The crowd was stunned. Where was Hengdian?
But it no longer mattered. Lu Fei slowly walked from the defendant's stand towards the two tainted witnesses.
The legal proceedings on the Beast Taming Continent were not like those in modern society. Instead, they resembled ancient customs. Here, defendants were not restricted in their speech. In fact, they could argue their own cases. If they were unable to counter the arguments, they could then hire a lawyer to rebut professionally.
Lu Fei cast a disdainful glance at the two, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth.
He first looked at Da Gou and calmly asked, "You say I ambushed Fang Lin. Then, in front of everyone, describe what my contract beast looks like."
Upon hearing this question, Da Gou's expression lit up. He had thoroughly prepared beforehand, and this question was like a gift-wrapped point.
Soon, he described the appearance of the Reckless Snake without any deviation.
Lu Fei was not surprised. It was normal for the other party to be well-prepared; this was not the purpose of his question.
He then turned to Li Dan. "Li Dan, since you were also present at the time, is Da Gou's description accurate in any way?"
Li Dan immediately nodded, "Yes, it's exactly as I saw it!"
Lu Fei nodded slightly, his gaze returning to Da Gou. "Then tell me again, how did I ambush him?"
"You from..." Da Gou subconsciously blurted out.
Lu Fei interrupted him, reminding him, "I can reveal a detail to you. My contract beast is only level 10, but Fang Lin's contract beast has already reached level 40-something. I advise you to think carefully before answering."
Hearing this, Da Gou panicked instantly. His eyes involuntarily shifted towards Zhao Bing.
Zhao Bing met his gaze, signaling him to proceed as planned!
Da Gou then steadied his nerves and, emboldening himself, said, "You used your contract beast's control skill to cause Fang Lin's [Vine Demon] to become disoriented, which led to the [Vine Demon] attacking Fang Lin!"
A subtle smile played on Lu Fei's lips. "According to you, did you witness the entire sequence of events that day?"
Da Gou nodded rapidly, affirming that what he said was true. He was unaware he was falling into Lu Fei's trap.
"Very good."
Then, Lu Fei turned to Li Dan. "Li Dan, you said that because you helped out that day, Chairman Zhou rewarded you handsomely with material benefits. Is that correct?"
Li Dan hid his inner emptiness with a cold snort. "Correct!"
"So, that means you were also present and witnessed the entire sequence of events that day?"
Just like Da Gou, Li Dan nodded frantically. "Then, tell everyone now, which contract beast did you use that day, and what skill did you use to attack the [Vine Demon]?"
Li Dan was prepared and was about to blurt out his answer.
"Wait!" Lu Fei interrupted him. He then looked at Da Gou. "Since you watched the entire thing, you must have clearly seen which contract beast he used and what skill he employed, right?"
Lu Fei addressed the presiding judge, Zhao Xiu, saying, "Presiding Judge Zhao, I request the court to provide paper and pen so that these two can write down their answers separately!"
Da Gou and Li Dan's faces instantly changed. This line of questioning was something they had not prepared for.
Zhou Nanfeng, who had been speechless, beamed with joy. How had he not thought of this? No wonder this young man had earned the favor of the Ten Elders. His disposition and wisdom were indeed beyond his peers... Zhou Nanfeng mused to himself.
The sudden turn of events also caught Zhao Xiu off guard. However, he was an experienced and shrewd individual who had witnessed many major events. He said calmly, "The scene was chaotic that day. How could one remember such details?"
"Lawyer Zhao, you are so certain. Could this explanation be something you carefully orchestrated?"
Zhao Bing was momentarily taken aback, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Lu Fei. To be so perceptive at such a young age... Zhao Bing thought to himself. He no longer underestimated the young man before him; perhaps he was more difficult to deal with than Zhou Nanfeng!
Zhao Bing smiled calmly, "I am merely an observer, expressing my own thoughts."
Upon hearing Zhao Bing's words, Li Dan understood the implication. He quickly said, "That's right, it was too chaotic that day, I completely forgot!"
Chen Zhanpeng, who had been observing coldly, added the finishing blow at the opportune moment. "Heh, you can remember the appearance of Lu Fei's contract beast, but you completely forgot the appearance of Da Gou's contract beast? You, a mid-level Beast Tamer, do you think anyone will believe what you're saying?"
As soon as Chen Zhanpeng finished speaking, the audience erupted. They were all Beast Tamers and naturally knew that memory was a crucial ability that had to be cultivated during a Beast Tamer's growth. With so many types of contract beasts in the world, just remembering their names took a long time, let alone their skills and passive traits. Without a strong memory, it was simply impossible to remember them all. In the Beast Tamer growth system, a junior Beast Tamer was required to be able to quickly reconstruct a battle, which was a mandatory course in Beast Tamer training! Therefore, Li Dan claiming he had forgotten which contract beast Da Gou had used that day was utterly unbelievable.
The audience began to press: "Why are you evading the question? Since you were both present at the time, why don't you write it down? As long as the answers match, it would be enough!"
The crowd became boisterous. Li Dan trembled in fear. He had accepted benefits from Zhao Bing to provide false testimony, and now that his lie was about to be exposed, he was in a state of panic!
Seeing that the time was ripe, Lu Fei sternly rebuked, "Li Dan! Are you still not telling the truth? You weren't even there that day, so why are you framing Chairman Zhou! Was someone instigating you!"
"I... I..." Li Dan retreated in terror.
However, at that moment, Zhao Xiu, seated at the head of the court, struck his gavel once more! "Order!"
The hall fell silent again. Zhao Xiu said gravely, "What Lu Fei just said is mere speculation, with no evidence to support it." He looked around at everyone. "If substantial evidence cannot be presented, I will proceed with the verdict!"
His words fell like thunder! Lin Yuansheng and Chen Zhanpeng simultaneously pushed off their tables!
This was not a fair trial at all, but a premeditated scheme! The so-called trial was merely a formality. From Presiding Judge Zhao Xiu to the jury, everyone had been bribed by Fang Dagang!
Gazing at the fruits of victory, Fang Dagang and Zhao Bing exchanged a knowing smile. Unlike the anger or surprise of others, Lu Fei appeared exceptionally calm. He had anticipated the trial might be one-sided, but he hadn't expected it to be so biased! It seemed he had to call his sworn brother... Chu Huainan was Lu Fei's trump card, and the basis for his daring to confront such a powerful force!
Zhao Xiu's majestic voice rang out again. "This court finds Lu Fei and Zhou Nanfeng guilty of intentional homicide!"
Just then, a person wearing a half-mask, with a posture as straight and precise as a machine, pushed open the door and entered. With every step he took, it was as if a thunderous momentum accompanied him. All attention was drawn to the sudden noise of the door opening. Everyone turned their gaze towards the uninvited guest who had suddenly arrived.