Chapter 41: Jiang Churan Fiercely Protects Her Own

"Hey, say that again if you dare, and see if I don't beat you to a pulp!"

Even with the Enforcers present, Li Wudao had nothing to fear, and he offered a cold, mocking threat.

Given the talent and potential he had currently displayed, as long as he did not commit an extraordinarily grave offense, he could practically walk sideways through the sect without interference.

Besides, his nominal master was an unfathomable Martial Emperor powerhouse, which gave him plenty of backbone.

"You... you..."

That outer disciple clutched his swollen cheek, his expression shifting wildly, but in the end, he did not dare talk back.

The slap he had just received had left a psychological shadow, and his heart was still fluttering with lingering fear.

"Brother Li, I'm sorry. It's all because of me that you're implicated."

Lin Yan walked beside him, his face filled with guilt.

"We are fellow disciples, and I took an instant liking to you. You're being too formal by saying such things. How could I stand by and watch when you're in trouble?"

Li Wudao patted his shoulder, comforting him while spinning his honeyed words.

Lin Yan was the classic underdog protagonist, and since he was currently in a miserable plight, this was the absolute best time to offer timely help.

"Brother Li... No words can express my gratitude. If I ever rise to prominence in the future, I will never forget you!"

Lin Yan was moved beyond measure, and in his heart, he had already regarded Li Wudao as a sworn brother.

Li Wudao merely smiled and said nothing.

This was precisely the response he wanted from Lin Yan. It seemed the fellow had been successfully reeled in by his rhetoric.

The promise of a future top-tier powerhouse was an incredible invisible investment, far more valuable than short-term gains.

As for their conversation, the outer disciple heard it and sneered relentlessly at the corner of his mouth.

He refused to believe, even if it killed him, that an underdog talent like Lin Yan could ever flip his fortunes; it was nothing more than wishful thinking.

As for the other outer disciple, he had long since passed out from his severe injuries and had been carried elsewhere for medical treatment.

Before long, the group arrived at the Enforcement Hall.

Inside the hall, numerous stewards stood in two rows, and the Enforcement Elder sat upon the high seat, his expression stern.

"Ji Bochang, you blatantly bullied a fellow disciple and even had the audacity to commit insubordination against a true disciple. You have a lot of nerve!"

After questioning the sequence of events, the Enforcement Elder flew into a rage and prepared to severely punish that outer disciple.

"Men, strip this person of his cultivation base and expel him from the sect as a warning to others!"

Yet, to everyone's surprise, that outer disciple's expression remained calm, devoid of any trace of panic.

Just as the steward stepped forward to dismantle his cultivation base, Ji Bochang leisurely produced a dark-crystal token and calmly said, "Hold on. Does Elder Ding recognize what this is?"

The token was pitch-black, forged from some unknown crystal, with a translucent, pristine texture that exuded an aura of supreme nobility.

"This... You are..."

Elder Ding's gaze narrowed slightly. He stepped forward, took the token, glanced at it, and his expression shifted once more.

"Since you know, you surely don't need this disciple to tell you what to do next, right?"

Ji Bochang retrieved the token and offered a cold smile.

Elder Ding fell silent for a moment, then waved his hand. "Leave. This elder will make his own judgment."

Just like that, under the astonished gazes of everyone present, Ji Bochang swaggered away completely unpunished.

Before leaving, he cast a provocative glance at Li Wudao, brimming with supreme mockery.

"How can this be... Elder, this isn't fair!"

Lin Yan was unwilling to let it go, finding it impossible to accept such an outcome.

Could it be that the beatings he had suffered these past few days were just going to be brushed aside like this?

"Do not speak of this matter again, or do not blame this elder for showing you no courtesy!"

Elder Ding's expression turned somewhat ugly.

Li Wudao observed Elder Ding's expression, feeling a chill in his heart.

Such a grave offense, yet it was dismissed so lightly and let go without punishment?

The person behind Ji Bochang likely held an extraordinary status and wielded immense power within the Profound Sky Sect.

Li Wudao pondered and prepared to leave first with Lin Yan.

"Wait, you two cannot leave just yet."

Elder Ding said in a deep voice.

Li Wudao turned around, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Elder Ding, what is the meaning of this?"

"Although you are a true disciple, you nevertheless severely injured two people. That is an indisputable fact."

Elder Ding wore a stern face and ordered, "Men, drag these two away and give each of them a hundred heavy planks as a mild disciplinary measure."

Hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded.

"Elder Ding, isn't this against the rules?"

The steward who had brought Li Wudao furrowed his brows tightly.

"What? Are you questioning this elder's judgment?"

"This subordinate... dares not."

Elder Ding was, after all, an Enforcement Hall Elder and their direct superior; it was not a role a mere steward could challenge.

Although the stewards could not understand it, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and obey.

Lin Yan was completely dumbstruck, his face turning ashen as he cursed inwardly in agony.

Dammit, being beaten multiple times by those bastards these past few days was one thing, but now, not only had his plea for justice failed and the perpetrators gone free, but he himself was going to get thrashed as well? What kind of twisted logic was this?

It was utterly bullying!

Li Wudao was almost so angry he laughed.

An Enforcement Hall Elder bending the law for personal gain—was that really happening?

He grew even more curious as to whose will that dark-crystal token represented, to actually be able to drive an Enforcement Elder to publicly commit such an absurd act.

At that moment, two stewards produced iron rods as thick as a calf and walked into the hall.

