Volume One: The Nature of the Devil Never Changes
Arc: The Great Guerrilla War
When the judge opened his mouth—
no one dared… to breathe.
The judge spoke with a voice filled with cold wisdom:
"Today…"
"Either one of you walks out… alive."
"Or no one walks out."
He continued, lowering his voice:
"Let the plaintiff and the first defendant ascend to the upper platform."
The judge moved his hand, and Long Wei was released from the energy prison that held him, then ascended to the platform.
On the opposite side, Scarlet King was already standing there, without anyone seeing how he had moved—not even the judge, who thought:
(Hmm… this boy is truly strange. But if he ever becomes a threat to the sect, then his fate will be… death.)
The judge spoke in a firm voice that made the disciples sit down in their seats:
"Let the plaintiff, Gu Yue, speak."
Scarlet King looked at Long Wei with a smile that made Long Wei feel a cold gust of air coming from his direction.
"My lord judge, some time ago, there was an attempt to assassinate me. It was not a random attempt, but one arranged by someone here… and that person is Long Wei."
Whispers exploded throughout the hall.
"Wait! Did Long Wei really try to kill Gu Yue?"
Another disciple replied:
"After Long Wei tried to attack Lin Yuan and Gu Yue got him imprisoned, there's been a huge grudge between them!"
A third disciple said:
"I heard about the assassination attempt, but I didn't expect Long Wei to be the one behind it."
Long Wei looked around angrily, clenching his teeth hard.
"Nonsense!!"
The judge released an aura that forcibly silenced Long Wei.
"Shut up!"
Scarlet King's smile widened, while the judge began lightly stroking his beard as though thinking.
"I have heard the plaintiff's statement. It is now the first defendant's turn to defend himself."
Long Wei spoke in an angry voice, grinding his teeth as veins began appearing on his face, though he forced himself to remain composed:
"My lord judge… I am innocent. I never ordered anyone to assassinate Gu Yue. The one who gave the order was Wei Xia Mo."
"And also… if I wanted to kill him…"
"He would not still be alive right now."
The judge spoke:
"Very well… step down, first defendant."
Long Wei descended from the platform and returned to the golden prison, while the assassin was expelled from inside it. The judge spoke again:
"Ascend, second defendant."
The assassin climbed onto the platform, but then he heard words inside his head:
(Follow your interest. If you confess, I will save you in my own way.)
The assassin thought as he climbed the platform, looking toward Scarlet King:
(Follow my interest? But what proves he'll save me?)
He heard the voice again, deeper this time:
(I know what you are thinking. Do not worry. I always keep my promises. In the end, if you don't confess, you will be sentenced to death. If you confess, I will try to save you.)
The assassin nodded. When he stood on the platform, he spoke with complete confidence:
"I will confess, my lord judge… the person who ordered me to assassinate Gu Yue was Wei Xia Mo."
The judge looked at him angrily.
"Even if that is true…"
"That does not save you."
"The crime… was committed. And now, I will issue my judgment!"
The assassin looked at Scarlet King, waiting for him to speak and defend him, but…
He thought:
(Why… isn't he speaking?)
(Where… is his promise?)
Scarlet King looked at the assassin calmly, then said through spiritual communication with a cold, cruel laugh:
(I told you to follow your interest… not to trust me.)
(Idiot…)
The assassin was shocked and shouted loudly toward the judge:
"My lord judge! Gu Yue forced me to confess! I didn't try to assassinate him! I was forced!"
The judge asked:
"What proof do you have?"
The assassin went silent and thought:
(Damn you, Gu Yue… he used spiritual communication instead of speaking normally. That means the words were only between us, without anyone outside hearing. How can I produce proof? What do I say? That he contacted me through the soul? They'll never believe it.)
The assassin shouted, releasing his aura and preparing to attack Scarlet King:
"Gu Yue, I hate you! You ruined my life!"
Scarlet King replied with perfect coldness and false innocence:
"I didn't say anything."
"You… chose to speak."
Scarlet King thought:
(If the judge believed him, the plan would have ended.)
The assassin thought:
(He's right… I'm the idiot who believed him and turned myself into a pawn.)
Suddenly, a crushing aura burst from the judge, forcing everyone to kneel on the ground. Even Scarlet King bent slightly.
As for the assassin… he was crushed into the floor with such force that he looked like an insect being stepped on.
Scarlet King thought with a toothless devilish laugh:
(In every case, he will die. So I must extract the greatest benefit from him before his death!)
The judge looked on.
Silence fell…
The judge did not speak immediately.
After several minutes of thought, he said:
"My judgment is as follows: execution for the second defendant, and an order to capture Wei Xia Mo, alive or dead. As for the first defendant… he is innocent."
"Because there is no evidence…"
"sufficient… to condemn him."
Suddenly, the courtroom door shattered. Dust spread through the hall, and splinters of wood struck some of the disciples. This left the judge both shocked and furious, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Who dares break into the sect's supreme court!!"
Suddenly, Liu Zai Hang entered, holding the Star Stone in his hand, and said:
"I have an addition to the case, my lord judge."
Scarlet King laughed and thought:
(Everything… according to plan.)
Liu Zai Hang suddenly infused qi into the Star Stone, and a recorded image appeared. In it, Wei Xia Mo spoke:
"I did not give the order to assassinate Gu Yue. I was forced by Long Wei. Otherwise, I would have been killed if I tried to oppose his command."
The judge was shocked.
Everyone was shocked.
Long Wei's expression cracked apart: shock, betrayal, and rage.
As for Scarlet King, his smile grew even wider—wide enough to become frightening—and he continued thinking:
(There is still one missing piece in the plan… and it is coming.)
The judge thought tensely as sweat began pouring down his head:
(This… is suspicious beyond description.)
(But… it is enough for judgment.)
Suddenly, a bloody aura filled with rage, hatred, and grief entered the court and surged toward Long Wei.
Meng Ling entered the courtroom, traces of tears, rage, and shock on his face. He screamed at Long Wei:
"You… you bastard!!! You killed my family! I, Meng Ling, swear that I will not break through to the Path Initiation Realm if I do not kill you, Long Wei!"
Long Wei looked at Scarlet King and smiled with tense arrogance.
"Was all of this your plan?"
Scarlet King closed his eyes.
"Who knows?"
The judge looked at Meng Ling in shock, already thinking of changing his judgment.
"Meng Ling, what proof do you have that Long Wei killed your family?"
Meng Ling took out the emblem that had been hanging at his waist—the one the shadow had stolen—and shouted:
"Isn't this the emblem Long Wei always wears?! Then he is the killer!"
Liu Zai Hang was shocked. He looked at Scarlet King in astonishment, then that shock turned into a smile of deep respect.
He thought:
(What a genius… Long Wei will not escape today.)
Scarlet King thought calmly, as though exposing the falsehood of the world he lived in:
(In interest, there is no morality, no trust, and no other ideas… there are only Monsters protecting their interests.)