Ever since Ji Shiyou appeared, Yong Gaoya's eyes had not left him.
Although he had never met Ji Shiyou before, from his words to Jun Shuxue, he had already determined that this handsome young man exuding an aura of dominance was indeed Ji Shiyou, the direct murderer of his disciple.
However, he did not exhibit the same hysteria as Jun Shuxue, nor did his face show any hatred. Instead, he smiled and uttered three "Good"s, drawing everyone's attention to himself. His years of experience were not lived in vain; he was a man of great depth, concealing his emotions. The deeper his hatred, the brighter his smile.
"So you are Ji Shiyou? Truly a young man who dares to love and hate. You are right, marriage is a natural human desire. But familial ethics must also be observed. You are Jinwu's disciple, and she is Jinwu's elder sister. By seniority, she is your martial aunt. Yet you claim you wish to marry her? This is against all human decency. I have been in seclusion for a long time and truly did not know that the world no longer upholds such principles. I ask all fellow Daoists present, has the current cultivation world truly fallen to such a state, where ethics are abandoned?"
Yong Gaoya was a shrewd individual. When Jun Shuxue accused Mingyue of being a thief, he did not intervene, despite it surprising him. He merely watched from the sidelines, content to see how things unfolded. When the accusation failed, he remained silent. It was only when Ji Shiyou appeared and rebuked Jun Shuxue, announcing his relationship with Mingyue, that Yong Gaoya stepped forward. This was because he had begun to suspect that the death of the Grand Elder was not as Jinwu Xianzi and her disciple had claimed – a power grab through murder.
The facts had proven Jun Shuxue's words to be largely unsubstantiated and untenable. To continue dwelling on the Grand Elder's death would not only yield no advantage but might even make them a laughingstock. However, his disciple could not have died in vain. Since he had emerged from seclusion, his conflict with Jinwu Xianzi had escalated, and it was too late to back down. He resented Jun Shuxue for not telling him the truth, leaving him in a difficult position.
But Yong Gaoya, being an old fox, quickly re-evaluated the situation. He abandoned any mention of avenging the Grand Elder and showed no trace of resentment. Instead, he seized the opportunity presented by Ji Shiyou's announcement of his relationship to make his move. Hearing his words, the faces of the sect leaders and elders showed disdain, clearly disapproving of Ji Shiyou and Mingyue. Yong Gaoya knew his strategy was half successful.
"As the former Grand Elder of the Jinwu Palace, for the sake of its reputation, I cannot allow such a matter to occur. These two defy human ethics, are shameless, and have committed such a heinous act. In my capacity as former Grand Elder, I must cleanse the sect and enforce its rules to rectify the atmosphere of Jinwu Palace."
Yong Gaoya pulled Jun Shuxue, who was about to curse again, behind him, signaling her to be silent with a look. Then, with righteous indignation, he raised his whisk, preparing to apprehend Ji Shiyou and Mingyue. His current display of concern for Jinwu Palace and his anguish were merely a facade. His true objective was to act on personal vendetta, to kill Ji Shiyou and Mingyue to avenge his disciple.
At this moment, Mingyue had descended from the high platform and was glaring daggers at Ji Shiyou. If looks could kill, Ji Shiyou would have died a thousand times over. Earlier, Ji Shiyou had boldly declared his affection for her and his intention to marry her in front of everyone. Mingyue had felt a flicker of emotion. This time, Ji Shiyou's words were acceptable; he wanted to marry her because he loved her, not because, as he had said at the bridge, he felt responsible after they had been intimate. Thus, Mingyue was happy and walked down the platform with a pleased expression, intending to respond to Ji Shiyou.
However, upon hearing Yong Gaoya's words, Mingyue was bewildered. She was merely a tree and had no knowledge of such restrictions on love. Judging by the expressions of those present, it seemed to be a serious matter. Her relationship with Ji Shiyou was met with rejection. She then resented Ji Shiyou, thinking that while she was unaware, he must have known about this taboo. Why had he announced it so publicly, putting her on the spot? Had he not seen the contempt and disgust in everyone's eyes?
