Chapter 7: How to Judge

 It was as if the heavens themselves wanted us to die there

The Mountain Gate of the Dayan Sect, Jiuqu City.

Protected by the Dayan Sect and serving as its front, it was built with unmatched grandeur. The jade-paved ground stretched endlessly to an unseen horizon, with towering pavilions, intricate buildings, and beautifully carved beams and painted columns, all so stunning it was hard to take in.

The monks passing by wore luxurious robes, and even the commoners calling out to attract customers along the street were adorned in splendid attire, with elaborate headpieces and neckbands.

However, Guang had no interest in admiring any of this; she had more important matters at hand.

Xie Xuan, that little rascal, had been captured.

In the Law Enforcement Hall of Jiuqu City, the beams hung high, with no windows on all sides. The gloomy room was filled with blood-red columns, creating an overwhelming sense of oppression.”

Outside the room, the indignant monks were complaining.

“Who knows which country bumpkin came here to stir up trouble at the teleportation array.”

“If they want to die, they shouldn’t drag us into it. Shameless, pfft.”

“Good thing it happened in Mo Ai’s array; otherwise, I’d be reincarnated by now.”

Guang raised her hand to close the door, shutting off the last ray of light from the room. Just then, flames suddenly ignited on the four pillars, the sparse flickering light illuminating the room but making the red columns seem even more terrifying.

Xie Xuan was tied up like a twisted doughnut, lying unconscious on the ground, with a red cigarette burn mark on his forehead. It seemed the array guardian hadn’t held back.

Xie Kun anxiously looked at him, his face pale, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

“Younger Sister, what should we do now?” You Xiaowu tugged at Guang’s sleeve, his tone somewhat frustrated.

Guang shot him a glare, exasperated as she scolded, “What are you afraid of? The Law Enforcement Hall is all the same. It’s not like you’ve never been here before.”

Guang was a regular in the Law Enforcement Hall, but she usually sat at the desk for questioning rather than standing at the bottom, being reprimanded like now.

She looked up toward the high platform, where the law enforcer, a young cultivator in the Golden Core stage, stood with a downward-turned mouth. A cold breeze occasionally swept from behind the screen at the top of the hall, causing the enforcer’s black robes to flutter.

The one blowing the cold wind from behind was a rookie, focused only on creating a sinister atmosphere, without considering the temperature. The law enforcer’s face was almost turning blue. If she had been sitting at the desk, she would have beaten the one blowing the wind until their buttocks were sore.

Guang suppressed the smile at the corner of her mouth, cupped her hands, and said loudly, “Senior from the Dayan Sect, the suspect is currently unconscious. Why not come down to assess the situation before making a judgment?”

Bu Yunjie had been wanting to leave for a while; the cold wind was making his stomach ache. He had no idea who had summoned this rookie—there was no skill involved at all. Back in the day, when he blew cold winds, he made sure his superiors felt both dignified and comfortable.

He stiffened his face, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly walked up to Xie Xuan. The moment he saw Xie Xuan’s face, his teeth almost ached.

The young master from the Shengjing Xie family, looking like a ragdoll.

The case wasn’t originally his responsibility. When the first law enforcer handling the case saw the suspect’s identity, without saying a word, they passed it up the chain. The higher-ups passed it to even higher-ups.

This burden was passed up layer by layer, and in the end, it landed on his shoulders.

The disturbance at the teleportation array, a crime endangering public safety, could have been a minor issue. But due to the special identity of the person involved, it could easily turn into a diplomatic incident if handled poorly.

As for the case itself, it could be blown up into something major, or it could be made small, depending on how things were handled.

There were two ways to interpret the situation: a major interpretation would label it as a terrorist attack or social revenge; a minor interpretation could say the perpetrator was possessed, had eaten toxic mushrooms, or even that he was insane.

However, so many people had witnessed it in the teleportation array and were now gathered outside watching the commotion. It couldn’t be brushed off so easily. The other party involved, the array guardian, also had a significant identity.

Mo Changge, the first disciple of the Kunlun Sword Master, a warrior in the Transformation Realm, was the most powerful figure below the Great Ascension in the Kunyu realm. Decades ago, for some unknown reason, he had been sent to set up the teleportation array.

Now, Mo Changge was sitting at the table, and it seemed he wasn’t so easy to deal with.

Both sides were difficult to explain.

Bu Yunjie felt a headache coming on.

Mo Changge languidly sat there, his left leg resting over his right, holding a smoking pipe, puffing out clouds of smoke. He took a deep drag, tapped the pipe on the table, and impatiently said, “Stop stalling, just get to the point—what’s the plan?”

Bu Yunjie had checked Xie Xuan’s spiritual aura; there were indeed signs of possession, but the timing was too suspicious. When entering the teleportation array, he was still normal, but suddenly collapsed during the transport. No one would believe it if he said that.

He paused to choose his words carefully before speaking, “There have been no casualties in this case. It’s not a serious endangerment of public safety but a light one. According to the law, the sentence should be 1 to 5 years in prison.”

For cultivators, five years wasn’t long—it would pass in the blink of an eye. Prisons had no spiritual energy, which was equivalent to wasting five years.

Xie Xuan had recently failed his Core Formation, and now he had fallen into possession. If he were sent to prison like this, it could seriously hinder his cultivation path.

Xie Kun gripped his Xuan Iron sword tightly, staring directly at Guang, his eyes bloodshot.

He wasn’t good at socializing, and the most powerful cultivator on their side was Guang; she was also the best at dealing with people. She had sealed Xie Xuan’s consciousness, forcing him into a deep sleep.

Bu Yunjie looked at Guang; the decision was hers to make. Whether it was one year or five, it depended on how they negotiated.

