C9 Lyi Laomu Forced Yang Hu to Bear the Responsibility

Despite Chu Lin having risen to his feet, the Broken Copper still generated a vortex-like suction force. In the blink of an eye, all the Spirit Medicine within a ten-meter radius had withered away.

Chu Lin felt a searing heat in his chest, as though he had been briefly scorched, and then, just as suddenly, the suction force vanished as if it had never been there.

The events unfolded with such speed that, were it not for the dozens of withered Spirit Medicine before him, Chu Lin might have believed it was all a dream.

"What's happening?" Yang Hu, too, had noticed the unsettling change. The sight of the withered Spirit Medicine sent him into a frenzy, and he leapt to his feet, abandoning any thought of rest.

Chu Lin's anxiety spiked. The Spirit Medicine was a treasure to the Martial Academy, and if Lyi Laomu found out about this incident, Yang Hu would surely face severe consequences.

"If Lyi Laomu learns of this, he'll show us no mercy," Yang Hu said, a calculating look in his eyes. Though he couldn't fathom why the Spirit Medicine had perished so suddenly, he was resolute. "Mr. Chu, you wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't come to help me. Lyi Laomu will be here any minute. You need to get out of here now. I can't drag you into today's trouble."

Chu Lin was moved by Yang Hu's words, and he regarded him with a newfound respect. Only Chu Lin knew that the demise of the Spirit Medicine was linked to the Broken Copper within him. Yet, despite the uncertainty, Yang Hu was ready to let Chu Lin leave first.

This meant Yang Hu was prepared to shoulder the blame for the wilting Spirit Medicine alone. But if Lyi Laomu chose to blow the situation out of proportion, the consequences for Yang Hu could be dire.

"Yang Hu, we share both the good times and the bad. Hu, do you really think I'm the type to run scared?" Chu Lin said with conviction in his eyes.

"Mr. Chu," Yang Hu began, his voice laden with gratitude, "you're my brother. But about what happened today..."

He was cut off by the appearance of Lyi Laomu not far off.

"Yang Hu, instead of working, you're here wasting time with idle chatter? It seems the task of watering the medicinal fields five times a day is too light for you," Lyi Laomu said with a sneer, his arms folded across his chest as he sauntered over.

Lyi Laomu, intent on favoring Hu Zhi, was always looking for ways to trouble Yang Hu. He had been about to heap more scorn upon Yang Hu when he approached the medicinal field and saw the vast expanse of withered Spirit Medicine. His mocking facade fell away, replaced by a look of shock as he demanded, "What happened to the Spirit Medicine? How could so many wither like this? I want the truth!"

Chu Lin's worry deepened at Lyi Laomu's reaction; the importance of the Spirit Medicine to the Martial Academy was clearly greater than he had anticipated.

Lyi Laomu, a Manager in the Martial Academy, might not have held a lofty status, but his experience far surpassed Chu Lin's. The panic on Lyi Laomu's face made it clear that the loss of so much Spirit Medicine was a grave matter indeed.

"Senior Brother, the Spirit Medicine withered on its own. We're just as baffled as you are," Yang Hu replied, his face etched with confusion.

Lyi Laomu's response was swift and harsh—a slap across Yang Hu's face. "The Spirit Medicine withered by itself? Do you take me for a fool? If you don't come clean, I won't hesitate to strike you again."

Without waiting for the truth, Lyi Laomu had struck Yang Hu. Both Chu Lin and Yang Hu were quick to realize that Lyi Laomu was likely trying to coerce a confession from Yang Hu, to make him bear the full brunt of the blame and thus absolve himself of any responsibility.

Blood trickled from the corner of Yang Hu's mouth, his cheek swelling as rage flickered in his eyes. But with Lyi Laomu's strength at Body Tempering Level Two, Yang Hu had no choice but to suppress his fury and insist, "The Spirit Medicine truly withered on its own."

"Still defiant? It seems you won't confess until I force it out of you," Lyi Laomu said, his gaze hostile as he channeled Spiritual Energy into his raised hand.

This time, Lyi Laomu showed no restraint. He was determined to make Yang Hu the fall guy, which would not only clear him of any blame but also curry favor with Hu Zhi.

"You brought this on yourself with your stubbornness!" Lyi Laomu bellowed, his hand poised to strike.

Yang Hu tried to evade, but as a Martial Cultivator at Body Tempering Level One, he was no match for Lyi Laomu at Level Two. He could only retreat slightly, then braced himself as Lyi Laomu's hand closed in on his face.

Just then, as the moment hung in the balance, a hand shot out from the side, intercepting Lyi Laomu's strike in the nick of time.

"Lyi Laomu, you're crossing the line. The withering of the Spirit Medicine has nothing to do with Yang Hu," Chu Lin said, fixing his gaze on Lyi Laomu. His voice was calm yet icy, barely containing his fury.

Lyi Laomu's initial assault had caught him off guard, and Chu Lin had been too slow to react. But now, he was fully prepared for Lyi Laomu's second attempt. He would not stand by and let Lyi Laomu attack his brother in his presence!

"Kid, it looks like you're involved in the withering of the Spirit Medicine too. If you're looking for trouble, don't expect any mercy from me." Lyi Laomu was visibly irate, not having anticipated that a mere servant disciple would dare to defy him in his own domain. His gaze bore into Chu Lin with a menacing threat.

He didn't stop to consider how a servant disciple could so effortlessly block his attack, powered by Body Tempering Level Two Spiritual Energy. Instead, his own Spiritual Energy whirled into action, as he readied himself for another blow, this time aiming for Chu Lin.

"Mr. Chu, let it go," Yang Hu murmured, tugging at Chu Lin's sleeve. He had come to see Chu Lin as a brother and didn't want him to get into trouble with Lyi Laomu on his account.

"Let it go?" Chu Lin's laugh was sharp with scorn. Regardless of whether Lyi Laomu, poised to strike, was willing to back down, Chu Lin had no intention of letting him walk away after he had struck Yang Hu.

Chu Lin lived by a simple creed: he wouldn't trouble others unless troubled first. But if someone dared to cross him, he'd return the favor tenfold, no—a hundredfold!

"Chu Lin, Yang Hu, you've shirked your responsibilities, leading to the decay of a vast swath of Spirit Medicine. I'm taking you both into custody today to face the Elders' judgment!" Lyi Laomu bellowed. He laid the blame squarely at their feet for the condition of the Spirit Medicine. His body thrummed with Spiritual Energy as he launched his attack towards Chu Lin.