Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 568 - Who’s the Cheater

Seeing that the atmosphere had reached a tipping point with over ninety percent of the crowd against him, Liu Wuxie suddenly let out a cold, sinister laughter.

“I cheated?” Liu Wuxie sneered with a devilish smile. “If anyone’s cheating here, it’s your Ling Clan!”

The Ling Clan had accused Liu Wuxie of cheating, but Liu Wuxie was now turning the tables to accuse them instead. So, who was the cheater here? The crowd could no longer differentiate the truth from the lies.

“Do you think you can accuse us of cheating with words alone? Where is your proof?” The Ling Clan’s three elders snorted coldly. So many people here supported the Ling Clan, and this was evidence.

Liu Wuxie found himself without supporters, as his words held little weight against the long-established Ling Clan, whose influence had been deeply rooted in Serene Sea City for centuries.

However, a few sharp-minded people kept their opinions to themselves and remained silent. They didn’t want to make any judgment before the truth emerged.

The Sky Rift Valley tried to speak up several times to prove that they hadn’t cheated, but their words lacked persuasion without solid evidence.

“Since your Ling Clan has chosen the path of destruction, don’t blame me for what will happen next. I have already given your Ling Clan several chances, but you decided not to take them. Therefore, I see no reason for the Ling Clan to continue existing in Serene Sea City,” Liu Wuxie said assertively. His presence was so overwhelming that even some cultivators in the low levels of the Astral River Realm couldn’t withstand the pressure.

“What arrogance! Does he think he can erase the Ling Clan from Serene Sea City?” The crowd erupted in disbelief after hearing what Liu Wuxie said.

The Ling Clan’s members, however, broke into laughter.

“You’re quite arrogant for a mere brat. Let me see how the Ling Clan will be destroyed,” the Ling Clan’s grand elder sneered; the murderous intent he gave off increased as he slowly walked over to Liu Wuxie.

The Azure Crimson Gate had discussed among themselves and agreed to hold off the House of Tea Art, allowing the Ling Clan to kill Liu Wuxie.

“Has anyone ever wondered why the stones picked by the Ling Clan can only cut out spiritual essence? Why not ancient fragments or any other items? Or are they truly willing to let such treasures fall into the hands of others?” Liu Wuxie questioned the crowd.

Since the Ling Clan claimed to be unparalleled in appraisal, why did they fail to detect other treasures in the stones aside from anything that contained spirituality? Liu Wuxie had already proven that there were treasures like the dragon’s blood and blade tip.

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Just earlier, Liu Wuxie had secretly communicated with Murong Yi and learned that treasures the Ling Clan had discovered from stones were all spiritual essences.

The crowd erupted into an uproar after hearing what Liu Wuxie said. Wei Qisheng and others saw the Ling Clan’s three elders trembling slightly.

"He seems to be right. In recent years, all the treasures the Ling Clan has uncovered have been spiritual essences and nothing else," someone in the crowd remarked, their voice tinged with curiosity. The observation caused murmurs among the onlookers as they began to question the Ling Clan's claims and methods.

Liu Wuxie’s words had struck a realization in everyone now that they were directed to this topic. They recalled that the treasures the Ling Clan had cut out all matched his claims.

“That’s right. The Ling Clan even charged exorbitant fees to help people select stones this year, and they’re all spiritual essences without any exception, not to mention there’s only a fifty percent success rate,” another person added. More people joined the discussion and made a tally of the treasures the Ling Clan had uncovered throughout the years, perfectly matching Liu Wuxie’s accusations.

“But that’s weird. How did Liu Wuxie know that the Ling Clan’s stones only discovered spiritual essences? And why didn’t they find other treasures?” The crowd’s curiosity deepened in everyone’s mind.

Liu Wuxie made a valid point because the Ling Clan only uncovered spiritual essences, not treasures like the dragon’s blood or the mysterious blade tip. There was only one plausible explanation: the Ling Clan couldn’t detect any other treasures apart from spiritual essences.

“Liu Wuxie, how is that cheating? Perhaps the Ling Clan has means to detect spirituality within a stone,” a local cultivator from Serene Sea City made a fair point, taking neither side on this matter.

Many nodded in agreement. This argument wasn’t enough to prove that the Ling Clan was cheating.

“What a bunch of idiots!” Liu Wuxie shook his head. His insult included everyone present. This was no different from poking the hornet’s nest, including those who supported Liu Wuxie earlier.

Even Murong Yi smiled wryly as she shook her head. She had only known Liu Wuxie for a few days and clearly didn’t understand him entirely.

“Liu Wuxie, you dare call us retards?” Even the Demonic Heart Palace’s disciples stepped forward, angered by Liu Wuxie’s words.

“You should be grateful that I called you an idiot. The Ling Clan has been causing chaos in Serene Sea City for many years, and none of you have noticed it. Even cultivators in the True Profound Realm couldn’t detect the spirituality in a stone, so what makes you think the Ling Clan can? Is it because their family name is Ling, or do they have an extra pair of eyes?” Liu Wuxie raised his voice, but no one could refute his words.

Liu Wuxie had made a valid point. Even cultivators in the True Profound Realm couldn’t detect the spirituality concealed within the stone, so what right did the Ling Clan have to claim they could?

Many people in Serene Sea City with the family name Ling and the Ling Clan did not have an extra pair of eyes. So, how did they detect the spirituality concealed in the stone?

The silence that followed was eerie. No one came to refute Liu Wuxie’s claim, even if he insulted everyone by calling them idiots.

