Chapter 14 - The Truth
Chapter 14 – The Truth
I looked up at Bai Ye, hoping that no one could see the overwhelming emotions in my eyes.
The Gatekeeper was the founder and sole leader of Mount Hua. In a way, even though there were written disciplines for us to follow, his words still meant the rule, and very few dared challenge him. I heard that only Bai Ye and Xie Lun's master, who had cultivated together with the Gatekeeper before they became immortals, had ever said no to him.
Fortunately for us, the Gatekeeper wasn't a tyrant. He was reasonable and impartial most of the time, and he had kept Mount Hua in good order for almost five hundred years. But when things came to his only daughter Chu Xi, he was no saint. His overindulgence probably played a big part in Chu Xi's haughty, unscrupulous personality.
The Gatekeeper might've known Chu Xi's true nature all along, but that didn't mean he would admit it to others. Besides, what would he do even if he believed Chu Xi had tried to kill me? The worst punishment Chu Xi could get was probably a restraint to stay in her room and repent.
Bai Ye knew all of this, and he knew I couldn't stand up to the Gatekeeper myself. So he did it for me.
Was it worth it? Justice for a mere disciple, in exchange for the Gatekeeper's rage? What repercussions would it bring to Bai Ye's standing at Mount Hua in the future?
Bai Ye stood tall, his cold gaze fixed on the Gatekeeper, unwavering. The whole world looked small before his grand, steady figure.
"You know it, Chu Yang," he said sharply. "It was Chu Xi's idea to send me away to East Village, wasn't it? So no one would find Yun Qing-er after her 'accident' until it's too late?"
"Xi-er would never do that!" the Gatekeeper snarled, though his tone wasn't as confident as before. "Stop making baseless accusations, Bai Ye. Have I been too easy on you that you've become so reckless?"
"It is not me that's reckless or that you've been too easy on," Bai Ye shook his head. "How about this: we'll ask Chu Xi to come here. I won't say anything, and we'll only hear her words."
I darted a glance at the still pale Lin Weiwei next to me. What was Bai Ye planning? There was no way either she or Chu Xi would acknowledge their doings.
The same thought must've lessened the Gatekeeper's worries. "Find Chu Xi then," he ordered the disciple at his side again.
I waited for Chu Xi's appearance uneasily, turning over in my head the different possibilities of how she would argue her way out. When I got too anxious, I thought of Bai Ye's reassuring look that I knew he would give me if I looked at him right now. It calmed me and burned me at the same time.
Finally, Chu Xi arrived. "Xi-er—" the Gatekeeper began. But Chu Xi saw Lin Weiwei kneeling next to the spiritual pet's body and knew immediately what was going on.
"Father!" she exclaimed, cutting off the Gatekeeper's words. To my surprise, she glared at Lin Weiwei first instead of me. "This has nothing to do with me! Lin Weiwei stole Chopper from me last week. I know she holds grudges against Yun Qing-er over their medicine training …"
Lin Weiwei's eyes widened. "Senior Chu—"
"Don't believe anything she tells you, father!" Chu Xi ignored her and continued. "Do you know how Lin Weiwei advanced so quickly as a new disciple? She stole her master's herbal journal and has been practicing in secret. Don't trust any words from an amoral person like her!"
"Chu Xi!" Lin Weiwei cried. "You promised me not to … I haven't told them anything about your spiritual pet!"
Chu Xi was suddenly quiet. Her mouth still hung open, but she was out of words. It finally dawned on me: Bai Ye had intentionally asked for Lin Weiwei to be brought in first, knowing that the scene at the hall would prompt the short-tempered Chu Xi to defend herself eagerly and slip out the truth.
"Gatekeeper …" Lin Weiwei wept. "I'll admit it all … Chu Xi told me last week to lure Yun Qing-er into the back mountains and let Chopper lose to attack her. I didn't want to do it, but Chu Xi caught me stealing my master's journal, and she threatened to tell everyone about it unless I helped her …" She touched her forehead to the ground. "I have wronged, Gatekeeper, but I didn't have any intention of hurting Yun Qing-er. It was Chu Xi who wanted her dead—"
"Yun Qing-er wanted me dead first!" Chu Xi screamed. "She gave me poisonous medicine!"
"So you acknowledge that is your incentive for killing Yun Qing-er?" Bai Ye asked.
"I …" Chu Xi stumbled, realizing that she had unintentionally admitted the whole truth herself. She looked helplessly at the Gatekeeper.
"Xi-er," the Gatekeeper hesitated, "did you really …"
"I didn't!" Chu Xi screamed again. "It's all empty claims!"
"Empty claims or not, why don't we check them one by one?" Bai Ye said. His voice was calm but firm. "Spiritual power marks the wounds and the venom; other disciples have seen Yun Qing-er's swords; Lin Weiwei's master can attest to the journal. None of this is hard to prove, Chu Yang—unless you want to cover it up for your daughter."
"And I kept the dregs of the medicine that Yun Qing-er gave Chu Xi," Lin Weiwei added. "It was only a strong dose of medicine that triggered an upset stomach, yet Chu Xi assumed the worst intentions from Yun Qing-er. I repent for my wrongdoings, Gatekeeper, but I beg you not to show bias when it comes to punishment for Chu Xi."
The turn of events was beyond my imagination. I hadn't thought that Lin Weiwei would become a witness on my side, though it made sense. Stealing was a big crime, and cultivating behind the back of one's master was strictly forbidden. Chu Xi's revelation about the journal was likely going to end Lin Weiwei's days at Mount Hua, and it was only natural that Lin Weiwei wanted to take Chu Xi down along with her.
"Father …" Chu Xi looked at the Gatekeeper hopefully. "It … It's not that big of a deal, isn't it? Isn't Yun Qing-er alright?"
The Gatekeeper stared back at her, disbelief in his eyes. Even now, Chu Xi didn't show the slightest penance for what she had done.
"Chu Yang," Bai Ye sighed, "a piece of advice from an old friend, if you still care: let your daughter learn a lesson from this, before she loses her conscience completely."
The Gatekeeper did not reply, but his gaze on Chu Xi slowly grew heavy.