Chapter 104: Debate

“No… no…”

Zheng Menglong, drenched in sweat from He Pingsheng’s questioning, said: “I wasn’t there at the time!”

“Not there?” This time it was Yu Ning who asked: “Menglong, if you didn’t hear rumors from others and didn’t witness it yourself, why are you so certain He Pingsheng killed Linglong?”

“Didn’t you kill your senior sister yourself and frame He Pingsheng?”

“No, no…” Zheng Menglong panicked instantly: “Auntie, I didn’t! I’m only at Qi Refining eighth level—how could I possibly defeat a Qi Refining eleventh-level senior sister?”

“Oh!”

Yu Ning nodded and said: “You, at Qi Refining eighth level, can’t defeat Linglong at eleventh level—so you’re saying my disciple, at Qi Refining seventh level, could defeat Linglong?”

Zheng Menglong nearly burst into tears.

Yes, all his information was speculation.

Why did he speculate this way?

Because Zheng Menglong knew very well.

Originally in the secret realm, Linglong had ordered him and three other senior brothers to continuously patrol and search for He Pingsheng, then kill him.

But later, he never found He Pingsheng; instead, he received word from Linglong that she had found him.

So he rushed there in a panic.

When he arrived, he saw a battlefield in utter chaos.

The scene was too disordered for Zheng Menglong to tell who won or lost, who lived or died; only after he exited the secret realm and met his master Yu De did he learn the full truth.

With such a simple judgment, it was obvious He Pingsheng had killed Linglong.

But he had no evidence.

Yet lacking evidence didn’t matter—I only needed to accuse him; my master would act.

But just now, word arrived that his master had perished.

Zheng Menglong was now trapped.

With no backing, what could he do?

Only compromise.

“I… I… I…” he said, drenched in sweat: “I have no evidence—I just… just feel Brother He’s suspicion is high, because earlier, Senior Sister Linglong once schemed to harm him!”

“I think he’ll seek revenge—he has motive!”

Hua ……

The great hall erupted in murmurs.

Clearly, this accusation no longer held.

“Huh…” Elder Hong took a deep breath and said: “This… simply doesn’t hold water. You can’t conclude He Pingsheng killed Linglong just because they had a grudge!”

“Moreover, according to our investigation, five others accompanied Linglong into the secret realm, tasked with protecting her safety—meaning Linglong’s group totaled six people!”

“To be honest, I don’t believe He Pingsheng had the strength to slay five out of those six!”

Hearing this, He Pingsheng immediately displayed an expression of shock: “Five?”

“Are you saying five disciples died?”

This shock was perfectly timed.

If He Pingsheng hadn’t shown any shock at this moment, it would have been suspicious.

And this was precisely the strategy agreed upon by Elder Hong and Feng Daogu.

To test He Pingsheng.

Unexpectedly, He Pingsheng had just cleverly shattered it.

“Hmph…” Feng Daogu sneered.

Elder Hong nodded and said: “Yes… five disciples died altogether, with only Zheng Menglong surviving!”

“Elder Hong,” Yu Ning asked, “can my disciple He Pingsheng’s suspicion now be lifted?”

“No,” Elder Hong shook his head. “I have one more question!”

“He Pingsheng…” Elder Hong asked again: “When exactly did you exit the secret realm?”

“And why didn’t you return with the others after you came out?”

Elder Hong posed two questions.

Everyone turned to look at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng took a deep breath and said: “I exited the secret realm on the eve of its final closure!”

“As for why I didn’t return with the others, it was because I was afraid.”

“Afraid?” Elder Hong asked. “Afraid of what?”

He Pingsheng said: “I was afraid of Linglong and Luoyu.”

“Hmph… nonsense!” Feng Daogu sneered. “By then, Linglong and Luoyu were already dead—why would you fear them?”

He Pingsheng bowed slightly: “At that time, I didn’t know who had died—wasn’t that normal?”

“Good,” Elder Hong said. “He Pingsheng, explain why you feared them.”

He Pingsheng silently pulled out his Hundred Treasures Bag, then withdrew six golden apricots from within.

Water Elemental Spirit Apricots.

“These are…”

“Water Elemental Spirit Apricots?”

“Heavens?”

“He actually obtained Water Elemental Spirit Apricots?”

“Six of them?”

Everyone stared wide-eyed at He Pingsheng.

Elder Hong’s pupils contracted slightly. “Good lad—you’ve had quite the fortune. Explain.”

He Pingsheng said: “Yes!”

“Around the eleventh day after entering the secret realm, I reached Bingling Lake!”

“Eleventh day?” At this moment, Hou Muxian suddenly spoke: “That’s not right—I was at Bingling Lake on the eleventh day myself, and I didn’t see you, Young Master!”

His words sent ripples through the hall.

Yu Ning shot Hou Muxian a furious glare.

Hou Muxian realized his mistake and immediately clamped his hand over his mouth.

Feng Daogu’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Yet He Pingsheng remained utterly calm. “It’s normal Senior Brother Hou didn’t see me… I didn’t see you either!”

“Because I didn’t go directly to the island in the center of Bingling Lake!”

“I dove into the lake from the shore and swam all the way to the center!”

“Then, at the lakebed’s center, I searched and obtained six mature Water Elemental Spirit Apricots before leaving immediately via Water Submersion!”

“So Senior Brother never saw me!”

“Having obtained the Spirit Apricots, I naturally wouldn’t reveal myself!”

This explanation now held.

Elder Hong nodded. “So you know the Water Submersion Technique?”

“Yes,” He Pingsheng said. “I cultivated a technique called the Ren Water Submersion Art. If the elders doubt it, I can demonstrate it right now!”

“I can vouch for this!” Zhao Linger immediately raised her hand. “When we were in danger and shattered our jade talismans to escape the secret realm, Young Master didn’t leave—he jumped off the cliff, and before my teleportation, I heard him say he knew the Water Submersion Technique!”

“He even told me not to leave!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Xu Kunlun said. “I can vouch for this too!”

Elder Hong nodded. “I suppose Young Master He wouldn’t fabricate this—he must indeed be proficient in Water Submersion.”

“Yes,” He Pingsheng continued. “But as fate would have it, when I swam back to the lakeshore and emerged from Bingling Lake, I happened upon Luoyu and Linglong!”

“They tried to seize my Spirit Apricots!”

“Senior Sister Luoyu pulled out a golden bell and shook it from afar—my spiritual sense nearly shattered!”

“My spiritual sense is still severely wounded!”

“I escaped their pursuit by using Water Submersion through a river connected to the lake.”

“But I knew Senior Sister Linglong was always tyrannical and cruel—I feared that after exiting the secret realm, she’d try to take my Water Elemental Spirit Apricots again, and since she failed to kill me, she’d surely eliminate me to silence me!”

“I was alone on Xiuzhu Peak with no backing!”

“To be honest, Elder, I thought that after escaping the secret realm, I’d never return to Grand Void Gate—I’d run away forever!”

“So I disguised myself as a woman and fled using a Transformation Talisman.”