### Chapter 9: Shadow Reflection Mirror
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When Ling Xiaozu pierced through the Cold Moon Witch’s true identity, the side hall fell into a deafening silence.
In the hall, apart from Luo Ying, everyone present had lived through the tribes’ great battle four hundred years ago.
Even after all these years,
the bl**d-soaked scenes from that brutal battle still haunted the dreams of many at night, making them shiver.
In that war, humankind’s elite forces suffered nearly half a massacred fate.
The bloodstains on the ground of the Small Thousand World took a solid three months to fade,
and if it hadn’t been for the humans and demons teaming up at a critical moment,
the Monster King might really have unified the human world, turning human beings into lowly prisoners, enslaved by the monster race.
Fortunately, the Monster King was defeated.
People pressed their advantage, and the monster army crumbled apart,
yet even so, slaying those top-grade demons still cost a lot of human lives.
In the end, all the invading monster race were wiped out.
Peace among the three realms had been maintained ever since.
But who could have imagined that remnants of the Monster King would still plague the land,
accumulating power for a full four hundred years,
and now, she had finally decided to strike,
with overwhelming force, attacking from three directions.
Although Half Moon City and Thousand Bird City managed to hold their ground,
the “Evil” incarnation, sealed at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, was snatched away by the enemy.
This was a tremendously significant event.
Even if the Sect Leader didn’t mention it, everyone in the side hall knew what was at stake.
And for Wang Qianshan to ensure that no Heavenly Sword Sect disciples perished in the presence of the enemy leader was already pushing the limits.
If anyone else had been guarding the mountain gate,
they probably wouldn’t have fared any better.
But, what to do next?
Everyone’s attention conveniently fixated on their fierce-looking Sect Leader.
“We must retrieve the Monster King’s evil incarnation. If we allow the Demoness to wreak havoc under her name, another war will be inevitable.
We cannot allow another scene of human casualties and a sea of corpses, like four hundred years ago.”
Ling Xiaozu spoke firmly, his gaze sharp as a blade.
“However, before that, we must root out any spies the enemy have planted. If we have a large force outside while the inside is vulnerable, we may face a situation we can’t recover from!”
Upon hearing Ling Xiaozu mention the need to investigate for traitors,
Luo Ying instantly half-kneeled, exclaiming, “Reporting to the Sect Leader, Lin Nan is a newly admitted disciple just a few days ago, and before the incident, he was under my observation.
He absolutely could not have colluded with the outside world.
Please, Sect Leader, check with Elder Wang about this.”
Ling Xiaozu sighed and said, “The Falling Sunset Peak hasn’t recruited any new disciples in years. Since you’ve taken note of Lin Nan, it shows he’s quite talented and extraordinary.
But this matter is serious. If it weren’t for Elder Wang having critical evidence, would he have acted so rashly?”
Luo Ying jumped; she recalled that on the night of the incident, Wang Qianshan had been overseeing matters at the main peak. He didn’t even know what Lin Nan looked like, so where could this evidence possibly come from?
Without a hint of hesitation, Wang Qianshan spoke clearly.
It seemed the Sect Leader meant to clarify things here, considering Luo Ying was his beloved disciple, and as her close senior uncle, he had to give her some face while discussing this.
“Luo Ying, the Law Enforcement Hall has indeed acquired evidence.”
Wang Qianshan clapped his hands.
Two disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall, who had long been waiting outside, cautiously entered, carrying a copper mirror.
“This, my dear friends, is the Law Enforcement Hall’s treasured artifact—the Shadow Reflection Mirror.
This is its debut before the council of elders; had it not been for the Sect Leader wanting to give Luo Ying some clarity, I certainly wouldn’t have exposed it.
To put it plainly, the Law Enforcement Hall’s authority and respect in daily matters hinge on this treasure.”
Wang Qianshan walked up to the Shadow Reflection Mirror, gently touching it.
The moment his fingertip touched the mirror surface,
a strange light flashed in the side hall,
and his finger seemed to plunge into the mirror, like it was submerged in water.
“Come along, my niece.”
Wang Qianshan stepped into the copper mirror without looking back,
the mirror rippling as if it had come to life.
Luo Ying gritted her teeth and followed suit.
The instant she entered the mirror, the vibrant world around them turned instantly black and white.
Silence enveloped them,
evoking the feel of a silent film from the 1920s, a sense of vastness and time’s passage washed over her.
Wang Qianshan made a spinning motion with his hands.
The side hall transformed into that nameless peak where Luo Ying had confronted the Demoness.
Just as she adjusted to this sudden change,
Lin Nan appeared in her vision, lying on the ground, head raised, seemingly conversing with the Demoness.
At this moment, the scene was frozen.
Wang Qianshan stood beside Lin Nan and waved at Luo Ying,
and since there was no sound in the mirror, the two could only communicate through gestures.
Luo Ying understood:
this was a scene right before she tracked Lin Nan to this nameless peak, the moment before she found them.
Back then, when she saw the two, it seemed the Demoness was unwilling to surrender and preferred s*icide instead.
Was there more to the story behind this?
Wang Qianshan gestured to spin again,
and the scene began to play forward.
Lin Nan and the Demoness indeed exchanged words, quite unlike what Lin Nan had claimed about the entire thing being torture.
The Demoness even removed her mask midway to reveal her true face, clasping his hand tightly and handing him a jade pendant.
It wasn’t until another Luo Ying appeared that the Demoness snatched the sword from Lin Nan and ended her own life.
Wang Qianshan gave the frozen Luo Ying a meaningful glance,
and with a flick of his hands,
they returned to the black-and-white side hall.
As Luo Ying stepped out of the narrow entrance of the copper mirror, she let out a soft sigh,
regardless of whether Lin Nan had hidden anything from the Demoness, at this moment, he was undoubtedly done for.
“Luo Ying, do you still have any objections to the Law Enforcement Hall?”
Ling Xiaozu asked.
Luo Ying lowered her head, “The disciple dares not; I will no longer interfere in this matter.”
Wang Qianshan added, “I understand your concerns, dear niece. As long as this person confesses honestly and his crimes are not severe, with the Sect Leader’s approval, we can strip him of his powers and cast him out.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
For Wang Qianshan to go this far, he had practically given her Luo Ying a huge favor.
“All right, we will leave the discussion here for today,” Ling Xiaozu announced.
Everyone dispersed.
As Luo Ying left the side hall, Lin Nan was nowhere to be found, most likely already locked away in the Law Enforcement Hall’s dungeon.
She released the wine flask hanging from her waist,
taking a hearty swig.
The fiery liquid rushed down her throat, igniting her stomach like it was on fire;
only then did her tumultuous emotions finally settle down.
Well, if Lin Nan truly had treachery to account for,
she wouldn’t mind personally chopping off his head to make an example of him.
The side hall returned to tranquility.
Not long after, Wang Qianshan returned.
“Senior Brother, we have confirmed the identity of the scoundrel who attacked Phoenix Mountain.”
“Oh?”
“It’s Fu Yetian.”
Ling Xiaozu slapped the back of his chair hard.
“This rebellious disciple!”
He then closed his eyes, taking a moment to regain his calm.
“This matter must not reach Luo Ying. If she acts on impulse, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll stir up.”
……
Late at night, in a ordinary inn outside Sky Sword City.
Li Xiaocong and Si Yan were pressed closely together, having reached a hundred percent acceptance level—this was the upper limit that the system could handle.
While the two were delightfully chatting,
the sound of faint footsteps could be heard on the rooftop above them.
