“I want him” – just three simple words, yet their effect was like a thunderclap. Not only did Song Heng’s complexion change, but surprised or curious gazes also came from both sides.

Speaking of this Judgment Platform, it was nothing more than a facade that had to be maintained for appearances. Since those brought up were all great criminals deserving death, as inheritors of the Sacred Lands, they naturally wouldn’t harbor any compassion for such people. But since there was such a formality, choosing none at all would amount to deceiving others.

So the customary rule was to perfunctorily pick one out for show.

Xue Yu didn’t care to manage these matters, the people from Bei Huang came merely to make up numbers, and Chi Shui wished they could execute them all as an example to others. So this task naturally fell to Kunlun’s chief disciple, Lu Qin, without need for words.

But this time, there were two unexpected developments.

First, Chi Shui, who usually despised evil like an enemy, spoke up, then the coldest and most aloof Xue Yu followed by sparing someone.

Had the sun risen from the west?

Chao Nian also found it unbelievable. As soon as the Judgment Platform concluded and the hundreds of cloud mirrors around were withdrawn, he couldn’t help but turn his head and whisper: “Young lady, do we want him?”

Could it be she pointed to the wrong person?

Looking at the sixteen kneeling people below, this one was the most vicious. Far from showing any remorse, his entire body seemed to flow with rebellious defiance.

Xue Yu’s beautiful eyes lowered slightly as she hummed noncommittally, her mood impossible to discern.

Shan Shu was drawn to look over by this sound.

The Buddha’s Daughter who grew up in Buddha Continent sat peacefully, her every action and word carrying gentle grace. She handed the handbook back to Xihe’s disciple, pondered for a long moment, then conversed with Xue Yu: “Before coming, the Buddha’s Son and I paid attention to the destruction of Yunsan Sect. When capturing this boy, people from Bei Huang were also present.”

“This boy’s character isn’t bad. With proper guidance, he could be useful.”

Xue Yu’s wrist moved slightly, and the jade bracelet around it slipped out from her sleeve, hanging loosely on her wrist. She nodded to Shan Shu and said, “I’ve heard my father say that the Buddha’s Daughter, born in Buddha Continent and cultivating the world’s most profound and mysterious heart methods, is particularly sensitive to good and evil.”

“With the Buddha’s Daughter’s words, I’m also at ease.”

Both understood these were merely polite pleasantries.

Those who could make it to the Judgment Platform – how good could they be? Not to mention something like sect annihilation, which would make ordinary people’s hair stand on end just hearing about it.

Shan Shu smiled with curved eyes: “If we’re speaking this way, I think the young lady is the most kind-hearted among those seated.”

Because their statuses were equivalent, those present kept in regular contact. Indeed, in Shan Shu’s eyes, everyone had an aura of righteousness, but beneath this righteousness, each was different.

For example, she never would have thought that Chi Shui’s Yin Ling Saint, who had the best relationships and could cheerfully chat with anyone all day long, possessed a dao heart solid as rock, while Yedu’s princess, described by the world as ice-cold with only one expression year-round, possessed a tender heart that even the Buddha’s Son couldn’t match.

Shan Shu wasn’t an outgoing personality, and Xue Yu even less so. After chatting briefly, both fell silent.

Before long, Xue Yu and the others left their seats, descending from the Judgment Platform in groups of three and two. Sacred Land disciples came to invite them to tour various places.

As soon as they came down, Yin Ling turned hostile.

“Lu Chengze, has water gotten into your brain?” The flower-like smile on her face disappeared like magic. “Of the entire Judgment Platform, you’re the most promising one, right?”

Lu Qin looked at Lu Chengze, then at Xue Yu with her forbidding expression, also asking curiously: “Today you two are both acting a bit abnormal.”

“Is there some special significance to this Judgment Platform?”

“What significance could there be?” Yin Ling had a naturally round little face with some baby fat, and when scolding Lu Chengze, she carried an almost pampered tone. “Now it’s great – I have to get scolded along with you again.”

Lu Chengze was amused by her unreasonable words. He pointed to his nose and said, “Get scolded along with me again?”

“Every time, who drags whom down? You have no idea at all, do you, young miss?”

“You’re noisy to death.” Yin Ling lifted her skirt and dodged behind Lu Qin and Tai Hua’s Saint Son, very dissatisfied with Lu Chengze’s statement: “Look at yourself, look – which other Saint Son talks as much as you do?”

Lu Chengze took a deep breath.

He’d never seen a Saint like Yin Ling.

Among the three women in their seven-person team, one was Xue Yu, famously a cold beauty; one was a Buddha’s Daughter, kind as water but also quiet; only Yin Ling was lively and boisterous, exactly like a girl her age should be. Usually, everyone was more tolerant of her, treating her like a little sister.

Lu Qin quickly came out to smooth things over: “Actually, this is good too. Before coming, my master even said that if there were suitable candidates who truly repented, we might as well bring down a couple more. These years, when the Judgment Platform opens, you all don’t speak up, so each time I perfunctorily point to one to bring down, and some people have quite a few complaints about this.”

