The Undying Immortal System-Chapter 434 – Life 111, Age 16, Martial Disciple 3

The Undying Immortal System-Chapter 434 – Life 111, Age 16, Martial Disciple 3

The three enforcers marched us through Broken Spear Outpost, chains rattling in rhythm with our steps. The moment the locals caught sight of the enforcers’ black-and-silver uniforms, they hurried to the sides of the street, with only a few willing to cast quick, curious glances in our direction before lowering their eyes in practiced indifference. By the time we reached the Bureau, the noise of the city had faded to a heavy stillness broken only by the dull echo of our footsteps.
After entering through a side door, we descended a narrow stairwell that burrowed deep into the earth. The air grew colder with every step, and the dim light faded until the only illumination came from faint inscriptions that had been etched into the wall.
At the base of this stairwell, we were greeted by a long corridor lined with thick, metal doors. Without any sign of hesitation, the lead enforcer selected a door and pushed it open with casual ease. Then, the other two shoved us inside without saying a single word. Thankfully, the enforcers at least had the good sense to keep us all together. That small mercy spared me from taking any extreme measures to ensure my team’s safety.
The walls of our cell had been carved from a seamless, black stone, its surface etched with an intricate shielding formation. This chamber didn’t have any real lights, but the lines of its formation had been modified to give off a faint blue glow—allowing us to see and warning us to stay put.
I turned to the others, keeping my voice low and steady as I subtly gestured toward the walls around us. “Remember, while we’re inside the Bureau, speak nothing but the truth.”
Four pairs of eyes met mine, tense and alert.
“We have secrets,” I continued, “but so does everyone else. If you’re asked a question, think through your answer carefully before responding. Don’t say anything you shouldn’t, and make sure that everything you do say is true. If you’re asked about one of our core secrets, such as our blessings, don’t respond.”
JiuLi frowned. “Won’t that make them suspicious?”
“Maybe,” I said with a faint smile, “but their suspicions are irrelevant. All we need to do is provide sufficient testimony to prove that we haven’t broken any of the Saint’s rules. And, since we haven’t broken any of these rules, we have nothing to fear from any legitimate questions.”
YuLong nodded grimly. “And illegitimate questioning?”
“Then,” I said, leaning back against the wall, “we remain silent. If they try to force us to reveal any more than necessary, then
they
will be the ones breaking the rules.”
After a brief silence, I shifted my attention to Kan and began laying a foundation that the Bureau could use to interpret our actions. “You’ll be the one doing most of the talking. You’re our Sect Master, and you’re the one who struck the killing blow. If you want to help the Su Clan establish a presence in this domain, then you’re going to need to learn to deal with situations like this.”
Kan straightened and looked around the room uneasily, wary of our unseen eavesdroppers. “I understand.”
“Good, just remember, our power doesn’t come from posturing or pride. It comes from knowledge and control.” Then, because I could sense the tension weighing on the group, I allowed a small, mischievous smile to curl my lips. “And don’t worry too much. If things get out of hand, you can always rely on the wisdom of our Grand Elder.”
Everyone stared at me in confusion, but YuLong and Meng LuYao caught on quickly enough, and the three of us turned to face JiuLi.
“What?” she asked, blinking.
“Kan’s here to help the Su Clan carve out its place in this domain, and you’re here to do the same for the Shi Clan,” I said, my tone firm but not unkind. “That means standing beside him when it matters, lending him both your strength and your voice. If he falters, then
you
will need to step forward.”
In this life, JiuLi might have been little more than a simple weaver, but in the past, she had transformed the Su Clan from a few children on a lonely mountaintop into the greatest power the Nine Rivers Continent had ever seen. I didn’t know how much of ShouLi remained within her, but it was time for
Jiu
Li to step forward and show us who she truly was.
After several hours of silent meditation, the door to our cell swung open with a deafening clang. Then, without a word, the enforcers motioned for us to rise and led us up a long, spiraling stairwell toward the upper floors of the Bureau. When we finally emerged, the Hall of Judgment awaited, its high ceiling and sandalwood walls heavy with authority.
At the far end of the chamber sat our judges, three elderly Martial Lords who radiated the quiet dignity of their office. Each was seated behind a desk carved from solid gray granite, with these three desks arranged to form a shallow arc, surrounding the truth stone that sat in its sconce in front of them.
YuLong, Meng LuYao, JiuLi, and I were seated behind a brass rail, our hands still bound in heavy chains, while Kan stood alone on a dais in the center of the room. His back was straight, but a tightness in his shoulders hinted at the immense pressure he felt from the Tribunal’s gaze.
Off to our right, in a raised booth reserved for complainants, sat a well-dressed Grandmaster in embroidered robes of green and bronze. He was middle-aged, had a tidy, black beard, and carried himself with the practiced confidence of someone long accustomed to power. A curled lip and satisfied smile made it clear
this
was the Lord of Black Point’s representative.
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The judge in the middle, an older woman with eyes like clouded quartz, was the first to speak. “You stand accused of three violations against the regulations governing First-Class Sects: the Malicious Killing of a Noble in Good Standing, the Use of Illicit Resources, and the Acceptance of Aid from a Superior Cultivator. We will address these charges in order of severity.”
Kan swallowed hard and bowed low. “Yes, honored elder.”
The judge to our right leaned forward and focused on the thick ledger before him. His voice was steady and impersonal, carrying the weight of rote procedure.
