What was he thinking? Naturally, it was about his distant cousin Xiao Rongqi's position as sect leader.

Even if Xie Jin Yan didn't say it explicitly, the elders were well aware of this.

So… Xiao Yucheng framed Xiao Rongqi, hoping to use the scandal of Xiao Rongqi and his disciple's illicit affair to expel him from the sect. That way, Xiao Yucheng, as the closest blood relative of the Xiao generation, would naturally ascend to the coveted position of sect leader.

Originally, the elders were completely bewildered, but after Xie Jin Yan's explanation, they suddenly understood.

Especially Elder Liu, whose eyes flashed with a sharp glint, and his gaze towards Xiao Yucheng became even more disgusted.

Zhai Ying couldn't help but spit at Xiao Yucheng, disdainfully saying, "Shameless scoundrel! You think you can become the sect leader? Xiao Yucheng! Don't daydream. Even if Rongqi *shixiong* (senior martial brother) doesn't want the position, it wouldn't be yours, you filthy creature."

"Heh, no wonder Qu Shanshan from your faction is so promiscuous and dissolute. It turns out the upper beam isn't straight, so the lower beam is crooked!"

Zhai Ying already had a bad impression of Xiao Yucheng, and now that she understood the situation, she was even more convinced that Xiao Yucheng was deliberately framing Xiao Rongqi for the sake of the sect leader position.

The other elders also spoke up, and aside from a few of Xiao Yucheng's lackeys, most of them condemned Xiao Yucheng.

Xiao Yucheng naturally refused to accept this and immediately retorted to the elders, claiming that Yu Qingwu and Xie Jin Yan were framing him.

But how could the elders believe him?

It would be one thing if Xie Jin Yan was lying and slandering, but Yu Qingwu had always been the most upright child.

Just at that moment, Qingwu squeezed out a few tears, her pear blossom-like face, tender and weak with grievances, made the elders even more convinced of her words.

Led by Zhai Ying and Elder Liu, they cursed Xiao Yucheng even more harshly.

They called him a parasite of the Xiao family, saying that if it weren't for his surname being Xiao, a useless thing like him wouldn't even be fit to clean the latrines in the Xiao Sect.

Xiao Yucheng was usually puffed up by people like Qu Shanshan and believed that his abilities and bloodline were above Xiao Rongqi's. Now that he was being scolded to his face like this, how could he stand it? He immediately sarcastically said that Zhai Ying was an old spinster who had never married. He made it sound nice, saying she was sacrificing herself for the sect, but in reality, it was because she had an affair with her stepbrother when she was young, which led to her fiancé's family calling off the engagement…

In any case, the elders split into two factions and cursed each other in a chaotic mess.

On the other hand, the 'victim' Xiao Rongqi still maintained his refined demeanor, and his well-maintained face was as calm as a pool of water.

Looking at this scene, Yu Qingwu was completely dumbfounded.

Staring blankly at the elders who were spitting and splattering for a moment, she subconsciously shrank closer to Xie Jin Yan's side, and said with some horror, "Your Highness, these… the elders are too… crude, aren't they?"

"Crude? You call this crude?" Xie Jin Yan smiled, pointed to Zhai Ying, who was almost tearing Xiao Yucheng apart, and said in a low voice, "A'Wu, about *shishu* (martial aunt) Zhai Ying, do you know what she used to do? Before she joined the Xiao Sect, she was originally a butcher. And Elder Liu, he was originally a cook."

"Furthermore, there's Xiao Yucheng. Although the Xiao clan is a large clan, it's also divided into several branches. Not everyone is as gentle and refined as *shifu* (master). Xiao Yucheng's ancestors were originally breeders. His family lived by raising pigs. Later, in Xiao Yucheng's grandfather's generation, they developed the breeding industry to its peak, so they were able to scrape together some money to send Xiao Yucheng's father to school, but… unfortunately, Xiao Yucheng and his father were not cut out for studying. Later, when there was really no other way, they sent both father and son to the Xiao Sect to be disciplined by the then-sect leader."

"It's a pity that in a great battle with an enemy country, almost all of the Xiao clan's direct line died. Among the direct line of the Xiao Sect, only *shifu*, Xiao Fengyun, and *shifu*'s uncle are of proper origin."

"In order to revitalize the Xiao clan, *shifu*'s uncle recruited many disciples with extremely strong talents but poor backgrounds from the *jianghu* (martial world)."

"For example, *shishu* Zhai Ying, Elder Liu, and others. Although they have been in the Xiao Sect for decades, their personalities have already been formed. Usually, they look kind and approachable, serious and dignified, but if you provoke them, they will become like this now…"

As Xie Jin Yan explained, he picked up his teacup and took a sip, pointed to Zhai Ying, who was wrestling with Xiao Yucheng, gently leaned closer to Yu Qingwu's ear, and said with a gloating tone, " *Shijie* (senior martial sister), who do you think will win this round? I bet on *shishu* Zhai. After all, *shishu* Zhai can carry five hundred catties of raw pork with one hand…"

Ah!

Indeed!

As soon as Xie Jin Yan finished speaking, Yu Qingwu heard a loud noise in the hall.

She was startled and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Xiao Yucheng being thrown like a dead pig by Zhai Ying at Qu Shanshan's feet. Qu Shanshan was already scared silly. Seeing this situation, she was immediately frightened and cried, subconsciously wanting to burrow into Xiao Fengyun's arms beside her.

Seeing this, Xiao Fengyun suddenly pushed her away.

"Ah!" In the next moment, Qu Shanshan let out a miserable scream.

It was unknown how Xiao Fengyun pushed her, but he just happened to push her to Xiao Yucheng's side. Zhai Ying, who was red-eyed from the fight, mistakenly thought that Qu Shanshan was trying to help, so she immediately delivered a vital-point kick, sending Qu Shanshan flying a zhang (approx. 3.3 meters), knocking over the table behind her. It just so happened that there was hot tea on the table, and the tea and the pot all smashed onto Qu Shanshan's back.

In an instant, scalding tea water mixed with sharp ceramic shards poured down Qu Shanshan's back and cheeks.

The excruciating burning and dull pain immediately made Qu Shanshan realize what had happened. She reached out in horror and touched the top of her head.

She actually… felt a hand full of blood!

Staring at the bright red blood, Qu Shanshan screamed in horror.

"Ah! My head! My head! It hurts so much!"

The sharp and panicked voice echoed throughout the hall. The several elders who were fighting fiercely were stunned and turned back to look at Qu Shanshan, but after seeing clearly, they suddenly came back to their senses and retreated in fright, leaving only Qu Shanshan rolling on the ground, groaning in extreme pain.

At this moment, Xiao Rongqi, who had not spoken all along, finally spoke.

A rare look of sharpness appeared on his face, and he shouted angrily, "Look at yourselves, what do you look like! Each of you is so old and still fighting! What is this place? Is this the marketplace? What are you? Are you thugs?"

Xiao Rongqi's face was cold, and he glared fiercely at Xiao Yucheng, who wanted to retort, and then looked at Qu Shanshan on the ground, and instructed him, "And you, Xiao Yucheng, I must have been too indulgent with you in the past, to the point that you don't even know how to be a *shifu*. Go, take Qu Shanshan down to heal her injuries first. As for the others, we'll talk about it later."

Later?

How much later?

After they left, would this matter just be over?

So… *shifu* still intends to smooth things over.

Yu Qingwu frowned slightly, looked at Elder Zhai, who calmly sat back on his chair, and saw Zhai Ying exchange a look with *shifu* Xiao Rongqi. In a moment of恍然 (sudden realization), she seemed to understand something.