The officials perked up—finally, they were getting to the heart of the matter.
But what Jiang Jianli said next caught everyone completely off guard.
“Imperial Tutor Gu was ordered to inspect the sects, and his first stop was my Qing Sword Sect.”
“He met with my father, and also with the five elders. After that, he struck without warning.”
Struck without warning!
Those four words hit like a thunderclap, making every heart in the room skip a beat.
Was she about to accuse Gu Chengyin of seizing power by force?
But then Jiang Jianli’s next words left everyone stunned.
“He drove away the five elders.”
Cui Zhenji’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.
Jiang Jianli, as if oblivious to the shock on everyone’s faces, continued:
“In his capacity as head of the Sect Inspection Team, Imperial Tutor Gu investigated and confirmed that the five elders had embezzled sect assets, bullied disciples, and operated an illegal tribunal—eleven charges in total.”
“He immediately arrested the five, escorted them to the Qing Sword City government office, and personally returned the Sect Leader’s seal to my father.”
“And he publicly declared that my father was still the true Sect Leader of Qing Sword Sect—that he was merely exercising his authority of inspection and had no intention of taking over.”
Complete silence filled the hall.
Not a sound.
Cui Zhenji’s eyes widened. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react.
Wait—this wasn’t right.
Wasn’t Jiang Jianli supposed to be accusing Gu Chengyin of stealing the Sect Leader’s position?
Instead, she was singing his praises.
Investigating and confirming charges. Escorting them to court. Returning the sect’s seal.
That wasn’t a power grab.
It was a righteous rescue.
Could it be that Gu Chengyin was actually a good person?
Cui Zhenji couldn’t help glancing at Gu Chengyin.
Gu Chengyin’s expression remained unchanged, showing no trace of emotion.
Jiang Jianli continued: “My father was deeply grateful. And because Imperial Tutor Gu was a descendant of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan, my father immediately requested that Gu Chengyin become the Sect Leader of Qing Sword Sect.”
“Imperial Tutor Gu refused many times, and only finally, reluctantly, agreed.”
By now, Cui Zhenji was utterly confused.
So Gu Chengyin’s position as Sect Leader of Qing Sword Sect had been begged from him by Jiang Qingshan?
As if reading their minds, Jiang Jianli added another point:
“Even after agreeing, Imperial Tutor Gu made it clear that he was only a titular Sect Leader, with no say in sect affairs—everything would still be handled entirely by my father.”
After saying this, Jiang Jianli lowered her gaze, as if sighing with mixed emotions.
“This is the full story of what happened at Qing Sword Sect.”
The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Cui Zhenji opened his mouth again, but found he had no idea what to say.
Was Jiang Jianli here to testify, or to clear Gu Chengyin’s name?
There was nothing—absolutely nothing—about usurpation.
From her account, Gu Chengyin was nothing but a righteous official who acted in justice, a selfless gentleman.
Someone whom Jiang Qingshan had begged to take the position of honorary Sect Leader.
Cui Zhenji turned to look at the Minister of Justice, who also looked bewildered.
Then he looked at the Censor-in-Chief, whose brows were tightly knitted, his eyes roaming over Jiang Jianli’s face as if trying to figure out a puzzle.
Finally, Cui Zhenji’s gaze fell on Yuan Zhengqing.
The Grand Secretary remained seated, steady as a mountain, his eyes utterly unreadable.
He hadn’t interrupted Jiang Jianli, nor had he shown any surprise—as if he had expected all of this.
Just as Cui Zhenji thought the matter might fizzle out, Jiang Jianli spoke again.
“Even so...”
Her voice suddenly turned cold.
“I still believe that Imperial Tutor Gu’s acceptance of the Qing Sword Sect Leader’s position is no different from usurpation.”
What?
Cui Zhenji didn’t quite catch it at first.
Jiang Jianli lifted her head, her expression unwavering: “As you have all heard, my father’s offer came from goodwill—gratitude for Imperial Tutor Gu’s help and admiration for the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan’s reputation.”
