Chapter 449: Insubordination
Translator: SoupHunter Editor: Milkbiscuit
Miao Yi was long prepared for this. There was no way he would let her escape. Ultimately, Liu Qian and the Jade Lady Sect disciples were all stopped by Yan Beihong and the others. Liu Qian was immediately tied up with the Flowing Cloud Killer, while the others were forced to fall back in fear of Zhao Fei and Sikong Wuwei's transcendent artifacts.
As she was dragged before Miao Yi, Liu Qian exclaimed fearfully, "Miao Yi, what are you doing?! Why did you apprehend me?!"
"You know full well what you did." Miao Yi had Yan Beihong loosen her bonds, then tossed over Zhou Huan's and Mao Yifan's written testimonies to her.
"This is sabotage! It's a one-sided story meant to sabotage me…" Liu Qian was a little hysterical.
"You don't have to worry. My promotion is coming soon, so I don't wish to cause too much trouble and ruin my own future. After this, I'll hand all of you over to South Edict Manner to be punished. But before that, you'd better leave me a satisfactory testimony. If not, I wouldn't mind killing you first!" Miao Yi scoffed.
"Dream on!" Liu Qian yelled.
"The other two have already singled you out. Do you really want to just let them go?"
"You can stop trying to sow discord between us. I will not fall for it. I don't believe you're bold enough to kill us!"
"Have it your way then. It matters not if I have one less testimony!" Miao Yi abruptly brandished a sword artifact with a flip of his hand.
"I'll write!" When faced with such a crisis, Liu Qian hurriedly screamed for dear life before Miao Yi had even pulled his sword out from its scabbard. She finally submitted.
To be accurate, she wasn't entirely submitting, she just had other plans in mind. Since Miao Yi said that he would hand them over to South Edict Manor to be punished, then she might as well bow down for now and make a comeback once they were all at South Edict Manor. Liu Qian was sure that Zhou Huan and Mao Yifan wouldn't willingly choose to die either. When the time came, they could just say that Miao Yi had threatened them to write all these testimonies. And with the other three major sect disciples in South Edict Manor speaking on their behalf, Yang Qing would have a hard time trying to punish them. Then, once Miao Yi leaves South Edict Manor, all their problems would be resolved. Yang Qing wouldn't want to offend the three major sects for someone that was already gone.
It was with such thoughts in mind that Liu Qian had made her decision to expose the crimes committed by the members of the other two sects and Shen Fenghua. Eventually, she gave Miao Yi a testimony he was satisfied with.
Miao Yi then forced her to head to the main assembly hall and instruct her fellow disciples to write down testimonies exposing the crimes of the other two sects as well.
Within the main hall, Miao Yi sat on the Mountain Chieftain's throne, examining all the testimonies he had gathered. He subconsciously raised his head and looked outside. Noticing the darkening sky, he turned to Yan Beihong and the others, who were standing idly next to him, and smiled as he said, "It's getting late. Would the three of you like to head back and rest?"
After which, the three of them cheerfully walked out the hall. Lowering his head back to the jade archives, Miao Yi casually ordered, "Liu Qian, escort my esteemed guests back to their quarters for me!"
Liu Qian secretly clenched her teeth in frustration and followed behind Yan Beihong and the others. Deep down she cursed, 'Just you wait. You think you can deal with us this easily? Do you honestly believe that the forces of the three major sects in South Edict Manor are just there for show?'
Within the hall, the other Jade Lady Sect disciples didn't know whether to leave or stay. Suddenly, still seated on his throne, Miao Yi plainly said, "I want all of you to wait here. When the rest of your fellow disciples have arrived, have them write down their testimonies for me as well." After that, he just got up and left.
All the female disciples exchanged glances with one another. There was little they could do but grit their teeth and sit themselves down within the hall.
The insides of the hall were surrounded with the orange glow of candlelight, while outside, the mountain paths were shrouded in the black of the night. There wasn't even a single night-watchman in Mount Calming Sea at this point, giving it a very foreboding ambiance. Liu Qian led Yan Beihong and the others to the bleak-looking gates of a guesthouse and was about to turn around and leave.
Suddenly, Sikong Wuwei chuckled and said, "Liu Qian, the sky is dark already. I'm worried that you have to walk alone at night. Why don't you just stay here for the night?"
Liu Qian immediately sensed something was amiss. Seeing Sikong Wuwei coming close with a wicked smile on his face, she backed away fearfully and said, "What do you think you're doing?"
But before she could run far, something suddenly wrapped around her tightly, and Liu Qian fell to the ground completely bound. Somehow, before she'd even noticed, Yan Beihong's Flowing Cloud Killer had tied her up completely.
