Chapter 23

Qiu Chuji hurriedly examined Su Yi's body and, finding no injuries, said to Ma Yu with a murderous tone, "Senior Brother, you must give me an explanation!"

Ma Yu came over to check Zhao Zhijing's body, and after confirming that his life was not in danger, he let out a long sigh of relief. Suppressing his anger at this ungrateful disciple, he asked the other senior brothers, "Fellow disciples, what do you think should be done with this rebellious disciple?"

Wang Chuyi, who had a fiery temper like Qiu Chuji, immediately said, "Needless to say, to use such vicious means in a friendly exchange, even between strangers, is utterly unacceptable, let alone among fellow disciples. It is truly a heinous crime. In my opinion, we should cripple his martial arts and expel him from the sect."

Everyone agreed.

Only Hao Datong showed a look of reluctance, "Zhao Zhijing has been with our Quanzhen Sect for many years, and this is the first time he has committed such a grave mistake. I think we should give him a chance to repent. A severe punishment should suffice."

Sun Buer, who had been Ma Yu's wife in the past, knew that in Ma Yu's eyes, Zhao Zhijing was like his own child. If he were truly expelled, Ma Yu would likely be heartbroken. She said, "Senior Brother Hao is right. Over the years, Zhao Zhijing has done a lot for our Quanzhen Sect. Fortunately, Young Master Yang was not injured by him. We should give him a chance to repent..."

Qiu Chuji was suddenly furious and said, "If it weren't for my disciple's superior lightness skills, he would already be dead at the hands of this beast. How can you let this matter slide just because Kang'er is not injured? We are in front of hundreds of Quanzhen Sect members. I want to see how you will let this beast off."

Ma Yu sighed deeply and said, "Junior Brother Qiu, don't be hasty. I just examined Zhao Zhijing and found that although his life is not in danger, he has suffered severe internal injuries from your full-force kick. His internal strength is completely ruined, and he will never be able to recover. He is now a cripple."

"In my opinion, since his martial arts are already ruined, if we expel him from the sect, he will become a disgraced outcast in the martial world and will likely not survive for long. It would be better to keep his name on the Quanzhen Sect's roster and provide him with some money to live a quiet life under a false name."

Qiu Chuji was still indignant on Su Yi's behalf. At this moment, Su Yi stepped forward and held Qiu Chuji's hand, whispering, "Master, I am fine. This guy has lost his martial arts and is already worse than dead. Let's just let him off."

Seeing that Su Yi was also trying to comfort him, Qiu Chuji reluctantly said, "Since Kang'er has no objections, I will not act unjustly. This match can be considered a victory for Kang'er. Does anyone have any objections?"

"Of course not."

"Kang'er's sword skills are outstanding, and his victory is well-deserved."

Everyone naturally had no objections.

Ma Yu called over a Taoist boy and instructed him to carry Zhao Zhijing away.

Two Taoist boys carried the pitiful-looking Zhao Zhijing away with a "heave-ho."

Ma Yu then announced loudly, "Zhao Zhijing intended to kill a fellow disciple and has been crippled by Junior Brother Qiu. If anyone else dares to do the same, we will not show mercy and will eliminate them on the spot. Remember this!"

The entire incident had happened so quickly. Zhao Zhijing had already attacked Su Yi with lethal intent, and then Su Yi and Qiu Chuji had retaliated, all in a split second. Everyone saw Zhao Zhijing lying in a pool of blood, and they were already shocked. They did not dare to join in the commotion because the elders were present. Now, hearing the punishment for Zhao Zhijing, they were all in an uproar.

"Senior Brother Zhao is the beloved disciple of the sect leader, yet he received no leniency. The sect leader is truly impartial!"

"Hmph, Zhao Zhijing has always been arrogant and intolerant. This is his just desserts, and he has no one to blame but himself."

"Fortune and misfortune do not come from nowhere; they are brought upon oneself. It seems one really shouldn't be like Zhao Zhijing!"

"Deserved! This guy has been arrogant for a long time, and he finally got what he deserved!"

Zhao Zhijing had always been of poor character, and now that he was punished, no one spoke up for him. Instead, everyone criticized him. Ma Yu couldn't help but sigh deeply, realizing that his excessive indulgence had only harmed him.

Qiu Chuji grunted in displeasure. Ma Yu had crippled Zhao Zhijing's martial arts but did not expel him from the sect, clearly intending to protect him under the Quanzhen Sect's name. This had already annoyed Qiu Chuji, who was known for his favoritism.

"Alright, no more discussion. The competition is about to end. Let's continue." Ma Yu raised his hand to quiet the discussion and said loudly.

"Yes," the disciples responded.

The subsequent matches lacked the previous enthusiasm. In the past, if a match went too far, it would result in a few cuts at most. However, just now, a serious bloodshed occurred. Zhao Zhijing, who had been the top disciple of the Quanzhen Sect for many years, had his martial arts completely ruined. The sight of his blood-soaked body, though he had brought it upon himself, made everyone wary of Su Yi, fearing that he might do the same to them.

In the following matches, Su Yi's opponents either conceded or put up a brief show of resistance before pretending to lose. No one dared to face Su Yi.

Ma Yu immediately decided to give Su Yi a spot in the top four as compensation.

As for Yin Zhiping, without Zhao Zhijing, he was now the undisputed top disciple of the Quanzhen Sect's third generation. He easily advanced to the top four. Reflecting on Zhao Zhijing's injury, he was the most affected. After being suppressed for so many years, he had planned to redeem himself this year, but the world changed so quickly. In the blink of an eye, he had forever lost the chance to defeat Zhao Zhijing, and he felt a bit sad about it.

In the end, Su Yi, Yin Zhiping, Zhou Zhiyuan, and Lin Zhiping were named the top four of the Quanzhen Sect.

Qiu Chuji, who had only two disciples, both of whom were the strongest in the Quanzhen Sect's third generation, felt greatly satisfied. As for the other two, everyone knew they were no match for his disciples.

Ma Yu looked at the four disciples standing before him and sighed. In the past, his beloved disciple Zhao Zhijing was always among them, but now he would never see him again. This was entirely Zhao Zhijing's own doing, and he had no one to blame but himself. Even thinking about how Su Yi had pleaded for Zhao Zhijing, his gaze toward Su Yi seemed more benevolent than before.

After a long pause, Ma Yu said, "You four have won this year. Starting tomorrow, if you have no desire to continue training on the mountain, you may travel freely. However, remember that you carry the reputation of the Quanzhen Sect. If I find out that you have committed any crimes, I will not show mercy. I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth to cleanse the sect. Do you understand?"

The four disciples replied in unison, "We understand."

Ma Yu sighed and said, "Very well, the competition is over. Zhongping, you are the most steady. I have a task for you. Come with me later. The rest of you may leave."

"The disciples take their leave!"

Hundreds of disciples dispersed with a rustle.

The Seven Masters of Quanzhen, who had been in a bad mood, had no interest in chatting. They exchanged a few words and then went their separate ways.

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