After Dai Mubai yielded, he revealed everything he knew.
The information he provided was consistent with what Yun Ming had described. After the Organizing Committee staff finished recording his statement and had Dai Mubai sign and press his thumbprint on the document, they began summoning the next Blue Tyrant Academy student.
Using a mix of pressure and persuasion, and after promising to keep everything that happened today confidential, Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, Jiang Zhu, and the other Blue Tyrant substitute student all confessed quickly. Finally, only Tai Long of the Strength Clan remained.
Yun Ming watched the young man before him, who stubbornly insisted he knew nothing. Even after being told that the others had already confessed, he refused to say another word. Yun Ming understood his resolve. Truly worthy of being Tai Tan's grandson! This loyalty is indeed inherited!
Seeing that Tai Long was even more iron-willed than Dai Mubai, Ning Fengzhi realized that coercion was useless and stopped wasting his breath. After all, the testimonies of the other five were sufficient as evidence.
"I admire your loyalty."
"It is a pity." (That you chose the wrong person to follow.)
Before Ning Fengzhi could finish his sentence, a noisy commotion erupted from outside the door.
Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly, while Salas looked even more displeased. He ordered the Organizing Committee staff under his command:
"Go out and see who dares to make such a racket here!"
"Yes."
The Organizing Committee staff went out to investigate the situation and returned shortly. However, he brought back an object.
"My Lord, the person outside asked me to give this to you."
"He also said that once you have seen it, you will understand."
The Organizing Committee staff recalled how the person outside had looked—his expression indifferent yet revealing a sense of confidence, his tone flat and certain as he spoke to him:
"Give this to Salas; he will understand."
When Salas saw the six-patterned token held in the staff member's hands, his expression tightened, and he said in a deep voice:
"The Pope Decree."
Seeing the Pope Decree, Ning Fengzhi felt a surge of surprise; he had not expected to encounter someone holding this item today.
The Pope Decree was the highest token issued by Martial Soul Hall to non-members. Anyone holding this token possessed the dignity of a Martial Soul Hall elder, and it was as if the Pope had arrived in person. Currently, there were only three such decrees in circulation, each gifted to one of the Upper Three Sects.
Salas asked the Organizing Committee staff:
"Who is the person outside holding the decree?"
The Organizing Committee staff replied: "A teacher from Blue Tyrant Academy, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang."
Salas was surprised to hear this name. Although he was vaguely aware of some ambiguous relationship between Grandmaster and someone within the Hall, he had not expected him to possess a Pope Decree. Whose token was it? Was it the one belonging to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, or was this a fourth one?
Salas was now conflicted. Yu Xiaogang seemed to have a connection with that person in the palace, and as Tang San's teacher, he would certainly do everything in his power to exonerate him. Yet, the order from the palace was to ensure Tang San was convicted at all costs. Whose instructions should he follow?
Even as a Platinum Bishop, if he failed to handle this matter correctly, his position would likely be at an end.
When Ning Fengzhi heard that the visitor was Yu Xiaogang and saw Salas becoming unsettled, he sensed trouble. However, his mind worked like lightning, and he quickly cleared his thoughts, speaking up:
"So it is Grandmaster Yu! That is not surprising."
Seeing Ning Fengzhi's knowing expression, Salas asked:
"Sect Leader Ning, do you know the reason for this?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled in response to Salas:
"I learned of it by accident. If my guess is correct, this Pope Decree should be the one belonging to the Clear Sky Sect."
Salas was puzzled; how had the Clear Sky Sect been dragged into this?
Ning Fengzhi continued, emphasizing the key point:
"Bishop Salas may not be aware, but the prime suspect in this case, Tang San, is the son of the late Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao. Therefore, it is not strange for Yu Xiaogang to possess a token from the Clear Sky Sect."
"What?!"
Stunned by this massive revelation, Salas was shocked. Tang Hao was dead, and his son was the one currently on trial.
However, after Salas regained his composure, he realized that if this were the case, he could understand the demands of the person in the palace. With this realization, he could make his choice.
Destroy him. I must destroy him. Tang San has offended the three most powerful people in Martial Soul Hall (or so he believed)! This is political correctness!
Salas had decided to finish Tang San today; even the Pope Decree would not save him.
With this thought, Salas ordered for Yu Xiaogang to be brought in.
Yu Xiaogang entered the room, his expression indifferent as he looked at the people inside: Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Yun Ming, and Salas, whose face had now calmed.
Salas held the Pope Decree with both hands and respectfully handed it to Grandmaster: "I ask that the Elder take this back."
If he asked Yu Xiaogang directly if the decree came from Tang Hao, Yu Xiaogang would certainly deny it, and they had no way to prove otherwise. Since that was the case, Salas still had to show respect for the Pope Decree, and he had his own ways to counterbalance it.
Yu Xiaogang took the Pope Decree, glanced at Salas, and said calmly:
"I brought out the Pope Decree not to interfere with Bishop Salas. I only hope that our Blue Tyrant Academy receives a fair judgment. Every member of the Blue Tyrant Academy team is a talented Soul Master we have carefully cultivated. I do not wish for their reputations to be damaged by this investigation, nor for it to affect their entire lives."
Salas also responded respectfully:
"Elder Yu's words are reasonable, however."
Hearing the pivot, Yu Xiaogang sighed inwardly. As expected, the Pope Decree could not suppress him after all!
Salas continued:
"I have already questioned the other students of your academy thoroughly with Elder Ning, and as of now, there are people who have identified Tang San as the mastermind behind this incident."
Salas addressed Ning Fengzhi as 'Elder Ning' specifically to use the other Pope Decree to counterbalance Yu Xiaogang, intending to use the existing evidence and facts to put Tang San on trial in a fair and open manner.
