Secular Immortal of the Nine Realms - Chapter 169
Chapter 169: Listening In
The following day, a huge crowd of civilians had already gathered outside the magistrate court even though the gates were still closed.
As Zhao Yan was brought into the magistrate court, the crowd began hurling curses and insults. Some of the victims’ families even attempted to march forward to pummel Zhao Yan, only to be stopped by the Valiant Defenders.
Jue Panshi, who had been walking alongside Zhao Yan, ruefully remarked, “These people will skin you alive if you can’t prove your innocence today.”
“Chiliarch Jue, that was not how you treated me back then.” Zhao Yan eyed Jue Panshi with his remaining eye.
Jue Panshi sheepishly smiled. “Imperial Duke Fang had the Auspicious King’s First Son escort you here without crippling your martial cultivation. It’s clear to me what he means by that.”
Zhao Yan immediately grasped the meaning behind Jue Panshi’s words. He was first startled before revealing a bitter smile. So Fang Chen has already planned this far ahead…
“Zhao Yan, were you really not the one behind their murders?” Jue Panshi suddenly asked with a grim voice just as they were about to step into the magistrate court.
“Yes, I didn’t kill them.” Zhao Yan let out a deep breath.
He knew what that question meant. For once, he finally had someone on his side. As long as someone was willing to fight for him, there might be a way to turn this case around!
Many officials were already gathered inside the magistrate court. This case was one of the largest in recent years. If they failed to properly deal with it, they could risk evoking the civilians’ ire.
The southern region was a place that revered martial arts, after all. Even a minor riot by ordinary civilians would be a huge headache for them.
The Auspicious King took the center seat. Commandery Chief Ouyang took the seat left of him. Following him were Master Chen, the school’s students, and the South Immortal Commandery’s officials.
When Zhao Yan was brought in under Jue Panshi’s custody, the crowd immediately turned to him with hostile eyes. However, Zhao Yan remained nonchalant.
Many civilians were gathered at the magistrate court’s entrance, awaiting the Auspicious King to commence the trial.
“Kneel, Criminal Zhao Yan,” Commandery Chief Ouyang said.
Zhao Yan eyed Commandery Chief Ouyang, followed by the Auspicious King, before slowly lowering himself to his knees.
The Auspicious King cleared his throat. He looked at the case scroll, followed by Zhao Yan, and just as he was about to speak up, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.
The crowd frowned.
The Auspicious King eyed Commandery Chief Ouyang, and the latter quickly rose to his feet and shouted, “Who’s causing a fuss in the court?”
The crowd split open, and an old man lying on a stretcher was slowly carried in. The old man was breathing shallow, and it didn’t seem like he had long to live.
“Your Highness, milords, this old man is Wang Xiaohua’s grandfather. He fell ill after Xiaohua died, and he’s already on his deathbed. He insisted on seeing that demon, Zhao Yan, being brought to justice. Please pardon us!” One of the men, who carried the stretcher in, clasped his fist toward the Auspicious King and the others.
Whispers could be heard from the crowd.
Wang Xiaohua was the youngest victim of that case, being only five years old when she was killed. The surrounding civilians clenched their fists in anger as they remembered the details of the case, and they began chanting for Zhao Yan to be immediately executed.
“Xiaohua, grandpa will finally witness the death of the demon who killed you. I hope that you can rest in peace in heaven!” the old man stared intently as Zhao Yan as he murmured.
The old man’s arrival further fanned the civilians’ resolution. The atmosphere was so heated that it felt like they would thrash the magistrate court if Zhao Yan wasn’t executed today.
“Hmph! Zhao Yan, you refused to spare even a five-year-old girl. You’re less than a beast. It’s our school’s misfortune to have a student like you. How can we raise our heads before the rest of the world?” Yu Zhang coldly harrumphed as he looked at Zhao Yan in disdain. “There’ll be no justice in the world if you don’t die today!”
“We demand justice!” the other students cheered.
“Silence!” Jue Panshi roared. He pointed his finger at the students and bellowed, “Whether Zhao Yan dies or not depends on the result of this review. If Zhao Yan is innocent, the one to be executed shall be someone else. How dare you try to rile up the crowd with your chants?”
