Chapter 218: Love and Hate
Just as the disciple from Kunshan anxiously tried to help Mu Xiaoxiao up, a hand suddenly blocked him.
"Let me handle this," said Qiao Wan, looking up at the disciple.
There was no time to waste. They needed to find a solution before Xiao Sui arrived.
The disciple from Kunshan released his grip, and in just a short moment of interaction, their understanding of Qiao Wan deepened and their impression of her improved. Amongst this group of people, only Qiao Wan and Lu Cixian remained unaffected by the illusion.
Just moments ago, Qiao Wan even connected their consciousnesses through her divine sense, forming a "network" that supported and assisted each other, ensuring they did not lose their senses in this dense fog.
Connecting their consciousnesses with her divine sense, it may sound simple but it was the most difficult thing to do.
First, as the "hub" that connects all the consciousness, this person's consciousness must be extremely tough, tough enough to take on the consciousness of others. At the same time, it must be powerful enough to cover everyone's consciousness. In addition, it must be calm enough to not be affected by external influences and illusions.
In the moment when the consciousness linked together, all the disciples from Kunshan who were waiting to see how many spiritual beasts Qiao Wan. could catch, fell silent.
Just that move alone was enough to prove that the person with dragon energy was right.
Among them, perhaps only Qiao Wan. could barely fight against him.
With just that move, even if they practiced for a hundred and eight years, they might not be able to do it like Qiao Wan.
Unconsciously, all of the dozens of disciples from Kunshan had already placed Qiao Wan. as their core.
Perhaps only Qiao Wan. could lead them safely out of Tingyun Mountain.
Just as Qiao Wan gently placed Mu Xiaoxiao down, a few people anxiously circled around her. Suddenly, the sky lit up with sword-like flashes, and several disciples from Kunshan appeared on flying swords, emerging from thick clouds.
"It's Kunshan!" Seeing the flying swords, the others became excited and pointed at the sky, exclaiming, "Kunshan has come to help!"
It seemed that Qiao Wan didn't need to lead them out of Tingyun Mountain anymore. Kunshan must have received the message on the jade scroll and come to their aid!
Qiao Wan paused and followed the gaze of the others, looking up at the sky. She saw a floating airship with the Xiao family's lotus pattern carved on it and couldn't help but sigh. Her mood was not as excited and relieved as the others.
She was indeed a lucky girl.
*
The disciples from Kunshan who were supposed to attend the gathering were unexpectedly defeated by a giant clam. Sitting in a makeshift tent, Ma Huaizhen's expression was not looking very good.
Zhou Yan and Xiao Sui were guarding Mu Xiaoxiao, who was placed on a soft bed.
Qiao Wan and the other disciples waited outside the tent.
Inside the tent, the young girl seemed to be in great fear. Her face was pale and she was sweating. Zhou Yan lowered his eyes, his gaze cold.
"How is she?" Ma Huaizhen turned his head to the medical disciple beside him.
The disciple hesitated before pulling back his hand and said, "Elder Martial Sister Mu, it seems like her consciousness has been greatly damaged."
Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Yan's expression changed and he furrowed his brows, remaining silent.
Mu Xiaoxiao had suffered a severe injury to her head in the Mudstone Secret Realm before and it hadn't completely healed yet. Now, her consciousness had been heavily damaged again?
Ma Huaizhen asked, "Besides this, is there anything else you discovered?"
"The other disciples have all been examined, and their consciousness has only been shaken, but there are no signs of damage. Moreover..."
"Moreover," Ma Huaizhen interrupted, "this mirage dragon only released some mist, dragging people into illusions, but it didn't intend to harm them, right?"
The medical disciple nodded quietly.
Xiao Sui pulled back his hand from wiping Mu Xiaoxiao's sweat, his face looking a bit worried. "So does that mean this thing only targets Martial Sister Mu?"
"What else?" The handsome young man's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the medical disciple. "Besides this mirage dragon, is there any other suspicious point?"
"It is said..." The reporting medical disciple couldn't help but glance at the expression on Yuqing Spiritual Master's face above. "It is said that after everyone fell into the illusion, it was Martial Sister Qiao who woke everyone up."
If there were any mistakes in between, it would probably be due to Qiao Wan. After all, it was well-known throughout Kunshan that she and Mu Xiaoxiao didn't get along. She had even done things in Mudstone Secret Realm before with the intention of harming fellow disciples. It would be understandable if she used some small tricks during this process.
However, under the cold gaze of Hall Master Ma, no one dared to speak up.
