Elders' Judgment

-Flow Peak Alchemy Shop-

Uhh... What time is it now?

"..." Master?

"Please don't wake me up. I'm still sleeping..." Do ghosts need sleep at all?

I opened my eyes and... Light is coming from the window. It's already morning. I've been cultivating all night and wasn't even able to tell that it's been too long. I am getting the hang of it but cultivating from the first layer to the second layer indeed takes a year. I hope with my cultivating technique, it would be faster.

Hmmm... I smell something good. Maybe I'll continue cultivating later on but my soul can still gather energy so that's a good thing. I have to get out of my room.

Hmmm? It's Physician Cao Yao outside the door.

"You're finally awake. I was about to wake you up. Come, let's have breakfast, shall we? Wait-" I'm hungry...

"What is it?" It seems he's confused.

"Energy around is being absorbed by your body. Did you manage to awaken your innate realm without entering the sect?!" Uhhh... I have to stop my soul from gathering energy...

"Yes. Last night, it was so random. It just felt like I can finally sense energy and so... this is why." Suddenly, he checked my hand somehow.

"I can feel it. You absorbed an absurd amount of energy! Let's take a look outside real quick!" I don't know what he's worried about though.

And so we checked outside and...

"My garden!" Is this a garden? All the plants are withered here.

Uhh... Why is the old man looking at me like he wants to eat me alive?!

*Sigh* "Well, I can't blame you. You've just discovered how to cultivate energy and that means you must not know the consequence of it. When you cultivate energy, you use the energy around you, it also means life force of other weaker beings such as the plants and animals. But this time, the energy you absorbed is too much, it's not even possible for an innate realm to gather this much. Not to mention, you must first learn a cultivation technique to gather energy. Did you manage to create your own cultivation technique?" Seriously, master! You should have warned me about this!

"Jeez... I told you to rest! I didn't know you would cultivate all night! Don't blame me for this, you stupid disciple." Uhh... well, I gotta make an excuse for this one...

"I don't know. Like you've just said, this is my first time so I don't even know what was I doing." Thankfully, I stopped my soul from gathering, or else it would be a lot suspicious.

"It's ok. With the materials you've gathered yesterday, it's enough to start my garden again. Though, some of those herbs are quite rare. If you want to gather more energy, you can use energy crystals or cores but they're quite expensive though so I would suggest that you find a place with vast energy. If you could get stronger, you can also travel deeper into the forest to look for rare plants that have a lot of energy. Anyway, with this, I'm quite sure they will let you enter the outer sect now even if you don't reach 4th Layer of Body Refining Realm." Really?! Then that's good to hear!

"I'm sorry about your garden. When we visit again the forest, I'll gather more materials for you. So how about we go and eat something? I haven't had dinner last night so I'm quite hungry."

"The nerve you have to even suggest for free food after what you've done to my garden. Tsk... these brats... Come on. Let's give you a proper meal." Finally! I'm starving!

"Physician Cao Yao." Hmmm? Two guards are here. Is this about what happened yesterday?

"What can I do you for? Do you need mid-grade healing pills again?" The physician used his storage ring to pull out a bag of pills.

"No. We're here to question two of your students here. Five corpses from the Bo family were found last night and based on our investigation, we've found evidence that your two students were there as well." Wait... only five? I'm sure there were six of them including the one with 7th layer innate realm! I'm having a bad feeling about this.

"They're kids. This one is only a 3rd Layer of Body Refining Realm and the other one is tired from gathering materials all day yesterday. Believe me, they're both harmless." Physician Cao Yao must already know by now that we're related to it but he's still trying to protect us.

"You forgot to mention that your other student is a 5th Layer of Innate Energy Realm, strong enough to kill people below her realm." That means the Bo family found a countermeasure. They must have disposed of the body of the 7th Layer of Innate Energy Realm.

"Are you telling me that they are capable of murder?! You must be out of your mind!" Killing intent coming from Physician Cao Yao is too powerful! His energy suddenly burst out that I even felt my knees getting weaker! He's too strong!

"Please, calm down, Physician. We're here because of the Sect Elders' orders. This is not a small matter. Outer Disciples were killed and they're even from the inner family branch. Elders from the Bo Family are enraged right now." They are trembling from the presence of Physician Cao Yao but I can tell that the elders from the Bo Family are even scarier that they would risk their lives to even defy Physician's words.

What should I do, master?

"I figured that this would happen. Even if their plan has failed, I'm sure they have to do something and put the blame on your girl as she's the original target. Since Bo Family members were killed, they want the blood from the Liu Family as well. We could have used the ring to store their bodies so they wouldn't find the bodies but I'm quite sure that the Bo family knows already about their young master's plan. Even if we do it or not, they will know that something must have happened to him related to your girl when he doesn't come back." So what am I supposed to do then?

"If they put the blame on her, there's a huge possibility of civil war against Bo and Liu family but you'll know what would happen. Since I can tell that Bo Family is the biggest family here, Liu Family would be at a great disadvantage and countless lives will be lost. So, you choose. Stand and watch while they put the blame on your girl or come clean and take the blame?" That's... if I tell them I did it, it would be suicide for me... and yet, it was actually my fault...

