Translator: Anubis Translations
Gu Feng sprinted all the way and soon arrived at the residential area of the old Outer Sect disciples. His fierce expression sent chills down the spines of the nearby disciples.
"Qiu Ze, come out!!!"
His voice boomed like a bell, echoing throughout the entire area.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at the tall figure in shock.
For a moment, they thought they were hallucinating.
Qiu Ze, the publicly recognized top disciple of the Outer Sect, had held an unshakable position since the day he entered the Outer Sect, regardless of his actual strength.
His second brother was ranked 43rd on the Inner Sect Prodigy List, and his eldest brother was ranked 8th. Together with him, they were revered as the "Three Heroes of the Qiu Family." The Qiu family was one of the most prominent families in Cloud Prefecture, and even the prefect treated them with respect.
He had the qualifications and the confidence to dominate the Outer Sect of the Sunset Glow Sect.
Wherever he went, people would avoid him, and no one dared to meet his gaze, fearing that he might take out his anger on them.
The scene today, where someone dared to shout for him to come out, was unimaginable.
"Isn't this the newly promoted Outer Sect disciple Gu Feng, the one known as 'Former Brother'?"
"That's right. In the entire Outer Sect, only he would dare to tell Qiu Ze to come out."
"What exactly happened? Why is he so furious?"
"..."
As everyone was discussing and speculating, someone suddenly whispered, "Someone has started killing in the Outer Sect!"
What?
This news was even more shocking than Gu Feng telling Qiu Ze to come out.
The Outer Sect of the Sunset Glow Sect encouraged competition among disciples. Robbery, beatings, and even crippling others were allowed.
But—
Killing was strictly forbidden.
If you relied on your extraordinary talent to break this rule, the sect would punish you severely. At the very least, your cultivation would be abolished, and you would be expelled from the sect. The most severe punishment could be execution on the spot.
Even if you were the top disciple of the Outer Sect, it would be no exception.
"Who? Who has the guts to kill in the Outer Sect?"
"It's him, Former Brother!"
"What did Qiu Ze do to make Former Brother so furious that he would resort to killing?"
"I heard that Qiu Ze sent someone to Former Brother's hometown to steal his parents' memorial tablets. Gu Feng happened to catch them and, in a fit of rage, killed the disciple."
"Family should not be involved in the disputes of the Outer Sect. The conflicts here are supposed to be between disciples. Qiu Ze stealing the memorial tablets of someone's parents is indeed despicable. But the sect's rules cannot be broken. Former Brother was not rational. Even if he wanted to kill, he should have found a way to do it outside the Outer Sect!"
"Finally, someone dared to stand up to Qiu Ze, but it seems he is heading towards his own demise."
"Given the circumstances, execution might not be necessary, but having his cultivation abolished and being expelled from the sect is unavoidable!"
"..."
After understanding the whole story, everyone cursed Qiu Ze for his shamelessness while silently mourning for Gu Feng.
After Gu Feng beat up Qiu Ze, this Outer Sect disciple had been quiet for over ten days.
Many cultivators in the Outer Sect came from humble backgrounds and had been oppressed by Qiu Ze at some point.
Gu Feng had stood up for them. Although they didn't show it openly, they were grateful to him in their hearts.
"The sect elders have arrived!"
"Some of Former Brother's friends are also creating a stir, trying to put pressure on the sect!"
"It's difficult. A few years ago, the top Outer Sect disciple also killed someone due to extenuating circumstances, and he still had his cultivation abolished and was expelled from the sect."
"I understand the sect's intentions. If they make exceptions, it could lead to others exploiting the rules in the future!"
"..."
More and more disciples gathered around the center of the commotion.
Gu Feng, standing in the eye of the storm, showed neither joy nor sorrow and shouted again, "Qiu Ze, come out!"
"Hmph—"
A light snort was heard as Qiu Ze, accompanied by a group of people, arrived at the entrance of the residential area, facing Gu Feng from a distance.
"What? Are you afraid that you'll be crippled if you step out of the no-fighting zone?"
Gu Feng looked at him with disdain, as if he were looking at trash, his contempt almost palpable.
Qiu Ze, whose thoughts had been exposed, revealed a fierce expression on his pale face.
Gu Feng's combat power still terrified him. The strongest among his followers was only at the 9th level of Body Refinement, and many of them were still recovering from injuries.
Under these circumstances, he naturally didn't dare to leave the residential area.
"Gu Feng, you've seriously violated the sect's rules and are about to have your cultivation abolished and be thrown out of the Sunset Glow Sect. What gives you the courage to shout like this here?"
"Coward—" Gu Feng responded with just one simple word.
"You—" Qiu Ze had never been insulted like this before. He was so agitated that he wanted to rush out and fight Gu Feng to the death.
"Qiuzi, don't be impulsive. He's trying to provoke you.
TL/N: I don't exactly know what 'zi' is but when someone calls another one with just their surname they tend to add it at the end.
The Outer Sect elders have already been alerted and will be here soon. He's just showing off now, but he'll get what's coming to him!"
After hearing his follower's words, Qiu Ze suppressed his anger and remained in the residential area.
Gu Feng stood quietly outside the residential area, facing off against Qiu Ze and his group.
"Step aside—"
"What's so interesting here? Don't you need to cultivate?"
A thunderous shout came from afar as Elder Liu, accompanied by a group of elders, approached with great fanfare.
Yan Xixi, Wu Qi, and others also pushed through the crowd to stand beside Gu Feng.
"Gu Feng, are you okay?" Yan Xixi asked with concern.
Guo Renkai and the others looked grave and remained silent.
