When the Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Meets the Unbeatable Protagonist | Chapter 61

Lin Ji was sitting in the Punishment Division, and even when he was meditating with his eyes closed, images began to flash through his mind repeatedly. When he lay down to rest, he found himself dreaming every night. But the dreams were all about events from his previous life.

As he had more dreams, the images became clearer, and the content and details grew more vivid. Suddenly, Lin Ji realized a fact: his memories seemed to be incomplete. He had thought that not recalling his agreement with Lu Xiaobai last time was just an accident, but he suddenly became aware that he had no impression of the details of his interactions with Lu Xiaobai in the bamboo house before the images flashed in his mind. Not to mention the words of admiration that Xiaobai had once said to him... How could he forget something so important!

Even when they first met on Fengming Mountain, it was Lu Xiaobai who had taken the initiative to approach him, and only then did he recognize him. Lin Ji had always thought that he had remembered it on his own later. But he couldn't say he completely forgot; he struggled to recall and vaguely remembered that such an event had happened, but the details were completely fuzzy, and he thought it wasn't important.

It was as if there was a thread in his mind that could connect the events of his past life. In his own world, the logic was complete and reasonable, but it might not completely align with the actual facts, possibly having errors and omissions...

Lin Ji stopped meditating and pressed his forehead in thought: Why was this happening? Could it be a side effect of his demonic transformation in his previous life? Did it not get better even after being reborn?

Only by experiencing it again, with the scenes replaying, could his memories begin to gradually recover. Lin Ji sighed. If he had remembered these things right after his rebirth, the resentment in his heart would have been much less.

He recalled the events that happened before he fell into madness in his previous life, and he had more or less let go of them now. In fact, he later realized that Lu Xiaobai could not possibly be the one who harmed his entire family; the Mermaid Pearl was likely something Long Aotian had snatched from his enemies. He just hadn't expected that the real victim was someone else...

But all of that was in the past, and Lin Ji discovered something more important. He still had not figured out who the person was that ambushed him that day, both in his previous life and now.

According to the timeline of his previous life, the Qi Ling Sect Leader had died long ago, and Mo Qingming had taken over and renamed it the Lingyun Sect. Could it be him...? The possibility seemed slim; Lin Ji had fought against him, and Mo Qingming wasn't that powerful.

Then who else could it be? And how did Xuan Yi Zhenren suddenly die in his previous life? When he left in anger, the other party had coughed up blood; was it because he was angered, or was there another reason?

Moreover, Lin Yun Zongzhu had never seen him before he left; why did he insist that he had injured him and publicly declared that he had killed his master and betrayed the sect? What was his intention?

If that person was never caught, just because he hadn't appeared in this life didn't mean he didn't exist. So, did that mean they had a potential enemy?

Lin Ji wasn't sure if it was something he didn't know or something he didn't remember. He quickly closed his eyes, trying to recall more useful information.

After a long time, he could only open his eyes helplessly, thinking that his headache didn't bring any new memories. It seemed he had to wait for this matter to be resolved and have a good talk with Xiaobai. Now, they had nothing they couldn't say to each other. In the same world, he had exited early, and for things he was unclear about, asking Xiaobai would be much more useful.

At that time, they would face it together and find out who was behind it all.

Lin Ji picked up the wooden sculpture and looked at it. He had been trapped in the Punishment Division's attic for three or four days. Although he hadn't been mistreated, he felt isolated from the world and completely unable to communicate with the outside.

He wondered how his master and Xiaobai were doing? Lin Ji got up and walked outside the attic, standing for a while before greeting the disciples guarding him, asking them to come over.

Two disciples approached; one had a blank expression, while the other was more friendly and took the initiative to ask, "What can I do for you, Lin Shixiong?"

The other one warned, "Don't talk to him first; what if he tries to knock us out and escape?"

...Then why did you dare to come over?

Lin Ji lowered his gaze: "I just wanted to ask, has anyone inquired about me these days...?"

