Chapter 1230: Fleeing in Fear of Punishment

No matter how despicable or shameless the other party was, he was after all the emperor of the Qingyuan Title Empire. It was acceptable to teach him a lesson, to make him wish he were dead but unable to die... but to kill him outright violated the rules.

"This is serious..."

Elder Xu was filled with terror.

Although they desperately wanted revenge, killing an emperor would inevitably lead to a thorough investigation by the Master Teacher Hall, and none of them would escape.

Even if he were guilty, a verdict could only be reached after a trial by the Master Teacher Hall. Killing him like this was tantamount to challenging a Title Empire.

"I alone am responsible for what I did. I killed him, and I'll take full responsibility!"

Liu Yang clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"How will you take responsibility?" Sun Qiang said. "You don't represent yourself, but the young master!"

"I..." Liu Yang fell silent.

Yes, no matter how he took responsibility, it would implicate his teacher. There was no way around it.

From the moment he became a disciple, his fate had been tightly bound to his teacher's, inseparable.

"Then what do we do?" Liu Yang's face turned red.

After all, he was just a teenager. He could cultivate and work hard, but faced with such a major crisis, he was already panicking.

"I don't know either," Sun Qiang shook his head.

If only the master were here. With his status and strength, he could easily settle this matter. If the young master were here, he was clever and resourceful and might also resolve the crisis.

But he... really couldn't think of a good solution.

The murder of an emperor was too sensational.

"Let's return to the War Master Hall first and find a way to contact the young master."

After thinking for a long time without knowing what to do, Sun Qiang had to say.

"We have no choice..."

Elder Xu and the others knew that this young master of their benefactor was a seven-star master teacher who had successfully challenged the hall and possessed extraordinary skills. Only by finding him could they come up with a solution.

The group hurried toward the War Master Hall.

After they left, a figure struggled a few times in a corner of the palace, trying to stand up, but ultimately failed.

"This... is a huge disaster. I must notify the Master Teacher Hall as soon as possible!"

After adjusting for three hours, feeling the medicine's effect weaken, he finally stood up and quickly left the palace.

By then, it was already broad daylight. He changed clothes before arriving at the Master Teacher Hall... He turned out to be a seven-star master teacher!

Master Wu had previously followed Zhang Xuan's advice and sent someone to tail this Chu Tianxing to investigate any irregularities... The one sent was this man!

He had hidden himself quietly, intending to find evidence against the emperor, but never dreamed he would witness Liu Yang and the others killing the sovereign. He too had been poisoned... and lacked the strength to stop them.

"Elder An, you're here. Master Song arrived early this morning and is furious..."

Seeing him enter, a master teacher hurried over.

"Master Song?" Elder An frowned.

"He's a quasi-eight-star master teacher sent from the Qianchong Empire branch. After Master Zhang's hall challenge, Hall Master Gou reported it to headquarters, and they sent him. He arrived today..." the master teacher explained.

"Quasi-eight-star?" Elder An's pupils contracted.

Between seven-star and eight-star master teachers, there were two titles: half-step eight-star and quasi-eight-star!

Those whose cultivation reached true Out-of-Body realm were qualified to be called half-step eight-star, while those at the peak of Out-of-Body were called quasi-eight-star!

This Master Song was at that level, meaning his cultivation had reached the peak of Out-of-Body, not far from the sixth level of the Saint Domain.

The sixth level of the Saint Domain, Domain Realm, allowed one to condense one's own domain, within which absolute power could be wielded, making one nearly invincible!

"Yes," the master teacher nodded.

"He came just in time. I'll report this matter to him and let him decide how to handle it..."

Elder An nodded.

The murder of an emperor was beyond his control. He could only report it truthfully and let the other party judge.

Following the war master, they soon arrived at the main hall of the Master Teacher Hall. Before entering, they heard an angry voice.

"Hall Master Gou was killed, Vice Hall Master Tian was killed, and so many seven-star master teachers died. Instead of finding the murderer, you act as if nothing happened. Have you forgotten the responsibilities of a master teacher, or have you grown lazy? This is a pernicious trend! I think your Qingyuan branch needs a thorough rectification! Where is Wu Rufeng? Didn't Hall Master Gou appoint him acting hall master? Where is he?"

Entering the room, they saw an old man standing in the middle of the hall, loudly reprimanding a group of elders.

This must be the legendary Master Song.

All the elders bowed their heads, not daring to breathe.

He represented the headquarters and was a quasi-eight-star master teacher. In his rage, who dared to refute him?

No wonder he was angry. A Master Teacher Hall that had stood for ten thousand years had lost both its hall master and vice hall master, along with so many seven-star master teachers... and a twenty-year-old youth had successfully challenged the hall—bringing shame to the Master Teacher Hall.

"Vice Hall Master Wu is in seclusion..." an elder said.

"In seclusion? With such a major incident, as the head of a branch, he still has the face to go into seclusion? The mood for seclusion?" Hearing this, Master Song was about to explode with rage.

The entire branch was nearly destroyed, and he could still go into seclusion... What a genius!

