CHAPTER 2062: CHAPTER 2060: DARE OR NOT

"How dare you! How could the Jiuli Clan be a place for you to use poison?" the second elder said angrily.

Bai Ruozhu sneered, "You can fabricate a groundless charge and have me searched to humiliate me. Why shouldn’t I resist? If I didn’t have this bit of spirit, I’m afraid no one here would look up to me, right?"

Bi Tao’s mother pulled Bi Tao over to watch and hurriedly chimed in, "There’s no need for body searches on women. Let the younger generation handle their own matters. Why must the second elder press so hard?"

The second elder glared fiercely, "Since when is it your turn to speak here?"

Wu Wu choked on her words. She wasn’t particularly strong; otherwise, she wouldn’t have wanted her daughter to apprentice under Jiao Ling. She originally thought that since Jiao Ling had no descendants, the good things could be passed to Bi Tao. Now, all her plans were disrupted. No matter how much she disliked Bai Ruozhu, she had to help speak up, or how would others see her later? It would be said she didn’t truly care for Jiao Ling.

"I suppose I have the right to speak?" the fourth elder suddenly spoke. "Searching bodies is inappropriate. Since both sides insist on their stories, let’s use the Soul Searching Method to hear the truth from their hearts. The second elder is strong, needing three elders to cast the spell together. Today, we have enough people. What do you both think?"

Bai Ruozhu felt a tightness in her heart. This was her first time hearing about the Soul Searching Method, but the general idea was to control a person’s spirit and make them speak the truth from their heart. Could she still hide this secret?

This was like a modern lie detector. If she agreed, she would likely be exposed; if she didn’t, she’d look guilty.

Countless eyes glanced between her and the second elder, waiting for their answer.

During moments like this, Bai Ruozhu became increasingly calm. She glanced at the second elder and said, "If the second elder agrees, I have no objection. But I’d like to ask, will the Soul Searching Method harm my spirit or soul?"

"You’ll feel mentally exhausted for a few days afterward, but there won’t be any permanent damage," the fourth elder replied.

"Alright, I agree. But since the second elder brought this up first, the method must be used on him first to determine the truth of his words before checking me. There’s no reason for me to suffer unjustly, right?" Bai Ruozhu smiled at the second elder, "As long as the second elder agrees to the Soul Searching Method, I’ll definitely comply."

Her words were calculated because when she said, "if the second elder agrees, I have no objection," the second elder’s eyes slightly narrowed, indicating a moment of nervousness.

She bet the second elder had secrets too. Higher-ups always have more secrets. She dared to take the risk; did the second elder dare?

Moreover, thinking about it now, although the Mechanical Mechanism Cat used the second elder’s blood essence, even if extracting the black meteoric iron would cause internal injury, it wouldn’t be life-threatening. He could easily endure a month or two of rest to extract the iron and make a better Mechanical Puppet. Why keep using the MechanicalMechanism Cat?

Initially, she hadn’t thought it through. Now it seemed increasingly unreasonable. So, the second elder must have more secrets, possibly related to the black meteoric iron, or the MechanicalMechanism Cat, but she couldn’t guess what exactly it was.

Sure enough, when the fourth elder asked for the second elder’s opinion, he immediately glared and said, "Nonsense! How could I, a dignified elder, let you search my soul? Isn’t this an insult?"

"Wasn’t it also an insult when you just wanted to search the woman? If you won’t agree to this solution, then let’s drop it for now and not lose your dignity as an elder," the fourth elder said with some displeasure.

The clan elders are ranked by seniority. If the great elder steps down, the second elder would advance to that position, and the other elders would move up one rank, with newly chosen elders at the bottom.

The great elder is quite old and no longer manages clan affairs; it’s mostly the second elder who speaks. The third elder is engrossed in cultivation and doesn’t handle mundane matters. The only one left who can speak up is the fourth elder.

The fourth elder had long been displeased with the second elder and now felt even more that he was making an issue out of it. No matter public or private, he wouldn’t agree to the second elder searching Bai Ruozhu, so they were at a stalemate.

The onlookers murmured among themselves, most believing the second elder had issues. Otherwise, why would Bai Ruozhu agree to the Soul Searching Method, but he wouldn’t?

Bai Ruozhu stood proudly in place, wearing a faint smile, looking calm and composed. Many nodded quietly, acknowledging her reputation as the genius who defeated Fo Lanying, such a rare heart nature.

She saw someone in the crowd smiling and nodding at her; it was none other than Fen Jizhi, one of the younger generation who had spoken up earlier.

Was this a signal for her to rest assured? Did Fen Jizhi have a plan after all?

Just then, she caught a glimpse of white at the edge of the Peach Forest. She quickly turned to look, and there was certainly Feng Cheng, standing there smiling and mouthing, "Quite daring."

Fen Jizhi, who was watching her, noticed her gaze and looked toward the Peach Forest as well. Bai Ruozhu noted Fen Jizhi’s reaction and quickly looked at him, only to see a look of confusion in his eyes. When she looked back at the Peach Forest, Feng Cheng’s figure was already gone.

If he was a member of Jiuli, with so many people present, he surely wouldn’t be so blatantly obvious. But if he was a member, why would he hide?

However, this wasn’t the time to think about others’ affairs. She reined in her thoughts to properly deal with the situation with the second elder.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, causing many to close their eyes. An unrefined voice followed from the sky, "I haven’t been out for some days, and it’s this lively?"

"The third elder has come out of seclusion! The third elder has come out of seclusion!" someone shouted excitedly, and the others were equally thrilled. Bai Ruozhu guessed that this third elder was quite popular, despite not dealing with clan matters, having many admirers.

This follows the Jiuli Clan’s principle of the strong being respected, and the third elder is likely the strongest in the clan, aside from the great elder.

Jiao Yunyun’s hands trembled, and finally, her whole body shook, with tears welling up in her eyes.

Seeing Jiao Yunyun’s reaction, someone couldn’t help but say, "The third elder is Jiao Yunyun’s cousin. Is he coming out to protect his younger relatives?"

Bai Ruozhu, with her keen hearing, was shocked to hear this. The third elder was her grandmother’s cousin? Shouldn’t she address him as granduncle?

Soon, the third elder appeared before everyone, with gray hair at the temples, a ruddy complexion, and piercing eyes.

Everyone paid their respects to the third elder, and he waved his hand with a smile, saying, "No need for formalities, everyone."

Then he approached Jiao Yunyun, "Xiaoyun, why is it so lively at your doorstep?"

Jiao Yunyun suddenly burst into tears, crying like a child, "Cousin, I’m causing you trouble."

For decades, she hadn’t dared face her cousin or appear before him. Even with his heart set on cultivation and not clan affairs, it was because of her existence as a blemish.