Li Weiping, once under the command of Shi Haowu, the eldest of the Huiming Shi Family, with the codename Half Bottle, specializing in errands for him. The Shi Family fell, Shi Haowu died, and Li Weiping lost his support and patron. His good days have come to an end.

The investigation and handling of the Shi Family by the Ancestral Hall are yet to be completely concluded. His sister and brother-in-law advised him not to stay home to avoid drawing attention and falling into another trap.

Therefore, Li Weiping went to Nanhua to work, driving a small van daily delivering parcels, still doing errand tasks. His sister and brother-in-law also gave him some money, and with his job income, while unable to feast lavishly, he managed to get by.

At around nine o'clock this evening, he returned to his rented place, lounged on the sofa scrolling through his phone, reluctant to move for a while until suddenly he lifted his head, face full of terror, even dropping his phone on the sofa.

It was a small studio apartment with a living room and a bedroom. The bedroom door was open, and a masked woman silently appeared from within, only noticed by Li Weiping once she stood in front of him.

Li Weiping, though not a sorcerer himself, had mingled with a group of high-tier sorcerers before, possessing the keen eye to recognize danger, he dared not move at this moment.

A strip of paper floated up from the coffee table, just a printed receipt from a supermarket, weightless, seemingly harmless, yet flattened by an invisible force and stuck to his neck.

Li Weiping: "Who are you?"

The visitor was indeed Lan Jiwan, her voice was cold: "Don't ask such silly questions. Since I wear a mask, I obviously don't want to reveal my identity. I only intend to ask a few questions. As long as you answer truthfully, there will be no troubles."

Li Weiping: "I've already told everything I know to the Hall of Sect Rules, haven't you asked many times before?"

Lan Jiwan: "Then say it once more, ensure there are no discrepancies in the details."

Indeed, there is such a technique in interrogation, re-examining at intervals, choosing different angles to probe for details not mentioned in previous interviews, repeatedly cross-checking to confirm if the suspect's statements hold contradictions.

If it happens frequently and over time, some people might stumble over the fabricated lies from the earliest times, the more they say, the more loopholes emerge, unless they told the truth initially.

Li Weiping assumed Lan Jiwan was from the Hall of Sect Rules, even if not, she might be from other parts of the Magic Sect sent intentionally to probe the secrets of the Huiming Shi Family… sadly, he really didn't know much.

Lan Jiwan's questions were not complicated, she continued: "You are Li Weiping, a Guest of Fate, correct?"

With the paper strip against his throat, Li Weiping dared not nod recklessly, only stretched his neck out and said, "Yes."

Lan Jiwan: "Then start from how you became a Guest of Fate, straight through to why the Hall of Sect Rules needed to handle the Huiming Shi Family, and how they handled it… tell me everything you know."

How did Li Weiping become a Guest of Fate? Such questions, Hall of Sect Rules investigators hadn't asked in detail before because it wasn't necessary, they were concerned about the actions of Shi Haowu and others.

Huiming Shi Family claimed to have five generations of sorcerers, but it actually had passed down through four generations. Despite Huiming's emphasis on clan traditions, it was hard to sustain the legacy solely by selecting talents amongst clan members.

Thus, the elders of the Shi Family would also find promising individuals outside, taking them in as disciples imparting secret techniques, should their cultivation succeed, various means would bind them into the clan.

For instance, the patriarch Shi Zhizhai adopted Gu Jiang as a son, who also became a high-tier sorcerer.

Li Weiping's sister, Li Chun, was favored by the elders of the Shi Family, who taught her magical techniques and accepted her as a disciple. After her cultivation reached entry level, she married a Shi Family member, Shi Haotu.

Before troubles arose in the Shi Family, Li Chun already had Tier Two cultivation. As for Shi Haotu, he didn't cultivate due to entry level, he merely served as a marital bond, but their relationship was very good.

Due to his sister's connection, Li Weiping also had the chance to receive magical teachings, but he didn't reach entry level, and remains a Guest of Fate.