The friendly one replied decisively, "Yes! Not only that, but there have been many inquiries; the sound transmission talismans are almost piled up."

The other one said, "But we intercepted them; we can't let you hear them. Otherwise, if someone outside is in cahoots with you, what if we can't understand your secret signals?"

Lin Ji looked at the highly vigilant disciple and couldn't help but admire his diligence.

"Most of them are from the elders of the Peifeng Sect, fellow disciples, and comforting words from those who believe in you."

Lin Ji said, "I just want to know if my master or senior brother has sent any sound transmissions?"

"There might be, but we can't let you hear them."

"..."

The friendly disciple glanced at his colleague and said, "Well, if you want to know, you can. Senior Brother Lu, your direct senior brother, sends sound transmissions every day, asking us to relay them to you."

"He's doing well and wants you not to worry, but you can think about him more if you're bored."

This sounded a bit strange, but it was indeed the original words from Senior Brother Lu's sound transmission talisman.

Hearing this, Lin Ji felt much more at ease and walked back. However, since they could vividly relay messages for others, why not just let him listen to the sound transmission talisman directly? He missed Lu Xiaobai's voice a bit.

At this moment, Lu Xiaobai was following Lin Ji's instructions, using his sword to reach the place where A Ji had encountered the old man in his previous life, borrowing the Dust Viewing Mirror.

Looking around, there was nothing special, just ordinary mountains and forests.

A Ji had made it quite clear, but Lu Xiaobai still had to put on an act; that old ancestor might be observing his movements. He couldn't just find the correct entrance right away, as that would seem too purposeful and deliberate.

Finding the old man was something Lu Xiaobai was quite familiar with, especially since he had the Elder Shuhua with him.

He used his connected mind to ask, "Do you sense the aura of a powerful being?"

Elder Shuhua replied, "…No."

Lu Xiaobai asked, "Is it because the other party is hiding too deeply, or is their strength far beyond yours?"

Elder Shuhua: "…"

What does that mean? Just say you think I'm useless! He was at least a transformation-level expert in his lifetime; although his physical body had perished, his spiritual sense still retained the perception of a transformation-level being, okay?

Logically, Lu Xiaobai's task was simple: find the hidden expert, borrow the Dust Viewing Mirror from him, and A Ji's predicament would be automatically resolved.

Yet Lu Xiaobai frowned, deep in thought the whole way.

The old man asked, "What's wrong? You seem gloomy."

Lu Xiaobai continued to communicate with his mind, "I don't know why, but I feel like I'm being pushed by some force."

Not just in this life, but even in A Ji's demonic transformation in his previous life, Lu Xiaobai found it very strange.

Finding the old man and borrowing the Dust Viewing Mirror to learn about the identity of his enemies was great, but A Ji had undergone a drastic change just before finding the old man, and his temperament had changed as well. At that time, learning about the identity of the enemies would be like adding insult to injury.

If he hadn't been burdened with the so-called crime of killing his master and betraying his sect, even if he learned about the enemies, A Ji shouldn't have resorted to the most extreme methods of revenge, nor would he have fallen into madness.

Elder Shuhua scoffed, "What, you can meet me, gain a treasure opportunity, but your junior brother can't?"

Lu Xiaobai replied, "…You just don't make sense."

But whatever, everything has its priorities. For now, he could only solve the immediate issue step by step.

Lu Xiaobai wandered around for a while, following the direction Lin Ji had mentioned, but he didn't find any ancient trees with large hollows. There were plenty of trees around, but they were all solid.

...Could it be that the old ancestor only picked the injured ones, and they had to faint to be accepted?

Fine, if fainting was necessary, then so be it. Lu Xiaobai lay down on the ground, watching the light filtering through the tree shadows. He actually felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him, closed his eyes, and lost consciousness.

When he woke up again, he found himself in a completely different place.

Lu Xiaobai stood up from the hillside and saw houses, fields, and small paths. He heard the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs, with a waterwheel standing in the field, creating a scene of tranquility and peace.

It didn't look like a secret realm; it resembled a secluded place.

Lu Xiaobai walked along the field path to the front of a house, and seeing the farmland and rice fields made him feel very familiar.

He squatted down to pull out the weeds in the field and then went to check the vegetable garden.

He found it strange that there was a waterwheel in the field, yet there wasn't much water. Why did the ground look so dry, with even the vegetables wilting and the leaves turning yellow?

Lu Xiaobai simply picked up a wooden bucket to fetch water for irrigation, but no matter how much he watered, the vegetables would only turn green for a moment before wilting again.

He put down the ladle, giving up on the futile effort, and walked toward the house.

The owner of the house stood in front, shuffling his steps, drying some kind of mushrooms.

For the first time in the cultivation world, Lu Xiaobai saw a true old man.

To others, calling someone "senior" or "ancestor" was merely based on their experience or high cultivation level, not because of their appearance.

But the old man in front of him looked just like the neighbor grandpa he had seen when he was a child. His hair and beard were completely white, his skin was as dry as tree bark, and his eyelids drooped, looking listless. Lu Xiaobai even suspected that the old man's teeth were about to fall out.

Every move he made was indistinguishable from that of a real elderly person.

Even Elder Shuhua was stunned into silence: "This... In the cultivation world, anyone with an immortal body can maintain their youth. Why is this person so old?"

"I can't determine his cultivation level."

In the cultivation world, when the gap in levels was too great, the lower-level person couldn't discern the level of the higher-level person.

Lu Xiaobai's gaze sharpened, and he understood: "Perhaps it's due to his state of mind."

"Yes."

The old man slowly turned around and said, "You are right."

Both Lu Xiaobai and Elder Shuhua were taken aback.

The old man examined Lu Xiaobai, and his murky eyes were filled with envy: "You are different from others. You came to see me without foolishly injuring yourself and fainting; instead, you really fell asleep. That's quite special."

In fact, the old man sometimes brought passersby in, regardless of whether they were seriously injured or just sleeping, whether it was unintentional or intentional.

He just wanted to see people, chat with others, and look at the youthful and vigorous faces of the younger generation.

Lu Xiaobai smiled at this, "Could it be that many people often wander here, wanting to visit you?"

The old man replied nonchalantly, "Perhaps I went out once decades ago, and they discovered my hidden place. So, there are always people worrying, wanting to take my things or seek a few words of guidance."

"If I were a few hundred years younger, with my temper, they would definitely go and never return. But later, I even hoped someone would come to see me, even if they had ulterior motives."

The older one feared loneliness more and more as he aged.

"Come walk with me."

Lu Xiaobai simply walked over to help the old man up, not minding the wrinkled skin on his hands.

The scenery behind them became increasingly blurry, and the old man explained, "What you see here is also a manifestation of your state of mind. You must have been born in such an environment, right?"

Lu Xiaobai replied, "Yes."

The old man said, "But your thoughts are too profound; I can't quite see through you."

The two of them crossed some kind of boundary, and the simplicity faded away. Suddenly, the surroundings became incredibly luxurious and extravagant, resembling the imperial capital of the mortal realm.

With another leap, the scene transformed into a jade palace, as if they were in the heavenly realm.

Finally, they arrived at a mountain water pool, where the old man sat on a giant rock, looking up at the countless mirrors before him.

Each mirror reflected the lives of different people: men and women, old and young, tall and short, rich and poor, each with their own fate.

The old man asked him, "Among the different places I took you to just now, which one did you like the most?"

Lu Xiaobai replied, "I liked them all."

The old man pointed to the images in the Dust Viewing Mirror: "Then among these people's lives, who do you envy the most?"

Lu Xiaobai said, "I don't envy any of them."

The old man seemed a bit surprised; he could see into people's hearts and realized that Lu Xiaobai was indeed not lying: "Why?"

"Because no matter how others live, it isn't my own life, so there's nothing to envy."

The old man tilted his body, looking at the countless mirrors with boredom, "But why do I find these so incredibly dull?"

