Although this particular Iron Guard didn’t know Yao Chen’s father very well, he was aware that he was someone who had sacrificed his life in his position as an Iron Guard. Naturally the Iron Guard wouldn’t treat Yao Chen badly, and he even went out of his way to show consideration for him by secretly reminding Yao Chen not to lose his cool.
However, Yao Chen had difficulty calming down in his current state. Just how could he take these words to heart? Two years worth of preparations, two years of suffering, two years of living under a seal… everything had been for today’s success! However some scum had exchanged his medicinal ingredients which would now cause him to fail at this last moment… not being able to hold back his anger he shouted, “He stole and switched out my medicinal ingredient!”
“Don’t speak nonsense. This whole course of events was secretly monitored by me and I can guarantee there wasn’t such a thing.” The Iron Guard frowned and his voice was much stricter now. He had already given a reminder so it could be considered he had given enough face at this point, but now Yao Chen’s words were just completely irrational, making it difficult for him to behave with extra sincerity. The entire Medicine Competition’s events were all being watched by countless people. Attempting to steal and switch out a medicinal ingredient… let alone Yao Feng, even a Dou Sheng would find it impossible under everyone’s gazes!
BOOM!!!
Just at this moment, Yao Chen’s medicinal cauldron suddenly started to rumble, and jet-black smoke started to puff out, bringing with it a thick burnt smell. Without the Starry Heavens Grass’ medicinal nature, the various medicinal ingredients had lost their equilibrium and collapsed.
Yao Chen turned to look at, and a dizzy spell came over him. Once again turning back to the Iron Guard in his way, he just didn’t know what to do.
“No, if it weren’t for him switching out my Starry Heavens Grass and replacing it with Stardust Grass…” All his hopes, in the final moment before his success, ended up being crushed. It took all he had just to maintain his reason….
With a raging bellow he tried to get past the Iron Guard and rush at Yao Feng!
Only now did he realize that Yao Feng’s fake excuse of lending him the Preserving Fire Cauldron’s actual goal was to switch out his medicinal ingredient. And he had actually succeeded!
At this time, two figures appeared beside Yao Chen, the punishment hall’s chief Yao Wangui and the extremely prestigious elder Yao Wanhuo.
“Who let him act out like this? Hurry up and take him down the arena.” Yao Wangui indifferently told the Iron Guard, not even looking at Yao Chen.
“Yes. Yao Chen.” The Iron Guard signalled Yao Chen with his eyes, hinting at him to go down, which at least could be considered as giving face.
“I can go down, but how will Yao Feng’s stealing of my Starry Heavens Grass be taken care of?”
“What are these lies? Yao Chen, before you speak you should consider running the words through your head before opening your mouth.” Only now did Yao Wangui coldly stare at Yao Chen, his mouth curling slightly in complete contempt.
Yao Chen ground his teeth, but his rage was too strong and he continued speaking, “Please can these various elders examine whether Yao Feng really stole and switched out my medicinal ingredients.”
“Good! You really are reckless!”
Yao Wangui beckoned with his hand, and three Iron Guards appeared beside him. These three Iron Guards’ attire was clearly different from that of the first Iron Guard. On top the ordinary robes were special symbols that had been drawn with a secret technique. These were the inner Iron Guards who were part of the punishment hall, and furthermore their strength had reached at least that of a Dou Wang.
“You three, was there any cheating or fraud?”
“Chief, there was definitely no cheating- this kid’s words are complete nonsense.”
The three Dou Wang Iron Guards expressions were like snakes- icy and cold. It was their responsibility to secretly guard and prevent fraud from occurring in this arena. If Yao Chen’s accusation of Yao Feng replacing his medicinal ingredient ended up being correct then the three of them would lose quite a bit of merit this year, and their techniques and resources would fall behind their peers. Therefore Yao Chen’s persistence in this matter caused the three of them to feel quite a bit of hatred towards him, so naturally they would not give him credit.
“Impossible.” Yao Chen’s expression turned from ashen to white. He knew that the important Medicine Competition had people secretly patrolling so that no one could commit fraud, but if it wasn’t Yao Feng who stole his medicinal ingredient… then just how could his Starry Heavens Grass become Stardust Grass?
“What? You want to insult us by saying we can’t do our own jobs?” The three Dou Wang Iron Guards’ gaze became even more icy cold.
“I….”
“Trying to find excuses for your own failure isn’t wrong, it’s just human nature. But you actually slandered your own clan. As the chief of the punishment hall, this is something that I absolutely won’t allow to occur.”
