Gao Wu Da Qin: You don't want your secret to be known, do you?

Chapter 168 Team Battle! Courtroom Action Begins! Qin Feng Dons His Classic Skin!

Three days passed in an instant.

Judgment Day finally arrived.

On this day, both the media in the human realm and the intelligence organizations in the immortal realm were on high alert.

All sorts of people attending the banquet have arrived.

Everyone knows that this is a lawsuit destined to affect the three realms.

The outcome of the lawsuit is a minor matter; the real issue lies in the struggle for the interests of the underworld, which will be determined in this case.

Therefore, the trial was held at the famous tourist attraction in the underworld – the Gate of Hell!

Strictly speaking, the Gates of Hell is not just a city wall or a city gate, but a fortified defensive stronghold of the underworld, where a huge army of ghost soldiers is stationed year-round.

Normally, after the souls of the dead cross the Bridge of No Return, they will receive a pass issued by Iron Mountain. This pass has a special name: "Road Pass".

When the souls of the dead who have obtained the pass pass through the Gates of Hell, they need to check whether they have the pass. If they do, they need to register a second time before entering the Road to the Underworld.

Once you cross the Yellow Springs Road and reach the River of Oblivion, you have truly entered the Underworld.

At this point, one can choose to survive in the underworld, or to compete and be given the chance to be reincarnated.

From the perspective of the underworld's territory, there is no doubt that Wuding River and Guimen Pass belong to the border regions, bitterly cold places, and barren lands where even birds don't bother to defecate.

The fact that the trial was ultimately held here reflects the worst-case scenario prepared by the sixteen government offices: if negotiations break down and Zhang Zhi'en chooses to perish with the heavens and earth, then so be it. After all, the Ghost Gate Pass and the Wuding River area are not closely related to our hinterland, so even if this place collapses completely, the underworld will not suffer fatal damage.

"Bring out the travel permit!"

"garrulous!"

"Zhang Beihai? You're Zhang Beihai?"

"It's me! Absolutely!"

"Go inside!"

Zhang Beihai strode into the gates of hell, following the map straight to the trial court.

Behind Zhang Beihai, a beautiful, baby-faced spirit followed closely, repeatedly saying, "Mr. Zhang, please slow down."

"What's with the slowness!" Zhang Beihai said. "We were already late; if we're any slower, we'll miss the court hearing!"

The beautiful soul with a baby face looks very familiar at first glance. Isn't this Ms. Jiayu, the former anchorwoman of Xianyang Evening News?

How did Miss Jiayu end up with Zhang Beihai?

Moreover, the two appeared to be wearing matching soul capes.

Inside the Gates of Hell, ghosts roam freely. Fortunately, ghosts have no physical form, so even a large number of them can crowd together. The only thing to be careful of is that powerful spirits can oppress weaker spirits. If you're not careful, it can cause a stampede, often resulting in the death of a large number of spirits.

Fortunately, Zhang Beihai and Miss Jiayu were protected by the Soul Coat and quickly arrived at the entrance of the courtroom.

After a rigorous body search, questioning, and verification, Zhang Beihai finally arrived at the family member's seat in the defendant's dock without any major incidents, just before the court hearing.

Before Zhang Beihai could even sit down, he noticed that there was already someone sitting in the huge family seating area.

A middle-aged man with a slovenly beard, his skin was dark reddish-brown, and his eyes shone brightly.

The seats for the defendants' families were occupied by the families of Zhang Zhi'en and Qin Feng. Considering that Zhang Zhi'en's case happened many years ago, and that his family members are mostly spirits, there could only be one person in front of such a handsome man.

Zhang Beihai smiled broadly, "I, Zhang, pay my respects to the All-Traveling Chef!"

Jia Yu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly lowered her head. "Greetings, Chef! Please forgive me."

The brother-in-law, Ming, glanced at Jia Yu and, unusually, uttered auspicious words, "This woman will bring good fortune to her husband!"

Zhang Beihai said with a forced smile, "Thank you for your comments, sir. We'll take a seat to the side!"

As they were talking, Zhang Beihai pulled Jia Yu to sit in a corner.

