Chapter 1178: I, Zhang Xuan, Storm the Hall!

"Hall Master Gou, I witnessed this matter with War Master Hall's Hall Master Xing. The facts are clear and cannot be refuted..."

Master Wu's anxious voice came through.

"Clear facts?"

The old man's voice continued: "As a master teacher, you should know that some things seen with one's own eyes may not be true! They require careful determination and discernment before a verdict can be reached... Moreover, this involves a vice hall master! If we rule as you suggest, that a vice hall master of our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall framed a six-star master teacher from a first-rate empire... what dignity would our branch have left?"

"This..."

Master Wu's voice faltered.

The Master Teacher Hall, as a guardian of the region, valued its reputation greatly. If a vice hall master harmed someone of lower rank, word spreading would bring shame to their Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall branch, burdening them with infamy for who knows how long.

"Hall Master Gou, I speak the truth. The Master Teacher Hall should lead by example and seek truth from facts. If we deliberately cover up for the sake of reputation, what fairness will remain?"

After a pause, Master Wu continued.

Punishing Vice Hall Master Tian Qing would indeed damage the branch's prestige, but if left unpunished, word would spread even worse, and the continent's foremost profession would lose its impartiality.

"Fairness? Is what you say fairness? What I hear instead is that Vice Hall Master Tian has been wronged!"

The old man's voice went on: "Tian Qing, recount yesterday's events in detail again!"

"Yes!"

Vice Hall Master Tian's voice sounded in the room.

"Here is what happened: Prince Zhongqing, responsible for the city's defense, captured Ming Zhen, the vice hall master of the Poison Hall from Hongyuan Empire. Using his information, they eradicated the Poison Hall's Jingyuan City branch... From this vice hall master, they learned of another very formidable poison master named Sun Qiang, hiding in the city, who could potentially endanger all humans in the city. Thus, they arrested and interrogated him. This Sun Qiang is Zhang Xuan's steward!"

"Since it involved a master teacher, we could not act rashly. Prince Zhongqing found me, and I had him send someone to invite him... Once at the prince's residence, this Zhang Xuan not only refused to cooperate but forcibly took Sun Qiang away and even attacked Prince Zhongqing and me..."

"Attacked? Vice Hall Master Tian, Zhang Shi's strength is only at Saint Realm二层巅峰, while you are at Half-Saint Incarnation. Saying he attacked you... is a bit much, isn't it?"

Raising his brows, Master Wu was displeased.

He could not reveal that Zhang Shi was a Heaven's Path Master Teacher, but he would not hesitate to counter any slander.

"It wasn't Zhang Xuan who injured me, but a cauldron in his hand! This cauldron is a mid-tier saint artifact, comparable in strength to me..."

Tian Qing said.

"I find that even harder to believe. A master teacher, beaten by a mid-tier saint artifact cauldron?" Master Wu shook his head.

A mid-tier saint artifact might be powerful, but without a driver, it couldn't unleash its full combat strength. Beating a dignified master teacher... who would believe that?

"Believe it or not, if you insist I framed Zhang Xuan, then I ask you: do I have any motive to frame him?"

Vice Hall Master Tian snorted.

"This..."

Master Wu was speechless.

"I am a vice hall master of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall, far more esteemed than him! As a seven-star master teacher, my rank far exceeds his... Why would I risk my career to deliberately target an academy principal unrelated to me? Even if he were killed or expelled from the master teacher profession, it would have nothing to do with me!"

Vice Hall Master Tian said.

Master Wu could not respond.

Indeed, a crime required motive.

From every angle, Vice Hall Master Tian had none.

Higher status, higher position, and richer to boot... Why would he target a country bumpkin?

It made no sense!

"Wu Rufeng, what else do you have to say?"

The voice of Hall Master Gou rang out again.

"I... Although I don't know why Vice Hall Master Tian targeted Zhang Shi, when I received Zhang Shi's distress signal and arrived, Prince Zhongqing and Vice Hall Master Tian were attacking him. If I had been a moment later, he would likely have been killed. This was witnessed by many master teachers and war masters. If you don't believe me, Hall Master, you can ask them..."

Master Wu said: "Moreover, the vice hall master of the Poison Hall that Vice Hall Master Tian mentioned can testify that Prince Zhongqing and Vice Hall Master Tian used the Poison Hall members as leverage to deliberately frame him..."

"Are you referring to that poison master named Ming Zhen?"

Hall Master Gou's voice said.

"Yes!"

"He died last night!" Hall Master Gou snorted.

"Dead? He was in the Master Teacher Hall... How could he die?" Master Wu seemed unable to believe it.

"How would I know why he died? You brought him in, and then he died in the Master Teacher Hall. You say you don't know... Do you think I'll believe that?" Hall Master Gou said.

"Hall Master is... suspecting me?"

Master Wu's tone carried disbelief.