"Deacon Fan, Auntie Qing Ju, save me—!" Liu Qian's horrified screams echoed throughout the dark mountains, before being abruptly silenced.
With a wave of his hand, Yan Beihong recalled the Flowing Cloud Killer, then turned around and led Hong Xiu and Hong Fu into the courtyard. As they left, the two ladies turned their heads back to look from time to time.
Zhao Fei placed one hand behind his back, and also proceeded into one of the side courtyards indifferently.
Sikong Wuwei took the tied up Liu Qian into his embrace, then entered the courtyard. He proceeded into one of the lodgings to the side, smiling as he told the terrified Liu Qian, "I really admire what you said about how it doesn't matter who a woman sleeps with. In that case, you might as well accompany me tonight…"
Liu Qian's earlier cry had startled many people. Qing Ju stood atop the terrace, gazing into the distance as she gently sighed and said, "Miao Yi, what are you planning?"
Meanwhile, Fan Zizhang was in his own courtyard, frowning as he muttered to himself, "That's it?" He was hoping that Miao Yi would stir up an even bigger commotion.
The cry for help had failed to garner any response within Mount Calming Sea...
The next day, the Jade Lady Sect disciples from all the Caves had arrived and were subsequently 'invited' to the main assembly hall. Under Yan Xiu's 'advice' as well as the silent nods from their fellow disciples, the Jade Lady Sect members began writing down testimonies exposing the heinous crimes of the other two sects.
Once all the testimonies had been gathered, Miao Yi was asked to come out. He sat on his throne and examined each and every one of them. Once he was almost finished, he ordered, "Yan Xiu, bring Liu Qian to me!"
Yan Xiu acknowledged the order and left.
Soon, Sikong Wuwei returned from the mountain at the back and entered the main hall, while carrying someone on his shoulders. He tossed that person down on the floor and chuckled as he also hurled out a storage ring.
Xue'Er caught the storage ring and had a confused look on her face as she watched Sikong Wuwei move to the back of the hall with his hands behind his back.
She then turned to look at the person on the ground. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were tattered, and her fair thighs were completely exposed. All she had on was an overcoat; she wasn't wearing anything at all inside. She had an utterly dazed look on her face, and her eyes were blank and devoid of any emotion.
This person was none other than Liu Qian. It was unknown what Sikong Wuwei had done to her last night that turned her into such a miserable state.
While seated on his throne, Miao Yi had only cast her a fleeting glance, before turning his attention back to the jade archive in his hands.
Standing beside him, Qian'Er and Xue'Er looked at one another. While they hated Liu Qian, they felt pity for her as well.
"Senior Uncle, Senior Sister!" The women seated around the main hall were horrified to find Liu Qian in such a state and quickly rushed to her side to help her up. They did everything they could to help her, whether it be offering her comforting words, checking her pulse, or trying to rejuvenate her with transcendence energy.
Seeing the group of familiar faces around her, Liu Qian's eyes slowly regained some clarity, revealing traces of fear and even despair. She soon noticed Miao Yi, seated high above as he examined his jade archives without a single care to his surroundings. Suddenly— "AHH!!" —Liu Qian made a bone-chilling scream.
"Demon... You devil! I'll kill you… I'll kill you…" Liu Qian shoved her fellow disciples away and suddenly jumped up, exposing her naked body. Like a deranged woman, she charged straight up towards Miao Yi completely in the nude.
Miao Yi only lifted his gaze slightly, then coldly spat out a single command, "Kill her!"
Qian'Er and Xue'Er hurriedly readied their Inversed-Scales Spears and struck forward. A couple of dull sounds echoed forth as they stabbed Liu Qian's chest.
Liu Qian's bloodied body was then sent flying out. While still in mid-air, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Kill him!"
"Senior Uncle, Senior Sister!" The Jade Lady Sect disciples exclaimed in shock, immediately brandishing their nine-jointed whips and glared at Miao Yi. However, even though they were infuriated, none of them dared to make a move.
Miao Yi tucked the jade archive away and stood up. Ever since he returned to Mount Calming Sea, he had been maintaining his composure. But now, he finally revealed a vicious look as he glared at the people down below and commanded, "Impudence! How dare you go against your superior!"
With a flip of his hand, he readied the Mystic Yin Mirror, and without an ounce of hesitation, launched a burst of cold Yin energy.
Inside the main hall, the sound of their horrified screams was abruptly cut short as the figures that were trying to escape were suddenly frozen in place. The cold wave of Yin energy retreated back into the mirror, and a group of frost-covered women fell stiffly to the ground.