After Yao Wangui said his frosty words, he turned towards the distant elder’s high stage and cupped his hands, before once again coldly admonishing Yao Chen, “Under my authority as chief of the punishment hall, I banish you from the clan. Within thirty years you are not allowed to step foot within the clan’s territory. You can choose to atone for your crimes with some meritorious acts, or you can just choose to degenerate from now on, but you absolutely are not allowed to consider yourself as one of the Yao clan for the next thirty years. If such a thing becomes known, then there will no longer be a place for you in this world. Someone come and bring him down.”
BOOM!
Two more Iron Guards suddenly appeared on top the stage. Sandwiching Yao Chen between them, they forcibly brought him down the stage.
It was very evident they were disgracing him in front of all the eyes of crowd.
On top the stage, elder Yao Lan’s mouth was gaping, and turning towards First Elder Yao Wanhuo, he whispered, “First Elder, this child’s talent is quite good, and although he was a bit violent and unruly, it isn’t enough to kick him out the Yao clan….”
Yao Wanhuo knit his forehead, but in the end didn’t say anything. The clan had its own equilibrium, and ever since Yao Wangui had become chief of the punishment hall, he had not had many opportunities to give him face. If at this time he decided to open his mouth it was true that he could protect Yao Chen, but this would inevitably cause a conflict between the First Elder’s side and the punishment hall’s side. This kind of conflict had quite a large effect on the Yao clan’s prosperity… was it worth it for just a branch family disciple with a bit of talent?
Yao Lan once again spoke, “Elder, this child should indeed be punished, but why not just let him atone for his crimes by forcing him into seclusion meditation and refining the Violet Flame Pill for ten years? We can’t just because of a bit violence expel someone out the clan; this would cause the people to feel like we are too cold.”
Yao Wanhuo glanced at Yao Lan; although Yao Lan was just the lowest level of elder as a clan school elder, within the clan he was the undisputed best at teaching alchemy to children. Since he had actually decided to successively speak out, this face was something he could still give.
“Cough, Wangui, isn’t expelling him from the clan a bit too heavy of a punishment? How about switching it to isolation and refining?” Yao Wanhuo faintly said, extending his hand.
“For elder Yao Wanhuo to open his mouth, he must have already considered the matter carefully. But as for my punishment being too heavy, I’m afraid that I didn’t come to it for no reason. It’s simply that Yao Chen is notorious for his crimes, and not expelling him from the clan would harm the general mood of the clansmen.”
“Notorious for his crimes?”
Yao Wanhuo turned his head to look at Yao Lan.
Yao Lan looked blankly, also not knowing just what crimes Yao Wangui was talking about. In his knowledge, for the past two years Yao Chen had always been conscientious and low profile; he had never caused any kind of incidents.
“You guys, come up.”
Yao Wangui waved his hand and a couple youngsters walked over from the side.
“You guys, report the words you told me yesterday to the elders.”
“Yes, reporting to the elders, some time ago we personally saw Yao Chen steal top grade Tiger Flame Grass.”
“Tiger Flame Grass?” Yao Wanhuo immersed himself in his memories; the clan treasury was extremely short on Tiger Flame Grass since any new supplies were all directly taken away by elder Yao Xiao. Apparently he was trying to refine an eighth tier medicinal pill, and the Tiger Flame Grass was the best medicinal ingredient for merging their medicinal properties. For Yao Chen to be able to take out Tiger Flame Grass at this time as a poor branch family was indeed suspicious.
“Yes, we personally saw Yao Chen steal Tiger Flame Grass from elder Xiao.”
“You bastards, this top grade Tiger Flame Grass was clearly given to him be my big brother. Elders, my big brother happened upon a large amount of Tiger Flame Grass a month ago outside the clan. This is also recorded within the clan treasury’s notes.”
The fatty Luo Shu had jumped up. Just now he had almost been scared stupid, but now he had recovered and loudly defended Yao Chen.
“This was also investigated by me. According to the notes left by Luo Shan, he handed over all his Tiger Flame Grass and didn’t keep any for himself.” Yao Wangui indifferently replied. Apparently he had long since made his preparations.
“Impossible!” Luo Shu stood blankly, repeatedly shouting.
“You decided to speak without even knowing the whole story. Since it was for your friend, I won’t bring up how you brought up all this hubbub to your seniors, but the next time you open your mouth you better remember to ask permission from your superiors,” Yao Wangui coldly said.
Luo Shu’s face whitened, and while he wanted to refute him, he didn’t know what to say. Yao Wangui’s body was emitting an aura that made him feel extremely terrified, and his father and brother had just received a mission from the clan yesterday so they had both left the clan, making them unable to bear witness for Yao Chen. Obviously nobody would believe him if he tried to speak for them.
At this time, the few degenerates of the clan school started telling a vivid and colorful story of how they had seen Yao Chen sneak out from near elder Yao Xiao’s estate. They had followed him and finally identified him before being driven away by his mother. After thinking about it for a month and not seeing Yao Chen come out to confess his crimes, they ended up deciding to go to the punishment hall to report it.
