Chapter 93: Reasons

The past half month had been incredibly tough for the Solar Vermillion Sect. In order to silence the Zhou family, they had been forced to sell off their assets to gather funds. Moreover, with Lin Yuzhi refusing to help them, the investigation team had turned its scrutiny toward them.

Facing an investigation could be life-threatening to the sect. If they resisted, they would be at risk of being labeled as "violently opposing the law enforcement," leading to potential destruction. However, if they didn't resist, the investigation team could employ various methods to squeeze them dry and weaken them severely.

It could be said that the Solar Vermillion Sect was in a quagmire.

If it weren't for the Solar Vermillion Sect's martial strength making the investigation team a bit hesitant to act, the sect would have been almost completely dismantled over the past half month.

Despite this, they still faced significant challenges. Qiu Chufeng had been tirelessly seeking alliances, raising funds, and exploring new avenues to navigate through this crisis.

Furthermore, he had visited Lin Yuzhi more than once. Only Lin Yuzhi, the chairman of the martial society, had the authority to handle such matters. Unfortunately, Lin Yuzhi rejected all his visits. During this time, both Qiu Chufeng and Qiu Chuyun seemed to have aged significantly. They were visibly exhausted and helpless.

At this critical moment, Jiang Zhenhai hurriedly arrived with fantastic news, instantly revitalizing the leaders of the Solar Vermillion Sect.

***

Qiu Chufeng's eyes widened as he stared intently at Jiang Zhenhai. "Are you serious!? There is really something wrong with Li Pin, and that issue is critical enough to bring him down!?"

"Exactly!" Jiang Zhenhai said emphatically.

He continued, "Think about it, Li Pin is only twenty-two! He's not a disciple of a Martial Saint, nor is he from an Astral Cultivator family, so he won't have access to the full range of astral equipment-assisted training. How could a commoner like him have become so powerful in such a short period of time? Remember, he only just reached the Core Formation realm two to three months ago!"

He stated with absolute certainty, "I firmly believe that Li Pin isn't as strong as he seems. He must have taken some kind of drug or injection!"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Chufeng, having not properly rested in half a month and appearing haggard, quickly bubbled with energy once again. "Drugs!?"

He immediately thought of Han Li. Han Li had shown extraordinary prowess in the martial arts competition, exceeding the pinnacle of the Core Formation Stage, all because he had taken special drugs!

If Han Li could take drugs, so could Li Pin!

"After nearly two weeks of non-stop research on the video, I've finally found something amiss," Jiang Zhenhai said, his spirits lifted as he pulled up footage of Li Pin fighting with Han Li and Zhou Chaoguang. He zoomed in on the part where Li Pin and Zhou Chaoguang were fighting. "Look here, pay close attention to Li Pin's body."

With an unwavering tone, he stated, "I've done extensive research, and his condition is identical to that of someone under the effect of Blood-Seething Powder. Considering what we know about him, he's only been in the Core Formation realm for less than three months.

"Yet, the qi and blood level he's able to unleash far surpasses what a martial artist who has been at this level for two months should be capable of. Besides taking the banned substance Blood-Seething Powder, what other explanation could there be for this inexplicable phenomenon?"

Qiu Chufeng quickly stepped forward, his hands trembling as he examined the zoomed-in screen. He swiftly reviewed the other videos Jiang Zhenhai had prepared. All of them showcased the traits of martial artists under the effect of the Blood-Seething Powder. These traits matched exactly with those Li Pin exhibited when he killed Zhou Chaoguang.

Qiu Chufeng gushed, "He took drugs! Li Pin actually relied on drugs to become so powerful, and we were all deceived by him!? We actually believed he was a genius martial artist with hopes to shine and contend for the top ten spots in the national competition!?"

Qiu Chufeng's mind raced. He couldn't help but recall how much hardship Li Pin's actions had caused them. He had forced him, a dignified Martial Saint, to lower himself and beg for favors.

A sense of unprecedented shame surged within Qiu Chufeng's heart, causing the withered-looking Martial Saint to tremble with rage. "How dare he! How dare he!"

Jiang Zhenhai enthusiastically went on, "Li Pin must have procured a new type of drug from some special channel, a refined Blood-Seething Powder. This new Blood-Seething Powder is obviously harder to detect and has fewer side effects. This is why he dared to use it in plain sight!

"That's how he could take advantage of Zhou Chaoguang's slip-up, killing off this Aura Cultivation Grandmaster of the Zhou family!"

Jiang Zhenhai seemed convinced that he had uncovered the truth.

He continued, "It's highly possible! Although there is a drug testing protocol before the top ten matches in the martial competition, it's not strict or professional. It's only taken seriously during the round-robin tournament... If he colluded with the staff responsible for drug testing, he could very likely go undetected even after taking banned substances!"

Qiu Chuyun followed suit, "No! It's not just possible, it's the truth!"

A terrifying light flashed in Qiu Chufeng's eyes. "Li Pin bribed the drug testers and took banned substances. That's the truth!"

Qiu Chuyun was slightly stunned.

Despite everything they said being based on speculation with no evidence to support it, Qiu Chufeng didn't care. The originally haggard and weary man suddenly exhibited an unusual excitement.

Qiu Chufeng condemned, "Using banned substances at the Jiang Province Martial Competition is a more serious incident than throwing a match! He must be disqualified and banned for life for demonstrating this kind of behavior...!"

After a moment, Qiu Chufeng had another thought. "No! Disqualification and a lifetime ban are not enough! He must be pursued for his crimes! Those with the audacity to challenge the rules of the martial competition must be brought to justice!"

He suddenly sprang to his feet and said to Jiang Zhenhai, "Prepare all the materials immediately! We are meeting Chairman Lin!"

Jiang Zhenhai was startled and quickly agreed. "Yes."

"Sect Master, are we going to see Chairman Lin now? We—"

"I know what you want to say! Evidence? All we need is an excuse, something to say to the higher-ups!" Qiu Chufeng said solemnly. "As long as Chairman Lin still wants to push Gu Haoran to win first place in Jiang Province, he will turn a blind eye to our next actions. As for the evidence... we will definitely find it when we get to Li Pin's house."

He paused for a moment. Then, he affirmed, "This is the only hope for the Solar Vermillion Sect to escape this vortex!"

Hearing that, Qiu Chuyun understood what he meant.

That's right.

This reckless action might put us at risk, but with this video, we will have the right to ask Li Pin to cooperate with the investigation. We have a justifiable reason!

It didn't matter whether Li Pin had actually taken drugs or not! That was irrelevant! As long as they dragged him into an investigation, they could decide his fate—be it life or death.

The crucial point was that....

The Zhou family wanted Li Pin dead!

The Solar Vermillion Sect wanted Li Pin dead!

Shu Shaoyan and the other major sect leaders in Jiang Province wanted Li Pin dead!

Chairman Lin also wanted Li Pin dead!

This was more than enough reason for him to take action!

"Let's go to the martial society to request an investigation order and bring Li Pin in for questioning. If he dares to resist..." a hint of cruelty flashed across Qiu Chufeng's eyes, "kill him without hesitation!"