As he spoke, he handed the written testimonies of Yun Ming and Dai Mubai to Yu Xiaogang.
After reading the testimonies in his hands, a storm raged within Yu Xiaogang's heart, yet he maintained a calm expression as he asked Salas.
"I wonder, besides these testimonies, is there any physical evidence?"
Salas: "None."
Yu Xiaogang continued to press.
"Then has Tang San confessed to the crime?"
Salas: "We have not yet interrogated Tang San, and Tang San has not confessed."
Hearing that there was only testimonial evidence, no physical proof, and that Tang San had not confessed, Yu Xiaogang breathed a sigh of relief while casting a glance at Yun Ming, speaking in a flat tone.
"Since that is the case, then we cannot determine Tang San's guilt at this moment."
"Testimony is merely testimony; it is not as if the possibility of collusion or perjury does not exist."
Seeing Yu Xiaogang being so glib, both Salas and Ning Fengzhi felt their hearts sink slightly.
Although Yu Xiaogang was downplaying the severity of the situation, he had indeed managed to seize upon their current weakness. They lacked physical evidence, and this matter was indeed quite difficult to prove.
Seeing that Yu Xiaogang wanted to overturn their previous testimonies with a single sentence about collusion and perjury, Yun Ming naturally would not let him have his way. Didn't he want evidence? Yun Ming sent a voice transmission to Ning Fengzhi.
"Uncle Ning, bring over the committee member Meng Shenji; I have a way to make Tang San confess."
Upon hearing Yun Ming's transmission, Ning Fengzhi stepped forward and said.
"The Great Master makes a valid point. Why don't we interrogate Tang San right now?"
Without waiting for Yu Xiaogang to say more, he gave the order.
"Please bring Tang San and committee member Meng Shenji here."
The Organizing Committee personnel acted according to the order.
Yu Xiaogang's expression changed, and he spoke up to stop them.
"You cannot! Sect Leader Ning, are you trying to coerce a confession out of Tang San!"
Seeing Yu Xiaogang so agitated, Ning Fengzhi smiled.
"Great Master, what are you saying? Committee member Meng Shenji is a member of the Imperial family; his words and actions are solely for the sake of the Empire, and he is as impartial as one can be."
"How can asking him to 'help' Tang San tell the truth be called coercing a confession?"
"Or does the Great Master believe that the Imperial family would harm a genius Soul Master for no reason?"
Meng Shenji's identity was genuine; if Yu Xiaogang still refused to acknowledge it, then he would be forced to wear the label Ning Fengzhi had pinned on him. Yu Xiaogang had no choice but to accept.
Soon, Tang San was brought before them.
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward to inspect him, and finding that Tang San had no injuries, he felt slightly relieved and spoke to comfort him.
"Little San, don't worry, Teacher will definitely clear your name."
After speaking, Yu Xiaogang took the opportunity to signal Tang San with his mouth to 'not confess'.
Tang San understood immediately.
Seeing that the person had arrived, Salas followed procedure and questioned Tang San once more.
"Tang San, many people have accused you of intentionally harming the group from Canghui Academy. Do you confess or not?"
Tang San glared at Yun Ming with hatred and said firmly.
"I do not."
Seeing him flatly deny it, Salas's aura shifted, and he stared intensely at Tang San.
"Kid, if your lies are exposed in the end, you will have to pay a much heavier price!"
"You had better think clearly before you answer."
Hearing Salas's threat, Yu Xiaogang was displeased and spoke sternly.
"Bishop Salas, please keep your questioning professional; otherwise, I have the right to suspect you of using your position to bully others."
Seeing Yu Xiaogang putting on an act, Salas felt indignant, but with no other options, he could only restrain himself.
Tang San turned a deaf ear to Salas's threat and replied righteously.
"Why would I confess to something I haven't done?"
Salas asked again.
"Then what about the Canghui students? They are severely injured, while you are completely unscathed. What is the meaning of this intentional pretense of being severely injured? Is it not because you have a guilty conscience?"
Tang San replied.
"Didn't the Organizing Committee say it was a backlash from their own spirit skill? What does that have to do with us?"
"Or are you suggesting that I am capable of breaking a Seven-in-One Spirit Fusion Skill?!"
"As for us faking our injuries, where did we fake anything? We were dizzy and weak at the time. We have simply recovered some of our energy after resting for a while."
With this buffer of time, Tang San naturally figured out how to patch the previous loopholes.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San, who was just as 'pragmatic and flexible' as he was, and felt very satisfied inside.
Seeing that Tang San could tell such a natural lie at such a young age, and make it sound so convincing, Salas also felt that this kid was someone destined for great things. What a pity! He was destined to fail today.
Seeing Tang San being so stubborn, Yun Ming was quite impressed by him. When it came to whitewashing himself, he truly had a natural talent!
Not long after the preliminary interrogation of Tang San, Meng Shenji arrived. Yu Xiaogang felt a bit panicked, but he could only trust in Tang San's ability.
Ning Fengzhi told him the request, and Meng Shenji began to operate.
Meng Shenji activated his Martial Soul Avatar: Black Demon, and used his ability to trap Tang San in an infinite loop of dreams.
Salas asked the dreaming Tang San the same questions as before once again.
As Tang San looked at his aunt Tang Yuehua and Tang Hao in the dream asking him the same questions, he activated his Purple Demon Eyes to see through the illusions and maintain his reason. Unaffected by the infinite dream, he answered the questions just as he had before, only a bit slower.
Forcibly breaking through the dream ability of a Breaking Douluo was too difficult for him, and it drained too much of his energy.
Hearing Tang San give the same answers as before, Yu Xiaogang felt completely at ease. The matter was finally settled.
But just as this thought arose, Yun Ming moved.
ps: Seeking monthly tickets, seeking recommendations.
───────────────
Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader