A Web of Deceit Unraveled

“What?! Shouldn’t we report this to the elders immediately? I want to see it! The sect elders should arrest this despicable scoundrel!” Wei Qing slammed her fist on the table and stood up! Her voice suddenly rose!

Her loud shouts echoed through the spacious private room.

Li Xin, standing nearby, watched with heart-stopping dread, a chilling fear surging through her.

Wei Qing possessed many virtues, yet she utterly lacked the discernment to gauge a situation or understand the weight of her words.

Who, precisely, were the esteemed individuals gracing this chamber?

Seated prominently was none other than a member of the illustrious Qiu family, whose formidable reputation commanded respect even from the grand imperial houses.

And beside them sat the esteemed Miss Nangong, a scion of the Ji family’s Immortal Dynasty, a confidante of the Emperor and a figure of immense power.

The remaining attendees were either direct disciples of the various Elders or top-tier Jia-grade disciples.

In such a constellation of dazzling luminaries, what right did a few mere disciples like them have to interject?

The person who brought up this matter plainly intended to avoid direct action; how could it possibly fall to them to raise the alarm?!

Moreover, what was with that imperious tone? Anyone unfamiliar with the situation would mistake her for the true authority in the room!

Li Xin’s anxiety churned within her, threatening to make her retch.

She immediately stood up, extending her hands to firmly press Wei Qing back into her seat.

Wei Qing possessed many virtues, but she simply had no sense of occasion!

‘Was this truly a statement for her to make?’

‘Unable to discern priorities, did she truly expect to enjoy a peaceful existence within the Xuan Nv Sect hereafter?’

‘Her own elder sister often lamented the endless stratagems and calculating hearts within smaller sects upon returning home, so how much more treacherous must a major sect like the Xuan Nv Sect be!’

‘Every single person seated here boasted a family background as towering as a mountain. Natural talent and aptitude? Ha, such paltry aptitude was barely worth a whisper in the face of such formidable lineage!’

‘Unless… unless one was a figure as breathtakingly exceptional as Lin Wan’er, for whom the Sect Master and the Grand Elder were willing to cast aside all decorum to contend!’

“Li Xin! What are you— Ugh, ugh, ugh!”

Wei Qing’s voice, a mixture of shock and fury, had barely erupted before it was instantly silenced by Li Xin’s lightning-fast hand clamping firmly over her mouth.

Her struggles, fueled by the alcohol, were no match for Li Xin’s strength, infused with spiritual energy.

Swift as the wind, Li Xin moved swiftly behind her, her right arm, like a vice, locked around Wei Qing’s ribs, her knees braced firmly against the chair’s back, effectively ‘welding’ Wei Qing to the seat with the full weight of her body.

Ultimately, whether the alcohol had completely taken hold or she had simply been choked into unconsciousness, Wei Qing ceased her struggles, her head lolling as she fell into a deep slumber.

The hothead Wei Qing was finally subdued.

In that very instant, however, all eyes converged upon her, and Li Xin’s face turned ashen!

Feeling herself shrink by half, she forced a pathetic, apologetic smile at the esteemed individuals filling the hall. “I… I apologize to all Senior Sisters! Wei Qing… she has never touched alcohol! She simply could not resist the potent wines of the Xuan Nv Sect, and now the alcohol has gone to her head, causing her to babble nonsense and lose all decorum. My sincerest apologies!”

“Think nothing of it,” Qiu Yue said with a gentle smile, her expression betraying not a hint of displeasure, as if she genuinely didn’t mind. “Slips of the tongue after a few drinks are inevitable, especially when such righteous words are spoken. There’s no need to take it to heart. However, such harshness was quite unnecessary.”

