"In front of my father," Bian Jixiong had no need to put on airs, he helplessly shook his head and said, "Father, it's not a matter of how one says it. It's an issue of the gathering and dispersing of people's hearts, the purpose of the sect's existence. Our sect's disciples were killed, yet the murderer is treated as a guest. No matter how you sugarcoat it, it's useless."

The figure in the white robe paced back and forth without stopping, the elderly voice calm and ripple-less, "Right or wrong, they still need to acknowledge it."

"What do you mean, father?" Bian Jixiong was puzzled.

The voice in the white robe said, "After investigation, the assassination was solely orchestrated by Wei Bian. You find the reasons yourself. In any case, Wukang Mountain was at fault initially. Although Shi Chun was only defending himself, his defense was excessive. Despite the flaws of Wukang Mountain's disciples, their lives shouldn't be taken by outsiders. Administer a light punishment, detain Wukang Mountain for labor temporarily."

If that were the case, Bian Jixiong thought, he could indeed explain it to everyone concerned. Yet, he still questioned, "Father, is it necessary to go through such a roundabout way?"

The figure in the white robe suddenly stopped. Behind the gauze curtain, he sighed deeply, "Our Wukang Mountain backs onto the East Victory Royal Court. We aren't afraid of direct conflict, and few dare to confront us openly. What I fear is the betrayal within our own home. Eradicating internal traitors is of paramount importance. While I am still alive and can maintain control, it's for your benefit to consolidate power."

Upon hearing this, Bian Jixiong's expression grew solemn. He slowly nodded and said, "I understand. However, Wei Bian was, after all, Huixing's direct disciple. Having him posthumously take the blame won't sit well with Huixing. If she disagrees, it could complicate matters."

With a wave of his large hand, the figure in the white robe dismissed the concern, "Such is a woman's shortsighted view, foolish to the extreme. The dead have no value! When I told you to choose a wise wife, you didn't listen. Instead, you chose a beauty, a foolish woman who could harm generations! This matter isn't up to her to decide. If you can't even control a woman, that's on you!"

As the conversation ended, the lamp was extinguished, and the curtain fluttered; the figure behind it had vanished without a trace.

After contemplating in silence for a while, Bian Jixiong turned and left the room, walked along the corridor, and stopped in front of a door, knocking on Yin Huixing's cultivation room.

Having received permission to enter, Bian Jixiong closed the door, walked up to where Yin Huixing was meditating with her eyes closed, and without waiting, he blurted out, "The plan to use Shi Chun to motivate Weikang must proceed. Shi Chun needs to stay on the mountain."

Yin Huixin, eyes still closed, hummed in response through her nose, "As long as you think you can justify it to everyone, do as you wish. No need to tell me!"

Bian Jixiong continued, "The assassination was entirely orchestrated by Wei Bian, and has nothing to do with Weiying. The reason Wei Bian planned this ambush was due to his long-concealed admiration and love for Weiying. Seeing her being affectionate with Shi Chun during the day aggravated his jealousy, leading him to commit this act, which resulted in the current disaster."

This reasoning and excuse made Yin Huixin abruptly open her eyes, disbelievingly staring at him.

"After investigation, although Wukang Mountain was initially at fault, and Shi Chun's self-defense was excessive, the disciples of Wukang Mountain are not to be killed by outsiders. A light punishment, temporary detention for Wukang Mountain to perform labor!"

Yin Huixin's face gradually turned pale with anger, pointing at him, her voice trembling, "The most shameless! Wei Bian is dead, yet you still tarnish his innocence, insisting he dies disgraced? I will never agree to this!"

Bian Jixiong calmly said, "It's too obvious, everyone can see your daughter is behind this, causing the death of two Wukang Mountain disciples. How should we explain this to everyone? How am I to cover this up for her? Only by letting Wei Bian carry this burden can we logically smooth things over. Is it about protecting Wei Bian's innocence, or about justly punishing your daughter? The choice is yours!"

Yin Huixin clenched her teeth and glared at him intensely.

His silence was an answer itself. Bian Jixiong turned to leave, "You put too much importance on your own emotions, unable to see what you need to sacrifice. Everything is about how you feel, and that's the ultimate selfishness. Take care of your daughter; you can't always expect others to take the fall!"

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, separately interrogated, were subsequently thrown into the dungeon.

Indeed, Wukang Mountain had its own private prison.

The two of them, meeting again in the confines of the cage, were covered in injuries, their clothes tattered, bodies marked by whip lashes. They checked each other's injuries, finding that although they looked severely tortured, the wounds were superficial.

Both understood this well.

Regarding superficial wounds, given the conditions of the Land of Exile, they were all too accustomed to it, as evidenced by the scars seen all over Wu Jinliang's body.

Shi Chun had no old scars on his body, as his physical recovery ability was exceptionally strong, which he believed to be related to his cultivation techniques. This was also why he was reluctant to give up this set of cultivation techniques. A man who could apply pearl powder on his own face, one could only imagine.