“But my father’s goodwill does not change one fact: Imperial Tutor Gu is a court official, the Crown Prince’s Tutor.”
“How can a court official also become a Sect Leader?”
“With Imperial Tutor Gu serving as a court official and Sect Leader at the same time, does he belong to the court or to the sect?”
“He may insist that he won’t interfere in sect affairs, but not interfering doesn’t mean he isn’t the Sect Leader.”
“If that isn’t usurpation, what is? If that isn’t robbery, then what is?”
Jiang Jianli’s voice grew louder, and for the first time, real emotion flickered across her face.
“As a daughter of the Jiang family, I cannot stand by and watch the Qing Sword Sect—finally back in my father’s hands—”
“—be silently branded with an outsider’s name!”
“No matter how nicely it’s described, Imperial Tutor Gu accepting the position of Qing Sword Sect Leader is simply improper.”
“It is theft. It is no different from usurpation!”
After finishing, Jiang Jianli’s chest heaved slightly, clearly genuinely angry.
The hall was dead silent.
Cui Zhenji stared at her, finally beginning to understand.
Jiang Jianli had laid out the facts exactly as they happened—and then, on the basis of those facts, she twisted out an accusation.
Was she telling the truth? She must have been.
With so many officials listening, and with Gu Chengyin himself present, any lie would have been exposed immediately.
But the truth she told didn’t convict Gu Chengyin—it cleared him completely.
Didn’t she know that? Of course she did.
Yet she said it anyway. Not only that—she said it in such detail, so clearly, laying out everything Gu Chengyin had done.
So was she here to accuse Gu Chengyin, or to praise him?
Cui Zhenji suddenly recalled that Jiang Jianli had earlier said she carried two identities.
One was the wife of Shangguan Yuan.
The other was the daughter of Jiang Qingshan.
Shangguan Yuan wanted to kick Gu Chengyin while he was down, to pin the charge of usurpation on him.
But Jiang Qingshan wanted Gu Chengyin as his Sect Leader.
He had genuinely given up his position. If Jiang Jianli, in order to help Shangguan Yuan, lied in court and turned Gu Chengyin into a greedy villain—wouldn’t that trample her father’s honor?
She couldn’t do that.
She was Jiang Qingshan’s daughter. She couldn’t destroy her father’s reputation for the sake of her husband.
But she also couldn’t refuse to help Shangguan Yuan.
So she used this method: telling the truth exactly as it had happened, then forcing an accusation on that foundation.
That way, she hadn’t betrayed her conscience, nor had she disobeyed her husband.
But the problem was...
Cui Zhenji smiled bitterly.
This way, Gu Chengyin wasn’t convicted—instead, he was praised as a gentleman by everyone.
That’s the same as clearing his name, isn’t it?
Cui Zhenji couldn’t help glancing at Gu Chengyin again.
Gu Chengyin’s expression was still calm, but a faint smile was curling at the corner of his mouth.
Cui Zhenji felt his head throb.
He suddenly dearly missed his work on ritual texts and ceremonial codes in the Ministry of Rites.
At least those, though tedious, didn’t put a person in such a difficult spot.
Just as Cui Zhenji was stuck between a rock and a hard place, a commotion suddenly arose outside the hall.
Someone was coming.
And more than one.
The officials in the hall all turned to look at the doorway.
Cui Zhenji looked too, feeling inexplicably relieved.
Whoever it was, at least it would give him a moment to escape this awkward situation.
Several figures stepped over the threshold and strode in.
They were monks in Daoist robes, with silver cloud patterns embroidered on their hems and jade tokens at their waists, walking steadily with an imposing aura.
The moment they entered, their eyes swept the hall, carrying a condescending scrutiny.
They were the adjutants of the Celestial Master Residence.
Cui Zhenji’s heart skipped a beat.
The gazes of these grandmasters from the Celestial Division slowly swept across the hall, finally settling on Lin Qingyan.
Then, stepping forward quickly, they bowed respectfully and said:
“Lord Jingzhe, Grandmaster Taihe requests your presence.”
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
