Hua Qianchi's face was filled with fear. “Get me out of here, Protector Zhao!”
Seeing the attitude of Protector Bai Li and others, he knew that if he couldn't leave today, he might be publicly humiliated for a long time to come! He could not endure such disgrace.
“Alas…” Protector Zhao sighed softly. “You’re truly foolish. Do you understand what mistake you’ve made?”
Hua Qianchi gritted his teeth. “If I fulfilled the bet, I’d have been the sinner of the Nine Yang Dao Sect.”
Protector Zhao shook his head gently. “What you did right was not fulfilling the bet. What you did wrong was making such a bet lightly without knowing the person's background. Even with the combined efforts of Protector Bai Li and others, they still couldn’t take him down.
"Can’t you see the pattern? His background is not simple; he’s definitely not just a mere cultivator from the Grand Thousand Dao Sect.”
He paused. “I can’t take you away today. I fear I might end up staying here with you if I do. Don’t blame me.”
By the time Hua Qianchi realized it, Protector Zhao and his people had already left.
“There are other suspects besides him….”
Glancing around, Qin Nie whispered a few words to the black-clad cultivators beside him, then hurried off to catch up with Fang Chen and the others.
Chu Lan’s hands trembled slightly as she received the ring. She immediately checked its contents and indeed found the Three Solar Fruit. At that moment, her long-held grievances found an outlet, and her eyes reddened instantly, her voice tinged with a hint of tears. “Thank you, Daoist Fang.”
Fang Chen sighed softly in his heart, thinking that perhaps all mothers were the same.
“First Lady, it’s best to wait until the council to present the Three Solar Fruit. It will be more effective then,” Fang Chen advised.
Chu Lan was puzzled. “Why? If I give the Three Solar Fruit to the ancestor now, wouldn’t the issue be resolved?”
Fang Chen smiled faintly. “If we can’t unearth key figures from the Spirit Blood Sect, this time it’s the Three Solar Fruit, next time it might be the Four Solar Fruit, or even the Five Solar Fruit. Can you truly be at ease?”
Chu Lan was silent for a few moments before nodding gently. “I will follow your advice.”
“First Lady, Young Master Qin Nie has arrived!”
The two exchanged a look, not surprised by the announcement.