Chapter 473: I Trust You (II)

The second case had occurred at the entrance to Demon Spider Forest, where more than a dozen people from small sects had witnessed it. It was impossible for all the witnesses to have colluded to frame him.

The Imperial Supervisory Bureau acquired a visual of the culprit by using Shadow of Radiance to make a recording of the culprit directly from the witnesses' souls, so there was no way it could be falsified.

Could someone have disguised themselves as me to commit the crime?

Chu Liang wondered inwardly.

But if it was just a simple illusion trick, it could not have escaped the Imperial Supervisory Bureau's detection.

In the world of immortality cultivators, it was not uncommon for there to be disputes over the ownership of valuable items. In fact, the disputes sometimes got so bad that people ended up dead. However, when the Yu Dynasty's reign began, the Yu Dynasty strictly forbade people from killing others to seize treasures. They could fight, but they could not use malicious methods to induce harm.

Chu Liang's cultivation level was clearly far above that of the three Red River Sect disciples. So, in a situation like this where it was claimed that Chu Liang had mercilessly killed three righteous sect disciples in front of witnesses, there was no doubt that he would be punished severely.

In the end, it all came down to one word—justice.

The immortal sects encouraged competition among their disciples. Nevertheless, they did not wish for their disciples to resort to unscrupulous methods and ruthless killings, plunging the world of immortality cultivators into the darkness that was the law of the jungle.

Therefore, the immortal sects had always supported the Yu Dynasty's policies and punished those whose actions were brutal and showed a blatant disregard for humanity. If it had not been for the pressure from the Yu Dynasty, how could the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals have so easily expelled a disciple as talented as Huo Tianya?

Six of the Red River Sect's members were dead, including the sect leader's wife and son, and the killer was suspected to be the same person. Naturally, the Red River Sect's leader found it hard to bear. However, he could not personally take revenge on a disciple of the Mount Shu Sect, so he had rushed to the Imperial Supervisory Bureau last night, crying for justice to be served.

The Red River Sect was one of the many sects that guarded the Myriad Poison Mountain from the outskirts of the mountain. Guarding the mountain was a laborious task that was of great merit to society, so both the Yu Dynasty and the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten had always treated these smaller sects with care and consideration. That meant these serious cases, which involved multiple murders, could be easily brushed aside.

"Furthermore, in the first case, one of the three victims was punched to death and the other two were killed using sword qi, specifically the sword qi of the Heaven-Raising Sword. These are combat tactics that Chu Liang uses regularly," Li Chengfeng said. Then he turned to Chu Liang and stated, "All the evidence points to you, so I must take you to stand on trial for these cases."

"No way!" Di Nufeng glared. "I know how you people are. You'll do whatever it takes to get a confession. My disciple is so well-behaved. What if you torture him and force him to confess? If you want to hold a trial, do it here at Mount Shu!"

"..." Li Chengfeng gave Di Nufeng a deep look before saying, "Big Sister Feng, he's your disciple. Who would even dare lay a hand on him,

hmm?

"

The Discipline Master spoke slowly. "There is no doubt he has been framed for the murders. As for how it was done, that requires some investigating to uncover. Our venerable sect leader is of the same opinion. Chu Liang... must not be harmed."

Those last four words carried a great weight.

After all, Chu Liang was far too important to the Mount Shu Sect. If he were simply a prodigy of the sect like Huo Tianya had been for his, a long-established immortal sect like the Mount Shu Sect might be willing to give him up for the sake of justice and maintaining appearances.

However, Chu Liang was connected to two major parts of the Mount Shu Sect, the Violet and Azure Twin Swords and the flourishing Red Cotton Peak—both of which were crucial to the Mount Shu Sect's future. The sect's higher-ups were convinced that it would not be long before Chu Liang became one of the pillars of the sect.

Yet, it was at this time that the Imperial Supervisory Bureau wanted Chu Liang to pay for his crimes of murder with his life. How could the Mount Shu Sect possibly accept this death sentence? Even if Chu Liang had indeed committed those crimes, they could not let him be harmed.

Chu Liang, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly spoke up. "It's fine."

Everyone's gaze immediately turned to him.

He stated calmly, "I definitely did not kill those people. That much I know for certain. But there are many suspicious points in these cases that I can't make sense of yet. I need to investigate them further before I can understand what exactly happened. However, Mount Shu stands for justice and righteousness, so I will go with you to the Imperial Supervisory Bureau to stand on trial. But I will only do it on two conditions."

"Name them," Li Chengfeng replied.

The young man before Li Chengfeng was merely a junior disciple, but his words carried remarkable weight, far heavier than that of the typical disciple of an immortal sect.

Chu Liang began, "Firstly, my esteemed teacher must be allowed to visit me at any time of the day to ensure my safety."

He was not familiar with how the Imperial Supervisory Bureau handled cases and what methods they used to resolve them. Nevertheless, they were still a government office of the imperial courts, which worked differently from immortal sects, so it was naturally difficult for him to place his trust in them.

Laws could technically be a pure representation of justice and righteousness because they were not living things, which in turn meant they were free from influence and bias. However, that was not the case for people, as they were alive.

In this era, government offices did not have sophisticated investigation methods. The normal process began with the detained getting thrown into a cell, after which they were given a severe beating. Even if a person claimed they were innocent, who would believe them unless they persisted with their claim even on the brink of death? The officers thought it was better to wrongfully convict a thousand people than to risk letting a criminal go and losing their job.

Luckily, Chu Liang had some backing; he was not an ordinary criminal. With his teacher and the Mount Shu Sect supporting him, his personal safety should be guaranteed.

Chu Liang continued, "Secondly, I hope my sect can participate in the investigation. Any evidence or clues should be shared with each other."

Li Chengfeng furrowed his brows slightly.

This was practically an insult to the Imperial Supervisory Bureau. It seemed that Chu Liang had no faith in the Imperial Supervisory Bureau's abilities or reputation.

Chu Liang quickly added, "I have complete trust in the Bureau's abilities and reputation. But since this concerns my life and death, I hope you will understand, Celestial Official Li."

The Discipline Master sneered, while Di Nufeng stared Li Chengfeng down with a scowl. If he did not agree now, it would seem like he was being unreasonable.

"

Haaa...

" Li Chengfeng sighed. "Fine. However, you can't have many people take part in the investigation. Just one person can come to the Bureau as a temporary officer. Is that acceptable?"

If he were to allow the entire Mount Shu Sect to go over and criticize and meddle in the affairs of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, it would be utterly humiliating.

"Good!" Di Nufeng stepped forward boldly. "I'll go. My cultivation level is high, and I'm quick-witted."

Chu Liang immediately looked alarmed, and he hurriedly said, "Esteemed Teacher, you should just visit me regularly. Let's leave this task to someone else."

My esteemed teacher, let's not trouble you with taking part in the investigation. When it comes time to break me out, I'll let you know, okay? You're more suited to committing crimes than solving them.

At that moment, Jiang Yuebai stepped forward with a determined gaze. "I'll go."

Chu Liang turned to look at her, and Jiang Yuebai met his eyes.

She said, "I trust you... so I will get to the bottom of these cases and clear your name."

The two gazed at each other, and the air seemed to grow still, with only the faint rustling of the breeze.

Chu Liang's lips slowly spread wide into a smile. "I trust you too."