Chapter Two

The Truth Pearl, as its name suggested, was a magical artifact capable of determining whether a person's words were true or false. No one could lie in the presence of the Truth Pearl.

Quite a few of the hundred immortal sects in the cultivation world possessed a Truth Pearl, and the Qingyang Heavenly Sect had one as well.

The disciples standing before the hall exchanged glances and burst into laughter. They had thought Chu Rong was about to say something remarkable — who would have guessed he was actually digging his own grave.

Speaking falsehoods in the presence of the Truth Pearl would trigger a backlash. Many cultivators couldn't withstand it, let alone Chu Rong, who was only a mortal. He'd probably end up limbless before he even made it to Cloud Ridge Peak, reduced to a complete wreck.

On the other hand, if the Truth Pearl judged his words to be true, then the sect would have no choice but to unconditionally declare Chu Rong innocent.

But how could Chu Rong possibly be innocent?

"The evidence against you is mountain-solid on every count. There's no need to bring out the Truth Pearl." He Ming's thoughts were in perfect agreement with the crowd's.

The matter of Chu Rong was of great consequence. He had no desire to waste energy on irrelevancies. He shot Qing Ming a look, signaling him to hurry up and drag Chu Rong away.

But how could Chu Rong let He Ming have his way?

"What's the matter — are you feeling guilty? Afraid that the Truth Pearl will prove I'm innocent?" Chu Rong ignored the pain in his shoulder, leaned his body forward, and fought back with all his strength. At the same time, he continued shouting nonsense at the top of his lungs: "Ever since I entered the Heavenly Sect, I have followed every rule and made no enemies. If you simply look down on mortals, you're welcome to send me down the mountain outright — rather than fabricating charges from thin air, forcing me here, and subjecting me to this mob justice!"

"The great cultivation sect of an immortal gate, bullying one person with many — ganging up to oppress me, a single mortal. I saved Cen Yan's life, which makes me at least half a benefactor to the Qingyang Heavenly Sect. To treat a benefactor this way — aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the hundred immortal sects?"

In just a few short sentences, he had turned everyone present into ungrateful bullies who preyed on the weak. The disciples on the scene were absolutely astounded by the sheer shamelessness of Chu Rong's face.

The fury in He Ming's chest surged like a rising tide, wave after wave, until his vision went dark with rage.

He raised his arm and waved it sharply twice, shouting at Qing Ming in a stern voice: "Take him away! Take him away now!"

Qing Ming's eyes darkened. He gathered spiritual energy in his palm, ready to knock Chu Rong unconscious with a single strike — but Cen Yan reached out and grabbed Qing Ming's arm: "Wait."

Cen Yan looked at Chu Rong, his tone cold as ice, enough to chill anyone who heard it to the bone: "Chu Rong, you want to die knowing the truth? Fine. I'll grant you that."

What Chu Rong had said was indeed sophistry — but one thing he had not said wrongly: Chu Rong had genuinely saved his life.

Out of respect for that debt, Cen Yan didn't mind going through one extra step to let Chu Rong give up entirely. After all, the final outcome would not change.

He Ming frowned, his expression showing some disapproval: "Yan'er, his words cannot be trusted."

For Chu Rong to be any kind of pure and good person, he wouldn't have committed so many evils.

"I know. After this matter is concluded, I will follow Shifu's words and dissolve the marriage contract with him. Consider this the repayment of his last bit of grace." Cen Yan remained unmoved. He lowered his hand and respectfully addressed Lian Ci: "I ask the Sect Master to bring out the Truth Pearl for use."

Seeing that Cen Yan's mind was made up, Lian Ci said nothing more. With a turn of his wrist, a round ball the size of a palm appeared before everyone's eyes.

The ball was transparent, resembling the crystal ball Chu Rong had seen in the modern world.

Lian Ci swept his long sleeves, and the Truth Pearl was carried by an invisible spiritual force, floating gently toward Chu Rong.

"Place your hand on it, grip the Truth Pearl, and answer my questions." Lian Ci explained to Chu Rong what he needed to do in a few brief words.

Chu Rong turned to look at Qing Ming. Qing Ming expressionlessly released his shoulder, and Chu Rong's entire arm drooped straight down like a limp noodle.

The pull on his dislocated joint made Chu Rong suck in yet another sharp breath. Looking at his broken arm, he bit his lip and steeled himself inwardly.

Gamble.

Things had come this far, and there was no turning back. Immediate execution or a stay of execution — weren't both death sentences? He didn't want either.

If he gambled, he might still have a sliver of a chance.

His mind made up, Chu Rong raised his good arm, and as Lian Ci had instructed, gripped the Truth Pearl.

Lian Ci flicked a finger, sending out a surge of spiritual energy to activate the Truth Pearl, and asked the first charge: "Did you kill three of my sect's disciples?"

Chu Rong closed his eyes slightly, his gaze clear and bright, his tone resolute: "No."

Everyone held their breath. All eyes were fixed on the Truth Pearl in Chu Rong's hand below the hall. The moment Chu Rong's words fell, the Truth Pearl flickered and emitted a burst of blinding white light.

Everyone's eyes went wide with shock. Their expressions were those of pure disbelief. How was this possible — Chu Rong's words were actually true?!

Even Cen Yan's elegant composure cracked slightly. He stared fixedly at the Truth Pearl, his eyes filled with astonishment.

How could this be?

The evidence against Chu Rong had been gathered by him personally, one piece at a time. Before the three disciples died, Chu Rong was the last person they had each seen. At the time of each incident, Chu Rong was also not in his room. Every piece of evidence pointed to Chu Rong as the culprit — there shouldn't have been any mistake.

No.

Don't panic. There was still other evidence.

The confessions he had thrown at Chu Rong were only a small fraction of the evidence. All of it had already been handed over to the Sect Master.

Cen Yan glanced briefly over at Lian Ci from a distance, his heart steadying. He listened quietly as Lian Ci asked the second charge: "Did you, under the name of Cen Yan's fiancé, go about swindling and deceiving people, amassing great wealth in the mortal world?"

Chu Rong's tone was unchanged. His hoarse voice was neither too loud nor too soft, reaching perfectly into everyone's ears: "No."

The Truth Pearl flickered, and once again emitted a flash of white light — Chu Rong's words were true again!

How could this possibly be?

This time Cen Yan could no longer maintain his composure. Among the evidence he had handed to Lian Ci was an account book recording Chu Rong's large-scale accumulation of wealth, bearing Chu Rong's own signature. It was impossible to have been falsified.