Li Wudao felt completely numb.

His physical body would be fine, but Lin Yan, this weakling, would surely have his backside split open and his flesh torn to shreds if he took a hundred strikes.

There would be no need for him to participate in the upcoming New Disciple Grand Tournament in a couple of days; he wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least two or three months.

If that happened, Lin Yan's chances of remaining in the sect would dwindle even further. Without sufficient performance, he would be expelled from the sect before long.

Abruptly, Lin Yan stepped forward, his expression resolute as he said,

"Elder Ding, this matter started because of me and has nothing to do with Brother Li. If you want to beat someone, beat me."

With that, he decisively flopped face-down onto the floor and remained motionless.

Li Wudao looked at him with a trace of astonishment.

He had to admit, this fellow Lin Yan was quite reliable—when trouble struck, he truly stepped up!

Yet the problem was that if two hundred iron rods came down, this frail body of Lin Yan's would likely be crippled if not killed outright.

That would never do.

Li Wudao felt a twinge of pity, his brain spinning at high speed as he desperately racked his wits for a countermeasure.

He certainly couldn't win in a fight, so his only option was to summon help to get them out of this predicament.

However, who should he look for?

Currently, his connections within the Profound Sky Sect amounted to only a handful of people.

"Sigh, if the old man were only here..."

Li Wudao sighed regretfully. If Xia Gucheng were within the sect, all of this would be easy to resolve.

At that moment, he once again realized the crucial importance conferred by status and background.

Sometimes, hard work and talent really felt powerless in the face of pedigree.

Suddenly, a light flashed in Li Wudao's eyes, and he muttered to himself,

"Right, how could I have forgotten that girl? If Xiao Jiang steps forward, perhaps she can extricate us..."

After all, Jiang Chuoran was the Sect Master's personal disciple. In terms of status, she was on par with the masters of the major peaks, and she certainly held some weight.

Thinking of this, he hastily sent a message transmission to Jiang Chuoran, his tone incredibly urgent.

"Xiao Jiang, hurry to the Enforcement Hall right now. Someone is trying to beat me up..."

Following that, he stopped the stewards who were preparing to administer the punishment.

"Hold on. I am an old acquaintance of Jiang Chuoran, the second personal disciple of the Sect Master. I have just sent a message to her, and she is currently on her way here."

Li Wudao's tone was heavy. "If she hasn't arrived after the burning of one incense stick, I will willingly accept punishment. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourselves."

Hearing this, the stewards exchanged glances and halted their actions.

Elder Ding couldn't remain calm either; his heart skipped a beat, and he sensed a tricky situation.

He had indeed heard that the Sect Master had taken in a new disciple whose natural talent could be called the greatest in the sect's ten-thousand-year history, and it seemed her name was something like 'Jiang Chuoran'.

To be accepted by the Sect Master as a personal disciple meant her status was extraordinary, and she must not be easily offended.

Elder Ding pondered for several breaths, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, before saying, "Very well. We will wait for the time it takes an incense stick to burn."

If Li Wudao truly had close ties with the Sect Master's personal disciple, then this matter had to be handled with extreme care.

"Lin Yan, why are you still lying on the floor? Get up quickly."

Li Wudao glanced at the teenager whose backside was pointed at the sky, feeling somewhat speechless.

It seemed this guy was actually getting addicted to lying face-down.

"Oh, oh."

Realizing it belatedly, Lin Yan acknowledged the command and scrambled up in a flurry.

Time ticked away bit by bit, and everyone waited patiently.

Soon, a quarter of an hour had passed.

Lin Yan grew somewhat nervous and asked in a low voice, "Brother Li, are you truly acquainted with Senior Sister Jiang? Will she help us?"

"Naturally."

Li Wudao smiled with absolute confidence.

Jiang Chuoran still owed him so many favors she hadn't repaid yet.

Besides, she had promised on the day of his entrance that she would unconditionally protect him for a year.

Today was the day to haul her out and put her to work.

The time for one incense stick to burn came to an abrupt end.

The atmosphere inside the hall gradually grew restless.

"The time for one incense stick has passed. Begin the punishment!"

Sitting upon the high seat, Elder Ding suddenly snapped his closed eyes open, flashing a cold, fierce light.

"We're totally screwed—"

Lin Yan's face turned ashen, and his sphincter clenched tight.

Li Wudao muttered in bafflement, "Didn't Xiao Jiang say she would definitely arrive within the time of one incense stick? Calculating the time, she should have been here long ago..."

The main peak was not far from the Enforcement Hall, so the time of one incense stick should have been more than enough.

Could it be that she was delayed by some unexpected event?

"I'd like to see who dares lay a hand on him!"

At that very moment, a clear and resonant female voice rang out from outside the hall, exuding an overbearing dominance.

Jiang Chuoran had just arrived. Dressed in white like an immortal, she entered the hall with a cool and aloof demeanor, her eyes carrying a trace of anger.

Seeing that Li Wudao was unhurt, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've heard the whole story of what transpired. No doubt the elder is well aware of who is in the right and who is in the wrong, though... I can't be bothered to concern myself with those details."

Jiang Chuoran produced a purple jade token, cast a casual glance at Elder Ding, and adopted a relaxed posture.

"In short, I have only one thing to say: I am protecting Li Wudao, and you... cannot touch him!"

The young girl's phoenix eyes were calm, her tone resolute, and her expression brook no doubt.