Chapter 12 - Caught Red-Handed

At dusk, Mo Yang left Mufeng, carrying some food and wine, and made his way to the back mountain of Lingxu Sect.

There, in a graveyard, was a newly built "Yi Guan" tomb. Overgrown with weeds, the tomb stood silently in the breeze. As the evening wind swept through, the rustling of the grass and trees created a melancholic atmosphere, filling the entire cemetery with a sense of desolation.

Mo Yang directly walked to the front of the Yi Guan tomb, placing the food and wine on the grave. He bowed a few times, then silently sat down.

"Master, I've come to see you."

"Don't blame me for not visiting these past few days. I've been busy cultivating. I want to grow stronger quickly, so I can avenge you as soon as possible!"

"My strength is already considerable. I'm stronger than any disciple in the sect. Look, I've reached the mid-stage of the third level of the Earth Profound Realm…"

"Master, I've also learned alchemy. I'm getting more skilled at it. I can now refine several kinds of pills…"

"…"

As the last rays of the setting sun faded, Mo Yang sat alone in front of the Yi Guan tomb, speaking softly. His voice began to choke with emotion.

Sometimes, he would laugh foolishly like a child, speaking to the grave as if it were a long conversation. From the Star Emperor Scripture to the Creation Furnace, he even took out some pills to demonstrate before the tomb, talking about everything, from his cultivation to trivial matters in daily life.

As night deepened and the stars filled the sky, Mo Yang finally left the back mountain.

Returning to Mufeng, Mo Yang entered the courtyard and immediately saw the Grand Elder standing at the entrance, seemingly waiting for him. Beside him stood Su Fei'er.

An ominous feeling rose in Mo Yang's heart, but he didn't hesitate. He walked straight into the courtyard.

"Hmph, you heartless brat, where have you been?" The moment the Grand Elder saw Mo Yang, he snorted coldly, then began to scold him.

Mo Yang frowned, glanced at Su Fei'er, and then spoke to the Grand Elder, "Old man, if you have something to say, say it quickly. If not, leave me alone. Don't disturb my cultivation!"

"Hmph, cultivation? I want to see how you've been cultivating after you made Fei'er take so many medicinal herbs from the treasury. Just how far have you really come?" The Grand Elder sneered, then raised his hand and struck with a Dominant Fist.

Under the night sky, the blinding true energy illuminated the small courtyard. The punch cut through the air with a sharp sound, and Mo Yang immediately recognized it as the fifth level of the Dominant Fist.

In fact, the moment he heard the word "treasury," he had an inkling that something had been exposed. No wonder the old man was so furious.

But now, he had no time to say anything. He quickly mobilized the true energy in his dantian and executed the Dominant Fist in return. Golden true energy burst from his body, enveloping his fist, looking almost solidified.

"Boom…"

In the blink of an eye, the two fists collided with a metallic vibration, shaking the entire courtyard.

Mo Yang was forced back several steps, his heart racing. The Grand Elder's cultivation was profound. Even though he had only casually struck, the force was still terrifyingly strong.

What surprised Mo Yang even more was the Grand Elder's reaction. After throwing his punch, he exclaimed in astonishment, "Brat, you've actually reached the fifth level too!"

"Wait, it's not just the fifth level of the Dominant Fist. Your cultivation level…"

Before Mo Yang could stabilize himself, the Grand Elder flashed in front of him, grabbed his hand, and began to sense his aura. His face was filled with disbelief as he spoke, "Mid-stage of the third level! Brat, you…"

Before making his move, the Grand Elder had known that Mo Yang's cultivation must have increased. But he never expected that Mo Yang had already reached the mid-stage of the Earth Profound Realm.

Moreover, Mo Yang's strength was shockingly strong, to the point that the Grand Elder's arm began to feel slightly numb. This kind of power was nothing like that of a mere third-level Earth Profound cultivator; it seemed more like someone at the Celestial Profound Realm.

Su Fei'er, standing to the side, was equally stunned, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

The Grand Elder, too, was confused. He remembered clearly that when Mo Yang first revealed his cultivation, he was only at the early stage of the first level of the Earth Profound Realm. The second time was when he fought with Qi Heng, at which point Mo Yang had already reached the second level of the Earth Profound Realm. Now, though, he had reached the third level.

Once could be called luck, but Mo Yang's progress was far too abnormal!

"Old man, with such a big treasury in Lingxu Sect, I only took a few medicinal herbs. Is this necessary?" Mo Yang shrugged off the Grand Elder's hand and stepped aside.

Hearing this, the Grand Elder's anger flared up immediately, his face turning dark. He snorted coldly, "Brat, a few medicinal herbs? All the spiritual herbs in the treasury are gone, and half the other medicinal herbs have disappeared. You dare say you only took a few?"