"I've watched countless lives for hundreds of years, and whether they are magnificent or plain, they ultimately return to nothingness. What is the meaning of that?"

"I really want to solve this difficult problem, but I can't seem to grasp it, nor can I ascend..."

"Waiting and waiting, I'm almost dead."

Lu Xiaobai lowered his gaze and sighed, "According to your words, isn't ascending also meaningless?"

Unexpectedly, the old man became agitated: "How can ascending be meaningless? The reason people feel this way is that their time will eventually run out; no matter how they struggle, they will ultimately turn into stagnant water!"

"But ascending is different; once you become an immortal, you can gain eternal time! There is no end, so it won't return to nothingness! At that time, no matter what you do, the meaning will not disappear!"

Lu Xiaobai: "..."

But if one cannot resolve the questions in their heart, they still cannot ascend, unless they give up their doubts and obsessions, which is impossible. Sometimes, a person's troubles come from overthinking.

Does a long and eternal existence make meaning forever exist? It's hard to say.

However, Lu Xiaobai remained calm and made no rebuttal. He knew that such matters were based on feelings, and everyone had different thoughts.

But he could also understand why Haomiao Laozu had not been able to ascend after floating for seven hundred years; he was too attached to competing with himself, and ascending had become an obsession.

The old man's mood gradually calmed down. He noticed that Lu Xiaobai was very composed. Clearly, he had a purpose in coming here, yet he had accompanied him for so long without mentioning it.

The old man took the initiative to ask, "What is your purpose in seeking me?"

Lu Xiaobai pointed to the sky and bowed, "I would like to borrow the Dust Viewing Mirror from you."

The old man was taken aback, and after a long time, he waved his sleeve and said, "You can."

Lu Xiaobai looked up: So it turns out that just chatting with the old man was enough? He agreed so easily?

He remembered A Ji had told him the same thing; although the old man had a strange temper, he was easy to talk to. In his previous life, when he met the old man and handed over the recommendation letter, the old man didn't even look at it. After asking about his purpose, he lent him the Dust Viewing Mirror.

The old man said, "Are you in a hurry to use this mirror to handle matters?"

Lu Xiaobai replied, "Yes, very urgent."

The old man said, "Then I won't keep you."

"But if you have the heart, return it to me after half a day. I calculated that my life and death calamity will occur tomorrow; if you are late, I won't receive it."

Lu Xiaobai: "..."

When the old man released him from the tree hollow, Lu Xiaobai felt a bit dazed.

Was it really that simple to get it? He had thought that the eccentric old man would set up numerous obstacles to deliberately make things difficult for the young man.

He expected him to perform exceptionally well or do something unexpected before he would help—this was the process he had encountered with the predecessors before! Even when he first subdued Elder Shuhua, he had put on a show for himself.

Elder Shuhua: "…Hey."

When Lu Xiaobai arrived, he had actually imagined countless possibilities in his heart, all of which were rather dark and conspiratorial. Now, the outcome was much smoother than he had anticipated.

Lu Xiaobai remembered the time to return and shivered, quickly using the Instant Travel Talisman to leave without stopping. He understood! Haomiao Laozu was trying to make things difficult for him regarding time! As long as he returned late, the old man would fly into a rage!

But was half a day too exaggerated? It would take him several days to go back and forth!

However, there was still a way. After Lu Xiaobai figured it out, he calmed down and leisurely arrived at a certain place, allowing his primordial spirit to exit his body. He first let his spiritual sense teleport to the destination, then used magic to bring his body back from a thousand miles away in an instant.

Thus, he accomplished the feat of returning to his original place within ten breaths, which he usually didn't need to use.

Lu Xiaobai looked at himself; sure enough, after breaking through to the Golden Core and transcending into immortality, even the backlash was very slight.

But when he looked up at the sky, he found it was pitch black, with only a few stars twinkling.

However, in the secret realm, it was morning; the sky had gradually brightened from hazy to bright, with the sun rising.