“Originally we thought that he would surrender himself to the punishment hall once he realized that we knew about it, but he unexpectedly continued acting calm and innocent like he was greater than the heavens, and only then did we decide we had to report it to the punishment hall. We can’t allow filth to pollute our Yao clan’s morals.”
Yao Wangui waved his hands that the youngsters all gallantly bowed with vigor before shooting a glance at Yao Chen and withdrawing.
“Yao Chen, it’s not like I didn’t give you a chance. Looking at your talented performance at the Medicine Competition, I had wanted to suppress this, but you actually crazily accused a clan member of stealing your medicinal ingredients as an excuse for your failed refinement. This is too selfish for us to allow you to continue staying in the clan. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Being forcibly pressed down in midair from his left and right by the Iron Guards, Yao Chen’s whole body was already trembling. With black and white mixed up and with no way to argue, it wouldn’t make a different whatever he said. Only three words came out from his tightly clenched teeth: “It wasn’t me!”
“Bring him down. You have twelve hours. Leave the Yao clan; otherwise you will be considered a rebel.”
Yao Chen’s whole body shook; twelve hours and he had to leave the Yao clan?
Turning his head around, the seven disciples remaining were still refining their medicinal pills, and amongst them Yao Feng especially hadn’t even turned his head to pay attention here.
At this time, the two Iron Guards simultaneously forced Yao Chen down, continuing in that manner the entire mountain path until they reached Yao Chen’s house before throwing him down to the ground.
One of them coldly reminded him, “Twelve hours.”
Yao Chen crawled back up on his arms only to see his home’s door open and his mother come out with concerned questioning expression.
“Chen-er what happened?”
“Mother….” Seeing his mother, Yao Chen’s heart felt indescribably panicked and he didn’t know just where to start explaining. The two iron Guards glanced at each other before coldly answering, “Yao Chen is guilty of severe crimes and has been banished out of the Yao clan by the punishment hall. You are his mother? You have twelve hours to say goodbye. If after twelve hours he is still here, the Yao clan will treat it as a crime worthy of the death penalty.”
After saying that, the two Iron Guards still didn’t leave and instead took up position outside the house. Obviously they were the people in charge of his banishment.
Yao Qing felt so dizzy it was like the sky was spinning and the earth was moving beneath her. Yao Chen had been expelled from the clan?
“Crime? What crime?”
The two Iron Guards didn’t respond again, and within their eyes was only a cold and detached indifference to anything outside executing their mission.
Yao Qing understood this so she no longer questioned them, instead pulling on Yao Chen she asked, “What happened?”
“Mom, I….”
Yao Chen lowered his head as he systematically told her everything that had just happened.
“Mom, it was definitely Yao Feng who switched out my Stardust Grass, otherwise there’s no way I would have failed!”
Yao Qing took a deep breath, and a trace of strange redness appeared on her face.
“So it was actually like this… dumb son, he didn’t switch it, he just dug a trap for you which you stupidly jumped into. The real Stardust Grass… it was that day… cough….”
She only managed to say part of what she wanted before her complexion suddenly turned crimson, and a streak of red blood overflowed from the corner of her mouth.
“Mom?!”
Yao Qing patted Yao Chen’s head, “Don’t worry, your mom… originally I wanted to see that day, but it looks like I don’t have any more time.”
After these two years, with the pain of losing her husband as well as what she had to invest in Yao Chen, her body had long since started to break down. It was just that no one had known. Previously she had wanted to inform him after his competition, but just in the short time while she gathered medicinal herbs for Yao Chen she had already overdrafted her strength. No longer able to support herself, she had had no choice but to return home midway to rest.
When Yao Chen participated in the Great Competition, it wasn’t that Yao Qing didn’t want to go watch, it was just that she was too weak… every time she would return from outside she was already basically unable to endure it anymore so she would always hide inside the house to heal.
Today, her blood and qi had started to rebel, and she was no longer able to endure. These past two years she had always kept a severe expression on her face for Yao Chen, but now it returned back to her gentle and tender character. Gently holding Yao Chen’s hand, she said, “Chen-er, leaving the clan might actually be an opportunity for you. The main bloodline… haha, with the main bloodline here, even if you were supremely talented there still might not be a place for you. Leaving will be your chance. However, you absolutely must not forget your father’s final wish. You have to become a man capable of supporting heaven and earth, becoming someone that will make everyone present regret what they’ve done to you today….”
“Mom, you should stop talking, stop talking. I know, I know….”
Yao Chen felt like he had been dropped into a hole of ice, his whole body trembling. With every word his mother spoke, more blood would continue overflowing from her mouth.
