When they arrived at the basement room, He Xiao Sing sat down immediately in a corner. She then told Li Xu Xian to leave her alone.
"Xiao Sing, try to remember where you lost your earring. Father will try to look for it."
Li Xu Xian, unwilling to see his daughter locked up, tried to free her. He thought that if he could find the earring, Ong Hai San would surely release He Xiao Sing.
He Xiao Sing felt a little guilty toward Li Xu Xian. She knew her foster father loved her deeply. If she could, she wouldn't want to lie to him either.
"Father… don't look for my earring anymore. You won't find it. She Fu only locked me up temporarily. You don't have to worry about me."
He Xiao Sing tried to comfort Li Xu Xian. Although she wanted to be honest with him, she also didn't want to endanger Mo Tien Wang. He Xiao Sing chose to remain silent and bear everything herself.
In the end Li Xu Xian could only follow He Xiao Sing's words. He promised to find a way to free her. He also told her to take good care of herself. After he had given his advice, Li Xu Xian reluctantly left He Xiao Sing.
After Li Xu Xian left, He Xiao Sing immediately tried to teleport to Mo Tien Wang's location. But no matter how many times she tried, she couldn't move at all. She remained in the basement, unable to shift a single inch.
Panicking, He Xiao Sing began trying to contact Mo Tien Wang. But however many times she called, Mo Tien Wang didn't answer. He Xiao Sing was truly desperate now. If things stayed like this, her escape plan would be ruined.
"Stop, Xiao Sing. No magical arts can be practiced here; you can't teleport from this place."
He Xiao Sing was startled when she heard Ong Hai San's voice. Without her realizing it, Ong Hai San was standing right behind her.
"S…She Fu, w…why did you come here??"
He Xiao Sing asked nervously. A cold sweat dotted her forehead. She had no idea how long Ong Hai San had been there.
Ong Hai San raised his eyebrows as he looked at He Xiao Sing's face. He could tell she was truly anxious. The more nervous she seemed, the more convinced Ong Hai San became that He Xiao Sing was hiding something.
"Xiao Sing, I've been teaching you for more than ten years—don't try to lie to me. I know you're hiding something. Be honest with She Fu; She Fu won't punish you if you tell the truth."
Ong Hai San continued to try to coax He Xiao Sing. He didn't want to use force to make her speak.
"I… I don't know what you mean, She Fu. I already told the truth—why don't you believe me?"
He Xiao Sing still tried to deflect. Even though her heart pounded wildly, she tried to remain calm.
Ong Hai San gave a crooked smile at He Xiao Sing's answer. He was really curious about what the girl was hiding. Although Xiao Sing could be naughty at times, she had never lied to him before. Ong Hai San was deeply disappointed in her current behavior.
"Xiao Sing, Yang Wan Tong's injuries were caused by someone highly skilled. Besides me, no one could wound him that badly. I suspect an expert infiltrated the forbidden area. If that's true, Kun Lun Pai will be in big trouble. As a disciple of Kun Lun Pai, you shouldn't be helping outsiders."
He Xiao Sing fell silent at Ong Hai San's words. She hadn't expected him to guess so far. Still, she refused to admit anything.
"She Fu, I don't understand what you mean. I've never seen any stranger in the forbidden area—why won't you believe me?!"
Seeing He Xiao Sing refuse to be honest, Ong Hai San began to lose his patience. He reached out and grabbed He Xiao Sing's hand. When he checked her pulse, Ong Hai San's eyes widened in shock. He was very surprised to discover that He Xiao Sing's inner energy had suddenly reached level 7.
"Xiao Sing, you better stop lying. Your inner energy suddenly rose to level 7—who taught you? Tell me now!"
"AAH!! SHE FU, IT HURTS!! PLEASE LET GO OF MY HAND!!"
He Xiao Sing winced in pain as Ong Hai San tightened his grip. She could feel her hand nearly breaking from the grasp.
"Elder Ong, PLEASE LET GO OF XIAO SING, YOU'RE HURTING HER, ELDER ONG!!"
Li Xu Xian, who had returned to bring He Xiao Sing a blanket, was shocked at what he saw. He hadn't expected Ong Hai San to hurt He Xiao Sing like that.
Ong Hai San only released He Xiao Sing's hand after hearing Li Xu Xian's shout. He looked at Li Xu Xian with a dissatisfied gaze.
" You came at the right time Xu Xian. Listen to me, —your daughter secretly learned from a stranger; her inner energy suddenly rose to level 7. I asked her gently, but she refused to admit anything. Don't blame me if I use force to make her confess!!"
Li Xu Xian was astonished when he heard that. He and Ong Hai San had run out of options for training He Xiao Sing, yet her inner energy had suddenly soared. Li Xu Xian felt both shocked and happy.
"Elder Ong, Xiao Sing must have a reason for hiding this. I hope you'll give me time to persuade her."
Ong Hai San snorted irritably at Li Xu Xian's words. He turned his back to leave the room. But before he went, he didn't forget to warn Li Xu Xian.
"I'll give you time only until tonight. Tomorrow morning I must have a clear answer. If Xiao Sing still won't confess, I will torture her until she does!!"
With those words, Ong Hai San left the room in anger. He locked the door so that father and daughter couldn't escape.
After Ong Hai San left, Li Xu Xian immediately checked on He Xiao Sing. He saw red marks along her wrists, but overall her hands weren't seriously injured. Her hands only had bruises.