Chapter 0001

Chapter 1: Do You Admit Your Crime? I Know You’re a Blockhead!

Primal Heaven Earth Mountain, Jade Purity Sect, Hall of Judgment.

Mo Liu Su’s cold voice cut through the hall as she questioned him: “Zhou Tong, you destroyed a treasured relic of the sect. Do you admit your crime?”

Zhou Tong looked straight at her, his eyes like lightning, and answered with a snort: “I know you’re a blockhead!”

He stood there proud and calm. In this life, he was a peerless expert reborn. In his last life, his junior brother framed him, his master disliked him, and his senior sisters treated him like an enemy. In the end they joined hands and killed him. [This time, I will not be soft. I will repay every wrong and every grudge.]

The one questioning him was a stunning beauty with hair like a waterfall, cold and noble. She was his master, Mo Liu Su, and she was one of the people who caused his death. Long ago, when he had no parents, Mo Liu Su met him while training outside, brought him back to the sect, and took him in as a disciple.

He had five senior sisters ahead of him. They were all gifted and beautiful. At first they treated him well, but everything changed after a junior brother named Tang Qi joined. Tang Qi was very talented, very cunning, and blessed by fate. Soon, everyone’s favor for Zhou Tong was gone.

After that, the senior sisters and Mo Liu Su looked down on Zhou Tong. He tried hard to win them back. He even tried to fight against Tang Qi, but they crushed him without mercy. It was the same today. The sect treasure was clearly destroyed by Tang Qi, yet he teamed up with the fourth and fifth senior sisters to frame Zhou Tong, just to enjoy watching him fail to defend himself.

Mo Liu Su’s face turned even colder as she scolded him: “How dare you speak to me like that! We have witnesses and proof. Not only do you refuse to admit it, you are rude to your elder. Your crime is even worse. Kneel!”

A heavy pressure slammed down and settled on Zhou Tong’s shoulders. Creak, creak. His bones rubbed and groaned under the force. He was already injured, and the weight was like torture, yet he kept his back straight.

Gasps came from the crowd. Even with wounds on his body, he stood firm.

Zhou Tong let out a cold smile and stared at Mo Liu Su: “Hearsay is unreliable. You are trying to force a confession when there is no physical evidence. In your eyes, I am a toy for others to step on. Everything you are doing is to shield your favorite disciple. You are not worthy to be my master.”

Mo Liu Su’s eyes tightened. Meeting his sharp gaze, she shivered before she could stop herself. The Zhou Tong she knew was always timid and eager to please her. He should be begging for forgiveness right now. The thought made her even angrier.

She snapped at him, her voice frosty: “What do you mean? Are you saying Tang Qi and your senior sisters would lie? They are not shameless like you. Who are you pretending for? If you want to show your defiance to me, then hear this: in front of Tang Qi, you are nothing.”

She increased the pressure again. Zhou Tong’s bones creaked louder, close to breaking.

Just then, Tang Qi stepped forward and spoke in a gentle tone: “Master, please forgive senior brother this time. He is probably scared. Maybe he is jealous that everyone favors me, so he tried to put the blame on me.”

Zhou Tong’s pupils shrank when he saw Tang Qi. On the surface, Tang Qi looked pure and kind, but inside he was vicious. He practiced Devil Arts and planned to sacrifice Heaven Servants to help him reach the Great Dao. Later, he actually did it. He slaughtered the whole Jade Purity Sect. He turned the five senior sisters into Puppet Thralls. He even imprisoned Mo Liu Su and treated her as a plaything. Zhou Tong saw all of this after his death, drifting as a soul. [Back then, I felt nothing but dark joy.]

Mo Liu Su showed a rare smile, open and obvious in her bias as she praised Tang Qi: “Tang Qi, you are too kind. That is why villains dare to frame you. You do not need to plead for him. Today he will receive the punishment he deserves.”

Tang Qi dropped to his knees in front of her and spoke with feeling: “Master, please don’t. Senior brother only made a mistake for a moment. Please give him a chance to change.”

He looked like he was helping Zhou Tong, but every word nailed the blame onto Zhou Tong’s head.

