Chapter 1147 Tian Qing

He knew the other party was targeting him, but he hadn't expected them to be so ruthless, directly subjecting Sun Qiang to torture.

As the saying goes, 'When beating a dog, you must consider its owner.' Sun Qiang was his steward, yet they had seized him without even notifying him and subjected him to such punishment, clearly showing no regard for him.

"What do you mean?"

Loyal Prince snorted coldly: "Let Vice Hall Master Ming in!"

Rustle!

With these words, two guards brought a figure inside.

Seeing the other's appearance, Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

He recognized him—it was Ming Zhen, the Vice Hall Master of the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City!

This fellow had once stood up for a student, causing him trouble, and had wrecked the entire Poison Hall into ruins, a heinous crime... Hadn't he been executed by poison by Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan?

How was he still alive?

And he seemed unscathed, his strength even greater?

Could something have happened to the Poison Hall?

Most crucially, Sun Qiang was wearing heavy shackles, while the other had nothing, as if he were a guest of honor of Loyal Prince, which made his expression somewhat grim.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Ming Zhen clasped his fists.

"Mm, tell what you know!"

Loyal Prince said.

"I am Ming Zhen, Vice Hall Master of the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City, Hongyuan Empire. Over two months ago, this Sun Qiang changed his appearance and came specifically to the Poison Hall, claiming to be a disciple of the founding patriarch... He is a very formidable poison master, far beyond me in poison arts..."

Vice Hall Master Ming recounted everything that had happened at the Poison Hall.

"...Later, he handed over the founding patriarch to Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai, who came here, and then left. I was originally sentenced to death by poison, but fortunately, the one who administered the poison was once my student, so I managed to escape..."

"A disciple of the Poison Hall's founding patriarch? Escorting the patriarch... If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I wouldn't have believed it. Master Zhang, this Sun Qiang, your steward, is such a formidable poison master... What do you have to say?"

Loyal Prince sneered repeatedly, looking over.

"Based on this, you claim I colluded with a poison master and am unfit to be a master teacher?"

Thinking the other had some evidence, Zhang Xuan shook his head upon hearing this: "Let's not even discuss whether this Ming Zhen is reliable. But as a member of the Poison Hall, he is hunted in Qingyuan Empire—how could he appear here? Could it be... Loyal Prince, have you also colluded with the Poison Hall? Or perhaps, as others say, you yourself are a poison master?"

"How dare you!"

Loyal Prince bellowed.

"Whether I dare or not isn't for you to decide!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hand, cutting him off, looking unconcerned: "There are many people named Sun Qiang in the world. With just a word, you claim he's my steward... What evidence do you have? If I caught a dog and named it Loyal Prince, and the dog went out and ate shit, could I say you like eating shit? Besides, if my steward were truly a disciple of the founding patriarch, with the way you've treated him, he would have poisoned you all long ago!"

"You..." Not expecting this fellow to speak so infuriatingly, Loyal Prince nearly spat blood, his face livid: "Knowing his identity, we immediately restrained him, leaving him no chance to use poison! This Ming Zhen's identity is beyond doubt, and he has left the Poison Hall, turning from darkness to light, leading our people to eradicate the Poison Hall, that cancerous growth!"

"Eradicated the Poison Hall?"

Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

Although the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City was formidable, if the Qingyuan Empire struck and there was an inside collaborator, it would indeed be hard to withstand.

With the Poison Hall destroyed, he wondered how Elder Xu You was doing.

He hadn't expected so many things to happen in just over two months.

"Exactly! Regardless of his past, this alone shows his stance; he wouldn't lie recklessly. He reported your steward Sun Qiang with clear reasoning, and I have also interrogated the Poison Hall members, obtaining identical accounts—this proves the truth of the matter."

Standing up, Loyal Prince flicked his sleeve: "As the master, keeping such a vicious poison master by your side, disregarding the rules of the Master Teacher Hall... For the safety of the imperial capital, I naturally have the right to bring you to justice!"

"For the safety of the imperial capital? I, Zhang Xuan, am an upright master teacher certified by the Master Teacher Hall. If there is any issue, the Master Teacher Hall will judge it. You? As I recall, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall is not under your jurisdiction!"

When a master teacher errs, only the Master Teacher Hall judges. Does a mere imperial prince have the authority?

"I know I lack the authority, so I have specifically reported this matter to Vice Hall Master Tian Qing of the Master Teacher Hall, letting him make the decision!" Loyal Prince clasped his fists, but his gaze turned to the elderly man on the side.

It was the one who had made Zhang Xuan feel wary upon entering.

"Tian Qing?"

Hearing the name, recalling something, Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed.

Clatter!

Before he could speak, the old man stood up, and everyone noticed the badge on his chest, with seven stars shining brightly.

Seven-Star Master Teacher!

"Vice Hall Master?"

Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei'er both looked wary, glancing at Zhang Xuan.

Without a master teacher, things could be negotiated, but the other party had even brought the Vice Hall Master of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall—this made things difficult.

"So they came prepared!"

Quickly regaining composure, Zhang Xuan calculated inwardly.

He had heard some information about the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall from Teacher Wu before.

