Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Sect Master Played Favorites!
Gu Qing Yuan’s pupils tightened. Veins stood out along his clenched fist.

He had never imagined there would come a day when a junior sister would outshine him.

After losing to Song Wan Ning last time, he had told himself it was only because he’d been desperate to save someone, only because he hadn’t truly focused. He’d repeated that excuse until he almost believed it.

But the sword strike just now made his heart pound.

Just as Song Wan Ning had said, he’d sensed it the instant the giant sword formed. Yet before he could even react, it had already slammed into him—clean, brutal, unavoidable.

How could that power be real?

Urgency swelled in his chest, hot and suffocating. His pride would never allow him to be left behind by Song Wan Ning.

“Junior Sister Song… you advanced?”

Only now did the Sect Master and the elders seem to notice. Surprise flickered across their faces—followed by something uglier, something like guilt.

Just now… they had all quietly sided with Gu Qing Yuan.

And that strike of Song Wan Ning’s had not been meant for Gu Qing Yuan alone.

“Mhm.” Song Wan Ning’s expression stayed calm. “I advanced by luck.”

She lifted her eyes and met the Sect Master’s gaze, the look sharp enough to cut.

He had favored Gu Qing Yuan time and time again. Did he truly think she would keep swallowing it?

A plan formed in the space of a heartbeat. Her gaze turned playful, and she smiled at the Sect Master as though they were sharing a private joke.

The Sect Master shuddered. A chill ran from his tailbone to his scalp.

Ever since that medicine matter, Song Wan Ning had been getting more and more… eerie.

He forced his expression straight. “It’s a good thing you advanced, Junior Sister Song. But Junior Brother Gu is a fellow disciple, and those martial nephews are innocent. You shouldn’t have struck so heavily.”

Never mind An Ze—Bai Yang and Ye Chu Xue were meant to be the Heaven-Questioning Sect’s new generation of prodigies. Yet in the past half a year, they had been injured again and again, their vitality damaged so badly they still hadn’t recovered.

Song Wan Ning had only just come out of seclusion, and she attacked without even asking what happened. Outrageous.

“Hurry and bring them pills!”

He spoke in a commanding tone, as though he were addressing a reckless disciple who needed to be put in her place—because if he didn’t suppress Song Wan Ning now, the Heaven-Questioning Sect would end up letting her call the shots.

“This was Li Ruo’s fault to begin with. You can’t protect her just because she’s your disciple!”

“If you do this, you’ll only ruin her. And everyone will think you were the one directing everything from behind the scenes. It’ll damage your reputation, too!”

Before, no matter what Song Wan Ning did, Gu Qing Yuan had been able to keep her in check. The Sect Master had never had to worry.

But not anymore.

No matter how powerful the Song Family was, the Heaven-Questioning Sect was not Song Wan Ning’s territory. There was no way he could let her do whatever she pleased.

“Exactly, Junior Sister Song.” The Seventh Elder—the Sect Master’s most eager lapdog—immediately jumped in. “What you did violates sect rules. By rights, you should be punished.”

“As Nascent Soul True Lords, we should set an example. We absolutely cannot rely on our cultivation to bully fellow disciples!”

“Don’t you agree?”

At once, the watching disciples nodded along.

If Nascent Soul True Lords could strike fellow disciples whenever they pleased, what would that make the rest of them?

“Junior Sister Song, we’re saying this for your own good…”

The two of them pressed in together, one line after another, scolding Song Wan Ning for immaturity, for arrogance, for bullying.

Song Wan Ning almost laughed—from sheer anger.

“How interesting.” Her voice was cool, almost amused. “Sect Master, Seventh Elder. So when Gu Qing Yuan uses Soul-Search, that isn’t bullying fellow disciples?”

“Li Ruo did wrong first and stubbornly refused to admit it!” the Sect Master snapped, sleeve flicking as he snorted coldly. “Junior Brother Gu had no choice!”

“Junior Sister Song, stop twisting words!”

The more Song Wan Ning defended Li Ruo, the more convinced he became that she was hiding something. In his mind, Li Ruo was nothing—only a tool.

A tool used by Song Wan Ning.

Relying on the Song Family’s power and her own skill at alchemy, Song Wan Ning had never taken them seriously. Now she was even more lawless, humiliating him again and again in front of everyone.

“Sect Master.” Song Wan Ning’s brows and eyes turned to frost. “May I ask how you decided it was Li Ruo who poisoned them? A witness? Evidence?”

“You have nothing, yet you declare her guilty based on nothing but your imagination.”

“Is this how the Heaven-Questioning Sect’s Sect Master upholds justice?”

Her words sharpened, each one striking where it hurt.

“So blind to right and wrong—your time as Sect Master is over.”

“Song Wan Ning!” Killing intent surged up in the Sect Master’s heart. His face darkened. “You’re questioning this Sect Master?”

“Yes.” Flames leaped in Song Wan Ning’s eyes. “This lord is questioning you.”

Someone so deaf, so mute, so biased had no right to lead a sect.

“You—”

The Sect Master’s eyes widened with fury. If the Seventh Elder hadn’t grabbed his arm, he would have lunged on the spot.

With so many disciples watching, Song Wan Ning dared to speak to him like this?

“What about me?” Song Wan Ning let out a short, mocking laugh. “You two keep saying I’m protecting my disciple. Aren’t you doing the same?”

“If you want fairness, then let me Soul-Search Ye Chu Xue.”

She tilted her head, smile thin as a blade.

“How about it?”

“No!”

Several voices rang out at once.

The Sect Master. Gu Qing Yuan. Bai Yang. An Ze.

All of them rejected it with naked panic.

“Master…” Bai Yang, the pills having barely taken effect, struggled upright. His face was still pale as he shook his head at Song Wan Ning. “Junior Sister Ye didn’t do anything wrong. You can’t Soul-Search her…”

He stepped in front of Ye Chu Xue without hesitation.

Then he glanced at Li Ruo—timid, trembling—and disgust tightened his mouth.

“Yes! Master!” An Ze, still on the ground, shouted too. “It’s clearly Li Ruo’s fault. Why would you Soul-Search Ye Chu Xue?!”

Even afraid, he still lifted his chin, stubbornly defending Ye Chu Xue.

What a loyal dog.

Song Wan Ning’s gaze slid to Gu Qing Yuan, sharp and mocking.

He felt guilty under it. He pressed his lips together. “I only wanted to scare her…”

With no proof, he obviously couldn’t really Soul-Search. He’d simply failed to force an admission out of Li Ruo before Song Wan Ning arrived.

“Is that so?” Song Wan Ning shrugged. “Then I’ll scare her too.”

She started toward Ye Chu Xue.

“No!”

They instantly formed a wall in front of Ye Chu Xue as though facing a deadly enemy, staring at Song Wan Ning as if she might devour them whole.

Song Wan Ning was impossible to read now. They didn’t dare gamble.

Behind them, Ye Chu Xue was in agony—but a fierce, secret happiness rose in her heart.

Like a victor, she threw Song Wan Ning a provocative look.

So what if Song Wan Ning went crazy? So what if she became more extreme?

Everyone was still on Ye Chu Xue’s side.

Song Wan Ning was the real loser.

Song Wan Ning’s eyes curved. Her lips lifted slightly.

Then she raised her hand and sent the people blocking her flying.

In the same instant, she appeared beside Ye Chu Xue. Under Ye Chu Xue’s terrified stare, Song Wan Ning brought her palm down.

“No!”

Everyone attacked together, shock and fury exploding at once.

The disciples watching turned deathly pale and stumbled back, too frightened to draw near.