They further inquired about each other's interrogation, sharing similar experiences of being questioned about the assassination, followed by repeated inquiries on how they broke the immobilization charm.

Regarding the secret of the immobilization charm, they definitely couldn't reveal the truth; otherwise, even if it meant Wukang Mountain crashing down, they would silence them. It was naturally caused by an unknown external force.

Having confirmed nothing was amiss, Shi Chun also let out a sigh of relief, then simply sat down and said, "Ah, let's rest. Maybe when we wake up, we'll be outside."

Despite being whipped, he felt surprisingly relaxed, laid down with his arms behind his head and legs propped up, humming confidently, certain that the Demon Path would undoubtedly come to rescue them.

Wu Jinliang also lay beside him, lamenting, "Before coming here, I was whipped in a prison; after leaving, I'm whipped again into a prison. Truly unfortunate."

The two lay head-to-head, enduring a sleepless night, forming the shape of the number "eight."

Bian Weiyin hadn't stayed up all night on the mountain; before leaving, she had seen her mother, Yin Huixin, who had summoned her and informed her of the eventual outcome for her daughter, advising her to return home at ease.

"Even so, I would rather smear Wei Bian's name than hinder the grand plans to support my brother. Oh heavens, in what way am I inferior to Bian Weikang? Is it simply because he is a son, and I, a daughter? Then why did you give me hope in the first place? Hahaha..."

In front of her mother, Bian Weiyin, hysterical, laughing and crying crazily, as if she were drunk.

She had thought that after Shi Chun publicly killed Wei Bian, it would be impossible to stay on Wukang Mountain and continue her father's ridiculous plans. Yet, to her dismay, her father had gone to such absurd lengths to protect her brother and twist the situation around, leaving her devastated.

Despair filled her face.

In the end, she staggered down the mountain and upon returning to the City Lord Mansion, she was confronted by Bian Weikang, who had been waiting to demand an explanation.

On the spot, Bian Weiyin exploded, smashing anything she could grab; truly, she seemed insane, startling Bian Weikang into speechlessness—it was the first time he saw his sister in such a state.

The others in the City Lord Mansion were frightened into hiding.

Not until everything in the hall had been smashed repeatedly, leaving not a single intact item, did a seemingly exhausted Bian Weiyin collapse onto the steps, her hair disheveled and her demeanor utterly defeated, gently sobbing while embracing her knees.

Only then did Bian Weikang cautiously approach her, squatting beside her and tentatively asking, "Weiying, what's wrong?"

"Get out!" Bian Weiyin suddenly pointed towards the door, her voice a hysterical shriek.

"..." Bian Weikang was at a loss for words, holding back from speaking further, and ultimately left without achieving his purpose, dejected.

After returning to the inn and meeting Xiang Laner, he was likewise all sobs, without gathering any useful information. Xiang Laner consistently treated him with tenderness, advising him to go back to his room and rest early.

Not until the sky began to brighten did a person cloaked and masked appear in Xiang Laner's room, accompanied by Feng Chi.

Xiang Laner, without waiting for them to complete their greetings, took the initiative to ask, "When will they be fished out?"

The cloaked person and Feng Chi exchanged a glance, the latter's expression somewhat peculiar.

The cloaked person spoke in a raspy voice, "They can't be fished out anymore, nor is there any need to. Bian Jixiong plans to leave them on the mountain with a slight punishment..." and proceeded to explain the newly discovered details of the case and the decisions made after a high-level meeting at Wukang Mountain.

Feng Chi gave a bitter smile, "So that means, no need to bother anymore. The original plan can proceed as planned; those two guys have already snuck in on their own without our help."

Xiang Laner hesitated, "If it wasn't Bian Weiyin who orchestrated it, then why would she, a lord of her stature, be so proactive as to personally oversee it?"

The cloaked person replied, "It's a distraction, to provide an explanation to their own people; outsiders can't see through it, but I know exactly what Bian Jixiong intends. After all, the plan was provided by me to Bian Jixiong; he did it both to protect his daughter and to ensure the plan supporting his son wasn't affected. To be honest, I never expected him to go to such lengths for that worthless son, swiftly manufacturing all necessary evidence and documentation, putting great effort into his scheming. Conversely, it proves that targeting his son was the right move. As long as Bian Weikang obtains the items, we can eliminate both nuisances."

Feng Chi then said to Xiang Laner, "Miss, today you and Bian Weikang will likely be summoned to the mountain."

Xiang Laner nodded slightly...

As daylight brightened, visibility grew through the prison's air vent.

Waiting left and right, they saw no sign of someone coming to rescue them, and after such a prolonged delay, both men grew uneasy.

Unable to endure any longer, Wu Jinliang couldn't help but whisper, "Chun Tian, didn't you say that we might wake up outside after a sleep?"

How could Shi Chun respond? He too found it strange. Logically, it should have been Xiang Laner and those of the Demon Path who were most panicked about their capture.

Just then, the sound of the prison door opening echoed down the corridor, followed by footsteps.

They had come. The two men exchanged a knowing smile and then quickly sat cross-legged, pretending to know nothing.

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