His brother-in-law, Shi Haotu, had advised him many times to avoid getting involved with some sorcerers of the Shi Family, especially to stay away from Shi Haowu and his group… yet, Li Weiping wouldn't listen.

Li Weiping never dreamed that the great edifice of the Huiming Shi Family would collapse overnight.

The result of the Hall of Sect Rules' handling of the Huiming Shi Family included thirty-seven registered sorcerers; five were executed, seven were expelled and disabled, and fifteen were stripped of their registration.

Of the ten remaining sorcerers who did not partake in the patriarch's misconduct, while reprimanded, they were sealed for a year but retained their roles as Magic Sect Disciples, including his sister Li Chun, who fortunately escaped the calamity.

All Guests of Fate within the Shi Family received a reprimand from the Hall of Sect Rules and were subject to pursuit.

Pursuit means recovering the benefits received, not legally purchased or personally made, but endowed by the genuine lineage related to the Magic Sect and magical techniques, which would be confiscated by the Hall of Sect Rules.

Li Weiping, due to poor conduct, was subjected to an additional prohibition.

Prohibition means this person will no longer be accepted by the Magic Sect, won't be tutored or taught magical techniques, nor be allowed to impart any learned magical techniques to others.

He was merely an errand boy for Shi Haowu, uninformed about many secrets, lacking the qualifications to participate. No registration to revoke, no achievements to nullify, killing is out of the question, only reprimand, pursuit, and prohibition were applied as a response.

These trivialities are precisely what Lan Jiwan wanted to ask.

Li Weiping could also provide some audiovisual materials on Gu Jiang, although Lan Jiwan had never seen Gu Jiang's true face, yet she recognized that this Gu Jiang was the same Bitter Tea.

After Li Weiping explained almost everything, she further questioned: "You claim to be a Guest of Fate, received teachings of magical techniques, then recite the Foundation Establishment Technique of Micro-Entry Skill... Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else."

The request was quite unusual, supposedly Li Weiping couldn't arbitrarily impart such techniques. But he wasn't any steadfast martyr, he recounted truthfully, with some supporting techniques even Lan Jiwan hadn't learned.

The terms like Guest of Fate, Micro-Entry Skill, Magic Sect, magical practices, sorcerers, Huiming Shi Family, Hall of Sect Rules… Lan Jiwan hadn't heard of before. Bitter Tea never informed her.

She just learned of these matters from Ye Liangcheng not long ago, and her visit to Li Weiping today was to investigate confirmation.

Ye Liangcheng provided the Ancestral Hall's notice regarding the disposal of the Huiming Shi Family, mentioning many people's names. After much deliberation, Lan Jiwan finally chose Li Weiping.

Li Weiping is just a Guest of Fate, now working alone outside, unnoticed by others, but he used to be the follower of the Shi Family's Young Master, so he should know quite a bit.

Li Weiping's account can indeed prove that the situation Ye Liangcheng introduced is true.

However, since Li Weiping is not yet an official Magic Sect disciple, he has limited knowledge of the Magic Sect's internal affairs. Lan Jiwan ordered with a commanding tone: "Very well, please do me one last favor and have your sister Li Chun come over.

I mean no harm, I just wish to ask her about some matters. If what you said was true, no one will be troubled!"

Li Weiping: "How do I get her to come? She won't listen to me either."

Lan Jiwan: "No matter what excuse you use, for instance, saying you have an emergency, or that someone from the Ancestral Hall is looking for you, certain things need her to verify..."

Li Weiping used the excuse provided by Lan Jiwan to call for Li Chun. Li Chun arrived quickly because she was also in Nanhua during this time.

Li Chun is a Tier Two Scholar of the Micro Realm Sect. She has not been expelled, just given a one-year sealed penalty and subjected to asset recovery but remains a Magic Sect disciple.

There are ten sorcerers like her in the Shi Family.

The disposal of a behemoth like the Huiming Shi Family by the Ancestral Hall is extremely complicated. With so many people and a vast community of sorcerers amassing tremendous wealth over the years—not all through illicit means.

