Chapter 165

Chapter 165: Begging Master to Forgive Her
Fang Cheng Lang stepped out from the crowd. His knees hit the ground hard, and he looked up with pleading eyes.

When they saw their First Senior Brother kneel, Su Ming stopped thinking and rushed forward to kneel as well.

Lan Zi Yu glanced once in Yu Zhao’s direction, then lifted his robe and dropped to his knees.

Ye Cong Xin instantly felt the pressure from everyone around her.

She bit her lip. Just as she was about to kneel and beg too, Quan Ye grabbed her arm.

“Junior Sister, they have all been fooled by that fake. Do not let yourself be tricked too.”

“But First Senior Brother and the others…” Ye Cong Xin was secretly delighted, but she had to show worry on her face.

“Leave them alone. If they want to kneel, let them kneel. Master will punish them himself.”

Quan Ye spoke with gloating in his voice.

“Cheng Lang, are you trying to go against your master?”

Master Qing Yan’s voice was slow and calm, but anyone could hear the anger hidden inside.

Fang Cheng Lang bowed low and said, “Disciple does not dare. It is only that this disciple truly cannot agree with Master’s judgment of Li… of Yu Zhao. I beg Master to forgive her.”

“I beg Master to forgive her!”

Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming echoed at the same time.

Their words confused many of the onlookers who did not know the truth.

Fang Cheng Lang was known to be upright and fair, with a clean heart. If even he was standing out to plead for Yu Zhao, did that not mean Yu Zhao was not as Master Qing Yan had described?

Also, Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming had always been at odds with Yu Zhao, yet they were willing to speak for her now. Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun were both protecting Yu Zhao as well.

Maybe Yu Zhao’s popularity was not as bad as they had thought.

Sect Master Ji Yuan followed up at once, saying, “Master Qing Yan, even your own disciples are saying there has been a misunderstanding. Why not just let the matter go here, hahaha.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan let out two dry laughs, trying to ease the tension, but Master Qing Yan did not give him any face at all.

“All the disciples taking part in the selection are personal disciples. Yu Zhao does not meet that standard.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan’s face darkened.

It was clear that Master Qing Yan simply did not want Yu Zhao to join the Cultivation World Grand Tournament as a disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect.

The reason was actually very simple.

If the team Yu Zhao had joined ended up winning the whole tournament, her identity would become a topic of gossip among everyone. Master Qing Yan would also be dragged into that.

Master Qing Yan did not want to be a target of idle talk, so he wanted to cut off the problem at the earliest sign.

Sect Master Ji Yuan was extremely unhappy.

In his heart, the honor of the sect was above everything. Even if people talked about Master Qing Yan for a while, it would not hurt him. What was there to care about?

But Master Qing Yan’s status in the Five Elements Dao Sect was no lower than his own as Sect Master. Since the words came from Master Qing Yan’s mouth, he had no choice but to think carefully.

“What do you all think, fellow Peak Master elders?”

Elder Gu had a belly full of things he wanted to say, but he had not found a chance yet. He was almost sick from holding it in.

When he heard Sect Master Ji Yuan ask, he immediately raised his voice and said, “When the sect chooses disciples, it should be based on ability, not status. With Yu Zhao’s cultivation level at the late Golden Core stage, how is she not qualified to compete?”

Sect Master Ji Yuan at once shot Elder Gu a praising look.

[Old Gu, oh Old Gu, I always thought you were only obsessed with books. I did not expect your mind to be clearer than some other people’s. You are amazing!]

His happiness did not last long.

There were only a few Peak Master elders like Elder Gu who were not afraid of offending Master Qing Yan.

After weighing the pros and cons, most of the others either chose to stay silent or gently expressed that they stood on the same side as Master Qing Yan.

Master Qing Yan sat quietly there, like an exiled immortal from the ninth heaven, floating above the dust of the mortal world.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Sect Master Ji Yuan’s lips.

From the moment Master Qing Yan spoke those words, he had already known that no one would be able to go against his will.

He looked down at Yu Zhao, his eyes full of guilt and helplessness.

