Pursuit of the Truth

“I lack a servant,” Su Ming said flatly while standing in the air. He cast a glance at Bei Qiong, who was in his right hand. By then, Bei Qiong’s face had already become pale. When Su Ming looked over, he looked full of despair and was begging for mercy.

“Sect Elder Wang, if you value this person, then it is his serendipity. We had some misunderstandings between us just now, so I hope that you will not mind.”

The white-robed scholar stood up and spoke respectfully to Su Ming. He did not suspect Su Ming’s identity. THey were within Seven Moons Sect, so no one would dare to pretend to be the sect elder.

And Su Ming was still a member of Seven Moons Sect. If he pretended to be a sect elder, he would be exposed in a moment. Ripples had spread out of the plate once it appeared, but up till then, no sect elder had come forth, which was a very telling sign of what was going on.

“Sect Elder Wang, I hope you will be magnanimous enough to forgive me. I had been careless previously. If this disciple is fortunate enough to become your servant, then it is his serendipity,” Old Chen quickly said while forcing a smile on his face.

There was terror in his eyes; fear had been instilled deep in his heart towards Su Ming. It was not due to him being intimidated by his level of cultivation, but his status in the sect. It destroyed any desire Old Chen had to provoke him. In fact, the regret he felt at that moment had already caused his heart to tremble.

Su Ming shook his head. When the hearts of the people let out a thump, his gaze landed on Old Chen. There was still the ghost of a smile on his face.

“Becoming my servant is a serendipity?”

“Yes… this is naturally a great serendipity. It is a chance everyone dreams of having. Bei Qiong, follow Sect Elder Wang obediently. You have to set an example for your junior and senior brothers!” Old Chen said quickly.

“Then… you come with me. The servant I choose is not Bei Qiong, but you.” Su Ming’s words were calm, but when they landed in Old Chen’s ears, he felt as if thunder had roared by his side. He was left stunned, and his expression changed drastically again. He instinctively moved back.

“This… This is… I…” He was practically speechless. “Sect Elder Wang, I am the chief attendant of the outer sect. This is… This is just…” Cold sweat broke out on Old Chen’s forehead.

“Sect Master Xu, I don’t really know much about the sect rules, so I’ll let you handle this matter.” Su Ming’s smile remained the same. Since Old Chen had insisted on using sect rules against him, then Su Ming would also use sect rules against him.

In truth, targeting the old man was not something Su Ming would do based on his personality. He would just kill him normally, but when Su Ming Possessed Wang Tao, he sensed Wang Tao’s hate for the old man. It was a hate that could not be resolved by just killing the old man. It could only fade away by continuously tormenting him.

Since Su Ming had Possessed Wang Tao, he did not mind satisfying some of the deceased boy’s wishes.

“This matter… Sect Elder Wang, based on sect rules, sect elders can decide the fates of all disciples in the outer sect and inner sect at will, including the attendants. If they fight back, then you can kill them straight away!

“But if other sect elders come to stop you, then the Sect Elder Council will make a decision,” the white-robed scholar swiftly explained. As he did, he cast Old Chen a cold glare.

Su Ming nodded, then closed his eyes. After ten something breaths passed, he opened his eyes and smiled faintly at Old Chen.

“Looks like no other sect elders are going to stop me. As for you… do you want to be my servant… or do you want to be wiped off?” Su Ming’s voice was faint, but to Old Chen, it sounded like a funeral bell. He looked around him while trembling, then gritted his teeth.

“I am willing to be the servant of the sect elder!”

When he said those words, the bitterness in his heart could not be described with words, but what else could he do besides that? He could see Su Ming’s killing intent, and if he refused, Su Ming would immediately open his mouth and order him killed.

If he fought back, he would die in an even more wretched manner!

He had the most supreme will in Seven Moons Sect, the will of the sect elders who stood above all other people!

“Then come with me.”

Su Ming nodded at the white-robed scholar with his expression as calm as ever. He cast a glance at Old Chen, then turned around while still holding the pale Bei Qiong in hand and turned into a long arc that left into the distance.

Old Chen was conflicted. While feeling uneasy and terrified, he had to fly after Su Ming. He continuously comforted himself by saying that his level of cultivation clearly surpassed that of Su Ming. There were a lot of people around right then, so he could not do anything, but if Su Ming tried to do anything while they were in a place with few people, he could protect himself.

This thought allowed Old Chen to find a hint of confidence while quaking in his boots due to his nerves.

When Su Ming left, the crowd was too stunned by what had transpired before them to move. Only after a long time had passed did everyone disperse, and Wang Tao’s name immediately spread through the outer sect like a violent gust.

As for Su Ming’s status, the other sect elders in Seven Moons Sect clearly knew about it since a long time ago. However, none of them wanted to have this news leave, which was why the matter had become a secret.

When Su Ming revealed his own identity and exercised his power as a sect elder, the other sect elders did not stop him for such a small matter. After all… since ancient times, the number of great sect elders would mean a corresponding number of sect elders. It was something that had never changed since an eternity ago.

Those who became sect elders were the chief successor disciples of the thirteen great sect elders. They were also the greatmasters of the disciples of their Master’s line. Take, for example, Lan Lan, she was the greatmaster of the line of disciples belonging to the man with the sky-blue Daoist robe.

