Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 208 - 175: I Am Always Right

December 25, 2017

In front of the door to a conference room on the top floors of the Aozora Martial Arts Arena, Shen Qingming looked at the bronze door nervously, her heart filled with unease.

Being suspected of cheating by the committee wasn't unexpected; she had foreseen this twist long before the main tournament began.

A mere half-year ago, Shen Qingming had just broken through the Wind Barrier, and now she was barely close to the Wind-Rising Realm. In the main tournament, she suddenly displayed exceptional skills, overcoming numerous challenges—a circumstance that would arouse anyone's suspicion.

Even the City Lord Zhao of Heaven-Reaching City, who won the championship at the Golden Jade Martial Arts Tournament at the age of 15, earning the title of an unrivaled reborn traveler, didn't transform overnight. Her rise was marked clearly; she broke through the Wind Barrier at 7, at 8 pummeled the then most promising 14-year-old genius in family matches within the sect. At 10, she advanced to the Cloud Surge Realm without external aid, at 14 she reached the Cloud Flipping Realm, and at 15 swept through all competitors at the Golden Jade Martial Arts Tournament with ease to claim the championship.

In contrast, Shen Qingming at 14 and a half, yet not having reached the Cloud Surge Realm, seemed exceptionally weak. Even City Lord Zhao hadn't transformed so dramatically over just a half-year period. Such a phenomenon could not be explained by innate talent, personal strive, or historical progression.

The sole explanation could only be that she was cheating. Such a conspicuous act of cheating would be noticed even if the Holy Sect Immortal Envoy were blind—the committee judges couldn't possibly let it slide.

Therefore, before the tournament started, Shen Qingming had prepared a mature and meticulous statement in case anyone questioned her performance, aimed to leave them speechless.

"But, Little Sister Qingming, wouldn't it be better if I spoke for you?"

Behind her, Li Wanqing, who was pushing a wheelchair, earnestly suggested.

"You've never been great at arguing since back then."

Shen Qingming pursed her lips and said, "This time it's not like I have to debate with them, as long as I explain reasonably, it shouldn't be so difficult?"

"Wow, hearing you say that, I feel like it would be better if I spoke." Li Wanqing shook her head with an amused expression as if she just heard a ridiculous joke. "Or perhaps Mr. Wang Jiu could handle it."

Wang Jiu nodded, "Indeed, considering that communication requires high intelligence attributes, I'd suggest you seek help from others."

"No need! I can speak for myself! You all just stay here!"

With a hint of defiance, Shen Qingming pressed her hands on the wheels, pushed the wheelchair forward herself. The bronze door opened before her, revealing the conference room's depth. Dozens of eyes hidden like wild beasts in a dark forest stared intently, ready to pounce on the lamb entering their lair.

Shen Qingming took a deep breath, telling herself that as the former Chief of Li Family Mansion's Inner Sect, a straight-A student, such simple communication wouldn't trip her up!

——

About fifteen minutes later, Shen Qingming came out pushing the wheelchair, face pale and lips slightly moving, unable to utter any words.

Li Wanqing sighed, said nothing more, merely patted Wang Jiu's shoulder—oddly missing it—"Guardian, go ahead."

Wang Jiu nodded, "Alright."

As Wang Jiu passed by Shen Qingming, he wanted to say something but was dissuaded by Li Wanqing.

"Don't say anything now; it would only prick her sensitive pride."

Wang Jiu said, "Indeed, though her overall abilities aren't great, her pride is exceptionally strong."

"Plus, she hates being called stupid."

"I understand, hate being jabbed at weaknesses, a common human flaw."

"Don't be so stern; she's only 14. A young girl's thoughts are more delicate," Li Wanqing said, seriously suggesting, "However, usually, once a girl evolves into a young lady, her mental resilience greatly improves. Why not let me help her…"

Shen Qingming suddenly jumped from the wheelchair, "You two, will you never stop?!"

At that moment, a black-suited staff member walked out from the door, saying expressionlessly, "Is the person prepared for the second round of questioning? Of course, if unwilling, that's fine, the previous questions have made the situation very clear."

"I don't believe that," Wang Jiu said, "Considering the one being questioned is a 14-year-old, intelligence index 3.3 ignorant girl, everything she discusses could be distorted by her intelligence."

Shen Qingming clenched her teeth tightly, grasping the wheelchair armrests firmly, vowing in her heart that today's humiliation would surely be repaid doubly in the future!

The black-suited staff member at the door looked at the two somewhat surprised, then shook his head with a smile, "Alright then, let's see what new things you have to say."

——

Behind the bronze door was the high-ranking judge's chamber of the Aozora Martial Arts Arena set up for VIPs, allowing them to review all records of events occurring within the martial arts arena through highest authority. Any disputes inside the arena could be adjudicated here. Put differently, decisions made in this room imply the final result, without any chance for alteration.

As Wang Jiu entered the room, over ten people were already seated in the judge's chamber, all high-level members from the committee. Qian Family and Lu Family Elders were conspicuously present, though Li Family avoided appointing any elder due to conflict of interest considerations, only sending a young cultivator standing behind the committee high-ups, doing basic record work.

