Qin Ruqing waited for a while before hearing a response from the copper bell.

“You’re out?” Fifth Lingyu’s voice carried a hint of surprise and confusion.

Before Qin Ruqing could reply, he continued, “Wait for me.”

When Fifth Lingyu arrived, he saw Qin Ruqing huddled into a small ball, sitting on the steps in front of the courtyard gate.

As he approached, she looked up with a hint of guilt, and then, as if a mental shift had occurred, she straightened up and regained her composure.

By the time Fifth Lingyu reached her, Qin Ruqing had already stood up.

With a raised eyebrow and a glance at her, Fifth Lingyu said: “Speak, what happened? Why did you suddenly come out? Did you not pass the Hungry Ghost Path?”

Qin Ruqing clasped her hands together and appeared anxious. “Everything was fine originally. I had completed the fifth trial in the Hungry Ghost Path, found the beast arena in the Wasteland City, and then triggered the defense mechanism in the ancient temple of the Wasteland City…

After that, the judge suddenly appeared and started asking me questions. I answered them, but then I was suddenly teleported out… Teleported outside the bronze gate of the Hungry Ghost Path, and I can’t get back in.”

“What’s going on? Did I answer something wrong and anger the judge, resulting in the cancellation of my trial qualification?”

“Have I passed or failed the trial? Is there a rating?”

Fifth Lingyu listened in silence, his expression becoming serious.

He took out his copper bell and performed a spell as if investigating something.

After a while, he looked up, fixed his gaze on Qin Ruqing, and said solemnly:

“You have completed the trial, but there is no rating.”

“What should I do?” Qin Ruqing raised her voice suddenly. “—My reward! If there’s no rating, doesn’t that mean I’ve lost my reward too!”

Fifth Lingyu was momentarily taken aback and replied with a hint of irritation, “You’re only concerned about the reward with such a big issue at hand…”

Qin Ruqing rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that obvious? If I’m not focused on the reward, what should I be focused on?”

Fifth Lingyu smirked, realizing she had a point.

She didn’t understand the significance of the Four Hells, and what was most relevant to her was the evaluation and reward.

This heartless, big-appetite little wolf cub only cared about the reward.

“Quickly, recount all the details. This matter is crucial, and I need to report it to the clan.” Fifth Lingyu’s usual indifferent demeanor gave way to a serious expression.

As if influenced by his solemn demeanor, Qin Ruqing instinctively shrank her neck and even grabbed Fifth Lingyu’s sleeve.

“Um, Director, you won’t think that the problems in the Hungry Ghost Path are my doing, will you…” Qin Ruqing couldn’t help but voice her hidden concern.

Fifth Lingyu’s gaze fell on her delicate fingers gripping his sleeve, then he looked up at her and saw that she was genuinely anxious and fearful.

Of course, this “fear” was more about avoiding trouble for herself.

He couldn’t help but chuckle and said, “Don’t worry.”

“If there were truly problems in the Hungry Ghost Path, it wouldn’t be something a little girl like you could cause.”

Seeming in a hurry to report the matter to the Fifth Clan, he quickly asked for details and then left, reminding Qin Ruqing not to wander around as someone from the clan might come to question her soon.

Qin Ruqing watched Fifth Lingyu’s departing figure and stood still for two seconds before slowly sitting back down on the steps in front of the courtyard.

She periodically propped up her chin and rubbed her hands, clearly restless.

Fifth Lingyu, meanwhile, made no delay and immediately reported the issue to the clan leader, even though there were some tensions between him and the clan leader.

The clan leader of the Fifth Clan, Fifth Sheng, reacted with a gasp, instinctively pinching his beard and appearing shocked.

“Completed the trial but without a rating? This is strange.” He first thought there might have been an issue with Qin Ruqing’s side. “But she hasn’t even reached the qualification to complete the trial?”

Fifth Lingyu shook his head. “She has passed five trials, and in the last trial, she successfully found the ancient temple in the Wasteland City and discovered clues about the murals, understanding the truth of the Sin City.

Afterward, the judge appeared and asked her how she viewed the residents of Sin City and how she would choose between the beastly resentment and the residents.

She answered, but soon after, she was teleported out by the judge.

,The copper bell showed she had completed the trial, but the judge did not give a rating.”

This was Qin Ruqing’s account to Fifth Lingyu, and Fifth Lingyu relayed it almost verbatim to the clan leader.

Fifth Sheng was also greatly alarmed.

If it was true, Qin Ruqing had indeed completed the trial, and from his perspective, the rating would not be low, so why did the judge simply send her out without a rating?

Moreover, the identity of the Sin City judge was well-known to him as the leader of the Fifth Clan.

That person was not simple.

After pondering for a while, Fifth Sheng said, “Bring her to me. I will ask her myself.”

Thus, Qin Ruqing once again met the clan leader of the Fifth Clan.

When she first met him, they were in a closed space, and the clan leader had created a scene of an apricot grove.

