Volume One: The Nature of the Devil Does Not Change
Arc: The Great Gang War
Scarlet King stepped forward slightly, then stopped beside Lin Yuan on the platform.
From a distance, Wei Shi Mo watched calmly, a trace of curiosity in his eyes, while standing next to Long Wei.
Judge Yan Chenggong shouted:
"The trial begins! We will hear the lawyers' statements."
Wei Shi Mo raised his hand to present his testimony. As he unfolded a fan and held it in front of his face, he said:
"Your Honor, I was one of the witnesses—"
Scarlet King raised his hand and interrupted him, speaking coldly as a demonic smile spread across his face, revealing extremely sharp, pointed teeth:
"Your Honor, Wei Shi Mo was not present during the fight between Lin Yuan and Long Wei."
Judge Yan Chenggong slammed the table, causing Lin Yuan and the watching disciples to grow even more tense.
Scarlet King, however, remained calm and confident, the smile still etched on his face.
The judge asked:
"And what is your evidence?"
Scarlet King did not answer. Instead, Liu Zai Hang spoke on his behalf, raising his hand as he leaned slightly over the elders' table, resting his chin on his palm:
"Judge Yan Chenggong, I am the one who stopped Long Wei from killing Lin Yuan. My testimony is that Long Wei was the one who attempted to kill Lin Yuan."
The disciples began whispering among themselves:
"A good defense, but it'll be hard to get Lin Yuan out of this."
"I'll side with Long Wei. I don't want trouble with the Dragon Gang."
Wei Shi Mo looked at Scarlet King with curious admiration and thought to himself:
A nine-year-old child, yet he knows exactly what he's doing… cute and clever.
Then Wei Shi Mo spoke aloud:
"And you weren't present during the fight either, if I recall correctly."
Scarlet King stepped closer until they stood face to face and replied:
"I was present from the beginning, but not in a primary capacity, Wei Shi Mo."
Wei Shi Mo let out a soft, alluring laugh and said:
"But I didn't see you there."
One of the disciples whispered:
"Wei Shi Mo possesses the ability to change his form and gender. He cultivates the Identity Transformation Path."
Scarlet King took note of this statement. Upon hearing it, Liu Zai Hang, Scarlet King, and the judge all realized that Wei Shi Mo had indeed been present—disguised.
Scarlet King thought coldly:
(Damn it… I didn't consider that.)
Wei Shi Mo stepped forward toward the judge and said:
"I saw Lin Yuan advance to stab Long Wei, but Long Wei managed to deflect the attack."
Scarlet King responded immediately:
"Then what about the wound on Lin Yuan's neck? Did it appear out of thin air? Long Wei attacked Lin Yuan and attempted to kill him because Lin Yuan refused to join the Dragon Gang."
Wei Shi Mo looked at Scarlet King with deep admiration, stepped closer, and whispered into his ear:
"You're smart. I like that. I no longer care about defending Long Wei—what matters now is defeating you."
The judge shouted:
"Silence! It is time to hear the testimonies of the disciples who witnessed the incident."
The disciples stepped forward and began giving their testimonies:
"We saw Lin Yuan approach Long Wei and attack him, attempting to stab him, but Long Wei avoided the strike."
More disciples came forward, all giving nearly identical testimonies, adding no new details. This weakened Scarlet King's defense.
Suddenly, the courtroom doors burst open. Feng Jian and the First Elder, Jing Guan, entered.
Feng Jian shouted:
"Long Wei is the one who attacked Lin Yuan and attempted to kill him because Lin Yuan refused to join the Dragon Gang!"
Jing Guan stroked his beard and said:
"My disciple Lin Yuan has only been in the sect for three weeks. He trained under me the entire time and only left the training grounds twice. How could he, on his second outing, immediately attempt to attack disciple Long Wei?"
Scarlet King smiled faintly as he glanced back.
Wei Shi Mo, however, remained cold, his full attention fixed on Scarlet King.
Long Wei began to sweat slightly—he was starting to lose the case.
Scarlet King walked toward the disciples who had testified and said:
"Dear disciples, lying to the court is an unforgivable sin. Giving false testimony and causing the death of a fellow disciple is injustice, and it will bring trouble upon you—from the First Elder, the Second Elder, and from me personally."
Because of Scarlet King's notorious reputation after tearing out the heart of the hundredth-ranked disciple, his name had become terrifying within the sect.
The disciples grew anxious.
If they lied, they would anger the elders and Scarlet King.
