Outside the hall, the autumn wind was biting.
As the young girl's cold voice slowly faded.
Within the vast Ancestral Hall, a silence fell so deep that a needle drop could be heard.
Everyone present, regardless of their status, was filled with shock by the girl's casual demeanor.
For the members of the Xu Family.
Aside from the Family Head kneeling on the ground, most clansmen had not seen a High Cultivator from the Jieqing Sect with their own eyes for a long time.
Seeing one now.
only one thought remained in their minds.
Is this the so-called Dao Sect demeanor!
So domineering, so arrogant...
yet somehow, it felt perfectly natural.
Meanwhile, Lin Feiyan and the others standing at the threshold had varied expressions.
Gong Shaoqi swallowed hard and quietly leaned in, whispering to Lin Feiyan, "Senior Sister... why does it feel like her presence is much grander than yours..."
The two were, after all, Personal Disciples of the Jieqing Sect.
No matter how naive they were about the world, they were figures who could walk with their heads held high within the Sect.
But even so, she had never imagined one could put on such an act while out in the world!
For a moment.
this Favored Daughter of Heaven felt as if a door to a new world had been pushed open.
Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she stared blankly at the white-robed girl sitting in the main seat, lost in thought, not even bothering to respond to Gong Shaoqi.
Among them, the most troubled was Senior Brother Chen Yuan.
Looking at Jiang Yuechu sitting regally on the red sandalwood chair, he felt a massive headache coming on.
Although they were indeed members of the Jieqing Sect and represented the prestige of the Nine Great Dao Sects.
for their vassals, the Dao Sect would not actually interfere too much in internal power shifts or Family feuds...
If they even interfered in who headed a household, stripping away all autonomy, there wouldn't be so many powers in Yunmeng Township willing to submit to the Jieqing Sect.
As long as they continued to pay tribute on time and didn't do anything filthy to provoke the Jieqing Sect's wrath.
the Jieqing Sect wouldn't have the leisure to bother with such messy Family affairs...
But now.
this young lady had plopped herself right into their main seat.
If this behavior were to get out.
wouldn't others label the Dao Sect as overbearing for interfering in a vassal's internal affairs?
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
Head of the Xu family, who was kneeling in the center of the hall, slowly raised his head.
At this moment, the once-arrogant Xu Family Head was trembling all over, his breathing rapid.
At this life-or-death juncture, what he feared most was that the Jieqing Sect representatives would be rule-bound individuals who didn't want to get involved.
Now that this white-robed girl was acting so domineeringly.
as long as he revealed everything that vile creature had done, she would surely intervene!
"Great Cultivator of the Upper Sect, save—"
Head of the Xu family strained his raspy throat, hurrying to speak.
He had barely uttered two words.
Bang!
With a grim expression, Xu Liunian ruthlessly slammed a heavy fist into the old man's abdomen.
Head of the Xu family let out a muffled groan, his body curling up as he collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth, unable to make another sound.
Having done this.
Xu Liunian slowly straightened up, turned his head, and looked at the white-robed girl sitting on the red sandalwood chair.
An apologetic smile returned to his face as he cupped his hands in greeting.
"Pardon the unsightly scene. Some internal unpleasantness has arisen within the Xu Family, making it inconvenient to host you all from the Upper Sect."
"Why don't you all move to the guest rooms to rest for a while? Once I have completely settled this Family matter, I will personally come to apologize."
Though his words were polite and thorough.
the intent to see them out was already plain to see.
However.
what answered him was an extremely flat voice.
"Did I ask you? Let him continue."
"..."
The smile on Xu Liunian's face froze instantly.
He took a deep breath, a shadow flickering in his eyes. "Fellow Daoist, I respect you as a distinguished Disciple of the Jieqing Sect, which is why I have been courteous."
"But the Dao Sect also has long-standing written rules that it does not interfere in the internal succession of vassal families."
"By taking over as host and suppressing my Xu Family like this, do you think the Xu Family is an easy target, or are you disregarding the Dao Sect's rules entirely?"
With these words being thrown at her.
any ordinary Jieqing Sect Disciple would likely have looked troubled, unsure of how to respond.
But.
Jiang Yuechu, sitting in the main seat, slightly tilted her head, a hint of genuine confusion appearing in her dark eyes.
"What do the Jieqing Sect's rules have to do with me?"
"..."
Xu Liunian was stunned on the spot.
What did that mean?
Could it be that this woman wasn't from the Jieqing Sect at all?
His brows furrowed as he instinctively cast a questioning look toward Senior Brother Chen Yuan and the others standing below the hall.
Faced with Xu Liunian's questioning gaze.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan and the other three were also completely blank-faced.
Why look at them?
They didn't know what was going on either!
Thoughts raced through Senior Brother Chen Yuan's mind as he suddenly remembered something.
The eccentric pair of senior and junior beside him had at least used the excuse of being Inner Sect Disciples when they took on the trial.
But the white-robed girl sitting above.
had seemingly never mentioned her identity from start to finish!
Senior Brother Chen Yuan sucked in a breath of cold air.
Could it be that Junior Sister Gong really just pulled a random outsider off the street to carry out the trial?!
The Jieqing Sect did not actually forbid outsiders from entering.
Aside from certain core restricted areas, the peripheral markets and squares were full of Loose Cultivators who relied on the Dao Sect for a living.
But what Loose Cultivator would loiter outside the Deacon Hall where Sect trials were assigned?
And what Loose Cultivator would take on such a thankless trial?
Although joining a team halfway through didn't require identity verification.
when returning to the Sect for rewards and merit distribution, some form of proof would still be needed for the handover.
It was just like the pair of senior and junior beside him.
They were likely Personal Disciples of some Elder who had snuck down the mountain to play, not caring for the trial merits at all, which is why they didn't even want payment and were working for free.
But what about that white-robed girl?
If she was an outsider... what was her goal?
Seeing the clear stupidity reflected in the eyes of the four.
how could Xu Liunian not understand? He couldn't help but curse inwardly.
I'm done.
You brought this person yourselves, and yet you don't even know who she is?!
Has the grand Dao Sect fallen to such a state that its Disciples have come to this?
They would even pull a random person just to make up the numbers.
What kind of bullshit Dao Sect is this? It's probably going to collapse sooner or later!
After some internal grumbling.
Xu Liunian looked back at Jiang Yuechu, who was seated in the main seat.
"What do you mean by that? If you aren't a High Cultivator of the Jieqing Sect, what right do you have to speak here? Although my Xu Family is a vassal, we aren't some random cat or dog that anyone can just trample on."
Jiang Yuechu looked at him and shrugged.
Her sleeves moved slightly, her white robe fluttering.
She casually produced a warm Green Jade Dao Tablet from the Storage Pouch at her waist.
Jiang Yuechu tilted her head, ignoring Xu Liunian, whose expression had changed slightly.
Instead, with a touch of genuine confusion, she looked toward Senior Brother Chen Yuan below. "I am a Guest Elder of the Jieqing Sect."
"What? I Can't Interfere?"