Chapter 175 - System vs. System (XXV)
Chapter 175 System vs. System (XXV)
After three days and three nights of waiting on the Moon, Chi Xiaochi was not very bored.
He still meditates at the morning bell, chanting the sutra, or making a piece of the moonlight into a sword shadow and dancing on the floor, without the slightest sense of being imprisoned.
In his spare time, he also tries to test how far his voice can carry by sinking his breath into his chest and shouting in such an open space.
On one occasion a passing bird was frightened by him and threw several bubbles of bird droppings at him as a sign of his anger.
Chi Xiaochi crosses his arms and laughs.
When he had had enough of laughing, he sat down on the edge of the unobstructed thousand-foot terrace, put his legs down, felt the spotless breeze blowing high above him, and closed his eyes to recuperate.
Duan Shujue said, “Sir, can you say something to me?”
Chi Xiaochi said, “You can rest assured of the plan. It’s a bit tricky, but it’s not a problem to drag the feast down with you.”
”No.” Duan Shujue said, “I want you to say something else, to do something else. Not for my sake, but for your own.”
Chi Xiaochi was stunned, and then laughed.
Duan Shujue, as he is described in the book, is indeed a gentle and upright man, as gentle as a jade, who is obviously a swordsman but has the benevolence and innocence of a Confucian scholar.
Chi Xiaochi asked him the question, “If it cost you nothing to live again with your memories, would you do it to Yan Jinhua in advance.”
”In a new life, each person’s choice may not be the same. If he can repent, I will not have to add to his sins.” Duan Shujue replied seriously, “But if he has other plans, I will not be compatible. Even if it is for the sake of Brother Ye, I need to protect myself properly.”
”…… But.” Duan Shujue added, “If I am really powerless at the time of the public trial, I will choose to flee the mountain and go to Brother Ye.”
”Fame don’t want it?”
Duan Shujue said: “Without him, what fame would I have? Heaven and earth are furnaces, and all things are copper. I would rather share with him a furnace of bronze juice and not be separated from it, than cause him to come to the mountain to be saved and repeat the mistakes of the last world.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “Good. I remember.”
Duan Shujue lost his smile and said, “Sir, you are still talking about the matter of the underlings.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “I don’t matter.”
Duan Shujue says: “But you are important to ‘him’.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “You know again?”
Duan Shujue wrote, word for word, “When the Master looks at you from behind, his expression is like enjoying the moon.”
Chi Xiaochi laughs: “You’re still a poet.”
Duan Shujue said gently, “I am only telling the truth.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “He can’t be looking at you.”
Duan Shujue said, “Sir, why deceive yourself?”
Chi Xiaochi doesn’t hide it, saying, “Because I like him.”
One of the obvious sequelae of liking this thing, which has endless benefits and disadvantages, is intellectual disability.
And Chi Xiaochi needs to be sober enough to cope with what happens next.
On the morning of the fourth day, the sun had barely powdered the green hills when several streaks of sword energy came from the west.
At the head of the group is Su Yun.
He had a good personal relationship with Duan Shujue and was willing to trust him as a person, but what had happened in the Valley of the Lost Butterflies was so confusing that he did not know what attitude to take towards Duan Shujue, so he had to do it in a businesslike manner to clear his mind: “The public trial begins, take Duan Shujue.”
He made Duan Shujue take an elixir to restrain his gong body before sharing a sword with him and taking him down to Ming Yue House.
The public hearing is held at Phoenix Terrace.
The inner disciples on the mountain, totalling over 1,300 people, went to watch the trial.
Wen Yujing’s unexplained disappearance has caused an uproar in the mountains.
Although he loved to travel, there was no reason for him to leave in the middle of a demon hunt, and with his umbrella sword lost and his white robe stained with blood, one had to be alarmed.
Ren Tingfeng has ordered a news blackout, but for some reason it has not worked.
Rumour has it that Duan Shujue was planning to join forces with the viper to kill all the monks in the valley, but his plan was discovered by Little Uncle Wen, so Duan Shujue had to go against the grain and kill them. It was as if Duan Shujue was carrying a video camera underneath the master and disciple’s trousers.
Chi Xiaochi, with his appendix, knows which calf did it.
So, he was in a fairly steady state of mind when he was escorted to the Phoenix Terrace.
In contrast, Yan Jinhua was in a more emotional mood, even wanting to sing ‘Good Day’.
