Chapter Three: Don't Interrupt

“Yes!” Xu Xing looked resolutely at Xu Hai, gritted his teeth, and smiled. Still, Xu Xing was puzzled—why was neither his sister-in-law nor his younger sister here, only a few servants? He turned and asked Xu Hai, “Where is Sister-in-law?”

“Don’t mention her. She opened a tavern, far from here. She probably doesn’t even know I’ve been taken to the magistrate’s court yet. If she knew what I’m facing, I couldn’t even…”

Xu Xing fell silent. No wonder it had taken so long to summon witnesses—only family members could be called, and both his sister-in-law and younger sister were elsewhere.

The two of them stood beneath the defendant’s stone, looking at each other, not knowing what to say.

“Does the accused have any objections? We’re now entering the rebuttal phase. From this moment on, everything you say will be recorded as evidence!” County Magistrate Li Mo declared.

“Brother, don’t act rashly now. They can’t sentence you yet. The next step is up to me. Remember, you must not—absolutely must not—say a single word. Someone is carefully plotting to harm you.”

Xu Hai stood, stunned, listening to Xu Xing’s words. He fell silent. This wasn’t the younger brother he knew. In Xu Xing’s tone, he sensed the composure of an old hunter—calm and unflinching.

Xu Hai paced. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he ignored their stares and walked slowly toward the Drum of Grievance. This drum was usually only for the plaintiff, so his action was truly bewildering.

By the strict laws of Great Shu, this case was nearly at its conclusion.

The hearing was divided into five stages. By now, Xu Hai had only a little time left; it was the fourth stage. If mishandled, he would be sentenced at once. But who was he? What Xu Xing had to do now was turn the tide in this fourth stage.

First stage: the magistrate ascends the hall, soldiers shout in unison, the incense is lit, the magistrate enters, and the proceedings begin.

Second stage: the plaintiff submits the complaint, presents the account, and witnesses are summoned for corroboration.

Third stage: the accused rebuts, makes a counter-statement, may call family and neighbors, and then, based on the previous stage, the magistrate questions and investigates the details.

Fourth stage: plaintiff and defendant, under the magistrate’s oversight, both present their final arguments and evidence for cross-verification. The scribe records everything, and a preliminary verdict is made.

Fifth stage: the magistrate reviews the case, consults with advisors, and sentences the accused.

Alone, Xu Xing stood before the Drum of Grievance, drumstick in hand—it was light, though for some reason, damp. Xu Xing struck the drum lightly, and the resonant sound echoed through the hall.

“Witness, have you any further objections? Why strike the Drum of Grievance? The truth is already clear.” Xu Xing did not answer.

The crowd, noisy and restless, watched Xu Xing standing alone—this was not the idle, pleasure-seeking youth they remembered. He was utterly changed! Their chatter filled the hall with confusion.

With a sharp bang, Magistrate Li Mo rapped his gavel, and the soldiers restored order.

“Silence!”

Xu Xing, not yet satisfied, struck the drum three more times. At last, he set the drumstick down, raised his head and chest, eyes bright and voice ringing clear: “Your Honor, I have objections to this case and request that the plaintiff present the statement and evidence anew, and that the plaintiff’s witnesses be brought forth again.”

Because this was a case of a demon incursion, there was no plaintiff—only witnesses.

Having spoken, Xu Xing returned to Xu Hai’s side, grinning and patting his chest.

“Are you really confident? But you know nothing about what happened!” Xu Hai couldn’t help but ask, watching his brother’s composure. Indeed, Xu Xing knew nothing about how these events unfolded, yet his demeanor was utterly assured.

“Summon the witnesses.”

Moments later, several people were led in. Xu Xing questioned them one by one.

“Are you the plaintiff’s witnesses?”

The group exchanged glances and sneered coldly at Xu Xing. To them, his question was foolish and beneath their dignity; their indifference showed their disdain.

