"Is everything done?" Li Xian saw Shen Qing come back looking refreshed and knew that Shen Qing had had a very pleasant conversation with the True Man Hu Xiao.
"Of course." Shen Qing sat down, but suddenly felt a little uneasy in her heart. "Didn't the people from the Main Shrine come today?"
Li Xian nodded.
Having gotten the answer, Shen Qing vaguely felt something was amiss.
The people from the Main Shrine clearly favored Fei Fei. At such a crucial moment, they were absent, leaving only Fei Fei alone.
"Don't you think it's a bit strange?"
"Logically speaking, the demonic egg was given by the people from the Main Shrine, and Fei Fei is backed by the Main Shrine. Why didn't they come today?"
Li Xian said in a low voice, "It only proves that they have something more important than this matter at hand."
Shen Qing turned her gaze back to Chu Lanqiu, but her mind was desperately trying to recall if there was anything she had missed.
The True Man Hu Xiao returned to the high platform with the image stone, placed it in the hands of the True Man Kun Shan, and repeated what Shen Qing had just said to him.
"Are you sure there is really evidence in this image stone?"
It wasn't that the True Man Kun Shan didn't trust Shen Qing, but he was leaving the choice to the True Man Hu Xiao.
Once the content of the image stone was known to everyone, the scandal of their Beast Taming Sect would be exposed to the world, and Fei Fei's future would be ruined.
The True Man Hu Xiao only had justice in his heart. Even if the person being framed wasn't his own disciple but someone else, he would still unhesitatingly reveal the truth.
Especially since that person had used such a sinister and vicious means, aiming to ruin Chu Lanqiu's future. How could he swallow this anger?
But the True Man Hu Xiao also understood very well that as the sect master, the True Man Kun Shan treated all disciples equally. The only time he showed partiality was when he had just tried to help Chu Lanqiu smooth things over.
But the True Man Kun Shan was also doing it for the future of the Beast Taming Sect. He trusted Chu Lanqiu's character, so he wanted to leave a qualified young sect master for the Beast Taming Sect.
The True Man Hu Xiao's face was solemn. He let his hands hang down, and his voice carried a bit of unwillingness. "Master, I know you're the sect master and naturally want to downplay this matter, but I'm really not willing..."
He gritted his teeth, and his voice trembled a bit. "I really can't imagine what would have happened to Lanqiu today if Shen Qing hadn't left this evidence and Lanqiu hadn't been prepared."
"And that mastermind has been putting on an act in front of everyone, seemingly sincere but actually full of evil intentions. Master, you say I'm straightforward, so I just want to get justice for my disciple. But if master doesn't allow it, I won't make the content of this image stone public."
By the end, the unwillingness in the True Man Hu Xiao's tone was almost overflowing.
But there was one more thing he didn't say, which was that although he might not make the content of the image stone public, he would surely avenge Chu Lanqiu!
The True Man Kun Shan's eyes fell on the cold image stone, and his heart was in turmoil.
He closed his eyes, as if in compromise. "Lanqiu is at a crucial moment. Don't let others disturb her. You can handle this stone... as you see fit."
The True Man Hu Xiao showed a delighted expression. He understood that the True Man Kun Shan was tacitly approving of his next actions.
This matter would have an impact on the image of the Beast Taming Sect, so the True Man Hu Xiao bowed respectfully to the True Man Kun Shan and said, "Thank you, master!"
The True Man Kun Shan waved his hand, tiredly rubbed his temples, and then forced himself to gather his spirits to prepare for what was to come.
Fei Fei had been continuously harassing Chu Lanqiu. Even though Chu Lanqiu had a firm mind, she couldn't withstand Fei Fei's continuous attacks.
Her knife had slowly dug out the inner core of the little spirit beast. But since the little spirit beast's body was very fragile now and there were nerves all around the inner core, the slightest mistake would ruin this spirit beast.
So Chu Lanqiu was in a very difficult situation at the moment.
Fei Fei saw Chu Lanqiu's knife start to deviate and was overjoyed. He was about to pounce directly.
But a powerful spiritual force struck, directly sending Fei Fei flying.
Then, the fallen Fei Fei was suppressed in place by a powerful aura, lying in a big - character shape and unable to move.
Fei Fei saw that it was the True Man Hu Xiao who had made the move. Although his body hurt, he thought this was an opportunity to frame the master - disciple pair, so he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, take a look! His disciple did something bad, and as a master, he still wants to cover it up and kill me, the eyewitness. Where is the justice in this world!"
The onlookers around didn't understand the truth of the matter and began to point and talk about the True Man Hu Xiao.
The True Man Hu Xiao snorted coldly and took out the image stone in his hand.
"Respected seniors, don't you want to know why my disciple hatched a demonic egg today and behaved so strangely?"
"Why don't you take a look at the image in my hand first and then make a decision."
After saying that, the True Man Hu Xiao circulated his spiritual power to activate the image stone, and a huge light curtain appeared in the air.
"What is this?"
"I think... it looks like the small courtyard of a disciple?"
"Hey, I see. Isn't that the female disciple who is on the field now? It seems like she's carrying another female disciple away."
"Yes, yes, yes."
...
Everyone was talking in an uproar. Fei Fei looked at the light curtain in the sky, and his face turned deathly pale.
He recognized it. It was the scene of the day when he had swapped the spirit beast eggs.
It was all over!
He had thought it was a flawless plan, but he didn't expect that every move of his had been noticed and recorded with an image stone.
"Oh my god, isn't that the male disciple? He actually went in, and when he came out, he was holding an egg in his hand!"
"But this doesn't prove anything. Maybe he just went in to take a look, and the egg in his hand is his own."
"Yes, there are only images outside the house. We can't see what exactly happened inside. It's hard to judge."
Seeing that Fei Fei was no longer bothering her, Chu Lanqiu concentrated all her attention on the inner core of the spirit beast.
The True Man Hu Xiao knew Chu Lanqiu's habit and enlarged the light curtain to show the egg that Fei Fei was holding when he walked out of the house.
"Everyone can take a look. There is a golden mark shining on this spirit beast egg."
Everyone quickly shifted their gazes over and indeed saw a mark like a small snake on the golden egg.
"This mark of the small snake is a special symbol designed by my disciple herself. It depicts her contracted spirit beast, Liu Nian."
As he said this, Liu Nian very cooperatively flashed out from the Nine - Layered Pagoda on Chu Lanqiu's waist.
It spat out its snake tongue and twisted its body, circling in front of everyone a few times. And there was also a metal collar on its neck that was exactly the same as the mark.
After the display, Liu Nian flashed back into the Nine - Layered Pagoda.
Everyone was in an uproar. Only then did they know that the demonic egg wasn't actually Chu Lanqiu's. Instead, someone had stolen her egg and maliciously swapped it.
The True Man Hu Xiao stared angrily at Fei Fei. His two eyebrows stood up, and his brows were knitted into a cross shape. He was imposing.
"Fei Fei! How dare you!"
Fei Fei was on the verge of tears. He could only roll his eyes, hoping to see someone from the Main Shrine in a corner so that they could speak up for him.
But to Fei Fei's disappointment, the people from the Main Shrine still didn't come.