sbdcsierra Chapter 1708 He Wants to Leave the Sect?!
Chapter 1708 He Wants to Leave the Sect?!
The Qingcheng Imperial Dharma Sect's mountain gate was majestic and filled with spiritual energy, but the atmosphere was much more oppressive than usual.
The news that Sect Master Su Hongzhen had lost face and had to pay a heavy price at the Wanchuan Sect's founding ceremony yesterday had already spread. The entire sect was shrouded in a low atmosphere, and the disciples were being extra careful in their actions and words, for fear of incurring bad luck.
Just then, a burly figure, covered in dust and carrying a large axe, strode heavily into the square in front of the main hall. It was Zhao Hu!
His usual憨笑 was gone, replaced by a resolute determination. His chest heaved, clearly indicating that he had run all the way back and was still breathing heavily.
"Disciple Zhao Hu requests an audience with the Sect Master!"
He took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs toward the tightly closed main hall doors. His voice was like muffled thunder, particularly abrupt in the silent square.
The disciple on duty was startled by him, but recognizing him as Senior Brother Zhao, he quickly stepped forward: "Senior Brother Zhao, the Sect Master is in a bad mood and has ordered that no guests be received, you..."
"I'm not a guest!" Zhao Hu interrupted him, his eyes wide. "I have important matters to report to the sect leader in person!"
His voice was too loud, and coupled with the heightened sense of unease that followed yesterday's events, he quickly attracted a large number of disciples who gathered around from a distance, pointing and whispering.
Su Hao and Luo Yang were also alarmed and came out of the side hall. When they saw Zhao Hu's appearance, their hearts sank and they had a vague premonition of something bad.
The main hall doors burst open with a loud crash, and Su Hongzhen walked out with a gloomy face and bloodshot eyes, clearly having not slept all night and still burning with anger.
Upon seeing Zhao Hu, he frowned and said impatiently, "Zhao Hu? Why aren't you cultivating in peace? What are you doing making such a racket here?!"
Zhao Hu looked at Su Hongzhen, his previous awe of the sect leader now replaced by a do-or-die courage.
He took two steps forward, knelt on one knee, but held his head high and said loudly, "Sect Master! Disciple Zhao Hu has come today to... to resign from the Qingcheng Imperial Law Sect!"
"what?!"
"Senior Brother Zhao wants to leave the sect?!"
"Has he gone mad?! At this critical juncture?!"
The surrounding disciples immediately erupted in an uproar, and a buzz of discussion arose.
Su Hao and Luo Yang exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
Su Hongzhen was stunned at first, seemingly not having reacted yet. Then, his face turned ashen at a visible speed, and a violent aura suddenly erupted, forcing the surrounding disciples to retreat and making it difficult for them to breathe!
"What did you say?!" Su Hongzhen's voice was shrill and piercing, filled with unbelievable rage. "Zhao Hu! Say that again?!"
"You've left the sect now, could it be that you intend to join the Wan Chuan Sect?!"
Zhao Hu did not answer Su Hongzhen.
His bones creaked under the immense pressure, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead, but he stubbornly held on, repeating in an even louder voice, "Disciple! I wish to leave the Qingcheng Yufa Sect! Please grant my request, Sect Master!"
"Grant your wish?! Hahaha!"
Su Hongzhen laughed in fury, his laughter filled with a crazed killing intent. "Good! Very good! Yesterday, the Wanchuan Sect bullied and humiliated me, and today even a mere inner disciple like you dares to provoke me and betray the sect?! Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill?!"
With a single step, his aura intensified, as if he were about to crush Zhao Hu into mincemeat on the spot!
Zhao Hu felt a deadly threat, but since he dared to come back, he was prepared.
He suddenly raised his head, stared directly at Su Hongzhen, and roared as if he were about to give up: "Sect Master! This disciple has not betrayed you! This disciple simply... simply feels that we cannot work together if our paths are different! This disciple is grateful for the sect's kindness in taking us in in our early years, but over the years, this disciple has been loyal to the sect without the slightest slackening in my duties, and has never missed a task! Now this disciple wants to pursue my own path, what's wrong with that?!"
