Jiang was not the disciplinary enforcer of the Military Strategists' Hall on Dragon Tiger Mountain. Although Feng Zikang had never violated the sect's rules and thus had never faced Military Strategist punishment, Dragon Tiger Mountain upheld clear distinctions between rewards and penalties. He naturally understood the various regulations.

For matters involving violations deserving of punishment by the Enforcement Elders, it was proper to invite other Elders to observe and announce the nature of the offense. There was no precedent for this manner of questioning.

"Disciple knows nothing!" Feng Zikang replied calmly, yet his presence did not diminish in the slightest.

"Hmph!"

Sun Rushan often expressed himself through his nose, his aged face taut, his expression extremely unpleasant.

"You wantonly and unjustifiably killed nineteen disciples of the School of Diplomacy and Strategy. Is this true?"

Feng Zikang had anticipated this question; otherwise, the two from the School of Diplomacy and Strategy would not have come. However, he felt utterly clear in his conscience about this matter. Moreover, with Mo Fenghuang as his witness, the fault lay not with him. He immediately recounted the entire situation as it occurred.

"This disciple was forced to retaliate; it was truly unavoidable. I implore Martial Ancestor Uncle to examine the facts!"

"Nonsense!"

Sun Rushan slammed the table. His face was contorted with rage. "If you had not been so eager for conflict and injured their junior brother Leng Jinchan in the Southern Barbarian lands, why would those disciples have come seeking confrontation with you? Furthermore, the other party was merely engaging you in verbal debate, yet you exploded into action, injuring people and killing nineteen in total, committing such an atrocity against fellow Daoists! Are you still refusing to admit your guilt at this stage?"

"Verbal debate?"

Feng Zikang let out a cold laugh. "For this matter, you can seek testimony from Senior Sister Mo Fenghuang of the Mohist School. They set up the 'Nineteen Lines of Diplomacy and Strategy Great Formation' to deal with the two of us. Senior Sister Mo Fenghuang was trapped in a perilous situation, and in my urgency, I unleashed my sword qi, which broke the formation and injured them. How dare the people of Diplomacy and Strategy twist right and wrong?"

"Nonsense!" Lu Sanqian jumped up from the side. "If Martial Nephew Zhang Qi and the others set up the Nineteen Lines of Diplomacy and Strategy Great Formation, how could—" How could—

He had intended to say, how could they possibly have been injured by you? But he suddenly recalled the supremely swift and mysterious sword strike Feng Zikang had dealt, severing his Wind and Thunder Fan. This rendered his intended retort somewhat difficult to voice.

After all, those few were merely disciples at the Qi Induction stage, while Feng Zikang was already at the peak of Qi Induction and possessed formidable divine abilities; even he himself had suffered a minor loss. It was not impossible for Feng Zikang to break the formation and kill them.

If only he knew that Feng Zikang's cultivation had not yet seen a major ascent at that time; otherwise, he could have argued with much greater confidence.

Sun Rushan shook his head. "In any case, since you have already admitted to harming fellow Daoists, that matter can be set aside! All previous minor details are not worth discussing. Ultimately, you killed so many of our peers in one outburst; can we really be wronging you?"

His tone was clearly biased. If Feng Zikang had not fought back then, his life would have been in danger. When the Nineteen Lines of Diplomacy and Strategy Formation activated, it was clearly intended to kill both him and Mo Fenghuang. Self-defense in killing could fundamentally not be considered a crime.

However, Sun Rushan offered no inquiry and immediately rendered a verdict of harming fellow Daoists. Feng Zikang inwardly sneered, observing coldly, waiting to see what the Elder intended to do next.

"Beyond that, you secretly traveled to the Mangcang Mountains in the southwest. What did you do there that led to the invasion of the Central Plains by the sea monsters from the Sea of No Return, plunging the world into turmoil? Are you aware of your crime?"

Sun Rushan's voice was severe, his spittle flying.

"Oh?" Feng Zikang finally understood the basis of Sun Rushan's confidence. He intended to pick fault with Feng Zikang. The incident involving the nineteen disciples of the School of Diplomacy and Strategy could not stand as a solid charge. Although Sun Rushan's resentment likely stemmed largely from that event—and it was unknown what connection he had with the School of Diplomacy and Strategy to show such blatant favoritism—to truly deal with Feng Zikang, he needed another pretext.

