Jun Zelin was furious. When Steward Lin heard that he wouldn't be able to participate in the Three Families Martial Tournament, he felt a bad omen.
"Lord Steward, why have you come here? I wonder if the Family Head is present? This matter is of great importance, and I'm afraid we still need to ask his opinion, especially since it involves several young masters and misses..."
An elder stepped forward, but Steward Lin stood with his hands behind his back. "The Family Head is entertaining an honored guest and cannot spare the time. He has handed this matter entirely over to the Law Enforcement Hall, and he trusts the judgment of all the elders."
Steward Lin gave the Fourth Elder a meaningful look, and the Fourth Elder understood. "Rest assured, the Family Head. The Law Enforcement Hall will certainly handle this impartially."
With that, the Fourth Elder turned to the crowd. "The Third Miss and the Fourth Young Master ignored family rules, fought in private, injured fellow disciples, and even laid such heavy hands on their own flesh and blood. At such a tender age, their minds are impure. If we don't teach them a lesson, how can we uphold the family rules?"
"I sentence each of you to thirty disciplinary whips! Men, hold them down and strike!"
Thirty disciplinary whips!
Let alone a five-year-old and an eleven-year-old child, even most adults couldn't survive thirty disciplinary whips!
If they were truly beaten like this, wouldn't the children be crippled on the spot?
Seeing the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall closing in, the Ninth Elder quickly spoke up. "Aren't thirty disciplinary whips too many? They are still young; a light punishment will suffice. If these thirty whips really land, they'll either be dead or severely wounded..."
The Fourth Elder spoke with righteous indignation. "That is absurd! If we fail to teach them a profound lesson this time, who knows what they will do when they grow up! If you don't discipline them while they are small, do you expect to wait until they are grown and commit some monstrous disaster before doing something? It will be too late!"
The Ninth Elder still felt it was improper. "The Three Families Martial Tournament is just around the corner. The Eldest Young Master looks like he will find it very difficult to compete, and it's hard to say for the other disciples either. Our Jun Family's generation is already thinly populated with disciples, and those capable of competing are few and far between. Now that you've also beaten the Third Miss and the Fourth Young Master, who is going to be sent to participate in the martial tournament?"
"Are we to let them off just for that? Wouldn't that only fuel their arrogance even more? Absolutely not!"
"My point is that there may be other circumstances to this matter, and it is not entirely their fault..."
"Ninth Elder, what do you mean by that? Are you saying this is our fault?" Jun Zechuan suddenly demanded, "Or do you think we lied?"
Others chimed in immediately.
"Exactly! It was their fault to begin with!"
"The Law Enforcement Hall has always been strict and fair. Are we supposed to bend the rules for them?"
Steward Lin also added, "The Family Head's intention is that wrongdoers must never be shown mercy outside the law, and they must be dealt with severely. Otherwise, if the disciples below all emulate this behavior in the future, wouldn't it foster such a corrupt atmosphere?"
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Elder immediately wore a smug expression.
Steward Lin and the Fourth Elder exchanged a subtle glance.
The Fourth Elder nodded, waved a large hand, and left no room for argument. "Execute the punishment immediately!"
"Clearly you are the ones who can't tell right from wrong, and now you want to splash your dirty water onto us? You old fogey, are you in cahoots with them?"
Chiyun's fierce temper flared up. He stamped his foot, a surge of powerful spiritual energy erupted, and he instantly blasted the surrounding disciples flying!
Seeing that Chiyun actually dared to make a move within the Law Enforcement Hall, the Fourth Elder's face turned livid with anger. "Audacious! Do you have any regard for seniority and hierarchy in your eyes?"
"Bah!" Chiyun spat fiercely. "You old coot, you were the first one to act without dignity! I made a move, so what are you going to do about it?"
"Blasphemous! Insubordinate and disrespectful! Men, capture them at once!"
With that, another dozen disciples rushed forward, and the Law Enforcement Hall instantly descended into chaos!
Seeing things getting out of hand, the Ninth Elder immediately summoned his trusted aide. "Hurry and fetch the Third Master."
The Third Master still needed to be informed about the matters concerning the Third Miss and the Fourth Young Master.
"Also, immediately go to the Ancient Pine Hall and report this to Steward Hai."