He was a useless Sect Master.

He could not protect her at all.

“Junior Sister Yu.”

Zhou Jin Yue could not help but squeeze Yu Zhao’s hand more tightly.

She could not hear what they were saying on the high platform, but she could see the changes on her Master’s face.

That was the look of helplessness and compromise.

Junior Sister Yu would not be able to take part in the Cultivation World Grand Tournament with them. She would not even be allowed to join the Selection Trials.

It had been bad enough that Master Qing Yan had failed to act like a proper Master in the past. Now he was using the authority of a Peak Master to pressure a former disciple.

He had gone too far.

The more Zhou Jin Yue thought about it, the angrier she became. She let go of Yu Zhao’s hand and was about to rush forward to demand an explanation.

Yu Zhao reacted fast and caught her.

“Senior Sister Zhou.” Yu Zhao’s face was calm. “Let me handle this.”

Under Zhou Jin Yue’s worried gaze, Yu Zhao took one step after another forward, showing herself clearly to everyone’s eyes.

“Master Qing Yan, I can agree not to join the sect selection. But the things you said about me, I will not accept even a single word.

“I, Yu Zhao, know clearly what kind of person I am. I do not need others to judge me. Not even you.”

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

Fang Cheng Lang and the others almost jumped out of their skin in fear.

Yu Zhao’s words were too bold.

Master Qing Yan’s eyes grew dark. “Sect Master Ji Yuan, is this the misunderstanding you spoke of?”

Sect Master Ji Yuan felt a headache pounding behind his eyes.

Yu Zhao had not said anything wrong, but with so many people watching, she should have left some face for Master Qing Yan. She was still too young.

“Master Qing Yan, young people are hot-blooded. It is understandable, understandable.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan tried to smooth things over while also winking nonstop at Master Guan Yun.

Master Guan Yun felt awkward, but for the sake of his disciple and her team with Zhou Jin Yue, he still forced himself to persuade them.

Down below, Su Ming and Lan Zi Yu were also whispering to Yu Zhao, trying to get her to apologize to Master Qing Yan.

“Yu Xiao Zhao! Do you think Master is as easy to talk to as we are? Hurry and kneel, knock your head on the ground, and admit you were wrong. Stop being so stubborn!”

“Yu Zhao! Are you crazy? Hurry and admit your mistake and ask Master to forgive you!”

“Yu Zhao, do not pretend you cannot hear us! Apologize now! If you apologize now, there is still a chance to fix this!”

Fang Cheng Lang had also wanted to tell Yu Zhao to admit she was wrong, but then he remembered his last conversation with her. All the words of advice stuck in his throat and would not come out.

Yu Zhao did not even look at them. Her back was straight.

She had already thought about what she might face the moment she chose to stand up.

The worst that could happen was that things ended up just like in her past life: she would be driven out of the Five Elements Dao Sect again.

The first time was hard. The second time would be easier.

If she had to become a rogue cultivator again, she would never be as miserable as she had been in her last life.

Right now, the sunlight was bright and gentle.

But the light in Yu Zhao’s eyes was even brighter than the sun, sharp and dazzling, impossible to ignore.

As Master Qing Yan stared at her, his gaze suddenly froze. A tearing pain exploded in his sea of consciousness.

His fingers clenched hard on the armrest of his chair. His joints went white, and his eyes wavered.

[Why?]

He had kept his condition under control so well all these years. Why was his old illness suddenly flaring up?

Was it because of Yu Zhao?

[No.]

[Impossible.]

Yu Zhao was just a discarded disciple. How could she be worthy of stirring his emotions?

There had to be some other reason.

“Master Qing Yan?”

Master Qing Yan tried his best to hide that anything was wrong, but every person present was sharp-eyed. They noticed his state right away.

Sect Master Ji Yuan in particular was full of worry. He did not like Master Qing Yan’s domineering ways, but he also knew that Master Qing Yan was a pillar of the sect. If something happened to him, the position of the Five Elements Dao Sect would surely suffer.

“It is nothing.”