"Dharma King Gong, you speak first?" City Lord Tai'a chuckled. Since he was playing peacemaker, he couldn't very well take sides. After all, he couldn't afford to offend either party.
Gong Wuji let out a cold snort. "The Nine Suns Heavenly Sect has been picking fights from the very start, interfering with my Imperishable Heavenly Capital's search for that little thief Jiang Chen. And then, out of nowhere, they claim I killed one of their true disciples. What absolute nonsense. I've killed countless people in my life — if I really had, I wouldn't dare deny it. But this so-called true disciple? I've never even laid eyes on him. How could I have killed him?"
By this point, Gong Wuji was seething with anger.
City Lord Tai'a smiled and turned to Elder Hao of the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect. "Elder Hao, you claim that Dharma King Gong killed a true disciple of your Nine Suns Heavenly Sect. Do you have any evidence?"
"Evidence?" Elder Hao retorted irritably, jabbing a finger toward Gong Wuji. "That sword is the evidence! That sword is called the Sea-Overturning Sword — it was the life-bound weapon of our sect's true disciple, Cao Jin. Man and sword are inseparable. When the bond between them is broken, either the man is dead or the sword is destroyed."
"Moreover, Cao Jin's life-bound soul lamp has shattered. And now his Sea-Overturning Sword is in Gong Wuji's possession. He even admitted he obtained it by killing the owner and seizing the spoils. If the killer isn't him, then who is it?"
Elder Hao's fury erupted, and he looked ready to resume the fight at the slightest provocation.
City Lord Tai'a heard this and found himself in a difficult position. Elder Hao's argument was well-reasoned and supported by evidence.
Gong Wuji was furious. "That sword was never mine to begin with!"
Elder Hao laughed coldly. "You just admitted it was yours a moment ago, and now you don't dare own up to it? That sword was delivered by one of your own disciples just now, wasn't it? He said you'd left it behind in the Crimson Cauldron Central Domain and forgotten to bring it back. Surely that much is true?"
Gong Wuji was enraged. A cold realization crept over him — he was being played. Not only him, but everyone present had been played.
Yet, out of pride, he refused to offer any explanation at this point. If he started frantically defending himself, it would only make everyone think Dharma King Gong was afraid of the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect.
His gaze turning ice-cold, he turned and ordered, "Bring that Zhao Neng over here."
Before long, Zhao Neng was summoned. He had assumed Gong Wuji wanted to praise him or promote him.
"My Lord, this humble disciple Zhao Neng—"
Gong Wuji cut him off with an impatient wave. "That sword — who exactly asked you to deliver it?"
Zhao Neng thought for a moment and answered honestly. "It was a disciple from a sect in the Crimson Cauldron Central Domain. I don't remember which sect he was from. He said he'd been entrusted by the Emperor of the Crimson Cauldron to return the sword. He insisted it had to reach your hands, and he asked me to convey His Imperial Majesty the Emperor's regards."
"What did the person who delivered the sword look like?" someone beside Gong Wuji asked.
Zhao Neng scratched his head, growing nervous. He wasn't a fool — he was starting to sense that something was very wrong with this sword.
But how was he supposed to describe someone? He stammered, tongue-tied, his face blank with panic. "All I know is that the fellow said the sword was very important…"
"Why didn't he deliver it himself?"
Zhao Neng's face fell into a miserable expression. "He said the area was under tight security. As a low-ranking sect disciple, he didn't have the qualifications to enter. So he entrusted me with the delivery."
The more Gong Wuji listened, the more stifled his rage became. He barked, "Get out!"
He now understood clearly — Zhao Neng had been played. And whoever had done it had done so deliberately, seizing this very opportunity to provoke a full-scale battle between the two sects.
Looking at it now, the scheme was sinister but devastatingly effective.
Zhao Neng, pale and trembling, scurried away in disgrace.
City Lord Tai'a sighed helplessly. "Gentlemen, I can't help feeling as though someone orchestrated this whole affair on purpose — the goal being to incite a war between you two?"
Elder Hao was no fool either. Reading the expression on Gong Wuji's face, he was beginning to suspect that there might indeed be more to this than met the eye.
On reflection, if Gong Wuji really had killed Cao Jin, there would have been no reason not to cover it up. Why would he parade the sword around for everyone to see? And leave it behind in the Crimson Cauldron Central Domain of all places?
When examined closely, the whole story had its holes.
Still, despite these doubts, Elder Hao hadn't entirely dismissed his suspicions. The matter was suspicious, yes, but that didn't necessarily clear Gong Wuji completely.
Suddenly, a sect master from the Crimson Cauldron Central Domain side spoke up. "Elder Hao, forgive the boldness of my question — when exactly was Cao Jin's life-bound soul lamp extinguished?"
Elder Hao found the question beneath him, but someone from the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect's side answered on his behalf.
The date was spoken aloud, and the Crimson Cauldron Central Domain contingent all exchanged bitter smiles.
"Elder Hao, by your own account, Young Master Cao of your sect was clearly not killed by Lord Gong. It's quite obvious — Lord Gong came to our Crimson Cauldron Central Domain, and then went to the Myriad Phenomena Domain, all after Young Master Cao's incident. The dates simply don't match."
Elder Hao considered this carefully and had to concede the dates didn't line up.
After all, the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect had its own eyes and ears in the Myriad Phenomena Domain. If a powerhouse as prominent as Gong Wuji had appeared there, it was impossible that not a single whisper of it would have reached them.
City Lord Tai'a then interjected, "Elder Hao, it's quite clear — there are strong signs of deliberate manipulation here. As Zhao Neng himself just said, a sect disciple gave him the sword. We simply need to summon all the sect representatives from the Crimson Cauldron Central Domain and have Zhao Neng identify the person. If such an individual exists, he'll be recognized at once. If he doesn't, then it proves someone was impersonating a disciple."
This proposal was met with approval from the neutral parties.
"Yes, that method is workable."
The Crimson Cauldron Central Domain side was also fully cooperative. Not because they wanted to help the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect or the Imperishable Heavenly Capital — they simply didn't want Gong Wuji to remain under suspicion. From their standpoint, they wanted even less to become enemies with the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect.