Chapter 1166: Tian Qing

He knew the other party was out to get him, but he never expected them to be so ruthless, directly torturing Sun Qiang.

As the saying goes, "even if you hit a dog, you should look at its owner." Sun Qiang was his butler, and they had arrested and tortured him without even a notification. This clearly showed their utter disregard for him.

"What is the meaning of this?"

King Zhongqing snorted coldly, "Bring Vice Hall Master Ming in!"

With a clatter!

Following his words, two guards entered, escorting a figure.

Zhang Xuan’s expression darkened as he clearly saw the person.

He recognized him immediately: it was Ming Zhen, the Vice Hall Master of the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City!

This man had caused trouble for Zhang Xuan before, advocating for his students, which resulted in the entire Poison Hall being reduced to ruins. His crimes were heinous... wasn't he supposed to have been executed by poisoning by Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan from a distance?

How was he still alive?

Furthermore, he appeared completely unharmed, and his strength seemed to have advanced even further.

Could something have happened within the Poison Hall?

What was most critical was that Sun Qiang was in heavy shackles, while this man had nothing, appearing more like King Zhongqing's honored guest. This made Zhang Xuan's expression turn grim.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Ming Zhen cupped his fists.

"Very well. Tell us what you know!"

King Zhongqing instructed.

"I am Ming Zhen, the Vice Hall Master of the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City, Hongyuan Empire. About two months ago, this Sun Qiang, having changed his appearance, specifically visited the Poison Hall. He claimed to be a successor of the Founding Patriarch... He is an incredibly powerful poison master, far surpassing me in the art of poison..."

Vice Hall Master Ming then recounted everything that had happened at the Poison Hall previously.

"...Later, he handed the Founding Patriarch over to Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai, who had come here, and then left. I was originally sentenced to death by poisoning, but luckily, the person who administered the poison was once my student, which gave me the chance to escape..."

"A successor to the Poison Hall's Founding Patriarch? Escorting the Patriarch... if I hadn't heard it myself, I wouldn't dare believe it's true. Master Zhang, this Sun Qiang, your own butler, is such a formidable poison master... what do you have to say for yourself?"

King Zhongqing sneered repeatedly as he looked over.

"Based on this alone, you claim I colluded with a poison master? That I'm unworthy to be a Master Teacher?"

Zhang Xuan, who had expected them to present some solid evidence, shook his head upon hearing this. "Let's set aside whether this Ming Zhen's identity is reliable or not. Simply put, as a member of the Poison Hall, who is reviled by everyone in the Qingyuan Empire, how did he end up here? Could it be... King Zhongqing, that you are also colluding with the Poison Hall? Or perhaps, as others truly say, you yourself are a poison master?"

"Presumptuous!" King Zhongqing roared.

"Whether it's presumptuous or not, that's not for you to decide!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hand, cutting him off, and said with an indifferent expression, "There are countless people named Sun Qiang in the world. You simply say he's my butler... what evidence do you have? If I were to catch a dog and name it King Zhongqing, and that dog ran off and ate feces, could I then claim that you like to eat feces? Moreover, if my butler were truly a successor of some Founding Patriarch, you would surely have been poisoned to death by now for treating him like this!"

"You..." King Zhongqing was so infuriated by the man before him that he nearly spat blood, his face turning ashen. "Knowing his identity, we immediately restrained him, not giving him any chance to poison! This Ming Zhen's identity is absolutely verified. He has left the Poison Hall, forsaking darkness for light, and has even led our forces to eradicate the Poison Hall, that cancerous tumor!"

"Eradicated the Poison Hall?"

Zhang Xuan’s heart gave a sudden lurch.

Although the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City was formidable, it would indeed be difficult for them to resist if the Qingyuan Empire intervened, especially with an inside informant providing assistance.

With the Poison Hall annihilated, Zhang Xuan wondered about the fate of Elder Xu You.

He hadn't expected so many events to have transpired in just over two months.