He quickly found the Sect Leader, who was personally overseeing the delay, "I have obtained the evidence; please quickly clear my junior brother's name!"

The Sect Leader looked up and said, "It's midnight; I'm afraid we can't gather everyone. Lin Ji is fine now; with me as the Sect Leader, no one dares to make things difficult for the disciples of the Peifeng Sect."

Lu Xiaobai said, "No, it's just that borrowing something from someone must be returned on time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Xiaobai remembered the Sect Leader's description: midnight?

Lu Xiaobai asked, "May I ask how long I have been gone?"

The Sect Leader replied, "Ten days. I was just about to ask you why you returned so late. What were you all doing without telling me?"

"Did you encounter any difficulties? Your master has returned; we were just waiting for you."

Lu Xiaobai: "..."

So the flow of time in the cave was different from the outside world. Lin Ji had clearly accompanied Haomiao Laozu for only a few hours, yet several days had passed outside.

When Lu Xiaobai asked about the specific time, he calculated that one hour in the cave equated to one day outside.

So the old man wasn't making things difficult for him; the time he was required to return was still seven or eight days, not that urgent.

Was he just overthinking?

Lu Xiaobai: "Alright, let's wait until dawn to discuss it."

The Sect Leader said kindly, "Then you should go back and rest for the night, regain your energy, and discuss it with your master. It's better to be prepared."

The Punishment Division had also sent people to investigate over the past ten days, but unfortunately, not much was gained.

However, Ling Yun Zunzhe Meng Wanqiu and his senior disciple insisted on finding new evidence, claiming it would convince everyone and would not play tricks on people.

The Punishment Division then gathered everyone to publicly try the case. Elders from various sects, prominent figures, and disciples who were curious about the truth all came, filling the usually quiet Punishment Division to the brim.

Someone quickly went to consult the Punishment Division Envoy, who, as the head of the Punishment Division, thought for a moment and ordered people to clear the space outside Mingyi Hall so that everyone could watch.

The existence of the Punishment Division was to ensure justice and adhere to the long-standing regulations, so it should be open and aboveboard. Any case should withstand scrutiny and questioning unless it was a special situation that was not suitable for disclosure.

However, with this arrangement and delay, Lu Xiaobai had to wait until the third day after returning before the trial officially began.

Perhaps the Punishment Division had some cumbersome procedures to prepare in advance, but it was quite a waste of time.

Outside the main hall, the Punishment Division Envoy sat in the main seat, with the elders from various sects who had joined the Punishment Division sitting in the secondary seats. Those who had nothing to do but wanted to watch the excitement sat in even lower positions, while the disciples stood.

Lin Ji and Mo Qingming both arrived, standing in the center, facing each other, with all eyes focused on them.

Mo Qingming was better prepared this time and was about to reiterate his suspicions and evidence when Lu Xiaobai stepped forward alone.

Although the time apart wasn't long, it was during a crucial moment, and Lin Ji's heart skipped a beat when he saw Lu Xiaobai again.

Lu Xiaobai glanced at him and slowly walked forward.

Mo Qingming warned, "What are you doing? This matter has nothing to do with you!"

Lu Xiaobai smiled faintly, "Isn't Senior Mo also worrying about something that has nothing to do with him? Why can you, but I can't?"

"Besides, how could my junior brother's matter be unrelated to me?"

He politely looked up at everyone and asked the Punishment Division Envoy, "May I ask, does every cultivator have the right to bring any outrageous and unjust matter to the Punishment Division?"

The Punishment Division Envoy had a blank expression, his thin lips parted, giving a definite answer: "Yes."

Lu Xiaobai straightened his back: "Then today, I dare to say that what I want to bring up is not the case of the Qi Ling Sect's extermination."

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in discussion. A senior from another sect expressed dissatisfaction: "We gathered here today to seek a result for the tragic extermination of the Qi Ling Sect. If you can't provide evidence, you are deceiving the Punishment Division Envoy and daring to say you are not playing tricks on everyone!"

