Chapter 180 - 174: Culpability
It was only then that the crowd awoke as if from a dream. They stared at Huang Suyu’s corpse, and at Yu Changsheng, who sat upon it, drenched in blood like a veritable Demon God. Their pupils shrank as they drew in sharp, astonished breaths.
"Huang Suyu... is dead?"
"The Vice Sect Leader was trying to save him, but Yu Changsheng still attacked—and he succeeded?!!"
Discussions erupted among the disciples, while the Elders exchanged stunned glances, all of them frozen to the spot.
’What just happened? It wasn’t a bluff. That Divine Sense was genuinely powerful enough to break through the Vice Sect Leader’s pressure... That’s how he caught him off guard!’
Elder Li stood frozen, his gaze shifting between Huang Suyu’s corpse and the heavily panting Yu Changsheng. A maelstrom of emotions churned within him, his expression complex.
’Qi Refining cultivation, Physical Foundation Establishment, and an abnormally powerful Divine Sense... Is this innate talent... or a Technique from Beast Taming Peak!’
Yun Hejing murmured to herself. Yu Changsheng had given her far too many shocks today.
It was easy to imagine that the day’s events had left an indelible impression on every disciple and Elder present.
No one would ever underestimate Yu Changsheng again. Miao Wenlun was also stunned, staring blankly at Yu Changsheng for a long moment before exhaling, a trace of relief on his face.
As for Gu Zhen and the other geniuses, their wry smiles gave way to nothing but pure admiration for Yu Changsheng.
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Lu Ruikai’s face was a mask of fury. On closer inspection, however, one could see that beneath the anger in his eyes lay an even deeper sense of shock.
’He could have never imagined that even after he intervened, Yu Changsheng would still manage to seize an opportunity to kill Huang Suyu. The boy had never revealed his trump card.’
Yu Changsheng sat slumped on the ground, his expression calm as he watched Lu Ruikai’s approaching figure. He made no move.
At this moment, his Divine Sense, soul, vital energy, and Cultivation were all weakened to their absolute limit. He was completely defenseless, utterly devoid of strength.
’But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that I killed Huang Suyu. That’s enough. I knew that if I actually tried to kill a genius like him, someone in the sect would definitely intervene.’
’That’s why I never used my ultimate trump card during the fight with Huang Suyu. It was all for this very moment—to strike when they least expected it.’
’I truly didn’t expect to provoke Lu Ruikai himself into action, but the outcome was good. By risking a Divine Soul backlash, I still managed to delay him.’
’If Lu Ruikai’s true body had been here, I never would have succeeded. But it was only a projection of his Divine Thought, and since he underestimated me, I was able to pull it off.’
In truth, Lu Ruikai couldn’t be blamed for his carelessness. No one could have predicted that Yu Changsheng was holding back such an ace—a Divine Sense comparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator. Who would have believed it?
However, the deed was done. Lu Ruikai was certainly furious, but for the moment, he found Yu Changsheng to be a rather difficult problem.
Seeing Lu Ruikai’s menacing approach, Yun Hejing was the first to react. She hurriedly flew before him, bowed, and said respectfully,
"Vice Sect Leader, please calm your anger. Surely, Yu Changsheng was forced into this. I implore you to show leniency."
Lu Ruikai snorted, his expression grim. His gaze swept past Yun Hejing to land on Yu Changsheng. Taking a deep breath, he said slowly, "Give me a reason."
Yu Changsheng fought back the encroaching unconsciousness. Though his voice was laced with exhaustion, his expression remained respectful.
"Please, Vice Sect Leader, judge with clarity. This disciple admits his fault in rashly killing Huang Suyu, but there were extenuating circumstances."
"A rash slip of the hand?" Lu Ruikai’s eyes narrowed. He gave a cold laugh and shook his head, waiting for Yu Changsheng’s explanation.
"This disciple never truly intended to kill Huang Suyu. But he repeatedly tried to harm me, even hiring assassins to kill me on multiple occasions. If not for my fortunate escapes, I, Yu Changsheng, would not be here today."
"During this Inner Sect trial, I have been walking on eggshells. I never imagined Huang Suyu would be so relentless. He not only arranged for two disciples to block my path, but he also had Senior Brother Lei Jingtong of Overlord Blade Peak hunt me down.
I was prepared to let bygones be bygones, but Huang Suyu refused to let it go. He was adamant about killing me. He even bribed one of the Trial Disciples to tamper with my Teleportation Jade Tube, preventing me from teleporting out. I had no choice! I did this only to protect myself. I hope the Vice Sect Leader can be magnanimous. I am willing to accept any punishment."
Yu Changsheng said all this in one long, impassioned speech. His expression shifted from resentment to sorrow to helplessness, and his words resonated with many in the crowd.
Upon hearing his name, Lei Jingtong, who had been observing from the sidelines, stepped forward. He first bowed to the assembled crowd and said with sincerity,
"I can corroborate Yu Changsheng’s words. Huang Suyu did approach me and ask for my help in eliminating Yu Changsheng. I owed him a favor from years ago, so I agreed. However, in the end, I only intended to have a duel with Junior Yu. I had no intention of killing him. I am sure Junior Yu himself can attest to this."
Lei Jingtong spoke in a calm, measured tone, his voice filled with sincerity. He held nothing back.
Hearing Lei Jingtong’s admission, Lu Ruikai’s expression softened somewhat. He nodded at him, showing no intention of punishment. Lei Jingtong’s actions, in themselves, weren’t particularly problematic.
Seeing that Lu Ruikai did not hold him at fault, Lei Jingtong let out a silent sigh of relief. A wave of gratitude washed over him, and he cast a complicated glance at Yu Changsheng.
"Show me your Jade Tube."
Lu Ruikai reined in his imposing aura, his expression softening as he spoke calmly.
Yu Changsheng nodded, maintaining his respectful demeanor. He took out his Teleportation Jade Tube and handed it to Lu Ruikai.
Lu Ruikai saw the problem with a single glance. He crushed the Teleportation Jade Tube in his grip, and his expression turned grim.
"Which Inner Sect Disciple was responsible for assisting with this trial?"
From within the crowd, Wang Luyi’s face fell. In a panic, he scrambled to fly before Lu Ruikai, fell to his knees, and cried out in terror,
"This disciple, Wang Luyi, has committed a crime worthy of death! I should never have given in to another’s pleading. In a moment of weakness, I secretly modified Junior Yu’s teleportation access. Please, Vice Sect Leader, punish me!"
Wang Luyi remained kneeling, his eyes filled with nothing but fear and regret. Gone was any trace of an Inner Sect Disciple’s pride. He truly never imagined it would end like this.
’The most culpable person here wasn’t Lei Jingtong or the others. It was me, the disciple in charge of the trial. I colluded with Huang Suyu to modify Yu Changsheng’s Trial Jade Tube’s teleportation access. Wasn’t that the same as setting a death trap for him?’
’If Huang Suyu had actually killed Yu Changsheng, it would have been manageable. I might have come under suspicion, but it would have stopped there. As long as no one confessed, no one could prove anything.’
’There would have been a dozen other excuses for why Yu Changsheng died, none of them involving a faulty Jade Tube. In truth, few people would have cared that much about one dead disciple.’
’But with Huang Suyu dead and the Vice Sect Leader himself now involved, everything was different. My actions would become the scapegoat for this entire incident.’