The Ice-Cold Beauty Senior Sister Keeps Falling for Her Own Theories - Chapter 32

“No need, thank you.”

Although the vine demon’s suggestion to help her escape was clearly better than her original plan, Gongsun Muhan still refused.

“I am not your Sister Su Meng. You don’t need to help me.”

“But you are! You’ve just forgotten.”

“Don’t go any further!”

Listening to Huahua’s tearful voice, Gongsun Muhan merely tightened her grip on the talisman hidden in her sleeve and took step after step closer to the main hall, gradually entering the eye of the storm.

She was well aware that she was definitely not Su Meng. Every single event from her 103 years of life was etched clearly in her memory, there was no possibility of amnesia.

Still, she felt somewhat moved. Earlier, to save Feng Jie, she had played along with the title “Sister Su Meng,” never expecting Huahua to be so…

The talismans she had previously set up for the vine demon were ultimately insufficient to repay the debt of gratitude. She already owed the vine demon, and she couldn’t let Huahua sacrifice even more for her sake.

“Kneel!”

Tan Feng was about to kick her, reminding Gongsun Muhan to pay her respects.

Gongsun Muhan sidestepped to dodge, her cold gaze fixed on Tan Feng as he presented the sword case made of thousand-year cold jade, bowing and scraping obsequiously in his eagerness to offer it.

She snorted coldly and stared directly at the person seated in the place of honor in the hall. “Even if I don’t kneel, what fault is there in that?”

Seated in the place of honor was the Alliance Leader of the Immortal Alliance, Tang Xianyu, who had rushed over upon hearing that the Bixin Sword had chosen its master.

Though she had lived for nearly a thousand years, her appearance remained that of a young girl in her prime.

Dressed in a simple blue cloth dress, her white hair tied up with a gray headscarf, she looked like an ordinary woman, yet the aura surrounding her was impossible to ignore.

Especially the faint golden lotus mark on her forehead, which left onlookers in awe.

A sense of detached divinity emanated from her.

But now, as rare as a smiling Guanyin or a grieving Buddha, her face was filled with shock, and even her golden eyes seemed to lose their luster.

Gongsun Muhan felt no fear, nor did she share the reverence in the eyes of those present. She simply observed quietly, sizing up the slightly unusual Alliance Leader.

Though the person in question remained silent, the surrounding crowd would not tolerate any disrespect toward their Alliance Leader.

The first to react was an elder from the Qingyang Sect. Without holding back just because the offender was a junior, she raised her hand and sent a purple spell hurtling toward Gongsun Muhan.

With a sizzle in the air, another pale purple spiritual energy, tinged with flames, collided with the spell, neutralizing both forces right in front of Gongsun Muhan.

Following the direction of the second burst of spiritual energy, Gongsun Muhan saw the elderly woman she had met earlier, the elder of Danwen Pavilion.

Seeing the person beside her, Gongsun Muhan understood why the elder had stepped in to block the attack and why she had spoken up for her at the mountain gate earlier.

So it was because of her.

That woman was none other than Hu Yu, whom Gongsun Muhan had rescued in the underground palace.

Now, seated in a wheelchair made of dark iron, Hu Yu smiled and gestured to Gongsun Muhan, her lips moving slightly.

Sister, it’s been a long time.

Gongsun Muhan averted her gaze. It seemed Hu Yu had an unusual relationship with this elder, otherwise, she wouldn’t have intervened to help her multiple times.

The elderly woman from the Danwen Pavilion withdrew her spiritual power and glanced at the elder who had made a move, smiling as she said, “Elder Li, this is, after all, a junior. Even if they made a mistake, there’s no need to be so ruthless. Moreover, the Alliance Leader hasn’t even spoken yet.”

Elder Li snorted sharply, flicking his sleeve in displeasure, but he relented, giving her face.

Their gazes then turned to the Alliance Leader, Tang Xianyu, seated in the main position. They noticed her slightly bowed head, as if lost in deep thought.

It seemed she had no intention of pursuing the junior’s mistake.

The Alliance Leader had always been kind and friendly toward the younger generation, so this reaction was within the expectations of the elders.