“Zhao Yan is innocent?!”
The students stared at Jue Panshi in disbelief. Someone even whispered, “How much did Zhao Yan pay this Chiliarch Jue?”
Commandery Chief Ouyang and the other officials eyed Jue Panshi assessingly.
“Enough,” the Auspicious King interjected. He looked straight at the crowd and addressed them, “There are suspicions surrounding this case, and that is why we are reviewing it today. Until we come to a verdict, Zhao Yan is just a suspect. After all, no one saw Zhao Yan killing the victims with their own eyes.”
“It’s a formality to bring out past evidence and review them. I was passing by the area when I heard the commotion, so I decided to listen in. I hope none of you mind.”
Fang Chen, together with Xu Ge and the others, walked out from the crowd and headed to the front of the magistrate court. His arrival surprised many. Quite a few officials quickly rose to their feet, not daring to sit down until they were given the word.
“Ah, it’s Imperial Duke Fang. I’d be more confident dealing with this case if Imperial Duke Fang listens in. Here, take a seat.”
The Auspicious King stood up to welcome Fang Chen before ushering him to Commandery Chief Ouyang’s seat. Due to that, Commandery Chief Ouyang was left standing awkwardly by the side, but fortunately, one of the officials tactfully gave up his seat to him.
“Imperial Duke Fang is here?!”
“It really is Imperial Duke Fang! This is great!”
“There’s no way Zhao Yan can escape now that Imperial Duke Fang is here!”
The civilians were overjoyed.
Zhao Yan’s impassive face shook a little upon seeing Fang Chen. His lips quivered a little, but he decided against saying a word in the end.
“You’re the South Mountain School’s Master Chen?” Fang Chen clasped his fist toward Master Chen and asked.
Master Chen politely returned the gesture. “I have long heard about you, Imperial Duke Fang. It’s my honor to meet you today. Please, there’s no need to be too courteous with me.”
The students behind him quietly eyed Fang Chen—there was admiration, respect, and excitement in their eyes. They didn’t think a day would come where they would share the same space as Fang Chen.
“You’re too polite.” Fang Chen smiled. He then turned to the Auspicious King and said, “Your Highness, why don’t you go through the evidence you have gathered? Let’s see how Zhao Yan pleads his case if he is truly responsible for those murders.”
The Auspicious King nodded.
He began announcing the case details, such as the specific day and hour that they discovered the corpses buried in Zhao Yan’s courtyard, as well as the person who found it. Other than that, he also announced the time each of the victims went missing.
All of these details were decided through careful cross-examination, so it was unlikely for anything to go wrong there.
The first evidence that led to Zhao Yan’s suspicion in the case was someone noticing him carrying female accessories in his cloth bag. It was this crucial piece of evidence that led to the Valiant Defenders zooming in on him, which later led to the unearthing of the corpses.
“Zhao Yan, what do you have to say about the evidence?” the Auspicious King asked.
Zhao Yan quietly stared at Fang Chen, not saying a word.
Fang Chen chuckled. “Aren’t you a meticulous man? If you have your suspicions, you should know how to root them up.”
“I do have my suspicions, but that person has disappeared,” Zhao Yan said.
Disappeared? The crowd was bewildered. Who has disappeared?
“Huang Xin, the student who claimed to have seen female accessories in my cloth bag, has disappeared for many years,” Zhao Yan said.
Master Chen frowned. “Huang Xin has backed out of the school and headed to the north to live with his relatives.”
“Master Chen, I have been to the north. Huang Xin isn’t with his relatives, and his relatives haven’t met him at all,” Zhao Yan replied.
“How can that be?” Master Chen was taken aback.
“You must have killed Huang Xin!” Yu Zhang sneered.
“Such an important eye-witness has disappeared?” Fang Chen stroked his lower jaw. He shook his head with a smile. “That complicates things.”
The Auspicious King looked at Fang Chen. “Imperial Duke Fang, do you have suggestions as to how we should proceed?”
