Ling Bai froze on the spot, momentarily unsure of how to proceed.
He didn’t dare disobey the Duke of Zhong’s command.
But he also didn’t dare offend the Duke of Jing standing before him.
The Duke of Jing said flatly, "Since there is a witness, bring him in."
"As it should be."
Ling Bai swallowed, gave an awkward laugh, and issued the order.
Before long, a Martial Artist was led into the great hall by several constables.
"I am Fu Shu. Greetings to the Duke of Jing and the Lord Prefect."
The man bowed in greeting. He appeared composed, but his eyes darted about, avoiding the Duke of Jing’s gaze.
The Duke of Jing asked, "Did you witness Lu Bai kill someone with your own eyes?"
"Yes."
Fu Shu nodded.
The Duke of Jing said, "Describe the process. What methods did Lu Bai use to kill Jiang Tao and the other two?"
Hearing this, Fu Shu was visibly nervous.
Normally, things would never have reached this stage. He wouldn’t have been needed to confront Lu Bai in the great hall; Lu Bai would have already been thrown into the dungeon.
Therefore, he hadn’t prepared for this.
If he made something up on the spot, it would be full of holes. How could he possibly fool the discerning eyes of the Duke of Jing?
"I... I was worried about being discovered, so I hid far away. I didn’t dare look too closely. I just felt a huge commotion. The battle was extremely fierce. Many ancient trees were snapped in two, and dust was flying everywhere..."
Fu Shu said cautiously.
His explanation was clever, avoiding any specific details. By speaking ambiguously, he left himself plenty of room to maneuver.
The Duke of Jing asked, "You said three people were killed by Lu Bai. One was Jiang Tao of Jingwu Academy. Who were the other two?"
Fu Shu hesitated.
Mo Yuanting, who was sitting to the side, suddenly spoke up. "One was an old servant who raised the Snake Demon for me. After this man killed my Snake Demon, he went so far as to eliminate all traces, murdering my family servant to silence him!"
The Duke of Jing stared at Fu Shu and asked, "Do you know Lu Bai’s Cultivation level?"
Fu Shu said, "Golden Core Realm."
"To be precise, he is at the Mid Stage of the Golden Core Realm."
The Duke of Jing said slowly, "As I understand it, Jiang Tao was at Golden Core Realm Perfection. Let’s not even mention the Cultivation of the other two for now. I ask you, how does someone at the Middle Stage of Golden Core kill a Golden Core Perfection cultivator in a three-on-one fight?"
"This..."
Fu Shu began to panic.
’One against three, and while overcoming a gap of two minor realms? Who would believe a story like that?’
The three Martial Artists from Mo Country that Lu Bai had severely injured on the main street were only at the Early Stage of Golden Core.
The Duke of Jing asked again, "Where are the bodies of Jiang Tao and the other two? That is crucial physical evidence."
"I... I don’t know. I fled back here afterward."
Fu Shu’s face was pale, and he looked increasingly guilty.
The Duke of Jing looked at Ling Bai and said flatly, "So, the testimony from this so-called witness is full of holes, and as for physical evidence, there is none. Lord Ling, how did you determine his guilt?"
Ling Bai cursed inwardly but forced himself to remain calm. Steeling himself, he said, "Your Grace, Duke Jing, Lu Bai had the ability to slay the Snake Demon and was at the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground. He is certainly worthy of suspicion.
Moreover, this Lu Bai is a murderous fiend with a prior criminal record. He killed hundreds of people back in Jing State. That’s why I intended to lock him in the dungeon for a slow interrogation..."
The Duke of Jing interrupted, asking, "And the evidence?"
Ling Bai was at a loss for words, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Heh heh."
Just then, a chuckle came from the entrance.
An old man with white hair but a youthful complexion appeared outside the hall, leaning on a cane. He had a kind face and a seemingly amicable air.
"Greetings, Duke Zhong."
Seeing the newcomer, everyone present quickly bowed in greeting.
Duke of Zhong, Xu Jiang!
Lu Bai clicked his tongue.
The Six Great Dukes. Every one of them was a powerful figure of immense authority, a giant whose stomp could shake the entire imperial court.
’And a small fry like me has managed to alarm two of these big shots from the Capital City.’
