The Disciplinary Hall of the Inner Court, Interrogation Chamber.

On this familiar night, Ling Luo followed Hall Master Fan into the interrogation chamber. As soon as she knelt, she received several complex and indescribable gazes.

Sitting in the main seat was the Sect Master of East Island Tian Ji, Mu Heng Tian.

As a cultivator of superior techniques, his temperament and appearance were well-preserved, showing no signs of aging decline. Instead, he appeared increasingly gentle, making people want to approach and admire him.

He wore a golden crown, the symbol of the Sect Master.

Mu Heng Tian lowered his gaze toward Ling Luo below.

In her previous life, Ling Luo had lowered her head to avoid his gaze out of fear. This life, she quietly waited for him, and in this first glance, she captured a subtle disgust.

It was indeed so.

Whether in her previous life or this one, Sect Master Mu disliked her at first sight.

Two sect masters, three elders, one hall master, and Mu Ya were present in this room as observers.

The occasion was grand enough, but it wasn’t over yet.

Seated to her left were several people from Xiao Yao Sect, one of the Twelve Great Immortal Sects, including the Grand Elder and his disciples.

Both were among the Twelve Great Immortal Sects, but while Xiao Yao Sect and Tian Ji were both in East Island territory, the former had only three hundred years of foundation, while Tian Ji had over a thousand.

The reason Tian Ji was prefixed with “East Island” was because once the entire East Island belonged to Tian Ji.

As the world changed through later generations, immortal sects rose, and East Island split into several cities.

Xiao Yao Sect was in the south of East Island, while Tian Ji was in the north, yet only a thousand-year dominant immortal sect could be prefixed with “East Island.”

Ling Luo lowered her head, bowing deeply: “Disciple pays respects to Sect Master.”

Only when meeting the Mu family Sect Master of East Island Tian Ji was such a grand ritual necessary.

After Ling Luo’s voice fell, the disciple from Xiao Yao Sect stood up and shouted angrily: “You murderer!”

Ling Luo’s expression remained unchanged. Yun Shou Xi, sitting to the side, lazily raised his eyes.

“Rong Xian.” The Grand Elder of Xiao Yao Sect said sternly, “It’s not your turn to speak. Step back!”

The youth called Rong Xian looked only one or two years older than Ling Luo, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked at her.

“Ling Luo, the reason you were summoned today is because Xiao Yao Sect informed us that while investigating the murder of the Grand Elder’s granddaughter Jin Yuan, they discovered the killer had infiltrated my East Island Tian Ji, becoming an inner court disciple,” Mu Heng Tian said slowly from his high seat, with no discernible emotion. “They say this inner court disciple is you, Ling Luo. Are you, as they claim, the murderer who killed Jin Yuan?”

Every word this person said was the same as in her previous life, even the tone hadn’t changed.

Ling Luo truly believed before that she would die here.

With East Island Tian Ji’s two sect masters, elders, and hall master, plus the Xiao Yao Sect Grand Elder who hated her to the bone—even if she fought to the death with all her strength, she would have no chance of escaping from their hands.

It was still impossible now.

Even if Yun Shou Xi wouldn’t kill her, the others wouldn’t show mercy.

Not to mention that Mu Heng Tian was already advocating for her death.

So when Yun Shou Xi protected her in the interrogation chamber, saving her life, she was deeply moved and secretly vowed to survive to properly repay her master.

Ling Luo raised her head and said firmly: “No.”

She denied it.

In her previous life, she had been forced to confess and was sentenced to death. Mu Heng Tian wanted to give Xiao Yao Sect an explanation and insisted on killing her.

This life, although she still couldn’t avoid punishment, she absolutely would not confess today.

“No?” Mu Heng Tian frowned, his tone still gentle. “Grand Elder, what do you say?”

The Grand Elder looked at Ling Luo with a cold expression, while Rong Xian beside him said: “You’re lying! At the end of February this year, you went down the mountain to find your sister Yu Zhi, but then attacked Jin Yuan who was returning to the mountain! After killing her with my Xiao Yao Sect’s sword technique, you fled the sect and headed north to East Island Tian Ji!”

When she heard her sister’s name, Ling Luo moved her eyes slightly, giving this person a cold glance.

This glance was faint.

Among those present, only Hall Master Fan and Yun Shou Xi showed slight surprise.

In East Island Tian Ji, these two paid the most attention to Ling Luo and had reviewed Ling Luo’s identity records in Tian Ji multiple times, yet neither knew before now that Ling Luo had a sister.

Rong Xian was filled with hatred toward her, his finger nearly poking her nose: “You’re completely ungrateful! Back then, Senior Brother Chen and Jin Yuan saw you, two sisters homeless and bullied, felt pity for you, and brought you back to Xiao Yao Sect to settle down, providing you with food, clothing, and shelter! Senior Brother Chen even begged the Master to accept you two as disciples, but when the Master refused, he secretly taught you sword techniques, and was even punished for it!”