Jia Yu's palms were sweating with excitement. "Was that the Traveling Chef of the World? Wow, what a powerful aura! I really want to take a picture with him!"

"Are you fucking crazy!" Zhang Beihai said. "That's a chef, a ruthless person who chases after the Dragon King and eats slices of fresh dragon meat while he's chopping."

Jia Yu muttered, "Didn't the Master say that those above the fifth realm are not allowed to come?"

Zhang Beihai said, "Have you considered that he's here to carry out the Master's orders? So it's legal for him to bring a gun into the Underworld!"

Jiayu blinked. "What you said makes so much sense! Look, the defendant's dock across from us is full of familiar faces. Almost all the top players from the finals of the Jinghong competition are here, and there are many wearing masks! To see so many important figures at this trial, this trip was definitely worthwhile!"

"Say less," Zhang Beihai said. "Look, someone else is here! This soul looks familiar! It seems to be a visitor from Xianyang."

At the family seating area, two ghostly figures, one tall and one short, walked up to the kitchen, bowed, and said, "Fusu and his younger brother Huhai greet you, sir."

The cook smiled with satisfaction. "Please have a seat, young master!"

Not long after Fusu and Huhai sat down, a white-haired, aged spirit strolled over, cupped his hands in a bow, and said, "Zongheng Weizhuang greets Your Excellency!"

The cook looked at Wei Zhuang and said, "You have guts. To atone for the sins of your subordinates, you risked your life and almost perished. However, by sheer coincidence, you have touched the threshold of the tenth realm. Given time, you will break through to the ninth realm, Martial Saint, and enter the tenth realm, Land Immortal, before Gai Nie."

Wei Zhuang said, "Thank you for your praise, sir. I will take a seat."

The seats for the defendant's family members numbered over a hundred, but only a handful were seated at the moment.

Compared to the defendant's family seats, the plaintiff's family seats were already somewhat crowded. The sixteen champions were already quite a few people, and each person brought at least one or two attendants, which made the already limited number of seats even more crowded.

Some mysterious figures dressed in strange ceremonial robes spoke slowly.

Each of them wore a silver mask and a white sacrificial robe from the Zhou Dynasty. At first glance, they looked like temple priests, but their robes were more flowing than those of temple priests.

When these people entered, the plaintiffs' seats were already full.

They wanted to get one or two seats here, but the champions ahead of them wouldn't give them any.

"What are you looking at! Am I in your way by sitting here? I only have one subordinate, you wouldn't be trying to ask him for a position, would you? Seriously, you don't even give me, [God of War] Meng Yi, any respect?"

"Why are you looking at me like that? Although I brought three subordinates, they are all useful: a top lawyer from the Seven Kingdoms, an analyst, and a recorder. You don't expect me, the dignified champion of the Astounding Swan Tournament, to do something like record-keeping, do you? No way! I, [The Drunken Sword Immortal] Wang Xu, am notoriously lazy. If you don't believe me, go ask around in Xianyang. That's my reputation. Staring won't do any good! I never need to explain myself to anyone!"

"Why are you all looking at me? Do you all think I, Gongsun Shengxie, am easy to bully?! I'm sitting in the front row, center position, because I'm today's main debater! Without me, how would you debate with Qin Feng?! Looking at the whole room, the only one who hasn't lost to Qin Feng is me! You don't want my seat, do you?! Are you crazy? I'm the only one doing the work, and you want my seat? You come and do the work?"

At this moment, a mysterious masked figure in a white priestly robe couldn't hold back any longer and pointed at Gongsun Sheng, saying wickedly, "You have seven subordinates!"

Gongsun Sheng said wickedly, "Yes, my subordinates take up too many positions! But they are all my assistants. Without them, how would I and Qin Fengqian survive? Go, go, go! I need to familiarize myself with the case!"

The white-robed masked men reluctantly walked to the back row for a while, finally managing to make room for a few of the Zhou emperor's attendants in the corners, thus preventing them from standing awkwardly in place.

Time passed second by second. The huge central court was divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower. The top level was the seat of Houtu Niangniang, the lord of hell. Of course, Houtu Niangniang was no longer there, so the chief of the Xiezhi clan, an elderly but just divine beast king, usually sat there.

