Luo Ming and Meng Lin stood side by side, facing the three High Elders sitting on black, ancient-looking stone chairs that hovered in the air.
The fourth chair was empty.
The space was spacious, the ground made of black wood that felt hard even through their shoes. It was gloomy, with barely any light to fully reveal the faces of the Elders.
Even though Luo Ming knew the appearance of the High Elders through his memories, he somehow still expected to see old men with all-white hair and long beards that reached the ground.
But what he came face to face with was completely different. It was true they were old, but physically, they didn’t look a day over forty.
’And these are the High Elders?’ He questioned inwardly, despite already knowing the answer.
The High Elders were composed of two men and one woman. All three wore the black robe of the Luo Clan, with the woman additionally wearing a veil that covered her entire face.
She was the First High Elder, Qisi, and sat between the two men. She was the first to speak.
"What is the reason for your visit here, Meng Lin and... little Luo Ming?" She asked, her voice sweet, yet carrying an unfathomable undercurrent of power.
Meng Lin answered immediately, standing slightly ahead of Luo Ming, as if shielding him. "My son and I have been wronged by the Luo Clan. We are here to reclaim our honour and reputation."
"In what manner, little Lin?" The Second High Elder, Yan, sitting to the woman’s right — a frail, small man with bones poking out of his skin — asked.
"My son, Luo Ming, has been accused of raping his own maid." Meng Lin said, anger boiling once more at the mere recollection of it. "Not only has he been falsely accused, but his reputation has been tarnished, prompting the Wei Clan to come and void the engagement."
Murmurs rose among the three High Elders, their eyes finally landing on Wei Ting and Wei Bing standing behind the mother and son.
Wei Ting squirmed in place instantly, nervous under the gaze of such powerful beings.
Wei Bing acted as if nothing was happening, her eyes flat as she held her sister’s hand to lend her strength.
"Now," Meng Lin continued, "I need not tell you, High Elders, the many benefits this marriage would have brought to the Luo Clan. But now everything is ruined. And—!"
"Not everything is ruined yet." The First High Elder Qisi cut in. "You have come here, Meng Lin, to prove your son’s innocence through the use of Jurk meat, I take it?"
"Yes, First High Elder."
"Then you must be confident in his innocence."
"Ming’er is innocent."
"Then if we use the Jurk meat and his innocence is indeed proven..." First High Elder Qisi turned her attention toward the Wei sisters.
Even though her eyes were veiled, both of them felt the weight of her gaze settling onto their very souls.
"...then the engagement can continue, can’t it?"
Wei Ting said nothing, only biting her lip, unwilling to speak.
Because she was either going to refuse, and most likely anger these High Elders.
And considering she had acted without her clan’s consent, that would bring her far more trouble than she could handle.
Or she would have to confess that Luo Ming had already broken the engagement with her.
The second option was clearly the smarter one. At least then she would not be held accountable for much.
But Wei Ting could not stomach admitting that Luo Ming had left her. It was absolutely ridiculous.
She was the youngest child of the Wei Clan, one of the three Chosen Clans of the entire Kingdom, with deep ancestry.
She was blessed with looks and talent, and had even been admitted to the Descending Sun Sect.
With all of that... Luo Ming dared to leave her?
Indignation boiled in her chest.
In fact, her anger and frustration were so high that, for the sole purpose of spiting Luo Ming, who had become so arrogant overnight...
"Of course, respected Elders." Wei Ting said with a cold, sly tone. "I believe there was a misunderstanding between Luo Ming and me. It is not that I doubt him. I simply wanted confirmation of his innocence so that I could proudly defend his honour and reputation. So in fact, the engagement is still valid. And if he is indeed proven innocent by you, then I will fight with all my heart for his reputation!"
Her passionate words caused Luo Ming, Meng Lin and even Wei Bing to snap their heads toward her in stunned surprise.
’What nonsense is this girl spouting now?’ Luo Ming thought with a frown.
He turned back toward the High Elders to deny Wei Ting’s obvious lies. However, before he could say anything, First Elder Qisi spoke.
"Then it is settled." She said, raising her right hand, on which a ring rested.
Instantly, a chair appeared behind Luo Ming, and in front of him a large wooden bowl filled with searing hot water.
He suddenly felt a pressure on his shoulders, like boulders falling onto them, forcing him onto the chair harder than necessary.
He groaned, swallowed a curse, and looked at the strange, palm-sized piece of meat that had appeared before him.
It was completely translucent, and inside it one could see a kind of silver mist moving.
Luo Ming instinctively knew what it was: Qi— the energy people absorbed into their bodies through Cultivation Techniques in order to cultivate and break through.
The energy to become an Immortal.
"Put both feet deep into the water and eat the meat. The concentration of spiritual energy is weak enough for your current rank, yet strong enough to take effect." Third High Elder Han, who had been silent until now and looked like a moderately wealthy man, said.
Luo Ming looked at his mother, who nodded at him with a reassuring smile.
’Sigh. First day and already all this nonsense. Truly, a good man can never have peace.’
He exhaled inwardly, obeyed, and put his feet into the water. Trying to ignore the pain of the heat, he swallowed the meat.
It melted the instant it touched his tongue, spreading a strange sensation throughout his body.
Luo Ming’s body shuddered, and his eyes became crystal clear, like the eyes of a young baby incapable of lying simply because it lacks any knowledge of the concept.
He could immediately feel that he would be unable to lie, no matter the question.
And in that instant, Luo Ming entertained the dreadful thought of what would happen if they asked him who he really was.
He snuffed out that thought immediately and focused as the questions came, all asked by First High Elder Qisi.
"Did you rape your maid, Luo Ming?"
"I did not rape her."
"So what happened?"
"She asked me to ease her back pain by massaging her back. I thought she had hurt herself attending to my needs, so I felt compelled to help her. That was when she began removing her clothes. I was flustered, High Elder, I should add. I had never seen the naked body of a woman. But I tried to ignore it after she told me she would lie on her stomach and only her back would be visible..."
’Luo Ming, you innocent fool!’ He cursed his predecessor.
"...So I began. Then she suggested I sit on her so I could be more comfortable. I didn’t question it, and I did. And barely a minute later, she suddenly began to scream and cry as if I had done something terribly wrong, and that was when my room was burst open by the Clan guards."
Luo Ming recounted everything he had inherited through the memories. And everything was nothing but the truth.
Hearing his words, everyone in the room — from the High Elders to his mother and even the Wei sisters — all thought the same thing:
’He was fooled because of his innocence and compassion.’
It was a noble thing to be like that.
But in a world where people deceived, killed and lied for their own gain...
...being like that was like asking to be treated and used as though you were nothing but a tool for their success.
And so, several more questions were asked, and finally the time limit of the Truth Teller effect was reached.
The verdict was plainly obvious: Luo Ming was innocent.
Wei Ting pressed her lips into a thin line, and Wei Bing’s face seemed to hold a faint smile, though a hint of dissatisfaction could be seen in her blank eyes looking at her sister.
Meng Lin smiled with relief, glad her son had been proven innocent.
Luo Ming mirrored her smile and waited for the High Elders to finally do what was right.
And that was to capture Shen Rou and interrogate her for her actions.
"You have been proven innocent, Luo Ming. However," First Elder Qisi said, "there is little we can do in this situation. The maid, Shen Rou, is now the official maid of the First Young Master, Luo Wan, who is also the Heir of the Clan."
She paused briefly, then repeated it once more.
"There is nothing we can do at this point."
Luo Ming’s brain went completely blank. Then instinctively, in a complete daze...
"...I beg your pardon?"
—End of Chapter 7—