The invasion of the Central Plains by sea monsters from the Sea of No Return!

This meant the minions of the Netherworld Master from the Undersea Prison Island in the Sea of No Return—presumably seeking revenge for the annihilation of the Mangcang Mountains—were now disturbing the Central Plains, shaking the entire cultivation world!

At this moment, Mo Fenghuang, who remained on the Mangcang Mountains, and Mo Bai, the elder sent by the Mohist School, had no news whatsoever. All the current narratives surprisingly claimed that Feng Zikang had wantonly slaughtered the demons of the Mangcang Mountains, shattering the tacit understanding between humans and demons, thus becoming the primary culprit for the world's upheaval!

"Senior Sister Mo Fenghuang has no news?"

Feng Zikang's heart tightened. No wonder Sun Rushan dared to act so recklessly against him. It turned out that his most crucial witness, Mo Fenghuang, had gone missing during the invasion from the Sea of No Return and had not yet—

"Is it true that you slaughtered the demons of the Mangcang Mountains without justification?"

Sun Rushan’s eyes were wide, staring fiercely at Feng Zikang, as if this person was not his martial nephew but a mortal enemy. Feng Zikang, however, could not recall ever having offended this Elder in any way.

"Slaying the demons of the Mangcang Mountains did occur, but they were not innocent!"

Feng Zikang's expression was serene. He recounted truthfully the invitation from Mo Fenghuang to meet Mo Li, detailing every circumstance. Yan Fengqi's face changed drastically upon hearing this, and he signaled repeatedly to Sun Rushan.

Sun Ruzhi also could not help but show a slight change in expression.

He hated Feng Zikang because of his direct maternal grandson, Zhang Qi. This child had grown up in the School of Diplomacy and Strategy, showing outstanding talent, which had brought Sun Rushan immense satisfaction and made him cherish the boy deeply.

A while ago, Zhang Qi came to Dragon Tiger Mountain saying a junior brother from the Military Strategists had bullied him, and he had come to seek satisfaction. Sun Rushan naturally paid it no mind. Upon investigation, he found the person was Feng Zikang, a disciple of the Small Bamboo Grove, who had just returned making a name for himself throughout the world.

...[Gap in text implying a secret arrangement or information leak]

Thinking it over, he secretly disclosed the time Feng Zikang was leaving the mountain. Zhang Qi led a group to ambush him, intending to teach him a lesson and then leave.

Sun Rushan had assumed Zhang Qi’s cultivation was a level higher than Feng Zikang's, and with many junior brothers accompanying him, he never expected Feng Zikang to unleash his divine power and kill all the members of the Diplomacy and Strategy contingent, including his own precious grandson, who did not survive.

When he received the news, his shock and grief were immeasurable. However, using this incident to deal with Feng Zikang seemed insufficient grounds. While he was vexed, news of the Mangcang Mountains incident in the southwest arrived, shaking the entirety of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Sun Rushan was overjoyed, seeing this as an opportunity to severely punish this disciple, Feng Zikang!

But hearing Feng Zikang’s account, if everything were true, then Feng Zikang’s actions were not only blameless but meritorious. Even if that old monster from the Undersea Prison Island came, the Central Plains experts—

Sun Rushan gritted his teeth, allowing malice to gain the upper hand. If what Feng Zikang claimed were true, after this battle, Feng Zikang's prestige would only rise, and more powerful figures would pay attention to him. If he wanted revenge then, he might struggle to find an opportunity. Therefore, he had to strike hard this time!

"Fabricating excuses to cover up! This is hardly the way of a disciple of our Military Strategists. Since you admit to killing the demons of the Mangcang Mountains, this upheaval in the southwest was caused by you. Your crime is unforgivable!"

"Killing nineteen fellow Daoists, leaving no one alive, heartless and ruthless, without a trace of compassion—your crime is unforgivable!"

Sun Rushan rose, slamming the table, his face flushed crimson.

"Punished for both crimes concurrently, according to the Military Doctrine of our Dragon Tiger Mountain, it should be—"

Just as he was about to pronounce the verdict, Feng Zikang waited with focused attention, when a loud shout echoed from outside, "Stop! Stop!"