There was silence in the tent for a while, until Yuqing Spiritual Master's cold voice broke the silence.
"Go and call Qiao Wan inside."
"Oh, Qiao Wan !"
Ma Huaizhen changed his position and felt a bit complicated in his heart.
He had been to countless court trials, but how come he had never seen someone provoke so much hatred before?
*
Outside the tent, the Kunshan disciples were a bit confused. Although they didn't know what had happened, they could sense the tension coming from inside the tent.
"What happened to Elder Martial Sister Mu?"
"Why would she faint all of a sudden? We didn't see anything wrong."
The curtain was lifted, and a disciple from the secret department walked out of the tent. Their gaze swept over Qiao Wan , and they coldly said, "Qiao Wan , the Hall Master is calling for you."
Familiar with the routine, Qiao Wan entered the tent and stood up straight in a designated spot. She accepted the expectant gazes from all directions.
"Explain yourself," Ma Huaizhen glanced at Mu Xiaoxiao who was still unconscious on the soft couch and said calmly.
As soon as the disciple entered, the hall leader asked for an explanation. Qiao Wan replied politely, "I don't know what to explain."
Xiao Sui smirked and said, "Is it your fault that your elder martial sister is in this state?"
Qiao Wan looked at the young man in front of her, who had a mocking look and seemed to have the upper hand, without any expression on her face.
Xiao Sui... After this incident, we still need to go through the process. Qiao Wan thought for a moment and carefully chose her words, "I and others..."
"Hold on." Xiao Sui said coldly, "Everyone was supposed to go together, why were you alone? Were the others not with you? How do you explain this?"
Qiao Wan felt a twinge between her eyebrows.
She couldn't possibly say that she wanted to visit the famous Buddha in Kunshan and enjoy some alone time because of her teenage crush.
"Before we set off, Dong ge said nothing about having to go together when we were at the foot of the mountain," Qiao Wan said calmly, "I'm used to traveling alone."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan paused slightly, but still didn't say anything.
Ma Huaizhen said, "Continue."
"After walking for a while, I realized something was wrong when the sound on the jade slip suddenly disappeared. Then I saw Martial Brother Xiao not far away, looking like he was under a spell."
"And what about Xiao Boyang?" Ma Huaizhen turned his head and instructed the person next to him, "Bring him in."
Not long after, Xiao Boyang was brought in, looking somehow unclear and with red eyes. With a glance at Qiao Wan, who was clearly being questioned inside the tent, Xiao Boyang visibly shook, his face instantly showing an indescribable and incomprehensible mixture of complex emotions.
That expression seemed to say, "Why is it always you?"
Even the shame and sadness felt upon seeing the ginseng spirit in the illusion were somewhat diluted.
Actually, this is mainly just going through a process. Xiao Boyang's answer and Qiao Wan's answer are not much different. The answers given by the Kunshan disciples who were called in one by one afterwards also had no issues.
Glancing at Xiao Boyang's expression, I immediately noticed that this child seemed to be reliving some tragic memories in the illusion. Ma Huaizhen, being very considerate, didn't make Xiao Boyang stand for long. He brought him a chair to sit and listened. He also instructed the hidden disciples to bring a chair for Qiao Wan to sit on.
Xiao Sui's face darkened a bit. "Shouldn't the hall master find it too kind to treat a suspect who has attempted to harm our fellow disciples multiple times, before the matter is clarified?"
Ma Huaizhen's eyes sparkled with a gentle smile. "Just as Xiao taoist friend said, before the matter is determined, we must be cautious. Qiao Wan cannot be regarded as a criminal yet, and it is unknown if she will be falsely accused again, like the previous times. I think providing a chair is not too much."
Jiang, as an experienced leader of Wenshi Hall, may have aged but his worn-out body and half-ruined face give off a strong and intimidating vibe, making it clear that he is not to be underestimated.
Although Xiao Sui felt a bit frustrated, he understood the importance of being tactful. He couldn't afford to offend Ma Huaizhen.
Last time, he suffered a covert loss at the hands of Qiao Wan. There have been rumors in Kunshan that the Xiaos were manipulating things behind the scenes. This time, he needed to regain control of the situation.
He realized that these factors were essential to Qiao Wan's stability in Kunshan. Yuqing Spiritual Master and Lu Pihan were her main supporters. Yuqing Spiritual Master held Mu Xiaoxiao in high regard, so if he started with Mu Xiaoxiao, without the protection of Yuqing Spiritual Master and Lu Pihan, Qiao Wan wouldn't be able to enjoy her freedom for long.