Below the chief of the Xie Zhi clan are sixteen positions, which are the heads of sixteen government departments.

Below that is the dueling arena, with the defendant on the left, the plaintiff on the right, and a huge hourglass in the middle. The sand in the hourglass begins to pour down rapidly, and in no more than half an hour, it will be time for the court to begin.

At this moment, people began to ascend the stage. The heads of the sixteen government departments, each with a somber expression, walked up one by one. None of these guys looked too good.

It seemed as if they were the ones being judged.

In the plaintiff's seat, three souls dressed in prison uniforms were locked inside. Clearly, they were the three neighbors killed by Zhang Zhi'en.

Zhang Zhi'en was also brought up to the defendant's seat. She appeared very calm, and her complexion was much better than it had been a few days ago.

As the sand in the hourglass dwindled and important officials took their places, only the chief judge, the chief of the Xie Zhi clan, and the plaintiff's lead defense lawyer, Qin Feng, were left to be appointed.

"Did Qin Feng run away?"

"I think it's possible!"

"Let's wait a bit longer. Qin Feng likes to cause trouble; he'll definitely be the last one to come out!"

"Now that Qin Feng has issued the challenge, he won't run away halfway. Otherwise, what will become of Master's reputation!"

While everyone was whispering amongst themselves, Gongsun Shengxie, Qin Feng's main opponent and the plaintiff, remained calm. He even unhurriedly addressed the disciples and assistants around him, saying, "See? A mature debater will try to manipulate your mentality before the debate even begins! You should learn from him. Although Qin Feng is only a strategist, he is more of a psychological warfare expert!"

The renowned junior disciples around him nodded in agreement, "Senior brother is absolutely right!"

Just then, a beam of black light appeared, revealing a divine beast over ten feet long, with a single horn resembling an ox and the body of a Qilin, emitting a soft black light as it emerged from outside the door.

The entire audience stood up, even the spectators, and bowed to the mythical beast.

This mythical beast is very old, especially its eyebrows. The white eyebrows, like those of a person, extend more than ten feet long, resembling two ribbons fluttering around its body.

The longer a Xie Zhi lives, the more cases it judges and the more experience it gains.

Their eyebrows are like personal badges of honor, a part of proving their strength.

The chief of the Xiezhi clan kowtowed to the main seat of the Empress Houtu, and then walked to the side seat next to the Empress Houtu's seat and sat down.

The chieftain of the Xie Zhi clan, his eyes gleaming, swept over the crowd before his gaze settled on the funnel. "In the last ten breaths, if the defense lawyer, Qin Feng, cannot be present, it will be considered a tacit acceptance that Zhang Zhi'en has lost the case."

The entire venue was packed with tens of thousands of people, not including the hundreds of thousands watching the live broadcast from outside, all waiting in anticipation.

"Ten seconds!"

"Five seconds!"

"Three seconds!"

"It's too late! Qin Feng has lost the case!"

At the very last second, a cheerful laugh rang out, "Sorry, sorry, I'm late!"

A golden light shot in and hovered in mid-air.

The newcomer, dressed in a white shirt, military trousers, and combat boots, greeted him with a broad smile and elegant bow, "Qin Feng greets Lord Xie Zhi, the Grand Judge of the Underworld!"

The way everyone looked at Qin Feng was filled with complex emotions.

Gongsun Shengxie, who was used to Qin Feng's outrageous antics, just smiled slightly. This bastard was still as outrageous as ever, and he had even changed into the classic mortal skin. It seemed like there was going to be a hysterical battle today!

However, some of the guys who were meeting Qin Feng for the first time—those mysterious beings in silver masks and white priestly robes—were quite displeased with him.

In the plaintiff's seat, Hu Hai excitedly embraced Fusu, exclaiming, "Brother, my husband is here! He's here!"

Fusu patted Huhai on the head, "Quiet!"

The mythical beast, Xie Zhi, surveyed its surroundings and spoke in a steady, aged voice, "Now that the defendant and plaintiff are in place, please take your seats and prepare for the court session!"

"promise!"

Qin Feng returned to his position as the defense attorney, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Zhi'en, and the two exchanged a knowing smile.

