Chapter 10

Xiaohanshan, Tianxing Peak, Tianxing Hall

Tianxing Peak is not the main peak of Xiaohanshan. Among the many peaks of Xiaohanshan, it is not particularly prominent, but it is definitely one of the places that Xiaohanshan cultivators are least willing to visit, as it is the location of the Discipline Hall.

Although Xiaohanshan is a small sect, it is well-organized. Besides the five main peaks and their respective abbots, there are four other halls on par with the main peaks: the Discipline Hall, the Skill Transmission Hall, the External Affairs Hall, and the Internal Affairs Hall.

The External Affairs Hall handles all external matters of the sect, while the Internal Affairs Hall manages all internal affairs. The former is like foreign affairs, and the latter is like logistics. The Discipline Hall enforces the rules, and the Skill Transmission Hall teaches skills. These four halls are the standard configuration of any sect, with each hall having one hall master and two deputy hall masters. The hall masters are Great Elders of the Golden Core stage, and the deputy hall masters are Inner Gate Elders of the Gangsha stage.

Tianxing Peak is the location of the Discipline Hall, and Tianxing Hall is where sect disciples are interrogated. Wang Tong caused a commotion in Fanghe Market, injuring the two Xu brothers. Xu Ming was severely injured, with half his face smashed and his brain suffering a concussion; he has not yet regained consciousness. As for Xu Yang, although his injuries were not life-threatening, they were serious, as they were internal injuries that required a long period of recuperation. With the Five Peaks Competition approaching, it was unclear whether he would be affected.

This incident was quite serious, especially since it occurred in Fanghe Market, which is directly controlled by the Xu family. For the Xu family, it was a matter of losing face, so the Xu family elders in the market wanted to stop Wang Tong on the spot.

However, the market is an open place, and the Xu family is only the manager, not the absolute ruler. People come and go, and all Xiaohanshan cultivators can enter, including those from Lianyun Peak. At the time, an Inner Gate Elder from Lianyun Peak was present and would not let Wang Tong be at a disadvantage, so he stopped the Xu family elder. The matter then escalated to the Discipline Hall.

Wang Tong is a personal disciple of the abbot of Lianyun Peak. Among the many disciples of Xiaohanshan, his status is second only to the true disciples. In other words, he is not without roots. In the past, he was not ambitious, timid, and of low cultivation, so no one respected him, and there was much gossip about him in the sect. However, gossip is just gossip and does not diminish Wang Tong's status. Moreover, this matter was very sensitive, so today the Discipline Hall was very lively. Besides the parties involved, the hall master of the Discipline Hall, Great Elder Wen Ce of the fourth level of the Golden Core stage, personally presided over the matter. The two deputy hall masters, Xu Ying and Xie Zi, both Inner Gate Elders, were also present.

From Lianyun Peak, Abbot Wang Huai personally arrived, along with three Inner Gate Elders, all there to support Wang Tong.

As the party involved, Wang Tong stood in the center of the hall, expressionless. Xu Yang, pale-faced, stood beside him, occasionally giving him a venomous glare. Wang Tong did not even turn his head, expressing his contempt and disdain for Xu Yang.

Wen Ce is a very serious person, both in appearance and in heart. As the hall master of the Discipline Hall of a sect, fairness is the most important requirement. He is a very fair person. Because of his fairness, Lianyun Peak took the matter very seriously, while the Xu family seemed quite relaxed. After all, Wang Tong injuring the Xu brothers in Fanghe Market was a fact, so the people the Xu family sent were not of high status, just an Inner Gate Elder named Xu Lei. However, the most troublesome thing was that Deputy Hall Master Xu Ying of the Discipline Hall was also from the Xu family. Therefore, people were not optimistic about Wang Tong's situation, even in the Discipline Hall. It was just a matter of time before he would be severely punished.

Since the incident occurred in the market, there were many witnesses, and they had already gathered. It was not difficult to find witnesses. To ensure everything went smoothly, the Xu family selected over a dozen disciples and passersby from Xiaohanshan who had some reputation and little connection to Lianyun Peak as witnesses and brought them to Tianxing Hall.

After a series of interrogations, the matter became clear. From Wang Tong's appearance in Fanghe Market to the moment he knocked down Xu Yang, everything was laid out clearly before everyone. "Wang Tong, you disrupted the market, attacked a fellow disciple, and caused serious injury. Do you admit your guilt?"

Wang Tong raised his head and looked at Wen Ce. The most striking feature of the hall master was his deep法令纹 (facial lines). Seeing his tightly pursed lips and stern gaze, Wang Tong felt like he was being watched by a hawk. He took a deep breath, pulling himself out of Wen Ce's intimidating presence, and said calmly, "I did not disrupt the market, and I did not attack a fellow disciple. I did cause serious injury, but it was an accident. It was a personal grudge between me and the Xu brothers. The sect does not prohibit private duels, and this time it just happened in Fanghe Market. How did it become an attack on a fellow disciple?"

As a cultivation sect, Xiaohanshan does not prohibit private duels. In fact, no sect does. However, such duels have a more elegant name: sparring. Whether it is friendly sparring or resolving personal grudges, it can be done through sparring. However, there is a prerequisite: both parties must agree, and no one should be killed or crippled. In other words, sparring should have a limit and should not turn into a life-or-death battle.

