Chapter 175: 175. The Adventures of Li Ruyu (Part Two)

“Still dare to argue? Wasn’t it Senior Sister Yu Yang who demoted you to a regular disciple, causing you to hold a grudge? So you decided to spread rumors to defame her?”

Yu Xu Wanderer pressed closely, questioning sentence by sentence, causing Li Ruyu’s face to turn white and stammer.

The others in the upper echelon were puzzled; Yu Xu Wanderer seemed overly enthusiastic. Though the Xuanji Sect’s reputation was affected by this matter, the direct victims were Sect Master Qing Jing Wanderer and Yu Yang Wanderer. Why were she more anxious than them?

Yu Yang Wanderer’s face looked unpleasant, staying silent.

How could she not understand why Junior Sister Yu Xu was so invested in this? If the Xuanji Sect hurried to convict Li Ruyu, it would in a way authenticate the rumors in the newspapers.

Whether it was the outsiders or sect disciples, they would speculate on the reason for Li Ruyu’s conviction — was it because she started the rumors, or was she speaking the truth?

At that moment, her reputation would suffer a significant blow.

Li Ruyu was unaware that she was innocently caught up in the power struggle among the upper echelon, becoming a weapon against Yu Yang Wanderer.

She continued to plead and swear, proving that she did not spread any rumors.

“Enough!”

Sect Master Qing Jing Wanderer finally spoke: “This is utter nonsense; immediately send someone to the Cloud Sea Mountains to investigate the truth and find out who is spreading rumors.”

Once the Sect Master spoke, the matter was made clear. Yu Xu Wanderer immediately looked down without further questioning Li Ruyu.

That day, the Xuanji Sect posted an announcement clarifying the matter, stating that a thorough investigation would be conducted and that the rumormongers would not be spared.

Li Ruyu naturally did not face any punishment and returned unharmed on the same day.

But recalling the look in Yu Yang Wanderer’s eyes as she left, Li Ruyu knew she would not get off easily.

This was a disaster out of nowhere; who the hell was trying to frame me?

Sure enough, the next day, a deacon came to inform Li Ruyu to guard the gate.

Though there was no formal punishment, it was impossible for Yu Yang Wanderer’s reputation to be tarnished without making Li Ruyu’s life difficult behind the scenes.

Li Ruyu felt utterly desolate. When she was a true disciple, these deacons sought her favor; now they dared to boss her around.

Li Ruyu, having reached Foundation Establishment Realm Perfection, belonged to the mid-tier of the Xuanji Sect. But offending Yu Yang Wanderer made even reaching the Innate Realm useless.

She could only honestly pack her bedding and move from the large house to the narrow gatehouse, becoming a proud gatekeeper.

At this point, Li Ruyu had to think not about how to make a comeback but how to defend against Yu Yang Wanderer’s retaliation.

As for betraying the sect, Li Ruyu would never do that; she was loyal to the Xuanji Sect.

That night.

Yu Yang Wanderer left her training ground and the Xuanji Sect, heading towards a quiet and deserted place nearby.

Soon, a figure descended from the clouds — Sect Master Qing Jing Wanderer.

As soon as Qing Jing Wanderer arrived, she questioned, “Junior Sister, did you tell Li Ruyu about our matter?”

Yu Yang Wanderer remained expressionless: “Impossible. How could I tell anyone about this? Someone must be secretly stirring things up.”

Qing Jing Wanderer understood that Yu Yang was hinting that the one stirring things up was another junior sister, Yu Xu. The two junior sisters had always been at odds.

She walked over and embraced Yu Yang, comforting her, “Junior Sister, that man has already been killed by you, and besides you and I, no third person knows. This might just be a coincidence.”

The newspaper said that Yu Yang Wanderer had an affair with the sect master’s young husband and was caught by the sect master, which was incorrect.

The truth was that the sect master had an affair with Yu Yang Wanderer, and the forbidden love between the sisters was accidentally discovered by the sect master’s young husband half a year ago.

Yu Yang Wanderer killed the young husband, leading to dissatisfaction between her and Qing Jing Wanderer. An external explanation was given that they had a sparring match.

Upon hearing Qing Jing Wanderer mention this, Yu Yang Wanderer’s face turned cold, “Are you still blaming me for killing that seductive scoundrel?”

Qing Jing Wanderer quickly comforted, “Of course not; those young husbands were merely for appearances. The only one I truly care about is you, Junior Sister.”

Under Qing Jing Wanderer’s silver tongue, Yu Yang Wanderer finally smiled.

In the moonlight, their silhouettes gradually overlapped.

…

Li Ruyu stayed diligent and kept a low profile for several days, thinking the storm had passed, until she suddenly heard that another disciple seemed to have obtained a newspaper from a rogue cultivator.

Li Ruyu darkly guessed in her mind, this time, who will be as unlucky as me?

Then, once again, she was brought before the higher-ups of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

This time was different from the last; Master Yu Yang Wanderer was calm, even showing a faint smile.

Previously, the questioning Yu Xu Wanderer now looked extremely unpleasant, glaring at Li Ruyu as if wanting to flay her alive.

As Li Ruyu was bewildered, Yu Yang Wanderer asked her, “Li Ruyu, are you dissatisfied with the sect’s handling of you?”

Li Ruyu was furious inside, what the hell did I do wrong again?

But on the surface, she still knelt with fearful honesty, “Absolutely not, disciple would willingly accept punishment for any wrongdoing. Disciple is loyal to the sect, and has no complaints whatsoever.”

“This is your loyalty?”

A newspaper was thrown in front of Li Ruyu.

Li Ruyu looked down, and the headline shocked her — “Stunned! An elder with the surname He from a major sect in the Yun Mountain Region was caught running naked in the sect at midnight with just underwear on his head. Is this a distortion of humanity or a moral decay?”

The major sect in the Yun Mountain Region clearly referred to Xuanji Sect; who else could it be?

And within Xuanji Sect, only Yu Xu Wanderer had the surname He. No wonder she looked so upset today.

The newspaper told the story from the observer’s perspective, stating that she was punished to guard the gate for leaking private matters about an elder and sect master, then discovered Elder He’s performance while getting up to use the bathroom at midnight.

Upon reading this, Li Ruyu knew trouble was up. She anxiously looked towards the end of the news — the whistleblower was, like before, anonymously Li Ruyu.

Ahhh, who the hell is trying to put me to death?!!

Li Ruyu looked at Yu Xu Wanderer with a near-crying expression: “Please believe me, I didn’t do this. I didn’t do it!”

“Li Ruyu, you’re seeking death!”

Yu Xu Wanderer couldn’t hold back, her eyes reddened as she yelled at Li Ruyu: “Which eye of yours saw me running naked in the sect at midnight? Speak, or I’ll gouge both your eyes out!”

Though she did have the habit of wandering out at midnight, she never went without underwear, let alone putting underwear on her head.

This was pure slander!!

Li Ruyu was already paralyzed with fear, crying helplessly: “It’s not me, I didn’t do it, this is pure slander. I didn’t get up to use the bathroom at midnight.”

Yu Xu Wanderer no longer cared about propriety, itching to kick Li Ruyu to death, but fortunately, others stopped her.