Chapter 48

The Star Cloud Jade Token was given to him by Tu Ze, who had clearly told him that through this token, he could directly enter the ranks of the Star Cloud Pavilion's core members.

Unlike Ling Xuanxuan and Ling Yushi, who needed to step into the Kaiyuan Realm before the age of twenty to qualify for a position in the Star Cloud Pavilion, he did not need to do so.

At that time, Tu Ze had also mentioned that when he arrived at the Star Cloud Pavilion and presented the token, it might be taken back.

—This suggested that the token had some history.

His experience with Tu Ze and others, and the process of slaying the Ice Shatter Manor, were indeed hard to verify by words alone. The only evidence he could think of was this jade token.

Of course, he himself did not know if the token was still valid. After handing it to Ye Yangqiu, he secretly doubted it.

Thus, he carefully observed Ye Yangqiu's reaction...

Ye Yangqiu, who was always cold and indifferent, took the jade token without hesitation, leaned forward, and frowned as he examined it. Suddenly, he was stunned.

He held the jade token, his body stiff, and remained motionless for a long time without a word.

The Ling family members were tense and uneasy, looking at Ye Yangqiu with bated breath, hoping that Qin Lie could prove the Ling family's innocence and that he had no connection with the Ice Shatter Manor.

Ling Chengye, Ling Yushi, Ling Xuanxuan, and others all focused their gazes on Ye Yangqiu, their hearts filled with anxiety.

"Sir..."

A hall master under Ye Yangqiu, seeing his lack of response, could not help but call out softly.

Amid the surprised and uncertain gazes of everyone, Ye Yangqiu finally came to his senses. He pondered for a moment, then without a word, raised the jade token for Du Haitian to see, showing him the star cloud pattern on the token.

Du Haitian took one look and suddenly turned pale, screaming, "Star Cloud Token? Impossible! How could it be the Star Cloud Token?!"

The moment the words "Star Cloud Token" were spoken, all the martial artists from the Star Cloud Pavilion were shocked. Their gazes, filled with astonishment, converged on Qin Lie.

Regarding the origin of the Star Cloud Token, all the martial artists of the Star Cloud Pavilion were well aware of its significance.

The Star Cloud Token was specially crafted by the former pavilion master, Tu Shixiong, and there were only two of them, which he left to his two sons.

Tu Shixiong founded the Star Cloud Pavilion and broke through to the Myriad Phenomena Realm over twenty years ago, successfully entering the Senluo Hall.

When he left the Star Cloud Pavilion to join the Senluo Hall, he only had his eldest son, Tu Mo, and his wife, who was of a low realm, unable to accompany him into the Senluo Hall, so he had to leave his wife and Tu Mo in the Star Cloud Pavilion.

For many years afterward, he fought for the Senluo Hall, and there were many times when the Senluo Hall even reported that he had died in the "Netherworld Battlefield."

At that time, Tu Mo was still young and unable to take charge of the Star Cloud Pavilion, leaving the position of pavilion master vacant.

Due to the frequent reports of his death in the Senluo Hall, the Star Cloud Pavilion's internal affairs became dangerous, almost threatening Tu Mo's life.

Later, Tu Shixiong not only successfully returned from the "Netherworld Battlefield" alive but was also appointed as a "Commander" by the Senluo Hall. He then returned to the Star Cloud Pavilion, eliminated all those with ulterior motives, and stayed for a period, during which he and his wife had a younger son, Tu Ze.

Tu Ze's birth made Tu Shixiong extremely happy, and he specially requested the Senluo Hall's equipment master to craft two Star Cloud Tokens, giving one to each of his sons.

The two unique Star Cloud Tokens were filled with his deep love for his sons. The tokens not only enhanced the cultivation of those who practiced the Star Cloud Pavilion's special techniques but also represented his authority and his unparalleled status in the Star Cloud Pavilion, intimidating all the martial artists within who harbored ulterior motives.

To this day, his eldest son, Tu Mo, has already reached the late Kaiyuan Realm, and is on the verge of breaking through to the Myriad Phenomena Realm. He has long been firmly established as the pavilion master of the Star Cloud Pavilion and no longer needs the Star Cloud Token to maintain his authority, making the token gradually become a symbol of the Star Cloud Pavilion's sovereignty.

The Star Cloud Token, which only existed with Tu Mo and Tu Ze, was a unique symbol of the two brothers. Whenever they needed to send someone to do something, they only needed to show the Star Cloud Token.

Since Tu Mo is now the pavilion master of the Star Cloud Pavilion, the Star Cloud Token is also known as the Pavilion Master Token...

"I have carefully examined it, and it is definitely the Star Cloud Token!" Ye Yangqiu, ignoring Du Haitian's scream, nodded at Qin Lie amidst the Ling family's ecstatic expressions, his cold gaze finally softening, "This Star Cloud Token is the one that Tu Ze has, right? The fact that he could lend you the Star Cloud Token is enough to prove that you could not have any connection with the Ice Shatter Manor. It seems that what you said is true, and those spirit pills were indeed obtained from the Ice Shatter Manor's martial artists."

With these words from Ye Yangqiu, all the Ling family members showed a sense of relief, their hearts finally at ease.

Qin Lie was surprised, not expecting the jade token given by Tu Ze to be so effective, instantly clearing Ye Yangqiu's suspicions.