The disciple hurried away, but as luck would have it, Jun Qingfeng was not at home today, leaving the disciple with no choice but to head to the Ancient Pine Hall.
Upon learning of the matter, Xu Hai furrowed his brows with worry. "The Master just took his calming soup and fell asleep. I'm afraid he won't be able to be woken at this hour."
"Then what should we do? Is there really no other way? Why did it have to be today? The Third Master isn't even at the Leisurely Cottage; they said he went out on business..."
Xu Hai's eyes flickered as he listened. "Things cannot be such a coincidence."
They happened to pick the time when the Third Master was away and the Master was resting after taking his ginseng soup to launch their attack.
"I will go with you first."
No matter what, the two young masters must not be allowed to come to harm.
At this moment.
Inside the Law Enforcement Hall, fists and feet flew amidst continuous shouts!
accompanied by flashing spiritual energy and cracking sounds, the main hall looked as though a whirlwind had passed through it, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.
On the ground lay three or five fallen disciples, groaning in agony and unable to get up.
"Rebellion! This is sheer rebellion!"
The Fourth Elder was so angry he nearly passed out. Having presided over the Law Enforcement Hall for so many years, this was the first time he had ever seen anyone dare to behave so lawlessly in this place!
CHAPTER 28: BESIEGED
Chiyun was cornered by a crowd of disciples in the center of the Law Enforcement Hall. Yet, not only was he completely unfazed by their overwhelming momentum, but he even faintly held the upper hand.
While furious, the Fourth Elder could not conceal the shock in his heart.
The others felt the same way.
Although they knew the Fourth Young Master possessed the strength of a Rank Four Warrior, they never imagined that, when faced with an encirclement of so many Law Enforcement Hall disciples, the Fourth Young Master would not only hold his ground effortlessly but also defeat those disciples one by one!
One had to bear in mind that most disciples of the Jun Family's Law Enforcement Hall were at the Rank Two or Rank Three strength level!
Yet until now, the Fourth Young Master still maintained a completely unhurried and relaxed appearance.
Before long, the floor was strewn with the bodies of fallen Law Enforcement Hall personnel.
Chiyun stood protectively in front of Jun Jiuqi. Jun Jiuqi remained standing right where she was, without taking a single step.
Her delicate eyebrows carried a touch of cold aloofness. Cradling a snow-white little beast in her arms, she stood there like a stalk of snow orchid.
Yet her pitch-black pupils were as deep and bottomless as an abyss.
Seeing that so many disciples were still unable to take down a five-year-old child, the Fourth Elder flew into a rage. With a flash of his figure, he lunged at Chiyun like a hawk!
Meanwhile, Chiyun had his back turned to him, locked in combat with three disciples!
As the Fourth Elder's massive palm struck out, showing no signs of slowing down its momentum...
At this sight, the Ninth Elder's heart leapt straight into his throat.
To actually launch a sneak attack on a five-year-old child!
The Ninth Elder moved to intercept the Fourth Elder, but Jun Jiuqi was faster!
Swish!
Jun Jiuqi's figure arrived in an instant, raising her leg to meet him head-on!
Boom!
Intense spiritual energy exploded as the two bursts of spiritual pressure violently collided!
In a flash, a gale swept through the entire main hall, smashing tables, chairs, and benches directly into splinters!
The Fourth Elder landed and stumbled back repeatedly, whereas Jun Jiuqi merely retreated two steps before steadying herself.
The Fourth Elder's expression was one of absolute shock as he stared at her in disbelief.
This little girl had actually blocked his strike head-on!
You must remember, his strength was already at the Rank Five Realm!
And this little girl had just been tested at the banquet earlier, only to reveal a mere Rank Four Realm. What's more, she was just a country girl with very little combat experience!
Not only the Fourth Elder, but everyone else present who witnessed this scene wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
The Fourth Elder clenched his fists tightly. Even now, he could seemingly still feel the residual force lingering on the back of his hand—this Third Miss whom the Jun Family had just recently recognized...
"Hmph, don't think you're off the hook just because you blocked one of my palms. Today, I'll let you witness the consequences of arrogance and overconfidence!"
The Fourth Elder lunged at Jun Jiuqi once again. Moving like a ferocious tiger, his spiritual energy burst forth completely, and the majestic pressure belonging to a Rank Five enveloped the grand hall!