The mythical beast Xie Zhi raised its paw and placed it on the legal code on the table. "In the name of the Earth Goddess, the final judgment hearing for the Seventh Generation Noble Zhang Zhi'en will be held. Regardless of the outcome of this trial, the grievances between the plaintiff and the defendant will be concluded. Do either side have anything to say?"

The three plaintiffs said in unison, "We obey the Chief Justice's decree."

The defendant, Zhang Zhi'en, said, "Zhang Zhi'en, a noble person of seven generations, obeys Your Majesty's decree!"

Xie Zhi said, "Now, please have the plaintiff's lawyer come out and introduce the case."

Gongsun Shengxie's eyes gleamed as he strode out.

Strangely enough, Qin Feng also stepped out from opposite Gongsun Shengxie.

This left everyone in the audience stunned.

The Xie Zhi (a mythical beast) was supposed to have the plaintiff come out and explain the case, so why did you, Qin Feng, show up? Were you drunk yesterday?

However, Gongsun Shengxie, Qin Feng's old rival, remained calm and said indifferently, "Mr. Qin, return to your seat. Now it's the plaintiff's turn to present the case!"

Qin Feng looked at Gongsun Shengxie, "I think I'm the plaintiff!"

Gongsun Sheng retorted wickedly, "Who is the plaintiff? The case file is already irrefutable evidence! What do you mean? Are you trying to overturn the previous seven rounds of criminal proceedings? Are you saying that the defendant and plaintiff were mixed up in the previous seven rounds of disputes? Where do you place the dignity of the underworld's justice?!"

Qin Feng looked at Gongsun Shengxie, rolled up his white shirt sleeve with one hand, and laughed, "Don't flatter me! Since this is the final verdict, it means we can start over!"

"There are cases where the final judgment has been overturned. During the reign of King Wu Ding, Fu Hao entered the underworld. Fu Hao was a queen consort of the Shang Dynasty, a woman who fought throughout her life and was considered the goddess of war of the Shang Dynasty!"

"However, the Rong tribe accused her of indiscriminate killing of innocent people. After five rounds of investigation, the final verdict was overturned and a new verdict was issued. Fu Hao became the plaintiff and the Rong tribe became the defendant."

"And the judge of the underworld who judged Fu Hao is the father of the current judge!"

"Your Honor, am I telling the truth?"

In response to Qin Feng's words, Xie Zhi said, "This is true."

Gongsun Shengxie looked at Qin Feng, who was a few feet away, and said, "As long as you win the case, what difference does it make whether you're the plaintiff or the defendant? Was it really necessary to pull this stunt right from the start?"

"That's a big difference." Qin Feng smiled at Gongsun Shengxie. "The plaintiff is the weaker party whose interests have been infringed, while the defendant is the stronger party who is the villain. Even if the defendant wins in the end, the result is just a draw, which means that my employer did not commit any crime."

"But if I were the plaintiff, and you were ultimately found guilty, then the outcome would be different, meaning I would be the victim."

"Whoever gets the plaintiff's case, in a sense, can sit on the moral high ground while simultaneously venting their frustrations!"

"If you cannot prove that your employer is the defendant, please step aside now. I am about to introduce the case."

Gongsun Shengxie was not about to back down. "There's not much to explain about the case; everyone here knows! Let's skip the preamble about who's the defendant and who's the plaintiff, and go into the main hall for a one-on-one duel!"

Qin Feng laughed out loud, "You've become smarter. When you find it difficult, you skip this stage directly."

Gongsun Sheng said wickedly, "The laws of reincarnation of the Earth Goddess are not something you alone study; I know them by heart! I remember one of the rules of the Earth Goddess is that if there are enough people who know the facts of the case, this stage can be skipped in order to improve the efficiency of the trial, right, Your Honor!"

The Xie Zhi said, "This is true."

Gongsun Shengxie looked at Qin Feng smugly, "Let's get down to business! Young hero Qin Feng!"

Qin Feng smiled and said, "Alright, let's get down to business. Your employer believes Zhang Zhi'en killed them. Does he have any evidence?"

Gongsun Sheng said wickedly, "Evidence? The person is right here, and has been dead for so many years. Isn't that the best evidence?"

