Was it you that night?
Chapter 157 - 155: Rashomon

Chapter 157: Chapter 155: Rashomon

Shen Zhiyao saw Shen Qinghe’s solemn expression, as if they were on their way to the execution grounds. Wishing to speak and alleviate the tense atmosphere, she said, "Qinghe, don’t be so serious. We both know that the outcome will not be entirely satisfactory, and this time I’m likely to suffer in silence. I’ve come to understand that Nan Sheng’s desire to kill me is a fact because if I die, you will surely develop a Heart Demon, and then your Dao Heart would be destroyed. Think about how malicious her plan is. If we sisters harbored resentment over this incident, wouldn’t we also be playing right into her hands?"

"Elder sister, there’s no need to be so despondent. I just want the entire Sky Pole Sect to know about this matter. Even if we don’t have evidence to prove that Nan Sheng intended to murder you, we must make everyone aware. Moreover, elder sister will not suffer this injustice in silence, I will never agree to it!" Shen Qinghe declared with resolution.

Even if this matter did not reach a conclusion, Shen Qinghe was determined to have Nan Sheng repay what she owed elder sister someday.

Shen Zhiyao patted Qinghe’s head, her heart melting, "Our Qinghe has really grown up, now even looking to protect her elder sister."

It was all her fault for not having enough cultivation base, which dragged Qinghe down, otherwise, she wouldn’t have become Qinghe’s weakness.

Once this matter was resolved, her priority would be to focus on her cultivation.

First, they went to Zuo An. Shen Zhiyao explained the situation at the time. After hearing it, Zuo An remained silent for a long while before saying, "This matter is of great importance; you each have your own version of it, and it will require judgement from several elders of the sect."

He knew about the longstanding grudge between Shen Qinghe and Nan Sheng; it was certain that Nan Sheng had previously harbored murderous intentions towards Shen Qinghe, and there was concrete evidence to prove it.

However, even resorting to a Soul Search this time might not provide concrete evidence that Nan Sheng had intended to kill Shen Zhiyao.

Right or wrong, he alone could not make the call.

The news that Shen Zhiyao had accused Nan Sheng of attempted murder quickly caused a stir within the Sky Pole Sect.

Some of Nan Sheng’s admirers felt that the Shen sisters were being troublesome, deliberately slinging mud at Nan Sheng.

It could be justified why Nan Sheng would harbor hatred towards Shen Qinghe; after all, Shen Qinghe had shown her talent for cultivation and became a Core Formation Cultivator overnight. But what reason would Nan Sheng have to harm Shen Zhiyao?

Could it be that Shen Qinghe, dissatisfied that Nan Sheng wasn’t expelled from the Sky Pole Sect, had colluded with Shen Zhiyao to set a trap for Nan Sheng?

It wasn’t just these individuals who thought the Shen sisters were troublesome; even several elders, led by Elder Wang, were inclined towards Nan Sheng, feeling that she had no reason to harm Shen Zhiyao.

When the involved parties arrived at the Council Hall, many disciples of the Sky Pole Sect gathered around. However, they were unable to enter the Council Hall or see what was happening inside.

Just then, Xiao Bai suddenly appeared, holding the Xuantian Mirror in his hand. After casting a spell, the Xuantian Mirror grew several times larger, forming a giant screen in front of the crowd.

In an instant, the Xuantian Mirror projected the scene inside the Council Hall.

Hearing that the Shen sisters and Nan Sheng were facing off once again, other disciples of the Sky Pole Sect also rushed over to watch the excitement.

Some people supported Nan Sheng while others supported the Shen sisters.

Shu Xiu was undoubtedly a supporter of the Shen sisters, and together with Xu Jun, she cheered for them from the sidelines.

Seeing this, Nan Sheng’s supporters were not to be outdone, and they began to cheer for Nan Sheng.

Inside the Council Hall, no one knew that the disciples outside had already split into two major camps, and the atmosphere inside was gradually becoming tense.