Jun Jiuqi merely felt a fist hurtle toward her. As the gale of the punch descended, her body leaned to the side to evade the attack, and she struck out swiftly, neutralizing brute force with gentle momentum. With lightning speed, she tapped lightly against his arm several times.
The Fourth Elder only felt a numbness in his arm, though he paid it no mind.
He spun around to attack again, but Jun Jiuqi executed a pivot with her feet, her tiny body leaving trails of afterimages in the air. The Fourth Elder launched several consecutive strikes, all of which she dodged.
Jun Jiuqi was extremely fast, with peculiar footwork. Although it looked unremarkable at a glance, she managed to evade every single attack, as though she had anticipated them all along!
This was no coincidence.
It was... prediction.
The elders present were startled, and the looks they cast toward that tiny figure grew even more profound and meaningful.
What Jun Jiuqi was currently displaying was Rank Four, but her actual strength went far beyond what was on show.
Her opponent was merely a Rank Five Intermediate Stage Warrior. If Jun Jiuqi were to unleash her full strength, she could take him down in thirty moves.
However, that would draw far too much attention.
Jun Jiuqi had no wish to expose her true strength prematurely. To win, she needed to win in a way that left no room for suspicion.
The Fourth Elder had not expected Jun Jiuqi to be so thorny. Holding nothing back any longer, he delivered a thick, heavy punch!
The speed was astonishing!
This time, pretending she could not dodge in time, Jun Jiuqi took the blow head-on!
With a loud crash, her entire body was sent flying backward!
"Jiujiu!"
Seeing Jun Jiuqi injured, Chiyun flew into a rage.
Like an enraged wild bull, he bounded directly onto the Fourth Elder.
Agile as a nimble ape, Chiyun scrambled up onto the Fourth Elder's neck in two or three moves and began hammering away at his head!
"Let you bully Jiujiu!"
"I'll beat you to death!"
...
In the courtyard, Jun Jiuqi wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, watching as the Fourth Elder was being fiercely pummeled by Chiyun, while the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall closed in once more.
With a sharp cry from Jun Jiuqi, spiritual energy rolled across her body, and amidst the roar of a beast, a black tiger materialized.
"Go!"
Its agile form flashed through the air like a streak of light, and wherever it passed, disciples were instantly swept away.
Accompanied by a crackle of electric currents, the disciples felt a numbing sensation throughout their bodies, as if they had been electrocuted.
"Is this her beast martial spirit? Why is it black?"
"Could it be a mutated beast martial spirit? The black tiger is entwined with lightning and possesses astonishing might; ordinary tiger beasts do not possess this kind of destructive power."
When the Ninth Elder and the others arrived in the courtyard and saw the beast martial spirit summoned by Jun Jiuqi, they were stunned. Most Jun Family disciples possessed white tigers; a black tiger was something they were seeing for the first time. Let alone a tiger beast that came with its own lightning attacks.
Suddenly, an explosion rang out from the arena.
It was the Fourth Elder, who had summoned his own beast martial spirit. A majestic tiger beast, three meters tall and massive in build, commanded an oppressive presence the moment it appeared.
The tiger beast bared two ivory-white fangs, each about half the length of a child's arm. Their sharpness rivaled that of swords and sabers, as if they would pounce at any second and easily tear an enemy to shreds.
Since the Fourth Elder was already a Rank Five Warrior, he was capable of controlling the tiger beast remotely.
Soon, two tiger beasts—one black and one white—were tearing at each other in the arena, their roars shaking the heavens for a time.
The air vibrated, fierce winds whipped about, and the swept-up fallen leaves and flying dust filled the courtyard.
The disciples could not get close and could only watch helplessly as the tiger beasts clashed.
"Jiujiu, dodge!"
Chiyun's shout rang out from above. Plunging down from high altitude with surging spiritual energy, he materialized his white tiger beast spirit and smashed a punch straight down toward the ground!
Jun Jiuqi nimbly leaped back to evade it, but the Fourth Elder was a step too slow and was struck squarely to the ground by the descending blow!
Boom!
The ground cracked open, and the Fourth Elder was left in a pathetic state, forced to simultaneously manage his tiger beast to fend off Jun Jiuqi's black tiger while dealing with Chiyun's brute strength.