Murong Yi’s eyes gleamed with intrigue. She was curious how Liu Wuxie handled the situation so well, silencing everyone with his words.

“Liu Wuxie, we’ll kill you for insulting us if you don’t give us a reasonable explanation today, even if it means offending the House of Tea Art,” said several disciples of the Sky Rift Valley, who looked at Liu Wuxie furiously.

Only the Ling Clan stood pale-faced because the development of the situation had spiraled out of their control like a runaway horse they could no longer keep in rein.

“You’ll have to ask the Ling Clan about that. Ask them how they detected the spirituality hidden in the stones,” Liu Wuxie said. He wasn’t hurrying to explain and looked at the Ling Clan with a smile.

Everyone’s attention was successfully shifted from Liu Wuxie to the Ling Clan.

“Liu Wuxie, don’t try to divert everyone’s attention from you. Our Ling Clan’s appraisal method is our secret passed down through generations. How could we reveal it to the public?” The Ling Clan’s three elders argued, trying to defend themselves.

It sounded reasonable because the Ling Clan relied on their appraisal technique to build their fortune, becoming the wealthiest in Serene Sea City. If they revealed the secret, their status would undoubtedly crumble.

“It’s not that you’re unwilling to reveal, but you don’t dare,” Liu Wuxie smirked, his voice laced with mockery.

His words made Ling Feichi’s eyes flash, and his mind raced, trying to find a way to escape this situation.

“Young friend, our Ling Clan may have offended you, so why don’t we end the gamble here?” Ling Feichi offered, clasping his hands together in Liu Wuxie’s direction. He hoped that this matter could end here.

Ling Feichi’s sudden act of humility left the crowd even more suspicious. The Ling Clan had the advantage in this conflict, so why did they lower themselves and offer peace?

Moreover, Ling Feichi’s tone suggested that they were willing to give up the gamble and even compensate Liu Wuxie.

This made the plot thicken, with everyone wondering what the Ling Clan was trying to hide. The crowd’s curiosity was piqued, and there was no way they could let this matter rest here.

“Too late!” Liu Wuxie shook his head and looked around. He knew that no one could leave here today if they didn’t make things clear, including the Ling Clan. Once something was set in motion, it could not be undone.

His feud with the Ling Clan was already set on a carriage, and no one could get off as they wanted. If they jump off rashly, they would fall to their death.

Ling Feichi naturally knew it as well, and this incident had spiraled out of the Ling Clan’s control. It was too late for him to regret it.

The Ling Clan’s three elders exchanged a look with a sinister gleam in their eyes. They finally made the decision and roared, “Kill him!”

Just when everyone was relaxed, the Ling Clan’s three elders launched themselves into the air, directing three swords at Liu Wuxie. Their speed was incredible, and the crowd was still lost in the conversation. No one had expected the Ling Clan’s three elders to try to silence Liu Wuxie suddenly.

Even the Azure Crimson Gate’s elders were stunned because they were caught unexpectedly by the Ling Clan’s sudden attempt to silence Liu Wuxie.

Just as the air began to stir, a powerful energy fluctuation rippled.

Madam Li suddenly stepped in from a distance away and was even faster than the Ling Clan’s three elders. It was as if she had anticipated the sudden attack from them.

Earlier, when Liu Wuxie had insulted the crowd, he had given a subtle glance toward Murong Yi. She quickly grasped his unspoken message—he was signaling that someone was preparing a sneak attack to take his life.

Everything unfolded as he had predicted—the Ling Clan made their move.

The Ling Clan’s three elders were flung backward before their swords could reach Liu Wuxie. Their swords were within inches from Liu Wuxie, but Madam Li threw them off with one palm strike.

The Ling Clan’s three elders fell to the ground and spat out blood, their faces drained of color.

“Thank you for your help, Madam Li!” Liu Wuxie gave Madam Li a bow. He knew he was playing a dangerous game and had gambled on Murong Yi’s sharp mind, and she did not let him down.

In the past few days of interaction, Liu Wuxie had noticed Murong Yi’s intelligence, and he believed she could get the meaning behind his eye signal.

“I only followed the young lady’s instructions. If you want to thank someone, thank her,” Madam Li said flatly. She did not take credit for it. She wasn’t interested in helping Liu Wuxie and only did so because of Murong Yi’s instructions.

Liu Wuxie gave Murong Yi a nod to express his gratitude.

“What’s going on? Why did the Ling Clan suddenly try to silence Liu Wuxie?” The crowd erupted in chaos. Madam Li’s attack not only sent people flying, but many people also suffered injuries as a result.

“Could it be that the Ling Clan committed some heinous act, or are they hiding a terrible secret?” Everyone grew increasingly curious and even ignored Liu Wuxie’s insults toward them.

But if Liu Wuxie couldn’t clarify things today, not only the Ling Clan but everyone else would drown Liu Wuxie with their insults.

“It looks like the Ling Clan is really desperate to silence me,” Liu Wuxie said with a playful smile and swept his gaze across everyone from the Ling Clan.

“Liu Wuxie, do you really want to take it that far?” Ling Feichi said with bloodshot eyes. It was evident from Liu Wuxie’s words that he had discovered the Ling Clan’s secrets. If Liu Wuxie had uncovered their most guarded secret, the consequences were something they couldn’t withstand.

“You got it backward. It’s your Ling Clan who targeted me. I had discovered your Ling Clan’s appraisal method since the boat gathering but didn’t expose it. Right from the start, your Ling Clan is the one who jumped out to target me and try to kill me. I’m just retaliating.”