Chapter 103: Gained Without Any Effort

“So, are you admitting that you are a traitor to the Qingcheng Sect?”

Lin Hao turned his gaze toward Zheng Xi, who was speaking to him, and sized him up from head to toe.

Inwardly, Lin Hao cursed silently: What a venomous snake.

Then Lin Hao said, “I never claimed that I wasn’t a disciple of another sect. Besides, the Qingcheng Sect has no rule that forbids disciples from other sects from participating in your elections. I just happen to be exceptionally capable, which is why you chose me. And I wouldn’t call myself a traitor to Qingcheng Sect—I haven’t harmed any of its interests.”

Hearing Lin Hao speak so confidently, the elder from the Law Enforcement Hall nearly lost his temper.

He immediately stepped forward, eyeing Lin Hao as if he were joking, and said, “You dare claim you haven’t harmed Qingcheng Sect’s interests? Then what about this? Didn’t you destroy our Law Enforcement Hall?”

Pointing at the ruins of the Law Enforcement Hall, the elder demanded an explanation.

Lin Hao scratched his nose guiltily, realizing he had forgotten about this. Scanning the devastation, he was left speechless.

Zheng Xi seized the opportunity, stepping forward threateningly, and asked, “Who ordered you to do this today? How else could you have pulled this off?” Then he glanced at Cao Yi.

Lin Hao immediately understood the implication: Zheng Xi wasn’t just targeting him, but Cao Yi as well.

Recalling what Cao Yi had just told him, Lin Hao chose to remain silent this time, saying nothing further.

But to Zheng Xi, Lin Hao’s silence was tacit admission, a flicker of satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

Turning to the Sect Leader, Zheng Xi said, “Leader, I’m not falsely accusing him. You see, he’s already tacitly admitting it. I believe this matter must be clarified. We must not allow anyone to abuse their status within Qingcheng Sect to commit acts detrimental to our interests, or even to plot for power.”

As Zheng Xi spoke, his eyes locked on Cao Yi. Anyone could see that the person he was really accusing was Cao Yi.

Those present were hesitant, unsure what to say.

The Sect Leader followed Zheng Xi’s gaze to Cao Yi and, with a displeased expression, asked, “What exactly is going on here?”

Cao Yi stepped forward and said, “The matter is actually quite simple; it’s been complicated by those with ulterior motives. Master, I did bring him into the inner sect, and I reported it to you before. As for why I invited him in, I believe you already know.

Moreover, I don’t see any solid evidence backing the so-called Qingfeng Sect elder’s accusations. What counts as proof—is it just based on his word alone?”

He then cast a cold glance at Elder Zhou.

Elder Zhou was momentarily unsettled by Cao Yi’s gaze, but being cunning and experienced, he quickly regained composure and said, “So this Qingcheng Sect’s eldest apprentice brother is Lin Hao, right? You’re welcome to investigate what Lin Hao has done in our Qingfeng Sect.

No matter who you ask, you’ll get the same answer. If your Qingcheng Sect dares to accept someone like Lin Hao, then I have nothing more to say.

But today, I came here mainly to purge this traitor. Even if your Qingcheng Sect wants to protect him, I will stand up for our sect.”

To the uninformed, Elder Zhou’s righteous words made him seem wholeheartedly devoted to his sect, while painting Lin Hao as an unforgivable villain.

Lin Hao sneered at the elder’s speech, stepped forward, and said, “I already said before, there’s no point in wasting words on you if you can’t speak properly. Seems like you haven’t learned your lesson yet, elder.”

With a threatening raise of his hand, Lin Hao’s gesture caused the elder to instinctively retreat several steps.

Glaring at Lin Hao, the elder said, “Even now, you dare to be so arrogant? Today, I will have the Qingfeng Sect purge you, the traitor!”

Fuming, the elder drew his weapon and slashed his sword toward Lin Hao.

However, Elder Zhou, enraged and losing control, had made a move on Qingcheng Sect’s territory. The Sect Leader frowned darkly, clearly displeased.

Just as he was about to speak, Zheng Xi quickly interrupted, “Leader, perhaps we should wait and see. After all, they’re handling their own sect’s traitor first. Once they’re done, then we can deal with our own matters.”

Lin Hao, on the other hand, was more than willing to fight Elder Zhou.

He suddenly remembered he hadn’t completed a system mission yet.

The system had long assigned him the task to kill Elder Zhou and his son. Even his earlier cooperation with Qingyun was for this mission, but he had only completed half of it by killing Zhou Yichen on Tianyu Mountain; Elder Zhou himself had yet to be dealt with.

Now that the elder had come to him willingly, Lin Hao could finish the task with ease.

Drawing his Swallowing Cloud Sword, he stepped forward to meet the challenge.

From the moment Elder Zhou saw Lin Hao, all he could think about was how to kill him.

Especially when he thought of his son Zhou Yichen, his emotions ran high, blinding him to the fact that Lin Hao’s power far exceeded his own.

He hadn’t realized Lin Hao had reached the fourth level of the Out-of-Body Stage, while he himself was only at the ninth level of the same stage, stuck at a bottleneck for years.

Moreover, Elder Zhou wasn’t focused on cultivation, but more on political scheming, and his spiritual root was of the wood element.

He still believed Lin Hao was the weak person he had been in Qingfeng Sect.

Who would have thought Lin Hao had surpassed him by a great margin?

Thinking he could kill Lin Hao on the spot—after all, Lin Hao was a traitor—even if he returned to Qingfeng Sect, the Sect Leader and Qingcheng Sect’s witnesses could hold him accountable.

He gripped his sword arrogantly and advanced toward Lin Hao.

But all of his actions were nothing but a joke in Lin Hao’s eyes.

Seeing through his strength, Lin Hao scoffed, sheathed his Swallowing Cloud Sword, and casually threw a fire dragon at Elder Zhou.

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