Gu Feng had been too impulsive. There were many ways to kill someone—ambushing them in the wild, challenging them to a duel on the Wind and Cloud Platform... But he had chosen the stupidest method.
There was no denying that killing on the spot was satisfying, but this was the Sunset Glow Sect, and the sect had its rules!
Gu Feng was so smart, even cunning at times. How could he have been so foolish?
Now, it was too late to say anything. He was already alone, with no one to rely on. If his cultivation was abolished and he was expelled from the Sunset Glow Sect, what would he do in the future?
Their hearts were heavy, and so were the hearts of Elder Liu and his group.
Among those who came with him were Elder Meng from the Spirit Beast Garden, Elder Wu from the Cultivation Method Hall, and many other elders who had high hopes for Gu Feng.
Under their protection, as long as he didn't commit a capital crime, they could turn a blind eye. But...
"Gu Feng, you killed the Outer Sect disciple Ji Nan half an hour ago. Do you have anything to say?" As the top elder of the Outer Sect, he had to enforce the rules impartially. If it weren't for so many people watching, he would have tried to cover for Gu Feng. But now, that was impossible.
"Everything is true. I did kill that person!"
Sighs of regret rose from every corner as soon as these words were spoken.
Elder Liu's heart sank to the bottom. How he wished Gu Feng would come up with an excuse so he could manipulate the situation!
The elders behind him frowned and shook their heads repeatedly.
Gu Feng's fate was already sealed. At most, Elder Liu could leave him a glimmer of hope when abolishing his cultivation, giving him a chance to rise again.
But the problem was that Qiu Ze was present, and there was no way to leave any leeway.
"Hahaha, did you hear that? Gu Feng admitted to killing someone!
He violated the most severe rule of the Sunset Glow Sect's Outer Sect.
Quickly... kill him, no, killing is too lenient! Abolish his cultivation, throw him out of the Sunset Glow Sect, and make him a pitiful stray dog!
Hahaha!!!" Qiu Ze's expression was manic as he laughed hysterically.
A thousand ways to torture someone flashed through his mind, waiting for Gu Feng's cultivation to be abolished and for him to be expelled from the sect.
His followers also grinned wickedly, their expressions cruel.
"Since you have admitted to it, according to the rules of the Sunset Glow Sect's Outer Sect, you will be subjected to the most severe punishment of execution.
Considering the circumstances, I now sentence you as follows: your cultivation will be abolished, and you will be expelled from the sect. Do you have anything to say?"
Elder Liu's voice was heavy, his tone unusually low.
"Elder Liu, Qiu Ze stole Gu Feng's parents' memorial tablets. That's why he lost his temper and made a mistake!" Yan Xixi's tears streamed down her face.
"That's right. Although Gu Feng violated the sect's ironclad rules, Qiu Ze also violated the sect's rule of not involving family in disputes."
"We don't want Qiu Ze to be punished. We just hope the elders can mitigate some of Gu Feng's punishment." Wu Qi and others also spoke up for Gu Feng.
"Elder Liu, Gu Feng's mistake is understandable. I ask everyone here, who among us could remain calm and rational in such a situation?" Tuoba Lei also stepped forward to speak for Gu Feng.
"Former Brother still owes our sect leader Spirit Stones. He cannot die, nor can his cultivation be abolished. On behalf of the Jade Maiden Sect, I humbly ask Elder Liu to show leniency!" A female cultivator from the Jade Maiden Sect also spoke up bravely.
"Indeed, as children, if we dared to draw our swords in such a situation, we would not deserve to be called filial!"
"We beg the elders to show leniency!"
"We beg the elders to show leniency!"
More and more disciples began to plead for Gu Feng, until their voices merged into a deafening roar that echoed above the Outer Sect of the Sunset Glow Sect.
"Shut up, you bastards, shut up!"
"The sect's rules are rules. I, Qiu Ze, admit that I made a mistake and am willing to accept punishment. The same goes for Gu Feng!"
A group of cultivators led by Qiu Ze also began to shout loudly.
"Silence!" Elder Wu from the Cultivation Method Hall took a deep breath and loudly quelled the noisy crowd.
Looking at the overwhelming voices in the crowd, Elder Liu felt for the first time how wonderful it was to be in charge of the Outer Sect.
His emotions were in turmoil, and he was somewhat moved.
"Hmph, breaking the rules is breaking the rules. If we let Gu Feng off today because of everyone's pleas, there will be a second, third, and even thousands of Gu Fengs in the future!
Today, his cultivation must be abolished!" A young cultivator dressed in Inner Sect robes walked forward with steady steps.
"Second Brother, you're here!" Qiu Ze shouted excitedly when he saw the newcomer. It was none other than Qiu Tian, the second of the "Three Heroes of the Qiu Family."
"Useless, you can't even handle an Outer Sect disciple!" Qiu Tian walked straight up to Qiu Ze and berated him mercilessly. Qiu Ze lowered his head and didn't dare to retort.
"Elder Liu, what do you think?" Qiu Tian stared directly at Elder Liu, his gaze sharp and imposing.
Elder Liu remained silent. The Qiu family's influence in Cloud Prefecture was extraordinary. If he were in the right, he could ignore them.
But now, they were the ones in the right!
Just as he was struggling with what to do, Gu Feng, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Elder Liu, respected elders, if I, Gu Feng, have truly violated the sect's rules, then I will die without regret.
But—
I have not violated the so-called rule that 'killing is forbidden in the Outer Sect.'
Therefore, I am innocent!!!"
(End of the Chapter)
🔥 Read on Patreon.com/AnubisTL – Up to c100. [+10k Words]
☕ $5 Tier gets you ahead of the pack!
📖 Translated 150,000+ Words and counting!