Chapter 10

"For the sake of nephew Chengqing's future, I will permit you to use the truth-seeking mirror."

Accepting the ice spirit pill from Elder Murong's hand, Elder Fei responded.

"Brother Murong, please follow me."

After uttering these words, she led Elder Murong to a room at the center of the Enforcement Hall.

Entering the room, Murong sensed numerous concealed gazes upon him.

"Don't mind them, Brother Murong; they are here to safeguard this place."

"Hmm."

Subsequently, Elder Fei advanced towards a wall. Retrieving a token, she pressed it against the wall, prompting it to open like a concealed gateway.

"The current Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall is present. I respectfully request Elder Jao's permission to utilize the Truth-Seeking Mirror," Elder Fei addressed into the darkness ahead.

"Come in," responded an aged voice from within.

Upon hearing this, Elder Fei gestured for Elder Murong to follow her inside.

As they proceeded further inside, the surroundings gradually brightened. Seated in the middle of the hall was an elderly man appearing to be in his 60s.

"Junior has met Elder Jao," repeated Elder Fei with respect.

"Junior has met Elder Jao," echoed Elder Murong, looking at the old man in front, as if recalling his identity.

Among the news circulated among the elders of the sect, it was known that the Law Enforcement Hall housed an elder who was a generation ahead and held a distinguished position.

"Allow me to introduce, Senior. This is Brother Murong, the current Peak Master of Silver Axe Peak."

"Oh, rather than discussing this nonsense, tell me instead, what do you wish to inquire using the Truth-Seeking Mirror?"

Hearing this, both Murong and Fei felt a bit embarrassed. Despite Elder Jao not being significantly stronger than them, he held a unique and respected position in both the sect and the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Senior, the matter is..." Elder Fei began, narrating Elder Murong's situation.

After a moment of contemplation, Elder Jao remarked, "Do you truly wish to utilize your annual quota for such a trivial matter?"

"Please, Elder Jao."

With no further objections, Elder Jao retrieved a blue-colored mirror from his storage ring. The mirror was adorned with dragon and phoenix patterns on the outside, and a faint layer of fog covered its reflective surface.

Examining the mirror, Elder Murong's gaze turned fiery, recognizing it as one of the 5th-tier artifacts present in their sect.

Observing Murong, Elder Jao instructed, "Provide me with a personal item belonging to the disciple whose killer you seek."

In response, Elder Murong retrieved a broken life card from his storage ring.

Examining it, Elder Jao accepted the life card from Murong's hand.

"Step back."

"Yes, Elder Jao." ×2

Pointing the mirror's shiny surface towards the life card, a ripple appeared in the mirror.

A compelling force seemed to draw Elder Jao in. Granting permission, his eyes encountered darkness, and after a while, he found himself in a room filled with women dressed provocatively, with a pale faced man seated among them.

Indifferently, Elder Jao observed their conversation. Growing bored, he hastened the time of the scene. After a few scenes passed, a flash of light streaked by, and Elder Jao witnessed a black, shadowy figure decapitating a female guard.

Fixating his gaze on the twisted shadow creature, he appeared to have found his target.

Focused on the shadowy figure, he urged the mirror to provide more information about it.

As the mirror initiated the process of gathering information about the creature, Elder Jao sensed a gaze fixed upon him.

Turning towards the source, he observed that the shadowy creature had come to a halt, and its neck slowly turned in his direction.

This unnerving sight sent shivers down Elder Jao's spine. Just as he attempted to exit the mirror, a powerful force seized his soul. Unable to resist, he found himself rapidly transported to what seemed to be a court.

The scene before him was both mesmerizing and terrifying—an otherworldly court that defied logic and reason. The air itself felt dense with an unnatural presence, and the surroundings twisted in ways challenging the very fabric of reality.

An ominous figure draped in regal dread occupied a thorny throne, radiating an aura of malevolence. At his side stood the jester, an unsettling companion whose laughter echoed through the bizarre space.

Gazing at the jester and the king atop the throne made Elder Jao realize his insignificance in their presence.

Just as he was about to request the mirror to send him back, the unsettling laughter of the jester abruptly faded away.

As an eerie silence descended, Elder Jao found himself drenched in a cold sweat. Fixating on the throne, he sensed the figure seated upon it glaring directly at him.

A horrifying agony gripped his soul, causing blood to ooze from every pore of his body. A chilling aura enveloped him, intensifying the dread. Realizing that this torment was a direct consequence of the figure's gaze, Elder Jao was left in a horrified and incomprehensible state.

Just as he was about to plead for mercy, something erupted from his body. Gazing downward, he witnessed tentacles and other grotesque forms emerging from his flesh.

In the midst of agonizing pain, time seemed to stretch into an eternity. His eyes transformed into maddening red orbs, a fusion of fear and madness.

On the verge of death, a crow's croak resonated in his ears. Despite his deranged state, the sound held a fatal allure. Gazing at the source, he spotted a crow looking at him mockingly, as if laughing at a pitiful mortal. Peering into its deep abyss-like eyes, he discerned three silhouettes within, representing or embodying death itself.

With that, a shattering sound of glass pierced the air, and his vision descended into an abyss of darkness once again.

Within the concealed confines of the Law Enforcement Hall's secret room, Elder Murong and Elder Fei exchanged uneasy glances at the still-standing elder. Suddenly, he jolted awake, and just as Elder Murong attempted to voice a question, Elder Jao unleashed a horrifying proclamation with a face twisted in menacing excitement.

"TABOO!! TABOO!! WE HAVE TOUCHED TABOO!! HEHEHAHAHAHAHA!! DIE ,WE WILL ALL DIE!"

With a final, resentful scream, Elder Jao's body grotesquely dissolved into a pool of blood, casting an ominous pall over the once-secret chamber. The chilling echoes of his last words lingered in the horrified silence that now permeated the room.