"Someone without knowledge, without respect, without morals, without elders or parents, is like this," Qin Ran said.
"What did you say?!" Yao Qingke erupted in anger, raising her hand to cast a spell on Qin Ran.
"If you make a move against me, you will be overstepping your bounds," Qin Ran calmly warned, and continued, "I didn't come here today to scold you or fight with you. I just want to know who gave you the audacity to establish a secret court here? To judge the people of Dan Peak?!"
Qin Ran was not like Li Shiyin. Li Shiyin could sense that something was amiss at the beginning, but she was quickly swayed by Yao Qingke's emotions and got caught up in the situation. Qin Ran, as steady as an old dog, was not easily swayed and he immediately realized that this incident had been premeditated, and Yao Qingke was not the mastermind...
At least, she had someone behind her.
"What do you mean by overstepping bounds? What do you mean by not fighting? I think it's just because you are weak and trying to find excuses for your cowardice!" Yao Qingke sneered and said, "As a disciple of Dao Sword Sect, I have a responsibility to deal with fellow disciples who have improper conduct!"
"In other words, you established the secret court yourself, right?" Qin Ran nodded, "I will report to the sect leader and tell them that you have gathered accomplices and established a secret court within the sect, harming fellow disciples. As for how they will handle it..."
He looked at Yao Qingke and said, "They will probably revoke your cultivation and expel you from the sect."
"Who do you think you are? You think you can just expel me?" Yao Qingke remained composed, unafraid.
"Finally, I'll give you a chance..." Qin Ran said, "Release my disciple, apologize to her, and this mission will be treated as a Level 4 mission."
"Give me a chance?" Yao Qingke laughed as if she had heard a joke, unable to help herself.
However, Qin Ran completely ignored her and continued, "I'll count down from three..." After saying that, he repeated each word, "I'll count down from three."
Yao Qingke mockingly looked at Qin Ran. She was confident and had no intention of paying attention to him. She just wanted to see how Qin Ran would face the awkward situation after counting down.
"Three." Qin Ran began counting without any pretense.
"Two." He didn't pause, pretending to be mysterious.
Qin Ran raised his hand, and there was a mist of water vapor in his palm.
"One..."
Before he could finish saying "one," a voice suddenly came from outside the Butler Hall, saying, "Oh! What is happening in the Butler Hall today? It's so lively."
Upon hearing this voice, Qin Ran closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
It was the voice of Jian Yuanjie.
So he could be certain that this matter involved at least three forces: Qi Peak's He Daoguang, Butler Hall's Jian Yuanjie, and Zhican Valley. Yao Qingke? She was just a pawn pushed forward.
The chance Qin Ran gave was not for Yao Qingke, but for the force behind her. He wanted to see if the force behind her had decided to openly confront him, Qin Ran, and Dan Peak...
...It seemed they hadn't made up their minds yet.
Jian Yuanjie was an elder responsible for managing the elixirs in Butler Hall, so the status of elixirs in cultivation was equivalent to his status in Butler Hall.
He walked in pretending to be clueless, and someone eagerly approached him to tell him what had happened. It didn't matter how much embellishment or exaggeration was added, because he just wanted someone to inform him.
He understood what had happened in Butler Hall today better than anyone present.
"Oh! So that's how it is..." Jian Yuanjie nodded in a feigned manner, then walked over to Qin Ran and asked, "Junior Brother, if I may be so bold to ask, is the Ghost-Faced Spider real or fake?"
He was inquiring whether Qin Ran intended to continue investigating.
Qin Ran slowly opened his eyes with a gaze as profound as a black hole, looking at Jian Yuanjie. After a while, he said, "The Ghost-Faced Spider is right there. Senior Brother can go see for yourself."
This meant, "Whether or not we should escalate this matter is up to you."
Jian Yuanjie understood and went forward to see the Ghost-Faced Spider, nodding and saying, "Ah, indeed, this is indeed the Ghost-Faced Spider."
As he spoke, he explained to the people present about the spider's ability to absorb souls. The only difference between him and an alchemist was that he couldn't refine pills, but he knew everything else about alchemy.
Since Jian Yuanjie arrived, Yao Qingke had remained silent until he confirmed that it was indeed the Ghost-Faced Spider. Then she became a little anxious, stood up, and said coldly, "Even if that is the Ghost-Faced Spider, it wasn't killed by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The spider's body is intact; it died from its soul being extinguished! Could it be that Li Shiyin, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, possesses soul-suppressing abilities?"
Dong Zhongyuan, who had been watching the scene, couldn't help but shake his head and smiled at Yao Qingke. Truly foolish!
Upon hearing this, Qin Ran's gaze became sharp, and he instantly understood that, in addition to the issue of face, Qifeng also wanted the Divine Alchemy Method of Danfeng.
"Do you think it's your turn to interrupt us in this conversation?!" Jian Yuanjie suddenly became furious and turned to scold Yao Qingke.
Yao Qingke stared at Jian Yuanjie, clenched her fists, but still didn't speak.
If they really came to blows, this "young" girl believed she could easily defeat both Qin Ran and Jian Yuanjie... This was the mentality of a true prodigy who hadn't been beaten down by an old cunning person.
"What do you say, Senior Brother?" Qin Ran ignored Yao Qingke and only asked Jian Yuanjie.
Jian Yuanjie immediately put on a smile and said, "It seems that the Ghost-Faced Spider was indeed killed by Shiyin, our junior niece."
"Then please release my disciple," Qin Ran said.
Jian Yuanjie looked at Yao Qingke again, but she sat back in her chair and ignored them. Her meaning was clear: If you're so powerful, then unseal her yourself!
Qin Ran looked at Yao Qingke, raised his hand, and water vapor filled his hand. Then he quickly extracted the water from the vine. The vine withered and became brittle, losing its original power, and Li Shiyin jumped out from within.
Seeing Qin Ran's move, Jian Yuanjie, Yao Qingke, and Dong Zhongyuan couldn't help but tremble. They understood that Qin Ran was making a demonstration. If he could suck the water out of the vine, could he also suck the water out of a person's body?
Yao Qingke took a good look at Qin Ran for the first time. Suddenly, she realized that ever since Qin Ran appeared in the hall, she seemed to have been in a passive position all along. Even when confronting Jian Yuanjie, Qin Ran remained composed. Yao Qingke discovered that this "Junior Martial Uncle" whom she had always looked down upon was unfathomable to her. It was as if he possessed some kind of strength or status that far surpassed her own.
Though Li Shiyin was trapped in the vines, she hadn't lost consciousness and could hear everything happening outside. When she saw Qin Ran, she couldn't help but feel a sense of grievance. Without Qin Ran, she would have fought against the enemy no matter how strong they were, even if it meant sacrificing her life. But with Qin Ran by her side, she had a backbone, a sense of vulnerability befitting a young woman.
"Master..." she called softly, holding her sword as she approached.
Qin Ran smiled at her, then reached out and tousled her hair, motioning for her to stand beside him.
"There's still an apology to be made, and a reward," he said to Jian Yuanjie.
Jian Yuanjie produced a Qiankun Bag, which seemed to have been prepared in advance, and handed it to Li Shiyin, smiling. "Your cultivation potential is immeasurable, Junior Niece."
As for the apology, Jian Yuanjie glanced at Yao Qingke. Yao Qingke responded with a disdainful smile, showing no intention of apologizing whatsoever.
"No need for her to apologize!" Li Shiyin suddenly spoke up, holding the Qiankun Bag in one hand and the Muran Sword in the other as she looked at Yao Qingke. "In three years... oh no, in just two years' time, I will challenge you. Before the Dao, I will make you apologize!"
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