A radiant figure flew in, blocking the way in front of Feng Zikang. "Martial Uncle Sun, hold on regarding this matter! Feng Zikang is a direct disciple of our Military Strategists and has merits. Furthermore, the situation in the southwest has not yet been fully clarified. I implore Martial Uncle to wait!"

The first person to plead for Feng Zikang was astonishingly the current Head of the Military Strategists on Dragon Tiger Mountain—

Yuan Buhuan!

He was extremely polite to Sun Rushan, not displaying even a hint of the authority befitting the Sect Leader. Yan Fengqi’s eyes revealed a hint of malice, but constrained by propriety, she still rose to greet Yuan Buhuan.

Sun Rushan remained seated, his teeth grinding audibly.

As the Sect Leader, Yuan Buhuan naturally had more immediate access to information. He was already aware of the southwestern events and had presumed Feng Zikang's actions must have had a reason. He hadn't worried unduly, intending only to question him upon his return.

As for the two cultivators from the School of Diplomacy and Strategy who came to file the complaint, Yuan Buhuan hadn't taken them seriously at all. Although a general harmony existed among the various factions currently, conflicts resulting in death among disciples were not unheard of. As long as the reasoning was justifiable, it could be overlooked. The Military Strategists were not the Buddhists, emphasizing mercy; decisive action was common practice.

Who knew that the moment Feng Zikang entered the territory of Dragon Tiger Mountain today, he was immediately seized by the Enforcement Hall, accompanied by two cultivators from the School of Diplomacy and Strategy? Upon receiving this news, Yuan Buhuan knew something was amiss. Puzzled, he hurried to the Enforcement Hall to pay his respects.

He hadn't even entered the door when he heard Enforcement Elder Sun Rushan announcing the charges. Good heavens, this was serious! If these two charges were upheld, the lightest penalty would be the forfeiture of cultivation and expulsion from the sect; outright execution on the spot was not impossible.

Feng Zikang possessed astonishing cultivation potential and high prestige, making him the most highly regarded among the third generation disciples of the Military Strategists—a shining star of hope for the faction. Yuan Buhuan could not allow this old fool to destroy him like this, so he rushed over to intervene.

However, due to ancestral rules, military orders were the strictest, and punishments the heaviest. Even the Sect Leader could not issue commands within the Enforcement Hall; one had to heed the words of the Enforcement Elder.

Moreover, Yuan Buhuan’s position as Sect Leader was somewhat unstable, lacking the full support of the majority. Thus, he had to restrain his irritation, offering a smiling plea to Sun Rushan, while inwardly feeling considerable disdain.

"Sect Master! This is the time for the Enforcement Hall to carry out military law. Even you cannot obstruct the sentencing of Small Bamboo Grove disciple Feng Zikang. His crime is unforgivable; he has already admitted to it just now. According to the law, we must now pass judgment. Please step back!"

Sun Rushan’s face was ashen, but he showed no deference to the Sect Leader. Yuan Buhuan’s expression also darkened. The authority of the Military Strategists' (Sovereign/Sect Leader) was immense. Since he had already spoken, Sun Rushan still refused to yield any ground. Had the old man truly gone senile?

"Martial Uncle Sun, Feng Zikang's matter has not been fully investigated. Issuing a judgment so hastily, I fear—"

"Sect Master," Sun Rushan suddenly stood up, pointing to the sky, his tone cold. "If you have any objections to my judgment, you may submit them to the Elder Hall after this matter is concluded and have my position as Enforcement Elder stripped. Before that, your words are not welcome in the Enforcement Hall!"

Damn it all! Yuan Buhuan cursed internally. This old fellow refused a friendly gesture for a hard line. He was truly senile. What enmity did he harbor against Feng Zikang that he was willing to throw away the title of Enforcement Elder?

But the matter had reached this point. As Sect Leader, he could not press further, feeling immensely angry but utterly helpless.

"Feng Zikang! According to the Military Doctrine of Dragon Tiger Mountain, forfeit your cultivation and be expelled from the sect!"

Sun Rushan ground out these words fiercely through clenched teeth.