Chapter 1171: Having No Way to Defend Oneself

"What else do you have to say?" Wu Shi asked, after reprimanding them.

"Mmmph..." Vice Hall Master Tian quickly tried to speak.

"Undo his seal!" Hall Master Xing commanded.

Palace Master Liao nodded and clapped his palm in the air.

Vice Hall Master Tian immediately felt the True Qi suppressing him dissipate. He couldn't help but sigh in relief, his eyes red. "He's lying! He was the one who attacked us..."

"Enough!" Before he could finish, Hall Master Xing abruptly stood up, his gaze like lightning. "We let you speak because you are a Master Teacher, expected to be truthful! I never imagined you would spout such nonsense the moment you opened your mouth... Where is the dignity of a Master Teacher? He attacked you? With just the four of them... and inside the King's Mansion? Do you think they could defeat you? Who do you think would believe such a story if it got out?"

Hall Master Xing was almost exploding with rage. "At least lie plausibly! You two are perfectly fine, yet you claim Master Zhang attacked you... Even if Master Zhang wanted to, could he have defeated you?"

"I..." Vice Hall Master Tian swayed. *Isn't what I'm saying the truth? Look at our injuries; we have more!* His heart was filled with frustration, but he also knew that the other party had already formed a strong prejudice. Furthermore, they had personally witnessed King Zhongqing's actions. The more he explained, the more disgusted they would become. Rather than arguing, it was better not to pursue the matter further and avoid more trouble.

"That person is called Ming Zhen..." Suppressing his frustration, Vice Hall Master Tian pointed to the side. "He is the Vice Palace Master of the Poison Hall in Hongyuan Empire. He came to report that Sun Qiang is a formidable Poison Master and personally escorted the Poison Hall's founding patriarch back... For the safety of the imperial capital and to prevent unnecessary incidents, King Zhongqing invited Master Zhang for questioning. Who knew he intended to forcibly take the person away, which then caused this conflict..."

"The Vice Palace Master of the Poison Hall?" Wu Shi and the others looked over. Ming Zhen, standing to the side, turned pale with fright upon seeing so many Master Teachers and Combat Masters.

"Are you from the Poison Hall?" Wu Shi's expression darkened. As a Master Teacher, he held little fondness for those from the Poison Hall.

"Yes!" With a flick of his wrist, Ming Zhen produced his Poison Master emblem and the token signifying his status as Vice Palace Master.

After a glance, confirming their authenticity, Wu Shi frowned. "You came to report Sun Qiang?" He wasn't familiar with Sun Qiang, but how could Master Zhang's butler be a Poison Master? Still, he needed to inquire further to be sure.

"This..." Ming Zhen's face twisted for a moment, and he hesitated for an unknown duration before "thump!" he knelt on the ground, his eyes reddening. "Master Wu, please champion our Poison Hall!"

"What exactly is going on?" Seeing his attitude, Wu Shi frowned.

"It's like this: King Zhongqing captured all the members of our Poison Hall and imprisoned them in the dungeon, using them to force me to frame Master Zhang... I was coerced into it! I implore Master Wu to investigate thoroughly..." Ming Zhen's face was filled with sorrow.

"You... nonsensical!" Hearing this, Vice Palace Master Tian Qing and King Zhongqing simultaneously exploded. This fellow was clearly one of their own, their witness... How could he turn against them in an instant? "Coerced you? You were ostracized by the Poison Hall and fled here! And it was you who revealed the Poison Hall's location, which led King Zhongqing to send troops to encircle them... How have you suddenly become the victim, claiming they used the Poison Hall members to threaten you? You hate them to the bone; would threatening you with them even work?"

"Silence!" Wu Shi flung his sleeve, looking at the Poison Master before him. "You don't need to be afraid. Continue speaking!"

"Yes! If Master Wu doesn't believe me, you can investigate; the Poison Hall members are indeed imprisoned in the dungeon... If I am lying, I am willing to accept any punishment!" Ming Zhen shrank his neck, his face filled with resolve. It was as if, despite being coerced, he was fighting for justice. Having been poisoned by the other party, he knew what to say and how to act. He had also realized that King Zhongqing and Vice Hall Master Tian, when it came to schemes, were no match for Master Zhang. Rather than being passive later, it was better to proactively abandon the darkness and embrace the light now.

"You..." Hearing the man's words and seeing his actions, Vice Hall Master Tian and King Zhongqing were almost driven to death by anger. They had held the upper hand just moments ago, but who would have thought that the moment he spoke, the other party seized the initiative! Luo Qiqi, Sun Qiang, and the others stared at each other, dumbfounded. Master Zhang had only exchanged a few words with this Vice Palace Master, and yet the latter changed his story completely... It was truly astonishing! As a result, from every angle, the situation was now in their favor. It was clearly Zhang Xuan, a Six-star Master Teacher, who had violated etiquette by provoking a Seven-star, but after all the talking, it had turned into a case of the other party bullying the weak and deliberately framing him... It seemed these two would never be able to clear their names, even if they jumped into the Yellow River.

"Go to the dungeon and check if there are any Poison Hall members!" Ignoring the expressions of both parties, Wu Shi instructed a Master Teacher. Not only had many people from the Combat Master Hall arrived, but also many Master Teachers from the Master Teacher Hall. When Zhang Xuan sought help, Wu Shi didn't dare to hesitate; the entire Master Teacher Hall had almost emptied out.

"Yes!" A Master Teacher turned and left. Not long after, he returned, approaching the group in a few steps, cupping his fists. "Reporting to Master Wu and Hall Master Xing, a large number of Poison Hall members are indeed imprisoned in King Zhongqing's mansion dungeon, all gravely injured..."

"Indeed!" After hearing the report, Wu Shi's expression became extremely grim. He turned to Vice Hall Master Tian before him. "Using members of the Poison Hall to frame Master Zhang, Vice Hall Master Tian, I will report this matter truthfully!" Everything aligned perfectly, making further explanations unnecessary. Since returning from Qiuwu Palace, his strength had advanced to the Half-step Out-of-Body realm, automatically making him a Vice Hall Master. His status was now equal to the man before him. Although he didn't possess the same practical authority, he was certainly qualified to interrogate someone who had committed such a treacherous act.

"I..." Vice Hall Master Tian shot a hateful glance at Zhang Xuan, knowing that anything he said now would be useless. He had initially thought they could add a charge against the other party, deal with them smoothly, and eliminate the hidden danger, but unexpectedly, they had fallen into the opponent's trap from the very beginning. It had to be said that Zhang Xuan was truly first-rate in both his reactions and adaptability; they hadn't even been on guard and had already been tricked.

"I hope Hall Master Gou will handle this personally. If the investigation results truly match what you've seen, I will have nothing to say even if it's reported to headquarters!" He gritted his teeth and said. He could see that Wu Shi and Hall Master Xing had a close relationship with Zhang Xuan. If they continued, he would certainly never be able to clear his name. Framing a Master Teacher—this single charge could cost him his current position, and potentially even his Master Teacher identity. At this point, his only option was to have Hall Master Gou handle it personally, hoping for a turning point.

"When I returned from the ruins, I already reported it to Hall Master Gou and asked him to investigate specifically! It's an ironclad fact that your direct disciple tricked Zhang Yinqiu into revealing information and leaked it to the Spirit Rendition Tribe... Now you're deliberately framing Master Zhang. Even if Hall Master Gou interrogates you personally, the outcome will likely be the same!" Wu Shi coldly snorted. Vice Palace Master Tian Qing's face turned pale.

Back then, Zhang Yinqiu and the others hadn't wanted to say much because the person who had tricked them into revealing the information held a revered status! It was precisely the direct student of this Vice Palace Master Tian. After Wu Shi returned, he meticulously investigated, and now the evidence was conclusive and undeniable. Zhang Xuan, too, only dared to take direct action so boldly after hearing the other party reveal the name. Since they were already under investigation and still dared to cause him trouble, in that case... he didn't mind throwing an even bigger pot of mud on them.

"Guards, escort Vice Hall Master Tian and King Zhongqing back to the Master Teacher Hall to await judgment!" With a hmph, Wu Shi turned and instructed. The Master Teacher Hall suppressed a region and, by principle, would not easily intervene in the affairs of local high officials, as this could easily lead to various conflicts. However, framing a Master Teacher was a heinous crime that had already violated the identity and status of the foremost profession and thus demanded punishment. Otherwise, everyone would think Master Teachers were easy to bully, and what face would they have to maintain order in all directions? "Master Teachers must not be insulted" was not merely a saying; if they were bullied, the corresponding price had to be paid.

"Yes!" Numerous Master Teachers surged forward, taking the two from Palace Master Liao and the others, and escorted them out of the hall.

"Master Zhang, how are you now?" Seeing the two being led away, Wu Shi looked over with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Aided by Luo Qiqi and the others, he stood up, his face apologetic. "Vice Palace Master Tian Qing attacked me, and I retaliated, which goes against the Way of the Teacher... To atone for this, I have decided to undergo the Master Teacher Hall Challenge once I recover from my injuries. I hope you will permit it!"

"The Hall Challenge?" A vein throbbed on Wu Shi's forehead. "Let's not do that. I will report this matter in detail. Being wronged and attacked, and then fighting back, is not considered excessive..."

For a Master Teacher, if they truly commit an act that violates regulations in a certain place, there is only one way to clear their name: the Hall Challenge! In the past, for Lu Chong, he challenged Xuan Yuan Kingdom and defeated the Hall Master of the Xuan Yuan branch, which went against the rules. After that, he undertook the Hall Challenge to escape punishment. The Hall Challenge involves a single person, alone, taking on all the trials set by the entire Master Teacher Hall. It is equivalent to using one person's wisdom and strength against an entire Master Teacher Hall branch... an almost impossible task. Because of this, historically, very few have succeeded, and such instances are rarely heard of.

However, even though others failed, recalling the identity and numerous capabilities of the person before him, Wu Shi still didn't dare to agree. At Qiuwu Palace, even he had willingly followed the other party's arrangements... In every aspect, this person was extremely powerful... If he truly were to undertake the Hall Challenge, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall, formidable as it was, would likely not be able to withstand it. Once it was passed, they would have to obey his commands unconditionally... that would truly be humiliating.

"Since Master Wu says so, I'm relieved..." Zhang Xuan sighed in relief and looked over again. "The members of the Poison Hall were implicated because of me. May I trouble Hall Master Xing to bring them back to the Combat Master Hall?"

"Bring them to the Combat Master Hall?" Hall Master Xing was stunned.

"Precisely. Although Poison Masters have a bad reputation, if utilized well, their combat strength will greatly increase, and they would be very helpful in fighting against the Spirit Rendition Tribe. Therefore... I would like them to join the Combat Master Hall and form one of its sub-halls!" Zhang Xuan said.