"Precisely! Regardless of his past, this alone is sufficient to demonstrate his allegiance; it's impossible for him to be lying. His report regarding your butler, Sun Qiang, was well-founded and logical. I have also specifically interrogated various members of the Poison Hall, and their accounts were identical! This has already proven the truth of the matter."

Standing up, King Zhongqing gestured with a flick of his hand. "As a master, to keep such a heinous poison master by your side, disregarding the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion... For the safety of the imperial capital, I naturally have the right to bring you to justice!"

"For the safety of the imperial capital? I, Zhang Xuan, am an honorable Master Teacher, certified by the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even if there were any issues, it would be the Master Teacher Pavilion's prerogative to judge. And you? If I recall correctly, the Master Teacher Pavilion of the Qingyuan Empire is not under your jurisdiction, is it?"

When a Master Teacher errs, only the Master Teacher Pavilion has the authority to judge. Does a mere prince of an empire possess such qualifications?

"I am aware that I lack the authority. Therefore, I specifically reported this matter to Vice Hall Master Tian Qing of the Master Teacher Pavilion, asking him to make the decision personally!" King Zhongqing cupped his fists, his gaze shifting towards the elder standing to one side.

This was the very elder who had made Zhang Xuan feel a sense of apprehension the moment he entered the room.

"Tian Qing?"

Upon hearing the name, Zhang Xuan's eyes immediately narrowed as he recalled something.

Suddenly, before Zhang Xuan could speak, the elder stood up. It was then that everyone noticed the badge on his chest, where seven stars shone brightly.

A Seven-Star Master Teacher!

"A Vice Hall Master?"

Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei'er both showed signs of alarm, glancing at Zhang Xuan.

Without a Master Teacher present, things would have been simpler, but the fact that they had even invited the Vice Hall Master of the Qingyuan Empire's Master Teacher Pavilion made the situation tricky.

"They certainly came prepared!"

Zhang Xuan quickly regained his composure, his mind racing.

He had previously learned some information when Master Wu introduced him to the Qingyuan Empire's Master Teacher Pavilion.

The Hall Master, Gou Tianze, had already reached the early stage of the Out-of-Body realm in terms of strength. Years ago, he had ceased to involve himself in worldly affairs, no longer overseeing the internal matters of the pavilion.

Consequently, almost all matters were now decided by Vice Hall Master Tian.

For this reason, although the man before them was only a Vice Hall Master, he effectively wielded the Hall Master's authority, making his status extremely revered.

Zhang Xuan had initially thought King Zhongqing was merely causing minor trouble, intentionally trying to embarrass him, and that even if he wanted to cause problems, he couldn't inflict any substantial harm. He never expected him to invite this particular individual.

This person commanded a Master Teacher Pavilion and had the authority to communicate with the headquarters. Once it was confirmed that Zhang Xuan had colluded with the Poison Hall, no matter how much he explained, he wouldn't be able to clear his name.

Of course, while the Poison Hall had a poor reputation, as long as they hadn't committed too many heinous acts, it wasn't a major issue; at worst, it would merely result in damaged reputation.

"Master Zhang, I've heard much about you and am aware of your talent and capabilities!"

Vice Hall Master Tian Qing looked over and smiled slightly. "King Zhongqing is in charge of Qingyuan City's defenses. Upon discovering Sun Qiang was a poison master, it was natural for him to investigate thoroughly; he's not intentionally trying to cause you trouble! The reason we arranged this meeting here today, instead of at the Master Teacher Pavilion, is precisely because we do not wish for this matter to escalate and harm the reputation of the Master Teacher Academy."

At this point, he glanced at Ming Zhen and continued, "I have thoroughly verified the identity of this Poison Master Ming Zhen from beginning to end, and have specifically tested him; he is not lying. However, rest assured, even though Sun Qiang is a poison master, if you were genuinely unaware of this beforehand, the Master Teacher Pavilion will handle the matter with discretion. We won't broadly condemn you or summarily execute a genius academy head based on a single point!"

"Even though he's a poison master?"