However, they would have to remind her at the next meeting not to be overly lenient, there were times when authority needed to be asserted, and matters shouldn’t be brushed aside so lightly.

The next moment, their eyes unanimously shifted to the leader of the Bixia Sect, Dao Xuanzi.

After all, this disciple was from his sect, and the Bixin Sword had been discovered in their back mountain.

Dao Xuanzi awkwardly scanned the room, cleared his throat lightly, and said, “Previously, some of you expressed concerns about the ownership of the Bixin Sword. So, I sent someone to ask her, and she voluntarily dissolved the divine contract, returning the Bixin Sword to the Immortal Alliance for their disposal.”

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Gongsun Muhan in surprise. They truly hadn’t expected anyone in the world to willingly relinquish a divine artifact. Upon further reflection, however, this “voluntary” act likely wasn’t entirely genuine.

After speaking, Dao Xuanzi bowed slightly to Tang Xianyu. Noticing the elders’ gazes lingering on the cold jade box, he chuckled lightly and signaled Tan Feng to open the sword box.

At that moment, Tang Xianyu snapped out of her long, distant reverie. Voluntarily surrendering the Bixin Sword?

She frowned at Dao Xuanzi, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest of her chair, making it impossible to guess her thoughts.

Tan Feng wasted no time with ceremony. Following his senior brother’s cue, he unlatched the box with a sharp clang.

Whether it was the reflection from the inner walls of the millennium cold jade box or the Bixin Sword’s own radiant glow, a dazzling light shimmered, and a refreshing, natural spiritual energy washed over everyone.

Truly a divine artifact!

So extraordinary compared to ordinary weapons.

But now that the Bixin Sword was openly displayed, it was clear that none of the sects could lay claim to it.

It would inevitably be taken by the Immortal Alliance. After all, tracing back to before the Celestial Sword Master Su Meng obtained it, the Bixin Sword originally belonged to the Tang clan, a reclusive great family of the immortal sects. It was passed down through generations to the next Tang clan heir, the Alliance Leader. It was only during this generation’s leadership that the tradition was broken.

With this in mind, everyone turned their attention to Tang Xianyu, seated in the main position, waiting for her to make the final decision.

Unexpectedly, aside from a brief glance when the box was opened, Tang Xianyu paid no further attention to the Bixin Sword. Her gaze remained fixed on Gongsun Muhan.

Her first words were also directed at Gongsun Muhan.

“Did you dissolve the divine contract of the Bixin Sword voluntarily?”

Her voice was pleasant, like a clear spring flowing by one’s ear, pure and melodious. It carried no trace of age-related heaviness and evoked no dislike in anyone.

Gongsun Muhan was somewhat puzzled. Was the Alliance Leader trying to uphold justice?

She pursed her lips slightly and replied earnestly, “Yes.”

Tang Xianyu curled her lips slightly and continued asking, “So the Bixin Sword was taken by the elder beside you, right?”

Gongsun Muhan gave a soft hum and looked at her with a serious expression, waiting to see what would happen next.

Just as she expected, with a “thud,” Tan Feng’s knees sank deep into the marble floor.

Tang Xianyu moved with incredible speed, no one present saw how she struck, let alone detected any trace of her spiritual energy.

All they saw was the cold jade box in Tan Feng’s hand clatter to the ground, while he himself collapsed face-down, spitting several mouthfuls of blood. His face was a ghastly sight, the veins on his forehead bulging as if he might explode into pieces under the spiritual pressure at any moment.

“Alliance Leader, ”

The crowd exclaimed in unison, still struggling to process the situation. How could the usually benevolent alliance leader, who had been amiably questioning them just moments before, act so ruthlessly the next?

Their eyes fixed on the Bixin Sword, which had fallen out of the box and now lay isolated on the ground.

Seeing this, Tang Xianyu lightly flicked her finger, and the Bixin Sword soared into the air, instantly turning to dust.

She brushed off nonexistent dust from her fingers and declared with certainty, “It’s a fake.”

After all, she had played with the Bixin Sword daily as a child and knew it better than anyone.

Ignoring the stunned expressions around her, she rose from her seat and gracefully approached Dao Xuanzi.