“The Amorphous Blade Sect stands accused of the unwarranted killing of Hei MaoDun, youngest son of the Lord of Black Point City, and of exploiting its designation as a First-Class Sect to evade reprisal. An enforcer from the Sect Affairs Bureau has confirmed that one Suliang Kan delivered the fatal strike, with all members of the sect present at the scene. The Malicious Killing of a Noble in Good Standing carries a penalty of reduction in status to Second-Class Sect, with no protection from the aggrieved family.”
The judge in the middle looked at Kan with an impassive gaze. “Did you kill Hei MaoDun?”
Kan blinked and glanced at me before turning back to the judge. “I… uh… don’t know?”
The judge just continued staring at Kan, wordlessly commanding him to elaborate.
“I’ve never heard of anyone named Hei MaoDun before, so I can’t say for sure whether I killed him or not.”
After checking the truth stone, the judge refocused on Kan. “Did you kill a young man in Black Point City, and did you have any reason to believe that he was the son of the City Lord?”
Kan nodded almost instantly. “Oh. Then, yeah. He was a flowerpicker, so I killed him, as is my duty.”
To our right, the Lord’s representative shot to his feet. “Lord Tong, there is no evidence to support these accusations. No one has ever accused my Young Master of any crimes, and aside from the murderer and his accomplices, there is no one to support these allegations.”
For the first time, a line of gray appeared on the truth stone, but this wasn’t enough to suggest that the man’s words were false, just that he was being intentionally misleading.
The middle judge, Lord Tong, looked at Kan. “What evidence do you have to support your claim that Hei MaoDun was a flowerpicker?”
Kan shrugged. “He told us as much.”
“He
said
that he was a flowerpicker?”
“Yeah—” Kan caught himself, then shook his head. “No, I mean… He said that he had done that. You know, to a lot of girls.”
“Lord Tong,” interrupted the representative, “Young Master Hei was familiar with many young women. This doesn’t mean that he was some kind of
deviant
, and it certainly doesn’t give anyone the right to
murder
him.”
Lord Tong looked at the representative coldly, silently commanding him to sit back down. Then, she turned to Kan. “What did Hei MaoDun say to make you believe he was what you claim?”
“He… uh, threatened my sect members.”
The judge pursed her lips. “What did he
say
?”
“I…” Kan looked around, lost and unable to respond.
Behind him, I met Meng LuYao’s gaze and gave a faint nod. Then, together, we hooked our feet beneath JiuLi’s chair and tipped it forward, sending her tumbling to her feet. She collided with the brass railing in front of us and bent double in what almost looked like a respectful bow.
Lord Tong glared at her. “What is the meaning of this?”
At first, JiuLi looked like a frightened rabbit, but under the pressure of the Lord’s gaze, a small piece of her soul seemed to snap into place. After giving a second, true bow, JiuLi straightened and looked at Lord Tong with a steely gaze. “My Sect Master is unable to recall events properly. Please, allow me to assist him.”
“And who are you?”
“The Grand Elder of the Amorphous Blade Sect, Shi JiuLi.”
After a momentary pause, the judge nodded and gestured for JiuLi to join Kan on the dais.
Once in position, JiuLi gave the Lord of Black Point City’s representative a withering glare, then turned back to the judge. “The
Young Master’s
exact words were: ‘They now belong to me. You can have them back once they’re done warming my bed.’ After this, we tested him under a truth stone and questioned him about other women he had harmed. He denied everything, but the stone turned black as night, proof enough of his guilt. If you test the Lord’s representative on this matter, I am confident that your own stone will show the same result.”
To our left, the judge who had remained silent until now gave a sharp, humorless snort, clearly recognizing the truth in JiuLi’s words without even needing to glance at the stone in front of him. Lord Tong, though, didn’t seem quite so convinced.
“During your confrontation with Hei MaoDun, did you, at any time,
ever
feel that you were in danger?” she asked JiuLi. “By your own admission, you were informed that Hei MaoDun was the City Lord’s son. After you became aware of this, why did you still decide to kill him? If you were able to so easily overpower him and his guards, you wouldn’t have had any trouble escaping unharmed. Why didn’t you just leave and him to the proper authorities?”
JiuLi looked over to me, then gave the judge a tight smile. “Because we could. Hei MaoDun was a dog that needed to be put down, so that’s what we did, nothing about this breaks the rules for First-Class Sects.”
Lord Tong fixed JiuLi with a measured stare before speaking. “While the killing of Hei MaoDun was not driven by malice, it was deliberate and unnecessary. Therefore, it is my judgment that the Amorphous Blade Sect should be cleared of
Malicious
Killing, but they should be found guilty of
Intentional
Killing.”
The judge to our right made several careful notations in his ledger before clearing his throat. “A sect found guilty of the Intentional Killing of a Noble in Good Standing shall not incur any administrative sanctions from the Sect Affairs Bureau. However, the aggrieved family is entitled to pursue recompense through an officially sanctioned trial by team combat. The sect must accept such a challenge without exception. The claimants may field up to twice the number of participants as the accused, and these participants may be of any identity or status, though none may exceed the cultivation realm of the accused’s highest-Ranked member. Does anyone dispute this judgment?”
When none of the judges spoke, I stood and cupped my fists to them. “The Amorphous Blade Sect accepts this ruling, but we request that the challenge be incorporated into this year’s Heaven’s Ascension Tournament.”
Before any of the others could reply, the judge to our left nodded and spoke in a gruff tone. “Accepted, provided your sect retains its First-Class designation. We still have two more charges to discuss, after all.”

Chapter 434 – Life 111, Age 16, Martial Disciple 3