Hearing such a definitive statement, Zhang Xuan frowned. "Since Vice Hall Master Tian has examined everything from beginning to end, you should be perfectly clear whether Sun Qiang is or isn't a poison master, shouldn't you?"

Regardless, the other party was a Master Teacher at the peak of the Seven-Star realm. Whether Sun Qiang possessed the abilities of a poison master or was one himself could be discerned with just a brief observation. Yet, he was directly stating that Sun Qiang was indeed a poison master, clearly siding with King Zhongqing.

Poison masters, who regularly consume and refine poisons, might appear normal on the surface. However, a careful observation would reveal that their internal physical conditions are distinctly different from those of regular cultivators.

A powerful poison master's single drop of blood could be enough to poison an entire city.

Sun Qiang cultivated the righteous Heaven's Path Simplified Version cultivation technique. Although he wasn't diligent, his *zhenqi* was pure, and he had absolutely no connection to being a "poison master." Zhang Xuan refused to believe that the elder couldn't discern this.

"Even if this Sun Qiang doesn't possess the strength of a Six-Star Poison Master, merely sending back the Poison Hall's Founding Patriarch is a grave error! The Poison Hall's Founding Patriarch is known as the Calamity Body; his body is filled with potent toxins that can devastate everything. Sending such a person back to their headquarters is unforgivable from every perspective. During the great war between the human race and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe tens of thousands of years ago—a war that first-tier empire guilds might not have recorded, but which I read about in the Empire Alliance's guild—the Otherworldly Demons poisoned countless Master Teachers, causing immense suffering and loss of life. This Founding Patriarch's crimes are utterly inexcusable..."

Vice Hall Master Tian spoke with righteous indignation, a profound sorrow for humanity evident in his brow.

The battles between the human race and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had led to terrible casualties, with countless Master Teachers perishing from potent poisons. If it weren't for this Poison Hall Patriarch, the profession of poison masters wouldn't exist, and such tragic circumstances would not have occurred.

It could be said that this Patriarch was an enemy of the human race.

"As a Master Teacher, your subordinate escorted the Poison Hall Patriarch, yet you failed to restrain him. Where do you place the identity bestowed upon you by the Master Teacher Pavilion? And where do you place the Master Teacher's responsibility to protect humanity?"

Vice Hall Master Tian continued, "Of course, if you simply admit to this matter and claim you were unaware, the Master Teacher Pavilion will certainly mete out a lighter punishment."

"The Poison Hall's Founding Patriarch? Vice Hall Master Tian, can you actually believe such nonsense?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, this Founding Patriarch should be a figure from the same era as Master Kong! A person from tens of thousands of years ago—even Master Kong left no traces. Do you truly believe this individual could have survived the ravages of time and lived until now?"

"I don't believe it either, but he has no reason or need to lie. To my knowledge, Heaven-Acknowledged Master Teachers have appeared. Perhaps the resurrection of the Poison Hall's Founding Patriarch is not entirely unfounded."

"Heaven-Acknowledged Master Teacher?" Zhang Xuan scoffed. "How is that possible? If such a person truly existed, they would surely be renowned throughout the world by now. How could it be that I, a Six-Star Master Teacher, have never even heard of it?"

"I inferred this based on the situation that emerged at the Sealing Master Hall. Currently, all information is being kept under wraps; even within the Qingyuan Branch, very few people are aware."

Vice Hall Master Tian nodded. "Although it sounds preposterous, as Master Teachers, we are responsible for billions of lives, so we must handle such matters with utmost caution."

"So, Vice Hall Master, what do you suggest...?"

"It's quite simple. This Sun Qiang has committed heinous crimes and shall be executed on the spot! As for Master Zhang, while his failure to detect this crime as the master is not a grave offense, it cannot be overlooked either. He shall be exiled to the underground caverns for three months to atone for his negligence and earn merit."

Master Tian stated.

"Execute him on the spot? Exile me to the underground caverns for three months?"

Hearing the decision, Zhang Xuan looked as if he had just heard a joke. He raised an eyelid, patted his rear, and stood up. "What if... I refuse?"