He was a key witness against Duan Shujue and had been waiting for three days to strike a blow that would bring him down from the top and leave him bruised and battered.
Without his little brother, without the sword in the stone, without his apprentice, without the elixir made by the mountain ghost, his plans were ruined one step at a time, and his mind had long since crumbled to pieces.
Now, his desire to see Duan Shujue get bloodied for once has far outweighed his quest for mission completion.
Jing Xufeng, the five monarchs, were all seated on a high platform, and when the disciples saw that the hour was approaching, they stopped their shouting and waited for the trial to begin.
After the chimes had been rung three times, Chi Xiaochi knelt down on one knee, his brow lowered and his eyes obedient.
Chi Yunzi had not slept for several nights because of the disappearance of his younger brother, and now when he met Duan Shujue, although his tone was calm, he could not hide his coldness: “Duan Shujue, I would like to hear what you have to say about what happened in the Valley of the Lost Butterflies three days ago.”
Chi Xiaochi then goes on to tell the story of the Mo Xie formation, the disappearance of Wen Yujing, and Ye Jiming’s rescue from danger, all without tampering with the truth.
Chi Yunzi frowns when it comes to Ye Jiming, the viper who came out of nowhere.
He asked, “Is this demon creature known to you?”
Chi Xiaochi replied, “Yes.”
There was a subtle exchange of voices among the disciples.
”Was it a fellowship after entering the mountain, or was it an old acquaintance?”
Chi Xiaochi replied, “An old acquaintance.”
”Where do you know each other from?”
Chi Xiaochi said clearly, “Jing Xufeng, Fisherman’s Pool.”
Yan Jinhua : “……”
He was waiting for Duan Shujue to lie, for example by claiming that he had not known the viper for a long time, or at all, so that he could come forward with evidence to smack him in the face, but Duan Shujue was telling the truth, and he was trying to listen further for mistakes when he was indirectly named by Duan Shujue.
Yan Jinhua’s breath was stuck in his chest, and he wanted to roll his eyes.
Although he had already reported to Chi Yunzi and the other rulers that Ye Jiming was a private animal kept by Duan Shujue at the fishing pond, proving that the two had a close personal relationship and were probably in collusion, the other disciples were not aware of this.
There was a great deal of discussion, and suspicious eyes were turned to Yan Jinhua.
Yuguangtan? Does this have anything to do with Yan Jinhua?
Yan Jinhua’s face burned and his back tingled as he became the centre of attention.
But he soon calmed down.
The snake tooth necklace around Duan Shujue’s neck is hard evidence of their previous acquaintance.
Wen Yujing had been arrested and was unlikely to return to defend Duan Shujue.
Duan Shujue, even if he wants to sling mud, how is he going to prove that he is an innocent white lotus?
Thinking about it, Yan Jinhua felt that he was as steady as an old dog this time, and that he could win by lying down and abusing Quan.
After all, it’s incredibly difficult for a person to prove that they haven’t done something.
He came forward and fell to the ground in a grief-stricken manner, “Master, please forgive me. It is true that out of a moment of kindness I took in a wounded Duan Shujue in private, in violation of Jing Xufeng’s rules. But Master has always taught us to be kind and follow the ways of heaven. Duan Shujue is a shark, also born between heaven and earth, with a heart and a heart of love. I saw him in pity, so I had extra compassion for no reason, but I didn’t want to draw a wolf into my house. I didn’t even know he would be so bold ……”
This is an explicitly derogatory boast that not only gives Yan Jinhua an aura of sainthood in the upper kilowatts, but also directly exposes Duan Shujue’s true identity to the world.
Chi Yunzi’s face paled and he tilted his head slightly, closing his eyes.
The crowd of disciples, on the other hand, exploded straight into camp.
…… sharks?
Duan Shujue is a shark?
And what was his purpose in entering the mountain? Is he really an ambitious wolf?
From time to time, gossip reaches Chi Xiaochi’s ears.
He had heard all sorts of rumours and would not take them personally, even if they were unpleasant, and would just take them as an introduction.
But he was aware that his right hand was clenching unconsciously, and the tip of his thumb was gradually filling with blood against it.
…… These words, these arguments, Duan Shujue had heard enough of them in his last life, hunkered down in the alchemy chamber.
What happened next was a nightmare so deep in his mind that when he woke up after a midnight dream, he would always be in a daze for a long time.
He had lived a new life, did he say he would have to face the same situation again? Would he have to get Brother Ye killed again?
