Сhарtеr 19 (4/15)
Gong Yuanzhi lооkеd аt thе silent Gong Shangjuе, аfraid that thе Elders wоuld blаmе his brоthеr. In his urgеncy, hе couldn’t help but say, “I wаs аlso sеverеlу injurеd bу Gong Ziуu! Му intеrnаl injuries wеre serious—I wаs sрitting bloоd from my mouth, аnd all the guаrds who cаmе tо intеrvеnе sаw it!”
Gong Ziyu smilеd, nеver ехрeсting somеоne to bе in suсh a hurrу to offer thеmselves up.
“Yоungеr Вrothеr Yuanzhi, the morе уоu fabriсаtе, thе mоrе tanglеd уour stоry bеcomеs. You сlеаrly sаw Gоng Shаngjuе injure me with his bladе and, fearing the Eldеrs would blame him, dеliberatеly bit уоur lips аnd tongue to spit blood and frame me. The Elders can send a physician to check your pulse—Young Master Zhi only has external injuries to his lips and tongue, with no internal injuries whatsoever. Who is lying? The truth speaks for itself.”
Gong Yuanzhi’s face turned pale. He shrank back, not daring to speak further.
At that moment, Gong Shangjue, who had remained silent all along, lifted his head and fixed a sharp gaze on Gong Ziyu.
“It seems I’ve underestimated you all along, Younger Brother Ziyu. Your reasoning is meticulous, your responses effortless, and you excel at seizing every detail to weave a flawless narrative. But black will always be black—no matter how eloquently you argue, you cannot turn it white. As for the questions you just raised, I can answer them one by one.”
With that, he actually stood up, shook his robe, his indignation palpable. The Elders exchanged glances but ultimately did not intervene.
The smile on Gong Ziyu’s face gradually faded. He rose to his feet as well, refusing to back down. He realized that the man before him—the Second Master Gong, whose name struck fear throughout the martial world—might be the most formidable adversary he would ever face in his life.
“After returning from the Back Mountain, I still hadn’t let go of my suspicions about Yun Weishan. That’s why I reported her ability to resist the Heart-Corroding Moon’s toxicity to the Elders (Elder Xue remained silent, while Elder Hua nodded quietly). That is also why I sent Younger Brother Yuanzhi to Yu Manor to secretly monitor Yun Weishan’s unusual movements. So when I heard the Whistling Arrow signal, I naturally knew to go to Yu Manor to find him.
“As for whether Jin Fan took the Hundred Herbs Extract, that’s easy to prove. The wound on Jin Fan’s arm was inflicted by Younger Brother Yuanzhi’s hidden weapon…”
Jin Fan couldn’t help but raise his hand, somewhat awkwardly trying to cover the wound.
“Everyone present should know that all of Younger Brother Yuanzhi’s hidden weapons are coated with lethal poison that kills upon contact with blood. Even if Jin Fan is strong and exceptionally gifted, capable of resisting soporific incense, if he wanted to emerge unscathed from Younger Brother Yuanzhi’s poison, he must have taken the Hundred Herbs Extract.”
Jin Fan said, “This injury was inflicted by Young Master Jue’s blade tip during our fight…”
Gong Shangjue smiled. “Whether it’s a blade wound or a hidden weapon wound, one look will tell. You don’t need to deny such a basic fact. Moreover, if you insist on being stubborn, why don’t we make a wager? I’ll have Younger Brother Yuanzhi injure you with his hidden weapon right now. If you die from the poison, I’ll repay your life with mine—the life of the master of Jue Manor in exchange for that of a Green Jade Guard. Fair enough, isn’t it? If you remain unharmed, then you must immediately commit suicide before this hall! Do you dare?”
Jin Fan’s face turned deathly pale, unsure how to respond.
Gong Shangjue continued, “However, as for how Guard Jin obtained the Hundred Herbs Extract—whether by theft, force, or some other means—let the Elders decide. This wasn’t the main point of contention today anyway. I only refuted it because Young Master Yu brought it up.”Gong Ziyu unconsciously bit his lip, feeling that compared to Gong Shangjue, he was still too inexperienced. Moreover, although Gong Shangjue's methods were somewhat extreme, they were still open and aboveboard. In comparison, his own perspective seemed rather narrow. Thinking of this, his face burned with shame once more.
Gong Shangjue's expression grew increasingly composed, his words sharper and more incisive. Clearly, he had no intention of ending the matter here.
"As for whether the Truth-Testing Herb Elder Yue mentioned is genuine or not, it can easily be verified. It doesn't matter if the medicine is used up—you can write down the formula. Younger Brother Zhi has some skill in medicine and can prepare it immediately. If the Truth-Testing Herb truly works, then Younger Brother Zhi and I will willingly take it and submit to questioning by the Elders. If this medicine is fake... then Elder Yue may have to answer to Younger Brother Zhi and me."
Elder Yue's expression changed. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke, "The Truth-Testing Herb is the culmination of my life's work. For Young Master Jue to suddenly ask me to hand over the formula to Young Master Zhi... I am indeed reluctant."
Gong Ziyu said, "Indeed, Gong Yuanzhi wouldn't be willing to hand over his methods for concocting poisons and their antidotes either, would he?"
Just as Gong Shangjue was about to speak, Elder Hua's stern voice cut in, "Elder Yue's words may be overstepping. The three clans of Xue, Yue, and Hua in the House of Gong Back Mountain have always served the Front Mountain. Elder Yue's research achievements belong to the House of Gong and should be shared—how can they be considered private property?"
Elder Xue suddenly interjected, "Moreover, Gong Yuanzhi's poison formulas are all preserved intact in the Elders Council. They simply aren't disclosed to everyone."
For some reason, Gong Ziyu felt that Elder Xue's words were directed at him, as the Elder had been staring at him intently.
Elder Hua agreed with Elder Xue, "Exactly. Elder Yue, please write down the formula for the Truth-Testing Herb immediately!"
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