Truthseeking Elixir!
Su Xiaobai's mind whirled.
'How the hell do I talk my way out of this one?' He glanced at Lan Meiyu's trembling body—part fury, part shame—and sighed, letting his voice drop to a soft, apologetic tone.
"Senior sister... you're clearly upset. If I've offended you in any way, I'm truly sorry, but I don't understand what you're accusing me of." He added a slight bow for effect, his gaze pleading. "The cave was chaos. Everyone was trying to survive. Maybe... you're mistaken?"
"Shut up!" Lan Meiyu's voice broke, her sword raised as if ready to strike. But the trembling in her hand betrayed her.
She was on the edge, teetering between rage and something else—shame, maybe? Her flushed face, the heat rolling off her body, and the angry glow in her eyes made the moment electric.
Every eye was on them, the tension so thick it could've been cut with a blade.
'Shit, this is bad.'
Liu Zhenhai, his face twisted in fury, finally snapped. "This rogue actually dared to take advantage of a Xiantian Sect disciple!" he bellowed, his chest puffing out like a rooster ready for a fight. "How presumptuous!"
He snorted, glancing at Lan Meiyu like she belonged to him.
'So what if Lan Meiyu isn't mine?'
What if Elder Bai was his target?
Liu Zhenhai fumed internally.
A girl like her, always acting obedient dog around him. Of course, any man would think she's his!
But Su Xiaobai had taken advantage of the temporal formation and assaulted her. Liu Zhenhai seethed. 'If I don't get justice for my junior sister, I'd be no better than an eunuch!'
"Die!" Liu Zhenhai roared, grabbing the hilt of his sword and lunging at Su Xiaobai. His figure blurred as he leaped through the air, his blade aimed right for Su Xiaobai's head.
"Enough!"
BAM!
Elder Bai, fed up with the situation, slapped Liu Zhenhai mid-air like he was swatting a fly.
"Wh—"
BOOM!
CRASH!
Liu Zhenhai's body hit the wall like a sack of rice, crumbling in a heap on the floor. The oppressive pressure lifted from Su Xiaobai, and he let out a long, relieved sigh.
'Well, at least I'm not dead.'
"I will not tolerate this chaos!" Elder Bai's voice boomed through the chamber, the sheer force of it silencing the room. "As long as I am here, justice will be served by the sect's rules. If he is guilty, he will be punished as per sect law—his manhood removed and fed to ants. If not, we will honor righteousness. The Xiantian Sect does not operate on assumptions or reckless judgment."
The chamber was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaobai's face darkened. 'Who the hell in four heavens created these fucking ridiculous rules?' he thought, grinding his teeth. 'Feed my little whinie to ants? He still has a long life ahead! Absolutely unacceptable!'
And why the hell would these rules even apply to him? He wasn't part of their damned sect.
Heck, they didn't even know his real name! But of course, they were the ones with power here.
If Bai Yujian decided to claim she was his grandma, what choice did he have but to nod along? It wasn't like the truth mattered in these kinds of situations.
Strong bullies the weak—same old shit, different day.
While Elder Bai continued pontificating about "justice," Su Xiaobai was busy looking for escape routes.
His mind was on overdrive as he searched for void cracks. He hadn't fully confirmed his theory yet, but there were multiple void cracks in this cave, and if he slipped into the right one, he could end up in a different place entirely.
'Freedom's just a crack away...'
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Bai Yujian, who had been quietly observing the scene.
Her sharp eyes flicked toward Lan Meiyu, her expression dripping with contempt. "Your virgin essence is still intact," she said, her tone harsh.
It was less of a question and more of an accusation.
Bai Yujian had always thought this girl was trouble, but framing someone in front of her? That took a special kind of nerve.
Lan Meiyu's face flushed under the weight of everyone's stares. "H-he didn't actually penetrate me!" she stammered, her voice wavering with a mixture of shame and embarrassment.
'Huh?' Su Xiaobai's internal monologue screeched to a halt. 'Wait, is that supposed to be a win for me?'
Bai Yujian's face twisted into something complicated.
'Now what the hell am I supposed to do with that information? This girl is creating a drama...' she thought. There were no witnesses, and this whole situation was spiraling into a mess she wasn't eager to untangle.
She had a personal bias against Lan Meiyu, and honestly, Su Xiaobai didn't seem like the type to pull off something like this.
But without proof, how could she make a fair judgment?
Then, as if on cue, Liu Zhenhai, still wiping blood from the corner of his mouth after being smacked out of mid-air, growled from the sidelines. "Elder, let's use the Truth-Seeking Elixir!" he spat, his voice filled with malice.
He pulled out a small vial, its bright purple glow lighting up the chamber. The fragrant aroma filled the air, unmistakable and powerful.
Su Xiaobai felt his face lit up with excitment 'They have one of those? Great!'
Bai Yujian raised an eyebrow, glancing at Liu Zhenhai. "Are you sure? That elixir must be incredibly valuable to you." Her words carried a deeper meaning, implying he was about to waste a treasure on something as petty as Lan Meiyu's pride.
Liu Zhenhai, glaring at Su Xiaobai with barely concealed fury, nodded. His eyes practically spat fire. 'This bastard's responsible for me getting slapped by my Sword Fairy!' His pride couldn't take it.
He had to see Su Xiaobai squirm, no matter the cost.
The air in the chamber grew frganant with tension as the vial of Truth-Seeking Elixir gleamed in Liu Zhenhai's hand.
Elder Bai stepped forward, looking between Lan Meiyu and Su Xiaobai. "This will settle it," he said gravely, her slender pale hand extending toward the elixir. "If the truth is revealed, there will be no more debate."
Su Xiaobai resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Drink it," Bai Yujian commanded again, her tone sharp. Lan Meiyu stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching him with a mixture of apprehension and vengeance in her eyes.
Su Xiaobai forced a smirk, trying to act unfazed, but inside, his thoughts were screaming. 'Let's get this over with.'
He tilted the vial back, the bright purple liquid sliding down his throat, cool at first, but quickly burning as it spread through his veins.
His body felt heavier, like it was sinking into the earth itself.
His mind, usually a fortress of controlled thoughts, suddenly felt exposed, naked.
"Who are you?" Bai Yujian's voice broke through the haze.
She had been curious about him for a long time.
He didn't look like a rogue cultivator at all.
It was the unmistakable aura of someone who came from a very powerful and sheltered place, more like a sheltered prince. His sharpness was something cultivated from birth.
His appearance was that of a wealthy young master; how could he be a rogue cultivator?