Picking up on Wei Qing’s earlier words, Qiu Yue continued, “Junior Sister Wei Qing is not wrong; the most straightforward approach would indeed be to report the matter to the sect elders and have her apprehended. Yet, I, Qiu Yue, am not one to swallow grievances silently. Having encountered a person who has brought such disgrace upon my family, I cannot calmly stand by and let others mete out punishment on my behalf. Nor do I wish for her to pass these three months in peace. I intend for her to suffer every possible humiliation! I want everyone to know Lin Wan’er’s true colors. A thief. A swindling imposter.”

With these words, Qiu Yue’s foot, which had been resting on the chair, finally moved, and she resumed her seat on the meditation cushion. Her soft gaze swept over the assembly. “I hope all of you can lend me your assistance.”

“Since Disciple Qiu has spoken so plainly,” Nangong Xuan said softly, “then we shall, of course, lend you our full support. My Master had already instructed me to assist you. It’s simply astonishing how potent such a secret treasure is; even Grand Elder Qing You, who has cultivated the art of ‘Observing Phases’ to its pinnacle, was deceived. I have never even heard of such a secret treasure before.”

“Naturally, it’s not something many would know about,” Qiu Yue explained, taking a sip of hot tea. “After all, who would openly publicize having been deceived? Moreover, haven’t secret realms been appearing frequently of late? It’s entirely possible this secret treasure originated from one of them.”

“Then, Senior Sister Qiu, what do you intend to do?” one of the Jia-grade disciples inquired.

“Let’s maintain our previous strategy, focusing primarily on observation. Conveniently, several Junior Sisters from the Yi-grade have already conducted observations, haven’t they? Why don’t you share your findings first?”

“Yes!” one of the Yi-grade female disciples immediately stood up. “Greetings, Disciple Qiu! My name is Lu Ping’an! I carefully observed that personal disciple today! I discovered that this person is indeed a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong, even abandoning her self-respect for money! Before, I found it strange that the Sect Master’s personal disciple would present such a miserly image, but once you mentioned it, Disciple Qiu, it all made sense! Both her behavior and demeanor perfectly fit the image of a swindler. And being a bully who preys on the weak, she must have been thoroughly intimidated after that beating from the imperial princess!”

Li Xin, however, found herself disagreeing with Lu Ping’an’s assessment.

She immediately interjected, “I don’t quite agree… For one, no one was aware of the duel that evening, and how should I put it… Disciple Lin seems to be deliberately performing this humble demeanor, as if to make everyone lower their guard… It’s as if… as if she were afraid no one would notice. She consistently chooses the most conspicuous actions. According to the teaching elder, the focus of the Hall of Clarity is combat practice. Therefore, I suspect Disciple Lin intends to give everyone the impression of being flashy but insubstantial, thereby causing them to relax their vigilance—”

“Li Xin, I think you’re overthinking it,” Lu Ping’an interjected with a hint of disdain. “As you said, combat practice is indeed the main event, and it’s plausible that everything is an act designed to make us drop our guard. But there isn’t just one session of combat practice. Such an elaborate charade would be entirely superfluous. One session alone would be enough to reveal her true colors. Why would she bother with such an unnecessary spectacle? Moreover, we are still in the plotting stage; why would she put on such an elaborate performance? Who would she be performing for? Is it possible someone is constantly monitoring her?”

“I simply feel that caution is always the best policy,” Li Xin countered. “Disciple Qiu herself said this person is a swindler who has managed to survive until today, which suggests that aside from her protector, she must possess some genuine skill or ability. I believe it would be unwise to underestimate her…”

The two exchanged words, their discussion gradually escalating into a full-blown argument.

Their voices grew progressively louder.

Yet, no one else could interject, for apart from these Yi-grade disciples, none of them had actually seen Lin Wan’er.

Except for—Nangong Xuan.

“Very well, Miss Nangong, what about you? I asked you to test that direct disciple earlier; what was her strength like?”

Qiu Yue was quite curious as well.

After all, Nangong Xuan had left without a veil but returned wearing one. Clearly, something unspeakable had occurred.

