In the hall, Jiang Hao invited Liu Xingchen to take a seat.

This time, as Jiang Hao followed him in, he noticed that Liu Xingchen didn’t spare a glance at the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. This puzzled him. Perhaps Liu Xingchen had already confirmed its presence and wanted to avoid raising suspicion.

“Do you know why I’m here today?” Liu Xingchen asked after sitting down.

“Is it still about the matter with the Heavenly Joy Pavilion?” Jiang Hao cautiously replied, probing for an answer.

Liu Xingchen’s visit this time felt entirely different from the first. It seemed more like an attempt to win him over. Of course, Jiang Hao already had an inkling of the real reason—most likely it was about Miao Qian.

As he spoke, Jiang Hao poured tea and handed a cup to Liu Xingchen.

“Yes and no.” Liu Xingchen sipped the tea before continuing, “Do you know Miao Qian of the Heavenly Joy Pavilion?”

“Yes. He bought some talismans from me yesterday and promised to pay for them today,” Jiang Hao replied honestly. So, it was indeed about this matter.

“Are you planning to ask him for the payment today?” Liu Xingchen asked while placing the teacup down and fixing his gaze on Jiang Hao.

Shaking his head lightly, Jiang Hao responded with a trace of helplessness, “He’s doing it on purpose. There’s no way he’ll pay me. Even if I go, he’ll just take more talismans and keep me waiting, or ask me to visit the Heavenly Joy Pavilion.”

“Miao Qian is dead,” Liu Xingchen stated bluntly.

Jiang Hao frowned slightly and fell silent for a moment.

Liu Xingchen sipped his tea, waiting patiently without further comment.

After a while, Jiang Hao broke the silence, “Do they think I did it?”

“Yes,” Liu Xingchen admitted with a faint nod before continuing, “After some investigation, I visited the market and heard that you had some conflict with him. But with your current strength, it’s impossible for you to be his match, especially considering what was left behind at the scene. Frankly, you don’t seem that extravagant.”

“What did he leave behind?” Jiang Hao asked deliberately.

“A bunch of spirit swords. However, the method of killing is somewhat reminiscent of your style—striking the neck with precision.” Liu Xingchen’s tone was casual, but his eyes stayed fixed on Jiang Hao, observing his every reaction. So far, he hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

Breaking the silence again, Jiang Hao asked, “Someone is framing me?”

“It’s hard to say. But without evidence, the Heavenly Joy Pavilion can’t do much to you. Of course, this brings up another point,” Liu Xingchen said seriously, lifting his gaze to meet Jiang Hao’s. “Without evidence, if someone were to kill you, your death would be meaningless.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Hearing this, Jiang Hao felt a cold sweat break out.

If he could kill others, then others could kill him too. The thought of staying here made him feel increasingly unsafe.

“Don’t worry too much,” Liu Xingchen reassured him, noticing Jiang Hao’s slightly pale face. “Though we’re called a demonic sect, the rules are strict. Killing fellow disciples isn’t tolerated unless someone can erase all traces, as the culprit did last night.

“Normally, that shouldn’t be possible. In cases of sect murders, the Disciplinary Hall has never failed to identify the perpetrator.”

Jiang Hao exhaled in relief but felt a sense of gratitude for his Hongmeng Purple Qi, which shielded him from detection. Without it, he wouldn’t have dared to act.

The Disciplinary Hall was rumored to possess various powerful artifacts, which he had heard about before.

“I’ve heard that the punishment for killing fellow disciples is severe,” Jiang Hao inquired.

“Offenders are sent to the Tower of Lawlessness,” Liu Xingchen replied, his voice tinged with unease. “It’s the sect’s harshest penalty. Entering the tower drains your cultivation. Anyone who survives loses at least one major cultivation level.

“If that doesn’t deter you, then go ahead and kill someone. For perspective, a Golden Core cultivator who enters might come out weaker than you. Do you think that’s much different from being dead?

“Beyond that, they lose their rank and privileges, face hostility within the sect, and risk being killed the moment they leave.”

“What happens to Qi Refinement cultivators who enter?” Jiang Hao asked.

“They lose everything and are sent to the mines to work. Life and death are their own business there,” Liu Xingchen explained.

“Does the sect oversee disputes in the mines?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Jiang Hao nodded. He had some prior understanding but didn’t know the details. From what he’d learned, staying in the sect was relatively safe. Outside the sect, death seemed inevitable.

Within the sect, anyone planning to act against him had to exercise caution. But having killed someone himself, he couldn’t help but worry that others might make their move on a moonless night.

“As long as you’re careful, your life won’t be in great danger here,” Liu Xingchen reassured him. “You’ve been named as a person of interest, and I’ve added you to the Disciplinary Hall’s monitoring list.

“If anything happens, the Disciplinary Hall will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. Whoever is responsible will face severe punishment. After all, this affects the enforcement of sect laws.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Jiang Hao said gratefully.

Despite being added to a watchlist, he still had to express his thanks. The irony wasn’t lost on him.

“No need for thanks,” Liu Xingchen replied. “If not for Yun Ruo’s death, which caused a major stir, you wouldn’t be in this precarious position.

“Speaking of which, the deadline for the Heavenly Joy Pavilion’s compensation is approaching. Are you prepared?”

“It shouldn’t be a problem,” Jiang Hao quickly replied.

“Good. When the time comes, if you trust me, you can bring the payment to the Disciplinary Hall, and I’ll deliver it to the Heavenly Joy Pavilion for you,” Liu Xingchen offered with a smile.

After chatting a bit more, Jiang Hao learned that his relative safety thus far was partly due to the influence of the Severing Emotions Cliff. The Heavenly Joy Pavilion was furious but didn’t want to provoke the Severing Emotions Cliff unnecessarily.

Instead, they were waiting for the right opportunity to act.

As Jiang Hao escorted Liu Xingchen out, he asked a question that had been bothering him:

“If someone were to harm me, and it turned out to be a rare genius, would the punishment still be the same?”

Geniuses often enjoyed certain privileges.

Hearing this, Liu Xingchen chuckled, then said with admiration, “That would depend on whether you’re dead. If you are, the judgment would fall to the Sect Leader.

“Once, a similar situation occurred, and the Sect Leader gave her ruling: ‘No genius is greater than me. Undermining the sect’s laws is equivalent to shaking its foundation. Kill them.’”

After that, Liu Xingchen left, leaving Jiang Hao in awe of the Sect Leader’s arrogance.

At the same time, he worried about being discovered.

At Hundred Flowers Lake.

Hong Yuye frowned slightly, causing Bai Zhi nearby to hold her breath, not daring to make a sound.

“Report your recent findings,” Hong Yuye said coldly, her face devoid of emotion.