Chapter 164: Ungrateful and Selfish
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
The last person to speak did so with a tone full of disdain and contempt, immediately catching the attention of the surrounding disciples. Xiu Luo remained unfazed, calmly accepting their stares. After all, she wasn’t wrong, so she felt no guilt. The people of Lone Moon Peak shouldn’t have let Ye Cong Xin participate in the competition. If she lost, it was their own fault.
Xiu Luo’s reputation as a fierce disciple was well-known within the Five Elements Sect. Those who initially wanted to argue with her held their tongues.
Elder Sun spoke, “The eight selected teams, step forward.”
Including Yu Zhao, a total of forty disciples marched in unison to the center of the martial arts arena.
Real Master Guan Yun observed with a slight hum, “The female disciple beside Jin Yue looks unfamiliar.”
“When did the sect get another young disciple in the late stage of the Golden Core?”
“Wait, isn’t that Yu Zhao, the one Master Qing Yan expelled? She has formed her core?”
The peak masters and elders looked at Master Qing Yan with surprise in their eyes.
They had heard a lot about Yu Zhao, the most memorable being that she was expelled by Master Qing Yan and became an inner disciple without a teacher. Everyone assumed that Yu Zhao must have offended Master Qing Yan due to her unruly behavior, making her a useless person. Now, seeing her in person, they realized the rumors were wrong.
Just by looking at Yu Zhao’s demeanor, she was superior to most of the personal disciples present. With such good water spirit roots, it was surprising that Master Qing Yan had cast her out. They wondered what had really happened.
Elder Sun and Sect Master Ji Yuan were also shocked to see Yu Zhao. Among the elders present, they were the ones who had interacted with Yu Zhao the most. When Yu Zhao left Lone Moon Peak, her cultivation was still at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. It had only been two years, yet she had advanced so much—it was unbelievable.
Sect Master Ji Yuan couldn’t help but sigh with regret. If he had known this would happen, he would have accepted Yu Zhao into the main peak when she was expelled from Lone Moon Peak. He had missed a great opportunity to recruit a talented disciple.
Master Qing Yan sat high on the stage, looking down at Yu Zhao. His usually calm eyes showed faint ripples of emotion.
It turned out that Yu Zhao had relied on rebuilding her Path foundation and strengthening her spirit to become arrogant enough to publicly defy her master and leave the peak. Such a heartless and ungrateful person was well-suited to the ruthless techniques she practiced.
Sect Master Ji Yuan glanced at Master Qing Yan curiously. Why was he angry again? The cold aura he was emitting was chilling, even to him.
Elder Sun looked at the disciples in the center of the arena and solemnly announced the rules: “When the array is activated, the selection begins. Anyone who steps outside the boundary of the array is eliminated. The last person standing in the array will secure victory for their team. Do you understand?”
“We understand,” the forty disciples responded in unison.
“Good, the selection starts n—”
“Stop.”
A cold, snow-like voice cut off Elder Sun’s words.
Everyone turned in confusion to look at Master Qing Yan, who had suddenly spoken up.
Yu Zhao felt a chill in her heart, sensing an ominous feeling. The next moment, she felt a sharp, knife-like gaze piercing through her.
“Yu Zhao is ungrateful and selfish, unworthy of representing the Five Elements Sect in the competition. As the head of a peak, I hereby strip her of her qualification to participate in the selection.”
In that instant, it felt as if all sound had disappeared for Yu Zhao. She looked up at Master Qing Yan, who stood like a noble pine tree under the moonlight, pure and untainted. In a daze, she recalled the scene from her past life when she died by Master Qing Yan’s sword.
At that time, she had clearly seen Master Qing Yan’s sword pierce through her heart, yet she stubbornly refused to believe that her master truly wanted to kill her. Master Qing Yan had personally taken her in from the mortal world, promising that she would be his last disciple. Yu Zhao had engraved the teachings of respect and loyalty to her master into her very bones. Even though Master Qing Yan was indifferent to her, she had never harbored any rebellious thoughts.
But because she had exposed Ye Cong Xin’s true nature, her revered master had decided to put her to death. She hadn’t died at the hands of her mortal enemies but by the hand of the person who had once saved her from misery.
How absurd. How tragic.
“Elder Qing Yan, be careful with your words!”
Sect Master Ji Yuan’s angry shout snapped Yu Zhao back to the present.
A warm sensation spread from her hand through her entire body. Yu Zhao looked down and saw that Zhou Jin Yue was holding her hand tightly.
On the stage, Sect Master Ji Yuan was still speaking up for Yu Zhao.
“When Yu Zhao left the Lone Moon Peak, I was there. It was not as you claim. Why hold a grudge against a disciple, Master Qing Yan?” He was trying hard to contain his anger, his eyes wide with frustration.
“She was my disciple, so I have more right to judge her than you do,” Master Qing Yan replied with a voice devoid of emotion, yet the invisible pressure emanating from him was overwhelming.
The peak masters and elders on the stage felt as if they were drowning in the ocean, struggling to breathe. The disciples below, however, had no such concerns. With Master Qing Yan personally condemning Yu Zhao, all the previous rumors seemed to be confirmed.
“No wonder Master Qing Yan expelled Yu Zhao from the sect. It turns out she’s even worse than the rumors say.”
“It doesn’t matter how talented she is; with such a bad temperament, she doesn’t deserve to be one of us.”
“I think the sect should just kick Yu Zhao out altogether, so she doesn’t tarnish the name of the Five Elements Sect.”
“Poor Junior Sister Cong Xin. She must have suffered a lot at Yu Zhao’s hands. No wonder she’s been so sick for so long.”
The flood of criticism against Yu Zhao drowned out any voices speaking in her defense. Zhou Jin Yue, Zhang Jun, and Lu Li each stood at different positions around Yu Zhao, shielding her from the hostile gazes of the other disciples.
Pu Xing He quickly distanced himself from Yu Zhao, fearing he would be dragged down with her. Fang Cheng Lang, Lan Zi Yu, and Su Ming, on the other hand, felt no joy—only endless fear.
Master Qing Yan’s influence in the cultivation world was immense. His words were almost a death sentence for Yu Zhao. No one would want to associate with someone so thoroughly discredited by him. But they knew Yu Zhao wasn’t the terrible person Master Qing Yan made her out to be. She was just a bit stubborn and competitive with her junior sister. She hadn’t done anything so wrong as to deserve such a harsh punishment.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
“Master…” Su Ming started to plead, but Ye Cong Xin quickly tugged on his sleeve.
“Senior Brother Su, Master is angry. If you speak up for Sister Yu Zhao now, it will only make things worse.”
“Then what should we do?” Su Ming was almost in a panic, his anxiety written all over his face. Lan Zi Yu looked equally distressed, his eyes darting toward Yu Zhao.
“Why are you so worried? That Yu Zhao is a fake. Master must have seen through her disguise, which is why he said those things,” Quan Ye sneered, looking satisfied. He had always said Yu Zhao was an imposter, but they hadn’t believed him. Now they would have to.
The real Yu Zhao would never dare defy Master’s orders, leave the sect, or oppose them. This was a fake Yu Zhao; the real one must have been hidden away!
“Master, Yu Zhao has a pure heart. There must be some misunderstanding. Please take back what you said!”