“Mom can’t take care of you anymore. These are your father’s experiences and notes on refining, inside is… cough….” But after midway, Yao Qing couldn’t hold it back and a coughing fit overtook her.
“Mom!”
In a great rush Yao Chen picked up his mom and he carried her in, laying her on a bed for her to rest on.
“Mom, I’ll go find an elder.”
“Don’t. Mom’s illness is something that mom already understands. Make your preparations; take everything in the alchemy room. Remember, when you leave you mustn’t go by the major roads; take the mountain paths. When the main bloodline takes action, they always make sure to eliminate the roots of the problem… don’t wait; while the Medicine Competition is still taking place, hurry and leave now!”
“But, mom you….”
“Do you want to make me angry enough to die or are you waiting to watch your mom die!”
Yao Chen shuddered, and teardrops started to flow down his face.
“Don’t cry, you’re not allowed to cry. If you want to become a man capable of holding up the heavens and fulfilling your dad’s dying wish… you can’t cry in front of your mom….”
Yao Qing closed her eyes. Her voices became weaker and weaker, and while her words were strict, but her heart was crying inside.
“Immediately prepare your things, and in one hour… by one hour you must leave towards the mountain paths.”
“Yes mom.”
Yao Chen forcibly calmed down and collected himself. Quickly rushing towards the training room, he collected some food and Soldier Grain Pills into his storage ring, and then from another part of the room he collected a couple pitch-black pill bottles which he carefully arranged before returning to his mother’s room.
The sound of a fragile water drop dripping came out. “Mom, I’m going. Mom… you have to take care of yourself mom….”
“A man’s word must be followed through. If you say you’re leaving then leave now. Mom won’t have any problems, mom will……… hurry and leave.” Yao Qing turned her ahead. At this kind of moment she no longer dared to look at Yao Chen, afraid that she would no longer be able to control herself.
Yao Chen was not stupid. His mother had already cleared up the misleading lies and mystery surrounding what had just happened. He was already extremely clear that the banishment from the clan was only the first step. The people conspiring against him would definitely pull the weeds up by the root. There was definitely a hidden reason for them to give him twelve hours to leave instead of forcing him out immediately.
And so let alone leaving in twelve hours, even leaving now would still be extremely dangerous.
Turning towards his mother on the bed, he kowtowed ten times towards her with all his strength, to the point where even his forehead started to bleed. Borrowing this strength, he charged out his house directly to the path out of the clan.
If he wanted to leave the Yao clan, then he needed to go through a transportation formation. With the Medicine Competition currently underway, there were quite a few Iron Guards supervising.
“Yao Chen? Why did you come here? What happened to you?”
By luck, amongst the Iron Guards was surprisingly someone who had been one of his father’s brothers. Seeing Yao Chen, he questioned him warmly,
“Uncle Dian, it’s hard to explain. If you can help me stop the two Iron Guards behind me from following me outside the clan, in my lifetime I will definitely pay you back greatly in any way I can!”
Being called Uncle Dian by Yao Chen gave this Iron Guard a special feeling. Yao Chen quickly ran into the transport formation. Uncle Dian knew that this must involve some kind of major affair, but looking Yao Chen’s forehead that was covered in blood, he ground his teeth and shouted, “Start the transport formation!”
The various Iron Guards all exchanged glances, but they swiftly start the formation. In the blink of an eye, Yao Chen’s figure faded away till nothing remained.
When he reappeared he was at a different transport formation. An unfamiliar odor assaulted his nose. Yao Chen decided to madly rush in the direction of the major road.
Only after several minutes passed did the two Iron Guards get transported over with a furious expression. Grabbing a disciple who was in charge of this transport formation he vehemently asked, “Just now a kid came through here. Which direction did he go?”
“Uh… he went north.”
One of the Iron Guards was about to go chasing, but the other person suddenly pulled him back, saying, “Wait a sec, this brat is very tricky. If you and I decide to chase him down in this manner and then lose him, the responsibility would all be ours. We should go back and inform the Punishment Chief. This kind of matter must be done properly by the Punishment Chief’s trusted aides.”
The Iron Guard who had been about to chase after Yao Chen felt his heart grow cold. With this reminder he realized that this kind of issue wasn’t something they should pursue. If they overdid it then they not be able to curry favor with the punishment hall and instead end up being quietly eliminated. Moreover the Punishment Chief might even have follow-up methods to deal with this issue, although this was just a guess of theirs. Their orders were simply to monitor him, and only within the clan. Now that he had left the clan’s territory it naturally meant that their mission was over.
“Don’t worry, I left a trace on him so it can be said we did our part. As for the dirty work, someone else will go deal with it.”
“Good. Let’s go back now and give them our report.”