The Sect Leader of the Peifeng Sect said, "I don't like to hear that. Is it only the Qi Ling Sect's grievances that count as grievances? Are other grievances not valid? Why not listen to what he has to say first?"

"Sect Leader, are you not colluding in advance to create a diversion while actually planning to protect your disciple, wasting our time?"

The Punishment Division Envoy used spiritual power to transmit his voice: "The Punishment Division can adjudicate any case. If you don't want to listen, you can leave on your own, rather than disrupting the order."

The elder who spoke: "..."

Lu Xiaobai's smile deepened at the corners of his mouth, facing the hostile gazes of Mo Qingming and others, he spoke with strength: "What I want to bring up today is the massacre of the Lin family, the richest family on the eastern border, that happened several years ago. I ask the Envoy to take charge."

The crowd was in an uproar.

The Punishment Division Envoy had already anticipated this. When he sent people to investigate earlier, he discovered that Lin Ji had also been implicated in a blood case; over a hundred members of his family had perished overnight, and he later became a suspect in the extermination of the Qi Ling Sect.

The Lin family's extermination came first, followed by the Qi Ling Sect's extermination. The Punishment Division Envoy instinctively felt that the two were related, but such matters required evidence.

However, someone raised a question: "What rich family from the eastern border? Isn't this a matter of the mortal realm? What does it have to do with us in the immortal sect to bring it to the Punishment Division?"

Lu Xiaobai replied, "Not at all. The Lin family's destruction was due to the invasion of demonic creatures, and it is not entirely a matter of the mortal realm; it is also related to the cultivation world."

Lu Xiaobai looked at Lin Ji: "Moreover, the surviving member of the Lin family, Lin Ji, has already joined the immortal sect. How can we say it has nothing to do with the immortal sect?"

"Is it not the case that if a disciple of an elder encounters an unjust matter, they cannot seek the sect to take charge?"

The listening disciples exchanged glances; most of them had also joined the sect from the mortal realm, and they thought about it from their own perspective.

If they suffered an unjust grievance and the sect remained indifferent, they would feel that the sect had no compassion and would not stay long.

Lin Ji recalled the bitterness in his heart from his previous life and instinctively looked at the Yunshang Immortal Sect, but his gaze froze.

Today, the Yun Zongzhu sitting in front was particularly quiet. In Lin Ji's impression, he had always been very arrogant, fond of making grand statements and expressing opinions, especially in public.

But today, he had not spoken a word from beginning to end.

The elder who had spoken quickly said under the watchful eyes of all the disciples, "That is certainly not the case!"

"But, but you can't just take your word for it, can you?"

The Punishment Division Envoy always spoke when control was needed, and he gave ample time for others to question: "Yes. The Lin family's destruction is related to demonic creatures, and the Punishment Division has records."

However, when the Punishment Division sent people, they found no survivors; at most, they returned with the remaining demonic creatures, concluding the case in the mortal realm.

Lu Xiaobai continued, "What I want to bring up today is that I suspect the Lin family's destruction was not solely due to demonic creatures, but rather man-made!"

"A certain sect in the cultivation world, greedy for the Lin family's treasures, first devised a way to incite demonic creatures to attack the Lin family, then entered under the pretense of exterminating the demons, but in reality, it was to plunder the treasures for themselves!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire assembly was shocked.

Those who were not foolish had already understood what Lu Xiaobai was trying to express and the connection between the Lin family's destruction and the extermination of the Qi Ling Sect.

Even the elder's seat was stunned into silence, and they no longer easily expressed their opinions.

The surroundings finally quieted down.

The Punishment Division Envoy succinctly asked, "Evidence."

At this moment, Meng Wanqiu stood up: "The Envoy has keen insight; if there are no objections, I will present the evidence!"

"..."

Meng Wanqiu had gone to the eastern border and brought back a pile of material evidence and witness testimonies, which were presented.