Wang Tong directly inflicted serious injury on Xu Ming with one punch, which was undeniable, so he admitted it. However, he did not admit the other charges. Disrupting the market is something only hooligans do. Unjustly disrupting the market is causing trouble, which is severely punished according to the sect rules. Attacking a fellow disciple is an even greater offense. Unlike private duels, which are mutual agreements, attacking a fellow disciple is a unilateral act. Private duels are tacitly accepted and even encouraged by the sect to motivate disciples and enhance combat experience. Attacking a fellow disciple, however, is a major taboo in any sect. Once such a charge is confirmed, the punishment can range from expulsion to death. Therefore, Wang Tong could not admit it.

"Personal grudges, private duels, Wang Tong, you speak so lightly. All the witnesses can prove that you suddenly attacked Xu Ming, knocking him out with one punch. Xu Ming didn't even have time to react. How is this not an attack?"

Xu Ying's sharp, cold laugh echoed in Wang Tong's ears, like the screech of a night owl.

Wang Tong looked up at Xu Ying and suddenly smiled. He turned to Wen Ce and said, "Hall Master Wen, this is the Discipline Hall, the most fair place in Xiaohanshan. Although Deputy Hall Master Xu is a deputy of the Discipline Hall, she is related to the Xu brothers. I believe she should recuse herself from this interrogation or, at least, remain silent. What do you think?"

"Wang Tong, how dare you!!"

Wang Tong's words were too disrespectful. Xu Ying, a deputy hall master, an Inner Gate Elder, and a cultivator of the Gangsha stage, was a minor cultivator in the secular world. For him to tell her to be quiet in front of so many people, where was her face?

She immediately shouted in anger, pointing at Wang Tong, and a thin chain shot out, wrapping around him.

Faced with Xu Ying's attack, Wang Tong remained still, only sneering.

Clang!!

Just as the chain was about to wrap around Wang Tong, a sword light flashed, cutting the chain in two.

"Wang Huai, you...!"

The chain was severed, and Xu Ying was furious. This chain was a high-quality magical tool and her personal weapon, extremely important to her. It had never been damaged in battle, but it was cut in her own territory.

However, when she saw who had acted, she only shouted in anger and did not dare to attack, as it was Wang Huai.

Wang Huai, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, finally opened his eyes, glanced at Wang Tong, and the surprise on his face quickly disappeared, returning to his usual calm expression.

"This is the Discipline Hall of Tianxing, the most fair place in Xiaohanshan. Even as a deputy hall master, you must follow the rules. My disciple is right; the parties involved are closely related to you, so you should not speak. Additionally, you attacked my disciple without cause, and I will remember this."

"You...!" Xu Ying's face turned red with anger. Wang Huai was not giving her any face, but under Wen Ce's stern gaze, she swallowed the words that were about to come out.

Wen Ce was not in a good mood. Being reprimanded in front of others was not pleasant, but Wang Tong and Wang Huai had emphasized "fairness," leaving him speechless. Xu Ying was a person the Xu family had placed in the Discipline Hall, and the parties involved were also from the Xu family. Regardless of any underlying interests, the appearance of fairness must be maintained. Moreover, Wang Huai was one of the abbots of the five peaks, with a status and position equal to his own. If he caught a handle on this matter, it would complicate things.

So he stopped Xu Ying with a stern look, implicitly agreeing to Wang Huai's request.

"Wang Tong, you say you did not attack a fellow disciple but engaged in a private duel. This is just your side of the story, which does not match the testimonies of the witnesses. Are you saying they are all lying in the Tianxing Hall?"

His words made everyone change color. Lying in the Tianxing Hall? A joke? Who would dare to lie here, the most terrifying place in Xiaohanshan?

Wang Tong, of course, was not foolish enough to accuse others of lying, but he was not panicked. He had already thought of what to say.

"These witnesses are not lying, but they only saw the surface of what happened."

"The surface of what happened?" A sense of unease flashed through Wen Ce's mind.

Sure enough, Wang Tong continued, "I have a grudge with Xu Ming, and it is a significant one. It is a shameful matter, somewhat embarrassing, but since we are in the Tianxing Hall, I must tell the whole story to avoid being wronged."

"Go on!" Wen Ce stared at Wang Tong, his tone unexpectedly calm.

The young man in front of him was a stark contrast to his usual impression. Wang Tong was very famous in Xiaohanshan, but his reputation was mostly associated with cowardice and incompetence. A disciple of Xiaohanshan becoming a personal disciple through connections would not usually cause such a stir, as it was not uncommon in a sect. After all, cultivators are human and have emotions and complex social relationships. Who doesn't have aunts and uncles? Even if there was some gossip, it would not be as widespread or as bad as Wang Tong's. Clearly, someone was behind the scenes stirring things up, and Wen Ce knew who it was. However, even his master did not intervene, so he would not either. Observing from the sidelines was not a bad thing.

Cowardice and incompetence were his main impressions of Wang Tong. Today, Wang Tong looked the same, but his demeanor had changed significantly. The former timidity was gone, replaced by a calm confidence. Wen Ce was surprised but not suspicious. In the cultivation world, strength is paramount. Wang Tong's former timidity was due to his lack of strength. Now, with his strength greatly increased, he naturally became more confident. This was not unusual.

"The root of this matter starts with my fiancée and the third son of the Xu family, who were involved in an affair..." Wang Tong said in a relaxed tone, and the entire hall fell silent.

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