The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

Upon hearing Shen Yifei's words, Zhu Fugui's lips trembled as if he were having a stroke, and he pointed at Shen Yifei, stammering, "You...you..."

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'I'? Elder Zhu, if you didn't do it, why are you in such a hurry?"

Elder Zhu took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He was an elder of the Golden Crow Sect, with the cultivation level of the early Mahayana stage. He had seen many storms and was not going to be misled by a few words from a young upstart.

"Sect Leader Shen, you claim that a female disciple of the Joyful Union Sect was raped. Do you have any evidence?"

"Evidence? You want evidence?" Shen Yifei pulled a dress from his storage ring and pointed, "This is the evidence, it belongs to two people! Elder Zhu, call your disciple over so we can verify it on the spot!"

This dress belongs to Liu Mengli; he just pulled one out randomly. If there's any evidence on it, it's his own.

But this thing is the most convincing; no one can tell if it's real or fake without verifying it on the spot.

Elder Zhu's lips twitched incessantly. Verify on the spot? How?

Besides, he wouldn't dare. Who knows what tricks this kid is up to behind the scenes! If he falls into a trap, he'll have no way to defend himself.

Lu Ya sat on the stage without saying a word, watching Shen Yifei perform.

Lu Ya didn't say anything, and the other people on the stage also had different expressions.

Ye Wuhen looked at Shen Yifei as if he were looking at dog poop on the street. Leng Rushuang's face was covered by a veil, so her expression could not be seen, but her eyes never left Shen Yifei from beginning to end.

Abbot Huiming closed his eyes, twirling prayer beads in his hands and muttering incantations. Hua Qianmei, on the other hand, smiled happily, her eyes scanning back and forth between Shen Yifei, while Liu Jinling's attention remained fixed on his wine gourd.

The sycophant looked miserable and resentful, his eyes constantly glancing at Lu Ya, waiting for his order to go up and teach this arrogant brat a lesson.

The murmurs from the audience grew louder and louder, with all sorts of opinions being expressed.

"This kid's got some nerve, daring to speak like that in front of the alliance leader."

"The Heavenly Evolution Sect? Isn't that the one that was wiped out back then? Are they trying to turn the world upside down?"

"A female disciple of the Hehuan Sect..."

Elder Zhu was so angry he was almost breathless; it was the first time someone had ever publicly splashed him with such filth. And this kid's story was so convincing, he even pulled out a skirt as evidence.

Shen Yifei became more and more excited as he spoke, and started to make things up, "Elder Zhu, if you're not convinced, we can verify it right here. That female disciple said she grabbed a handful from the thigh of that older man, and we can verify that with a simple check."

Elder Zhu's face immediately turned ashen. He had been practicing his skills too hastily lately. The Golden Crow Sect's techniques were inherently fiery, and his groin area was itchy every day, especially at night, when the itch was so intense it was almost unbearable. He had scratched that area beyond recognition.

Everyone in the room looked at Elder Zhu and noticed that his expression was off. Some people began to suspect whether he was the one who committed the rape at the Hehuan Sect.

Elder Zhu's lips trembled for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single word. There were indeed scratches on his inner thigh, but they weren't from a woman; he had scratched himself. Could he say that? Saying it would be proof enough!

Seeing that Elder Zhu was unable to fight back, Lu Ya called out softly, "Sect Master Shen!"

The room fell silent as soon as Lu Ya spoke.

"Sect Leader Shen, I will send someone to investigate this matter. If it was indeed done by the Golden Crow Sect, I will definitely give you an explanation. Today is the Alliance Conference; it is not appropriate to dwell on such trivial matters."

"Hehe, Sect Leader Lu is right. It's a big deal if your people are lost, but a small matter if our people are bullied. Our Demon Extermination Alliance really knows how to distinguish between these things."

Lu Ya sat on the stage, his expression unchanged, but the fire in his heart had already reached his throat.

Being publicly contradicted by a junior in the late Nascent Soul stage, where could he possibly put his face?

However, what this kid said makes sense.

The disappearance of the Golden Crow Sect elder is a big deal, but the bullying of the Hehuan Sect female disciple is a small matter, with hundreds of people watching from below the stage.

He can't afford to turn against them in public yet; the alliance has just been formed, and what he needs is the support of the people.

"Sect Leader Shen is right." Lu Ya forced a smile. "It was my oversight. I will continue to investigate the disappearance of the Golden Crow Sect elder. I will also investigate the bullying of the female disciple of the Joyful Union Sect. Both matters are equally important."

Shen Yifei nodded. "Sect Leader Lu is wise."

The word "brilliant" sounded awkward coming from his mouth.

Lu Ya stopped arguing with him. He already had other plans. He waved his hand to the audience and said, "Sect Leader Shen, please return to your seat."

Shen Yifei returned to the last row and plopped down. Zhou Shouyi looked at Shen Yifei as if he were a ghost, and moved his chair to the side.

The agenda on stage continued.

Lu Ya then said some trivial things, nothing more than the alliance's charter, the obligations of each sect, and strategies for fighting the demon race.

The people in the audience nodded and applauded as if nothing had happened.

Shen Yifei leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and listened intently.

He was waiting for the meeting to end.

It's not that he didn't want to listen, it's just that what followed was all nonsense.

Lu Ya had set the tone; the rest was just a formality. The positions of vice-leader and elder had already been decided: one vice-leader for Wanjian Manor, one for Xuanbing Palace, and the remaining positions were divided among the major sects.

Smaller sects only have the obligation to do the work.

An hour later, the conference finally came to an end.

Lu Ya stood up. "Today's assembly is now over. All the sect leaders and elders have come from afar. The Golden Crow Sect has prepared a simple meal. Please move to the side hall for your meal."

Shen Yifei was about to leave, but when he heard that they were going to have a meal, he thought to himself, "We are all cultivators, we won't starve to death whether we eat or not, it's unnecessary!"

However, seeing that no one around him had left, in order not to give Lu Ya any ammunition, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow the crowd toward the side hall.

Everyone got up and walked towards the side hall in twos and threes. Zhou Shouyi had already slipped away and disappeared, probably afraid of getting into trouble if they went with him.

The side hall is located to the east of the main hall of the Golden Crow Sect. It is quite large, with about a hundred tables set up.

When Shen Yifei went in, there were already quite a few people sitting inside. He found an empty table and sat down.

Gradually, all the tables were filled with people, except for Shen Yifei, who occupied a large table by himself.

It was obvious that no one wanted to, or dared to, sit at the same table with him.

Today, I've offended Lu Ya, and everyone knows what the consequences will be.

Soon, the dishes were served: meat from mythical birds and beasts, and soups made with delicacies from land and sea, all emitting a wonderful aroma.

Shen Yifei had never seen such a lavish spread before; he couldn't even name some of the dishes.

He occupied a table by himself, and as soon as the food and drinks were served, he began to eat and drink voraciously.

He grabbed a golden-brown roasted bird leg, took a bite, and found it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

He poured himself another glass of wine, which was good wine. He downed three glasses in one go, slammed the glass on the table, and let out a long sigh.

The other tables remained untouched, all waiting for Lu Ya and the sixteen men. Hearing the sounds of him drinking and eating, they all turned to look at him.

But everyone's gaze was different; some showed sympathy, some schadenfreude, and some looked at him as if he were dead.

Liu Mengli peeked out and said, "Master, this looks like your last meal before you're executed."