Instead of that, it would be better to ……
Chi Xiaochi is as immovable as a mountain.
He said to Duan Shujue, “Calm down.”
Duan Shujue writes with his thumb on the side of his finger, “…… is.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “Trust me.”
After a while, he felt the tight grip of his palm lighten.
”If things can’t be undone, then let them meet the mob Duan Shujue.” Chi Xiaochi knelt firmly in place, “For now, I’ll let Yan Jinhua meet the unruly Chi Xiaochi.”
He raised his head and looked calmly at the people on the stage.
He had already told Chi Yunzi who he was, so it didn’t come as much of a shock that all the elders on stage already knew who Duan Shujue was as a shark.
On the other hand, Yan Jinhua was still talking with his mouth full of words and his tongue running wild, silently slapping him with one big hat after another: “Duan Shujue was raised by me in the Fisherman’s Pool, benefited by Jing Xufeng and taught by Uncle Wen, but he did not think of returning the favour and did not respect his master! A few days ago, I was first wronged and humiliated for no reason; then a thunderbolt descended from the sky and landed on Hui-Shou Peak, perhaps as a warning from heaven ……”
Chi Xiaochi listened quietly as he finished his fart.
To be able to refine a cheek to such a thickness is a real talent on the part of your mother.
When he had finished, Duan Shujue bowed respectfully and then looked up at Yan Jinhua and said calmly, “Yes. A few months before the Sword Tournament began, Senior Brother Yan saved Duan from fire and water and was a great benefactor to him. I am deeply grateful for this kindness and will never forget it.”
……’s words are gentle, but they give Yan Jinhua goose bumps.
It’s an illusion, isn’t it?
Duan Shujue was suddenly hit by a change of circumstances and was put in prison at the Ming Yue House. There was no one to give him any ideas, no time to destroy the evidence and no one to prove it to him.
Yan Jinhua’s mind was made up, and his mouth hardened: “Yes, you should have done so, and I have taught you so, but have you really done so? Have you taken it to heart?”
…… I’ll fuck you rolly-poly.
Chi Xiaochi stopped taking his words and looked at Chi Yunzi: “Since Brother Yan has testified against me, you must have presented all the evidence to Master?”
Chi Yunzi nods slightly in acquiescence.
Chi Xiaochi nodded: “This is a public trial, in front of all the senior brothers, can you hand these over to Shu Jie, so that he can look at them and defend himself?”
Yan Jinhua is tempted to say, “Argue, my ass!”, but unfortunately, he can’t make the decision here.
He’s been trying to be a pushy villain since.
So, with his mind made up, he pleaded on behalf of Duan Shujue, “Please, Master, ask for physical evidence so that this son will willingly confess his guilt and prove that what I have said is true.”
Chi Yunzi then asked Su Yun, who was beside him, to bring the snake scales and molts, which were attached to the evil energy, to Duan Shujue.
With countless eyes on him in public, there is no need to worry about what he might be up to.
Yan Jinhua even hopes that Duan Shujue’s IQ will suddenly go negative and he will do what a dumb motherly protagonist should do, such as destroy the stuff immediately to avoid implicating his best friend Ye Jiming.
However, as he was thinking about it, Duan Shujue put his things down and said warmly, “I have looked at it, thank you, Master.”
Yan Jinhua is disappointed.
…… fuck.
Chi Xiaochi knelt again and turned his gaze to Ren Tingfeng: “May I ask you, Master Ren, how old was the viper you saw that day?”
Ren Tingfeng didn’t need to think back, he opened his mouth and said: “For all demons, their looks are not credible. But he has a strong demon breath and not enough human breath, so he will probably not reach adulthood for two years; if we talk about the age of the snake, the viper has a spirit and is often nourished by the heavenly path.
At Chi Yunzi’s words, his mind wandered slightly and he thought about it.
”Master has probably checked that these snake molts and scales do have the aura of a viper, and they are the same as the one that appeared in the Valley of the Lost Butterflies that day.” Chi Xiaochi was extremely gentle, “But has uncle ever identified the age of these snake scales and molts?”
On hearing this, Chi Yunzi immediately asked Su Yun to retrieve the snake’s shed and scales and study them in detail.
Ren Tingfeng, who had only been concentrating on distinguishing the scent, had not looked at this object in particular, but when he received a word of advice and looked at it again, he immediately noticed that something was wrong: “Are these …… the scales and molts of a young viper?”
…… young viper?
