Wait a minute, where is my master?

Zhou Shuling listened to the light-hearted tone and looked at the other's radiant smile, feeling a chill run down her spine.

Her head hung slightly, mist in her eyes, even at this moment.

Zhou Shuling still maintained her pitiful expression.

Two breaths of time passed.

The Taoist saw no movement from her; he slightly clenched his right hand, and a golden Thunder Arc traveled up his arm, emitting terrifying fluctuations of Spiritual Power.

The Nine Provinces Sea Eye below the Deep Sea Abyss hadn't closed yet, and Jin Xu could not afford to delay with this acting talent.

"Miss Zhou, aren't you taking action? Could it be that you regret it? If so, this Taoist can indeed lend you a hand."

The smile on Jin Xu's face gradually faded, his right hand slightly raised, ready to unleash the Hand Palm Thunder.

"Wait!"

A bratty voice came from behind him.

It was Si Yinyin who had been silent so far.

"Miss Si?"

The Taoist frowned imperceptibly, not stopping his movements, but turned his head and asked in a puzzled tone.

"Whoosh!"

A pink figure flashed past Jin Xu, positioning itself in front of Zhou Shuling.

"I told you to wait. Didn't you hear this female cultivator mention she was forced to join that White Emperor's Demonic Lair, and because her cultivation technique had hidden maneuvers, she was coerced into joining them?"

Si Yinyin looked dissatisfied, bravely blocking the golden Thunder Arc.

"..."

Jin Xu gave her a weird look, his eyes revealing a strange expression.

He silently recited this circumstance three times in his mind, especially after saving Little Yu's grandmother.

He intended to explain through a spiritual message that he could see the position of a cultivator's Qi.

But before he could speak,

Si Yinyin, as if stung by the Taoist's gaze,

blurted out first, "Jin Taoist, I, Ji Qiao... Miss Si, haven't left home to travel for the first time today. Naturally, I understand the principle of not easily trusting others.

"However, I possess a Confucian Skill called the Truth-Telling Skill, which can verify the truth of her statements.

Since Miss Zhou claims she was coerced, let me test her with this skill. That way, we will neither let a villain escape nor wrongly kill an innocent."

As she finished speaking, without waiting for Jin Xu's response, Si Yinyin reflexively sent a burst of azure light, striking Zhou Shuling's chest.

"Have you ever slaughtered the common folks of the Nine Provinces Realm?"

"No."

"Have you ever harmed the cultivators of the Righteous Path in the Nine Provinces Realm?"

"Never."

A bratty, yet gentle conversation echoed over the vast seas.

The salty sea breeze blew through Si Yinyin's long hair. Pleased with the responses, a proud expression appeared on her face as she turned to look at the Taoist standing on the ice.

"Jin Taoist, you must have also heard of the renowned 'Truth-Telling Skill' of the Confucians. Now, you can be sure that this person is genuinely a good person who was misled."

At this moment, Si Yinyin resembled a victorious little rooster, head held high and chest puffed out, completely self-satisfied.

She had witnessed the Taoist's emergence last time, causing the upper echelons of the Immortal Court to mobilize and become utterly flustered, igniting her desire to descend to the Lower Realm to see for herself what kind of person he was.

"Tsch, it seems he is nothing more than a brute with sheer strength."

A feeling of 'that's all there is to it' emerged within Si Yinyin.

Then...

She saw the Taoist across from her slightly shake his head. Beside him, the little girl with grayish-white short hair also shook her head.

"Jin Taoist, you..."

"Wrong."

"What's wrong?"

Si Yinyin had not finished speaking when she was interrupted, her face showing a puzzled expression upon hearing Jin Xu mention that something was incorrect.

"Your result is incorrect."

"Your way of asking is incorrect."

The Taoist stepped forward as he spoke, staring at Zhou Shuling's tear-streaked face.

"Right, the temple master is correct, your way of asking is indeed wrong."

Little White, imitating the Taoist, stepped forward and sniffed close to Junior Sister Zhou, then whispered.

"My lord, she may have eaten leek dumplings yesterday."

"...Don't change the subject."

Jin Xu tapped the Husky's head heavily.

A crisp wooden fish sound resonated among those present.

That was when Si Yinyin finally caught on.

She, unconvinced, walked up to the Taoist, wrinkling her nose as she arrogantly asked.

"You say my result is wrong and my way of asking is also wrong, so tell me, Taoist, what should the result be and how should I ask?"

Jin Xu, feeling his merit points had increased by one, pondered for a moment.

Calmly staring at Zhou Shuling, whose body was slightly trembling, he asked.

"Have you directly or indirectly killed someone?"

Since the Taoist was not the practitioner of the "Truth-Telling Skill," her question naturally received no answer.

But Si Yinyin suddenly had an enlightenment as if she had been filled with suden realization.

She was just not well-traveled and lacked worldly experience, but she was not foolish.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to cultivate to the realm of a Human Immortal at such a young age.

So with a little hint from Jin Xu, Si Yinyin immediately mimicked the Taoist and asked Zhou Shuling.

"Have you directly or indirectly killed someone?"

At that moment, Junior Sister Zhou's fragile demeanor disappeared, and she said in a low voice, looking desolate.

"I have."

On the side, Senior Sister Mi, who had been shocked that her fellow disciple had not killed any commoners or cultivators from the Righteous Path, suddenly burst into a wild laugh as the situation turned.

"Hahaha, Junior Sister, your calculations, hahaha, instead..."

Yu Yaoer, annoyed by the other's noisy demeanor, covered her head with a water ball.

Effectively silencing Senior Sister Mi in a literal sense.

"How did you kill them, why, and who were they?"

Ignoring the brief interlude on the side, Jin Xu continued to interrogate Zhou Shuling.

Sitting next to him, Si Yinyin mimicked the Taoist like a parrot, repeating every question he asked.

"The first time was when I was twelve, just before the grand competition in the pavilion. To become the top candidate and obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill, I intentionally lit incense that would disturb the mind during my senior sister's cultivation session.

"As a result, she succumbed to mental disorientation, her spiritual power went off course in her meridians, and she died from severe injuries on the spot.

"Actually, I hadn't intended to kill her; I just wanted her to be injured so she wouldn't attend that competition, especially since this senior sister had been taking care of me since I joined.

"Perhaps it was her bad luck, but I didn't expect her to die from one mental turmoil."

As Zhou Shuling spoke, her body stopped trembling, the ashen color on her face faded, replaced by a hint of regret.

Under the influence of the "Truth-Telling Skill," she paused briefly and then continued her confession.

"The second time I killed someone was a year after the first incident.

"I was actually very scared inside, but after a long time, either the sect didn't care, or they really didn't notice.

"So, I gradually grew bolder. During an excursion, a junior sister and I discovered a water attribute spiritual material together. Not only did she refuse to let me have it for free, but she also insisted on sharing it evenly with me.

"So I..."