'Green Willow' Fang Chengzhi was the most typical Cultivator of the Ancient Sages Sector who was uneasy.
For him, the nightmarish days in the past month were something that he had never thought of in the previous decades.
He felt that he had fallen from the high clouds into a bizarre, absurd new world. All the rules of the world were the opposite of his deep-rooted understanding.
In this place, the sun was square, and the fish were flying in the sky. The low-level Cultivators in the Refinement Stage could command the high-level Cultivators in the Core Formation Stage. Even the bumpkins whose spiritual roots had not been activated could climb on the head of the magnificent Cultivators and show off!
Once, he even saw a young man, whose hair was as messy as a bird's nest and who was wearing a weird-looking red robe that was even shorter than his coat and had two more shoulder straps than a dudou, squatting on the ground and arguing with a family member of the 'Angry Fire Army' who was crying. Vague spiritual energy was spreading out of his body, suggesting that he was a Cultivator, too. Yet, he seemed unable to break free from the grip of the rude woman whose feet had not been washed yet. He was even not infuriated by the tears and snot that were smeared all over his clothes by the two unkempt children. Instead, he smiled awkwardly and obsequiously.
However, when he turned around, somebody told Fang Chengzhi that the young man, who was wearing a red 'vest' and squatting on the ground casually without any intimidating aura and allowing the baby to crawl on his body and grab his hair, was Vulture Li Yao, the super expert of the Star Glory Federation who had beaten Elder Scorching Sun half to death and dismantled the one-armed Gold Statue while coughing softly on the black Cloud Qin Gold Statue the other day!
Fang Chengzhi was so scared that his eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.
Was — was there any law in this world? Was there any justice? What kind of world was this?
Fang Chengzhi had been born with a golden spoon in his mouth. He had been used to the life of luxury since he was a child. It had not been an easy month for him.
All the sects and unaffiliated Cultivators participating in the 'Rising Sun Ceremony' were suspected of violating the 'Divine Wrath Order' and joining Elder Scorching Sun's side. In short, they were 'complicit'.
The crime of 'complicity' could be major or minor, and it could be classified into different levels. It would not have been a big deal if it were a common small sect, but the Green Cloud Sword Sect, which was obviously a branch of the Purple Pole Sword Sect, had been fawning on Elder Scorching Sun. That was an even bigger crime!
Therefore, a large batch of starships arrived with the Exos of the federation. Using the starships as temporary prison cells and interrogation rooms, the Fang Family, Leader Fang, and the other members of the branches of the six major sects were all interrogated in the strictest way after large-scale investigations were carried out under the suppression of the Exos of a few legions.
Fang Chengzhi was forced into a tiny prison cell that had been temporarily partitioned by two Cultivators of the Federation who were wearing weird armor. It was almost like he had been locked in a flawless iron coffin. After the door of the cell was closed, there was not even a gap. He was so scared that he thought that he was going to be buried alive.
After a couple of days of uneasiness and even crying, somebody finally came to arrest him. But the torture of being interrogated was no better than being locked in an iron coffin.
He vaguely remembered a ferocious guy and a seemingly benevolent woman. One of them was a good guy, and the other was a good guy. No matter how they coerced him, they only demanded that he explain in detail how the Green Cloud Sword Sect made money in daily life, how to maintain such an enormous sect, and the daily expenses and training expenses of so many Cultivators.
This included whether or not they had oppressed the common people, bullied the men and women, forced people to buy and sell, or even used living people or ghosts to cultivate, and so on. All of these had to be accounted for.
Of course, if he did not remember his own affairs clearly, and if there were such clandestine scandals in other sects that bordered the Green Cloud Sword Sect, it would be the same if he confessed. It did not matter even if it was just groundless rumors. The Cultivators of the Federation would certainly check it out. If they found something, it would be considered a minor contribution, and he would be given 'extra credit'.
Although Fang Chengzhi was in a daze, he did not lose his mind after all. After two sessions, he realized that the investigation was not about whether the Green Cloud Sword Sect was affiliated with the rebels at all. It was obvious that the Green Cloud Sword Sect was going to be destroyed!
After figuring that out, Fang Chengzhi immediately lost his temper. He made up his mind that he would not back down and let the wretched Cultivators of the Federation take a good look at the integrity of the Cultivators from the Ancient Sages Sector.
They were neither angry nor infuriated. Instead, they sent him back to the prison peacefully and asked him to think carefully before the door was closed. "We haven't determined the nature of the Green Cloud Sword Sect yet. This is not an interrogation but simply a question. Since you are unwilling to talk, we will not force you.
"However, you are not the only one who knows the situation of the Green Cloud Sword Sect. Not just your father and the people of your sect know it. Many fellow Cultivators from other sects know a thing or two about it, too. For example, the fellow Cultivators from Red Tiger Hall told a lot of stories about you.
"Of course, we do not want to be biased, but if everybody in your sect is as' unyielding 'as you are, we can only accept Red Tiger Hall's side of the story and determine your nature with their testimony."