Jun Jiuqi and Chiyun launched close-range and long-range attacks alternately. Their coordination was seamless; no words were needed, as a single glance was enough to understand each other's intent.
The Fourth Elder went from initial composure to utter wretchedness, and finally to being stretched to his absolute limits.
With an explosive roar, he unleashed his power to the maximum!
The pressure belonging to a Rank Five Intermediate Stage burst open in the air!
Murderous intent flashed bare in his eyes, solidifying almost into substance. Not far away, Steward Lin silently made a hand gesture to him—amidst the current chaos, this was the perfect opportunity to strike.
Even if they didn't kill Jun Qingfeng's children, they could cripple them right here.
Such terrifying talent made Steward Lin feel deeply uneasy.
If this brother and sister were allowed to rise to prominence, where would there be any room left in the Jun Family for the Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master?
CHAPTER 29: CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE
The aura surrounding the Fourth Elder grew increasingly ferocious.
Jun Jiuqi sensed the change in his energy instantly.
Sure enough, accompanied by a beastly roar, the white tiger's form expanded once more, charging forward at an even greater speed!
With an explosion, Jun Jiuqi felt an overwhelming, crushing force wash over her!
The relentless pressure instantly blasted her backward into the air!
Just as Jun Jiuqi was about to crash into a rockery not far away, at this critical juncture, Chiyun shot out like a shooting star, his spiritual energy transforming into tiger claws as he grabbed hold of Jun Jiuqi!
As the two of them landed, the Fourth Elder's tiger beast arrived in a flash, and Chiyun stepped in front of Jun Jiuqi to block it.
Right as that thunderous strike was about to fall, Jun Jiuqi's pitch-black pupils remained bottomless.
Three.
Two.
One.
Suddenly, the Fourth Elder, who was about to attack, staggered and inexplicably collapsed limply to the ground.
His spiritual energy abruptly dissipated, his limbs went numb and weak, and his dantian completely failed to circulate spiritual power.
What on earth is happening?!
Why did his body suddenly turn weak?
The Fourth Elder realized something was amiss, but it was already too late!
Chiyun threw a direct punch at him. Failing to dodge in time, the Fourth Elder was instantly struck with a bloody nose! A tooth flew out, but Chiyun had no intention of showing mercy, raining down a dense storm of punches!
The situation suddenly flipped!
No one understood what had just happened!
Jun Jiuqi flicked her wrist, a faint glint of light flashing at her fingertips.
Little did they know that the moment the Fourth Elder had made his move earlier, she had already planted a "trap" on his body.
That item was none other than the silver needles she had confiscated earlier.
Jun Jiuqi was someone who held grudges.
She glanced sideways at Jun Zelin. For some reason, catching her gaze caused Jun Zelin to shiver inexplicably.
Jun Jiuqi raised her hand and twitched her fingers, revealing the tiny silver needles.
The corners of her mouth curved up, looking utterly adorable and sweet.
Yet Jun Zelin felt a chill run down his neck; he understood what Jun Jiuqi meant.
It couldn't be what he thought... right?
However, watching the Fourth Elder suddenly collapse and lose the ability to gather his spiritual energy, the more he looked, the more it resembled the effects of his own silver needle hidden weapon.
The Fourth Elder was a man of the First Master's faction, which was precisely why Jun Zelin had chosen today to launch his attack.
Naturally, this was also pushed forward by the First Master's wife behind the scenes, and the Fourth Elder happened to be the First Madam's maternal cousin.
That iron ball filled with silver needles had been provided by the First Madam, who had even spent ten thousand gold coins on it.
Yet Jun Zelin never dreamed that this hidden weapon wouldn't end up on Jun Jiuqi or Chiyun, but instead wound up harming his own people.
"What did you do?"
"Fourth Elder!"
The disciples quickly surrounded the Fourth Elder. At this moment, the Fourth Elder's face was bruised and swollen—a far cry from his usual majestic appearance.
Supported by his subordinates, he ignored the pain on his body and let out an eruption of burning fury. "You actually dared to plot against me?!"
If he still hadn't realized he had fallen into a trap by now, he would have lived his life in vain!
He recalled that during their initial exchange, he had felt a numbness in his arm. That must have been when he was struck!