Qin Feng shook his head, then took out a piece of paper from the table behind him. "These past two days, I went to the mortal world, to the hometown of the plaintiff and defendant, which is also my hometown, Longcheng. I went to the local hospital and investigated their relevant medical records."

"According to the intelligence I've obtained, your three families have a history of hereditary acute heart disease!"

"Therefore, I now suspect that the three of them were not killed by Zhang Zhi'en."

"Instead, when Zhang picked up a knife and happened to walk into their house, he threatened the three of them to confess to killing Zhang Zhi'en's mother. At that moment, the three of them suffered a heart attack and died."

"The three of them would think that Zhang killed them, but it was actually a misunderstanding."

Upon hearing this, the three plaintiffs retorted, "Nonsense! There's no hereditary heart disease in our family, don't try that on me!"

Gongsun Shengxie's gaze swept fiercely over the three of them, and they all lowered their heads.

Gongsun Shengxie turned around, took Qin Feng's medical record, and examined it carefully. "This medical record is from the mortal realm. Will evidence from the mortal realm be effective in the underworld?"

Qin Feng said, "If evidence from the mortal realm doesn't count as evidence in the underworld, then how can their words in the underworld verify actions in the mortal realm? They're saying Zhang killed them, but does that statement still define Zhang's actions in the mortal realm? I can say their words apply to the underworld, not the mortal realm, and that Zhang Zhi'en didn't kill them!"

Gongsun Shengxie, sensing Qin Feng's sharp and assertive words, smiled faintly, employing a strategy of retreating to advance, "Fine, even if the evidence is valid, you can prove that the three of them suffer from hereditary mental illness! But young hero Qin Feng, please tell me, how can you be so sure that the three of them had a sudden attack of their illness the very day Zhang arrived at their house? As far as I know, a sudden heart attack can cause brief fluctuations in heartbeat and pulse, something your employer Zhang Zhi'en never mentioned! He only said that he killed three people! The knife truly struck their necks and hearts! This is a fact that Zhang himself admitted!"

Qin Feng said, "Yes, he admitted it himself. What I'm trying to say is that the three of them were already dead before Zhang's knife fell! Zhang never killed them; they died of natural causes. Zhang was at most just finishing them off!"

"As for why Zhang didn't mention the unusual symptoms of the three patients, it's simple: because he's a patient himself."

Qin Feng then produced another medical record and addressed the people around him, "This is a family medical record I got from Longcheng Hospital. Zhang's ancestors had a history of mental illness spanning three generations. Once they become agitated or excited, they lose self-control, thus losing their ability to observe those around them, and may even experience brief periods of confusion and dizziness!"

"Excuse me, how could someone so emotionally charged, with a history of mental illness, possibly be paying attention to the micro-expressions of their opponent or enemy at that crucial moment?"

"Even if you notice it, it could still be an enemy in disguise!"

"We have always firmly believed that Zhang Zhi'en did not kill anyone; he simply conducted a failed negotiation in a radical and irrational manner."

These words caused an uproar in the room.

For a moment, everyone was stunned, and the audience below the stage kept discussing.

"Wait! My head's spinning. What's going on? How did Zhang become innocent?"

"I...I'm impressed. Is this the ultimate diplomatic skill? That mouth is too ruthless."

"If Zhang Zhi'en's attack was just a coincidence, then it wouldn't be considered murder. All of Zhang's cases would be excused, and then Qin Feng would take the opportunity to pursue and attack her, demanding a series of compensations."

"Gongsun Shengxie isn't going to lose, is he?! Good heavens, you're already being outmaneuvered by Qin Feng at the very beginning! How are you going to survive in the Underworld? You're supposed to be the future Lord of Hell!"

In the plaintiff's family section, several men in silver masks and white robes were getting restless. However, Zhou's voice came from the side, "Don't worry, Mr. Gongsun, I have a brilliant plan."

Sure enough, the moment those words were spoken, Gongsun Sheng chuckled.

Gongsun Shengxie walked up to Qin Feng, looked at him, and clapped his hands, saying, "I must say, since our last meeting, your eloquence has not only not deteriorated, but has improved considerably. However, Qin Feng, you are destined to lose today! Bring up the witnesses!"

