisu, saying, “I am actually curious as to what choice Jiao Xiao True Person would make.”

“If one day, the sect needs Qing Heng True Person to make a sacrifice, or else it will suffer great losses in strength, what would you, Jiao Xiao, choose?”

An Zhisu fell silent, bowing her head without a word.

Just as the Long Eyebrow Immortal was feeling somewhat disappointed, An Zhisu suddenly prostrated herself on the ground and said:

“If truly a sacrifice is needed for the sect, Jiao Xiao is willing to take the place, to preserve my junior brother’s life.”

The Long Eyebrow Immortal was at a loss for words.

In his view, there was absolutely no need to carefully weigh the value of a Second Grade Golden Core against a Third Grade Golden Core.

How could Shushan possibly agree to let a Second Grade Golden Core give up their life just to save a Third Grade Golden Core?

You volunteered to take the place, but have you considered whether the sect is willing? Has the sect used so many resources to cultivate you just to let you sacrifice yourself at will?

Just as the Long Eyebrow Immortal was feeling frustrated and speechless, Elder Ming Hua suddenly laughed and said:

“Such profound sentiment from Jiao Xiao True Person is admirable; however, in my opinion, were the roles reversed, Qing Heng True Person might not make the same choice.”

Hearing this, An Zhisu could not contain her indignation and was about to retort, when Elder Ming Hua continued:

“If Jiao Xiao is found guilty this time and must be executed on the spot, how would Qing Heng True Person react?”

“Would he completely disregard the sect’s laws and storm the prison to rescue Jiao Xiao True Person? Or would he, to protect himself, pretend that nothing has happened?”

An Zhisu’s face stiffened, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.

Emotionally, if such a situation really arose, she would naturally hope that her junior brother would not abandon her;

But logically speaking, if her junior brother were to sacrifice himself to save her, An Zhisu would rather he feign ignorance.

Long Eyebrow Immortal also became lost in thought, only to hear Elder Ming Hua continue:

“Immortal, I think we might as well stage a play, pretend to spread the news that Jiao Xiao True Person is to be executed; if Qing Heng True Person chooses self-preservation, it proves he truly does not deserve the sentiment of Jiao Xiao True Person. Jiao Xiao could then make a timely change of heart, turning to the Sentiment Inquiry Path of Forgetting Love instead.”

The Long Eyebrow Immortal’s interest was immediately piqued: in his view, Qing Heng was just another Golden Core True Person, how could he possibly dare to defy the entire sect of Shushan?

As long as Qing Heng did not come to the rescue, Jiao Xiao would be greatly disappointed and would thus give up on Sentiment Inquiry to cultivate the Path of Forgetting Love, no longer bound by emotional ties or human weaknesses… simply perfect!

“Utter nonsense!” said the Jade Capital Sect Leader coldly, “Not to mention other things, to falsely accuse Jiao Xiao True Person of a crime to the outside world, how will you settle things afterwards?”

“Simple.” Elder Ming Hua laughed, “Just say some traitor from the Demon Cult has murdered one of our Ziyun Peak’s True Persons, and used this to frame Jiao Xiao True Person. The sect, to ascertain the traitor’s identity, falsely proclaimed Jiao Xiao True Person guilty to lure the traitor into revealing themselves.”

Blaming a traitor from the Demonic Path was a tactic that history had already proven to be extraordinarily effective… The failed surprise attack plan from the Zhao Family of Guyuan was likewise attributed to a Demonic Path insider, and everyone’s reaction was, “Oh, so it was a Demon Cult betrayer, how despicable,” and it became a traditional skill of the Three Pure Orthodox Sect.

“If Qing Heng True Person comes to break out the prison, how will things be settled afterwards?” the Jade Capital Sect Leader asked sternly, “Could it be that his crimes will still be pursued? Jiao Xiao True Person is actually innocent, aren’t you afraid of causing Qingluo Peak to lose heart and loyalty?!”

“How could Qing Heng True Person possibly storm the prison?” said the Long Eyebrow Immortal abruptly, “He is but a Golden Core True Person, could it be that he dares to go against the entire Shushan?”

After speaking, he looked down at An Zhisu below, and said with a sneer:

“If Qing Heng True Person comes to me, claiming he is willing to die in your place, then I will acknowledge the bond between you and cease to bring up this matter in the future.”

“Otherwise… with Su Jian not present, according to the seniority in our mentor-student relationship, the matter of your marriage will be decided by me. You better think it through.”

Before An Zhisu could respond, the Jade Capital Sect Leader had already risen in displeasure, leaving with a sweep of his sleeves, without uttering another word.

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