Chapter 17: Slacking Off, Day Seventeen
Xun Xian Sect’s Sect Master, Xu Mofeng, stood before the square. Dressed in a moon-white Daoist robe, his hair neatly tied with a wooden hairpin, he gently stroked his long black beard with one hand, holding a whisk in the other, standing with an air of immortal demeanor.
Compared to the five elders and Grandmaster Ru Song, whose names were previously even vaguely mentioned, Xu Mofeng truly possessed the aura of a senior cultivator.
However… as the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
Wen Ying was anticipating Xu Mofeng’s performance.
“Ahem, everyone, quiet.” Seeing everyone had arrived, Xu Mofeng cleared his throat, raising his hands to signal the crowd.
The square instantly fell silent.
Sect Master Xu was respected, kind, benevolent, and approachable. He was known for his charitable deeds, beloved both inside and outside the sect.
“Everyone should know that during the recent trials, some disciples were attacked by high-level ferocious beasts on the back mountain. Thanks to Elder Nang Ge’s treatment, they have only just recovered,” Xu Mofeng’s voice was low, his eyes filled with guilt. “This is our failure, mine and the elders’, and I apologize to everyone.”
With that, Xu Mofeng bowed deeply to the crowd.
Seeing this, the disciples shook their heads and waved their hands.
“No need, no need!”
“Exactly! Sect Master, this isn’t your fault! We should blame the one who released the ferocious beast!”
Xu Mofeng’s performance didn’t disappoint Wen Ying. This time, he even used a ninety-degree bow.
“Thank you, everyone,” Xu Mofeng stood up, stroking his beard, smiling kindly. “Regarding the person who released the ferocious beast, Elder Zhi Fa has investigated, and he will explain it to everyone.”
Elder Zhi Fa nodded slightly and stepped forward.
Only then did everyone notice a woman bound by a binding spell standing beside Elder Zhi Fa.
“Everyone, this person is the culprit behind the release of the ferocious beast,” Zhi Fa addressed the crowd, his expression solemn.
The woman wore plain white clothes. Although her arms were bound to her sides by the spell, her expression remained calm and composed as she gazed at the disciples in the square.
Such unusual calmness was not typical of a criminal.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, someone should have questioned this…
However, no one did.
No one noticed the woman’s expression—her entire head was wrapped in bandages except for one eye! How could anyone notice anything?
Indeed, what truly attracted the disciples’ attention was the bandages covering her entire head and face, like a mummy.
Not only her head, which was wrapped like a ball, but also her bound arms, her ten fingers tightly wrapped in bandages, and the bandages extending from her neck. Conservatively estimated, probably only one eye was intact; the fact that she could stand was already a miracle.
Cultivators had True Qi to protect them, making them less susceptible to injury and recovering faster than ordinary people. Most disciples had never seen injuries like hers.
Wen Ying wasn’t thinking about this.
She had come to watch the performance but unexpectedly witnessed the announcement of the culprit who released the ferocious beast.
This time, she really hadn’t done anything…
Elder Zhi Fa continued to announce to the crowd, “Yesterday, this person, severely injured and unable to treat herself, sought treatment from Elder Nang Ge. Because of this, Elder Nang Ge discovered a clue. She had scars bearing the remaining aura of the beast!”
Uh… If Elder Zhi Fa said so, then she didn’t exactly do nothing.
Wen Ying blinked.
Who would have thought that the small stones that exploded from the wall that day would have such an effect?
Indeed, this person was the one who threw stones at the wall that day, the true culprit behind the incident.
However, rather than saying Wen Ying did something, it was more accurate to say it was entirely her own doing. If she hadn’t thrown the stones, the person wouldn’t have been so severely injured, requiring treatment from Elder Nang Ge.
The disciples suddenly realized.
So the person’s injuries were from taming the ferocious beast; no wonder she was bandaged like that.
The elders had already captured the ferocious beast; the scars could be similar, but the aura of any creature was unique. If the scars were real, that was irrefutable proof.
Zhi Fa then pointed at the woman’s hand, causing the bandages on her ring finger to come loose. He lifted her hand, showing it to everyone. “The scar is here!”
Everyone squinted, even using their True Qi, to barely find a faint white scratch on the woman’s swollen finger, which had been fractured, looking like a scratch from an animal’s claw.
Everyone: “…”
Undeniably, Elder Nang Ge was incredibly observant. She could even notice such a small wound…
The truth was revealed, leaving only one question—who was this person, whose face was completely obscured?
Amidst the whispered questions, a loud voice suddenly exclaimed, “I know who she is! She’s Senior Brother Mu Rong Mo’s partner, Xu Huang!”
The speaker was someone Wen Ying was familiar with—the war correspondent’s assistant, skilled at spreading information accurately.
Undeniably, this war correspondent was indeed capable. Even with only one eye visible, she could identify the person.
Unlike Wen Ying, who had relied on the woman’s thoughts to determine her identity.
“What this young friend said is correct. It is Xu Huang,” Zhi Fa confirmed, nodding.
These words caused an uproar!
No one could believe that Xu Huang, the gentle, kind, generous, and considerate Senior Sister, would do such a thing!
Xu Huang’s expression remained calm and composed as she stood on the stage, neither refuting nor showing shame, appearing calm and composed.
But except for Wen Ying, no one knew that Xu Huang’s inner world was actually quite chaotic.
If she hadn’t been so severely injured, she would have used public opinion to escape punishment. But the explosion had injured her so badly that not only could no one recognize her, but no one even noticed her deliberately displayed expression.
As for now… it wasn’t that she wanted to remain quiet; the key was that the bandages completely covered her mouth, so she couldn’t speak at all!!
The collapse of an adult often happens in an instant.
Wen Ying understood. With Xu Huang’s meticulous mind, if the explosion hadn’t been so severe, she wouldn’t have failed to notice the small scratch on her hand and gone to Elder Nang Ge, essentially handing herself in.
This is called—getting what one deserves.
[Congratulations, Host! Completed the additional mission for “Xianxia Novel’s Second Female Lead”: Find the true culprit who framed you! Reward: 120 points! You now have 1,230,1148 points, and three high-grade spirit stones!]
In a way, the true culprit was found because of Wen Ying.
But most of the credit should go to Elder Zhi Fa and Elder Nang Ge.
[Host, please keep working hard! The new mission is coming~]
[“Substitute Novel’s Supporting Character” Mission 1: Avoid being used by the female lead, Xu Huang, and become an obstacle in the relationship between Xu Huang and the male lead, Mu Rong Mo!]
Xu Huang was actually Wen Ying’s substitute, and the female lead in the Substitute Novel.
Although Wen Ying was the substitute second female lead in the White Moonlight Novel, she was the white moonlight second female lead in the Substitute Novel!
Since Xu Huang was the female lead, she hadn’t died in the last incident; she wouldn’t be taken off the show due to exposure.
Author’s Note:
Thank you to all the little angels~ Thank you for your encouragement~ Mwah!!