"Don't worry. I have a plan." I hope you do have a plan, master.

"Physician Cao Yao, you don't have to defend us. I admit. I was the one who killed them." Suddenly, the guards changed into their offensive stance.

"What on earth are you talking about?! You should stop talking or you will make yourself in danger!" Physician Cao Yao's complexion suddenly changed. He's worried about me.

"I will be alright, Physician. I will come back for your alchemy teachings. For now, I have some matters to attend to." Since I decided to put my life on your hands, master, you better have a good plan.

"And for you guards, no need to be hostile. I won't fight back." Since both of them are a lot stronger than me, I don't think I would survive if I fight back.

The physician couldn't help himself but be worried. I can see in his eyes. He knows that something bad will happen to me.

"Then, come with us."

...

-FROZEN LAKE SECT'S MAIN HALL-

They brought me to the inner hall of the Frozen Lake sect. The inside of the inner hall seems to be normal. I don't see any signs of luxury but just a throne and a couple of big chairs.

One of the guards went to the elder to report but I couldn't hear them.

I couldn't calm down from their presence alone. Their energy is swallowing me whole! The pressure is too much for me to handle but the most powerful aura I can feel is coming from a teenager looking girl sitting in the middle... on a throne. She must be a princess or something.

"Everyone calm down." One of the elders has spoken. Based on his looks, he might have the highest elder rankings.

/Bo Tunyan, 157

Grand Elder of Frozen Lake Sect

1st Layer, Peak Stage, of Advanced Body Refining Realm

2nd Layer of Void Realm/

"He must be the Grand Elder of this Sect as he has the second-highest cultivation here. The others are at the peak of Spirit Core. This sect is weak without your Sect leader who's sitting on the throne." That's right, master. I've heard that without our sect leader... wait... what do you mean sitting on the throne? Do you mean she's the Sect Leader?! Isn't she too young?!

"Today, Hei An of the Liu Family admitted the crime of murder of five youngsters in the southern forest. Now, tell us why you committed this crime." So it's my turn to talk now, I guess.

"Grand Elder, I admitted that I killed them but in my defense, it was an act of self-defense. Chong Zi and the others attacked Sheng Kai with the intent of ending her life. When I arrived at the scene after gathering materials as it was my task that day given to us by Physician Liu Cao Yao, Sheng Kai was already lying on the floor wounded. When I saw Chong Zi still beating her while she already passed out-" I've sense tremendous killing intent towards me!

"Shut up! My son wouldn't do that! My son must have lost against Sheng Kai at the alchemy competition but my son won't ever lay a finger on anyone because I raised that child with a kind heart! Vengeance won't ever come into his mind!" It must be Chong Zi's father, though I can tell that he wasn't raised that way. He was ruthless and willing to kill when he doesn't get what he wants.

/Bo Fen Nu, 72

Bo Family's Wave Peak Leader and an Elder of Frozen Lake Sect

9th Layer of Body Refining Realm

9th Layer of Spirit Core Realm/

"Enough, Fen Nu! The youngster is still talking. We will all judge him and not just by you." With just that, the only thing Elder Fen Nu can do is to clench his fist and suppress his hatred towards me before he could do anything stupid.

"Continue." The Grand Elder said.

"When I saw them busy with Sheng Kai, I snuck behind one by one as they were busy watching Chong Zi bully Sheng Kai. I killed each and of one of them with a dagger as they didn't show mercy towards Sheng Kai. When Chong Zi finally realized that something is wrong, he looked behind and that's the time I stabbed him in the head. If I didn't do that, they might have not just killed Sheng Kai, but me too. I admit that what I did is worse than anyone could imagine but I did it to save Sheng Kai." The killing intent coming from Fen Nu is getting stronger and stronger. Without the others, he will surely have killed me on the spot.

The Grand Elder seems to be thinking.

"Based on your records, it is said that you haven't reached the 4th Layer of Body Refining Realm nor the energy realm. Maybe that's why they weren't able to detect you from behind. Though I can also see right now that you already unlocked the 1st Layer of Innate Realm which probably caused by you accidentally absorbing demonic energy. You have indeed killed them. Guards, please bring him outside for a bit." And so I was dragged out of the main hall. I can say that they are talking about what will they do to me next.

Would Liu Family help me? I don't think so as I'm currently the worse family member they have. Still... I wish they could help me a little bit.

"Don't worry. They won't execute you right away. Even if they choose to execute you, we will have enough time to escape. I guarantee you that." I don't know where you get your confidence but if they kill me, you die too.

"I know that. Since I can't possess anyone and without you to cultivate energy for me, my soul will slowly die too. So don't worry. Master got you." Fine...

After a while of waiting... We finally went back to the main hall. The Grand Elder is about to announce the verdict for my crime.

"Liu Hei An, a citizen of Frozen Lake Sect from the Flow Peak, admitted that he has taken 5 innocent lives mercilessly. By the judgment of the Frozen Lake Elders, we sentence you to public execution!" That's worse than I expected...