The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 702: The Path of the Righteous

Chapter 702: The Path of the Righteous

Elder Chen was stunned, even more distressed than before.

He had read through the herbal compendiums, but he only remembered a few names of the herbs. As for their effects... most of it had slipped his mind. Because they were alchemists, following the alchemical recipes of the great Pill Cultivators was the most time-efficient and effortless method. Over time, he had gotten used to relying on others’ formulas, forgetting the specific properties of herbs, and never really considering whether the formulas were correct or if there was room for improvement.

After Nanli, a younger generation, pointed this out, he felt even more guilty.

"You are right. I have much to learn," Elder Chen sighed. "I need to start over and carefully study the herbal compendium again."

Nanli breathed a sigh of relief. "You’re not being stubborn anymore, that’s good."

Otherwise, the entire external hall might have collapsed by now.

At Seven Peaks Sect.

Purple Sun Peak, Bamboo Hut.

When Yun Yubai arrived, he found not only his sixth senior brother but also Master Ji.

He paused for a moment, showing some hesitation.

Ji Chengyi looked up at him and smiled, saying, "Little junior brother, what’s wrong? Why do you look so unhappy when you see me?"

Yun Yubai smiled in response, casually walking over.

He sat down. "I was just surprised that the sect leader senior brother is already out of seclusion. Have you fully recovered from your injuries? Has your cultivation returned to its previous state?"

A few days ago, Ji Chengyi had returned severely wounded, and his cultivation had taken a major hit. He had immediately entered seclusion under the Spirit Tree.

So how had he come out in just a few days? His condition seemed to be improving.

Could it be that he absorbed some power from the Glassy Bottle to recover?

Yun Yubai thought of this and felt a jolt of fear in his heart, but his expression remained calm.

Ji Chengyi sighed and shook his head lightly. "The injuries have healed, but as for my cultivation... it’s unlikely I will ever recover to my former state."

He had fallen a whole realm. It was unclear how many years it would take to regain his previous strength.

Yun Yubai inwardly cursed him, but outwardly he appeared concerned. "In that case, master senior brother, don’t push yourself too hard. If you force yourself too much, you might risk going astray, causing even further damage to your cultivation."

Ji Chengyi nodded slightly. "Thank you for your concern, little junior brother. From now on, the fate of Seven Peaks Sect rests on your shoulders."

Yun Yubai had always been Seven Peaks Sect’s strongest fighter, and now more than ever, it was clear he would bear the weight.

"Master senior brother, what do you mean by that? Aren’t there other senior brothers and sisters?" Yun Yubai asked.

At that moment, Zhao Yuyang, the head of Purple Sun Peak, was brewing tea. Upon hearing the conversation, he smiled and said, "Little junior brother, the rest of us are either in the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stage, but still, it falls on you to carry the burden."

The tea was ready.

Zhao Yuyang served it to them.

His voice was clear, and his gaze deep as he spoke: "This is high mountain snow tea. Master senior brother, little junior brother, please enjoy."

Upon hearing this, Yun Yubai’s eyes flashed with an inner calculation.

He glanced at Ji Chengyi and saw that his expression remained unchanged, so he picked up his tea cup and took a sip.

The tea was sweet at first, followed by a refreshing coolness.

As soon as Yun Yubai placed the cup down, Zhao Yuyang acted swiftly, his hand immediately gripping Ji Chengyi’s wrist pulse point. "Little junior brother!" he shouted.

Yun Yubai was quick to follow, summoning several talismans and forming a sealing formation around Ji Chengyi, trapping him inside.

Ji Chengyi’s face was full of shock.

He attempted to use his spiritual power to break through the formation but found that his Dantian was suppressed by the talisman array, leaving him unable to access his energy.

He was furious, glaring at the two of them. "What is this? Are you trying to rebel against me?"

Yun Yubai’s expression darkened.