Suppressing his frustration, Xiao Sui calmly asked, "So, what's the plan for the hall master now?"
"Wait." Ma Huaizhen adjusted his posture to be more comfortable and lazily said two words, "Didn't they say that Lu Cixian and the others have already tamed that mirage dragon? Now we just have to wait for Lu Cixian to come back with the mirage dragon, or wait for Mu Xiaoxiao to wake up."
Xiao Sui wasn't particularly worried about Lu Cixian returning with the mirage dragon.
This kind of creature, the mirage dragon, has scales that go against the norm and a rebellious personality. As soon as they met, it almost bit him. Even if they bring it back, what can it do? Can it even serve as proof?
But before Lu Cixian could return with the mirage dragon, the girl on the bed woke up first.
Zhou Yan furrowed his brow. "Xiaoxiao, how are you feeling?"
The girl covered her head and her voice was light and ethereal. "It hurts... Master, it hurts."
Zhou Yan frowned even more and helped Mu Xiaoxiao sit up against the soft bed.
The girl was obviously still a bit out of it. After listening to Ma Huaizhen's words, she blinked her eyes, tears welling up, and looked at Qiao Wan with a confused gaze.
Qiao Wan... did something to her mind?
Impossible.
Almost in the next second, Mu Xiaoxiao rejected this idea and bit her lip tightly.
It was Qiao Wan who pulled her out of the illusion.
Although she felt a bit complicated about Qiao Wan... Mu Xiaoxiao thought anxiously, she believed that no matter what, Qiao Wan wouldn't have done something to her mind.
Looking at the current situation, it seems like an interrogation?
What should she say?
Although she knew it couldn't be Qiao Wan's doing, in that moment, Mu Xiaoxiao hesitated slightly.
Human emotions are complex, she couldn't describe her feelings towards Qiao Wan.
She felt disgusted with this thief who stole her things. She was jealous of her because she, with her appearance, got the attention of their master, Pei Chunzheng, and others. She envied Qiao Wan's courage, resilience, and progress in cultivation that she could never have.
These hidden thoughts, like creeping weeds, grew wildly beneath the surface of the innocent girl's appearance. This is human nature, no matter how much Mu Xiaoxiao tries to suppress it, she can't hold it back.
But it seems like she also likes Qiao Wan , even when she dislikes her, she can't help but be attracted to her.
Mu Xiaoxiao lowers her eyes.
She likes the sincerity towards her companions that Qiao Wan possesses, just like a ray of light. Because of this cool and similar appearance, she seems to have become a completely different person in the world, a person she never dared to imagine.
How should she choose?
For a moment, Mu Xiaoxiao 's mouth feels dry, her heart is pounding like a drum, and her face can't help but blush. She clenches her clothes tightly, and after a while, she lowers her eyes and speaks softly.
"Younger martial sister... younger martial sister." The girl seems afraid to look up at her face, her voice trembling out of nervousness. "Why are you treating me like this?"
Zhou Yan and Xiao Boyang suddenly freeze.
Qiao Wan opens her eyes wide in surprise.
Whether it was the disciples from Kunshan who were listening inside or outside the tent, they were all shaken!
Mu Xiaoxiao realized that Qiao Wan had actually attacked her elder martial sister?!!
In that moment, Mu Xiaoxiao regretted her words, but once an arrow is released, it cannot be taken back.
Xiao Sui was stunned for a moment, but soon after, he immediately spoke up: "Master, if Mu Xiaoxiao is saying this, what do you think?"
The smile on Ma Huaizhen's face suddenly faded as he casually glanced at the girl burying her head: "Mu Xiaoxiao, are you sure that Qiao Wan really tampered with your mind?"
His voice was as cold as ice, and under his intense gaze, the girl trembled like a frightened rabbit.
"Yes..." Tears fell from her eyes and landed on the bedsheet. "My younger martial sister really did tamper with my mind. I didn't want to say it, but she did it repeatedly..."
Zhou Yan furrowed his eyebrows and leaned down, looking at the trembling girl: "Xiaoxiao..."
"That works perfectly." Ma Huaizhen, with a stoic expression, leaned on the wheelchair. He lightly tapped the wheelchair with his intact hand and smiled, "Great, I have already informed Fairy Sumi. Once she arrives, we can extract your consciousness and convict Qiao Wan."
Fairy Sumi!!!
Mu Xiaoxiao's face turned pale as she stared at the cold and unsympathetic man in front of her, her heart racing.
With Fairy Sumi's arrival and the extraction of her consciousness, it meant that her perjury would be revealed to everyone!!
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