"At such a tender age, your heart is truly so vicious! If you can plot against me, you can plot against anyone else! Everyone saw it—the Third Miss's intentions are impure. If she is not severely punished today, she will surely cause a massive disaster in the future!"
"The Fourth Elder is right, she must be severely punished!"
"My foot! Your heart is the vicious one!" Chiyun really wanted to spit in the faces of this group of people. "Clearly you were the ones bullying the outnumbered and weak, using so many people to gang up and bully two children, yet why don't you mention that?"
"You cannot tell right from wrong, and before even figuring out the cause of the matter, you abused private lynch law. This is calling a stag a horse!"
"What? You're allowed to attack us, but we aren't allowed to defend ourselves? You were going to beat us—were we supposed to just stand there stupidly and let you capture us?"
"I'm not mentally handicapped!"
...
Having spent so many years with Jun Jiuqi and being influenced by her day in and day out, Chiyun had naturally picked up a few degrees of her sharp tongue.
His words left the Fourth Elder and the others with faces as dark as iron.
There was no need to mention the status of the Law Enforcement Hall within the Jun Family; ordinary disciples always treated them with utmost respect. When had they ever been pointed at and cursed at like this?
"Arrogant, lawless, simply wonderful!"
The Fourth Elder rebuked angrily.
"You truly are the spawn of the Third Master! You've learned his rebelliousness and disrespect for elders thoroughly! It's no wonder, really—back then, the Third Master could betray the Jun Family without a shred of hesitation and dared to defy even the Grand Elder's commands, so what else wouldn't you dare to do?"
The Ninth Elder furrowed his brow, feeling that the Fourth Elder had gone too far with those words.
Just as he was about to speak, a cold laugh echoed from the courtyard.
Jun Jiuqi's brows were cold and murderous. They could insult her all they wanted, but daring to insult her father meant courting death!
"Weren't you just trying to pin a crime on us? Making such a huge fuss, don't you find it troublesome?"
"I happen to have a projection conch here, which recorded everything that happened at the time. Why don't you all take a look before making a decision?"
Jun Jiuqi flicked her wrist, and a conch appeared in her palm. With a flash of light, an image projected into midair.
At the sight of this, Jun Zelin and Jun Zechuan's expressions shifted drastically, instantly filling with anxiety.
Soon, everyone was watching everything unfold within the projection—including Jun Zelin and Jun Zechuan leading a mob to corner Jun Jiuqi and Chiyun, and even resorting to hidden weapons.
Not only that, but their provocative words and attempts to forcibly seize the little pet in Jun Jiuqi's arms, along with their arrogant postures, were recorded with crystal clarity.
Right up until the end, when both sides started fighting, followed by the appearance of the Law Enforcement Team...
Dead silence descended upon the scene.
Everyone's gazes inevitably turned toward the pale-faced Jun Zelin, Jun Zechuan, and their entourage. Coming to his senses, Jun Zelin argued stubbornly, "This is fake! Fake! We never did any of this! She must have tampered with this!"
The others quickly chimed in as well. "That's right, she definitely meddled with it! Fourth Elder, you must not believe this!"
"Eldest Young Master, Second Young Master, the evidence is conclusive. Isn't it inappropriate for you to speak like this now?"
The Ninth Elder finally couldn't help stepping forward. "The Third Miss and the Fourth Young Master are merely children younger than you all, yet you attempted to ambush them with hidden weapons. Not only that, but when the ambush failed, you turned things around to claim you were the victims. This goes too far!"
Others could not help nodding as well. The disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall exchanged glances, subconsciously looking toward the Fourth Elder.
"Elder, could there be some misunderstanding in this..."
The Fourth Elder never expected that Jun Jiuqi still had an ace up her sleeve!
Why hadn't she produced it earlier then?
Could it be... she had deliberately dragged this out?
A jolt of shock ran through the Fourth Elder's heart. Meeting Jun Jiuqi's gaze, he felt an inexplicable chill!
Of course Jun Jiuqi knew they harbored ill intentions. The people of the First House kept stirring up trouble, and while she couldn't be bothered to deal with them individually, there were also those watching from the shadows, acting as accomplices.
Jun Jiuqi had too many things to do and didn't want to solve her problems time and time again. Therefore, she intended to settle everything at once.
After letting things build up to a certain point, she would burst the bubble right open!