Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao - Chapter 1073
Chapter 1073: Irrefutable Evidence?
Zhao Lun was really quite thick-skinned. While beating down on Ling Han, he did not forget to blow his own trumpet, completely seizing the merit of forcing the Eternity Sky Majestic Empire to retreat.
In truth, practically no one knew that Empress Luan Xing had moved personally, and thus, the fact that Golden Lion Nation, or rather the Eternity Sky Majestic Empire, had suddenly retreated their troops could only be summed up to be a result of the secret being leaked out—they apparently did not dare continue the war. Otherwise, if a full-out war broke out between the two Majestic Empires, it would only be advantageous to the Jade Drop Majestic Empire.
Going by that account, Zhao Lun had really performed a great service because all members of the assault squad had been lost, and he had been the only one to escape. Additionally, he had also exposed the fact that the Golden Lion Nation had the support of elites from the Eternity Sky Majestic Empire.
Initially, it was a grand failure, a rash act of launching an attack without even knowing the depth and ins and outs of the enemy, but in Zhao Lun’s words now, it had become a great meritorious service. The level of shamelessness this man had was indeed awesome.
“Ling Han, what do you have to say?” Nanmen Yang asked Ling Han.
Ling Han smiled slightly, and responded, “Just as Zhao Lun said, I am merely in the medium extreme, and no one would take me seriously. Then, isn’t the fact I managed to escape very logical? Furthermore, I would like to ask a question of Heir Zhao. Obviously knowing I am only in the medium extreme, why had you chosen me to be a member of the assault squad still?”
“This…” Zhao Lun paused. He had not thought that Ling Han would ask this question outright in public.
Could he say that he wanted to make use of his official position to vent his personal grudge, and borrow enemy hands to erase Ling Han? If he actually said that, even he would not be let off easily. Putting aside the fact that he would be punished by the empire, what soldier would dare follow his lead in future? Wouldn’t they be worried that he would do the same to them one day?
“Ling Han, don’t change the topic!” Zhao Lun quickly exclaimed. How could he allow Ling Han to take control of the proceedings? This was a trial to judge whether the latter had defected, so why was he bringing him into the matter?
“En, don’t think of changing the topic,” Gu Tianchu said with a nod of his head. He was naturally siding with Zhao Lun.
“Ling Han, do not try to talk your way out of this. There are many witnesses who can prove that you were indeed captured that day here. Hence, do not deny it unto death,” Kong Chenghe said coldly.
“Oh, then I would really like to hear how I had been captured,” Ling Han said, smiling.
“Summon the other witnesses!” Kong Chenghe appeared displeased. This brat was really the type to hold out hope until faced with the grim reality.
One after another, young people walked into the public court. They were precisely those students of the Academy that had joined the assault squad, and were captured thereafter. Thankfully, Empress Luan Xing moved fast enough, or they would probably still be imprisoned in their cells at this moment.
Zhao Lun’s eyes swept over the company, and he couldn’t help but show a hint of shock in his expression. He had only found over a dozen “witnesses”, yet now, the number was almost 30 in total.
Why were there more of them?
“I am Yu Ziming.”
“I am Ming Yueren.”
“I am Bu Xing.”
“I am…”
These people recited their names one after another. However, some people needed only think of their backgrounds, and would be able to discover that their elders were either the subordinates of Great General Sha or in the direct line of descent of Great General Zhao.
Zhao Lun instantly understood. So it turned out that Sha Yuan was on the same side with him on this matter.
Hehe, he had really not expected this.
However, if they still did not manage to get an outsider brat killed with the combined forces of the sons of two Great Generals, that would really be bizarre.
“I saw with my own eyes that Ling Han was captured with us. I was even jailed with him in the same prison cell.”
“It had only been half a day, and Ling Han was summoned for interrogation. After that, he did not come back again!”
“If he had not defected, how could he have managed to escape the enemy troops and return back to base?”
“Thankfully, Heir Zhao managed to bring the intel back, forcing the Golden Lion Nation and the Eternity Sky Majestic Empire to retreat. If not, with a traitor like Ling Han as their planted agent, who knows how great the damage they would be able to inflict to our empire!”