—He still did not know what the Star Cloud Token represented.

"Sir, I just remembered something," a hall master under Ye Yangqiu said, his eyes brightening, "A while ago, when I went to Elder Han's place, I heard Elder Han say that a young man named Ling Lie from the Ling family saved his son, Han Feng, from the hands of Yan Ziqian of the Ice Shatter Manor in the Extreme Cold Mountains and received 1,200 contribution points. You know, Han Feng has always been close to Tu Ze, and they often go out hunting together..."

"Sir, I also have a vague memory of this, as if Kang Zhi mentioned it," another person added.

Ye Yangqiu was slightly taken aback, then looked deeply at Qin Lie, a hint of surprise in his eyes, "You are that Ling Lie, right?"

Qin Lie smiled calmly.

Behind him, Ling Chengzhi and Ling Xuanxuan were both extremely excited, their eyes suddenly bright, staring intently at Qin Lie's back.

They still remembered how, at the time, they were repeatedly obstructed by the guards at the Star Cloud Pavilion and could not even enter the gate, and Ling Xuanxuan was even teased...

At a critical moment, it was the name "Ling Lie" that helped them, with Kang Zhi beating the guards who had humiliated them.

Elder Han Qingrui warmly welcomed them because of "Ling Lie" and exempted the Ling family from two years of tribute.

After returning from the Star Cloud Pavilion, the whole family searched for this "Ling Lie," but unfortunately, they only found a Ling Lie who had been bedridden for many years.

They had also suspected Qin Lie, but quickly found it laughable, thinking that the Star Cloud Pavilion had made a mistake, and they were anxious for a while.

Now, listening to Ye Yangqiu and the Star Cloud Pavilion martial artists, seeing the Star Cloud Token, and seeing Qin Lie's calm smile, they finally understood—Qin Lie was the one who had helped the Ling family out of their困境!

Ling Yushi and Ling Xuanxuan's eyes were bright with excitement, and Ling Xuanxuan's eyes were even slightly red...

On the other hand, Du Haitian, Du Jiaolan, and the others from the Du family had dark faces, looking at Qin Lie with a sense of shock, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

No matter how carefully they planned, they never imagined that the fool they had ignored would suddenly appear at a critical moment, not only clearing their false accusations but also connecting with the most powerful Tu family of the Star Cloud Pavilion, completely reversing the Ling family's dire situation.

"As for the Tianlang Mountain..." Qin Lie's tone was calm and composed, looking into Ye Yangqiu's eyes, "If you don't believe us, wait for five to six days until Liu Yan reports to you. Yes, in no more than six days, Liu Yan should reach the Star Cloud Pavilion, and Gao Yu should have already returned to the Gao family. You can also have him vouch for us."

"Senior Ye, please give us time to prove our innocence!" Ling Yushi earnestly requested.

Ye Yangqiu squinted his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly said, "Untie the Ling family members."

All the Ling family members were relieved by his words, knowing that he no longer considered them traitors, a crucial change in attitude for the Ling family!

"Sorry for the earlier misunderstanding, little brother, please forgive us."

"Yes, we were too hasty, we apologize."

Ye Yangqiu's subordinates, while untying Ling Xin, Ling Xiao, and others, all smiled awkwardly and expressed their apologies.

From the depths of their hearts, they now believed Qin Lie's words, and their attitudes changed significantly.

"If what you say is true, then... the Feng family is guilty beyond redemption!" A hall master under Ye Yangqiu, his face cold, said, "Feng Bin is simply tired of living, daring to collude with the Ice Shatter Manor and maliciously defame the Ling family. The Star Cloud Pavilion will not let him off!"

"Immediately contact the pavilion with a message hawk and inform them that as soon as Liu Yan returns, report this matter to me quickly!" Ye Yangqiu coldly ordered.

"Understood." The martial artist followed the order and quickly gave instructions. Soon, a gray shadow hawk flew away into the sky.

"Keep the Star Cloud Token safe." Ye Yangqiu handed the token back to Qin Lie, frowning, "If what you say is true, the Feng family must have a deep-seated hatred for your Ling family, using this scheme to frame you. On one hand, they hope we make a wrong judgment, causing the Ling family to suffer, and on the other hand, they want to take the opportunity to move away and re-establish themselves in the territory controlled by the Ice Shatter Manor for cultivation."

"Yes, that's probably the case." Qin Lie nodded silently.

"Senior Du, do you have anything to say about this?" Ye Yangqiu's face turned cold, suddenly looking at Du Haitian, his tone suggesting he wanted to hold him accountable.

Du Haitian's eyes flickered, frowning, and said calmly, "This is the matter of the Punishment Hall, and I have no authority to interfere. Senior Ye will naturally investigate it thoroughly. I came here only to take my niece and nephew back to the Du family for a while."

He looked at Du Jiaolan, Du Heng, Du Fei, and others, and said, "It seems the Ling family does not welcome us. You can stay at my mother's house for a while. I have not returned to the Du family for a long time since joining the Star Cloud Pavilion, so I will accompany you back home this time."

Du Jiaolan and others remained silent, and in the cold and disdainful gazes of the Ling family members, they left the Ling family town with Du Haitian and others, looking rather dejected. (To be continued)