"Bring him to me... and also that Zhang Xuan who successfully challenged the hall. Bring him here too!" Master Song waved his arm.

"Bring... Master Zhang? Why?"

"Everything that has happened in your branch recently is related to him. I want to see with my own eyes what kind of divine being can stir up a Master Teacher Hall and a Title Empire into chaos!" Master Song snorted.

As a master teacher, adhering to the principle of seeking truth from facts, he had already conducted a special investigation before coming.

The incident began when the Loyal Prince of Qingyuan Empire arrested a steward named Sun Qiang... Then the conflict escalated, eventually leading to the hall challenge.

In just over ten days since arriving in Qingyuan City, he had caused such a commotion. He really wanted to see what kind of person this Zhang Xuan was and what abilities he had.

"Yes..." an elder responded and walked out.

Elder An stepped forward.

"Master Song, I am Elder An Rufa... I wish to report something to you."

"I've heard of you. You're a veteran elder of Qingyuan Empire. Speak freely," Master Song nodded.

"It's like this... Last night, Qingyuan Emperor Chu Tianxing imprisoned Liu Yang, a student of Master Zhang Xuan. Then... in the middle of the night, the steward Sun Qiang, along with some remnants of the Poison Hall, poisoned the entire palace guard, rescued the prisoner... and killed Chu Tianxing!"

Elder An recounted what he had witnessed in detail.

"Killed Chu Tianxing? Chu Tianxing is dead?"

Master Song's pupils contracted, and he stood frozen.

"Yes," Elder An nodded.

"Who killed him?" Master Song quickly looked over.

"It was... Master Zhang's student, Liu Yang. He killed him with one punch..." Elder An said.

"This... killing an emperor of a Title Empire shows utter disregard for the Master Teacher Hall! Outrageous! Outrageous!"

Master Song's face turned ashen.

The Master Teacher Hall guards and protects the peace of the region.

This Master Zhang, though unmatched in talent, had thrown the entire empire into chaos since his arrival, and now even the emperor had been killed by his student. How could the Master Teacher Hall explain this to the empire's people?

It was... unforgivable!

"Bring Zhang Xuan and his student to me immediately!"

Master Song clenched his teeth and fists.

With such a major incident, it must be dealt with promptly. Otherwise, if civil unrest broke out, not even the Master Teacher Hall headquarters could control the situation.

"Yes..."

Several elders accepted the order and turned to leave.

Before long, a fat man followed behind them into the hall.

"Greetings, Master Song. I am Sun Qiang, steward of Master Zhang Xuan."

The fat man clasped his hands.

"So you are Sun Qiang?" Master Song squinted at him.

To be honest, the root of everything might not be Master Zhang, but this fellow!

"Yes. Our young master is currently not in Qingyuan City..." Sun Qiang hurriedly said.

"Not here?" Master Song's face grew even darker.

"The young master and Master Wu went together to pursue the murderer of Hall Master Gou. To prevent the murderer from hearing the news and hiding, they deliberately claimed he was in seclusion."

Sun Qiang explained.

He knew the young master was not in seclusion. Since the other party was from headquarters, he had to tell the truth.

"Pursuing the murderer?"

Master Song's expression eased slightly, then he continued, "And where is that Liu Yang?"

Master Zhang was absent, but what about Liu Yang, the murderer of the Qingyuan Emperor?

Why hadn't he come?

"He..." Sun Qiang's face showed embarrassment. "He also left Qingyuan City, whereabouts unknown."

"Left, whereabouts unknown? What do you mean?"

A suffocating pressure emanated from him, making everyone around tremble. Master Song stared at the fat man before him, as if about to tear him apart.

"Reporting to Master Song, after accidentally killing Emperor Chu Tianxing, Liu Yang felt guilty and quietly left. I don't know where he went either..." Sun Qiang hurriedly said.

He was telling the truth.

After returning from the imperial city to the War Master Hall residence, he had comforted Liu Yang for a while, then urgently tried to contact the young master. After failing to reach him, when he returned, he found the young master had disappeared.

Only a letter was left.

"Quietly left? I think it's fleeing in fear of punishment!"

Master Song squinted, turned and ordered with murderous intent: "Immediately search the entire city. Capture this escaped murderer... dead or alive!"

"Yes!"

A group of master teachers walked out.

"As a mere steward, you broke the rules, led people into the imperial palace, and poisoned the guards... equally unforgivable! Guards, take this Sun Qiang into custody first. When Liu Yang is captured, they will be tried together!"

Master Song shouted.

Hearing his words, more master teachers approached.

"Take me into custody? And capture the young master?"

Unexpectedly, this Master Song made such a decision. Sun Qiang raised his eyebrows, displeased, and looked over: "How dare you! Do you know who our master is?"

"No matter who he is, rules are rules!" Master Song sneered. "Take him away!"

"Take me away? And capture the young master?"

Unexpectedly, this Master Song made such a decision. Sun Qiang raised his eyebrows, displeased, and looked over: "How dare you! Do you know who our master is?"