"Do you know how many years it took to accumulate those medicinal herbs?" The Grand Elder said, looking at Fei'er. He had intended to scold her, but he opened his mouth, only to hold back.

"Old man, clarify your words. I used some common medicinal herbs, but when did I take so many? And what spiritual herbs? I didn't use a single one!" Mo Yang explained, though the herbs Fei'er took earlier were only the common ones, and the pills he had refined didn't require spiritual herbs.

The Grand Elder glared at Mo Yang, then threw a spatial ring at him. "Brat, the evidence is clear. You still want to argue? Take a look at this!"

Mo Yang received the spatial ring with suspicion. He hadn't even asked Fei'er to retrieve the herbs yet—what was this spatial ring?

He quietly checked its contents, then froze. Looking up, he glanced at Fei'er.

"Hmph, no more arguing?" The Grand Elder sneered.

"Uh… this…" Mo Yang didn't know what to say. The spatial ring was filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs, quite a large quantity. There were also more than ten jade boxes, which, upon inspection, contained spiritual herbs—quite rare in normal circumstances.

At this point, Mo Yang finally understood. It must have been Fei'er who took the herbs from the treasury herself, and for some reason, she had packed over thirty kinds of common herbs, along with spiritual herbs. The key was that the old man had caught her in the act right then and there.

Mo Yang felt like crying but had no tears. There was no way to clear his name now, and Fei'er didn't seem to have intended to frame him.

"Uh, old man, about this… you see, the herbs are already taken. How about you put them back?" Mo Yang coughed awkwardly.

"Hmph, brat, I can't be bothered to ask what you wanted those herbs for. I'll take care of them today. But you better remember, these herbs are half of the sect's wealth. There are some things you need to get done for me soon!"

"Uh, what things?" Mo Yang asked, confused.

"Brat, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Half a month ago, I saw Fei'er sneaking out of your small courtyard in the middle of the night. It's already come to this point, and you still want to deny it?" The Grand Elder immediately shot him a sharp glare.

Mo Yang's heart skipped a beat at the Grand Elder's words. His face immediately darkened, and he had a bad feeling about what was coming next.

"Old man, you saw Fei'er leaving my courtyard in the middle of the night? What's that got to do with me?" Mo Yang frowned, trying to keep his voice steady, though inside, his mind was racing.

The Grand Elder sneered, "What? You're trying to deny it now? I personally saw it with my own eyes. Fei'er left your courtyard under the cover of night, and you think I wouldn't know what was going on?"

Mo Yang felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. This was bad. The Grand Elder must have seen something he shouldn't have. Fei'er's actions, while innocent in intent, were about to cause a huge problem.

"Listen here, old man, nothing happened between me and Fei'er. She's just been helping me with some things. It's all a misunderstanding!" Mo Yang said hastily, trying to explain himself.

The Grand Elder's gaze turned cold. "Misunderstanding? Do you think I'm an idiot? The both of you have been too obvious. Fei'er sneaking into your room, and now this?" His voice grew louder, and his anger was palpable. "You think you can fool me with some lame excuse?"

Mo Yang's heart sank. He had underestimated the Grand Elder's sharpness. This wasn't going to be easy to get out of.

"Old man, you've got it all wrong. Fei'er and I… we're just friends. You know that!" Mo Yang protested, though deep down, he knew the Grand Elder wasn't going to let this go easily.

The Grand Elder scoffed. "Friends? If you think I'm going to believe that, you're even more foolish than I thought. You've been hiding something from me all this time, haven't you? You think you can get away with it?"

Mo Yang's mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of this. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. Fei'er's actions might have been innocent, but to the Grand Elder, it looked like something much worse.

"Old man, please listen to me. I swear there's nothing between me and Fei'er!" Mo Yang said desperately, though he knew his words were falling on deaf ears.

The Grand Elder's expression hardened, his voice dripping with suspicion. "Enough of this nonsense. I'm not here to listen to your excuses. I've been patient, but it's clear you're not taking this seriously. You're going to regret this."

Mo Yang could feel the tension in the air. The Grand Elder's words were ominous, and he realized that this situation wasn't something he could talk his way out of. The Grand Elder was no fool, and he wasn't about to let Mo Yang off easily.

"Old man, I… I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Mo Yang muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. He had no idea how to fix this now.

The Grand Elder's cold eyes pierced through him, and he spoke slowly, each word carrying weight. "You'd better start taking responsibility for your actions, boy. This is just the beginning."

With those final words, the Grand Elder turned and walked away, leaving Mo Yang standing there, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and anxiety.

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