Yin Ling widened her eyes and asked in surprise: “How is it that someone thinks we choose too few and have opinions?”

Lu Qin smiled bitterly: “Exactly. Some people think that since there’s such a Judgment Platform to give people a chance to abandon evil for good, why always make it such a formality? If we don’t want to choose anyone, we should simply abolish this formality rather than let people harbor hope for rebirth only to have it shattered.”

After hearing this, Yin Ling immediately sneered: “This is something – when disaster doesn’t fall on their heads, there are always idle people who even speak up for those criminals.”

“The Judgment Platform’s rules were personally set by the Fusang Tree. We can’t influence them, much less abolish them.” After comforting Yin Ling, Lu Qin continued: “Just now I saw Chengze had taken one, so I didn’t speak up, otherwise, I would have taken another one down too.”

“In the past, I was always troubled about how to arrange them. Today, let you all worry and get annoyed too.”

Lu Qin’s words were just meant to defuse the situation, but unexpectedly, someone followed up on this. Shan Shu smiled apologetically at Lu Qin: “If that youth is of no great use to Kunlun, could you let me have him?”

“Who?” Lu Qin was stunned.

“The youth you just named, called…” Shan Shu recalled, opening her mouth somewhat hesitantly: “Shen Jingshi.”

“Why is this? What do you want him for?” Lu Qin asked curiously, feeling that each of these people was acting somewhat abnormally today.

The brocade-robed female attendant serving behind Shan Shu stepped forward at the right moment to explain: “To be honest with the young sect master, our young lady’s cultivation has reached a bottleneck and needs exactly this kind of youth with exceptional talent who bears the karma of killing as a catalyst. If she can successfully ferry away the hatred and evil in his heart, this cultivation session will be considered complete merit.”

“I see.” Lu Qin nodded. “Since the Buddha’s Daughter has spoken, how could I not agree? Let your people take him back to Bei Huang.”

Shan Shu gratefully expressed her thanks.

Among the seven people, four talking ones walked in front while three silent ones followed behind, each thinking their thoughts, the atmosphere cold as ice.

After passing a fork in the road ahead, the voices of Yin Ling, Lu Chengze, and others grew loud again. Xue Yu seemed to finally reach her limit of tolerance. She frowned and said, “I still have matters to attend to and can’t stay long. I’ll leave first.”

“Leaving already?” Yin Ling pointed to the competition platform shrouded by mountains, her tone much friendlier than when mocking Lu Chengze: “Won’t you go see Xihe disciples’ current strength?”

When she restrained her voice and expression, she truly was an innocent and charming young lady raised in a boudoir. Xue Yu couldn’t put on much of a cold face toward such a girl. After pausing briefly, she said with a wooden expression: “Last year, I didn’t take on a single task.”

Now not only Yin Ling, but Lu Qin and others also pricked up their ears and looked over quickly.

“Not a single one?” Lu Qin asked in astonishment, as if unable to believe it.

Xue Yu nodded with a cold, pretty face: “I completed one before coming.”

The others immediately showed expressions of obvious or subtle pity.

Lu Qin said: “If you’ve only completed one, then it’s… no need to rush now.”

As Sacred Land inheritors, the Heaven’s Mystery Book would issue tasks to them each year, from which they would randomly draw four. They had to report results every year and a half.

Those who completed tasks could freely choose a handy secret treasure from among the Five Sacred Lands; those who failed would be publicly named and fined heavily.

Now, with only three months left until task settlement, Xue Yu had only taken on one task. If she randomly drew something difficult next, it would be impossible to complete.

They’d been exposed to the Heaven’s Mystery Book since childhood, going through this every year. Lazy in the first half of the year, then frantically rushing from place to place in the latter half like their eyebrows were on fire.

Xue Yu pressed her lips together and replied concisely: “I’ll try.”

In her previous life, her luck was poor – she drew a difficult task that took about two months.

Circumstances often change, but in this second chance, Xue Yu still wouldn’t neglect what needed to be done.

“I also have two uncompleted tasks.” Lu Qin smiled somewhat embarrassedly: “Last year, Kunlun recruited new disciples, and there was a lot to do, so I didn’t attend to this side.”

“Alright, then let’s part ways here.”

Xue Yu nodded, showing no hesitation. Her attitude of turning and leaving immediately made Lu Qin click his tongue: “This Yedu princess’s temperament, I never understand it.”

Lu Chengze’s gaze darkly swept over the mighty procession departing in the distance, thinking that not only couldn’t Lu Qin understand – he, having known her for a thousand years and dealt with her several times, had never once guessed her thoughts correctly.

Like this time, he never guessed she would suddenly speak up to save a demon ghost.

And like now, what exactly was her attitude toward Song Heng? Would she have Yedu intercept and kill him midway, or would she let things be out of lingering affection?

He couldn’t figure out any of it.

