Chapter 146: A Foolish Scheme

Fortunately, she had a good temperament. Ever since her transmigration into this world, the death in her previous life had left no lingering psychological impact. She had traversed the Heavenly Staircase so many times without a single issue, remaining completely free of inner demons.

The cleansing effect of the spiritual platform was truly remarkable.

After only a momentary lapse of panic, Ji Jiuxuan manipulated her Azure Falling Sword and hurriedly steadied her posture, though she still wobbled slightly.

Suddenly, a giant flying sparrow came streaking toward her at a terrifying speed, looking thoroughly menacing.

Ji Jiuxuan hastily dodged, only to find the sparrow altering its trajectory and charging right back at her position.

Sharp-beaked sparrows possessed the most lethal beaks. A direct peck could potentially inflict severe injuries even on a normal Qi-condensation cultivator, and a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator would undoubtedly fare much worse if caught.

While Ji Jiuxuan's physical refinement level meant she had nothing to fear from this, being targeted by a flying sparrow larger than herself right after learning sword flight was certainly a most unpleasant experience.

From the depths of the sparrow's eyes, Ji Jiuxuan sensed unwarranted murderous intent.

If it were her Senior Sister, she might use a flying sparrow to train her sword flight proficiency, but it would never be one brimming with such murderous intent.

It was even less likely to be a native spirit beast from the Spirit Beast Peak. Judging by its aura, it possessed an owner and did not belong to the masterless beasts of the Spirit Beast Peak.

As Ji Jiuxuan nimbly dodged, the immediate danger prevented her from fully focusing on controlling her flying sword, while her mind raced with questions about who could be behind this.

Glancing up at the towering Prospecting Peak straight ahead, the first possibility that crossed her mind was that someone from this peak had sent it.

Accompanied by the shrill cries of the sharp-beaked sparrow, a continuous stream of birds and beasts emerged from the forest, soaring into the sky.

This caused her no small amount of trouble.

Meng Jiao stood at the edge of the cliff, observing her youngest junior sister's predicament with absolute clarity from her vantage point.

Lifting her gaze in a faint sweep, she spotted the disciples hiding not far away, then looked back at her junior sister's situation.

She had just been contemplating finding some winged beasts to train her junior sister's aerial swordsmanship, and now she didn't even need to search for them.

However, those people from Prospecting Peak were truly asking for a beating; daring to attempt to harm her junior sister meant they were courting disaster.

Meng Jiao's divine sense unfolded, locking onto them tightly while her hand seals rapidly formed. Should the culprits attempt to flee or genuinely succeed in harming her junior sister, escape would be utterly impossible.

The sharp-beaked sparrow continued its relentless, direct assaults against her.

Ji Jiuxuan was driven to near fury. She looked up at her Senior Sister on the cliff edge and flew toward her position.

Had she not possessed an abundance of spiritual energy, any other Foundation Establishment practitioner besieged by so many flying beasts would have long since plummeted from the sky; how could anyone maintain control for this long?

Seemingly aware of her intentions, the sharp-beaked sparrow executed a sudden lateral charge to block her path.

Rolling downward, Ji Jiuxuan's anger reached its boiling point.

Practicing sword flight was one thing, but these attacks were clearly premeditated. Glancing down at the sword beneath her feet, Ji Jiuxuan felt that a single sword was far from sufficient for her needs now.

Did the people of Prospecting Peak take her for a pushover? Repeated provocations would test the patience of even the most amiable person.

Several talisman papers materialized in her hand. This time, however, she did not use high-grade ones, but rather the low-grade talismans she had practiced drawing during her early studies.

As her spiritual energy circulated and the sharp-beaked sparrow closed in once more, Ji Jiuxuan flashed a brilliant smile and came to a sudden halt.

Realizing something was amiss, the sparrow tried to pull away, but its momentum was too great for it to regain control.

A massive formation descended directly over it like a cage.

The Prospecting Peak disciples lurking in the shadows were filled with excitement.

They had been waiting for Ji Jiuxuan to make a move. Now that she had attacked the sparrow, they could jump out and fabricate a righteous pretext to accuse her.

Since this was within the sect and Ji Jiuxuan possessed formidable backers, resorting to such childish tactics was the only way to make her suffer.

Otherwise, unless they could guarantee her absolute and untraceable demise outside sect grounds, such measures were necessary.

These Prospecting Peak disciples were clever fellows; they merely followed their master's instructions and maintained a decent outward facade.

Risking their lives for this was entirely out of the question.

Having served their master for many years, they understood his temperament better than anyone. Fortunately, that fool Wang Yuling was currently absent from the sect.

Not one of them was willing to risk their life for Wang Yumiao; it simply wasn't worth it.

Unlike the harmony found in other peaks, the disciples of Prospecting Peak were fiercely competitive, especially those under their master's direct tutelage, where rivalry existed at every turn.

