"What should we do?" Zhang Cunyi snorted, addressing the crowd. "Whatever you all decide should be done, that is what shall be done!"

Some agitated cultivators loudly declared, "What is there to decide? Hand over the perpetrator and punish them severely! They must be severely punished!"

Other cultivators spoke with veiled sarcasm, "A fox spirit is inherently an evil fiend. It's one thing for True Person Li to associate with such a creature, but to not even know how to discipline them properly! Now that such a mess has occurred, I say your tenure as the Sect Master of the Fox Charm Gate is over!"

Zou Ping of the Zheng Yi Sect, seeing this as a golden opportunity to vent old grievances, boomed, "There are two paths to choose from. The first is for True Person Li to eliminate the offending party for the sake of righteousness. The second is for True Person Li to resign his position as Sect Master of the Fox Charm Gate, withdraw from the Lotus Gathering, and be forbidden from participating ever again!"

The crowd glanced at Zou Ping, thinking to themselves: the viper's heart is indeed the most venomous. This Zou Ping truly possesses a cruel nature!

Zhang Cunyi sneered, "Is that all? What about those who were oppressed and defrauded? True Person Li, your Di San Xian business must shut down, and you must compensate them tenfold! Furthermore, you must publicly apologize to everyone and vow never again to associate with these heretical, evil spirits!"

Only then did the assembly realize that Zou Ping was not the cruelest; it was Zhang Cunyi!

Zou Ping merely sought satisfaction, but Zhang Cunyi was cutting off their source of livelihood while simultaneously slapping them across the face!

Cultivators value their reputation above all else. If reputation is lost, what good is achieving immortality?

All eyes turned to Li Yundong now, eager to see how the young cultivator would make his choice.

At this moment, Ziyuan involuntarily clenched both fists, staring wide-eyed and anxiously at the scene. In this instant, she felt transported back ten years!

Hadn't her master, Wang Yuanshang, ultimately turned against all the sects in the cultivation world precisely because he fell in love with Ao Wushuang of the Fox Charm Gate?

Why was that exact moment from the past being replayed now?

Those people back then had pressured her master in this very manner. Why were they now pressuring Li Yundong? Why was the situation repeating itself with such astonishing similarity?

Ziyuan's heart was both panicked and chaotic. The Fairy, usually so calm and composed, was utterly flustered. She couldn't help but think: Back then, Master abandoned his sect and turned against the world for Ao Wushuang. What will Li Yundong do now?

Li Yundong listened to Zou Ping and Zhang Cunyi with an impassive face. After they finished speaking, he was silent for a moment, then suddenly broke into a light chuckle. His laughter gradually grew louder, sounding as if disdain and mockery were brewing deep in his throat. Gradually, his laughter swelled, resembling the rumbling of thunder clouds gathered from the Ninth Heaven, shaking the teacups on the table until the tea rippled in concentric circles.

Zhang Cunyi discerned the mockery in Li Yundong's laughter and roared in anger, "Li Yundong, what are you laughing at! Are you so arrogant as to think you can stand against the entire cultivation world?"

Li Yundong laughed heartily, not sparing Zhang Cunyi a glance. He addressed the crowd, "Is this everyone's collective opinion?"

The assembly exchanged glances. The vast majority of cultivators did not wish to see such an overwhelmingly powerful newcomer as Li Yundong steal the limelight from their various established sects, and they loudly concurred. Those who somewhat sympathized with Li Yundong, like Du Fei and Wei Qing, saw that the situation had turned completely against him, so they dared not forcibly intervene, lest they bring unwanted hostility upon their own sects, thus choosing silence instead.

Seeing everyone kicking him while he was down, Li Yundong couldn't help but burst into a wild, increasingly arrogant laugh.

Stimulated by Li Yundong's laughter, the crowd became indignant and enraged. Someone shouted, "Li Yundong, what's with your arrogance? Do you think you are invincible in this world?"

