Chapter 54 — The Talisman Painter Who Guards the Village

Accusations

The large hall of Tông Vân Các, where Diệp Sương's first initiation ceremony was witnessed, was now filled with people to the point of suffocation - the entire council of elders sat on a high platform, on both sides were long rows of inner and outer sect disciples summoned to attend, a tense atmosphere pervading the familiar solemn space.

Diệp Sương stood in the middle of the hall, flanked by two supervisory disciples, her hands still showing traces of the temporary restraints removed just before she entered. She held her head high, trying to keep her posture steady even though her whole body was shaking from a sleepless night and fear that could not be completely hidden.

Thanh Việt stood in the row of disciples, his eyes never leaving it for a moment, while Âu Bội Nhi and Chung Nhã Trúc stood nearby, both of their faces pale with worry.

Last night, Thanh Việt found Tạ Vân Khê as soon as he heard the news. The two stayed up all night trying to find a way to turn the situation around, but the order convening the emergency trial was issued too quickly, making all efforts to prepare for the presentation three days later at the regular council meaningless. Someone had clearly calculated how to speed things up, giving Diệp Sương and her supporters no time to prepare a thorough defense.

Tạ Vân Khê sat in the elders' row, her face was calm on the outside, but her hands clasped tightly together on her thighs clearly showed the tension inside. She tried to postpone the trial, citing the need for more time to collect evidence, but was rejected by a majority vote in the council, on the grounds that the serious nature of the allegation did not allow for a delay.

*

Grandmaster Thư Khải Dương sat in the center, his face solemn and different from his usual calmness. "Today," he began, his voice echoing throughout the large hall, "the council of elders convened an urgent trial, related to the accusation that disciple Chu Diệp Sương had colluded with demons, seriously violating the sect's precepts," Murmurs spread throughout the hall. Even though they had been warned in advance, many disciples still could not hide their surprise when they heard the official announcement of the charges.

"I completely deny this accusation," Diệp Sương spoke up as soon as she was allowed, her voice clear despite a slight tremor. "The item found in my trunk was not mine. I had never seen it before the search."

*

Húc Bá Nguyên stood up from the row of elders, his face cold and serious. "So how do you explain," he asked, his voice sharp, "about your own admission that you secretly cared for a creature of unknown origin for weeks, without reporting it to anyone, and even recorded your thoughts about the possibility of it belonging to the Hidden Cloud clan?"

"It's a small injured creature, incapable of causing harm," Diệp Sương replied, trying to keep her voice calm. "I simply don't want it to die unjustly. That doesn't mean colluding with demons."

"Not synonymous," Húc Bá Nguyên repeated, his voice full of sarcasm, "but is it a coincidence that, right after that, a demonic covenant token appeared in your own inventory?"

*

Another voice rang out from the back of the crowd, making the entire hall turn to look. A young man, wearing the simple uniform of a border soldier, stepped out, looking tense but trying to maintain a confident look.

"I would like to report," the person said, his voice trembling but clear, "my name is Úc Bá Tuyền, I was a guard at Tiêu Sa Pass for three months, before being transferred to the sect not long ago. I witnessed something with my own eyes, and I feel responsible to report it."

Diệp Sương turned around to look at the young man, trying to recall her memory but could not recognize this face among the soldiers she had known at Tiêu Sa Pass.

"Speak," Thư Khải Dương ordered, his face even more serious.

*

"One night, while patrolling near Hạn Thủy Ravine," Úc Bá Tuyền said, his voice monotonous as if he had learned it by heart, "I saw Miss Chu standing alone outside the city wall, meeting a strange figure, not an ordinary person, with a completely different appearance. The two talked for a while, then Miss Chu gave the figure something small, sparkling in the dark."

"Lie!" Diệp Sương shouted, unable to hold back anymore. "I've never met anyone like that! If so, why didn't you report it right away, and only now?"

"I'm scared," Úc Bá Tuyền replied, his voice trembling but not moving. "I was afraid that no one would believe the words of an ordinary soldier like me, when confronting a disciple who had just accomplished a great feat. It was only when I heard about the discovery of the relic that I had the courage to speak up."

Tạ Vân Khê stood up, her voice cutting through the tense atmosphere. "You said you were stationed at Tiêu Sa Pass for three months," she asked, her eyes sharp. "So tell me, who is your direct commander there, and whose orders were you transferred to the sect?"

Úc Bá Tuyền paused for a moment, just a very short moment but enough for Diệp Sương to realize his hesitation. "I... I'm on the regular rotation staff," he replied, his voice less certain than before. "The mobilization paperwork is handled by the sect's military affairs office. I don't know the details."

"A surprisingly vague answer, for someone who has just detailed every little gesture of an incident that took place in the dark, many months ago," Tạ Vân Khê commented, her voice full of skepticism, but Húc Bá Nguyên quickly interrupted before she could ask further.

"Administrative details can be verified later," Húc Bá Nguyên said. "The important thing right now is the testimony about disciple Chu Diệp Sương's behavior, not the witness's background."

*

Wei Bá Tuân, standing in the row of disciples, suddenly walked out, his voice full of fake anger that Diệp Sương was so familiar with. "Master, elders," he said, "from the first day I entered the sect, I have always felt that there was something wrong with Chu Diệp Sương's background and different behavior. Now, with this evidence, perhaps my suspicions are not unfounded."

"Wei Bá Tuân, you are taking advantage of this situation for personal revenge!" Chung Nhã Trúc shouted from the row of disciples, couldn't hold back any longer, walked out into the middle of the hall regardless of the rules. "Diệp Sương is not the type of person you describe, you know that better than anyone!"

*

The large hall was engulfed in chaos, the sounds of gossip and arguments rang out everywhere, until Thư Khải Dương slammed his hand on the table, signaling silence.

"That's enough," he announced, his voice sharp. "This is a serious case that needs to be carefully considered, not the place for emotional arguments. The council will convene a formal hearing in the next three days, fully reviewing all evidence and testimony."

He looked down at Diệp Sương, his eyes carried an unpredictable look, between the severity of a sect leader and something almost guilty that flashed very quickly. "In the meantime," he said, "disciple Chu Diệp Sương will continue to be detained, according to regulations."

*

When Diệp Sương was led out of the hall, she turned to find Thanh Việt's eyes one last time and saw him being held back by two other disciples. His face was red with suppressed anger; his mouth formed words she could not hear but could read on his lips: "I will find out the truth."

On the way back to the place of detention, Diệp Sương passed Úc Bá Tuyền. The young man avoided her eyes, but in that brief moment she saw something wrong in his expression—not the confidence of an honest witness, but fear of being controlled by something larger than himself, as if he were only a pawn in a game whose rules he did not understand.

"Who sent you to do this?" it whispered as it passed, soft enough for only him to hear.

Úc Bá Tuyền did not answer, just bowed his head lower, quickly walked away, leaving Diệp Sương standing there with a new question, even scarier than the accusation itself - not whether anyone believed it, but who was powerful enough to orchestrate a network of lies so sophisticated that it could turn an anonymous soldier into their effective tool.

The cell door closed behind her with a dry sound, leaving Diệp Sương alone between four cold stone walls. The last light of day shone through the small window in pale orange streaks before night fell. She sat down, leaned her back against the wall, and closed her eyes, trying to organize the chaotic thoughts swirling in her head and wondering what the next three days would bring, and whether she had enough strength to endure until the truth was revealed.