“Jin Yuan often came to visit you two, taking you into the sect gates to play! She even shared her snacks with you, treating you better than her fellow sister disciples!”

How ridiculous!

She was jealous of Senior Brother Chen’s affection for Yu Zhi, and bullied Yu Zhi who couldn’t speak, mocking her for being mute, bringing the shy Yu Zhi into Xiao Yao Sect’s gates, making her like a clown to be surrounded, ridiculed, and humiliated!

Ling Luo listened with a calm expression, even somewhat indifferent. She knelt on the ground but kept her back straight. When moonlight fell upon her, it illuminated her exquisite beauty like a porcelain doll.

“Ling Luo, ask your conscience! Senior Brother Chen taught you sword techniques for self-protection—was it so you could kill Jin Yuan!?”

If time could go back to that year:

She would never have followed Senior Brother Chen when he reached out his hand, thinking she had found shelter in this harsh world, bringing Yu Zhi to Xiao Yao Sect.

She would never have followed him to practice when Senior Brother Chen spoke of cultivating sword techniques to protect herself, leaving Yu Zhi alone in the room.

It was that day when she left that gave Jin Yuan the opportunity to lure Yu Zhi down the mountain.

She didn’t even get to see her own sister’s face one last time.

And that jade spirit bead that belonged to her sister had recorded all the suffering she endured before death.

If Ling Luo were to take out the jade spirit bead and let them see what it recorded, public opinion would instantly shift in her favor.

Even the Grand Elder would have nothing to say.

Because her sister Yu Zhi was killed by his granddaughter Jin Yuan.

Ling Luo killed Jin Yuan merely to avenge her sister.

Mu Heng Tian would not throw her to the Disciplinary Hall for punishment for violating sect rules.

But neither in her previous life nor in this one would Ling Luo produce the jade spirit bead.

The jade spirit bead recorded how Yu Zhi was humiliated to death in her final moments.

So many people, men, and women, did such unconscionable things to her sweet, adorable sister who could not speak.

Even if Ling Luo died, she would never let anyone besides herself see her sister’s humiliated appearance again.

Under the Grand Elder’s grim stare and Rong Xian’s angry shouts, Ling Luo remained unmoved, simply saying faintly: “It wasn’t me.”

Rong Xian was furious, his face reddened, his hands slightly trembling: “Fine, you shameless woman! Calling you ungrateful is too kind! Do you know that after Jin Yuan was killed by you and you escaped, Senior Brother Chen saw Jin Yuan’s corpse and was grief-stricken, believing it was all his fault, and took his own life the next day!”

Ling Luo remained unmoved.

She said: “What does that have to do with me?”

“You—you’re simply an animal!” Rong Xian wished he could draw his sword and kill her on the spot.

Yun Shou Xi frowned with displeasure. He put down his cup, making a faint crisp sound that drew a side glance from Mu Heng Tian above and caught the Grand Elder’s attention across from him.

If Ling Luo were just an inner court disciple, there would be no need for the Sect Master to personally interrogate her. Mu Heng Tian would simply hand her over to the Disciplinary Hall for questioning, and she would likely end up being transferred to Xiao Yao Sect.

The difficulty now was that Ling Luo was not only an inner court disciple but also Yun Shou Xi’s disciple.

And Yun Shou Xi’s fondness for this little disciple was no secret in East Island Tian Ji.

Today, regardless of whether Ling Luo said yes or no, what ultimately decided her fate was Yun Shou Xi’s attitude.

As several people tactfully waited for Yun Shou Xi to speak, Rong Xian jumped in first, angrily cursing: “Your mute sister was an animal just like you! Ungrateful and only—”

Ling Luo laughed, deploying Ying Xi so quickly that even Mu Heng Tian and the others couldn’t stop her in time. The interrogation chamber was already occupied by the cherry tree, sprouting three to five cherry branches from their bodies, budding and flowering.

Ying Xi’s spirit seed had been activated.

None of those present could have imagined that Ling Luo would be so bold as to make a move in front of the sect masters and elders of the two sects!

Seeing Ling Luo already holding Ying Xi and approaching Rong Xian, Mu Heng Tian said sternly: “Stop!”

The Xiao Yao Sect Grand Elder revealed a cold light in his eyes, killing intent already present: “Vicious creature!”

Flowers fell from the branches, and the power of the blossoms that had opened by absorbing life force from the several sect masters and elders was so strong that it blocked the Grand Elder’s close-range killing move, but couldn’t stop the whip from Mu Heng Tian’s hand.