Yan Jinhua’s mind whirled for a few moments, unable to digest what this judgment meant.
He had the impression that Ye Jiming had always been a small snake, the size of a tray of mosquito coils, so when he scoured the fishing pond and found small pieces of scales and thin, transparent molts, he did not suspect it, but he did not know that Ye Jiming only used to wrap itself around Duan Shujue’s arm and play with him, which is why it often remained a small snake.
Whenever the scales shed, he would hide in the forest, rubbing the tree a little to shed its skin, fearing that the fish would blow up its scales and would not play with him in the future.
But at the bottom, the faster-minded disciples already understood and quietly told those around them what they thought.
Chi Yunzi exchanged glances with the others for a few moments, and then turned to Yan Jinhua and scolded him, “Kneel down!”
Yan Jinhua 莫名: “…… Master?”
”What is your explanation?” Chi Yunzi threw the snake scales and molts in front of his eyes and asked in a cold voice, “All you found in the Fishing Pool were the molts of young vipers, but Duan Shujue had only been in Jing Xufeng for a few months before the sword meeting. Tell me how he could have colluded with a viper that had been living in Yuguang Lake for a long time.”
Yan Jinhua’s face changed dramatically as he turned his head to look at Duan Shujue and his words came to mind.
”I know him from old times.”
”Met at Jing Xufeng, Fishermen’s Pool.”
”A few months before the sword meeting began, Senior Brother Banquet saved Duan from fire and water and was a great benefactor to Duan ……”
From the very beginning, he was setting himself up, intentionally or not!
Step by step, he induced himself to admit that he had taken in Duan Shujue a few months earlier, but the snake moult he handed over had been left by a young viper between eight and ten years old.
Is this not a step in the right direction to suggest that collusion with Ye Jiming is more likely than not?
But he simply cannot now deny the hole Duan Shujue has dug for him before, otherwise it would be even more indefensible.
What was his intention in adopting the shark and the black snake early?
Why did he lie earlier?
How did he find the injured young shark? If one by one the investigation is real, will it be traced back to his secret tip-off to the demon hunt to kill Duan Shujue’s parents?
Yan Jinhua’s head instantly swelled up several times, and he hastily knelt down and hastily defended himself, “Master, all the uncles! There must be a misunderstanding, the snake scales and molts I found are only part of it, there must be others in the Fishing Pool ……”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yan Jinhua saw Chi Yunzi’s even darker face and realised that something was wrong, and he wanted to slap himself.
What would be the point of finding a larger one when we have already found a juvenile shed, proving that Ye Jiming was already hiding in Jing Xufeng?
Yan Jinhua’s heart fluttered and his face turned blue: “Master! This must be a deliberate attempt by Duan Shujue to slander me! I have never seen this vicious snake before! Perhaps the snake has dived into the Fisherman’s Pool to spy for him! I don’t know, I really don’t know at all! Or …… Or, this snake scale was deliberately left behind by Duan Shujue to deliberately frame me ……”
Chi Xiaochi’s eyes are downcast.
That’s a good guess, give IQ a plus ten, currently scoring minus fifty, with plenty of room for improvement.
Before leaving the pool, Chi Xiaochi, after Duan Shujue had fallen asleep from exhaustion, searched the entire pool and swept it inside and out, collecting and destroying all the snake scales and molts that had fallen off after Ye Jiming was ten years old, leaving only those under ten years old.
In this way, he planted an early unlock for himself, opening the door to a deadlock for Yan Jinhua.
And Yan Jinhua lived up to his expectations by diving in, thinking he had a big head start, and happily holding it up for reporting.
All it takes is a single unexplained hole in his complete system of lies, and the next thing you know, the whole situation is falling apart.
Chi Xiaochi said, “Brother Banquet, may I ask, when did you find this object?”
Yan Jinhua’s carefully prepared rhetoric was completely overturned, as if he had been up all night preparing for his final exam, only to find that he had studied the wrong book when he handed out the papers. I saw you wearing that snake tooth necklace at all times, so I was suspicious and went to question ……”
Chi Yunzi’s eyes were already cold: ” Yan Jinhua, that’s not what you said at first. When you told me, you said that you had found snake scales before you went to Hồ Shou Feng to question Shu Jie.”
Yan Jinhua’s face had turned from iron blue to pig’s liver: “Apprentice, apprentice is exactly what I mean. As Master said, I found the snake scales and became suspicious in my heart, so ……”
Chi Xiaochi interrupted him, “Senior Brother Banquet, senior brother still has a question to ask, may I?”
