Wandering Swordsman |

The other inspectors slowly surrounded him, their footsteps silent yet imposing. They formed a semi-circle around Shen Mo, as if they had already decided he was a spy for the Demonic Cult and feared he might break through and escape at any moment.

The sunlight still shone on the stone bricks of the training ground, but now the light seemed to have lost its warmth, leaving only a blinding coldness and sharpness. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, even the wind stopped, and everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the figure in the center.

An inspector stepped forward and slowly reached out to place his hand on Shen Mo's wrist.

"Hold your breath," the man commanded in a low voice.

Shen Mo calmly complied with the instruction to hold his breath, allowing the other party to sense the circulation of true energy within his body.

In an instant, the entire room fell into dead silence; you could hear a pin drop.

A moment later, the inspector frowned, withdrew his hand, and shook his head at Situ Changkong: "No demonic energy remains."

Upon hearing this, Situ Changkong's face instantly turned ashen.

The smug, confident smile that had been playing on his lips, vanished like a flower struck by frost. He abruptly turned, glaring fiercely at Ling Tiancheng, his eyes filled with anger and accusation.

"Didn't you say that a spy from the Demonic Cult was among them?!" His voice was low and cold, as if squeezed out from between clenched teeth. "Why haven't we found him after searching for so long?!"

Ling Tiancheng looked up, his face filled with shock and confusion. His lips trembled, and his eyes were filled with disbelief, because he had clearly injected a wisp of his demonic energy into Shen Mo's body that day: "No... impossible... how could... how could it not be there?!"

Situ Changkong felt a pang of panic, but he quickly regained his composure.

He knew he couldn't let the plan fail at this crucial moment. So, he quickly gave the inspectors beside him a look, signaling them to proceed with the other plan.

The inspector understood immediately and changed his tune: "Wait, I think I sensed a faint fluctuation of demonic energy just now." He deliberately emphasized his words, trying to create a tense atmosphere. "Just to be on the safe side, we must take this person away immediately for a more thorough examination!"

These words caused an uproar. Everyone was utterly astonished, staring at the scene in disbelief.

A cold smile flashed in Shen Mo's eyes. He had long anticipated such a turn of events, but he did not expect Situ Changkong to be so blatant in framing him.

Just as the inspectors were about to forcibly take Shen Mo away, Zhou Xinlian and Qin Wan's expressions changed simultaneously, their eyes filled with doubt and dissatisfaction.

Murong Qing stepped forward without hesitation, blocking Shen Mo's path, and shouted sternly, "What do you mean by this?! You just said there was no demonic energy, and now you say there is? Are you investigating, or are you framing me?!"

Her voice was as cold as a sword, her eyes as sharp as lightning, as she stared directly at the inspector without backing down. Her actions were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples and making the atmosphere in the training ground even more tense.

"Miss Murong," Situ Changkong said coldly, slowly descending the platform. His robes fluttered in the wind, his steps steady and powerful. "I also find this matter suspicious. Since we failed to detect it the first time, we must be even more cautious the second time. But if he truly is a remnant of the Demonic Sect, how can we allow him to infiltrate the academy and endanger the righteous path of the martial world?"

As Situ Changkong spoke, the other two women—Zhou Xinlian and Qin Wan—also stepped forward, their eyes firmly supporting Shen Mo, and they both spoke up to defend him.

Upon seeing this, Situ Changkong's heart tightened, fearing unforeseen complications. He knew that he couldn't afford any mistakes at this moment, so he immediately ordered his men to forcibly take Shen Mo away: "Don't believe their nonsense! Take this person away immediately!"

Upon hearing this, several inspectors immediately stepped forward, grabbed Shen Mo's arm, and tried to forcibly take him away. Shen Mo did not resist, but simply looked coldly at Situ Changkong, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery.

"Brother Situ, will doing this really get you what you want?" Shen Mo's voice was deep and firm, as if questioning the darkness and conspiracy in Situ Changkong's heart.

Situ Changkong remained expressionless, simply waving his hand to signal his subordinates to speed up their work.

Just as Shen Mo was about to be led away from the scene, a deep, aged voice suddenly came from behind the crowd, as resounding as a great bell, shaking the very soul:

"Wait a minute!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an elderly man in a long blue robe slowly approaching the training ground. His face was kind yet dignified, and his eyes were bright and piercing, as if he knew all the truths of the world. Every step he took was steady and powerful, as unshakable as a mountain. This was none other than Zhang Taixuan, the leader of the Wudang Sect.

Zhang Taixuan's voice was heard before he was seen; his appearance was like a ray of dawn, bringing a glimmer of hope to this training ground shrouded in gloom.

He walked between Shen Mo and the inspection team members, his gaze sharp as he swept over everyone before finally settling on Situ Changkong's face.

"Situ Changkong," Zhang Taixuan's voice was deep and authoritative, "your hasty actions are far too rash. If there is truly an injustice, wouldn't that discourage the heroes of the world?"

Situ Changkong's expression changed slightly, but he still responded firmly, "Sect Leader Zhang, this matter is of great importance and cannot be overlooked. We have confirmed that there are demonic energy fluctuations within Shen Mo's body, and further investigation is necessary."

Zhang Taixuan shook his head slightly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "I just used my internal energy to sense that Shen Mo's body shows no signs of demonic energy. If you insist on this, perhaps it's inappropriate?"

These words caused an uproar. Everyone stared at Situ Changkong in surprise, questions arising in their minds. Situ Changkong's face turned ashen, and he glared fiercely at Ling Tiancheng, seemingly trying to find the answer from him.

After a moment, Situ Changkong said through gritted teeth, "Since Sect Leader Zhang insists, then let's check it again."

Zhang Taixuan nodded, looking solemnly at the inspection team members, his voice low and authoritative: "Please be sure to act impartially. The justice of the martial world cannot be tarnished. If you make a wrong judgment due to personal bias, the consequences could be disastrous."

The inspection team members exchanged glances, finally nodded, and began to re-inspect Shen Mo. This time, due to the pressure of his status as the leader of Wudang Sect, they were sweating profusely and dared not slacken their efforts in the slightest.

A moment later, the inspectors confirmed again: "There is indeed no trace of demonic energy."

Situ Changkong's face grew increasingly grim; he knew his meticulously planned conspiracy had utterly failed. His hands clenched into fists involuntarily, his knuckles turning white, his eyes flashing with resentment and anger.

However, he was not willing to give up so easily, and was about to make another explanation when Zhang Taixuan's voice rang out again, like a resounding bell, shaking people's souls:

"Situ Changkong, now that Shen Mo's suspicions have been cleared, we should ask him if he needs any compensation." Zhang Taixuan's gaze was sharp as he stared directly at Situ Changkong. "After all, if I hadn't appeared in time, Shen Mo would have been wrongly accused."

These words astonished all the young people present. The leader of the Wudang Sect, one of the nine major factions, was actually speaking up for Shen Mo! Just who was Shen Mo, and how did he come to have such a powerful backer?

A hint of doubt and curiosity flashed in many people's eyes, and they began to whisper among themselves:

"Just who is this Shen Mo? Even the Wudang Sect Leader is backing him!"

"Could he be a descendant of some reclusive sect?"

"It's truly enviable that he's so young yet has gained the favor of the Wudang Sect Leader."

......