The Duke of Zhong entered the great hall, tapped his cane lightly on the floor, and said, "Duke Jing is right. There’s no evidence in this case, so a conviction cannot be made. It requires further investigation. We can’t wrongly accuse a good man."
Hearing this, Ling Bai felt as if he’d been granted amnesty. He hurriedly said, "Then we shall do as the two Dukes say and release Lu Bai for now."
Lu Bai’s expression remained neutral.
’This Duke of Zhong showed up out of nowhere. It seems like he’s speaking up for me, but who knows what scheme he’s plotting behind the scenes.’
The Duke of Zhong looked at Mo Yuanting beside him and said with a smile, "As for Fellow Mo’s Snake Demon being killed, it was, after all, due to Fellow Mo’s failure to control it. The Snake Demon injured people first. Lu Bai slaying it was an act of self-defense, entirely justifiable."
Mo Yuanting’s eyes flickered. He stood up and said, "Since the Duke of Zhong has spoken, I will let this matter rest for now. However..."
After a pause, Mo Yuanting turned to Lu Bai, held out his hand, and said, "The Snake Demon is dead. Return its corpse and Inner Core to me!"
The Duke of Jing looked at Lu Bai and nodded slightly, signaling that Lu Bai could return the Snake Demon’s corpse and Inner Core to Mo Yuanting.
The Duke of Zhong’s appearance and statement were tantamount to him taking a step back first.
If Lu Bai returned the corpse and Inner Core, both sides would have compromised, and everyone would be happy.
However, there was no way he was going to return something that had already found its way into his pocket.
Lu Bai put on a regretful expression, sighed softly, and said, "I’m truly sorry, but you’re too late. I already sold the Snake Demon’s corpse and Inner Core to the Four Seas Pavilion. If you want them, you’ll have to go look for them there."
Mo Yuanting’s face darkened.
Lu Bai added, "I just went to the Four Seas Pavilion. Plenty of people on the street saw me. You can ask around if you’d like."
Mo Yuanting suppressed his rage and growled through gritted teeth, "What about the money you got from selling them? Give it to me!"
"Here."
Lu Bai pulled out two taels of silver fragments and tossed them over.
"You!"
Mo Yuanting slapped the two taels of silver away, flying into a rage.
"Don’t be so hasty."
Lu Bai gave Mo Yuanting a reproachful look, then said with an expression of deep remorse, "I have a gambling problem. Back when I was in Bluestone City, I bankrupted the local gambling dens. After I sold the items just now, I couldn’t help but play a few hands at the Four Seas Pavilion.
Sigh. Who would’ve thought my luck would be so bad? I lost all the Spirit Stones I got from the sale. All that’s left are these two taels of silver. I really need to fix this gambling habit. If I ever gamble again, I’ll chop off my own hands!"
Luo Qing, standing to the side, lowered her head to hide the corners of her mouth, desperately suppressing a smile.
Listening to Lu Bai’s earnest, nonsensical rambling, she might have believed him if she didn’t know the truth.
Mo Yuanting’s face went from pale to purple.
’He lost it all?’
’How am I supposed to get the money back now?’
’Is he telling the truth?’
’This is just too absurd!’
"Heh heh."
The Duke of Zhong chuckled and gave Lu Bai a meaningful look. "Lu Bai, you killed another’s Demon Beast, and ignorance can be forgiven. But that Demon Beast’s corpse and Inner Core are, after all, someone else’s property. To claim them as your own would be a bit too greedy, wouldn’t it?"
A thought flashed through Lu Bai’s mind as he suddenly realized a flaw in his story.
’The Spirit Stones I got from the sale are all in my Storage Pouch. No matter how high the Duke of Zhong’s Cultivation is, he can’t possibly detect them.’
’But the Demon Beast Inner Core is in Luo Qing’s possession. I doubt it can escape that old fox’s perception.’
Hearing the Duke of Zhong’s words, Mo Yuanting instantly understood. His face turned grim as he said coldly, "You dare to toy with me!"
"See? Getting hasty again."
Lu Bai watched Mo Yuanting with a smile, but his next words were shocking. He said slowly, "I’m not just toying with you. I’m going to kill you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the great hall changed abruptly, thick with killing intent!