Hall Master Gou Tianze, whose strength had reached the initial stage of the Out-of-Body realm, had long ceased to meddle in hall affairs.

Now, almost all matters were decided by this Vice Hall Master Tian.

Thus, although this man was only a vice hall master, he actually exercised the authority of the hall master, holding an extremely esteemed position.

He had thought Loyal Prince was just making a minor fuss to embarrass him, and even if he sought trouble, it wouldn't cause substantial harm. He hadn't expected him to invite this man.

This person controlled a branch of the Master Teacher Hall and had the power to communicate with headquarters. Once he confirmed that Zhang Xuan had colluded with the Poison Hall, no matter how much he argued, he would never clear his name.

Of course, although the Poison Hall had a bad reputation, as long as they hadn't committed too many evil deeds, it wasn't a big deal—at most, it would damage his reputation.

"Master Zhang, I have heard many things about you and know your talent and ability!"

Looking over, Vice Hall Master Tian smiled slightly: "Loyal Prince is in charge of the defense of Qingyuan City. Upon discovering that Sun Qiang is a poison master, he naturally had to investigate thoroughly. He is not deliberately targeting you! The reason we meet here today, rather than at the Master Teacher Hall, is to avoid making a big scene and harming the reputation of the Master Teacher Academy."

Saying this, he glanced at Ming Zhen and continued: "I have thoroughly verified the identity of this poison master Ming Zhen and specifically tested him—he is not lying. However, rest assured, although Sun Qiang is a poison master, if you were unaware beforehand, the Master Teacher Hall will handle it leniently and not condemn a talented dean outright based on one point."

"Although he is a poison master?"

Hearing the other's confident words, Zhang Xuan frowned: "Since Vice Hall Master Tian has reviewed everything, you should be very clear whether Sun Qiang is a poison master, right?"

After all, the other was a peak Seven-Star master teacher. Whether Sun Qiang had poison master abilities or was a poison master could be detected with a simple observation. Yet he directly claimed he was one, clearly siding with the other party.

Poison masters, who constantly consume and refine poisons, may appear normal on the outside, but upon close inspection, their internal condition is completely different from that of normal cultivators.

A formidable poison master's single drop of blood could poison an entire city.

Sun Qiang cultivated the upright, simplified version of the Heavenly Path technique. Although he didn't train hard, his true energy was pure, having nothing to do with 'poison master.' He didn't believe the other couldn't see that.

"Even if this Sun Qiang doesn't have the strength of a Six-Star poison master, sending back the founding patriarch of the Poison Hall is a grave mistake! The founding patriarch of the Poison Hall is known as the Disaster Body, carrying deadly poison that can destroy everything. Sending such a person back to headquarters is unforgivable from any perspective. In the war between humans and the alien race tens of thousands of years ago, first-class empires may not have records, but I have seen in the Empire Alliance's guild that the alien race poisoned countless master teachers, causing immense suffering. This founding patriarch's crimes are unpardonable..."

Vice Hall Master Tian spoke with righteous indignation, his brows heavy with compassion.

In the war between humans and the alien race, casualties were heavy, and countless master teachers died from poison. Without this founding patriarch of the Poison Hall, there would be no poison master profession, and thus no such tragedy.

In a sense, this patriarch was an enemy of humanity.

"As a master teacher, allowing your subordinate to escort the Poison Hall patriarch without restraint—where does that leave the identity granted to you by the Master Teacher Hall? And where does it leave your responsibility as a master teacher to protect humanity?"

Vice Hall Master Tian continued: "Of course, if you admit you were unaware of this matter, the Master Teacher Hall will certainly show leniency."

"The founding patriarch of the Poison Hall? Can Vice Hall Master Tian believe such nonsense?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head: "If I remember correctly, this founding patriarch should be a contemporary of Confucius! A figure from tens of thousands of years ago. Even Confucius left no trace. Do you think this man could have survived the ravages of time to live until now?"

"I don't believe it either, but the other party has no reason to lie. As far as I know, Heaven-Approved Master Teachers have appeared, so the resurrection of the Poison Hall's founding patriarch may not be groundless."

Vice Hall Master Tian said.

"Heaven-Approved Master Teacher?" Zhang Xuan sneered: "How is that possible? If such a thing existed, it would have been renowned worldwide. How could I, a Six-Star master teacher, have never heard of it?"

"I deduced it from the situation at the Sealing Master Hall. Currently, all information is tightly sealed; even in the Qingyuan branch, few know about it."

Vice Hall Master Tian nodded: "Although it sounds absurd, as a master teacher, with millions of lives at stake, we must handle it carefully."

"What does Vice Hall Master mean..."

"Simple: this Sun Qiang, guilty of heinous crimes, shall be executed on the spot! Master Zhang, as his master, failed to notice, though the charge is not severe, it cannot be overlooked. You will be exiled to the underground cavern for three months to atone for your crimes."

Master Tian said.

"Executed on the spot? Exiled to the underground cavern for three months?"

Hearing the other's decision, Zhang Xuan laughed as if at a joke, raised his eyelids, patted his butt, and stood up: "What if..."

"I refuse?"