Chapter 159: Chapter 159: The Secret of the Mountain Gazing Sect’s Sect Master

Liu Yao’s eyes were filled with malice, his expression crazed.

Backed into a corner, he decided to go all in.

He swore he would make Song Wanning suffer every last bit of this humiliation!

Liu Yiyi, however, was not so optimistic. Liu Yao’s situation now involved the Sect Master; this wasn’t something that could be cleared up with a few simple words.

Besides, Liu Yao had no evidence—just empty accusations. She worried it would all backfire.

But Liu Yao refused to listen to her advice, which only infuriated her.

Liu Yiyi even felt the urge to wash her hands of him completely.

But he was her older brother, after all. Liu Yiyi couldn’t bring herself to abandon him, so she had no choice but to help clean up his mess.

And so, the next day, new rumors began to circulate everywhere.

Everyone who heard the news found it unbelievable, sparking intense discussions.

"Wait, how did Song Wanning get dragged into this? I thought Liu Yao was in love with her. Why would she frame him for something like this?"

"Yeah, I think it’s absurd, too. Song Wanning has no reason to go after Liu Yao!"

"Hiss... you don’t think Liu Yao is the one behind this, do you? Trying to clear his own name by slinging mud at Song Wanning?"

"It’s possible. Song Wanning humiliated Liu Yao before, so maybe he’s holding a grudge and deliberately trying to frame her..."

Most people thought the rumor was false.

Could Song Wanning really have drugged Liu Yao, a Nascent Soul Peak cultivator, put him in that bed, and then recorded the scene?

It seemed impossible no matter how you looked at it. Liu Yao wasn’t an idiot!

But a small minority believed it.

"With her high cultivation, Song Wanning has looked down on Liu Yao for a long time. Maybe she did this to force him to give up on her?"

"I think it’s because Song Wanning and Liu Yao have a private grudge."

"I’ve long heard that Song Wanning is spoiled, willful, and erratic. She’s definitely the type to do something like this!"

These two completely different viewpoints led many cultivators to argue amongst themselves.

But because the full context was hidden, it was difficult for anyone to find a motive for Song Wanning’s alleged actions, and the voices of those who believed the rumor were soon drowned out.

The Song Family also issued a clarification the moment they heard the news, and they helped sling more mud at Liu Yao, causing the whole affair to escalate.

...

「Mountain Gazing Sect」

Sect Master Xu Zhiyuan was at his wit’s end. He stood with his head bowed in the Ancestral Hall on the rear mountain, facing the Mountain Gazing Sect’s ancestor, Meng Yang.

He bowed his head so low he wished he could bury himself in the ground.

The oppressive aura emanating from Meng Yang, in particular, terrified him.

Meng Yang stared daggers at Xu Zhiyuan, his fists cracking. "Xu Zhiyuan," he demanded in a low voice, "are the rumors outside true?"

He had only been in seclusion for a short while, yet such a huge mess had erupted by the time he emerged.

The Mountain Gazing Sect’s reputation was now in tatters!

He had already sent messages to the other two Divinity Transformation cultivators to discuss how to handle the situation.

"Ancestor, this... I don’t know why the Hundred Ghosts Sect... would release this news... but I’ve been wrongly accused!"

Xu Zhiyuan looked up, his expression frantic.

"I have no quarrel with the Hundred Ghosts Sect. This whole affair was started by Liu Yao; I don’t know why I’m being dragged into it!"

"Is that so?"

Meng Yang’s voice was heavy, his sharp gaze boring into Xu Zhiyuan. "Are you certain it’s all nonsense?"

"Somehow, I feel there’s no smoke without fire."

He unleashed his aura, and the oppressive might of a Late-stage Divinity Transformation cultivator crashed down upon Xu Zhiyuan.

Xu Zhiyuan’s knees buckled, and he fell to the ground with a THUD.

"Ancestor... no, Martial Uncle... I... I didn’t mean to..."

His expression was panicked, his forehead already beaded with cold sweat.

Seeing this, the last shred of hope in Meng Yang’s heart shattered.

He had noticed something was off about Xu Zhiyuan when they met earlier, but he hadn’t expected this to be the truth.

Meng Yang looked at him, utterly disappointed, and closed his eyes in anguish.

The Sect Master they had so carefully chosen was nothing but morally bankrupt scum, no different from an Evil Cultivator!

How could he face the founding ancestors of the Mountain Gazing Sect now?

"Martial Uncle... as long as you don’t say anything, and I don’t say anything, they have no proof..."

"Martial Uncle, I was wrong. I was truly wrong. I wasn’t in my right mind back then; that’s why I made such a mistake... I’ll never do it again..."

"Martial Uncle, please give me a chance!"

Xu Zhiyuan’s eyes were pleading. He hadn’t wanted to confess, but his Martial Uncle possessed the Soul Capturing Technique, which could forcibly extract memories. If he denied everything, his fate would be even worse.

He had no choice but to confess first and try to seize some control of the situation.

’After all,’ he thought, ’for the sake of the Sect’s honor, Martial Uncle won’t just cast me aside.’

Xu Zhiyuan appeared panicked, but he was actually calculating his next move.

’He just couldn’t figure out how the Hundred Ghosts Sect knew his secret... He had been so careful. It should have been impossible for anyone to know.’

"What’s the use of saying all this now?"

Meng Yang’s eyes were bloodshot. He raised a hand and sent Xu Zhiyuan flying with a single slap.

"You harmed so many children! You should be apologizing to them!!!"

"How could our Mountain Gazing Sect have produced a monster like you!!!"

With that, he delivered several more slaps, beating Xu Zhiyuan to the ground until he was a bloody mess, unable to get up.

"M-Martial Uncle... spare me... I... I really know I was wrong..."

Tears streamed down Xu Zhiyuan’s face. "I was young and arrogant back then, confused when I made that terrible mistake! I’ve regretted it immensely ever since!"

"Martial Uncle, this is all my fault! I’m the one who dragged the Sect into this!"

"But as long as you don’t say anything, and I don’t say anything, no outsider will ever know!"

A dark glint flashed in Xu Zhiyuan’s eyes. ’I’ve toiled for the Mountain Gazing Sect my entire life,’ he thought. ’Even if I have no great merits, I have certainly put in the effort!’

’Now that trouble has come, the Mountain Gazing Sect can’t just cast me aside.’

He thought his schemes were well-hidden, but Meng Yang saw right through them.

Rage surged in Meng Yang’s heart. He reached out, grabbed Xu Zhiyuan by the neck, and pulled him through the air. "Xu Zhiyuan," he seethed, "all these years, you actually managed to fool all of us!"

"Don’t even think about escaping this! Our Mountain Gazing Sect will absolutely not tolerate someone like you!"

With that, he violently threw the man aside again.

THUD—

Xu Zhiyuan crashed heavily into a corner but didn’t dare cry out in pain. Instead, he stared at Meng Yang in shock. "Martial Uncle, you... what did you mean by that?"

"You... you’re going to sacrifice me?"

He struggled to his feet, his face a mask of defiance.

"I already told you, as long as you and I say nothing, it’s impossible for anyone to prove this! Why are you forcing me to my doom?"

"Those children are dead, and that’s that! Are they going to come back to life if I die?"

"Why are you so determined to destroy me? I’ve worked my entire life for the Mountain Gazing Sect, so much so that my cultivation stagnated for years! Did I ever say a single word of complaint?"