The Envoy's brows furrowed tighter as he examined the evidence, and after a long silence, he said, "There are indeed such unbelievable matters in the world."

He was not stingy about publicly revealing the material evidence, but of course, he could not pass it around for everyone to see. After the heads of each sect had looked at it, everyone wore a serious expression.

Meng Wanqiu and Lu Xiaobai had found three pieces of evidence.

The first was a letter exchanged between Lin Yu and the Qi Ling Sect Leader, along with a witness who had previously known about Lin Yu's wrongdoing.

The Qi Ling Sect Leader and Lin Yu had always had dealings; Lin Yu provided money, and the Sect Leader sent people to follow and protect him, as well as give him some magical artifacts and elixirs for longevity and health, making it hard to discern their authenticity.

Every time, the Qi Ling Sect Leader would remind Lin Yu to burn it after reading.

But Lin Yu, having been in business for many years, was not a fool; he had taken precautions and did not destroy it, which was why it could be found after his death.

The last letter was a sound transmission talisman gifted by the Qi Ling Sect Leader. The Punishment Division Envoy activated it and released it publicly.

"Rest assured, Lin family head, with me on the case, I will definitely find your brother's relic, the Mermaid Pearl!"

The second piece of evidence was from another survivor of the Lin family, Yu Rong.

Lin Ji: "Mother."

Yu Rong nodded at him, then took out a handkerchief, preparing herself, and began to cry, recounting the past.

She stated that her husband had indeed had a strange encounter at sea and obtained the Mermaid Pearl. They knew the item was precious, so they had hidden it, known only to the couple.

They did not know when the news had leaked, nor did they realize that even seemingly righteous immortals coveted it! Ultimately, it led to great disaster.

The third piece was the Dust Viewing Mirror that Lu Xiaobai had brought back. Although this item had not been seen in the world before, it was recorded in ancient texts, and all the immortal heads confirmed it was genuine.

Lin Ji took out a vial containing blood from his storage jade pendant and presented it. Although he had quickly sought revenge, he had not been unprepared; he had collected a drop of blood from both the Qi Ling Sect Leader and Lin Yu.

He applied them to the mirror's surface, and the images appeared before everyone.

Lin Yu's crimes were self-evident; he had invited disaster into his home, being the main culprit.

The life of the Qi Ling Sect Leader was chilling; he had harmed not only the Lin family but also other families, using similar methods.

While deceiving and plundering, his disciples were all equally guilty, without exception.

They had hidden the plundered wealth in some place within the Qi Ling Sect, and to this day, no one had discovered it.

The Qi Ling Sect Leader had even colluded with court officials.

The crimes committed were too numerous to list.

Compared to Mo Qingming's doubts and evidence, the evidence that Lu Xiaobai and Meng Wanqiu had obtained was comprehensive and specific, leaving no room for maneuver.

Although it confirmed that the extermination of the Lin family was real, Lin Ji, seizing the opportunity, quickly stepped forward to publicly plead guilty.

But he had killed enemies, and those enemies were so heinous that Lin Ji was practically ridding the world of harm!

The situation turned around in an instant, and Mo Qingming was dumbfounded.

Originally, he thought that regardless of the outcome today, he would be the meritorious one for reporting the case, a disciple with a sense of justice who spoke out against injustice, at most having been misled into misunderstanding.

But among the officials connected to the Qi Ling Sect Leader... was his father.

Others didn't know, but he knew that the Punishment Division had connections with the mortal court! If the Punishment Division transferred the case files to work with the mortal court, their family...

Mo Qingming's heart only had two words: It's over.

A few days later, Lin Ji was finally released from the Punishment Division.

The Punishment Division Envoy stated that although his actions were understandable, acting without evidence could lead to wrongful deaths and implicating the innocent.

Although considering the overall situation, he wouldn't face any punishment, this behavior could not be allowed to continue; he must be given a small punishment and a big warning, and he would need to reflect for a few more days under the supervision of the Peifeng Sect.