From the audience, however, they saw the spirit of an elderly woman being brought up.

Gongsun Shengxie walked to the old woman's spirit side and said with a smile, "Let me introduce you all. This is the dean of Longcheng, who passed away last night and has come to the underworld."

"Old Dean, could you tell me how Qin Feng got those two medical records?"

The old woman looked at Qin Feng and said tremblingly, "That day, someone slipped me money and asked me to help alter a few medical records, so I did as they asked."

These words caused an uproar in the room.

"Qin Feng, you fabricated evidence!"

"Damn it! Qin Feng, you're so despicable! You actually fabricated evidence just to win!"

"Qin Feng is unfit to adjudicate; remove him from the stage!"

Gongsun Shengxie looked at Qin Feng smugly and said leisurely, "Young Master Qin, do you have anything else to say?"

Qin Feng calmly surveyed the scene before him and uttered a single, understated sentence, "If the bribery is established, the perjury is naturally invalid. But how can you prove that I accepted the bribe?"

Gongsun Sheng asked the old woman with a wicked smile, "How much money did he give you?"

The old woman said, "99900!"

Gongsun Shengxie narrowed his eyes and said, "According to the laws of the Qin Dynasty, a gift exceeding one thousand is considered bribery! Qin Feng, do you have anything to say?"

Qin Feng looked at his wife and asked, "How did you receive 99900?"

The old woman said, "I divided the money into a hundred envelopes and put them in various places. Yesterday, I fell and died because I climbed up to get the money from the envelopes."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Shengxie panicked and turned to look at his wife, "Didn't you tell me it was 100,000? You didn't tell me it was in 100 envelopes for you!"

The old woman said, "99900 is about the same as 100,000, so I'll just say 100,000. As for the hundred envelopes, you don't know how he gave them to me! You just ask me if I took a bribe and altered the medical records."

"I'll boil it!" Gongsun Shengxie slammed his hand on the table.

Qin Feng, standing beside him, spoke softly, "Only gifts over a thousand yuan count as bribes. I gave you 999 yuan, one yuan short. Go ahead and sue me! Aren't you angry?!"

Gongsun Shengxie gritted his teeth and said, "Don't be so smug! You gave out red envelopes indiscriminately, which led to her death. You're guilty too! We can say you fabricated evidence!"

Qin Feng smiled warmly, "Who told you I was the one who gave the gift? Please, old woman, did you see the red envelope I dropped?"

Gongsun Shengxie looked at the old woman and said, "Speak! Tell the truth! No one can lie in front of Lord Xiezhi! Tell the truth, did he give you the red envelope?"

The old woman lowered her head and said, "I... I don't know who gave me the red envelope. For me, altering medical records is very simple, there's basically no difficulty involved. Besides, it's the medical records of someone who died many years ago. I just did it without investigating the other party's identity. But every time I receive an envelope, I see some special symbols on the back. Some are a horizontal line, some are a left-falling stroke, some are a dot, and there are also exclamation marks."

Gongsun Sheng asked wickedly, "Do those symbols, when combined, form handwriting?"

"Yes!" The old woman took out a piece of paper. "Sir, you can assemble it yourself. I can't understand it either."

Gongsun Shengxie looked at the symbols on it and stitched them together little by little, and one character after another appeared on the public screen.

"Moon, birth, buy, teeth, bribe..."

Qin Feng looked at the symbols and smiled leisurely, "This word puzzle is so simple, yet you spent so much time on it!"

"Hey bro, let me help you put it together!"

Qin Feng waved his hand and clapped his hands, and a line of writing appeared in front of him.

"Gongsun Shengxie, please help me."

These words immediately caused an uproar among those present.

"Isn't this line supposed to be evidence of Qin Feng's bribery? How did it turn into Gongsun Shengxie's letter seeking help? Was it Gongsun Shengxie who offered the bribe?"

"Wait a minute, this plot twist is too fast! I'm a little confused about who the hell is offering the bribe!"

"If the bribery charge is proven false, then Qin Feng's evidence is valid! That's bad news!"

A major update of 7,000 words!

(End of this chapter)

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