The more the crowd thought about it, the angrier they became. The esteemed Sect Master of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect had come to stir up trouble with such fanfare without even understanding the truth, and they had been dragged into the scolding as a result.

Under the crowd’s gaze, the Sect Master found it hard to voice his bitterness.

He never would have thought Ye Chuxue could be so unreliable, that everything she had said was a lie.

Now, with Song Wanning eyeing them like a predator, they were in a bind. His old face flushed red, then redder still.

The two elders’ faces also darkened, so embarrassed they wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Junior Sister Song, we’re all one big family here. Let’s not make a spectacle for outsiders..."

"Yes, yes! Whatever the issue, let’s discuss it back at the Sect. It looks so bad with all these outsiders watching!"

The two elders put on a shameless smile for Song Wanning, trying to smooth things over.

The Sect Master’s expression was tense, but he had the same thought. ’We’re all from the same Sect; there’s no need to make things so ugly.’

Song Wanning curled her lip at their shamelessness.

"I remember quite clearly how you were all so unforgiving when you thought you were in the right. What’s this? Now that it’s your turn, you think apologizing is too humiliating?"

"So it’s only right for me to be humiliated?"

She wasn’t so easily fooled.

"So many people are watching. If you don’t apologize, who knows what kind of rumors will spread? I’m only saying this for your own good, don’t you agree?"

Putting on an understanding facade, Song Wanning watched the three of them leisurely, showing no intention of backing down.

’If you want to pick a fight with me, you’d better be prepared to pay the price.’

’The apology is just the appetizer!’

"You—"

The three of them felt the threat, their expressions turning even uglier, but they couldn’t lash out.

Song Wanning was acting completely without restraint now, liable to fly into a rage at any moment. In their hearts, they were actually intimidated; after all, they all cared about their reputations.

The two elders could only look to the Sect Master, waiting for him to make a decision.

The people outside were still pointing and talking. Their sharp, malicious expressions were infuriating to see.

The Sect Master’s face was livid. The very crowd he had intentionally drawn here had become the ropes that now bound them!

There was no other choice. They had to apologize now, or who knew what twisted stories would be spread about them.

He blurted out, "Our apologies. We were also deceived and misunderstood you!"

Seeing this, the two elders could only quickly apologize as well, though they both looked utterly reluctant.

The Sect was a great dyeing vat, a complex and messy mix of all kinds of factions.

Song Wanning was feared because of her family background, but not many people actually liked her.

More often than not, she faced jealousy and slander.

But there were still neutral Cultivators who never let the disturbances of the outside world affect their training.

These three before her, however, were intoxicated with power and had often used the Heavenly Inquiry Sect to reap benefits for themselves.

Song Wanning’s expression remained unchanged, but her smile grew deeper, more inscrutable.

"Since you’ve all apologized, we’ll let it go. But next time, Sect Master, you must be sure to distinguish right from wrong. Don’t let yourself be used by someone with ulterior motives."

She gave the unconscious Ye Chuxue a pointed look, her mood finally improving. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Rebuked, the Sect Master’s face turned ashen. Without another word, he led the others away, looking utterly ridiculous as they scurried off in disgrace.

Bai Yang left with them. He was, after all, worried about Ye Chuxue’s injuries and felt he had to go back with them to check on her.

Before leaving, he had tried to ask Song Wanning for medicine, but before he could even speak, her cold gaze forced him to retreat. He left, helpless.

The show was over, and the crowd of onlookers dispersed quickly. Everyone was afraid of staying behind and being dealt with by Song Wanning, so they ran off as fast as they could.

The Shopkeeper laughed in exasperation. "Those bastards. Weren’t they having a grand time cursing people out earlier?"

"How are they now running faster than anyone?"

"Alright, don’t mind them. They’re just a bunch of clowns."

Song Wanning lazily stretched her neck and glanced at "Ayue."

’I had it all planned from the beginning. I deliberately found someone who looked extremely similar to Mo Yuan, and sure enough, he came in handy.’

’So what if Ye Chuxue is clever?’

’Without evidence, it’s all for nothing.’

"You handle things here. I’m heading back to the Song Family for a bit."

After giving her instructions to the Shopkeeper, Song Wanning couldn’t wait to return to the Song Family.

’The bead is still waiting for me!’

Meanwhile, the Sect Master’s group, who had just left, all had ashen faces. They sat fuming on the Flying Boat back to the Sect.

With the help of a few Elixir Pills from Bai Yang, Ye Chuxue finally awoke, weak and pale, her face devoid of color.

She lay motionless in An Ze’s arms. The slightest blink of her eyes made her feel dizzy and sent waves of unbearable pain through her.

The Sect Master wanted to swallow his anger, but he was still deeply displeased. He said to Ye Chuxue, "Ye, we all understand your desire to save Junior Brother Gu, but you can’t just spout nonsense and falsely accuse others!"

"In the end, you made everyone lose face!"

’If I hadn’t trusted her, how could I have been so thoroughly humiliated?’

The other two elders nodded in agreement. "That’s right! Because of you, we had to apologize to Song Wanning just now. We’ve lost all our dignity!"

"Ye, what you did was truly out of line!"

They took turns complaining and accusing her, without showing the slightest concern for her injuries.

Ye Chuxue’s heart grew cold, her expression turning increasingly distant.

Resentment toward the three of them for their heartlessness took root in her heart.

’They’re only slighting me now because my Master is gravely ill and bedridden, aren’t they?’

’They will definitely regret this!’

Seeing that Ye Chuxue wasn’t responding, the three of them lost interest and sheepishly fell silent.

The Flying Boat fell quiet. Ye Chuxue closed her eyes, feeling mentally exhausted.

’Bai Yang’s betrayal, my Master’s coma, getting injured, and losing my storage ring... It felt like one unlucky thing after another.’

In all the time since she had transmigrated, she had never been in such a wretched state. Even back when she still had Five Spirit Roots, she had never felt so wronged.

She opened her eyes and looked at Bai Yang, who was watching over her, clinging to a sliver of hope.

’Maybe... maybe Bai Yang will believe me?’

Ye Chuxue fought back her dizziness and asked tentatively, "Bai Yang, do you believe me? Everything I said was the truth. Song Wanning has to be the mastermind behind it all!"

If she had only been suspicious at first, she was now absolutely certain.

’Song Wanning did this on purpose! She’s getting revenge on me!’

’And I fell right into her trap, losing all my savings in the process.’

Hearing this, Bai Yang’s brows furrowed. He looked down at Ye Chuxue, confused. "The auctioneer wasn’t a Demon Cultivator, and my Master didn’t take your storage ring. Everyone saw it with their own eyes. Why do you insist on slandering her again and again?"

"I know a lot has happened recently, and you must resent my Master, but that’s no reason to resort to such despicable methods."

"Junior Sister Ye, I remember you weren’t like this before..."

’He didn’t know when it started, but Junior Sister Ye had become increasingly irrational, her face a mask of malice, completely devoid of the kindness and generosity she used to have.’