“Having her willingly break the bond with the Bixin Sword, that was your idea, wasn’t it?”

Dao Xuanzi was terrified, his voice trembling. “A-Alliance Leader, ”

“As I recall, I sent a secret letter first, instructing you not to act rashly.”

“Alliance Leader, I was wronged! I gave the order as well, but it was Tan Feng, he acted on his own. I, ”

Thud,

With a flick of her sleeve, Tang Xianyu sent Dao Xuanzi flying.

Witnessing this, everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound. Dao Xuanzi clutched his chest as he struggled to his feet, lowering his head and brows in apparent submission. But inwardly, he seethed with resentment. So what if it’s the Immortal Alliance? Once I fully comprehend the Chaos Spirit Body, I’ll make them kneel and beg for mercy.

A surge of malice emanated from him, and Tang Xianyu followed it with her gaze, only to find Dao Xuanzi’s eyes filled with fear.

“You, tell me exactly what happened.”

Tang Xianyu had already flashed back to her seat. With a delicate turn of her hand, she pointed at Gongsun Muhan.

Gongsun Muhan glanced at her, then nervously averted her eyes to Tan Feng beside her, her meaning clear.

After a moment of hesitation, she remained tight-lipped, showing no intention to speak.

Even though the situation had changed, she had her own plans.

Tang Xianyu raised an eyebrow and smiled silently, then singled out Tan Feng.

“In that case, you speak.”

Tan Feng immediately felt the immense pressure weighing him down vanish. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he forced himself to stand and replied haltingly, weakly:

“I previously followed the sect leader’s orders and asked Gongsun Muhan if she was willing to break her spiritual bond with the Bixin Sword. She agreed and severed the bond, after which I placed the sword in this cold jade box. I carried it here myself without letting anyone else touch it. How could I have known the sword was fake? I truly have no idea how this happened. I beg the Alliance Leader to investigate!”

As soon as he finished speaking, many suspicious glances fell upon Gongsun Muhan.

Clearly, if the sword had remained untouched throughout the journey, there was only one possibility: Gongsun Muhan had given them a fake from the very beginning.

Gongsun Muhan stood by with a cold sneer, “Ridiculous. Are you suggesting that I, someone who has broken the divine contract and lost all my cultivation, could swap the fake Bixin Sword right under the nose of a Violet-tier cultivator?”

“Not to mention, this is all without considering how an ordinary disciple like me could possibly obtain such rare materials in advance and forge such an exquisitely crafted imitation of a divine sword.”

After she finished speaking, the crowd silently weighed her words and found them reasonable.

The most likely suspects in this matter were still Tan Feng and Dao Xuanzi.

Dao Xuanzi had clearly considered this line of reasoning as well. Truthfully, he couldn’t quite grasp how Gongsun Muhan could have managed to swap out the Bixin Sword with a fake.

He was more inclined to suspect that Tan Feng’s claims were fabricated. However, he couldn’t very well openly contradict his own ally. Yet, given the current situation, the greatest suspicion was undeniably pointing toward him, Dao Xuanzi.

His expression darkened as he carefully chose his words:

“Gongsun Muhan, you and my disciple Feng Jie have always been bitter enemies, locked in a feud as incompatible as fire and water. Yet recently, I’ve heard that you’ve been spending a great deal of time with her. Her Coldwater Sword and brocade pouch went missing, I presume you took them, didn’t you? There were quite a few valuable items inside. Moreover, aside from you, how many people here have actually seen the true appearance of the Bixin Sword? Given your notorious arrogance, it’s hardly surprising that you couldn’t bear to hand over the Bixin Sword to someone else. It wouldn’t be difficult for you to secretly tamper with it.”

His words were so skillfully crafted that even Gongsun Muhan felt an urge to applaud him.

Not only had he deftly deflected the doubts she had raised earlier, but he had also subtly leveraged the widespread perception of her “arrogance” among the various sects to reinforce the motive for her secretly swapping the sword.

However, she was not without a countermove.

But before Gongsun Muhan could speak, her eyes widened in shock, and she froze on the spot.