The disciples stood in formation, the sect leader atop a high platform, while the lecturing sect elders waited on the side.
Yan Jiaojiao lowered her gaze, her face betraying no emotion.
"Now, every disciple, roll up your left trouser leg," Luo Guiyuan commanded again.
A rustling sound went through the disciples. Though confused, they all rolled up their trouser legs. Yan Jiaojiao hesitated, not moving.
The sect elders had already descended to inspect, walking row by row. Anyone with an injury on their leg was pulled out.
Luo Guiyuan, without discerning right from wrong, bound them all with spiritual locks and tossed them aside, stirring grumbles among the disciples, who had no idea why they were being treated this way.
The sect leaders of the Wood and Earth factions attempted to interject, but Luo Guiyuan waved them off. The other two sect leaders found it difficult to openly criticize Luo Guiyuan further.
Soon, a sect elder approached Yan Jiaojiao.
"Aren't you going to lift it?" a sect elder approached, displeased.
Before Yan Jiaojiao could move, Yan Ruxue, standing in the front row, suddenly sneered, "Dare not, are you guilty of conscience?"
Having suffered several setbacks at Yan Jiaojiao's hands, Yan Ruxue had completely abandoned any pretense. As long as she could step on Yan Jiaojiao, she would never miss an opportunity.
Yan Jiaojiao intended to ignore her, but Chen Bingbing, standing beside her, covered her mouth and giggled, "Exactly, always stealing things."
Yan Jiaojiao turned her head and said, "Hasn't Chen Wenyu been crying to you these past two days? You seem to have nothing better to do."
Yan Ruxue's face suddenly changed. She raised her hand to slap Yan Jiaojiao, but Yan Jiaojiao grabbed her wrist and squeezed. With a slight application of force, Yan Ruxue gritted her teeth in pain.
The sect elder frowned and scolded, "What are you doing? Do you have any respect for your elders!"
The commotion here attracted everyone's attention. Luo Guiyuan's gaze fell upon Yan Jiaojiao, and in an instant, it moved to the front of her.
"It's you again," Luo Guiyuan's eyes glinted sharply. "Are you refusing to obey orders?"
Seeing Yan Jiaojiao being reprimanded, Yan Ruxue angrily pulled her hand back and provocatively stood behind Luo Guiyuan.
"Hurry and lift your trouser leg so the sect elder can inspect!" Luo Guiyuan shouted again.
Yan Jiaojiao did not want to argue with Luo Guiyuan further. Without speaking, she slowly lifted her trouser leg, revealing the wrapped wound on her leg.
"Unwrap it!" Luo Guiyuan immediately ordered.
Yan Jiaojiao did not move.
Luo Guiyuan, impatient, said, "If you don't unwrap it, then you are the thief from last night!"
"Sect Leader Luo, Yan Jiaojiao's injury was accidentally inflicted by me yesterday. It has nothing to do with the Scripture Repository," Wei Congling suddenly spoke up, blocking Yan Jiaojiao, who was about to retort to Luo Guiyuan. She subtly gave Yan Jiaojiao a look, signaling her not to confront Luo Guiyuan.
Yan Jiaojiao glanced at Wei Congling, knowing that Wei Congling intended to protect her. She swallowed the words that were about to leave her mouth. Although she was responsible for what happened last night, Luo Guiyuan's grasping for authority was truly sickening.
One of the evils of human nature was to amplify one's power to the extreme and make things as difficult as possible for others.
What was Luo Guiyuan's arbitrary search all about?
"That still requires a thorough investigation," Luo Guiyuan, however, did not take Wei Congling's words seriously at all. He raised his hand to bind Yan Jiaojiao with spiritual locks.
Yan Jiaojiao could not help herself and immediately said, "Luo Guiyuan, if you're going to bind people, you need a valid reason. There was only one person who broke into the Scripture Repository. What are you doing arresting so many disciples?"
"Do I need to explain myself to you?" Luo Guiyuan snorted coldly.
The sect elder beside them, seeing that Luo Guiyuan was on the verge of anger, said coldly to Yan Jiaojiao, "Just comply with Sect Leader Luo's wishes. Once we've investigated, you'll be released if you're innocent."
"What if I don't?"
Yan Jiaojiao's obstinate behavior completely exhausted Luo Guiyuan's patience. He raised his hand and sent a wave of spiritual energy towards Yan Jiaojiao, and countless spiritual locks then surged towards Yan Jiaojiao. "Then you are seeking your own demise!"
Yan Jiaojiao calmly drew her Ziyan Heng sword and slashed, easily severing the spiritual locks and dissipating them into spiritual energy in the air!
"You dare to defy orders!" Luo Guiyuan's eyes widened in fury. This was Yan Jiaojiao once again publicly humiliating him!
Seeing this, Yan Ruxue fanned the flames further, "Sect Leader Luo, Yan Jiaojiao has been arrogant since childhood. Don't even mention how we sisters are looked down upon by her. She even dared to discard her own father when she pleased. She wouldn't care about your words."
Immediately, Luo Guiyuan gathered his full strength. Powerful golden spiritual energy surged from his dantian, and he formed a hand seal, actually using sixty percent of his power!
Shangguan Yuan, seeing from afar that something was wrong, immediately flew down. However, he was not as fast as Luo Guiyuan. Luo Guiyuan pushed his hand, and the golden, glowing hand seal grew from small to large, spinning and striking towards Yan Jiaojiao's body!
The distance was too short, and the strong wind blew Yan Jiaojiao's hair. She had no time to dodge and could only brace herself, sword in hand, prepared for severe internal injuries to withstand the blow.
However, in the next second, the formation suddenly vanished. Following that, a clear, cold voice rang out, "Guiyuan, do not act rashly."
"It's Master Xuan Chen!" someone shouted.
Yan Jiaojiao raised her sword and looked. A figure in green robes drifted over, landing on the high platform, gazing in their direction.
Indeed, it was the person she had seen in the Scripture Repository last night.
The wound on her lower leg began to burn again. Yan Jiaojiao couldn't help but turn her head to avoid Xuan Chen's gaze.
Shangguan Yuan landed in front of Yan Jiaojiao, looked at her with concern, and seeing she was unharmed, felt relieved. He stood between her and Luo Guiyuan.
"Sect Leader Master," Luo Guiyuan also stopped his movement, his face still showing displeasure, but his voice had lowered a few degrees as he bowed to Xuan Chen.
The other sect leaders also bowed to Xuan Chen one by one. Xuan Chen merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment. His gaze then shifted forward, pausing on a female disciple in red. Surprisingly, his gaze held less coldness and more gentleness.
Yan Jiaojiao was puzzled when she heard Luo Guiyuan say again, "We are investigating the intruder of the Scripture Repository. We would not dare to trouble Master to leave seclusion. I will personally bring the thief before Master later."
"It is fine."
Xuan Chen shifted his gaze. Then, Xuan Chen looked at the disciples bound by spiritual locks. He opened his palm and sent a gentle stream of spiritual energy towards them. After sensing them all, he retracted his hand, and the spiritual locks dissolved and disappeared one by one.
Xuan Chen then turned back to face the crowd, his expression still serene. He said, "The person from last night was burned by the Fire Dragon Curse on their leg. The wound will retain the poison of the Fire Dragon Curse, which is why we needed to examine those with leg injuries. I have just finished my examination, and it has no relation to this group of disciples."
Then, Xuan Chen looked back at Yan Jiaojiao. "You, do you have fire poison on your leg?"