Fang Chengzhi grew anxious the moment he heard that.
The Crimson Tiger Hall was another sect that bordered the Qingyun Sword Sect. It could be said to have some background and influence, but it was a powerful outsider. It had just established its sect in the Flowing River State not long ago, so it was natural for it to have a conflict with the Qingyun Sword Sect.
The two parties had a lot of conflicts because of the land and mother lodes. Although they were not exactly 'irreconcilable enemies', a lot of lives had been lost in the past ten years.
Now that there was an opportunity to add insult to injury, Red Tiger Hall would certainly not be merciful. There was no telling how they would frame the Green Cloud Sword Sect. How could their testimony be trusted?
Craning his neck, Fang Chengzhi was about to shout, when the so-called "investigator" of the federation closed the door of the prison cell and sealed it again without any hesitation. He could not open it no matter how hard he slapped it from the inside.
Fang Chengzhi felt like weeping but had no tears. He regretted it so much that his intestines almost turned green in the next couple of days. While he hated the brutality of the 'investigator', he was even more infuriated by the shamelessness of Red Tiger Hall. His grudge, both old and new, was triggered, and he recalled all the bad things that Red Tiger Hall had done in the past.
When the door of the prison was opened again, and the two weird-looking, glittering spiders brought him to the court again, he could no longer put on the attitude that he would rather die than submit. Instead, he simply told everything that he knew as if he was pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.
Honestly speaking, Fang Chengzhi did feel that he had been wronged.
The Green Cloud Sword Sect had the Purple Pole Sword Sect as their patron, and it had been passed on for almost a hundred years. It was rather deeply rooted in the Running River State, and it longed for peace in the world. It was rather generous to the tenants and the folks in the territory. Why would it resort to such idiotic acts as tyranny?
Those were the things that the small families who did not have a strong foundation did when they were building their businesses from scratch in order to make a fortune abruptly!
This was especially true for him, the 'Young Master Green Willow'. Although he had never truly taken the ignorant common people seriously, which young cultivator wouldn't like wielding a sword and acting as a hero, getting rid of evil and bringing peace to the people, winning the cheers and admiration of the people, and so on? He had finally earned the title of 'one of the four princes of the Running River State' after all the trouble. It would be too much of a bummer to ask him to 'tyranny'. He would not do it even if someone put a saber to his neck.
Under the 'persuasion' of the two investigators, Fang Chengzhi confessed his grievances in full detail. Naturally, he could not help but flatter himself and the Green Cloud Sword Sect, describing his sect as a righteous, merciful sect that maintained order. At the very least, it was not entirely wrong when compared to the few new forces nearby that had risen recently.
"The Green Cloud Sword Sect is a righteous sect with a long history. It has always been our responsibility to slay evils and protect the land. None of the evils that you mentioned has ever happened!"
Fang Chengzhi declared solemnly. "Red Tiger Hall, the Mountain Displacement Cult, and the Black Leaf Gang, on the other hand, have been dominating the market, forcing people to sell their children with money, and forcing them to sell their children with money … Such scandals will take more than three days and three nights to cover!"
Red Tiger Hall, the Mountain Displacement Cult, and the Black Leaf Gang were all forces that were neighbors of the Green Cloud Sword Sect. There had always been conflicts between them. This time, they had put aside their conflicts for now and went to the Angry Fire Mountain to join in the fun, only to be arrested by the Xing Yao Federation together.
Fang Chengzhi did not expect that those bastards would say anything good about the Green Cloud Sword Sect. As the saying goes, whoever strikes first gains the upper hand will suffer the consequences later. Therefore, he simply decided to bite them randomly.
At the very least, compared to the sects that had risen recently and whose hands were stained with blood, the Green Cloud Sword Sect truly deserved to be called a 'righteous sect'.
Your attitude is truly excellent, Fellow Cultivator Fang. "
The two investigators looked very happy. "We've recorded all the information you've provided. As long as we verify one of them, we'll be able to add one point to your score. It'll be very beneficial to you, your father, and your sect!"
Fang Chengzhi did not know what the 'extra point' meant at all. But a day later, a major event took place, which greatly surprised him and scared him out of his wits again.
On this day, he and almost a hundred fellow Cultivators from the Running River State were summoned to the deck of a starship to watch a death sentence being executed in public.
The person who was tied up and about to be executed was none other than 'Xue Longhu', the leader of the Red Tiger Hall, his sworn enemy.
The crimes that led to his death were so trivial that they were almost hilarious in Fang Chengzhi's eyes. They were nothing more than petty crimes such as dominating the market, buying land by force, and fighting for mother lodes.
The most serious crime was that Xue Longhu had used a boy and a girl as bait in order to lure a thousand-year-old 'Gray Fire Black-Horned Snake' out. As a result, the two children were accidentally swallowed by the Gray Fire Black-Horned Snake.
Moreover, these two children were not snatched by him, but bought from the human market with his own money. Everything was clear and fair. They were his people in life, and they were his ghosts even if they were dead!
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