To them, Wang Yumiao was merely someone who vied for their resources; losing one competitor meant one less obstacle.

The sharp-beaked sparrow shrieked, attempting to break free, only to discover that this seemingly low-grade formation possessed hidden depths.

With every struggle, the torment inflicted upon it by the formation intensified.

Ji Jiuxuan sneered softly. A simple escape was entirely out of the question. While it looked like a mere confinement array, the internal torment inflicted on the sparrow was severe, leaving no visible wounds on the outside.

Turning her gaze toward the other spirit beasts hovering above from the Spirit Beast Peak, she declared coldly, "Do you still wish to continue? Blindly taking orders to harm fellow sect disciples while completely disregarding sect rules—you deserve death."

Danger dripped from Ji Jiuxuan's tone. Leaving them no opportunity to flee back, she retrieved the confinement array disk her martial uncle had previously given her from her spatial storage.

She hurled it toward the flock of spirit beasts.

Though slightly delayed, the array successfully enveloped every single one of them.

After a brief probe, Ji Jiuxuan raised her eyes toward the cliff and understood everything in an instant.

She watched as her Senior Sister leapt directly from the ledge, a flying sword rushing down to cushion her feet just in the nick of time.

"Execute the ones that deserve to die. I have evidence proving they harmed fellow disciples. Leaving such creatures in the sect is dangerous; they might corrupt future disciples once bonded," Meng Jiao stated in an icy voice.

The spirit beasts trapped within the array trembled violently, their futile struggle to break free yielding no results.

Bullying her junior sister right in front of her and expecting to run? That was an absolute impossibility.

Furthermore, her assessment was correct: the sect had no shortage of unbonded spirit beasts that wreaked havoc among disciples. Killing them was the cleanest solution.

"Junior Sister, check which of these have good meat quality. Senior Sister will help you execute and store them so we can cook and eat them later."

At the thought of her junior sister's culinary skills, Meng Jiao couldn't help feeling a slight craving.

Taking her senior sister's suggestion seriously, Ji Jiuxuan inspected the beasts closely and pointed at several specific ones.

With every single one she pointed to, Meng Jiao eliminated it with a single strike, sending the carcass flying into a storage bag.

"Let's stick to these. Any more might raise awkward questions back at the Spirit Beast Peak."

Observing her senior sister, Ji Jiuxuan couldn't shake the feeling that she sounded remarkably like a habitual offender.

Just as the remaining spirit beasts were trembling with fear, the sound of rushing wind echoed from afar. Although the conflict here had not escalated into a full-scale battle, the commotion had nonetheless attracted the attention of the Law Enforcement Hall patrol.

Realizing that the Law Enforcement Hall enforcers were approaching and that Ji Jiuxuan had not taken the bait to strike the beasts openly, the hidden Prospecting Peak disciples had no choice but to scurry away.

"Ah, it's Senior Sister Meng. What brings Senior Sister here?"

The fierce expressions of the several Law Enforcement Hall disciples transformed instantly upon recognizing Meng Jiao, turning deeply respectful and even somewhat flattering.

Meng Jiao maintained a placid expression—a demeanor Ji Jiuxuan had never witnessed before.

"It's Junior Brother Wang. These spirit beasts suddenly ran amok and attempted to harm my junior sister, so I've bound them all within a confinement array." Meng Jiao's tone grew stern. "Such attempts to injure my junior sister must be dealt with severely. I leave them in your capable hands."

"Yes, yes, absolutely!" The disciple surnamed Wang replied with utmost deference, whereupon his subordinates produced binding bags to collect the spirit beasts from the Spirit Beast Peak.

The array disk returned to Ji Jiuxuan's hand.

The Law Enforcement Hall members turned their attention to the sharp-beaked sparrow before looking back at Meng Jiao. "Does this sharp-beaked sparrow share culpability as well?"

Whether a spirit beast had an owner and bore contract runes or totems was readily discernible; some didn't even require checking totems and could be identified at a glance.

"It is the master-minds. I expect you to conduct a thorough investigation."

Meng Jiao glanced at the distant, retreating figures of the Prospecting Peak disciples, a cold smile tugging at her lips. She had never witnessed anyone quite so foolish.

Using bonded beasts to frame others—the Law Enforcement Hall possessed countless infallible methods to uncover the truth without a single miscarriage of justice.

At that moment, the sharp-beaked sparrow was utterly listless, exhausted physically and mentally from the array's torture. It lacked even the strength to execute its original plan of escape when the Law Enforcement Hall personnel prepared to take it away.

In fact, it practically begged to be hauled off, wishing never to spend another second inside that formation.

Once the sharp-beaked sparrow was carried away, the confinement array vanished without a trace.

Meng Jiao cast a meaningful glance at Ji Jiuxuan, her face blooming with smiles.