Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Turning the Tables

Just as Ye Qingchen was lost in his thoughts, a sudden, violent knocking on the door shattered the quiet, accompanied by a series of furious curses.

”Ye Qingchen, you scoundrel, get your ass out here!”

”Ye Qingchen, you dare to plot against Brother Zhao! You deserve to die a thousand deaths! Open the door. You can’t hide today!”

Ye Qingchen frowned. The voices were unmistakably those of Zhou Quan and Wang Tao. Activating his Double Pupils, he saw Zou Mei standing with them as well.

These three deserted us in the face of danger, almost getting Brother Zhao and me killed. I haven’t even gone looking for them, yet they have the gall to show up at my door.

Ye Qingchen sneered inwardly and opened the courtyard gate.

When Ye Qingchen emerged, Zhou Quan and Wang Tao were momentarily taken aback. They had expected him to be terrified, but he appeared utterly calm and collected.

”Ye Qingchen, confess! How did you murder Brother Zhao?” Zou Mei was the first to recover, launching a verbal assault.

Her goal was to create a public narrative where Ye Qingchen had murdered Zhao Jiehui. That way, their ”revenge” would seem justified, and no one would question them for killing a fellow sect member.

Once Ye Qingchen was dead, not only would they have an answer for Li Zongrui, but they could also divide Ye Qingchen’s possessions—killing two birds with one stone.

So, on the way over, Zou Mei had crafted her story and instructed Zhou Quan and Wang Tao not to mention sharing the loot. They were to insist that Ye Qingchen had murdered Zhao Jiehui.

Zhou Quan and Wang Tao immediately understood. While inwardly marveling at how venomous a woman’s heart could be, they still agreed without hesitation.

”Me? Murder Brother Zhao? Zou Mei, you need evidence for such accusations. Falsely accusing a fellow disciple is a serious crime.”

Ye Qingchen had already used his Double Pupils to discern their intentions, but what surprised him was Li Zongrui’s involvement. However, with a clear conscience, he had nothing to fear, so Ye Qingchen remained calm as he retorted.

Seeing Ye Qingchen’s fearless demeanor, Zou Mei scoffed. ”On that day, you lured Brother Zhao into the depths of the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire. Now you return alone while he has not. If you didn’t murder him, who did?”

Before coming, Zou Mei had already checked Zhao Jiehui’s residence. He hadn’t returned, so she was certain he had died in the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire. Only the five of them had been there. With Zhao Jiehui dead, who could refute their story?

With this in mind, Zou Mei loudly berated him, ”Ye Qingchen! Brother Zhao treated you so well, yet I never expected you to be such a heartless, ungrateful wretch! To steal some meager possessions, you turned on him. How cruel you are!”

Ye Qingchen burst out laughing. Zou Mei’s words were so absurdly comical that he couldn’t even be bothered to refute them.

At this, Zhou Quan and Wang Tao finally snapped out of their stupor and joined Zou Mei’s condemnation. ”Ye Qingchen, how can you still laugh? Did you think we wouldn’t see through your vile scheme?”

”You probably don’t know the rules of our Qingyun Sect, Ye Qingchen. Anyone who harms a fellow disciple must be punished by all. You murdered the esteemed Brother Zhao, and today you will die!”

Although Ye Qingchen felt it was beneath him to argue, their ability to twist the truth compelled him to speak. ”My memory is a little different. When the Monster Beast tide appeared, the three of you abandoned Brother Zhao and me to save your own skins. You even destroyed the escape passage on your way out, cutting off our only retreat. How do you have the gall to come here and bark so shamelessly?”

Ye Qingchen’s words hit their mark, and Zhou Quan and Wang Tao’s faces flushed with shame. However, they looked bewildered when he mentioned the destroyed passage.

Ye Qingchen had only guessed this part, as he had noticed signs of deliberate sabotage in the passage after leaving the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire. After all, it had been perfectly fine when they arrived, so why would it suddenly become so fragile just as he and Zhao Jiehui needed to escape? He had said it to test them, and judging by their expressions, Zhou Quan and Wang Tao genuinely knew nothing about it.

Ye Qingchen then turned his gaze to Zou Mei. A flash of panic crossed her face. Though it vanished in an instant, it did not escape his activated Double Pupils.

Just as I thought! This woman is truly venomous!

Ye Qingchen sighed inwardly, now having a general understanding of what had happened.

Zou Mei, seemingly enraged by the exposure, roared, ”You’re still twisting the truth when you’re about to die, Ye Qingchen! We’ve teamed up with Brother Zhao many times. How could we possibly abandon him in a moment of danger? I see you won’t cry until you see the coffin!”

As she spoke, she lunged, trying to grab Ye Qingchen, but he deftly dodged her attack. While Ye Qingchen found the trio utterly repellent, he had no intention of killing them here. With his current strength, he could likely defeat Zou Mei, a fourth-level martial master, in a single blow, leaving her powerless.

”All of you, together! Seize this ungrateful bastard!” Zou Mei shouted after her attack missed. The trio moved at once, surrounding Ye Qingchen in a triangular formation.

”Ungrateful? You have the nerve to accuse others of that!”

Just then, the door to Ye Qingchen’s room swung open, and Zhao Jiehui slowly stepped out, his face stern.

After all, Zhao Jiehui was a fifth-level martial master. Moreover, a Spirit Pill from Xiao Xiao had protected his vital meridians in the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire, and Ye Qingchen had treated him promptly after their escape. It was no surprise, then, that he was now awake.

”Zhao... Brother Zhao...” Zou Mei and the others stammered, freezing on the spot as if they had seen a ghost.

”Brother Zhao, you’re awake?” Ye Qingchen was overjoyed. He pushed past the three who surrounded him and walked over to Zhao Jiehui.

Zhao Jiehui bowed respectfully to Ye Qingchen. ”Brother Qingchen, I owe you my life. I, Zhao Jiehui, would surely have died without your help. I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life and never forget it.”

Ye Qingchen smiled and waved it off. ”I wouldn’t dare take credit. As you can see, I’m currently the man who allegedly murdered you, and these people are about to kill me for revenge.”

Ye Qingchen’s tone was light, but Zhao Jiehui’s expression turned grim. The trio had just surrounded Ye Qingchen, clearly intending to punish him! They had abandoned the two of them in a perilous situation, and before he could even call them to account, they had the audacity to strike first, turning the truth on its head