Their interaction was pleasant, and the clan leader seemed amiable and unpretentious.

This time, however, Qin Ruqing sensed a difference.

They were in an obviously serious study, which had an air of solemnity.

The clan leader was in formal attire, and with his back to her, he slowly turned around when he heard the noise, his face stern.

Qin Ruqing felt a slight chill and didn’t hide her nervousness, showing a tense expression as she bowed to the clan leader.

Fifth Sheng gave a curt nod, not displaying the same friendly smile as last time, and said solemnly:

“Please recount in detail what happened after the judge appeared.”

Earlier, when Fifth Lingyu asked, Qin Ruqing had already given a rough account, but now the Fifth Clan Leader was asking for more detailed specifics.

Qin Ruqing understood that this was the most critical battle.

Once this hurdle was overcome, how the Fifth Family investigated the Hungry Ghost Path would no longer concern her.

The challenge lay in determining how much “truth” she needed to reveal to pass this scrutiny without arousing suspicion from the Fifth Family.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Ruqing finally bowed respectfully and began to speak clearly,

“Ruqing made a significant discovery during the fifth trial in the City of Sin.

I discovered the real arena, the ancient hall, which was inside the desolate city.

Following the direction of the Hungry Ghosts’ worship, I found the ancient hall and entered it.”

“The interior of the ancient hall was old and vast, with twelve murals depicting ancient events being the most notable. Naturally, I focused on those murals and noticed some peculiarities.”

“I found that the murals depicting the victory in war were a facade. In reality, the true murals were sealed by some rule or restriction.”

“Based on my understanding of the desolate city’s rules, I unlocked nine of them, discovering that they recorded the true nature of the City of Sin.

However, I couldn’t see the true face of three of the murals, possibly due to different seals or the murals themselves having no issues.”

“Then it seemed that the ancient hall’s internal defense mechanism was triggered by me. I fought with the grudge of the guarding beast. My mind was initially invaded by the beast, but it seemed I was saved by the judge.”

“The judge said I had passed the previous trials and only needed to answer one last question, which was also a choice: whether to save the residents of the City of Sin or to continue sealing them, letting them bear the sins of eternal reincarnation and judgment.”

Fifth Sheng had been listening intently, occasionally showing a contemplative look in his eyes.

Only when he heard this did his gaze reveal some interest.

His voice softened as he asked,

“And how did you answer?”

Qin Ruqing respectfully lowered her eyes and replied steadily, “Faced with the dignified judge, I dared not lie. Although I initially wanted to save the residents of the City of Sin and knew that sealing the beast’s grudge was crucial for the safety of the human world, it was a deadlock, an unanswerable question. So, in the end, I responded that I could think outside this problem and find another way.”

“Oh, finding another way is quite interesting. Explain how you would find another way.”

“My answer at the time was: ‘One method can lead to many methods. If blocking doesn’t work, try diverting, and if diverting doesn’t work, find other methods.

One should not limit their thinking to just unsealing or sealing the residents of the City of Sin. This question cannot be answered with a simple choice.'”

Fifth Sheng actually smiled and asked, “So, how did the judge react when he heard this?”

At this point, Qin Ruqing showed a hint of embarrassment and scratched her head, saying, “Perhaps my idea was still rather immature and clumsy. The judge smiled and asked me if I thought I could achieve what the ancient powerful beings couldn’t. I could only reply that I sought to have a clear conscience.”

“After that, the judge nodded without saying much and then sent me out. Only after leaving did I realize that I had neither been graded nor could I return to the Hungry Ghost Path.”

Fifth Sheng listened, then remained silent for a moment before asking, “What are your thoughts on not receiving a grade?”

At this moment, Qin Ruqing glanced at Fifth Sheng secretly and chose to answer honestly:

“At first, I was very scared, thinking that my answer had some flaw and that I had offended the judge. But upon further reflection, I felt that shouldn’t be the case.

The judge didn’t seem angry at me at the time; rather, it seemed like something urgent had happened, prompting a sudden transfer.”

“After leaving the Hungry Ghost Path, I initially wanted to cover up the matter. After all, making a big deal out of it might arouse suspicion and bring trouble upon myself.” At this point, Qin Ruqing shifted slightly with some unease, and Fifth Sheng, watching her, smiled knowingly.

This reaction was very human, but her daring to confess it in front of him, the clan leader, was considered bold.

Qin Ruqing coughed and continued, “But upon further thought, I felt the matter was significant and involved many aspects.

After all, the very purpose of the City of Sin is quite special.

I feared people would suspect and doubt, but even more, I feared that my concealment might bring about greater misfortune.

Therefore, I couldn’t help but reveal a few details to you, Sir.”

Qin Ruqing’s words provided a thorough account of the events.

After listening, Fifth Sheng sighed deeply with a hint of relief and said:

“Fortunately, you were perceptive. This matter is crucial, and your concealment would have delayed important business.”