Chapter 35: Could There Really Be an Old Master Inside the Ring?

The master of the Flame Tiger is none other than Elder Xu Liao, the official in charge of the Law Enforcement Pavilion. Within the sect, every disciple tasked with investigating such incidents belongs to that very pavilion.

Furthermore, Elder Xu Liao possesses the greatest seniority of anyone in the sect, save for the Sect Master himself. Even Qi Yongnian, who oversees the sect’s major and minor affairs, falls short in comparison. Chi Chongrui, already a rung below Qi, cannot hope to match Xu’s status.

Thus, as expected—and yet, to everyone's surprise—the truth behind the matter was brought to light with remarkable speed.

The investigation concluded that the Flame Tiger had attacked because it had been abused by Zhao Zijing, an outer-sect disciple of the Spirit Beast Hall. Zhao was known for his arrogance, his frequent conflicts with fellow disciples, and his foul temper. Having been previously disciplined by the Law Enforcement Pavilion, he had refused to repent, instead harboring a grudge that he eventually took out on Elder Xu’s mount.

As an outer-sect disciple responsible for tending to the beasts, Zhao had abused his position to mistreat the Elder’s mount, going so far as to withhold its food. This, the report claimed, was the root cause of the tiger’s outburst. Unable to endure the abuse any longer, the Flame Tiger had finally snapped, killing Zhao Zijing in a frenzy.

The final verdict was that, while a life had been lost, the circumstances were "understandable." Consequently, the primary culprit, the Flame Tiger, was sentenced to three months of confinement and a halving of its rations as a warning to others.

Su Yi stood outside the Law Enforcement Pavilion, stroking his chin as he read the notice posted on the wall. Aside from the names, there was likely not a shred of truth in the entire document. It was pure, fabricated nonsense.

Yet, even though it was a fabrication, it followed a logical progression that made it believable. More importantly, most of the disciples who read the notice actually believed it. They were busy vilifying Zhao Zijing, calling him narrow-minded, wicked, and brainless for bullying even a beast. If Zhao Zijing could see this, he would likely be angry enough to come back to life.

Once Su Yi discovered that Zhao Zijing had attempted to harm him yet again, he had effectively signed the man’s death warrant; yesterday’s events were merely an execution carried out by the claws of the Flame Tiger. As the dignified Saint Son of the Heavenly Origin, how could he tolerate such a clown’s repeated provocations? If he endured it this time, the man would never change. It was better to crush him now and save himself the future annoyance. He was no master of temperament who would swallow an insult and keep his enemies around to cause more trouble. Since someone had jumped out to seek their own death, he didn't mind lending them a hand.

"That wretch Zhao Zijing is dead! Hahaha, heaven has eyes!" Xu Ze said nearby, looking at the notice with a look of intense excitement and bitter resentment. "It’s just a pity I couldn't kill him with my own hands! To have such scum die like this is letting him off too easily!"

Su Yi smiled, patted his shoulder, and said with an enigmatic tone, "His fate is entirely of his own making. Actually, this is for the best—it keeps our hands clean."

Xu Ze nodded. "The cycle of heaven is absolute; good and evil meet their ends. I just never expected a spirit beast to be the one to claim his life. There is nothing more fickle than the ways of the world."

Su Yi gave a faint, perfunctory smile. "Perhaps this is simply the will of heaven."

Meanwhile, his mind was on something else. Quietly and without notice, this kid Xu Ze had already reached the third level of Qi Refining. Even Su Yi could not fathom his cultivation path, and his way of speaking had changed entirely, becoming increasingly pedantic. Could it be that there really was an "old master" hiding in that ring, guiding him?

That night, in a cave dwelling with archaic decor, Chi Chongrui sat slumped on a cloud couch, his face dark and his eyes burning with fury. Before him, kneeling on both knees in terror, was Feng Chuan.

"Is everything you just told me the truth?" Chi Chongrui glanced coldly at his son, his tone eerily calm.

Feng Chuan nodded hastily, answering respectfully, "Father, every word is true. I did intend to use Zhao Zijing to dispose of Zhang Yi, but I never expected..."

*Slap!*

Before he could finish, a crisp sound echoed through the room. Feng Chuan’s face immediately swelled, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. Chi Chongrui let out a cold snort and said frostily, "Do you know where you went wrong this time?"

Facing the blow, Feng Chuan dared not even wipe the blood from his mouth. He bowed carefully and replied, "I should not have ordered Zhao Zijing to harm a fellow disciple."

*Bang!*

As soon as those words left his mouth, Feng Chuan was sent flying by a kick, crashing into the screen behind him and shattering it to pieces. He rolled onto the floor, but ignoring the pain, he scrambled back to his original position to kneel, head bowed.

Chi Chongrui’s expression remained grim. "How incredibly stupid! Compared to our grand designs, what does harming a fellow disciple matter?" He looked at his son with utter disdain, his voice chilling. "You wanted to stand up for your cousin; that is fine. He is our relative, after all. But you should never, under any circumstances, have dragged the Flame Tiger into this. The beast itself is nothing, but behind it stands Elder Xu Liao of the Law Enforcement Pavilion! That old man is not to be trifled with."

"With the death of Zhao Zijing, the direct heir of the Zhao family, whether it was Zhang Yi’s scheme or the tiger acting on its own to kill and seize a pill, it forces me to confront that old scoundrel Xu Liao prematurely. You’ve brought a powerful enemy upon me for no reason!"

"I have spent years painstakingly building my influence and forging alliances, and you—you’ve caused such a disaster. You are truly a fool!"

Hearing this, Feng Chuan turned deathly pale and began kowtowing frantically, begging for mercy. "Father, please calm your anger. I know my mistake; I will never act on my own again!"

"Hmph! As long as you understand the stakes!" Seeing that his son was truly terrified, Chi Chongrui’s expression softened slightly as he spoke in a low, heavy voice. "For a hundred years, I have served the Xianxia Sect with dedication and diligence. If there was no credit, there was at least hard work. And yet, I am humiliated by an elder of the Law Enforcement Pavilion who refuses to give me even a shred of face."

"It seems my previous choice was the right one. Only by defecting to the Sacred Sect can our Chi family rise to greater heights, free from living under others' shadows and enduring such humiliation." As he spoke, the hatred deep in Chi Chongrui’s eyes grew more intense, finally hardening into resolve.

"Your cousin had the talent of a dual spiritual root; his path was destined for greatness. He was highly valued in the Zhao family and was your aunt’s pride and joy. Now that he has died so inexplicably, if I do not seek justice, how will I ever face the Zhao family in Yuzhou City?"

"Zhang Yi, the Flame Tiger, Mo Shenglin, and that old fool Xu Liao who only knows how to shield his own—they all deserve to die! Since it has come to this, I might as well go all the way and remove everyone who stands in my path!"

Hearing this, Feng Chuan’s heart trembled violently. He asked in astonishment, "Father, do you mean..."

Chi Chongrui narrowed his eyes, a glint of cold light flashing within them. "I have risked the total destruction of our family to work for the Sacred Sect. Now that I have encountered this difficulty, the Sacred Sect must also play its part."

"The Sacred Sect wants to use me to secretly control the Xianxia Sect and plant a dagger in the heart of the righteous path. I, in turn, wish to use them to eliminate my rivals and ascend to the position of Sect Master of the Xianxia Sect. This has always been a transaction of mutual interest!"