Su You never thought he could come down alive from the Judgment Platform.

The person who came to collect him wore an iron mask with a blue face and fanged teeth, his clothes covered with crimson mystical patterns. Everything about his manner revealed the inherited arrogance of Sacred Land clans. He looked at Su You like looking at an ant struggling on the verge of death, his gaze indifferent and thin, transparently showing disgust ready to emerge at any moment.

The Xihe enforcer responsible for guarding him roughly tore off the chains on his hands and feet. Many wounds from torture split open again, seeping dark blood, with flesh rolled back at the worst places.

Su You’s expression didn’t waver at all.

Such looks, such treatment – he’d seen much and endured much, long since developing a disposition of indifference.

A demon ghost being able to live was already good enough.

Still wanting to be treated as human?

Pure fantasy.

The enforcer dutifully informed the visitor: “This boy was born with rebellious bones, his fierce nature unremovable. Please tell the young lady not to trust him lightly and to be careful.”

“No matter.” The person from Yedu glanced at him and said: “A demon ghost whose cultivation has been abolished – what can the young lady have him do? Being exiled to desolate mountains to await death would be his good fortune.”

The enforcer was relieved and said, “I still have matters to attend to. Take this demon ghost back first.”

Qin Cheng extended his large hand, about to grab Su You’s collar to take flight, when he saw someone rapidly approaching from a distance. Looking closely, it was Chao Nian who worked beside Xue Yu.

“Uncle Qin Cheng, please wait.” Chao Nian came near and carefully examined Su You, saying: “The young lady has ordered that he be brought to see her.”

Qin Cheng instinctively frowned, but Chao Nian preemptively blocked his words: “If we delay further, the young lady will have to wait long.”

Facing others, Qin Cheng could certainly rely on his status as a Sacred Land native to look down on people, but Chao Nian was his equal in status, had a sister highly valued within the clan who was currently flourishing, and worked beside the young lady himself. While politely calling him uncle, Qin Cheng couldn’t take advantage of this to put on airs.

Qin Cheng released Su You’s collar and repeated what the enforcer had just said. Chao Nian nodded and smiled politely: “Uncle Qin Cheng can rest assured, the young lady has her considerations.”

After speaking, he led the person into the air, flying rapidly toward the Sacred Land’s exit. In just moments, that massive gateway that seemed to prop up the heavens was close at hand.

After luckily picking up his life from the Judgment Platform, someone had cleaned Su You. Calling it cleaning was generous – they just dumped a bucket of cold water over his head, completely ignoring that he was now just a mortal body of flesh and blood. After this perfunctory cleaning, they had him change from prison garments to coarse hemp clothing in deep blue, not even giving him a hairpin. Even so.

Chao Nian still turned his gaze to him more than once.

Earlier, he hadn’t understood why his young lady would point him out at the last moment, but now, thinking carefully, perhaps the young lady had taken a fancy to this face.

What young lady in this world doesn’t like handsome young gentlemen?

No matter how calm the young lady usually was, no matter how steady in her actions, she was essentially still a girl in the flower of youth.

While thinking this without showing it on his face, Chao Nian turned to Su You, who remained silent as a wooden post, and said: “You heard people say just now – the one who saved you is my young lady, Princess of Yedu.”

Under his black hair, Su You’s clear, dark pupils were full of mockery. Those sitting on the Judgment Platform all put on high and mighty attitudes. Having experienced nothing, relying on being born fortunate, they opened and closed their mouths to decide others’ lives and deaths.

How could they treat a demon ghost’s life as a life?

Chao Nian didn’t know his thoughts and continued: “Our young lady has a good character and a kind heart. As long as you truly repent and don’t commit crimes again, Yedu naturally has a place for you.”

Before going to Yunsan Sect, Su You had fought his way through the mortal world and gained some small fame. In his proud moments, several little demons who loved excitement surrounded him, and when idle, they loved to discuss famous people and events from various places.

Sacred Land inheritors were each surrounded by stars and the moon, with great fame. Even though he wasn’t interested in these things, over the years, he’d heard quite a bit.

Princess Xue Yu of Yedu was the one they discussed least.

This young lady was cold-faced and spoke little. When going out, she didn’t care for pomp and wouldn’t appear unless necessary. There wasn’t much to talk about.

On the Judgment Platform, even Bei Huang, seen by the world as based on compassion, didn’t speak up. How kind-hearted must this princess, responsible for detaining demon ghosts and evil creatures, be to extend aid to a demon ghost?

Had she taken a fancy to his inner core, or this face?

Under the clear sun and wind, the youth’s skin was transparently pale, the slender meridians on the back of his hands particularly prominent. Combined with that face made especially bewitching by his mixed demon ghost bloodline, he showed an indescribable thin and sickly weakness.

As if about to face something amusing, he maliciously curved his lips, thinking that if that “greatly merciful” little princess wanted his inner core, he would self-destruct.

If she fancied this face.

He would destroy this face.

Whatever these people wanted from him, they would get none of it.