Chapter 522: Apology Is Not Enough

Jiang Fan’s heart skipped a beat.

Besides witness testimony, what other conclusive evidence could there be in this matter? He pondered. Suddenly, Jiang Fan realized the existence of something, and his expression changed. His heart sank deeper and deeper. Oh no! How could he forget that thing! Now it was truly undeniable evidence!

Jin Zhongming sneered, then turned and cupped his hands towards Lei Zhenhai. "Sect Master Lei, is the Sky-Monitoring Crystal still intact?"

Only then did everyone remember. Before the great battle, Lei Zhenhai had thrown a Sky-Monitoring Crystal into the sky. It recorded the overall changes of the battlefield, capturing every single corner. Its initial purpose was to easily count the number of enemies slain by elders and disciples, thus determining their merit levels. Now, however, it had become Jin Zhongming's crucial evidence for convicting Jiang Fan!

Xie Liushu and the other disciples who knew the truth felt a jolt in their hearts. It was over! As long as the Sky-Monitoring Crystal was brought out and its previous recordings viewed, Jiang Fan would be unable to escape. It would be difficult to deny anything. It all depended on whether the Sky-Monitoring Crystal had been damaged during the battle. If it was damaged, Jiang Fan might still be acquitted. If not...

"Of course, it's intact!" Lei Zhenhai glanced at Jiang Fan with a faint, unreadable smile. He took the perfectly intact Sky-Monitoring Crystal from his sleeve. "Not only is it intact, but it has also fully recorded every detail on the battlefield. If you want to check something, see for yourself!" He casually tossed the Sky-Monitoring Crystal to Jin Zhongming. The latter hastily caught it, holding it as if it were Jiang Fan's fatal weakness, a morbidly ferocious look on his face.

"Jiang Fan, your time is up!" Jin Zhongming shook the Sky-Monitoring Crystal and chuckled coldly: "Didn't you completely overshadow me on the Merit List? Weren't you very arrogant in Breaking Heaven Gorge? Didn't you repeatedly achieve great merits and show off your might on the battlefield? Now, go on and keep jumping around, will you? Why aren't you arrogant anymore? Today, I'll make sure you're eternally doomed! I'll make you kneel and beg for mercy!"

"Zhongming!" Kong Yuanba impatiently barked, "Stop wasting words on him! Show the evidence to everyone! Let them all see if I, Kong Yuanba, am being unreasonable! If anyone dares to stop me again, don't blame me, Kong Yuanba, for initiating a sect war!!!"

His grim and ruthless words shook the resolve of the other sect elders. If it was truly confirmed that Jiang Fan was the murderer of Tie Bubai, then this would be a vendetta between the Giant Sect and the Azure Cloud Sect. They truly couldn't intervene anymore.

Qiu Shengnan was silently speechless. With all her calculations, how had she overlooked the Sky-Monitoring Crystal? Now, Jiang Fan probably had no way out. Given Kong Yuanba's domineering nature, he would absolutely not let Jiang Fan go.

Jin Zhongming also sneered as he activated the Sky-Monitoring Crystal. A series of dynamic images were projected into the sky, revealing the battlefield from a high-altitude, bird's-eye view. It showed them throwing torches, then rolling logs, and then the lower half of the ice surface melting away. Finally, Yaoyue used the corpse-poisonous bees, throwing the Border Mountain defenders into disarray. The corpse army successfully ascended to the upper half of the ice surface. They were about to rush to the peak of Border Mountain.

Jin Zhongming grinned menacingly, "Everyone, open your eyes wide and see. See if, as I said, Jiang Fan used a purple sword to cut through the ice layer!"

Xie Liushu and the others secretly sighed. They clearly remembered that Jiang Fan drew his sword the very next moment. Li Qingfeng, Wen Hongyao, and Zhao Wuji exchanged glances. Killing intent surged in their eyes simultaneously. No need for illusions. Prepare for a tough fight!

Jiang Fan, however, sighed inwardly and secretly activated the butterfly hairpin again. It seemed he would have to confront Kong Yuanba in battle. He just didn't know if Lei Zhenhai would join Kong Yuanba's side. Judging from his full cooperation with Jin Zhongming in handing over the Sky-Monitoring Crystal, he most likely supported Kong Yuanba. Therefore, when the battle started later, the situation would be extremely unfavorable for the Azure Cloud Sect. But as Li Qingfeng had said, if the Giant Sect wanted to kill someone from the Azure Cloud Sect, they should be prepared to pay a heavy price! Aside from anything else, Jiang Fan would do everything he could to kill Jin Zhongming! He would drag someone important down with him even before he died!

