Chapter 103: Enforcement Hall, Master Feng the Nun

"Thank you, thank you..."

"That's great!"

Each of the three received a Water Elemental Spirit Apricot, which effectively guaranteed each of them a breakthrough to the next level.

As long as the bottleneck doesn't occur at the tenth level, it's fine.

For example, if a bottleneck appears at the eleventh level, eating this Water Elemental Spirit Apricot will directly propel you to the twelfth level.

Once you reach the Qi Refining twelfth level and wish to break through, just obtain a Foundation Establishment Elixir.

The Foundation Establishment Elixir can also break bottlenecks.

But it's not a hundred percent guarantee—eating the Foundation Establishment Elixir only gives you a certain probability of breaking into the Foundation Establishment realm.

Yet their joy did not last long.

Zhao Linger suddenly asked: "Old Nine, how many Water Elemental Spirit Apricots did you get in total?"

Worried He Pingsheng might misunderstand, Zhao Linger quickly added: "I don't mean anything by it—just that the sect has a rule: anything personally brought back from a secret realm must be surrendered half to the sect!"

"You gave each of us three— I'm afraid we won't have enough left to surrender!"

"If the sect finds out, it's a severe punishment!"

He Pingsheng was stunned. "Damn, I forgot about this!"

Tian Xiaoqing said: "It's not surrendering to the sect—it's surrendering to the master's lineage!"

"Just hand your things directly to your Master!"

"Theoretically, your Master then gives half of the resources to Rebirth Old Ancestor for final distribution!"

He Pingsheng said: "Actually... I only got six in total."

This was a headache.

Six!

If I surrender three, I keep three—but that won't be enough to divide among us.

Plop...

Zhao Linger placed the apricot she held on He Pingsheng's table. "Young Master, I can't accept this anymore..."

"First surrender it to the master's lineage. After the lineage keeps its share, we'll see how it's distributed."

"Right!" Xu Kunlun also reluctantly returned his apricot to He Pingsheng, looking pained: "Give it back to you first, Old Nine—this hurts me so much... Wah wah wah!"

Tian Xiaoqing also extended her jade hand toward He Pingsheng. "Hand three to your Master. Later, when he redistributes, if any one of us three gets even one, that's enough!"

He Pingsheng took back the three Water Elemental Spirit Apricots. "Fine, we'll discuss it later."

At that moment, Senior Brother Hou Muxian arrived at He Pingsheng's door. "Is Young Master Nine here?"

He Pingsheng opened the door.

The four of them stepped out of the room.

Hou Muxian said: "All here? Good. Come along—Master says we all need to go."

"Old Nine!"

"Prepare yourself—the Enforcement Hall has sent people!"

He Pingsheng nodded. He was already prepared.

They all went to Yuning Palace together.

Upon entering Yuning Palace, He Pingsheng nearly jumped.

There were many people.

All nine of Yuning's disciples were present.

Besides the disciples, there was Yuning himself, plus several Enforcement Hall Elders dressed in purple Dao robes.

Also present: one disciple from Hongde Courtyard of Xiuzhu Peak, two disciples from Master Yu Xuan's lineage, and Master Yu Xuan himself.

"Sit down," Yuning said calmly. "He Pingsheng, this is Elder Hong and Master Feng."

He Pingsheng looked up—he had met Master Feng before.

When he first entered Yuning's lineage and went to the sect to buy things, Master Feng had spotted him and personally came to Xiuzhu Peak to question him.

Master Feng was a middle-aged Daoist nun.

Elder Hong was an old man with white hair and white beard.

He Pingsheng had heard that Elder Hong was a Great Golden Core.

"He Pingsheng!" Elder Hong spoke.

He Pingsheng quickly stood and bowed respectfully. "Disciple is here!"

"Good," Elder Hong said gently. "We're here today just to ask a few questions—standard Enforcement Hall procedure. Just tell us what you know."

"Just two hours ago, the spirit tablet of Hongde Courtyard's Jade Virtue True Person shattered—he is confirmed dead."

"I ask you: is your involvement in Jade Virtue's death?"

"Did you kill him?"

Everyone stared at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng remained calm. "No... I never once met Master Jade Virtue."

"Besides, Master Jade Virtue was a Foundation Establishment elder, while I am merely a Qi Refining seventh-level disciple—how could I possibly have killed him?"

Master Feng suddenly interjected: "Not necessarily."

"If one possesses powerful treasures, crossing levels to kill is still possible."

He Pingsheng said nothing, ignoring Master Feng's words.

But Master Feng pressed on: "He Pingsheng, how do you prove you didn't kill Jade Virtue?"

Nearby, Yuning grew angry.

Forcing someone to prove their own innocence was outright bullying.

He Pingsheng remained utterly calm. "I don't know how to prove it. I can't prove it."

"But I'd like to ask Master Feng: can you prove you didn't kill Master Jade Virtue?"

Master Feng stood up in fury. "How could I kill Jade Virtue? I had no grudge against him! He Pingsheng, what nonsense are you spouting?"

He Pingsheng remained serene. "How do you prove it?"

"I don't need to prove anything! Why should I?" Master Feng shouted at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng replied: "Then why should I?"

At these words, Master Feng fell silent.

But being challenged like this naturally stirred resentment in her heart toward He Pingsheng.

"Hmph..." Master Feng snorted.

"Enough!" Elder Hong said. "The sect is still investigating Jade Virtue's death—we haven't found his body yet, so we'll set this aside for now."

"I ask you: Hongde Courtyard disciple Zheng Menglong accuses you of killing fellow disciple Linglong."

"Is this true?"

He Pingsheng shook his head. "No."

His tone was calm, his mind undisturbed.

Since cultivating the [Mystic Gate Stillness True Scripture], his primordial spirit had grown refined; his mental state, emotional control, and inner composure had all improved dramatically.

Thus, even facing so many people, he remained composed and unruffled.

Yuning, who had been worried, now saw He Pingsheng's calmness and finally relaxed, exhaling deeply.

Master Feng said: "You're lying."

He Pingsheng shook his head. "I am not lying. I'd like to ask this Senior Brother Zheng Menglong: how did you determine I killed Linglong?"

"Did you see it with your own eyes, or did you hear it from others?"

Swish...

In the hall, everyone turned to look at a young disciple.

He was Zheng Menglong, disciple of Jade Virtue.

Zheng Menglong immediately panicked.

He stammered, unable to speak clearly.

"This... that... I I I..."

"I didn't hear it from others!"

He Pingsheng smiled. "Since Senior Brother Zheng didn't hear it from others, you must have seen it with your own eyes!"

"Tell me, Senior Brother Zheng: when and where did you see me kill Linglong?"

"What technique did I use? What spell did I cast?"

"How did Linglong resist?"

"If you saw me fighting Linglong, why didn't you, as a Hongde Courtyard disciple, come to help?"

He Pingsheng fired off several questions in rapid succession.