Chapter 9 He Was Imprisoned

Felix was now in free fall, plummeting toward the ground. The feeling of weightlessness was thrilling—if only he weren't tied up and missing a parachute. He let out a scream as he fell, regretting everything. If he'd known things would end up like this, he would've never returned! Just when he braced himself for the fatal impact, eyes squeezed shut in despair, a beam of light suddenly appeared from above. The fall stopped abruptly. Felix opened his eyes to find himself hanging just ten meters from the ground. Alan stood on his flying sword, holding Felix once again. "So, Junior Brother Felix, did you remember anything this time?" he asked calmly. Felix's face was pale as he gasped for breath. "I… I swear, I can't remember anything! I didn't steal those herbs! Someone stole them and tried to kill me to keep me quiet. I'm innocent!" Alan frowned. "Do you want me to drop you again? This time, I won't catch you." Felix shook his head frantically. "Please, Senior Brother, have mercy! I'm the victim here! Why are you after me instead of going after the person who tried to kill me?" Seeing how terrified Felix was, Alan started to think maybe the guy really had lost his memory. After all, the Felix he knew was a coward, afraid of death, and definitely not someone who could bluff his way through a scare like this. Alan smirked. "Relax, Junior Brother Felix. That was just a little test to see if you were lying. Congrats—you passed! Don't worry, Void Sect is a righteous place. We'll make sure the person responsible for this pays." With that, Alan flew back into the sky, this time without any more tricks. It wasn't that he didn't want to get rid of Felix, but with so many people watching him take Felix away, killing him now would raise too many questions. ****** Cloud Peak, the headquarters of Void Sect, had countless buildings spread along the sun-facing slopes, from the base all the way up to the halfway point. At the summit stood the massive Void Hall and a plaza big enough to hold tens of thousands of people. The Elder Council, which handled the sect's most important matters, was located halfway up the peak. The council was divided into six departments: The Discipline Hall (where sect rules were enforced, and dealt with any disciples who violated sect rules) The Treasure Hall (managing spiritual artifacts, such as pills, spirit stones, and herbs.) The Salaries Hall (in charge of rewards and spirit stone) The Guest Hall (receiving visitors), The Spirit Beast Hall (focused on training spirit beasts), The Registration Hall (responsible for passing down techniques and teachings. Many elders liked recruiting apprentices through the registry kept here.). Each hall had its own responsibilities, ensuring the smooth operation of the sect's affairs. Alan dragged Felix straight to the Discipline Hall. With over 50,000 members, Void Sect was massive, so it wasn't surprising that the Discipline Hall was equally impressive. Located halfway up Cloud Peak, the hall stood on the sunny side of the mountain, its grandeur undeniable. The building had thirty wide marble steps leading up to a towering gate. Above the gate, a plaque read, "Righteous Discipline". Massive pillars flanked the entrance, each inscribed with a couplet: "Discipline sharpens the mind, revealing the truth." "Strict rules and a righteous heart open the path." Among the six halls of Void Sect, the Discipline Hall ranked just below the Training Hall in importance. Lining both sides of the hall were several high-backed mahogany chairs. On the left side, behind the chairs, a few desks marked the workspace for the clerks. On the right side, rows of towering wooden bookshelves filled the room. Despite the hall's size, it felt surprisingly empty and open, even with its many divided sections. The Discipline Hall was overseen by a chief elder, Alan's master, Tiger. There were also sixteen elder enforcers, each supervising a team of eight disciplinary disciples. However, the chief elder rarely made an appearance here; typically, only one elder and a few disciples would be on duty at any given time. As one of the leading righteous sects, Void Sect maintained strict rules, and most of its disciples followed them diligently. A troublemaker like Felix—constantly causing problems—was a rarity, even once in a hundred years. As a result, the Discipline Hall was usually quiet, leaving the elders and enforcers plenty of time for their own cultivation. Alan, with Felix still tied up, made his way into the main hall of the Discipline Hall. "Senior Brother Alan!" A few disciples inside greeted him as he walked in. Alan gave them a small nod and headed toward the left-side workspace. There, an old man with a white beard sat leisurely behind a desk, sipping tea. The old man was thin and wore a gray robe, his hair and beard streaked with white. He was clearly getting on in years. "Elder Hardy, you're on duty