Chapter 41: Stigma Backfires, Hidden Sharpness Within the Cracks

Seeing Jiang Youling take the toxin-avoidance pill but not swallow it, Zhao Cheng gave a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.

"What? Junior Sister Jiang doesn't dare eat this pill? Are you afraid there's something wrong with it?"

Hearing this, Qian Zefei acted as if he were deaf, walking toward the corpse of the pig demon on the ground with an expressionless face.

"How could that be?"

Jiang Youling smiled. Under Zhao Cheng's hostile gaze, she calmly placed the pill into her mouth.

But in the next second, her expression changed violently. Her body hunched over as she clutched her stomach. "Ah! It hurts so much!"

Zhao Cheng's brow twitched, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. "What kind of act is this?"

Jiang Youling's face grew increasingly pale; she even spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed weakly to the ground, a bitter smile on her lips.

"I know Senior Brother has always disliked me. However, as a mere servant, even if I have committed a thousand faults, Senior Brother need only reprimand me! Why go to such underhanded and sinister lengths?"

"Nonsense! The pill I gave you was clearly..."

At this point, Zhao Cheng abruptly stopped. The cold light and murderous intent in his eyes toward Jiang Youling surged.

The commotion finally drew the attention of the others.

The group led by Xie Jingxing ceased their meditation and looked toward the two, their brows furrowed.

"What's happening? Why is Junior Sister Jiang collapsed on the ground? Could she have offended Senior Brother Zhao and received punishment?"

"No, I think I just heard someone say that the pill Zhao Cheng gave Junior Sister Jiang was problematic..."

As two women in white were discussing this, they saw the collapsed Jiang Youling suddenly lift her head and look toward them.

"Senior Brother Xie, save me! Senior Sisters, save me! Senior Brother Zhao has harmed me; he poisoned the toxin-avoidance pill he gave me!"

"You're lying!"

The veins on Zhao Cheng's temples bulged, and his gaze was almost predatory. "The toxin-avoidance pill I gave you was clearly a normal pill! You are intentionally spitting blood here to slander me! A mere servant attempting to falsely accuse a Deacon Disciple—do you realize the grave mistake you have made?"

Jiang Youling gave a tragic laugh. "Seniors, please judge fairly! I am but a servant, an ant; how would I dare strike a stone with an egg? Yet, since entering the Talisman Academy, I have been the only one sent to perform the labor of turning three soakings into paper, while my fellow disciples were all exempt. I was the only one assigned the task of making ink from red sand while everyone else avoided it. As for the demon extermination in the Mulberry Remnants, my very life was at the mercy of a single transfer order from Senior Brother Zhao!"

Jiang Youling's expression was one of indignation. At this point, she spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Since entering the sect, I have compromised again and again, retreating time after time. Yet Senior Brother Zhao still refuses to let me go. Very well, servant disciples are inherently lowly, and such is my fate. But where is the righteousness of the Immortal Sect? Where are the precepts? The so-called 'Great Dao is Impartial' is nothing but a joke!"

As her final word fell, the crowd was struck with silence. Xie Jingxing spoke in a cold tone, "Ying Chao, check Junior Sister Jiang's pulse."

"Senior Brother!"

Zhao Cheng took a step forward, blocking Jiang Youling, his expression revealing a hint of anxiety. "She is making false accusations! Senior Brother, do you not believe me?"

Xie Jingxing merely gave him a cold glance. "It is precisely because I believe you that I must examine Junior Sister Jiang's body to clear your name."

Zhao Cheng's breath hitched. Having no further reason to stop them, he could only watch helplessly as Ying Chao stepped forward to check Jiang Youling's pulse.

After checking the pulse, Ying Chao's expression was complicated, looking as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.

"Speak freely."

Following Xie Jingxing's words, Ying Chao finally said, "The injury on Junior Sister Jiang is caused by the disruption of her vital energy; it does not look like the signs of poisoning. However... she has indeed been poisoned."