Ji Shiyou also felt wronged. When he fell in love with Mingyue, she was just a little tree demon with no family or support. It was his master's whim that led her to be taken away from Furong Peak without even asking him. His master had been so hasty that he hadn't had time to explain his relationship with Mingyue before leaving. On his way back to the palace, he learned that his master intended to recognize Mingyue as her sister and was planning a ceremony to announce it to the world. Thus, he had instructed Tian Jian to lead a team while he himself rushed back on his sword. He had arrived just in time to witness Jun Shuxue forcing Mingyue to swear an oath. In his haste, he had rebuked Jun Shuxue and, in doing so, had revealed what he intended to say to his master and Mingyue to everyone present, giving Yong Gaoya a reason to attack them and pursue his personal vendetta.
Seeing Yong Gaoya about to make a move, Ji Shiyou pulled Mingyue behind him and drew his Reflection Moon Sword. He no longer cared about anything else. His only concern was Mingyue. If anyone dared to harm her, he would fight to the end, even at the cost of his own life.
"Wait, Martial Uncle! I am the Palace Master of Jinwu Palace, and you are merely a retired elder. You have no right to give orders in front of me?"
As Ji Shiyou and Yong Gaoya's auras intensified, a battle was imminent. The guests began to leave their seats and move towards the walls to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Jinwu Xianzi stepped forward, positioning herself between Ji Shiyou and Mingyue, separating the two with her presence.
"Jinwu, what he admitted is ironclad. Everyone heard it; it cannot be denied. Are you still going to protect them now? I may not have the authority to give orders in front of you, but according to the palace rules, I have the right to remove you!"
Facing Jinwu Xianzi, Yong Gaoya's smile vanished, replaced by a stern, unyielding expression.
"Remove me? Palace rules? Rules are made by people. Today, I shall abolish this rule. From now on, there will be no such position as Grand Elder in Jinwu Palace. What basis do you have to remove me? I showed you respect as an elder and tolerated your behavior repeatedly. You, however, are overstepping your bounds, relying on your seniority. Since we have now fallen out, there's no need for pretense. Let's see who the disciples of Jinwu Palace will support?"
Jinwu Xianzi's eyes blazed with anger. When her temper flared, she disregarded everything and revealed her formidable nature. As soon as she finished speaking, all the Jinwu Palace disciples stood behind her, glaring at Yong Gaoya. Their stance was clear: they supported their Palace Master. It was Yong Gaoya's misfortune that he couldn't see the situation clearly. He had been in seclusion for a hundred years, and most of the people in Jinwu Palace had never met him, while those who had had already forgotten him. The saying "out of sight, out of mind" applied even in the cultivation world.
"Very well, very well! I cannot remove you. But as Palace Master, you allow these two to tarnish the reputation of Jinwu Palace. Can you silence the gossip? They have shamed the entire immortal sect. As a sect leader, you are encouraging such misconduct. This will make all cultivators unable to hold their heads high."
Seeing that Jinwu Xianzi's position as Palace Master was unshakeable, Yong Gaoya resorted to a more insidious tactic, attempting to manipulate public opinion. He dragged all the immortal sects into the fray, hoping to muddy the waters and make Jinwu Xianzi and the other two public enemies of the entire immortal world.
"Don't try to stir up trouble and put a grand label on me. Who says I won't deal with this? I will deal with it now. I disown this sister. Ji Shiyou, you are expelled from the sect. From now on, your affairs are none of my concern, nor are they Jinwu Palace's. Let's see what grounds those who are looking for trouble have to interfere. You may leave the mountain now, but we are still friends. Don't forget to send me an invitation to your wedding."
Jinwu Xianzi's words were spoken with remarkable ease. Everyone was stunned, thinking, "Can it be handled like this?" Jinwu Xianzi was perhaps the only sect leader in the immortal world who treated the matter of expulsion so casually.
"Even if they are expelled from the sect, they cannot leave," a voice echoed from afar.