Was it you that night?
Chapter 158 - 156: An Eye for an Eye: Nan Sheng Stained in Blood

Chapter 158: Chapter 156: An Eye for an Eye: Nan Sheng Stained in Blood

Yan Changsheng coldly questioned, "That day, the three of you ganged up on Zhiyao and injured her with the Ancient Divine Sword, why didn’t you report the matter to the Sect Master immediately?"

The onlookers outside the Council Hall buzzed with discussion upon hearing this.

The incident of Shen Zhiyao getting injured was heard by everyone at that time, but Nan Sheng, Rong Yu, and An Lu had not reported the matter to the Sect Master.

Later, it was learned from An Lu by Shen Qinghe that Shen Zhiyao’s injury was related to the three of them, and only then did they admit to "accidentally" injuring Shen Zhiyao, a claim that was confirmed before Yan Changsheng’s appearance, indicating it was true.

That Nan Sheng injured Shen Zhiyao with the Thousand Shadows Sword indeed happened, which means that it was highly likely true that Shen Zhiyao was found lying in a pool of her own blood.

Only, no one knew why the wounds on Shen Zhiyao suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Just as the crowd was buzzing with conjecture, Dongfang Wuya suddenly appeared and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, entered the Council Hall.

Upon seeing Dongfang Wuya, Zuo An’s head ached, fearing that the patriarch would unprincipledly favor Shen Qinghe, which might not be a good thing for the Shen sisters.

While Zuo An was still worried, he heard Dongfang Wuya say, "I was not present at the scene and do not know the true events of that day. When Shen Qinghe brought Shen Zhiyao into Bixiao Tower crying uncontrollably, she begged me to save Shen Zhiyao. I examined Shen Zhiyao and indeed found no wounds on her, but she was devoid of breath, and her Golden Core severely damaged. I believed that apart from being injured by someone with a higher cultivation base, another possibility was that she was struck at a vital point by an Ancient Divine Artifact."

Zuo An was intrigued when he heard this, "Zhiyao truly had not a single wound on her body?"

"No wound, I have never seen such a strange phenomenon," Dongfang Wuya said, his gaze flickering towards Shen Qinghe.

His words did not help Shen Qinghe but instead shrouded the incident in enigmatic mist. As such, it was impossible to confirm Nan Sheng’s guilt even though he was certain Shen Zhiyao was not lying.

Upon Dongfang Wuya’s statement, a peculiar silence befell the entire hall.

Shen Zhiyao had long been told by Qinghe that her body had no wounds at that time. She looked at Yan Changsheng, "Second Senior Brother, did you really see nothing?"

"I did not," Yan Changsheng replied, his gaze turning towards Shen Qinghe, eyes slightly dimmed.

Shen Zhiyao thought for a moment then raised her voice, "I am certain, Nan Sheng intended to kill me! If I lie, may I not die a good death!"

After a pause, she looked at Nan Sheng with a cold sneer, "Nan Sheng, do you dare to swear a poisonous oath, saying you did not intend to kill me?!"

Nan Sheng avoided Shen Zhiyao’s piercing gaze, her tears flowing before she could speak, "I don’t know why you have this misconception, but I truly did not intend to hurt you... "

"Just answer, do you dare to make a poisonous oath? Three feet above your head, there is a deity watching, do you dare?!" Shen Zhiyao impatiently watched Nan Sheng evade the question.

Nan Sheng thought to herself that she was the heroine, and Shen Zhiyao nothing but a malicious supporting female. Shen Zhiyao would die tragically, while she herself would become one of the foremost Sword Cultivators in the Three Realms. How could she fear making a mere poisonous oath?

She stood up immediately before everyone and made her oath, "I swear, I bear no malice towards Zhiyao, it truly was just an accidental injury! If I lie, may I... may I not die a good death!"

Shen Zhiyao watched Nan Sheng with cold eyes, enunciating every word, "Remember the poisonous oath you made today; one day, you will be bound by it. I will be waiting for that day!"

Nan Sheng returned the look with righteous indignation, "I have a clear conscience and that day will never come."

Those outside the Council Hall did not expect an inconclusive result. No one could be certain whether Nan Sheng had intentionally harmed Shen Zhiyao.