Quite a bit of assets remain with the Shi Family because not everyone was involved in forbidden activities, nor was everything acquired illegally. Even if something is recovered, there ought to be karmic reasons for the seizure.

There are also many layers of operations concerning industries that need to be peeled off and taken over. After setting disposal principles, it might take the Ancestral Hall more than a year to completely sort everything out.

Many industries still need to retain original staff; it's impossible to dismiss everyone. Li Chun and Shi Haotu's couple belong to such retained personnel, currently cooperating with the Ancestral Hall's disposal work.

Many of the Shi Family's industries are not located in Huiming but in the provincial capital, Nanhua, which is why Li Chun has been in Nanhua recently.

As midnight approaches, with no traffic on the road, hearing that someone from the Ancestral Hall came to find Li Weiping again, Li Chun, not knowing what's happening, rushed over immediately.

The moment Li Chun stepped into the door, she sensed something amiss, seeing her brother sitting on the sofa while a masked woman stood across from the coffee table... this is not the style of the Ancestral Hall at all!

Li Chun: "Who are you?"

Lan Jiwan: "Don't worry, I haven't harmed your brother nor intend to harm you. I just want to ask a few questions."

Li Chun: "You're not from the Ancestral Hall."

Lan Jiwan: "Is it only people from the Ancestral Hall who can ask you questions? Someone in the Huiming Shi Family has committed numerous misdeeds; when doing evil deeds, there will be victims!"

Li Chun: "Are you one of the victims?"

Lan Jiwan ambiguously said: "I just want to understand some situations. If it's something secret you can't divulge, I won't force the question."

With her punishment year not yet over, Li Chun couldn't use her magical techniques or divine skills at the moment, putting her in a disadvantageous position, and could only respond: "As long as it doesn't violate the Ancestral Hall or Magic Sect's rules, I can tell you anything you want to know, but please let my brother go first."

Lan Jiwan explained: "I have not held him hostage, nor do I intend to use him to threaten you. You can let him sit in the bedroom; I will leave after asking my questions."

Li Chun insisted: "Since you have no intention of holding him hostage, let's talk elsewhere."

Lan Jiwan looked at Li Chun, remained silent for a while, and finally nodded, "Okay, let's find another place."

As she was wearing a mask, it was inconvenient to go to places like cafes, so they found a secluded corner in the nearby city park where she asked Li Chun numerous questions.

Li Chun had nothing she couldn't answer, it was all public information about the Magic Sect and the Huiming Shi Family, but she became more and more puzzled, wasn't the other party a sorcerer too, yet she didn't know such basic information?

Lan Jiwan lastly inquired about the technique for Microcosm Skill, to which Li Chun replied—limited by the sect's rules, it cannot be disclosed to someone of unknown identity, and Lan Jiwan did not persist.

After asking these, Lan Jiwan gave a salute: "I apologize for disturbing you at night, thank you for your help today!"

By now, Li Chun was certain that the other party had no intention to harm, and contemplated, "If you are a victim of the Huiming Shi Family case, you can contact the Ancestral Hall. Someone from the Ancestral Hall is currently in Nanhua, let me give you their contact information."

Lan Jiwan waved her hand and said, "Someone has already provided me the Ancestral Hall's contact information. I heard some things before, which I dared not believe; now it seems they were indeed true."

Without mentioning how Li Chun reacted, Lan Jiwan quietly left, disappearing into the night.

When she appeared again, she had removed her mask and walked into a hotel. She had been staying here for the past two days, and it was impossible to wear a mask in public places; moreover, she had changed her outfit.

Her appearance was rather attractive, but her expression was always cold and somewhat unnatural. She swiped her room card, opened the door, and realized something was off. She seemed to want to dodge or make a move but abruptly stopped.

A person sat on the sofa in the room, speaking slowly, "You just went to see that pair of siblings, do you have anything else to say? Actually, much of it is public information. The Magic Sect's Ancestral Hall is staying not far from here at the Kanglin Hotel."

**

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