âMy mouth is stiff at the moment. Iâll send a representative.â Long Chen couldnât be bothered to talk about such things.
âOutrageous! You have repeatedly insulted this trial, completely ignoring the academyâs laws! Do you really need to be punished before youâll start acting properly?!â shouted the magistrate that had previously apologized to Long Chen.
Long Chen looked at him and curled his mouth. âAccording to the academyâs own laws, the sixth chapter of the trial section, third clause, fifth paragraph, someone in a trial who is unwell, not in a good mental state, or other reasons that affect their narrative ability, can assign someone else as a representative. Oh, great magistrate, you donât even know about this law? Do you really feel good sitting in that position? Do you even care about your butt?â
Long Chen gazed at him disdainfully. This fellow really was an idiot. Long Chen didnât know if he had just forgotten all the laws he was supposed to know or if he just thought that Long Chen wouldnât know this one.
âYou dare to insult me? You donât place any of these traditions in your eyes! The High Firmament Academyâs laws are not to be disgraced by you!â shouted the magistrate.
âHow did I insult you? Weâve discussed it before. The butt is just part of the body. It doesnât count as an insult. Even the dean didnât quibble over this matter, so why are you shouting? What? Do you think that your butt is even bigger than the deans?â sneered Long Chen.
Even the head judge frowned. How was it that they somehow ended up looping back to this topic? Long Chen once more managed to pull in the dean, as well as the butt.
âSilence! You may not bring up the deanâs name another time. This is a kind of disrespect to his old face,â said the head judge.
âAlright, I admit I used the wrong word just now. I switched the face with the butt. Furthermore, facing a magistrate, I should use the proper honorifics.â Long Chen cupped his fists toward the magistrate. âGreat respected magistrate, you donât even know about this law? Do you really feel good sitting in that position? Do you even care about your face?â
The magistrate quivered with fury and wanted to claw Long Chen, but his claw had struck an iron nail. Long Chen was too familiar with the laws of the academy. It seemed that he was even more familiar with them than the magistrate was.
The magistrate shouted, âThis clause is correct, but youâre perfectly fine. Why arenât you able to testify yourself?â
âI was perfectly fine before, but then I encountered someone with a disagreeable mouth. The crap he spouted injured me deeply, so I will have my friend take my place. How did that become looking down on the court and the High Firmament Academyâs laws? Youâre once more accusing me of crazy things. Sorry, but Iâm not able to accept such accusations. I need to rest. Whatâs wrong with having someone who witnessed everything testify in my place? Great magistrate, if there is a problem, please tell us all. If such a thing truly constitutes looking down on the academyâs laws, I am willing to submit to my punishment. Please, start your performance.â Long Chen gestured to the magistrate, indicating for him to start.
âYouâŠ!â
The magistrate couldnât say a word back, so he furiously gnashed his teeth. Long Chenâs tongue was a weapon in its own right. The magistrate already felt like he had been slashed by a thousand sabers, his body covered in wounds.
âAccording to the law, Long Chen has the right to have someone speak for him. However, Long Chen, you only get one chance to testify. Once youâre done telling your side, you wonât be qualified to interject in someone elseâs testimony of your own accord, nor will you have a chance to add anything,â warned the head judge.
âThatâs fine. I, Long Chen, have never done anything that cannot be spoken of. I also disdain lying,â said Long Chen indifferently.
âAlright, then you can start,â said the head judge.
Long Chen looked back. Luo Bing, Luo Ning, and Mu Qingyun instantly tensed, especially Luo Ning. She didnât know whether or not Long Chen would pick her.
âYou.â
Long Chen then pointed at her, causing her heart to clench. It was fine for her to talk in her normal manner at other times, but in this situation, she felt like her throat had closed. The world was spinning around her, so she clenched her teeth and slowly stood.
âIâm not talking about you. With your clumsy mouth and how you treat me, who knows whether or not youâll sell me out? Iâm talking about the one behind you,â said Long Chen, pointing behind Luo Ning.
Luo Ning turned around to see Li Cai. Li Caiâs jaw dropped, and he couldnât believe his own ears. Long Chen was actually calling on him to testify.
Li Cai nervously stood up, his forehead already shiny with sweat. He had never been in such a situation.
âHow long are you planning on shaking? You arenât even capable of lying in this kind of situation. Just answer whatever they ask. No one is interested in all the immoral things you did before.â Long Chen kicked him in the butt, sending him forward. Li Cai stumbled onto the stand.
âWhatâs your name?â demanded the scarred magistrate.
âGuessâŠâ Li Caiâs voice shuddered. This time, Long Chen didnât mishear. In his nervousness, Li Cai wasnât able to pronounce his own name properly just like when he had introduced himself to Long Chen.
âBrazen!â
The scarred magistrate was enraged. Long Chen was already so arrogant, but now his subordinate actually dared to challenge him as well?! Even the others were astonished. Were all of Long Chenâs subordinates so brave?
âI⊠I⊠Iâm surnamed Li⊠my given name is Cai⊠Together, itâs Li Cai.â Li Cai was so nervous that he had even forgotten how he had said that he would report his name with the characters separate in the future. Otherwise, it sounded like a provocation.
Li Cai almost wept. This elderâs rage was terrifying to him. He had a new understanding of how frightening Long Chen was. He was able to point and curse at this terrifying existence while surrounded by thousands of other powerful experts. That didnât require just bravery to do.
The scarred magistrate barked, âEnunciate properly! Start your testimony. Tell us what happened from start to end.â
âYes⊠On that day, boss San told us to go out for training. He told us to eat more for breakfast and hone our weaponsâŠâ Li Cai began to stumble through his testimony.
âGet to the main point,â ordered the magistrate.
âThe swords had main points and some beast piercing arrows. But no others,â said Li Cai, bewildered.
Long Chen laughed. This fellow was so nervous that it was perfect.
The magistrate was ashen with fury, but Li Caiâs quivering appearance did not appear like he was playing with them, so the magistrate couldnât punish him. He couldnât bother to ask anything.
The more questions he asked, the more nervous Li Cai became. On the other hand, the head judge simply listened without interjecting.
Li Cai then spent a full hour explaining how Long Chen had brought them out, how they had trained, and how they had awoken and seen a volcanic eruption.
âIsnât there a part missing in the middle?â The scarred elder had run into the iron nail known as Long Chen repeatedly. Now, it was the turn of the other magistrate.
âMiss Luo Bing can give the accounting for the missing portion. By having two viewpoints of testimony at the same time, the story will be even clearer,â said Long Chen.