HBWnovel Chapter 108 Crimes
Chapter 108 Crimes
Chapter 108 Crimes
"Boom, boom, boom..."
The Heavenly Emperor's Nine Bells rang nine times before finally stopping.
The sound of nine bells within the Jade Emperor Sect signifies either a celebration or the punishment of a disciple who has committed heinous crimes.
Today, it is clear that there is no celebration being held at the Jade Emperor Sect.
……
"Reporting to the Sect Leader, the traitor Mingxin has been brought here!" A group of Xingzhi Temple disciples brought Lin Fei to Lingxiao Temple.
At this moment, everyone from the sect leader, Master Yongcheng, to the abbots of the eighteen temples of the Jade Emperor were sitting in the main hall.
The expressions on people's faces varied: some were worried, some sighed with regret, and some gloated.
"Where is Yuanyi?" Master Yongcheng glanced around the hall but did not see Yuanyi. "Today is the day to judge his disciple. Why hasn't his master arrived yet?"
"Reporting to the Sect Leader, Junior Brother Yuanyi has disappeared since returning to the mountain." Yuanzhen, the head of Xingzhi Temple, responded, "I suppose Junior Brother Yuanyi would not want to see this good-for-nothing disciple again. I think we don't need to waste time. Since all eighteen head monks have arrived, we can begin."
Master Yongcheng nodded: "You are the head of Xingzhi Temple, so you shall preside over it!"
"Yes!" When Yuanzhen turned around, his expression had completely changed, like a black-faced god, devoid of any emotion: "Mingxin, do you know your crime?"
"This disciple does not know, please enlighten me, Uncle!" Lin Fei replied directly.
Since Yuanyi isn't here, naturally everything will be said by Yuanzhen, the head of the meditation hall. Lin Fei certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to confess first and then let Yuanzhen condemn him while his master is away.
No matter what, we should wait until our master arrives. Our master told us to be prepared, so he must already have a solution.
"Fine, what a rebellious fool who won't admit defeat until he's faced with death!" Yuanzhen sneered. "Today, in front of all the abbots and the sect leader, I'll leave you speechless!"
As he spoke, Yuanzhen waved his hand, and the air in front of him trembled, revealing a scene.
"I have never had the habit of being merciful to the enemy."
"You will regret this! Don't think that no one knows what you've done! The day Uncle Yuanzhen returns to the mountain will be the day you are forever imprisoned in the Demon-Subduing Tower!"
……
The image shows Mingci's head flying high into the air, which is the final scene of Lin Fei killing Mingci.
It is unknown what method Mingci used to transmit the scene of his final moments to Yuanzhen.
Moreover, the scene was incomplete, lacking both the part where Mingci colluded with Ye Fei to take Lin Fei's life and the part where Mingci shamelessly tried to make a deal with Lin Fei to save his own life.
The scene of Lin Fei killing Ming Ci was merely captured; it must have been Yuan Zhen's doing, with the aim of solidifying his guilt in murdering his fellow disciple.
Yuanzhen waved his hand again, and the image disappeared: "Mingxin, you killed a fellow disciple, violating the sect rules and regulations. What else is there to say?"
"Why doesn't Martial Uncle ask why I would want to take the life of Senior Brother Mingci, whom I have no grudge against?" Lin Fei sneered, ignoring Yuanzhen, and said to Master Yongcheng, "Sect Leader, it was Mingci who colluded with outsiders to harm me first. He even sold my information to the Twelve Fiends of Ziwu. I beg you, Sect Leader, to investigate thoroughly!"
"Hmph, even now you still want to argue?" Yuanzhen sneered, "Let's put aside Mingci's matter for now, how do you explain the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill? Sect Leader, how will our Jade Emperor Sect explain to our fellow cultivators that Mingxin stole the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill from Leiyin Temple?"
Mingci's situation is easy to explain, but the matter of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill is harder to say. Surely those monks didn't force him to learn it?
Lin Fei could only feign ignorance: "What Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill? This disciple has no idea!"
"Hmph, still dare to be stubborn!" Yuanzhen raised his hand and struck Lin Fei with a palm strike in mid-air: "If you don't know the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, I will pay with my life today!"
His palm strike was neither too light nor too heavy. If Lin Fei hadn't used his Invincible Vajra Divine Skill, he probably would have truly died from that strike. But if he did, wouldn't that be an admission of guilt?
Just then, a figure flashed and someone stepped in front of Lin Fei, taking Yuanzhen's palm strike for him: "Senior Brother Yuanzhen, as an elder, how can you lay a hand on a junior?"
This person was Lin Fei's master, Yuan Yi.
"Disciple Yuanyi greets the Sect Leader!" Yuanyi appeared in the main hall and bowed to Master Yongcheng.
Master Yongcheng looked at Yuanyi with a complicated expression: "Yuanyi, what is your defense against the accusations made by Yuanzhen against your disciple Mingxin?"
“No.” Yuanyi shook his head: “If the teaching is not strict, it is the teacher’s fault. This disciple is willing to take the punishment on Mingxin’s behalf. I beg the sect leader to be lenient with Mingxin.”
“Since it was a disciple’s mistake, the disciple should bear the consequences. How can a master take the blame for his disciple?” As soon as Yuanyi finished speaking, Yuanzhen immediately said, “Junior Brother Yuanyi’s mistake was due to lax supervision and indulgence of his disciple. He should be dealt with separately. As for this villain Mingxin, he stole martial arts from another sect and unjustly killed his fellow disciple. He should be imprisoned in the Demon-Subduing Tower forever, and his crime will not be forgiven!”
Master Yongcheng looked at Yuanzhen, but Yuanzhen did not flinch or avoid the gaze. He straightened his neck and said, "As the head of Xingzhi Temple, I should uphold justice. If the sect leader feels that I have acted unfairly, then please remove me from my position as head of Xingzhi Temple!"
"Very well, Yuanyi has rendered a great service to our sect this time. His merits and demerits cancel each other out, so we will not pursue his responsibility." Master Yongcheng sighed. "As for Mingxin, let's deal with him as you suggested, Master Yuan!"
Even as the sect leader, Master Yongcheng was unwilling to break the sect's rules. The Jade Emperor Sect's rules were established by generations of predecessors over countless years. If they were to be broken so easily, the Jade Emperor Sect would likely no longer be worthy of being the face of the Southern Tang martial arts world.
"Yes, Master!" Yuanzhen's face lit up with joy, and he loudly ordered, "Disciples of Xingzhi Temple, seize this wretched child Mingxin for me!"
"Who dares?" Yuan Yi shouted, his Taoist robe fluttering without wind, his powerful true energy preventing anyone from getting close to Lin Fei.
"Junior Brother Yuanyi, don't make a mistake!" Yuanzhen shouted, "Do you also want to follow in your footsteps and break the rules of my Jade Emperor Sect?"
Yuan Yi ignored Yuan Zhen and stared intently at the sect leader, Master Yongcheng: "Master, is there really no room for negotiation?"
Master Yongcheng shook his head and sighed, "Since it is a sect rule, it should be followed. You have been on the mountain for more than a day or two, so you should know this. Even as the sect leader, I cannot break this rule that has been passed down for thousands of years."
“This disciple naturally knows.” Yuanyi nodded. “In that case, Master, please forgive this disciple’s rudeness.”