Seated in their private room, they had naturally observed Lin Wan’er’s arrival through the transparent walls.

Otherwise, Qiu Yue would not have asked Nangong Xuan to go and test Lin Wan’er.

However, Qiu Yue also felt a slight regret, wondering why she hadn’t gone to see for herself, but had instead been looking down at that harlot Liu Ruyan!

‘Having teased her earlier, she had actually missed Lin Mo, which was truly disgusting!’

“Nothing much, just some petty tricks. She used some minor deceptions that left me in a bit of a predicament, covered in dust or something, which I couldn’t wipe off, so I had to put on a veil. In my opinion, that Lin Wan’er is not fit for any grand stage. However, Ji Xue was somewhat beyond my expectations.”

“Is that so,” Qiu Yue said with a faint smile. “Since the combat practice has not yet begun, we shall continue with observation. As for the rest of you, disseminate some news. Now, I will tell you how to deal with that Lin Wan’er.”

With that, Qiu Yue began to unveil her plan.

The scheme proposed by this traditionally gentle young lady sent shivers down everyone’s spines, except for Nangong Xuan—it was not merely malicious, but utterly diabolical!

Who could have imagined that the usually amiable Qiu Yue harbored such venomous cunning?

All present were instantly filled with awe and dread: no matter what, they must never, ever offend this woman!

After she finished outlining her strategy, the dinner resumed.

No one mentioned Lin Wan’er again, and the atmosphere gradually livened up, becoming more cordial among them.

When Liu Ruyan returned to the table, her adorable, ravenous eating delighted everyone except Qiu Yue, making the food itself seem to acquire a special flavor.

Not to mention Liu Ruyan’s innocence and cheerfulness, which made the banquet exceptionally lively.

Without airs and truly innocent, she could strike up a conversation with anyone; who wouldn’t like her?

Except for Qiu Yue.

Qiu Yue remained quiet, simply eating and offering polite smiles.

Alas, the joyous banquet eventually concluded.

As everyone rose to bid farewell to Qiu Yue and depart, only Lu Ping’an remained.

Lu Ping’an felt nothing but excitement!

To be kept behind by Disciple Qiu surely meant being entrusted with an important task! She… she might have just latched onto the high branch of the Qiu family’s eldest daughter!

‘Mother! Father! Your child is about to elevate our family to a higher status!’

‘She was about to soar to great heights!’

Yet—something felt odd.

Qiu Yue continued to smile, but perhaps it was a mere illusion, for that smile seemed to be veiled in a growing shadow.

It transformed from a gentle smile into something… chilling.

Qiu Yue no longer possessed the dignified grace of a well-bred young lady; she now stood directly on the dining table, kicking away Liu Ruyan’s bowl and chopsticks.

From her elevated position, she retrieved a white porcelain bottle from her storage ring and spoke softly, “From this day forward, I will guarantee you a splendid future, elevate your family to the head of the four great families in this region, and make them an inseparable partner of the Qiu family.”

Her heart pounded!

At these words, Lu Ping’an’s heart seemed to stop!

But the words that followed made her heart skip a beat entirely.

“Go and kill Liu Ruyan, poison her. As long as you can make her ingest this bottle of poison, I will ensure your safety, and you will leave the Xuan Nv Sect alive.”

‘Poison… poison Liu Ruyan?’

‘Isn’t she your Junior Sister?’

‘Weren’t you very close to her?’

‘So intimate, even?’

‘And… kill someone in the Hall of Clarity…?’

Suddenly, fear enveloped her entire being.

“Oh, if you have the chance, poison that other direct disciple as well. In return, the Qiu family will provide all the cultivation resources you need to reach the Tribulation Transcension stage, until you ascend to that realm.”

With that, killing intent surged forth, and her long hair, at this moment, had transformed entirely into a brilliant azure!

‘Foundation… Foundation Establishment?!’

‘Disciple Qiu… possessed a Foundation Establishment cultivation?!’