Li Yundong chuckled, "I laugh for no other reason than your sheer naivety, thinking that saying all this will force me to submit obediently, eh?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd instantly erupted in fury. Those with more volatile tempers stood up, pointing at Li Yundong and hurling curses. Even the more seasoned cultivators showed anger, frowning and glaring at him.

Li Yundong acted as if he neither heard their words nor saw their threatening gazes. He glanced coldly at Zhang Cunyi and said, "True Person Zhang, I have noted what you said, and I believe everything you claimed to be true! Since someone under me has made a mistake, I will certainly return and punish them myself. It is not your place to dictate how I should punish them; this is an internal affair of the Fox Charm Gate. What right do you have to determine what I should or should not do here?"

With that, Li Yundong pointed at Su Chan, Ling Yue, and the other little fox spirits, declaring, "I will bear the consequences of the mistakes they made, because I am their Sect Master! I will pay what must be paid, but the teahouse will absolutely not close! I will apologize where an apology is due, but definitely not to you lot—it will be to the victims! As for the Lotus Gathering, hmph, you all simply want me to withdraw, don't you? Fine, I will not contend for the Immortal Brush; I'll let you fight over it!"

Li Yundong cast a cold glance at the assembly and asked, "There. Are you all satisfied now?"

The people exchanged looks. Some, harboring ulterior motives, saw that their goal of making Li Yundong withdraw had been achieved, and they quieted down. Conversely, some of the righteous-minded cultivators refused to let the matter rest, insisting, "Li Yundong, you are shielding the wrongdoer!"

Li Yundong gave the speaker a chilling look. "Yes, I am shielding the wrongdoer. What of it?"

This single sentence choked the speaker into silence. Some cultivators who could not bear the sight of it interjected, "Li Yundong, you are aiding tyranny! As a cultivator, you should uphold justice and eliminate the wicked amongst your own! Hand over the primary culprit, and the rest can be forgiven!"

Su Chan was Li Yundong's soft spot, and these words struck his rawest nerve. Li Yundong immediately exploded into a rage, glaring fiercely at the speaker and roaring, "Say that again if you have the guts!!!"

This roar was like a sudden thunderclap exploding out of thin air, leaving everyone's ears ringing. The crowd felt as if a fierce, striped tiger was roaring in fury before their eyes!

The man who had spoken earlier was nearly terrified out of his wits by Li Yundong's shout. His face turned pale with fright, and he muttered something unconsciously, but no one could make out the words.

Li Yundong's hair was bristling with rage, his eyes wide as bronze bells, and the bones in his body were audibly cracking, making him look like a ravenous beast ready to devour someone at any moment. He swept his fierce, icy gaze across the crowd and hissed, "Who else wants to uphold justice and have me eliminate my own? Step forward and speak!"

Previously, the crowd had seen Li Yundong as gentle and modest, possessing handsome features and an air of scholarly elegance. Whenever provoked, he had only offered a slight smile, treating it like a passing breeze. But now, with Li Yundong's sudden fury, he had transformed into a primeval behemoth, terrifying everyone into subconsciously mobilizing the vital energy within them, guarding against Li Yundong suddenly making a move!

Having already witnessed Li Yundong's capabilities and methods, who among them dared to prod his sore spot again while he was so enraged?

Upholding justice and eliminating kin? Give it a rest! As the saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when cornered, and a dog will jump over a wall when desperate. This was a fierce tiger; pushing him too far might result in terrifying consequences!

Seeing that Li Yundong had already agreed to withdraw from the Lotus Gathering, the crowd now favored settling the matter peacefully. Even the righteous cultivators were silenced by Li Yundong's roar and dared not say another word.

Zhang Cunyi also sighed, putting on a show of sincerity. "True Person Li, you surely feel I am targeting you. But have you ever considered that because your strength is so immense and your influence so vast, others are powerless against you? Even victims who wish to sue you cannot find anyone brave enough to take the case! But have you considered how furious those who have been oppressed by you or your disciples must feel right now?"

Li Yundong looked at Zhang Cunyi with chilling eyes. "True Person Zhang, if you have any further profound insights, perhaps you should state them all at once, instead of offering these hypocritical words!"

