Upon hearing this, Zhao Qian frowned.

He knew Xu Taiping’s character well; without solid evidence, he would never say such things.

“Taiping, if that’s the case, then stand before the Heart-Reflecting Mirror and repeat your words.”

Before Zhao Qian could speak, Jin Yue behind him suddenly let out a hearty laugh.

At this moment, the Heart-Reflecting Mirror of Qingxuan Sect was brought out by Elder Lu’s people and placed in the center of the great hall.

“Taiping, this is no trivial matter.”

Qingxiao quietly reminded Xu Taiping.

“Senior Brother, my words are the absolute truth.”

Xu Taiping said with certainty.

Hearing this, Zhao Qian and Qingxiao exchanged glances and then nodded.

However, Zhao Qian didn’t immediately agree but turned to glare at Jin Yue and said with a lifted corner of his mouth:

“Peak Master Jin, no matter what, the disciples of Seventh Peak must not be wronged without cause. If the Heart-Reflecting Mirror proves he has not lied, the merit reward must be doubled.”

Jin Yue responded with a cold laugh.

He knew the ins and outs of the matter better than anyone in Qingxuan Sect, except for the Sect Leader. He was confident that Xu Taiping was lying and was just putting on a brave face for the sake of his reputation.

“If Taiping truly hasn’t lied, I will personally double the merit points as an apology.”

Jin Yue said with a bright smile.

“What about you, Lu?”

Zhao Qian glared fiercely at Lu Zimu.

“If he indeed hasn’t lied, I, too, am willing to offer the same amount of merit and publicly apologize to him!”

Lu Zimu replied briskly.

“But if the Heart-Reflecting Mirror reveals your words to be false, I will send you to the Hall of Seven Laws immediately!”

He then glared at Xu Taiping once more.

“Since that’s the case, go ahead, Taiping!”

Zhao Qian patted Xu Taiping on the shoulder.

Unlike the others, he and Qingxiao understood Xu Taiping very well, knowing he was extremely cautious and would never agree to the mirror’s questioning without full confidence.

Moreover, he had already prepared for the worst.

Xu Taiping nodded and then walked briskly towards the copper mirror, as tall as him, adorned with gold and jewels.

Jin Yue hadn’t expected Xu Taiping to answer so straightforwardly and frowned slightly, thinking:

“Could it be that the Sixth Princess is truly still alive?”

But he immediately dismissed the thought:

“This plot was orchestrated by the Fairy and a group of old monsters; it’s impossible for it to fail.”

With this thought, he stepped to one side of the Heart-Reflecting Mirror.

“Xu Taiping, I will ask you questions next. If you do not answer truthfully, the Heart-Reflecting Mirror will reveal your true thoughts. Be mindful.”

Jin Yue warned Xu Taiping, who stood before the mirror.

Xu Taiping nodded indifferently.

“The first question, on your recent departure from the mountain, did you commit any acts against the sect’s rules?”

Jin Yue asked.

“No.”

Xu Taiping shook his head confidently.

As soon as his voice fell, his reflection in the mirror also shook its head and said no.

Jin Yue nodded at this response and then asked the second question:

“The half jade bracelet you have, was it personally given to you by the Sixth Princess?”

“Yes.”

Xu Taiping nodded without hesitation.

His reflection in the mirror also nodded.

Seeing this, Jin Yue’s brows furrowed slightly, and Lu Zimu began to feel uneasy.

“The third question, did you take the Sixth Princess of White Tree Nation out of the palace of Black Vulture Nation alive?”

After a brief pause, Jin Yue asked the most crucial question.

All eyes turned to Xu Taiping.

“Yes.”

Xu Taiping answered without any hesitation.

And his reflection within the Heart-Reflecting Mirror also nodded without hesitation.

At this, both Jin Yue and Lu Zimu looked puzzled.

Zhao Qian and Qingxiao beside Xu Taiping both let out a sigh of relief, and then Zhao Qian laughed heartily: “Peak Master Jin, Elder Lu, do you have anything else to say now?”

“Peak Master Jin, even the Heart-Reflecting Mirror can be mistaken at times. I suggest we report this matter to the Hall of Seven Laws and have the mirror test again another day.”

Lu Zimu said to Jin Yue, unwilling to accept the outcome.

“Lu, what nonsense are you spouting!”

Zhao Qian was furious upon hearing this.

“Wait! Everyone, quiet!”

But at this moment, Jin Yue raised his hand as if he had thought of a possibility.

After a moment, he looked at Xu Taiping with a cold gaze and said:

“Taiping, could it be that you’ve violated the Nine Mansions’ decree, meddled in mortal affairs, and rescued the Sixth Princess of White Tree Nation from the palace of Black Vulture Nation?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Zimu’s eyes lit up, and he said with sudden realization:

“That’s right, this youngster must have violated the Nine Mansions’ decree and secretly entered the palace to save the Sixth Princess of White Tree Nation.”

Hearing this, both Zhao Qian and Qingxiao’s expressions changed drastically, looking at Xu Taiping with concern.

Violating the sect’s rules could still be resolved internally, but violating the Nine Mansions’ decree left no room for maneuver.

Suddenly, all eyes in the Merit Hall were once again on Xu Taiping.

Xu Taiping ignored those gazes and took another step forward, facing the Heart-Reflecting Mirror and said:

“On this trip down the mountain, I have neither violated the Qingxuan Sect’s rules nor the Nine Mansions’ decree. This can be verified by the Oriole of the Nine Mansions.”

After he finished speaking, the Heart-Reflecting Mirror showed no abnormalities.

The Merit Hall erupted into an uproar.

And the faces of Jin Yue and Elder Lu turned extremely unsightly.