Zhao Yuyang said, "A few days ago, I discovered that little junior brother had used a fake Body Puppet Talisman. I followed the puppet to Yunxiao Peak, and when little junior brother returned, I interrogated him. That’s how I learned about your evil deeds!"

Ji Chengyi’s eyes flickered with panic, but he still maintained an imposing aura. "What evil deeds? I am your senior brother, and you would plot against me like this? Does this make sense in front of the master?"

"Master named you Chengyi, hoping you would be someone with both passion and morality," Yun Yubai shouted angrily, clenching his fist. "But now you are heartless, ruthless, and violent. You don’t deserve to mention master!"

Ji Chengyi sneered. "Well then, tell me what ’heartless’ and ’ruthless’ deeds have I done?"

Yun Yubai took two steps forward, his voice heavy with anger. "A thousand years ago, Qingwu, together with the five sect leaders, activated the God-Slaying Formation. They killed a woman, crushed her core and flesh, and placed them in the Glassy Bottle to nourish the Spirit Tree. Wasn’t that right?!"

"And that woman was none other than Chu Nanli, the one you issued the arrest warrant for, wasn’t she?!"

Ji Chengyi’s face darkened, and then he laughed. "Little junior brother, you’ve investigated this so thoroughly."

Yun Yubai had already suspected the truth, but hearing Ji Chengyi’s vague admission made his heart tighten painfully.

His face turned pale, and his voice trembled as he said, "Master senior brother, our Seven Peaks Sect has stood strong since its founding. But you... how could you do such a thing? Does this align with master’s teachings?"

"Everything I do is for Seven Peaks Sect," Ji Chengyi’s voice was laced with coldness, as sharp as an arrow piercing through Yun Yubai’s heart. "Little junior brother, after the Limitless Palace lost the Glassy Bottle, the Spirit Tree lost its nourishment, and the sect’s elders and disciples immediately began fighting among themselves. Did you not see the consequences of that?"

"That happened because you killed Palace Master Du!" Yun Yubai’s voice nearly broke, "You sacrificed humanity and righteousness just for the sake of the Glassy Bottle!"

Ji Chengyi raised an eyebrow, countering, "If you hadn’t stolen the Glassy Bottle from Penglai Island, how would Palace Master Du have died? Little junior brother, you were the one who caused Palace Master Du’s death, aren’t you?"

Yun Yubai refused to be trapped by Ji Chengyi’s manipulations.

Despite his overwhelming disappointment, he pulled out a mountain token, which contained a trace of the old sect leader’s power.

As he held it, golden light radiated out.

"Ji Chengyi, you are no longer worthy of being the Seven Peaks Sect Master!"

"Today, I am fulfilling master’s final wishes, and I hereby strip you of your position as sect leader!"

The golden light from the mountain token enveloped Ji Chengyi, slowly draining his cultivation and the sect leader’s seal.

Ji Chengyi’s eyes widened. "Master... Master gave you this?"

Zhao Yuyang spoke up. "Master senior brother, master once said that your temper was too harsh. So he called me and little junior brother to his bedside to bear witness. He made it so that if you ever went astray, little junior brother could immediately take your position as sect leader."

Thus, when Yun Yubai went to Yunxiao Peak, Zhao Yuyang had placed his trust in him.

After learning the truth, he did not show favoritism but worked with Yun Yubai to figure out how to take Ji Chengyi down.

After all, Ji Chengyi had been sect leader for many years, and there were bound to be Peak Masters who supported him, so they came up with this plan to avoid too much bloodshed.

Ji Chengyi was stunned.

It seemed he had never expected his beloved master to have made such a plan.

But soon enough, he looked up to the sky and laughed wildly, his voice echoing across Purple Sun Peak. His eyes were cold as he spoke:

"Master really had good foresight. He saw through my harsh nature and also saw that you, little junior brother, are so righteous."

"But righteous people never end well. Nanli was one, and so are you!"