Zhao Cheng clenched his fists and then released them, his expression indignant. "I told you, she is intentionally spitting blood to smear me! The poison in her body is most likely something she did on purpose just to frame me! Senior Brother, you must not be deceived by this villain!"

Xie Jingxing did not engage with him, asking only, "What poison is in her body?"

Ying Chao replied, "Preliminary assessment suggests it is Bone-Eroding Powder. Once this poison enters the body, it shows no symptoms initially and remains latent for seven days. Only after seven days does it slowly take effect. When it does, the pain is like ten thousand ants gnawing at the heart, but it is not fatal. Judging by the faint toxicity in Junior Sister Jiang's body, she must have ingested the poison no more than an hour ago."

Hearing this, Jiang Youling rose and bowed to the group.

"Senior Brother Xie, Senior Sisters, please judge fairly. This Bone-Eroding Powder must have been mixed into the toxin-avoidance pill by Senior Brother Zhao, forcing me to ingest it so that he could leave no trace while leaving a way to retaliate against me later. As for my injuries and my previous words, they were born of necessity because I suspected Senior Brother Zhao!"

Hearing this, Ying Chao couldn't help but steal another glance at Jiang Youling.

This servant junior sister was incredibly bold, actually using herself as bait to slander a white-clad Senior Brother who had already entered the Dao!

If this scheme had failed, she would surely have faced severe punishment.

But she had gambled correctly; Zhao Cheng had indeed tampered with the pill!

However... even if she had gambled correctly, what of it? Without evidence, as long as Zhao Cheng denied it, even Senior Brother Xie could not do anything to him!

After all, Zhao Cheng could simply claim that the poison was ingested by Jiang Youling beforehand, and that this entire performance was self-staged to put her in a disadvantageous position.

Sure enough, just as the thought arose, Zhao Cheng's furious voice rang out.

"Absurd! I am a Deacon of the Talisman Academy; why would I use such sinister methods to harm you?"

Zhao Cheng looked at Jiang Youling with a look of heartbroken indignation. "Junior Sister Jiang, I know your temperament is unruly and difficult to manage. Since Junior Sister Zhu took leave, I specifically gave you this opportunity for cultivation, hoping that after witnessing the ferocity of demonic beasts, you would settle your heart and focus on your training. Who would have thought you would repay kindness with resentment by poisoning yourself to frame me! How can the reputation and lineage of our Talisman Academy tolerate someone of such wretched character?"

With that, he bowed deeply to Xie Jingxing. "I implore Senior Brother Xie to take charge and expel Jiang Youling from the Talisman Academy!"

Xie Jingxing's eyes darkened slightly as he looked at Jiang Youling composedly. "Junior Sister Jiang, you say Zhao Cheng tampered with the toxin-avoidance pill. Do you have evidence?"

Evidence?

Zhao Cheng sneered inwardly. He had watched her swallow that pill with his own eyes; it dissolved instantly upon entering her mouth. Where could there be any evidence?

Yet, the young girl suddenly raised her head, her gaze calm. "To answer Senior Brother, I have evidence."

Zhao Cheng was startled. He saw the girl raise her hand, revealing a small crescent moon shape at the tip of her rounded fingernail.

It turned out that before taking the pill, Jiang Youling had used her nail to scrape off a small amount of medicinal powder and hidden it in the crevice of her nail.

Seeing the tiny bit of black powder hidden under the nail, Zhao Cheng's face changed repeatedly. Finally, he could not help but stumble back a step.

A strange light flashed in Xie Jingxing's eyes before quickly vanishing. "Junior Sister Ying, take the powder and perform the identification method."

"Yes."

Ying Chao stepped forward and carefully extracted the powder. He first smelled its scent and identified its color, then took a spiritual needle and a bottle of unknown liquid to begin the verification.

Zhao Cheng's face was grim as he stared intently at Ying Chao's movements, constantly calculating a way out in his heart.

He could no longer deny the charge, but since Senior Brother Xie was presiding over this matter and he shared a good private friendship with him, perhaps he could plead for mercy and have this matter minimized or settled quietly.