Chapter 1028: Deny It to the Death

Most people were astonished by Ao Feng's account, unable to tell whether it was true or false. No one had expected the sudden revelation that Niu Youdao had been robbed to lead into such a twisting chain of later events. Just as Ao Feng had said, there really were quite a few people bold enough to defy Heaven.

Others did not find it particularly strange. In truth, plenty of people had considered robbery themselves. The only difference was whether they had ultimately dared to do it.

Niu Youdao also wore a look of surprise, as though he had never expected there to be such developments afterward.

By now, there was basically nothing left for him to do. He had thrown the burden away, and Ao Feng had caught it. Every remaining difficulty was now Ao Feng's problem to solve. Niu Youdao could stand off to the side and keep his mouth shut.

Ao Feng noticed the astonishment on Niu Youdao's face after finishing his account. The sight made his teeth itch with hatred. He wanted nothing more than to plant a foot squarely on that surprised face and grind it down.

Among the sect cultivators, meanwhile, Taishu Shancheng's thoughts had dissolved into panic and confusion. Why did the latter part of Ao Feng's story sound so much like what had happened when he disposed of Chao Jing's body?

When he dumped Chao Jing's corpse, he had not noticed anyone nearby. Moments ago, he had still been enjoying the prospect of watching Niu Youdao suffer. In the blink of an eye, the matter had somehow swung around and implicated him instead.

Fortunately, Taishu Shancheng was no inexperienced man. Inside, he was in chaos; outwardly, he remained composed, wearing the expression of someone calmly listening to a story that had nothing to do with him.

For now, he could only hope that Ao Feng had seen someone else, not him. Or failing that, perhaps Ao Feng would not recognize him.

The two Qiyun Sect disciples beside him were far less steady. Their gazes flickered, and inwardly they were in utter panic, unsure what to do. They wished they could find somewhere to hide and make sure Misty Pavilion never found them again.

But one look at the surroundings made the impossibility clear. Misty Pavilion personnel had already encircled the summit. Where could they run?

The two disciples could only hope Ao Feng had not been talking about Chao Jing. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous. It was true they had taken Chao Jing's belongings, and Misty Pavilion had issued strict orders forbidding robbery. Perhaps it did not really count as robbery—Chao Jing had been incapable of resisting at the time, so taking his things had been little different from picking them up. But their side had also ended Chao Jing's life. Could they really explain away whether it counted as robbery?

The more they thought about it, the more frightened they became.

Taishu Shancheng seemed to realize the same thing. He remembered that the two disciples beside him had personally witnessed everything. Looking left and right, he saw that both were obviously panicking and immediately shot them a stern warning glare, telling them to steady themselves. The meaning was unmistakable: even if beaten to death, they must not admit anything.

In fact, after killing Chao Jing, he had already warned them never to reveal what happened. As long as their own people kept quiet, there should have been no problem. He had simply never imagined that an eyewitness would suddenly appear.

They still could not confirm that Ao Feng was talking about them, but anyone with even a shred of reason could tell there was an eight or nine in ten chance he was. Chao Jing's condition after being injured matched Ao Feng's description far too closely.

Taishu Shancheng wished he could drag the two disciples aside and order them to keep their mouths sealed no matter what.

Unfortunately, the present circumstances allowed him no freedom to act. Misty Pavilion personnel were everywhere. Any unusual movement now would amount to confessing without words. He did not even dare reveal the slightest abnormality, much less leave the crowd with them.

There was no longer any opportunity to say something in private. The surrounding sect cultivators had already begun examining the people beside them, clearly trying to match Ao Feng's description to whoever had acted afterward.

Ding Wei considered Ao Feng's words for a moment before asking again, "Are the sect cultivators who later killed and robbed that man still alive?"

The implication was obvious. Surely this would not be another case where the dead could not testify?

Ao Feng said, "During our time in the Desolate Marsh Deadlands, I didn't have enough time to keep track of every person I encountered, so I don't know what happened to them afterward. But after returning here, I paid attention. They're still alive."

Ding Wei's voice sank. "In other words, they returned, and you can still recognize them?"

"Yes."

Such an unequivocal answer set off another wave of commotion. Every Misty Pavilion cultivator looked toward the sect participants, Ding Wei and Xuan Yao included, all of them studying the sect cultivators' reactions.

The sect cultivators, meanwhile, began looking around at the people beside them, trying to work out who it might be. Taishu Shancheng looked around as well.

Niu Youdao also turned his gaze toward the sect cultivators. His eyes paused briefly on Taishu Shancheng's face without fixing there too obviously, leaving the old man to continue his performance.

"Quiet!" Xuan Yao suddenly shouted.

The noise subsided again. Ding Wei spoke once more. "Ao Feng, if the people are here and you can still recognize them, then you will be responsible for what you say. Now point out the killers immediately."

Ao Feng gave a slight nod. Slowly, he turned and swept his gaze across the sect cultivators. Everyone his eyes passed over felt a jolt of apprehension, afraid some calamity might descend on them from nowhere.

At last, Taishu Shancheng's heart lurched. Ao Feng's gaze had stopped on him.

The two Qiyun Sect disciples beside him fell into complete panic. They struggled to steady themselves, unaware that their faces had already turned ugly.

Ao Feng raised a hand and pointed toward the three of them. "Him, him, and him. I don't know their names or who they are. Those three are the people I last saw robbing the wounded man."

In truth, he knew perfectly well who they were. Niu Youdao had already told him their identities. He had described the three men's appearances and reminded Ao Feng that they were the same people who had blocked Niu Youdao's path and quarreled with him earlier.

After reaching the rear of the summit, Ao Feng had been watching Niu Youdao the entire time. Naturally, he had seen who stopped Niu Youdao's path. Combined with Niu Youdao's description of their appearances, he could identify them precisely without any risk of mistake.

Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie exchanged looks. Both knew perfectly well that Ao Feng and Elder Niu were colluding, and they also knew Taishu Shancheng had long been at odds with Elder Niu. They simply had not expected Elder Niu's retaliation to arrive this quickly. He was plainly trying to drive Taishu Shancheng all the way to death.

The two men finally understood what it meant to kill without drawing blood. They were both alarmed and secretly delighted.

Serves you right, old bastard Taishu, for offending our Elder!

Every gaze followed Ao Feng's pointing hand. The other sect cultivators near the Qiyun Sect men hurriedly backed away for fear of being identified by mistake. In an instant, a wide empty circle opened around Taishu Shancheng and his two disciples, leaving the three starkly conspicuous beneath everyone's eyes.

At this moment, Taishu Shancheng's expression had turned ugly. He could no longer control it.

He cupped his hands toward Ding Wei. "Mr. Ding, this is slander. I have no idea what he's talking about, and I never did anything he described."

"It was them," Ao Feng confirmed once more. He lowered his hand and turned to face Ding Wei on the summit.

Taishu Shancheng shouted, "Mr. Ding, this is a false accusation!"

Ding Wei said slowly, "Come out and speak."

Taishu Shancheng opened his mouth, then stopped. In the end, his cheeks tightened and he slowly walked out. The two disciples exchanged a frightened glance before following.

The three stopped not far from Niu Youdao. Niu Youdao looked at Taishu Shancheng and shook his head with a sigh.

Taishu Shancheng glanced at him. At a time like this, he had no heart left to concern himself with Niu Youdao. As far as he was concerned, Niu Youdao no longer mattered. He had no attention to spare for him. Turning back toward Ding Wei above, Taishu Shancheng cupped his hands again. "Mr. Ding, we have been falsely accused."

Looking down from above, Ding Wei asked, "You mean Ao Feng is deliberately framing you?"

Taishu Shancheng raised his voice. "We truly have been falsely accused." He did not dare admit it. How could he? Even Misty Pavilion contestants themselves could not bear the consequences of violating the rules against robbery. How could he possibly survive admitting to it? Confession would be the same as seeking death.

At the time, he had merely stumbled upon an easy opportunity. Coupled with the grudge he already held against Chao Jing, he had acted almost in passing. Now he regretted it so bitterly his intestines might as well have turned green.

Ding Wei said, "Do you know Ao Feng? Have you had dealings with him before? Did you encounter him inside the Desolate Marsh Deadlands? Or have the two of you ever had some grievance? If there is any history between you, say it. This Presiding Administrator will not simply accept one man's word as truth. I am giving you a public opportunity to defend yourself, and I suggest you make good use of it."

Taishu Shancheng had no idea how to answer. After hesitating again and again, he finally said, "I don't know him, and we have no grudge. Before entering Sacred Realm, I had only vaguely heard of him. I truly do not know why he would frame me."

Ao Feng showed no reaction to the accusation. He simply stood there in silence.

Ding Wei glanced at him, then said, "That was my thought as well. Ao Feng has been stationed inside Wuliang Garden for a long time. His duties keep him there, and he almost never leaves Sacred Realm. He has little contact even with people outside Wuliang Garden, much less with people outside Sacred Realm. I am also curious why he would frame you. Can you help me find a reason? Or even a possible reason? Give us something that can be investigated."

In truth, Ding Wei hoped to prove Ao Feng's testimony false. The matter implicated Dayuan Sacred Land personnel in violating the rules. If he could prove Ao Feng was lying, then the earlier claim that Fu Ming and Chi Liukuan had committed robbery would naturally collapse with it.

But where was Taishu Shancheng supposed to find such a clue? The accusation had caught him completely unprepared. Before today, he had known virtually nothing about Ao Feng. What could he say? If he fabricated something clumsy and it backfired, he would only be courting death.

In the end, all he could do was cry injustice. "Presiding Administrator Ding, I truly do not know why he would frame me. I ask the Presiding Administrator to discern the truth!"

Ding Wei looked toward Ao Feng again. "Ao Feng, he says you are framing him. How do you explain yourself?"

Ao Feng said calmly, "Explain? I don't know him, and I have no interest in dealing with him. I'm only saying what I saw. I don't need to explain anything. How you investigate it is your business. It has nothing to do with me." His words still carried the confidence and posture of someone backed by Wuxu Sacred Land.

In truth, Ao Feng had no idea whether Taishu Shancheng had actually committed the robbery. Nor did he know why Niu Youdao wanted to ruin the man. But Niu Youdao had insisted that he do this, so Ao Feng could only perform according to the script Niu Youdao had given him.

Ding Wei fell silent briefly. His gaze shifted to the two visibly uneasy Qiyun Sect disciples. "You two are disciples of Qiyun Sect?"

"Yes!" one answered first with cupped hands. The other followed a moment later. "Yes!"

Ding Wei turned to Ao Feng. "You said these two were present when it happened. Is that correct?"

Ao Feng said, "That's right. They were both there."

Ding Wei asked, "Of the three, who did you see kill the wounded man and take his belongings?"

Ao Feng raised a hand and pointed at Taishu Shancheng. "If I remember correctly, it was him."

Taishu Shancheng cried out in grief and fury, "Ao Feng, I have neither grievance nor enmity with you. Why are you trying to destroy me?"

Ao Feng remained calm and ignored him completely, refusing to argue. Inwardly, he answered: You should be asking Niu Youdao that question.

"If I haven't told you to speak, then shut your mouth!" Ding Wei warned Taishu Shancheng. Then he turned to the other two. "Ao Feng has accused you directly. You two Qiyun Sect disciples—do you admit it or not?"

[End of Chapter 1028]