Yan Jinhua wanted to pounce on him and stuff his mouth with his socks.
Chi Xiaochi didn’t care about his murderous eyes and said slowly, “Dare I ask, on the day when the Misty Butterfly Valley was rid of the vermin, which senior brother did Brother Yan travel with in the Mo Xie formation?”
Yan Jinhua was about to vomit blood.
He understood that Duan Shujue was not a good person.
Ren Tingfeng was the first to shake his head, and then scanned the disciples who had gone with him that day.
Yan Jinhua was not a challenging force, so it was normal for him to get lost in the formation, as long as he could keep himself alive, so his presence or absence was not a concern to the disciples.
But now the lines of sight were exchanged and it became clear that he had disappeared alone in the formation for a long time.
Yan Jinhua, who had been dismantled by Chi Xiaochi, was almost screaming, “Duan Shujue!”
Diao Min Chi Xiaochi was all meekness and frugality: “What is it that you call on your senior brother?”
Yan Jinhua forced himself to say, “I just got separated and you were travelling with Uncle Wen, who has disappeared and you are still holding the blood robe in your hand, how do you explain that!”
Chi Xiaochi said, “It is true that the Master disappeared for no apparent reason. For what reason, I really do not know. But the disciple is convinced that with the Master’s ability, he will return.”
Yan Jinhua seems to have seen the light of day.
In modern PR, Duan Shujue’s tactic is what is known as co-sinking, and then practicing the word “delay” to buy more time.
Yan Jinhua didn’t care about being low or not, he kowtowed to his heart and said, “Master! Duan Shujue’s words are not credible! The shark is not human, he is extremely cunning, he just wants to make me misunderstood by master and uncles, then he will lure master and uncles to let down their guard by using fancy words, once the plan is accomplished, he will definitely take the opportunity to escape! Please be clear about this and clear my name!”
The disciples looked at each other with disbelief.
Right now, the situation has developed into a headless public case in which the public has a right and the public has a wrong.
But this is the best that Chi Xiaochi can do on his own.
Chi Yunzi would not have been able to get a trial in the muddy waters, and would probably have had to detain Yan Jinhua as well.
How could Yan Jinhua not have thought of that?
And at this critical moment, not wanting to be dragged into the water, he burst out with a full-blown desire to live, a fierce analysis like a tiger: ” Wen Shujue’s weapon was lost and his life and death were unknown, and this is the focus of this case, isn’t it! Duan Shujue first talked about the viper to change the subject, and then said that when I went alone that day, I was just trying to get rid of the crime of regicide!”
He turned to Chi Xiaochi and said sternly, “You are sharp-tongued, but tell me, where has Uncle Wen gone!”
”…… Well, that’s a good question.”
As soon as he spoke, a frail but still clear voice came from the crowd.
The sound was so familiar that the five monarchs on the stage suddenly changed their expressions and rose to their feet, looking out into the crowd.
Chi Xiaochi, who had planned to have a few words with Yan Jinhua before adjourning, turned white and his back stiffened, not even daring to turn his head back.
On the Phoenix Terrace, which has fallen silent, Wen Yujing, dressed in white and carrying a wooden box, slowly steps up the jade staircase from the bottom.
In a few short days, he was thin and pale, his long hair was simply tied back, his white clothes were snowy and stained red, but the man was not as lightly clothed as if he would turn into the wind and scatter at any moment. A ghastly bright red whip mark crept up his neck from his dishevelled front lapel, all the way to his cheek, his lips pale and the corners of his eyes slightly red.
His usual cool and reserved aura had diminished somewhat, and his tone had more mockery in it, “Senior nephew Yan, why don’t you explain it properly to all the senior brothers?”
With those words, he threw the wooden box in his hand to the ground.
A head with a strong demonic aura rolls out of the broken box and meets Yan Jinhua face to face.
Yan Jinhua, who had jumped several times in a matter of seconds, was now limp, panting and unable to utter a single syllable.
He easily came back to his senses and inwardly screamed furiously, “The system! The system! What’s going on here?!”
There is a silence.
Yan Jinhua : “…… system?”
When did the system …… stop having sound?
Why is the warehouse greyed out? Why can’t I click on it?
Why?
As Yan Jinhua was frightened, a ray of transparent energy, which had been silently behind Chi Xiaochi since half a day ago, touched his lips and smiled silently and gently before fading away into nothingness.