Seeing this, Xu Xing gripped the summons tightly, stepped forward, and pressed them sternly:

“Refusing to answer? Your Honor, the witnesses’ silence will affect the case’s outcome. According to the laws of Great Shu, a case without cooperating witnesses is invalid—their testimony is void and meaningless.”

“Witnesses, answer precisely as you did before. What you said just now, repeat it!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Xu Xing spotted Su Mei, who had come looking for him.

She hid quietly in a corner, saying nothing, eyes fixed on this extraordinary debate. She eagerly awaited to see what the once decadent youth would become.

“Nonsense! If we’re not the plaintiff’s witnesses, are you? Let’s just get this over with and sentence him. It’s late; time to go home.”

Their arrogant words did not ruffle Xu Xing in the least. He continued his questioning: “What is your testimony?”

The four replied separately:

“My testimony is that I personally saw Xu Hai at the Spring Warmth Tavern, injuring and robbing others.”

“My testimony is that I personally saw Xu Hai leave at dusk with a shifty companion, clearly heading to the tavern.”

“My testimony is that the dead in the tavern had Xu Hai’s blood on them.”

Hearing these testimonies, Xu Xing smiled to himself. These are supposed to be testimonies? What utter nonsense! But when he looked at the last witness, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if they had met before.

“My testimony is that he indeed accepted a bribe from the demon clan, and not long ago, he drank the rare Dao-Pure Wine sent by them.”

The last words sent the crowd into an uproar. Dao-Pure Wine was a legendary vintage, said to help one leap from the Foundation Establishment stage straight into the Golden Core stage.

Xu Xing was inwardly shocked. Was that wine really sent by the demon clan? This was a blatant frame-up! He could tell now—all these people were in league.

From what he’d just learned from Su Wei, Xu Xing pieced together the story: at dusk, Xu Hai left home to find his sister-in-law, stopped at the tavern, bought wine, and brought food for her. At that moment, a demon struck. Xu Hai, being skilled in martial arts, repelled the demon single-handedly.

But the demon was ruthless, killing several civilians and everyone in the tavern except Xu Hai. When the demon fled, the county soldiers arrived to find the place deserted, only scattered, blood-stained clothes left behind.

Xu Hai never delivered the food; unsettled by what had happened, he slipped home, afraid to get involved further. He washed his clothes, but the demon’s blood could not be cleansed from his body. He thought he could hide, but was discovered by these people.

As for his cultivation level, it was because demons who take human form must at least be at the Qi Refining stage and have swallowed a Transformation Pill.

But even piecing this together, Xu Xing was still unsure. He raised his hand to signal.

“What else is there?”

“Your Honor, I must say, the witnesses’ statements and the physical evidence have no necessary connection. To put it plainly—they lack rigor and credibility.” Xu Xing returned to stand beneath the defendant’s stone.

The witnesses protested, glaring at Xu Xing: “Nonsense! We saw it with our own eyes.”

Xu Xing’s gaze grew sharp as a blade as he swept his eyes over them, then said, “Your Honor, their testimonies are flimsy—I believe you can hear that for yourself.”

Xu Xing knew their statements meant nothing, but what troubled him was the blood from his brother found on the deceased, and the demon blood on Xu Hai himself—those were not easy to explain away.

“Your Honor, I object, I believe—”

Just as Xu Xing found the matter becoming difficult, a powerful woman’s voice rang out from outside the door: “I am Xu Hai’s wife—I can prove his innocence!”

She entered: graceful in figure, alluring curves, skin as fair as porcelain, eyes bright and fierce—it was his sister-in-law. As Xu Xing watched her stride into the hall, his heart raced with a reflexive, almost primal reaction; in his previous life, he’d always been somewhat in awe of her.

She took her place beside the defendant’s stone, glancing at Xu Xing. Her aura was unique—mature yet youthful, commanding yet tender. In a bold voice, she declared, “From here, I’ll take charge. You—haven’t seen you in days, it feels like years. Leave the rest to me.”

“And Xu Hai—don’t interrupt!”

“Xu Xing, you too—keep quiet. Be good.”