The Palace Guards bound the two suspects tightly with the Immortal Binding Rope, preparing to take them away.
"Your Highness, Fourth Prince!" Lily Bai suddenly called out.
Henry Xiao turned to look at her.
"Fourth Prince, when I was captured by Damian Black, you did everything you could to rescue me. I am truly grateful! In my heart, you are the most just and selfless, a true god who saves people from danger!" Lily Bai said, her voice earnest.
Henry Xiao smiled, the amusement clear in his eyes and at the corners of his mouth. He walked over, gently lifting Lily Bai's hands from her formal salute and helping her up. "I told you before, there's no need for ceremony when you see me."
Lily Bai quickly withdrew her hands, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. "May we interrogate these two here, Your Highness?" she asked, anticipation in her voice.
"Of course! Why wouldn’t you?" Henry Xiao glanced at the two Palace Guards. "Release them! Why bring them back? Matters of the Celestial Sect should be settled here! Besides, the Sigil Sect has treasures like the Soulbinder talisman! Whatever comes out under its influence is the absolute truth!"
"Fourth Prince!" Leo Li immediately sent him a telepathic message. "Let’s just bring them back instead!"
"Why?"
"Well..." Leo Li fumbled for words, his brows practically knotted with anxiety.
"You're always so jumpy!" Henry Xiao shook his head, then strode over and pushed the two prisoners right in front of Lily Bai. "You do the honors, Lady Lily. Interrogate them yourself!"
"Thank you, Fourth Prince!" Lily Bai beamed, her smile bright with delight.
Henry Xiao looked at her and flashed a brilliant smile.
Nine Li quickly brought over a Soulbinder talisman.
To forge a Soulbinder talisman, a High Goddess must pour immense Divine Power into it.
Azure Flame Immortal is only a Supreme Immortal, and he doesn't have any close High Goddess friends who could help him make talismans. So, the Sigil Sect really only has these two heirloom Soulbinder talismans left.
They're leftovers from the former sect master.
Lily Bai used just one, placing it on one of the suspects.
The entire assembly fell silent, everyone watching as Lily Bai began her questioning.
Lily Bai: "State your name and identity."
"My name is Harlan. I am the mountain-guarding Spirit Beast of the Longride Celestial Sect."
Lily Bai asked, "Why did you abduct disciples from the Celestial Sects and Aristocratic Families, and imprison them on Elm Mountain?"
Harlan replied, "We were just following orders. I don’t know the real reason."
Lily Bai pressed, "Whose orders?"
Harlan answered, "Our direct superior, Lord Stone Zheng. He gave us drugged powder. On the road down the mountain, we used it on the Celestial Sect disciples. They lost all their spiritual power, and we carried them away."
The crowd erupted in shock. All the Celestial Sects started whispering and arguing.
Lord Stone Zheng!
He was Harvey Yule’s wife’s younger brother.
And also the vice sect master of the Longride Celestial Sect.
He was present today, too.
Until now, nobody had paid him any attention.
But after hearing this, everyone turned to stare at Stone Zheng.
Stone Zheng’s face went ashen. His fists clenched tight, and his eyes—poisonous and cold—locked onto Lily Bai.
Lily Bai sent a telepathic message to her second senior brother, Yun Moss: "Change the gate restrictions. Don’t let anyone escape."
The Sigil Sect’s barrier was forged from fragments of the Elderworld Bell, an ancient artifact.
After generations of sect masters refining and strengthening it, it’s known as the strongest barrier on the continent.
Even someone as powerful as Damian Black can only enter with Lily Bai’s help.
Yun Moss nodded silently and slipped away without a sound.
Because the Soulbinder talisman’s power is time-limited, Lily Bai hurried to continue: "What did you plan to do with the captives next?"
Harlan replied, "I don’t know. We were only in charge of guarding them."
Lily Bai frowned. "Has Lord Stone Zheng ever ordered you to do anything else shady before?"