"Bullshit!" Su Hongzhen shouted angrily, "What do you mean by pursuing your own path? You're clearly just trying to climb the social ladder because that brat Mingchuan is powerful! Did you secretly go to the Wanchuan Sect's opening ceremony yesterday?! Speak!"
Zhao Hu stiffened his neck: "Yes! This disciple went! This disciple saw it with his own eyes! The Wan Chuan Sect is magnificent, and Sect Master Ming Chuan acts with integrity and is extremely protective of his disciples! Compared to our sect..."
"Shut up!" Su Hao couldn't help but shout to stop him, afraid that if Zhao Hu continued, he would really be killed on the spot.
But it's too late.
Su Hongzhen trembled with rage, pointing at Zhao Hu: "Good! What a fine example of integrity! What a fiercely protective one! Zhao Hu, you betray your own sect and the enemy, and you still dare to spout such nonsense here! If I don't punish you severely today, how can I uphold the rules of the sect and serve as a warning to others?!"
His eyes flashed with murderous intent, and as he raised his hand, spiritual energy gathered wildly, ready to strike down with a palm!
"Sect Master, please wait!" Luo Yang hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Although Zhao Hu has thoughts of betraying the sect, he has not truly joined the Wan Chuan Sect yet, and he has been on duty for many years without any major mistakes. If we kill him on the spot, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it will chill the hearts of the other disciples and make outsiders think that our sect is narrow-minded and cannot tolerate people leaving."
"How about... stripping him of his cultivation, expelling him from the sect, and never allowing him to set foot in Qingcheng territory again!"
Luo Yang's words, seemingly pleading for Zhao Hu, were actually an attempt to save him.
Depriving someone of their cultivation is cruel, but it's better than losing your life on the spot.
Moreover, he pointed out that this had chilled the hearts of other disciples and affected the opinions of outsiders, which was precisely the issue of face that Su Hongzhen cared about most at this moment.
Su Hongzhen's hand froze in mid-air, his chest heaving violently, his eyes shifting.
How could he not want to kill this traitor who dared to slap him in the face at this moment?
But Luo Yang's words reminded him.
Having just suffered a major humiliation yesterday, they killed an inner disciple who applied to leave the sect right at their own doorstep today. If word gets out, the reputation of the Qingcheng Imperial Law Sect will be completely ruined, and it's likely that the sect will truly fall apart.
He stared intently at Zhao Hu, who was kneeling on the ground with a stubborn expression, and then glanced at the disciples around him with complicated expressions. His killing intent and reason were fighting fiercely.
Ultimately, concerns for the sect's reputation and a sliver of remaining magnanimity outweighed the urge to kill immediately.
"Humph!"
Su Hongzhen flicked his sleeves and withdrew his hand, his voice as cold as ice, "Since Luo Yang pleaded for you... you may be spared the death penalty, but you cannot escape punishment!"
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "Zhao Hu has betrayed the sect, his heart deserves to be punished! According to the sect rules, all his cultivation shall be abolished, his meridians severed, his foundation destroyed, and he shall be flogged three hundred times, thrown out of the mountain gate, and it shall be announced to the Spirit Realm that he shall have no further connection with the Qingcheng Yufa Sect! All disciples of our sect shall regard him as an enemy!"
His cultivation will be destroyed! His meridians severed! His foundation ruined! And he will be punished with three hundred strokes of the cane!
This is almost equivalent to completely crippling a person, making it difficult for them to live a normal life in their later years. It's not much different from killing them outright, and the suffering is even greater!
Su Hao and Luo Yang's expressions changed, and they wanted to persuade him again, but seeing Su Hongzhen's unyielding and ferocious expression, they knew that this was the limit and could only sigh inwardly.
Upon hearing the punishment, Zhao Hu trembled violently, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a fierce determination.
He kowtowed heavily, his forehead touching the ground, and said in a muffled voice, "Disciple...accepts punishment! Thank you, Sect Master...for sparing my life!"