Giant Sword Daoist Monarch was considerably older than Kuimen Daoist Lord, and he possessed greater self-control.
He retrieved a Jade Box from his Jade Belt, his expression tinged with a hint of pain. He pinched out three or four Tea Leaves and steeped them in the Teapot. After casting a Spell, he added spiritual water.
Instantly, the Teapot began to gurgle and steam.
He poured a cup for himself and another for Kuimen Daoist Lord.
They sipped their tea, quietly observing the battles among the Younger Generation inside the Door.
"Did it work?" Xu Xing wondered. "No one is stopping me..."
Inside Heavenly Gate Palace, Xu Xing kept his gaze fixed on Yang Shao, but his Divine Sense spread out, meticulously observing their surroundings. Seeing no one approach, he couldn't help but sigh in relief.
His swiftness in breaking the Heavenly Gate Array... There was no way it wouldn't attract the attention of the Sect Seniors. Even without Kuimen Daoist Lord, there shouldn't be a scarcity of True Monarchs. According to Minister Zheng, after advancing this far in the 36-Layer Heavenly Gate Array, True Monarchs would indeed come to recruit disciples. Therefore, just as he had anticipated, the Divine Senses of numerous Sect Seniors were already focused on the vicinity of the Heavenly Gate Array.
"It seems my strategy was correct," Xu Xing mused. "The Sect is indeed as I anticipated. Although fairness exists, it only applies to those of equal status. When two equals meet, Public Law is power. When two unequals meet, power is Public Law. This is an undeniable truth, no matter the era or place."
When Yang Shao had hired assassins to kill him, Xu Xing never considered seeking justice from the Sect's Punishing Law Bureau. Common People might trust the authorities, but he, a 'convicted official' well-versed in the ways of bureaucracy, knew the nature of such departments all too well. Expecting the Punishing Law Bureau to deal with Yang Shao would be less effective than handling the matter himself.
The fact that no one from the Sect intervened now, as he prepared to act against Yang Shao, was the best proof. Of course, if someone from the Sect had tried to stop him in the name of fairness, he was prepared to reveal the truth about Yang Shao hiring assassins. In that scenario, even if he were deemed at fault, considering the provocation, his punishment would likely be minor. After all, the Sect operated on personal governance, not the rule of law. Xu Xing had seen through this long ago.
It was like during the Han Dynasty, when the Gongyang School's ideology was revered: feuds spanning nine generations could still be avenged. In the Han Dynasty, if someone murdered one's parents, it was considered the son's sacred duty—a matter of heaven and earth's justice—to seek revenge against the killer. When a county magistrate presided over such a case, not only would there be no punishment for the avenger, but the son's filial piety would be lauded.
Revenge, a grand revenge...
Although the Flying Feather Immortal Palace wasn't as radical, the Sect's principles didn't outright reject such acts.
Therefore, whether it was dealt with justly or through favoritism, Xu Xing was prepared. He had already sealed Yang Shao's fate.
He hadn't sought revenge against Yang Shao eight years prior purely because he hadn't wanted to waste time. With his imminent transition to cultivating the Withered Wood Sword Scripture and the need to accelerate the maturation of the Thousand-year Ganoderma Fruit, he had no leisure for Yang Shao. There was no need to delay crucial matters for personal vendettas. A Gentleman's revenge, after all, could wait ten years.
"Xu Xing, you..." Yang Shao was already pale from the exertion of Breaking the Array. Now, realizing Xu Xing had set a trap for him, he was overcome with shock and fury. He glared, his bloodshot eyes looking as if they would burst from their sockets.
Xu Xing had only entered the Thirteenth Layer Heavenly Gate Array half a day ago! How could he suddenly be at the 14th Layer Heavenly Gate Array? Something was definitely amiss.
Furthermore, with his expertise in array techniques, Yang Shao recognized at a glance that the Array Eyes Xu Xing had laid around him belonged to the elementary Illusion Heart Formation—a formation he himself had taught Xu Xing.
"Junior Brother Xu, I was your teacher in this!" Yang Shao cried out, his voice laced with desperation as he saw Xu Xing successfully set up the formation with no intervention from the Sect. His heart turned to ash. "What is the meaning of this?"
He began to plead, "Senior Brother... I merely had a moment of indiscretion with your Maid. We are fellow disciples, Brothers! That Maid was merely seeking wealth and status! For you to be so petty and small-minded over such a woman, to go so far as to harm me, your Senior Brother..."
Though his words sounded like a plea, they were laden with slander against Xu Xing.
In terms of status, they were respected Cultivators of a prominent Sect. A Maid, even one with some Cultivation, would at best be a Freelance Cultivator; most were mere Mortals. For Xu Xing to be so incensed over a Maid—to fly into a rage for a beauty—that was plausible. But to plot against a Senior Brother for such a reason was foolish. Besides, Yang Shao had insinuated the Maid was a social climber. This implied she wasn't favored by Xu Xing and had therefore approached Yang Shao, an outsider. Yang Shao understood that simply framing Xu Xing while painting himself as innocent wouldn't be convincing. By implicating himself in a lesser transgression, his claims gained a veneer of credibility.
"You certainly know how to scheme," Xu Xing said, his voice cold. "It's just a pity that I'm not the type to fly into a rage over a Maid."
He was multitasking. While his fingers formed seals to operate the Array, he continued to taunt Yang Shao, disrupting his concentration. Though confident that his basic Illusion Heart Formation could overcome the depleted Yang Shao, Xu Xing wouldn't shy away from using words to guarantee his success.
「Heavenly Gate Palace, inner palace.」
"It seems this Yang Shao truly has a guilty conscience; he must have done something unspeakable to Xu Xing..." Kuimen Daoist Lord remarked after taking a sip of Spirit Tea and praising its quality. He had just overheard Yang Shao's desperate justifications.
He scoffed. "An ordinary Cultivator might fly into a rage over a woman, and I might believe it. But someone with a Human King physique? They are masters of intrigue and winning hearts, often hailing from the lineage of Founding Emperors. Such individuals wouldn't care about a mere Maid, much less betray a fellow Sect member over one, especially at a critical moment like this."