Zuo An asked Shen Zhiyao to recount the events of that day, and Shen Zhiyao recited the truth, only to add at the end, "The fact that Nan Sheng, Rong Yu, and An Lu surrounded and attacked me is true, but we were about to cease fighting when Nan Sheng accidentally ran into my sword. Right after that, I felt her killing intent, and by the time I thought to dodge, the Thousand Shadows Sword had already struck my vital spot. It’s too much of a coincidence, she claims it was an accidental wound, yet it precisely hit my critical area..."

"You are a Golden Core cultivator, and so is Nan Sheng. Moreover, she holds the Ancient Thousand Shadows Sword. If her Thousand Shadows Sword had really hit a vital spot, you would have died on the spot. So how could you have waited for Qinghe to come save you?" An Lu suddenly stood up and retorted sharply.

Seizing the opportunity, Rong Yu chimed in, "Exactly, Zhiyao’s words don’t make sense. It was clearly an accidental injury, yet she claims Shengsheng hit her vital spot. It’s really simple, one look at Zhiyao’s wound will reveal whether she is lying or not!"

Nan Sheng, upon hearing this, showed a flicker of panic in her eyes.

At the time, she indeed had struck Shen Zhiyao’s vital spot, which by all logic meant Shen Zhiyao should not have survived.

If they inspected Shen Zhiyao’s wound, wouldn’t that just prove that Shen Zhiyao hadn’t lied?

In her moment of panic, Shen Qinghe was also feeling uneasy because Elder Sister had no wound on her body at all. When she arrived on the scene, Elder Sister’s clothes didn’t even have a trace of blood on them.

One could erase bloodstains with the Purification Technique, but the wound left by an Ancient Divine Sword could not possibly heal without a trace, even after a month.

Shen Zhiyao’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as she suddenly felt a bit dejected.

Seeing Shen Zhiyao’s disheartened look, Shen Qinghe boldly stood up and declared, "There’s no wound on Elder Sister’s body. When I returned to the Simple Residence Courtyard, I found Elder Sister lying outside it, lifeless. Strangely, there were no wounds on her body and not a single drop of blood. At that moment, I panicked and went to Bixiao Tower to search for Mr. Wuya. It was Mr. Wuya who intervened and saved Elder Sister."

An Lu found this laughable and said with scorn, "If there’s no wound, that’s all the more proof that it wasn’t Shengsheng’s Thousand Shadows Sword that injured Zhiyao. This only shows that it was indeed a misunderstanding. Zhiyao’s fainting might have been due to someone else’s doing. How can you insist on pinning it on Shengsheng? Is it simply because you’ve held a grudge from before..."

"Impossible! I was indeed wounded by the Thousand Shadows Divine Sword and lost a lot of blood. I even thought I wouldn’t make it. How could there be no wound? But then, I lost consciousness, and just before I did, I saw Yan..." Shen Zhiyao suddenly stopped speaking.

Up until this point, Yan Changsheng hadn’t shown up, indicating he was unwilling to testify.

Thinking Shen Zhiyao was feeling guilty, An Lu laughed maliciously, "Then how do you explain the lack of sword wounds on your body?!"

At that moment, Yan Changsheng entered, "On the day Zhiyao was injured, I went to the Simple Residence Courtyard. When I arrived, Zhiyao was lying in a pool of blood, on the brink of death. Her wound was indeed caused by an Ancient Divine Sword, but as the situation was dire, just as I was about to save her, I was suddenly attacked and lost consciousness."

"Second Senior Brother, though you and Shengsheng could not become lovers, you shouldn’t oppose her at every turn. Now, to act against Shengsheng, you’re even willing to give false testimony? If you saw that Zhiyao was seriously injured that day, why didn’t you come forward then, instead of only now?" At this point, Rong Yu couldn’t stand it anymore and jumped in the conversation.