Jin Zhongming was sneering. Jiang Fan's utterly miserable death already appeared in his mind. Kong Yuanba sneered even more. He would not give Li Qingfeng another chance to kill Jin Zhongming. Later, the first one to be killed would be Li Qingfeng. Then, finally, he would deal with that little brat Jiang Fan!

Just as he thought this, the footage continued to play. At the critical moment, Jiang Fan took out a Five-Magnetic Elemental Mountain and slammed it onto the ice. The upper half of the ice instantly slid down towards the bottom of the mountain like an avalanche, carrying a large portion of the corpse army with it, thus resolving the crisis.

Jiang Fan, who had been preparing for battle, froze. Xie Liushu and the other disciples were also stunned. Kong Yuanba also froze in place. His gaze shot towards Jin Zhongming like lightning: "Where is the purple sword you spoke of? Didn't you say he used a purple sword to cut through the ice layer? Where's the sword?"

Jin Zhongming also stared blankly and said, "No! That's not right! Before using this mountain, he first used a purple sword to cut the ice layer. A frame is missing from the footage, the most crucial one! Sect Master Lei, what's going on?" He cast his gaze towards Lei Zhenhai.

Lei Zhenhai's gaze turned cold, and he said in a deep voice, "What do you mean? Are you suggesting that I tampered with the Sky-Monitoring Crystal?" How dared Jin Zhongming offend Lei Zhenhai? He quickly waved his hand, "No, no, I mean, is there something wrong with the Sky-Monitoring Crystal?" Lei Zhenhai and Jiang Fan had not been on friendly terms. There was no reason for him to protect Jiang Fan, right? It could only be that the Sky-Monitoring Crystal had a problem.

Lei Zhenhai snorted, "Why don't you suspect that something is wrong with your own eyes? No one else saw it, the Sky-Monitoring Crystal didn't record it, only you saw it! Your perspective truly is unique!" Uh—

How could this be? Li Qingfeng and the other two, who had been preparing for battle, were momentarily stunned. Then they all burst into furious laughter: "Heh heh! You, Jin Zhongming! You dared to spread rumors so concretely about something that didn't happen! If it weren't for the Sky-Monitoring Crystal clearing our disciple's name, wouldn't your Giant Sect have unjustly killed him here on Border Mountain? Kong Yuanba! You allow your disciples to falsely accuse and slander, deliberately harming a meritorious figure of the Border Mountain War! I'll report you to the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion right now, and you won't get away with this easily!" "This is preposterous!"

Now, it was Kong Yuanba's turn to be in an awkward position. Seeing Jin Zhongming so confident, he had believed him without hesitation. Who knew it would turn out to be a false alarm? It even made him bear the bad reputation of harming a meritorious hero. Thinking of this, he ferociously slapped Jin Zhongming, "You scoundrel! Are you blind? You dare to spout nonsense without seeing clearly? Aren't you going to apologize to Jiang Fan?"

Jin Zhongming's face stung. As a favored son of heaven, he had always been Kong Yuanba's pride. Today, however, he had received a solid slap from him. It was simply the humiliation of his life. He gritted his teeth slightly and insisted, "I didn't see wrong!" *Slap* What responded to him was another slap from Kong Yuanba: "Still stubborn? Apologize immediately!"

Shifting responsibility was the only way Kong Yuanba could get out of this situation. It just required Jin Zhongming to suffer a little injustice. At this moment, Jin Zhongming hated Jiang Fan to the core, and also resented Kong Yuanba. He was clearly acting on behalf of the Giant Sect. Yet, he was slapped in the face and forced to kneel! This debt, Jin Zhongming would remember! Immediately, enduring the immense humiliation in his heart, he said, "I'm sorry, Junior Brother Jiang! I saw it wrong."

Jiang Fan narrowed his eyes. A sliver of killing intent flowed through his gaze. Honestly, he would have preferred Jin Zhongming to remain stubborn and not back down. Such a Jin Zhongming posed no threat to him. On the contrary, it was Jin Zhongming, who could bend and adapt, that made Jiang Fan feel a killing intent. A person like this, who could endure humiliation and bow his head today, would repay it tenfold or a hundredfold once he gained power tomorrow! It was best to nip it in the bud! Unfortunately, in front of Kong Yuanba, he could only suppress this thought. He said indifferently, "Sect Master Kong, this is already the second time you've wrongly accused me. Was the price I demanded last time too light, making you feel you could escalate matters? If you don't give me a satisfactory explanation today, I will certainly report today's events to Deputy Pavilion Master Gu and Deputy Pavilion Master You!" Just now, Kong Yuanba had been yelling about killing him. Now he wants to settle things with just an apology from his disciple? How could something so cheap happen?