Mo Liu Su’s tone eased as she glanced at Zhou Tong and said: “Fine. For your sake, I will spare this wretch once.” She glared at Zhou Tong and barked: “Hurry and thank your junior brother. How rude you are. I should never have brought you back!”

Zhou Tong let out a breath and laughed in anger: “What a pure and noble master you are. All these years, who did every dirty and heavy job in the sect if not me? Without that, you would not have the leisure to act above the world. As for you, since the day I bowed to you, you have rarely done a master’s duty. You only allowed your disciples to target me and humiliate me. From start to finish, I owe you nothing.”

Two senior sisters who were there to testify snapped at him at the same time, their eyes full of mockery: “Bold! How dare you be so rude. Master took in a thankless wolf!”

They were sure he could not escape today. This is what he got for trying to compete with the junior brother for favor.

Mo Liu Su’s anger flared as she shouted: “I brought you out of the Desolate Mountain and kept you from wandering in the wild. That was a great kindness. Yet you still hold a grudge and do not know contentment. What use are you to me?”

She pointed at the floor and gave her final order: “This is your last chance. Kneel at once, apologize to your junior brother, and accept punishment. Then today’s matter will be wiped clean.”

Zhou Tong felt his blood surge. He had already decided to cut all ties, yet his chest still felt tight. His breath turned rough. He forced the words out: “I already said it. Tang Qi destroyed the treasure on purpose and framed me. I will not carry a false charge.”

Mo Liu Su’s eyes went icy as she declared: “Very well. You are still stubborn and even dare to bite at Tang Qi. Do not blame me for using the Heart Questioning Judgment.”

At those words, the elders around them all changed color.

One elder stepped forward to plead in a rush: “Master Mo, you must not. Even if Zhou Tong is at fault, he is our most outstanding disciple and has made many contributions to the sect. Better to give him a lighter punishment…”

Mo Liu Su cut him off with a wave: “No need to say more. My mind is made up.”

A streak of light shot into the sky. Wind and thunder rolled at once, and a great image appeared above: the Hall of Judgment.

An old man watching from afar cried out: “Look, it’s the Jade Purity Sect’s public trial!”

People had heard that the Jade Purity Sect had strict rules. To punish disciples who made serious mistakes, the law enforcing elders would hold a public judgment. Once you faced a public trial, you were marked as a criminal. For the rest of your life, people would look down on you. Because this punishment was so severe, the elder who used it had to bear the burden too. For a while after, the Heavenly Dao would reveal the elder’s deeds to all, to prove that the elder’s heart was clear.

Someone asked in shock as faces turned up to the sky: “Which disciple did something so bad that the Jade Purity Sect would go this far?”

When Zhou Tong’s face showed in the image, many people cried out: “It’s him!” “Heavens, isn’t that the champion of the Hundred Sects Tournament?” “I know him. His name is Zhou Tong. He is good at almost everything. He is the most monstrous talent I have ever seen. The Jade Purity Sect is really willing to throw him away!”

Mo Liu Su’s cold voice carried through the image as if she could hear the whispers: “What use is talent? If your morals are rotten, you are still trash.”

Then she gave the sentence: “Zhou Tong, you destroyed a sect treasure and slandered your junior brother. Your crime cannot be forgiven. I sentence you to one hundred lashes with the God Beating Whip and three years kneeling on the Cliff of Reflection.”

The elders trembled in their hearts. There was no solid proof. Even if Zhou Tong had done it, this punishment was far too heavy.

Zhou Tong took a deep breath and spoke firmly: “I object.”

Mo Liu Su narrowed her eyes and said with certainty: “The result is set. Even if you beg, it is too late. I will not lighten your punishment.”

Zhou Tong answered one word at a time so every elder could hear: “According to the sect rules, I should have my cultivation abolished and be expelled from the sect.”

Mo Liu Su’s eyes widened.

Zhou Tong turned to the elders and called out in a steady voice: “Honored elders, please enforce the law fairly. Since this crime has been put on me, then please witness this: today I will quit the sect and cut off all ties with Mo Liu Su!”

Mo Liu Su looked down at him, her aura turning deadly cold as she hissed: “What did you say? You want to sever the master and disciple bond with me?!”