If Nan Sheng had done it on purpose and Shen Zhiyao had a brush with death, it was unfair to Shen Zhiyao.

But if Nan Sheng was innocent and it was Shen Zhiyao trying to slander her, then Shen Zhiyao deserved to be injured by that sword.

Outside, the debates raged on, with some believing Nan Sheng and others siding with Shen Zhiyao, arguing fiercely with no end in sight.

Inside the Council Hall, Shen Qinghe had already made a plan: "It is a fact that my elder sister was gravely injured this time, and it is also a fact that those three ganged up on her at the Simple Residence Courtyard, taking advantage of their numbers over her. I ask the Sect Master to make a decision!"

After discussing with several elders, Zuo An came to a conclusion: "Rong Yu and An Lu shall be punished with a month of menial labor, and as for Nan Sheng..."

Before Zuo An could finish, Shen Qinghe interjected: "Nan Sheng injured my elder sister with the Ancient Divine Sword, putting her life on the line. Whether it was intentional or not, that is the truth. For the sake of fairness, why not let my elder sister return the favor with the Ancient Divine Artifact and give Nan Sheng a lash? What do you think of my suggestion?"

Zuo An was slightly troubled: "This?"

Dongfang Wuya replied: "A lash for a sword strike, Nan Sheng is actually at an advantage. Shen Qinghe’s proposition is quite fair."

Nan Sheng thought to herself that taking one lash should not be a big deal, she had even endured the punishment of the Thunder Whip before, what was there to fear from Shen Zhiyao’s single lash?

It wasn’t until Shen Qinghe handed the Black Rope to Shen Zhiyao that Nan Sheng’s complexion changed slightly.

She knew that Shen Qinghe’s Black Rope was somewhat sinister, but surely it couldn’t be more domineering than the Thunder Whip, right? With that in mind, she didn’t need to fear a mere Black Rope.

"Nan Sheng, what do you think?" Zuo An still decided to ask for Nan Sheng’s opinion.

Nan Sheng hesitated only for a moment before responding: "I will abide by the Sect Master’s judgment."

It was just one lash, after all, much lighter than the sword strike she had dealt to Shen Zhiyao, what was there to fear?

Zuo An, under the deathly gaze of Dongfang Wuya, eventually acceded to Shen Qinghe’s idea.

Shen Zhiyao gripped the Black Rope tightly, and whether it sensed the rage in her heart or not, the rope suddenly scratched at her palm with its end.

Her taut emotions suddenly relaxed at that moment.

Shen Qinghe, standing beside her, stroked the Black Rope, looking at Nan Sheng with a slight smile: "My sister was stabbed with a sword, and now we return the gesture with a lash. This is very fair."

She then looked toward Shen Zhiyao: "Elder sister, go ahead and swing the whip gently, just a token gesture will suffice. Although Nan Sheng is suspected of deliberately attempting to murder elder sister, we Shen sisters should repay ill with kindness."

Including Zuo An, the high-ranking members of the sect who heard this felt like they were being implicitly scolded by Shen Qinghe.

They felt embarrassed but could not find fault with Shen Qinghe’s words.

Nan Sheng, seeing Shen Qinghe’s smile as gentle as the spring breeze, felt a bone-chilling coldness rising from the depths of her heart.

Looking at the Black Rope in Shen Zhiyao’s hands, she felt a sense of dread and regretted her earlier complacency; she shouldn’t have let Sect Master Zuo decide on this matter.

But now that she had agreed, it was too late for regrets.

Shen Zhiyao, holding the Black Rope, approached Nan Sheng and said: "You stabbed me with a sword, I repay you with a whip, let us settle this matter today."

No sooner had she finished speaking than she whipped Nan Sheng.

She heeded Qinghe’s words and flicked the whip lightly, but as the Black Rope struck, Nan Sheng collapsed on the ground, letting out a piercing scream.

Everyone in the Council Hall turned at the sound to see Nan Sheng in such agony that her teeth were chattering, and her body couldn’t stop trembling as cold sweat and tears smeared her face.

The most terrifying thing was that after a single lash, she was bleeding uncontrollably, her whole body quickly soaked with blood...