Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Grand Brush of the Green Woods-Eu só aceitei discípulos por acaso, como eles se tornaram Grandes Imperadores?(Espalhadas como estrelas sobre o rio inteiro.)

The burly man lay on the ground, his hair singed and emitting thin wisps of acrid smoke.

"Brother, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! We were just momentarily muddled, trying to use the prestige of Tongtian Peak to intimidate them and gain some advantage. We were absolutely not acting under anyone's orders."

Zhao Changsheng applied a slight pressure, the tip of his sword piercing the man's skin until a bead of blood seeped out.

"Do you think I would believe your nonsense? With your level of cowardice, if no one were backing you, how would you dare to brazenly impersonate my Tongtian Peak and attempt to seize the Chaos Spirit Pearl? Speak the truth, or do not blame me for being heartless!"

Feeling the stinging pain at his throat, the burly man realized he could not bluff his way out. Weighing his options, he gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, I'll talk, I'll talk! It was the people from Divine Sword Peak who found us. They gave us a large sum of money and promised to protect us afterward."

"They ordered us to disguise ourselves as disciples of Tongtian Peak to rob the Longcang Pavilion of the Chaos Spirit Pearl, and to deliberately frame Peak Master Ye Xinghe. The goal was to stir up trouble and sow suspicion among the peaks."

Zhao Changsheng now understood the general outline of the plot, but he did not let go of any detail. His gaze, sharp as a blade, bore into the man as he said coldly, "Empty words prove nothing. If you claim to be acting on the orders of Divine Sword Peak, do you have any token as proof?"

"If you dare to deceive me, I will ensure you wish for death but cannot achieve it!"

The man looked troubled and hesitated for a moment. Under Zhao Changsheng's increasingly icy glare, he tremblingly pulled a token emitting a faint, eerie glow from his robes.

The token was crafted from a peculiar material, engraved with the unique insignia of Divine Sword Peak. A faint fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated from it; it was clearly a token that only Divine Sword Peak possessed.

Zhao Changsheng took the token and examined it carefully. Once confirmed, the fire of his anger burned even brighter.

Divine Sword Peak’s intentions were sinister. They not only sought to destroy the reputation of Tongtian Peak but also aimed to unleash a storm of blood and chaos across the Sacred Land. Their malicious schemes could not be easily forgiven.

He slowly raised his head to look at the disheveled villains before him, the ruthlessness in his eyes undisguised.

"You have acted as accomplices to tyranny and aided the wicked," Zhao Changsheng said, enunciating every word. "Today, I shall act on behalf of the heavens and give you an unforgettable lesson."

With that, he flicked his long sword, the sound of the blade ringing through the air.

Zhao Changsheng moved like lightning, instantly closing the distance to the burly man.

The man’s eyes widened in terror. Before he could react, Zhao Changsheng unleashed a powerful kick that landed heavily on the man’s left knee.

With a crisp "crack," the sound of breaking bone was hair-raising.

The burly man let out a shrill scream, clutching his broken leg as he rolled on the ground. His face turned pale as paper, and he moaned in agony.

Zhao Changsheng showed no mercy. He turned to the man's followers and said coldly, "Do not think you will escape punishment."

Within moments, the followers were all lying on the ground, each with a broken leg. They twisted in pain, their wails echoing through the Qingfeng Pavilion, creating a chilling scene.

Zhao Changsheng turned to face the people of Longcang Pavilion and said loudly, "Everyone, the truth of today’s events has been revealed. These villains were acting under the orders of Divine Sword Peak, impersonating my Tongtian Peak to seize the Chaos Spirit Pearl and stir up trouble. It has absolutely nothing to do with us. Tongtian Peak has always upheld the righteous path; we would never engage in such petty, thieving acts."

The people of Longcang Pavilion listened, their faces showing realization mixed with fury.

The head manager, clutching his injured abdomen, endured the pain and said, "Young Master Zhao, our pavilion was nearly deceived by this treacherous plot into blaming Tongtian Peak. Divine Sword Peak is truly sinister and cunning to dare such slanderous framing! If this debt is not repaid, Longcang Pavilion will not rest!"

The other guards and clerks of the pavilion joined in, filled with righteous indignation. "Exactly, let's go settle the score with Divine Sword Peak! They have gone too far!"

"They dared to run wild in our Longcang Pavilion and then tried to frame others—they must not be let off lightly!"

For a moment, the crowd was seething with anger.

The head manager bowed slightly to Zhao Changsheng and said gratefully, "Young Master Zhao, we owe you our lives for arriving in time today. The entire Longcang Pavilion will keep your great kindness in mind. If there is ever anything you need, we will go through fire and water for you without hesitation."

Zhao Changsheng nodded slightly and returned the bow. "Manager, you are too kind. While we do not interact often, I could not sit by and watch such malicious provocation. Divine Sword Peak attempts to destroy the peace of the Sacred Land, and their crimes are unforgivable. We should naturally face this together."

Zhao Changsheng's words were perfectly reasonable.

After finishing here, Zhao Changsheng sheathed his sword and walked quickly toward Ye Xinghe and Ximen Feixue.

Reaching them, he bowed respectfully and detailed everything that had happened, including the truth forced from the villains about Divine Sword Peak’s involvement and the reaction of the people at Longcang Pavilion, omitting nothing.

Ye Xinghe listened quietly; his disciple’s account matched exactly what they had overheard from the side.

By the end, a meaningful smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Divine Sword Peak thought these base methods would succeed, but they never expected us to see through them so easily."

"Now, they should have a fine show to watch. Let us wait and see how they handle the situation when they find they have lifted a rock only to drop it on their own feet."

One must realize that Longcang Pavilion was not an easy target to offend; otherwise, these people would not have used Tongtian Peak's name to pick a fight.

Ximen Feixue was also visibly pleased, nodding repeatedly. "Master is absolutely right. They tried to frame us, and now look—they tried to steal a chicken only to lose their rice. They can just wait to reap the fruits of their own evil."

The master and his two disciples walked down the mountain path.

Just as they reached the foot of the mountain, they saw a large crowd gathered ahead, bustling with activity.

Curious, they drew closer to see that the Green Forest Tournament, held once every hundred years during the Profound Gate Assembly, was in full swing.

In this high-profile competition, the ultimate winner would be granted the position of a guard for the Great Ning Dynasty.

The role of a guard for the Great Ning Dynasty held great prestige throughout the cultivation world, far exceeding any ordinary status.

For any cultivator, this was a rare and heaven-sent opportunity—a turning point capable of changing one's entire destiny.

Becoming a guard for the Great Ning Dynasty meant possessing supreme glory.

In the eyes of the world, they were heroes who protected the peace of the dynasty. Furthermore, the Great Ning Dynasty would provide them with countless resources for their cultivation.

"Disciples, the rewards for this Green Forest Tournament are quite tempting, and becoming a guard for the Great Ning Dynasty is a supreme honor. Have you ever considered trying your hand at it?"