Just as he was about to use his silver tongue, Guang’s words stopped him in his tracks.

“The consequences of his actions are too severe. He should be sent to the Black Prison first.”

The Black Prison not only lacked spiritual energy but also sealed all five senses, making it ten times more tormenting than a regular prison.

Guang spoke with such ease, as if Xie Xuan had nothing to do with her. Xie Kun’s eyes widened in disbelief, staring at her with an expression of betrayal. You Xiaowu couldn’t help but call out to her.

Bu Yunjie was stunned. Just like that, no negotiation?

Guang seemed to sense his hesitation and handed him a figurative tranquilizer, “He’s made such a serious mistake; he deserves some punishment.”

As Xie Xuan was about to be taken away, Xie Kun drew his Xuan Iron sword, standing protectively in front of Xie Xuan. Without turning his gaze, he hoarsely said, “You promised.”

“She can expel the inner demons and save us.”

Guang stepped forward, gripping the blade, and with one swift motion, she took the Xuan Iron sword from his hands. Pointing toward the noisy scene outside, she slowly spoke, “When the emperor breaks the law, he is guilty just like the common people. If one commits a crime, shouldn’t they atone for it?”

Xie Kun anxiously watched the unconscious Xie Xuan and tried to defend, “But he’s been possessed.”

“If a madman kills someone, does he not have to pay for it with his life?” Guang retorted.

Xie Kun felt her logic was flawed, confusing right and wrong. Xie Xuan hadn’t killed anyone, so how could she make such a comparison? Just as he was about to deny it, Guang’s voice entered his mind.

“There are so many people watching outside. Do you want the Xie family to lose face? Sending him to prison will quell the public’s anger. They’ll be satisfied and won’t care who you are. If you leave him out here, they’ll dig into it to see which family is disregarding the law.”

“I only said to lock Xie Xuan in the Black Prison, not to decide his guilt. Once we’re out, you can quickly contact your family’s ancestor to come and explain. Xie Xuan will be asleep for a few days after I give him the medicine. It won’t be a problem.”

Xie Kun gave her a deep look, thanked her, and left.

Bu Yunjie cupped his hands toward her and said seriously, “Junior sister, you have a deep understanding of the greater good. Truly worthy of being a senior disciple of the Wanfo Sect.”

The two exchanged smiles and polite words. After a few pleasantries, Bu Yunjie carried Xie Xuan away.

Before leaving, Mo Changge gave her a knowing look, “I always feel like something’s not right with this situation.”

Guang smiled faintly, said nothing, and made a gesture to invite him to proceed.

In just a few short hours, only Guang and You Xiaowu remained of the original four.

You Xiaowu was on the verge of breaking down, squatting on the ground with his hands clutching his head, “Senior Sister, what about Xie Xuan?”

Guang looked at the little fool with kindness, ruffling his hair, which felt quite nice, “He won’t die, so who cares?”

You Xiaowu suddenly looked up, and Guang’s hand fell on his face. She casually pinched it, and he puffed up, “But you accepted offerings, you can’t just ignore it.”

Guang glanced at the prayer beads wrapped around her arm, her expression turning slightly cold.

“I only promised to expel the inner demons, but I never promised to use the Wanfo Sect’s reputation to help him escape punishment. If I take one coin, I do one thing. This matter isn’t that simple. The dirty work should be left to the old fools in the Xie family. The enforcers are brainless too—such a huge mess, and instead of passing it on, they took it on themselves.”

She patted his cheek, pulled him up, and gently advised, “Remember, don’t learn from him. If it’s not your mess, pass it on, but never pass it to your senior sister. Otherwise…”

You Xiaowu shivered, automatically completing the sentence in his head. If it ended up on Senior Sister, he’d probably be beaten to death.

He still felt guilty, looking downcast, “If I hadn’t mentioned Liu Youyou, then Xie Xuan wouldn’t have…”

Guang abruptly interrupted him, “No, no, it’s not your fault. It’s just a coincidence. After the teleportation array opened, Xie Xuan fell into possession. We could have captured him, he was only in the Foundation Establishment stage, and his energy wasn’t stable. How could he have escaped? Besides, the guardian is in the Transformation Stage. To think that he was affected by a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator is simply unbelievable.”

As she spoke, Guang’s voice gradually lowered, “I have a feeling… we almost died there. It felt like fate had ensnared us, an irreversible destiny. So many coincidences linked together, as if the heavens wanted us to die there.”

It was just a vague feeling, without any real basis, yet it felt incredibly real.

It was as if she should have died there.

Or perhaps, in some timeline or some past life of hers, she did die there.

The sun set behind the western mountains, and flames along the street began to flicker, stretching to the end of the road. The orange-yellow flames illuminated the white jade pavement, creating a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere.

You Xiaowu, feeling out of place, walked around the flame pillars twice and asked, “Senior Sister, what should we do now?”

Guang looked toward the west. The towering white jade crystal wall stretched like a chasm, cutting off Jiùqū City. It was the mountain gate of the Dayan Sect, the first curve of the Eight-Curve Long Cup.

“Let’s find an inn to stay the night and go to the Dayan Sect tomorrow.”

The idea was nice, but the reality was harsh.

They searched for seven inns in a row, but each one was fully booked. The manager of one inn, unable to bear it, explained, “The Lantern Festival is about to begin, so every inn is full. If you don’t mind, you can rent a tent and spend the night in the alley.”

Guang stared at the tent in her hands, silent.

Just as she was about to start turning her prayer beads, You Xiaowu suddenly had a thought, “Senior Sister, there’s another place. It must have empty rooms.”

Guang gave him a look, signaling him to hurry up and say it.

“The brothel.”