These people all kept repeating accusations over and over, lying through their teeth.
As the saying went, public opinion was powerful enough to melt metal. With so many people accusing Ling Han at the same time, whom should the masses who were unaware of the truth believe?
Naturally, they were going to believe the side that had more people!
“Traitor!” Among the crowd, someone called out first.
“Traitor!” Even more people began to cry out, and instantly, the situation became earth-shattering. Even if Li Weiwei, Ji Yun’er, and the others believed Ling Han, their voices of objection instantly vanished among these outraged cries.
Shui Yanyu clenched her fists. As long as Ling Han entered into the Black Tower, it would prove that he could not possibly be captured by the enemies, but if the secret that he possessed a Spatial God Tool was revealed, then who knew how many people would make a move on him.
Although he was freakishly talented now, his level was still too low, after all. Elites like the Left Minister and the Seven Generals could not possibly notice him, but once the secret of the Spatial God Tool was exposed, she was afraid that even Her Imperial Majesty, the empress, would be moved.
This was a choice between a rock and a hard place. He either would be tagged with the label of a traitor, or would become the target of various elites. Whichever option it was, the consequences would be horrible.
Why did the empress still not come to resolve the situation? Could it be that in Her Imperial Majesty’s eyes, such a small matter was completely beneath her notice?
“Ling Han, what else do you have to say?” Kong Chenghe asked balefully.
“I have nothing to say.” Ling Han shook his head.
“Then you plead guilty?” Gu Tianchu continued.
Ling Han shook his head as he said, “I really have nothing to say to this bunch of stupid birds. They are all lying through their teeth, so there’s absolutely no space for communication.”
“You!!”
“Traitor, you still dare deny it!!”
“After committing such a disgraceful deed, you still dare to act arrogant!!”
These witnesses were all filled with righteous indignation. They were actually called stupid birds in public!
Ling Han said calmly, “What we do the heavens see. Ask the heart of your cultivation; if you do so, would you be able to go on with a light heart?” He used the Seven Kill Subduing Soul Technique to speak out these words. They merely reached the depths of their souls, and did not possess any destructive ability.
Suddenly, these witnesses all paled. Their hearts all endured a questioning, and even their souls were trembling.
“Ling Han, you actually dare threaten the witnesses!!” Zhao Lun exclaimed sinisterly. Boom, as a red sun rose up behind him, the aura of the Sun Moon Tier spread out without any reservations, and constricted Ling Han.
Ling Han couldn’t help but become sluggish. He could even be unafraid of the air of Eternal River Tier, but air and aura were two different things. Now, this aura was real and solid pressure pressing down on him[1].
It was suppression of a whole major tier. This was a gap that no genius could possibly compensate for. Ling Han immediately broke out in a sweat. Ka, ka, ka. His Godly bones were cracking, and his face flushed red instantly.
He did not bend in the slightest, and merely asked coldly, “Heir Zhao, are you trying to obtain a confession under duress?”
“In front of so many witnesses, you still deny it flatly. So what if I force a confession out of someone like you?” Zhao Lun smirked icily.
“Zhao Lun, you have gone too far!” Li Weiwei couldn’t stop herself from standing up.
“Fourth Young Miss, excuse me!” Xiang Chengyun immediately moved. His palm swept over, and Li Weiwei was instantly rendered mute. This was a complete suppression from one at consummate level towards another in the low extreme.
The Lord Left Minister had commanded for Li Weiwei to maintain a distance from Ling Han as much as possible. For Xiang Chengyun, this was really a piece of good news. Thus, he was very happy to become a villain like that. In any case, he knew that it was definitely impossible for Li Weiwei to favor him, so what if he garnered her hatred? He only had to hold on tight to the Lord Left Minister.
“Ling Han, things have already come to this point. If you are still unwilling to confess, we can only hand you over to the torture devices!” Nanmen Yang declared sinisterly.
[1] Those auras are the same thing, just that one is passive and surrounds the cultivator, and the other one is concentrated and focused on the target, so we used a quasi-synonym to show the difference.