As they trembled from the chill, Qian'Er and Xue'Er were utterly astounded. They never expected that their Master's Mystic Yin Mirror would actually be this powerful. Yan Xiu, who was looking in from the outside, was also completely in awe.
Before the three of them had even snapped out of their daze, Miao Yi was already coldly issuing them an order. "Take down the heads of all these insubordinate traitors! I'll report them all to South Edict Manor after this!"
However, the three of them were still stunned and didn't immediately respond to his commands. Miao Yi looked to the side at Qian'Er and Xue'Er, and he coldly asked, "Do you still need me to teach you what to do?"
The three of them finally snapped out of it and rushed towards the fallen bodies. They then quickly decapitated each and every one of them.
From the back of the hall, Zhao Fei, Sikong Wuwei, Yan Beihong, as well as Hong Xiu and Hong Fu, came out front.
With hands behind his back, Sikong Wuwei shook his head and remarked, "Brother, you really have no sympathy for women at all. How can you bear to kill so many pretty ladies?"
Zhao Fei tilted his head and said to Sikong Wuwei, "You stay away from me. And don't stand next to me."
"What do you mean by that?" Sikong Wuwei was confused. He then noticed how Yan Beihong, Hong Xiu, and Hong Fu actively distanced themselves from him. Especially Hong Xiu and Hong Fu, who looked at him strangely, or perhaps a little terrified even.
He quickly realized what was going on in their heads. Glaring at them, he said, "You guys were the ones who asked me not to let that woman off. And now you're disgusted by me? How is this fair?!"
"Yan Xiu! Bring Zhou Huan and Mao Yifan to me!" Standing in front of his throne, Miao Yi suddenly talked over Sikong Wuwei and ordered.
Yan Xiu acknowledged the order and left. Soon, he brought Zhou Huan and Mao Yifan into the hall and tossed them to the ground.
The two of them were tightly bound as they fell to the floor. They looked at the tragic sight of the hall, then turned their gazes towards Miao Yi, their eyes wide with shock. With utter horror in their eyes, Zhou Huan and Mao Yifan made muffled noises at Miao Yi. Only now did they truly regret all the things they had done, but alas, it was already too late.
Miao Yi said indifferently, "Off with the heads of these two treasonous bastards!"
Yan Xiu swiftly raised his axe and swung down. After which, two fountains of blood spurted out within the hall, as a couple of heads rolled onto the ground. Yan Xiu then took these heads and stored them in a storage ring.
Miao Yi walked down his throne and strode outside the hall.
Yan Beihong and the others followed as he made his way to the courtyard at the back of the mountain, where the Sword Deviate Sect disciples were being kept. As he went inside the courtyard, Miao Yi had Tian Qingfeng, who had been standing guard, gather all the Sword Deviate Sect disciples to the center of the courtyard.
After making sure that not a single person was missing, Miao Yi revealed the Mystic Yin Mirror with a flip of his hand and launched a wave of cold Yin energy at the Sword Deviate Sect disciples.
Before they even realized what was going on, they were all completely frozen still, and their bodies covered in white frost from head to toe.
Tucking the Mystic Yin Mirror away, Miao Yi commanded grimly, "A bunch of insubordinate bastards. Off with their heads!"
Yan Xiu immediately charged out with axe in hand, and swiftly chopped down several dozen heads like a hurricane.
Amidst the shocked faces of Tian Qingfeng and the other School of Blue Jade disciples, Miao Yi tucked the Mystic Yin Mirror away and left, leading everyone straight to the courtyard where the School of Imperial Beasts disciples were being held.
Soon, the School of Blue Jade disciples looking after the other courtyard also ended up in a state of utter shock...
It took less than an hour to exterminate every single one of the Sword Deviate Sect, Jade Lady Sect, and School of Imperial Beasts disciples within Mount Calming Sea. There were over ninety people, and not a single one survived.
"You could've settled this whole debacle within the hour. Why did you have to spend so much time and effort?" Looking at the pile of corpses in the courtyard, Sikong Wuwei clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Miao Yi simply replied, "There's no one up there who will speak for me."
He described his own helplessness perfectly with a single sentence. Even though he had spent several dozen years in the cultivation realm now, this amount of time was actually nothing much to a cultivator. Miao Yi didn't have a very solid foundation and barely had any connections. Suffice to say, he barely even had any interaction with the high-ranking officials. If something were to actually happen, there wouldn't be any high-ranking official who would speak up for him, whereas the enemy would always have plenty of people to speak up on their behalf. Without sufficient evidence, Miao Yi couldn't shoulder that kind of responsibility. Hence, he had no choice but to be more prudent himself.
Zhao Fei and the others silently nodded. As people who were involved with the administration themselves, they could naturally understand the difficulties Miao Yi faced.