Among the elders, there was an old man whose face was full of indignation, staring at Wang Jiu with a gaze as if he was confronting a father-killer, clenching his teeth, as if having suffered a great humiliation.

Wang Jiu frowned, thinking, did Little Sister Qingming just spit on him?

Before he could stand firm, the angry elder opened his mouth and questioned, "Are you the guardian of that cheating girl? Do you have the face to come in here?! That Qingming girl has just confessed clearly to her cheating. What else do you have to argue?!"

Wang Jiu glanced at the elder and then looked down to see the nameplate before him: Mountain Unmoving.

So that's it, the Shan Family. No wonder they would accuse Shen Qingming of cheating.

It is human nature; for failures that one cannot bear or is unwilling to accept, people will do everything possible to shirk responsibility onto others or the objective environment. Shan Heqiu, whom the Shan Family had high hopes for, was defeated miserably by Shen Qingming in the second round, indeed having enough motivation to complain about cheating.

As for Unmoving Manor, being a medium-sized force in QingCyan Cloud yun City, it indeed qualified to be taken seriously by the organizing committee.

Wang Jiu thought through his mindset and looked at Mountain Unmoving more carefully.

Based on the True Essence fluctuation, his cultivation was approximately at the Early Stage of the Mountain-Overturning Realm, and his age was around 90, which is just about middle-aged for a cultivator, but among the room full of elders, he was already considered elder. In this case...

"Are you Shan Heqiu's grandfather?"

Mountain Unmoving was taken aback with rage, "I am his father!"

"Alright then." Wang Jiu shrugged, "Anyway, I understand your motive for accusing Shen Qingming of cheating."

Mountain Unmoving's fury grew deeper, "What are you trying to say!? Are you implying that I falsely accused someone because I was unwilling to accept Heqiu's failure!? It's completely distorting the truth, utterly shameless! Yes, I am indeed unwilling to let the genius that Unmoving Manor cultivated for more than a decade fall in the second round. However, if it's truly because he was not as skilled as others, our Unmoving Manor at least has the courage to face failure calmly. But if we lost to some despicable person who, out of a sense of noble entitlement, disregarded the rules and acted arbitrarily, we absolutely won't accept it!"

Sitting in the center, the Lu Family Elder who presided over the inquiry meeting contemplated for a moment then spoke, "The demands of the Shan Family, after our organizing committee's discussion, are deemed reasonable. On one hand, indeed there are many suspicious points about that match, on the other hand, even in seemingly flawless matches, the involved parties have the right to question it. So please do not dwell on motivation issues, and seriously answer our questions."

"First, Shen Qingming has already been compelled to admit borrowing external assistance during the match. What do you have to say about this?"

Wang Jiu said, "I don't see what is worth questioning about this. Of course, she borrowed external assistance during the match."

"What!?"

Wang Jiu said, "The question is, who hasn't? Did Shan Heqiu not borrow external assistance? The cultivation techniques he used in the match, did he realize them innately by himself? The weapons he used, were they made by himself from raw materials? Weren't they all someone else's strengths? Furthermore, many people borrowed Magical Talisman usage from others during the match, are those violations as well?"

Mountain Unmoving angrily argued, "Nonsense! How can these things be equated!?"

"Then what is the standard for distinguishing them?" Wang Jiu said, "Which things can be borrowed, which things cannot? When can they be borrowed, when cannot they be borrowed? What are the standards set by your organizing committee?"

Someone said, "Those that would affect the normal flow of the match..."

Wang Jiu refuted, "Cultivation techniques, equipment, tactics, which of these do not aim to influence the match's outcome? If affecting the normal flow of the match should lead to prohibition, then the ideal QingCyan competition would obviously be letting a group of naked savages who grew up in a vacuum environment fight each other."

"..." The person who raised the question was immediately rendered speechless.

Wang Jiu added, "Additionally, top cultivators passing on techniques and cultivation powers to contestants before the match is a very common thing, should these actions be banned as well?"

"That's different!"

"How is it different?"

"The power transferred through such passing is a giving action belonging to the recipient."

Wang Jiu said, "Shen Qingming's external assistance was also not meant to be taken back."

"But..."

After a moment, someone said, "Then, can we define it as: only effective during the competition duration, borrowed from outsiders, with a certain time limit, not belonging to the participant's ownership."

Wang Jiu said, "That definition is fine, but I must ask, is this defined in the QingCyan competition rules?"

"That..."

"This definition, you just made it up based on my response, it wasn't announced before the match. In that case, I believe it shouldn't be used as a basis for judgment."

Upon hearing this, Mountain Unmoving raged, "Then what do you think should be the basis for judgment!? Your clever rhetoric!?"

Wang Jiu said, "Of course, it should be determined based on the standardized procedures from the registration and the isolating array on the field. Any interference factors that you consider non-compliant were already excluded in these two steps, and if there was any power capable of bypassing these two procedures directly influencing the field, it simply means your rules were not well established."