Chapter 67: I Wish to Join the Beast Taming Sect

[Name]: Jiang Zhengqing

[Realm]: Myriad Law - Stage 9

[Destiny Template]: Great Ambitions (Purple)

[Attributes]: Righteousness First (Blue), Erudite (Purple), Scion of the Jiang-Huai (Gold)

[Great Ambitions]: You harbor lofty goals, but due to various circumstances, you have never been able to realize your ideals and can only continue to struggle onward.

[Righteousness First]: You are a man of deep loyalty and honor, a paragon of integrity. [Erudite]: Your knowledge is vast, spanning from the heavens above to the earth below. Your intellect is second to none.

[Scion of the Jiang-Huai]: You are a descendant of the great and noble Jiang-Huai Clan.

[Fate]: You will single-handedly turn the tide and save the Beast Taming Sect from ruin. You will dedicate your life to reform, striving to push the sect to greater heights, but will ultimately be assassinated in a conspiracy by villains within the sect whose interests you threaten. You will die a tragic death at Wuzang Plain.

[Recent Turning Point]: You fall gravely ill after your most beloved disciple is poisoned and killed.

Lin Yun was stunned. He had never imagined the Beast Taming Sect would be such a pit of vipers.

Of the seven elders, two of them—First Elder Ning Changkong and Second Elder Duan Wuya—were wholly devoted to their own cultivation and rarely concerned themselves with sect affairs. This left a faction, led by Third Elder Wu Boyan, in control of a vast amount of the sect's resources. It was a situation that left Jiang Zhengqing, for all his ambition to revitalize the sect, utterly powerless, able to do little more than speak of his plans.

The wolves certainly have the advantage in this den, Lin Yun thought to himself.

Just then, Jiang Zhengqing, who had been silent, spoke again.

"That is enough, Junior Brothers." His gaze fell upon Lin Yun. "Since you claim to be innocent, you must provide proof."

Lin Yun nodded. "Before he passed, Elder Li entrusted several matters to me. That is the reason I came to the Beast Taming Sect."

A flicker of raw emotion crossed Jiang Zhengqing's face. It was clear that he and Li Hong had been very close. It made sense now; Li Hong must have waded into this muddy water for Jiang Zhengqing's sake.

Without another word, Lin Yun produced Li Hong's Spirit Taming Pouch.

The smug look on Wu Boyan's face vanished, replaced by sheer disbelief. What in the hell is that?

Jiang Zhengqing shot to his feet. Honestly, he had never dreamed the pouch would be in Lin Yun's possession. Even at the moment of his death, Li Hong should have had better options. He could have easily given the pouch to Fang Chengqian, his own personal disciple. To think it would end up in Lin Yun's hands was inconceivable.

"That… that's impossible!" Fang Yan was the first to cry out. "How could Li Hong have entrusted his most prized possession to you? You must have stolen it after you killed him! Sect Master, this proves nothing!"

A mocking glint appeared in Jiang Zhengqing's eyes. "I am aware," he said coolly. "Elder Li was always cautious. There is a restrictive seal on his Spirit Taming Pouch. No one can open it without his express permission. Lin Yun, if you wish to prove your innocence, then take something out of it for us to see."

Hearing this, the faces of Wu Boyan and his allies lit up with triumph. Liao Changping had witnessed Li Hong's last breath with his own eyes. He simply hadn't had time to collect the loot. Asking Lin Yun to retrieve something from the pouch now? It was a joke. Any attempt to force it open would only result in its destruction.

Seeing Lin Yun hesitate, Cao Yuke and Wu Boyan grew impatient.

"Well, Lin Yun? What are you waiting for?"

"You're the one who claims to be innocent. We are offering you a chance to prove it. What's the matter… are you refusing to take it?"

The two of them were certain that Lin Yun couldn't possibly produce anything from the pouch. Whatever had happened today, Lin Yun would be unable to explain his way out of this.

"You elders seem to be in quite a hurry," Lin Yun said with a smile.

Then, channeling his vital energy, he reached into the pouch and withdrew a small token. It was Elder Li's personal identification medallion—irrefutable proof of the pouch's ownership, and more importantly… proof that Lin Yun could open it.

"Now, is there anything else you'd like to say?" Lin Yun asked, looking at them triumphantly.

Wu Boyan's face was hideous to behold. His entire plan was about to be derailed by this boy. He had no idea who this mysterious kid was or where he had come from.

Jiang Zhengqing looked at Wu Boyan. "Junior Brother Wu, are there any further questions? You should be able to confirm that this is Elder Li's personal property."

Wu Boyan's expression was grim. "Sect Master, so what if it is? We have no way of knowing if this isn't some trick of Lin Yun's! What if—"

"Is this still not enough proof?" Jiang Zhengqing snorted.

Cao Yuke and Fang Yan immediately applied pressure. "Sect Master, the Flowing Cloud Sect is watching our every move! Do you truly wish to incite a war between our two sects?"

When logic failed, they resorted to accusations of treason. It was their same old tactic.

Jiang Zhengqing's hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Just then, Lin Yun spoke. "I knew you would say as much. Sect Master, I have one more item, which Elder Li personally instructed me to give to you."

A look of hope flashed across Jiang Zhengqing's face. "What is it?"

Lin Yun took out the curved jade Magatama and presented it with both hands. "This."

"Elder Li also said," Lin Yun continued, his voice ringing through the hall, "that he wished for me to join the Beast Taming Sect. As his personal disciple."

The declaration sent shockwaves through the room. The entire hall was in an uproar. Even the aloof Ning Changkong and Duan Wuya stared in disbelief. Li Hong had always been notoriously strict about accepting disciples; Fang Chengqian had only been taken in after Jiang Zhengqing had pushed for it relentlessly. And now, he wanted to so easily accept an outsider? A former disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect, no less? It was impossible for there not to be a hidden story.

Zhao Fa's voice trembled. "Sect Master, this is absolutely out of the question! Even if Lin Yun didn't kill Elder Li, keeping him in the sect is tantamount to declaring war on the Flowing Cloud Sect!"

Jiang Zhengqing held the Magatama in his hand. This was the token for the Chongqing Bird. The matter was of the utmost importance. Li Hong would never have entrusted this to Lin Yun if he didn't believe in him completely.

"Sect Master, the truth of the matter is irrelevant," Wu Boyan said calmly. "The entire cultivation world has accepted the Flowing Cloud Sect's version of events. Do you intend to defy them all?"

Jiang Zhengqing laughed. It was a laugh devoid of any joy.

"All of you know how close Elder Li and I were," he said, his voice growing louder. "Now he is dead… and with his dying breath, he asked for one thing—to take this young man as his disciple. And you wish to prevent it?"

His voice rose to a roar. "On any other day, I let your endless squabbling slide! But today? Do you intend to play your same old tricks on this matter as well?"

Faced with Jiang Zhengqing's fury, the elders were momentarily dumbfounded. They had not expected such a display of temper.

"Lin Yun," Jiang Zhengqing declared, turning away from them. "Since this was Elder Li's dying wish, I will not defy it. From this day forward, you will stay with us at the Beast Taming Sect."

"As for what happened at Weiyang Mountain, I will investigate it thoroughly and clear your name!"

Wu Boyan and his allies could only stare, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Jiang Zhengqing… he actually had the nerve.