“Kai Tong, worker and outer disciple of the Ember Sword Sect,” Long Bo’s deep, commanding voice echoed through the chamber, drawing all eyes to the sect leader, “you stand accused of betraying your oath and aligning yourself with the vile arts of demonic cultivation, seeking to harm this righteous sect. What do you say to these grave accusations?”

  Kai raised his head slightly, his voice steady but heavy with the weight of his predicament. “Great and honorable leader, I swear upon my honor and life—I am innocent. I have never practiced demonic cultivation, nor have I conspired with demonic cultivators.”

  Long Bo’s piercing gaze lingered on Kai for a moment, his expression unreadable. “So, you maintain your innocence,” he said at last, his tone as calm and measured as before. He turned his attention to the gathered disciples. “Bring forward the witness.”

  The disciple who had arrested Kai stepped forward, bowing deeply before addressing the sect leader. “Honorable leader,” he began, his voice laced with conviction, “you tasked us with investigating for any signs of demonic cultivation. I have carried out your orders with diligence. In the course of our investigation, we discovered compelling evidence that implicates Kai Tong as a practitioner of demonic arts.”

  He pointed dramatically at Kai, his accusation ringing through the chamber like a gavel striking a judge’s bench.

  “What evidence do you present to support this claim?” Long Bo inquired, his voice steady but sharp with authority.

  The disciple reached into a bag slung over his shoulder and withdrew a small, black fruit. He held it aloft for all to see, his expression triumphant. “We searched the stable area, where Kai Tong is stationed, and discovered this,” he declared, the black fruit gleaming ominously in the chamber’s golden light.

  Kai’s eyes widened in recognition. It was the meat fruit—his own creation, painstakingly developed to feed the carnivorous spirit beasts under his care. He had thought it a clever solution to a difficult problem, but now, it was being twisted into evidence against him.

  “That is no ordinary fruit,” the disciple declared, his voice resonating with righteous fervor as he held the dark, glossy fruit aloft for all to see. “This is a blood fruit, a sinister cultivation material used exclusively by demonic cultivators.”

  A collective murmur swept through the chamber, rippling like an uneasy tide. Faces twisted in shock and revulsion as the gathered disciples and elders processed the accusation. The disciple continued, his tone dripping with conviction.

  “Blood fruits are not merely strange oddities of the natural world,” the disciple proclaimed, his voice resonating with self-assured authority as he paced before the assembly. “They are the vile products of demonic trees—abhorrent creations that thrive only when nourished by the blood of humans and cultivators.”

  He paused, letting his words settle over the chamber, his expression grave. “During our investigation, we uncovered troubling reports from mortal communities within our sect’s territory. Many have spoken of people mysteriously vanishing in recent days, their disappearances shrouded in fear and confusion. These incidents coincide suspiciously with Kai Tong’s movements.”

  The disciple gestured toward Kai with accusatory force. “Kai Tong has been observed visiting one such settlement, a fact that cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence. What reason would an outer disciple—a stable worker—have to frequent mortal villages, except to abduct innocents and feed their blood to a demonic tree in order to cultivate these fruits?”

  A ripple of shock and indignation surged through the crowd. Gasps and hushed murmurs filled the air, each word dripping with suspicion. Several elders exchanged grim looks, while others frowned deeply, their foreheads etched with concern. The weight of the accusation hung heavily in the chamber, as though the air itself had grown oppressive.

  Kai’s face blanched, and he shook his head vehemently. “That’s not true! I’ve never harmed anyone, let alone abducted anyone from those villages. My visits were for trade—simple, honest trade to acquire feed for the spirit beasts.”

  The accusing disciple’s lip curled into a sneer. “Trade? A convenient excuse, but hardly a credible one. Tell me, Kai Tong, how do you explain the fruit’s presence? How do you explain the timing of these disappearances, aligning perfectly with your so-called ‘trade visits’? Your protests are nothing more than the desperate lies of a guilty man.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Kai’s heart raced as he struggled to compose himself, knowing that any sign of hesitation could seal his fate. “I can explain,” he insisted, his voice steadying. “That fruit is not a blood fruit, nor is it connected to any demonic cultivation. It’s something I created—an innovation to sustain the carnivorous spirit beasts under my care. The disappearances you speak of are tragic, but I had no part in them. I’ve been visiting these communities for years, long before these recent disappearances.”

  The tension in the chamber thickened as all eyes turned to Long Bo. The sect leader’s expression remained unreadable, his piercing gaze fixed on the fruit as he contemplated the words spoken on both sides.