"Not suspecting you, but it makes one think! You told me Chen Zhe had done something against the master teacher code and needed to be arrested and interrogated. I didn't refuse, and then he also died for no reason! The Master Teacher Hall is heavily guarded; besides you, no one could get near him. If not for torture to force a confession, how could he have died?"

"As for that Zhang Xuan, I've investigated him. You two have been through life-and-death situations together, with deep personal feelings. It's not impossible that you favor him or trouble him to give false testimony!"

Hall Master Gou snorted: "You've just become a vice hall master and want to make merit, to replace Tian Qing. I can understand that, but... whatever you do, you need evidence. Making such a mess, how can I not suspect you?"

"I have no designs on the vice hall master position, nor do I intend to harm Vice Hall Master Tian..."

His scalp tingling, Master Wu said anxiously.

He hadn't expected Hall Master Gou to suspect him of deliberately framing Tian Qing to take his place.

"Enough. I don't want to discuss this further. I don't care how you vie and struggle... but don't do anything that affects the branch's reputation!"

Hall Master Gou interrupted him: "I've been hall master for over five hundred years. Under my leadership, our Master Teacher Hall, though not greatly expanded, has had no blemishes. Now that I'm about to retire, I don't want to be criticized, to have headquarters investigate, and become a laughingstock among other empires' Master Teacher Halls!"

"Hall Master, I truly am not vying for power... This Zhang Shi, though we've shared life and death, does not follow my orders..."

Unexpectedly, Hall Master Gou, who usually stayed out of affairs, had immediately pinned such a big accusation on him. Master Wu hurriedly said.

"Enough! I've said I don't want to meddle in your petty squabbles, but I don't want internal conflicts in our Master Teacher Hall to make outsiders laugh!" Hall Master Gou's voice turned cold: "Don't you understand my meaning?"

"I... Yes!" Master Wu clenched his teeth.

"Good, that's clear. Now, send someone to bring that Zhang Xuan here and have him explain things properly. If he's obedient, fine; if not, just for insubordination and attacking a seven-star master teacher, he'll never recover..."

Hall Master Gou was instructing when a faint voice sounded, and the door pushed open as a young man walked in slowly.

"No need to send anyone. I'm already here..."

It was Zhang Xuan.

He had only come to take the seven-star master teacher examination, but overhearing this, he was furious.

He had thought Hall Master Gou was merely muddle-headed for employing a petty man like Tian Qing, but it turned out he was just a mediocre fool seeking a smooth transition.

"Zhang Shi..."

Master Wu was startled, his face anxious.

From the earlier conversation, he could tell the hall master was displeased with Zhang Xuan. Coming out now, if he provoked anger, there would be no turning back.

"Hall Master, this is that Zhang Xuan who framed me, the principal of the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Academy!"

With a flicker in his eyes, Tian Qing quickly said.

"So you are Zhang Xuan?"

Hall Master Gou narrowed his eyes: "A mere six-star, eavesdropping on a meeting of seven-star master teachers... What audacity!"

"Sorry, but my audacity isn't big enough. Not as much as yours!"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"What did you say?"

Slamming the table, Hall Master Gou's aura surged like a dragon, filled with rage.

He was the hall master of the Master Teacher Hall, a supreme powerhouse guarding a region. A mere academy principal dared speak to him like this—utterly disrespectful and lawless.

"What did I say? Don't you have a clue in your own heart?"

Facing the other's fury, Zhang Xuan showed no concern, looking over calmly: "You've known Master Wu's character for years—don't tell me you don't know it. This Vice Hall Master Tian used a poison master to frame me and even attacked me, my students, and my steward. With such vile conduct, instead of investigating, you blame Master Wu. Are you blind, or is your mind addled? How could the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall have such a foolish hall master?"

"Zhang Shi..."

Unexpectedly, the usually mild-tempered Zhang Shi would confront Hall Master Gou and say such things. Master Wu was nearly frightened out of his wits.

The hall master already had a grudge against him; now there was no turning back.

"What audacity! A mere six-star master teacher, disregarding rules, insulting a seven-star peak master teacher—this violates propriety! Hall Master, let me bring him to justice and废除 his cultivation now..."

With a loud shout, Tian Qing, without waiting for the hall master to speak, reached out and struck at Zhang Xuan from midair.

"You dare..."

His face changing, Master Wu rushed forward to block the attack.

"No need..."

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan raised his palm and gently slapped.

Bang!

Before Vice Hall Master Tian could react, he was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall and leaving a large crater.

As if swatting an ant, Zhang Xuan walked forward step by step, his eyes like lightning, his voice growing louder until it echoed throughout the Qingyuan imperial capital.

"From the Tianxuan Kingdom, I have come step by step, traversing all obstacles. Who has ever dared to frame me or speak to me like this!"

"I, Zhang Xuan, as a six-star master teacher, apply to headquarters..."

"To storm the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall!"

"Until death... do us part!"