But eight years ago, Su Ming had been added to their number, causing the number of sect elders in Seven Moons Sect to be fourteen when there were still only thirteen great sect elders.

This should have caused a great dispute in Seven Moons Sect, but strangely… each sect elder received a message from their sleeping Master in regards to it. They were told that this was something that all great sect elders had come to agree upon!

That included the red-robed man Dao Han who had been managing Seven Moons Sect over the past few aeons. He too did not say anything, which meant that he had also tacitly agreed to it.

Because of that, when Su Ming revealed his status as a sect elder for the first time for such an insignificant matter, nobody batted an eye. It was a matter concerning Su Ming and the attendant who had guided him in the past, so everyone understood what was going on and did not wish to interfere with it. They also did not want… to offend two Sect Elders at once: Su Ming and Lan Lan!

…..

With Bei Qiong in hand, Su Ming charged to the mountain. Old Chen followed behind him. Before long, the three of them arrived at the cliff where Su Ming’s wooden house was in the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky, though they were still in reality, still just at the first layer.

Su Ming lifted his foot and stepped on the ground. His figure immediately disintegrated to turn into a shadow that enveloped Bei Qiong and Old Chen. He then charged to the area above them and vanished.

When they appeared, they were already at the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky, standing on the cliff. When Bei Qiong and Old Chen appeared, they immediately saw another Su Ming, who was sitting and meditating.

At the same time, they saw the Su Ming who had brought them turn into a shadow. He walked to the spot behind Su Ming and overlapped with his figure. Then, the meditating Su Ming slowly opened his eyes.

Su Ming lifted his right hand and pointed at Old Chen. The old man immediately let out a shrill scream of pain. His whole body was instantly covered in flames. When they spread out, they turned into a huge red kiln that enveloped Old Chen in it.

His screams lingered in the air, but the shock in his heart cause filled him with more terror than the pain he suffered. The moment before, Su Ming’s attack had been filled with a power that he found himself unable to fight against. It was as if when compared to Su Ming, he was a child. This caused his shock and the pain he felt to turn into a dual attack on his body and his soul.

Old Chen was not the only one who felt fear. Bei Qiong, whose face was completely pale at that moment, felt the same fear. The scene caused his pupils to shrink. He instinctively took a few steps backwards, but behind him was a canyon, and he could not retreat anymore. As his body shuddered, he quickly put on an obsequious look on his face.

“Sect Elder Wang, your power is as great as the heavens itself, I am…”

“Before you appeared in front of me, I’ve heard these words before, and I’m already sick of them,” Su Ming said faintly with his eyes on Bei Qiong.

“Urk…” Bei Qiong became even more nervous.

“Talk,” Su Ming said calmly.

“I-I really don’t know what to say. Sect Elder Wang, everything that went wrong is my fault. I should not have tried to peddle to you those fake medicinal cores. I’ve done wrong, I’ve truly done wrong…” Bei Qiong wailed and fell prostrate on the ground again. On his face was an incredibly regretful look.

“Tell me, who am I?”

Su Ming’s expression was the same as ever. When he lifted his right hand and pointed at Bei Qiong, a gust of black wind immediately appeared and instantly blew at him. While spinning swiftly in the area, it immediately became like a sharp blade that caused Bei Qiong to scream in pain.

Countless fine wounds appeared on his body, and when the black wind blew past them, they immediately began rotting. The threat of death instantly filled Bei Qiong’s heart.

“I will give you ten breaths to think. There is no grudges between us, and I don’t want to perform a Soulseek on you, because it will harm your life, but if you insist on not speaking…”

Su Ming’s words did not show a single hint of whether he was happy or angry. He had yet to finish speaking when the chilling intent in his words was felt by Bei Qiong.

“One,” Su Ming said flatly.

“Two…”

Within the black wind, conflict appeared on Bei Qiong’s face. When he screamed again in pain, more wounds showed up on his body, and as blood gushed out, the black wind gained a purple tint.

“Three…”

“I truly know nothing. Sect Elder Wang, please spare me. Y-y-you… You’re Sect Elder Wang, I only know that you’re Sect Elder Wang…”

“Six…”

Su Ming’s expression did not change. He watched the black wind quietly while his voice echoed in Bei Qiong’s heart like a funeral bell.

“Seven…”

“My expression only changed because I saw that you did not have a shadow. I didn’t lie to you. Sect Elder Wang, please listen to me, I… I…”

Bei Qiong’s screams became louder. By then, most of the black wind had turned purple. As it spun, some spots on Bei Qiong’s legs even started to show bone!

“Nine…”

Su Ming’s expression remained the same. When he said that number, he raised his right hand and seized the air in the direction of the black wind. Bei Qiong, while screaming in the wind, immediately started falling, and the top of his skull came to be right before Su Ming.

“Ten,” he said flatly the next moment

Right when he spoke, the black wind let out a roar, and Bei Qiong was yanked towards Su Ming. Right when Su Ming was about to grab the top of his skull and perform a Soulseek on him…

“Su Ming! Su Ming! YOU’RE SU MING!”

Bei Qiong seemed to have used up all his strength and screamed shrilly.