  “Enough,” Long Bo declared, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade. “Elders, you will examine the fruit immediately. Verify its nature and origins.”

  The room fell into a tense silence as the elders approached to inspect the fruit, their movements deliberate and somber. Kai clenched his fists, praying that the truth of his work would withstand the scrutiny and dispel the shadow of doubt cast over him.

  After several tense minutes of scrutiny, during which the elders whispered among themselves and gestured at the fruit with careful deliberation, one elder finally stepped forward. His robes swayed slightly as he moved, the polished insignia of his rank gleaming under the chamber’s golden light.

  “Honorable Sect Leader,” the elder began, his tone measured and thoughtful, “we have completed our examination.”

  Long Bo leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on the elder. “And what have you concluded? Is this, as alleged, a blood fruit?”

  The elder hesitated briefly, glancing back at his peers before continuing. “The matter is... complicated. This fruit shares several characteristics of a blood fruit, including its color, texture, and certain elemental traces. However, it also exhibits traits that are distinctly unlike any blood fruit recorded in our archives.”

  The room buzzed softly with murmurs of speculation, but the elder raised his hand to silence them before pressing on. “Most critically, the fruit lacks the presence of demonic qi—a defining feature of a true blood fruit. Without demonic qi, it would be utterly useless for demonic cultivation. This singular fact has led the majority of us to conclude that this is not a blood fruit.”

  A collective exhale rippled through the chamber, though the tension remained palpable. Long Bo’s brow furrowed as he considered the implications. “So, you cannot definitively classify this fruit?”

  “That is correct, Sect Leader,” the elder admitted, his expression sober. “It is unique—an anomaly, perhaps even an invention. While it mimics certain traits of a blood fruit, its lack of demonic qi absolves it of any immediate ties to demonic practices. However,” he added cautiously, “this fruit still warrants further study. Its existence is unusual, and we cannot rule out the possibility of it being part of some larger, unknown scheme.”

  Long Bo’s gaze shifted back to Kai, who knelt motionless, his heart pounding as he processed the elder’s words. Though relieved that the fruit wasn’t definitively labeled as a blood fruit, he knew the shadow of suspicion hadn’t entirely lifted.

  “Kai Tong,” Long Bo addressed him directly, his voice stern. “This fruit, while not conclusively damning, raises questions that must be answered. You claim to have created it as sustenance for the sect’s spirit beasts. Is this true?”

  Kai nodded firmly, lifting his head just enough to meet Long Bo’s eyes with sincerity. “Yes, Honorable Leader. I designed it to solve the issue of feeding the carnivorous beasts.”

  “How did you create such a thing?” Long Bo asked, his piercing gaze locked on Kai.

  Kai hesitated. He knew that explaining the process might complicate his defense, but withholding information could be even worse. After taking a steadying breath, he spoke, choosing his words carefully.

  “Honorable Leader,” Kai began, “while foraging in the forest for herbs, I came across a blood tree—a precursor to a demonic tree. It had not matured, nor had it been fed the blood of a human or cultivator. Without such nourishment, it could neither produce blood fruits nor transform into a true demonic tree. Seeing its dormant state, I thought to experiment and see if it could be made to bear fruit without ever crossing into demonic cultivation. My aim was to harness its potential while preventing it from becoming harmful.”

  A ripple of shocked murmurs spread through the chamber. One of the accusing disciples stepped forward, his finger pointing directly at Kai. “See, Honorable Leader! He openly admits to cultivating this fruit from a demonic tree!”

  Before the accusation could escalate, Long Bo’s voice thundered across the hall. “Silence, you fool!” His glare bore down on the disciple, whose bravado instantly crumbled into meekness. “A blood tree is not a demonic tree. As Kai has correctly stated, it is merely a precursor. If it is never fed blood, it will remain an ordinary tree and pose no threat.”

  The murmurs subsided as Long Bo's commanding voice filled the chamber, his tone sharp and authoritative. “Our sect archives document such trees,” he began, his gaze sweeping across the gathered crowd. “They are a natural phenomenon, not inherently evil. Only through deliberate and vile actions does a blood tree transform into a demonic tree. However,” he added, his eyes narrowing, “a blood tree will also never bear fruit unless it is fed blood and allowed to become a demonic tree. So, Kai Tong, how is it that this tree bore fruit without following that path?”

  All eyes turned to Kai, their gazes heavy with suspicion and curiosity. Kai swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He hesitated, his mind racing for the right words. Finally, he straightened slightly, his voice quiet but firm.

  “I… um,” he started, pausing to gather his thoughts. “I crossbred it.”