If they told the truth, they would incur the wrath of the Dragon Gang.
Some of them raised their hands and said:
"We wish to change our testimonies."
The first disciple stepped forward and said:
"Long Wei was the one who attempted to kill Lin Yuan, but Elder Liu Zai Hang intervened and saved him."
The second disciple said:
"We lied because we were afraid of the Dragon Gang's retaliation. Please forgive us, Your Honor."
Scarlet King's smile turned manic.
The third disciple said:
"Long Wei is guilty."
Scarlet King addressed Judge Yan Chenggong:
"Your Honor, the guilty party is Long Wei. The witnesses are the First Elder, the Second Elder, myself, and four disciples—versus fifty disciples who accused Lin Yuan, all with nearly identical testimonies, as if rehearsed. Moreover, the testimony of elders outweighs that of lying disciples. Would you not agree?"
Yan Chenggong replied:
"The First Elder would defend his disciple even if he were guilty, and the Second Elder enjoys chaos—it is possible he lied to prolong the case. Additionally, the testimonies against Lin Yuan are greater in number."
Scarlet King answered calmly and confidently:
"If it were your disciple in Lin Yuan's place, would you defend him or let him die? And Elder Liu Zai Hang is a respected elder. You have no right to belittle him as a reckless youth who merely seeks amusement. He is an elder, after all."
The judge nodded and said:
"I apologize to the Second Elder for my rash words."
The judge thought to himself:
The testimonies are strong, yet I cannot determine the true culprit. Long Wei is powerful and leads the Dragon Gang. Executing him would spark a civil war. Executing Lin Yuan would bring trouble from the two elders—and from his son, who is surrounded by terrifying rumors.
Scarlet King interrupted the judge's thoughts and said:
"Your Honor, it makes no sense for a weak disciple like Lin Yuan to attack Long Wei, the strongest disciple in the sect and the top-ranked on the Power Stone. Furthermore, Lin Yuan is the one injured—not Long Wei. Long Wei attempted to kill him. This is clear attempted murder. And why didn't Long Wei's guards intervene to protect him? Why was Wei Shi Mo disguised at the time?"
The judge was shocked and thought:
Is it possible that Wei Shi Mo orchestrated all of this to ignite a civil war within the sect?
The First Elder thought:
Wei Shi Mo is trying to bring everyone down, then side with the strongest and betray Long Wei.
All eyes turned toward Wei Shi Mo, but he spoke calmly:
"Your Honor, I know what you're thinking, but I was in my palace drinking tea with Scarlet King."
Scarlet King nodded and said:
"Yes, I was drinking tea with him. But later, I sensed someone using their power against Lin Yuan. I had placed a tracking seal on the back of Lin Yuan's neck and saw Long Wei attacking him."
Liu Zai Hang realized that Scarlet King was lying to protect Wei Shi Mo and thought:
What is this boy thinking? He's attacking Long Wei yet defending Wei Shi Mo?
The suspicions surrounding Wei Shi Mo did not fully disappear. Some elders and disciples still believed he was at the center of the conflict.
Wei Shi Mo and Scarlet King exchanged glances. Wei Shi Mo winked, and Scarlet King understood. He then said to the judge:
"Your Honor, since there is no definitive testimony, it would be best to acquit everyone."
The judge shouted angrily:
"Impossible! There is clearly a culprit. I cannot declare everyone innocent!"
Both Wei Shi Mo and Scarlet King grew tense at the judge's stubbornness.
Suddenly, the sect's beauty princess, Xue Hua, entered the hall. She bowed before the judge and said in a calm, alluring voice:
"Your Honor, the guilty party is Long Wei. Feng Jian and I witnessed him attempting to persuade Lin Yuan to join the Dragon Gang, and then attempting to kill him after he refused."
Liu Zai Hang and Lin Yuan were both stunned.
Liu Zai Hang thought:
She defended Long Wei at first, and now she's defending Lin Yuan?
The judge said nervously:
"I will consult with the auxiliary judge, then announce my final decision."
[One hour later]
The judge returned and announced:
"People of the court, I declare that Long Wei is guilty.
Punishment: imprisonment in the sect's prison for one full year.
As for Lin Yuan… he is innocent."
The judge thought:
This way, we punish the culprit without igniting a civil war.
The disciples whispered among themselves:
"Damn it… Gu Yue is the victor."
"I expected Wei Shi Mo to win, but that child is truly a genius."
"I heard Gu Yue founded a faction and opened recruitment."