During the days he spent inside, time felt like years to him, and he truly felt he had learned his lesson! Therefore, when he was released, he quickly tucked the wooden sculpture back into his sleeve and left without stopping, vowing never to return to the Punishment Division!

Once he exited the mountain gate, Yu Rong rushed forward and hugged him, "You really scared me! You didn't inform me and your master about such an important matter in advance; what if something happened to you?"

Lin Ji quickly comforted her, patting her back, "I'm sorry, Mother; it was my fault."

Yu Rong cried and scolded, "Just saying sorry isn't enough! Go apologize to your master!"

...He didn't say he wouldn't go. Lin Ji stepped forward and bowed, "I'm sorry, Master; I worried you."

Meng Wanqiu helped him up, looking quite displeased, and sighed, "Alright, I'll let you off this time. If you dare to hide anything next time, the punishment will be doubled!"

However, this time he had gone with Yu Rong to find evidence, and he hadn't expected that Yu Rong, who seemed so weak, actually had quite a few tricks up her sleeve.

The Sect Leader and fellow disciples would naturally discuss things later, leaving time for those close to them.

The person Lin Ji wanted to see the most after coming out was nowhere to be found, and he looked around.

Meng Wanqiu kindly explained, "Xiaobai couldn't wait for you to come out; he went to the Dust Viewing Mirror."

"When you return to the Peifeng Sect, you will be able to meet."

Lin Ji's feelings of having survived a calamity suddenly diminished, but since Lu Xiaobai was working hard for him, he thought for a moment and raised his head to say to the two, "I won't return to the Peifeng Sect for now."

"Master, Mother, we will meet at the Peifeng Sect!"

After saying that, Lin Ji used his sword to leave—he couldn't wait! He wanted to go find Xiaobai!

Meng Wanqiu understood: "Little brat."

The relationship between the two little brats was getting better and better.

However, no one expected, including Lin Ji, that everyone thought there would be no problem or difficulty when Haomiao Laozu lent the Dust Viewing Mirror, and how could there be any unexpected twists when it was returned?

Lu Xiaobai thought so too.

But when he arrived at the place, he indeed encountered the furious old man, filled with hostility as he approached him.

Lu Xiaobai was uncertain and instinctively wanted to escape: "Senior, why..."

But the old man raised his hand to set up a barrier, trapping him: "You dare to come!"

Lu Xiaobai's mind raced, and he shouted, "What do you mean, Senior?"

Haomiao Laozu pointed to the sky: "You borrowed my things, and I ask for nothing in return."

"But I only wanted someone to send me off on my last journey on the day of my calamity. You promised me, yet you were half a day late!"

Lu Xiaobai looked at the sky in disbelief; the sun was clearly about to rise, but in the old man's murky eyes, it looked like dusk.

No, had he become senile? Could he not tell morning from evening? Could he not distinguish the sun in the east from the west?!

He clearly hadn't exceeded the time!

If he was targeted for such a reason, it was too absurd! Lu Xiaobai broke the barrier and flew back, "Senior, you can't be doing this on purpose, right?"

The old man straightened his tilted head, a smile curling at the corners of his lips: "You guessed right."

From his body, a black mist began to emanate!

It was like the black fog surrounding the evening clouds.

The old man had calculated too accurately; he had indeed fallen into madness. In just one day, he had succumbed to it.

The old man's pupils turned dark red, and his aura was completely different from a day ago.

Lu Xiaobai recalled the scene he had seen on the island and remained silent for a long time before saying: "Old Ancestor, are you still the old ancestor?"

"Old Ancestor" praised him: "Very clever."

"Then do you know the consequences of coming here today?"

"Old Ancestor's" voice suddenly changed, sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes old, sometimes young, sometimes all different voices speaking at once.

"For this old man, he fears death too much; he is very fond of your youthful body, so we lured him, causing him to confuse time and follow his inner evil to deal with you."

"But our target is you! Lu Xiaobai, you are the host we have been searching for for hundreds of years!"

"Master, do not struggle; just accept us..."