Zhang Cunyi flinched under Li Yundong's gaze, then snorted, "What profound insights do I have? I merely speak what comes to mind! True Person Li, since you have agreed to withdraw from the Lotus Gathering, please return to your seat. I hope that from now on, you will discipline your disciples well, otherwise, though the world is vast, there will be no place for your Fox Charm Gate to reside!"

Li Yundong gave Zhang Cunyi a long, deep look, then turned and walked back to his table to sit down, saying no more.

At the table, Ziyuan, Zhou Qin, and Ruan Hongling looked at Li Yundong with complex, indescribable expressions—a mixture of admiration and melancholy. They admired him as a man who bore responsibility, taking everything upon himself, but lamented that by doing so, Li Yundong was bound to offend the vast majority of cultivation sects in the world.

The little girl, seeing Li Yundong sit down, couldn't help but look at him with tear-filled eyes, a look of fear and apprehension. She stammered, "I'm sorry, Sect Master, I've caused trouble for you again. I... I didn't mean to..."

Seeing the little girl weeping pitifully, all the anger in Li Yundong's chest vanished instantly. He reached under the table and gently took her hand, saying softly, "I know, you just wanted to prove yourself, didn't you? This is actually my fault; I shouldn't have put so much pressure on you. Stop crying. We didn't handle this one well, so we learn our lesson, and we'll do better next time, won't we?"

Su Chan had always been under immense pressure, especially facing Zhou Qin and Ziyuan, who were capable of assisting Li Yundong. Su Chan worried constantly about being a burden, focusing all her energy on helping Li Yundong and proving her worth. Yet, in the end, she had only caused more trouble!

When she heard Zhang Cunyi launch his sudden attack, the little girl felt as if the world was ending, as if the sky itself had collapsed! What made Su Chan most anxious was the fear that Li Yundong, in his rage, might reject and no longer want her. But hearing Li Yundong’s words now, she finally understood how deeply he loved her and how unnecessary her fears were.

As Li Yundong spoke so lightly, Su Chan could hold back no longer. She burst into tears, sobbing, "But Sister Zhou Qin fought until her bones were nearly shattered so as not to implicate you and prevent you from winning the Immortal Brush, yet I always make things worse and cause you to lose the brush. I, I am so useless!"

Li Yundong smiled tenderly, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. "Silly girl! Haven't I told you before? How can dead things compare to living beings? How can the Immortal Brush compare to you? Besides, if I were still that poor boy with nothing, would you still have wanted me?"

Su Chan looked at Li Yundong tearfully and nodded.

Li Yundong laughed, "See? That's the point! When you first liked me, it was because I treated you well, not because I had money or abilities; and when I first liked you, it was because of your innocent cheerfulness and the fact that you never despised me. Therefore, even if you tore the sky apart, as long as you remain that innocent, lovely, kind, and pure little girl, I will help you patch the sky! Loving someone means accepting all of their past virtues and flaws, not demanding they change just because you have changed. You don't need to try to change, and you certainly don't need to change, because I love you!"

Su Chan was deeply moved, and tears streamed down her face. She choked out, "I understand! I won't drag you down again!"

Li Yundong chuckled, reaching out to wipe the tears from her face. He laughed, "Stop crying, so many people are watching; isn't that embarrassing?"

Su Chan raised her hands to wipe her tears, trying to smile, but the attempt only brought forth more tears. As she wiped them away, she laughed, "But what if I can't control it? I, I just want to cry, what should I do?"

Li Yundong smiled, "Then come cry in my arms, shall we?"

Su Chan could hold back no longer. With a sob, she threw herself into Li Yundong's embrace and wept bitterly, "Yundong, why are you so good to me?"

Li Yundong tenderly stroked her soft, dark hair and whispered, "Silly thing, if I'm not good to you, who else should I be good to?"

They spoke intimately, oblivious to the onlookers. Everyone in the small pavilion sat stunned, speechless for a long moment.

All eyes were fixed on the inseparable pair, leaning into each other as if the world were collapsing, yet nothing could tear them apart...

====C