today?" Alan greeted the old man with a respectful bow and a smile. The old man glanced up and chuckled. "Oh, Alan! Haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to lately?" "Ugh, don't even get me started. There was an issue over at the herb garden—hundreds of rare spirit herbs and spiritual mushrooms went missing. I've been helping Senior Brother Booth investigate it lately," Alan said with a sigh. Elder Hardy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Who's got the guts to steal spirit herbs from the garden? Did you catch the thief?" In his two hundred years at the Discipline Hall, Elder Hardy had seen his fair share of cases, including thefts from the herb garden. But those usually involved a dozen plants at most—this time, someone stole hundreds. This was a big deal. Alan gave a nod. "I've already brought the suspect. Please log him in. Senior Brother Booth wants him locked up in the stone prison here at the Discipline Hall for now." Elder Hardy squinted at Felix. "Alright, kid, come over here. Let me get a good look at you—gotta see what kind of fool has guts that big." Felix, who had been listening anxiously to their conversation, hurried forward. "Sir, I swear, I've been framed! I didn't steal those spirit herbs and mushrooms—I'm the real victim here—" Before Felix could finish, Elder Hardy cut him off. "Felix?!" The old man looked surprised for a second, but then it clicked. Of course, if anyone could pull off something like this, it'd be Felix. "Figures," Elder Hardy muttered to himself. "Like master, like a disciple—his master Dragon wasn't exactly a saint either." Felix blinked. "Sir, you know me?" Elder Hardy shot him a look. "Of course, I know you, kid. Wait a minute… don't tell me—you don't remember me?" Alan chimed in quickly, "Elder Hardy, I think something's wrong with Felix's head. He's forgotten a lot—people, events, everything." Elder Hardy snorted. "This kid's head has always been messed up. How else could he have done so many selfish, reckless things? But still… with Dragon not showing up for the past three years, this isn't easy to handle. This kid may be rotten to the core and never learns, but he's also Dragon's only disciple. If we punish him too harshly, Dragon will come back and cause trouble for me." Elder Hardy shook his head. "But stealing hundreds of rare herbs…" Felix tried to plead again, "I'm innocent—" "Innocent, my ass!" Elder Hardy snapped. "Think about it. Who else but you would dare steal that many spirit herbs and mushrooms? The evidence is overwhelming, kid, and you still want to deny it? If it weren't for my history with your master, I wouldn't even bother with you." "Well, fine. We'll lock you up for a few days. You can reflect on your mistakes while Senior Brother Tiger decides your punishment." Felix was dumbfounded. This is how law enforcement works here? Overwhelming evidence? Where's the evidence? Where's the confession? Where are the witnesses? Where are the missing herbs? He hadn't even said anything yet, and they were already calling it an airtight case! Just as Felix was about to explain that he'd crawled out of a graveyard behind Moon Peak—and that the real thief might've tried to kill him—Alan cut in. "Elder Hardy, I'll take him to the stone prison now." Elder Hardy waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, take him away. And don't drag me any further into this mess." It was clear from the old man's expression that he wanted nothing to do with either the case or Felix. As the acting enforcer on duty, Elder Hardy technically could've sentenced Felix on the spot. But Felix's situation was complicated—more specifically, his flaky, trouble-making master made things complicated. Elder Dragon wasn't just eccentric; he was fiercely protective of his one and only disciple. If the old pervert ever came back to the sect and found out his apprentice had not only been demoted to a lowly herb-picking boy but also severely punished, he'd lose it. He'd likely storm the Discipline Hall—and if he got angry enough, he might even trash the Spirit Beast Hall, which managed the herb gardens. Not wanting any part of that mess, Elder Hardy decided it was safer to just throw Felix in jail for now and let someone else handle it later. This was the kind of headache only the Chief Enforcer, Tiger, would dare take on. Alan shoved Felix toward a small side door leading out of the main hall. Felix was fuming inside—he could tell that the old man named Hardy was totally unreliable. His original plan had been to tell the truth to the Discipline Hall, hoping they'd track down the real killer who murdered the original owner of his body. Then he could clear his name. But clearly, Elder Hardy was too lazy to even hear him out. Frustrated, Felix turned to Alan. "Senior Brother Alan, does that Elder Hardy always cut people off like that?" Alan chuckled. "Nope, just you." "Why just me? Did I offend him somehow?"