The binding spirit whip lashed fiercely across Ling Luo’s back. She slightly frowned, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, but still grabbed Rong Xian’s collar. With his terrified appearance reflected in her eyes, she said softly: “You should be grateful she died early.”

If it were her current self, or if she had been reborn before Jin Yuan’s death—just one or two killing sword moves would hardly ease the hatred in her heart.

This voice was faint. In the surging flower tide of Ying Xi’s spirit seed, only Rong Xian heard it.

The spirit seed of Ying Xi was dispersed by Yun Shou Xi. The Xiao Yao Sect Grand Elder used his energy to advance again: “Return my granddaughter’s life!”

Yun Shou Xi instantly moved in front of Ling Luo, blocking the person with just a wave of his sleeve, while hearing Ling Luo say to Rong Xian: “You are not worthy to mention my sister. If I hear you say half a word about her again, no matter where in the world, I will kill you.”

At this moment, she was somewhat letting herself go, with her demonic nature surfacing.

As one of the Twenty-Six Demons, she had leveled Xiao Yao Sect.

Mere Xiao Yao Sect disciples were nothing but ants before her. The one who had once knelt at her feet, crying miserably, showing a hundred ugly expressions while begging for life, now stood before her pointing at her nose, cursing and stomping on her reverse scale.

It was truly laughable.

Yun Shou Xi turned sideways and said gently: “Ling Luo.”

Only then did Ling Luo release her hold, staggering slightly, kneeling back down on the ground.

The binding spirit whip in Mu Heng Tian’s hand was one of his divine weapons, and his strike had not been light. The cold pain penetrated every part of her body, frantically wandering, causing blood to flow from the corner of her mouth again.

Ling Luo raised her head and wiped it, her forehead already covered in beads of sweat, her lips reddened with blood, yet she said: “You can ask a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, it still wasn’t me.”

Although Rong Xian had been frightened weak-kneed a moment ago, he quickly regained his momentum: “You’re lying!”

“Enough,” Yun Shou Xi said lightly. “Since she says it wasn’t her, then it wasn’t. The murderer Xiao Yao Sect is looking for is not in our Tian Ji.”

“Third Sect Master, are you showing favoritism toward your disciple?” the Grand Elder asked gravely.

Yun Shou Xi smiled: “Since she is my disciple, shouldn’t I favor her?”

“Are Tian Ji’s sect rules merely for show?” the Grand Elder looked toward Mu Heng Tian on the high seat, already too angry to care.

Being questioned like this, Mu Heng Tian felt somewhat displeased.

Although both were among the Twelve Great Immortal Sects, Tian Ji had never regarded a three-hundred-year foundation like the Xiao Yao Sect as equals.

In their eyes, it was just a small immortal sect.

Mere Xiao Yao Sect, how dare you question my Tian Ji’s sect rules?

Mu Heng Tian’s attitude became somewhat cold: “Grand Elder is certain Ling Luo is the murderer, yet she says she didn’t kill anyone. With neither side having evidence, let San Jian discern the truth from falsehood.”

After speaking, he turned to look at Hall Master Fan.

Hall Master Fan’s divine weapon San Jian could discern truth from falsehood.

Everyone knew this and would not question it.

“Come, extend your hand.” Hall Master Fan approached Ling Luo, reaching out his hand to her, a strand of black thread flying from his index finger to wrap around Ling Luo’s index finger.

Ling Luo lowered her eyes to look at this strand of black thread.

This was the divine weapon of San Jian.

In her previous life, she had fallen into this.

Hall Master Fan asked: “The Xiao Yao Sect Grand Elder’s granddaughter, Jin Yuan, did you kill her?”

San Jian emitted a black light. If she answered falsely, San Jian would instantly sever her finger.

The divine weapon San Jian discerns truth from falsehood—if true, nothing happens; if false, it will certainly take a part of the person’s body.

In her previous life, it was Yun Shou Xi who intervened to prevent San Jian from cutting off her finger. Even so, that thread had penetrated deep into her flesh. If not for various precious medicines to heal it, her index finger would have been ruined.

______________________________________________

The one who could least tolerate Ling Luo’s body being harmed was Yun Shou Xi.

In truth, no one present believed that Ling Luo hadn’t killed Jin Yuan.

Even Yun Shou Xi didn’t believe it.

Because Xiao Yao Sect’s account was more complete than Ling Luo’s, and Ling Luo had not denied having lived at Xiao Yao Sect.

So when Mu Heng Tian mentioned using San Jian, Yun Shou Xi was already fully focused, prepared to rescue her from Hall Master Fan’s hands.

Hall Master Fan spoke again: “Ling Luo, did you kill Jin Yuan?”

Ling Luo looked at San Jian, licking her dry lips.