Rebel: The Inheritance System

Chapter 57 - The Trial

While I could hear Judge Tang and Judge Cui munching, they munched soft enough that no one else could hear their munching. However, everyone could see that they were taking out some white things from the big bowl and eating.

Since we've been walking around the town in our official uniforms, everyone knew that we were the judges from the capital and nobody dared to scold us, but we could clearly see their frustrated frowns. Of course, no human would care about the glares that insects gave them and cultivators who had longer lifespan and were more powerful than ordinary people, viewed ordinary people as lower beings.

Judge Cui and Judge Tang are both powerful cultivators, strong enough to roam the continent without worries and are now the people with the most authority in this town. Obviously they are not going to give a hoot about how the people viewed them.

Sometimes I wonder how such people, who are detached from the rest of humanity, can deliver proper justice, yet I recall that only people who are not related to the case and have no personal interests can be objective. On Earth, a judge who has a vested interest in a case needs to withdraw himself from the case or there will be grounds for a retrial as there will be a conflict of interests.

At first, Director Ling was annoyed when he saw Judge Cui and Judge Tang eating happily while watching the parents cry, but he quickly became happy because he realised that the Ku brothers are the ones who will receive the short end of the stick if the judges just watch nonchalantly. He thought that we would interfere with the magistrate and even if we did, he would not be able to do anything besides travel to the capital and lodge a complaint against us which would take months.

Not to mention that he also found out that it would probably be a useless complaint, since the governor is my father. He believed the worse that would happen is probably me being sacked and maybe, I would get a couple of smacks on my butt at home.

"Tell me the truth! Where were you on the night of the fire!" Magistrate Dong says fiercely once the Ku brothers are flogged ten times each.

The Ku brothers are already in tears after being flogged ten times and could not answer the magistrate, so the magistrate gave another order.

"Slap them again to wake them up!"

*PAK* *PAK*

The constable gives them each a loud slap to wake them up.

"Ahhh! Stop beating me! We were watching the ministry being burned." Ku De Ren couldn't stand the beatings anymore and admitted that they were at the scene.

Director Ling hears that and gets excited and he shouts "They were the ones who burned my ministry! Give them the death sentence! Make the Ku family build me a new ministry!"

Just then, a loud yell from outside the courtroom was heard.

"How dare you slander my Ku family! We were not the ones who burned your ministry to the ground!"

Judge Cui and Judge Tang stop munching at this moment as we could all sense qi from the voice.

Soon, the crowd gave way and an old man slowly walked into the courtroom. He was using a walking stick but we could clearly see that he was in perfect health, and I heard Judge Tang mutter softly "A hidden weapon..."

The old man soon stood in front of us, without any intention of greeting anyone but before he could say anything, Judge Cui's voice thundered out.

"A mere core formation dares to be unruly here?" Judge Cui tone was nonchalant, as if talking to himself, yet his thundering voice almost made all of the townsfolk kneel down in fear. Director Ling almost fell backwards and the old man staggered a few steps backwards.

My heart was beating fast, and I was a little afraid. My arms shivered a bit but I quickly calmed down as I knew that Judge Cui was my ally, and not my enemy.

The old man quickly regained his composure and made a bow towards us.

"Old Ku greets the esteemed lords. I apologise for my rudeness earlier as I was not aware that you were here." The old man introduced himself.

I take a glance at Judge Cui and Judge Tang and they were munching happily on the popcorn again, ignoring Old Ku. The old man awkwardly remained in a bowed posture and after a minute, he realises what was wrong and bowed to the magistrate.

"Old Ku greets Magistrate Dong, I rushed here after I heard my grandsons were arrested but I overheard Ling Zi Xiang slanderous words and got angry, please forgive Old Ku." The old man addresses Magistrate Dong.

"Patriarch Ku, there's no need to be so formal. Men, grab a chair for Patriarch Ku!" Magistrate Dong quickly orders his men. It seems like Patriarch Ku has some power over this town. Director Ling lets out a "Hummph" as he watches Patriarch Ku gets seated in his chair.

The townsfolk are confused at what just happened. Having no knowledge of cultivators, they believed that the loud shouts were some powerful martial art and that core formation is a ranking of martial artists.

Still, some of the townsfolk were awed by the power that was demonstrated and I could hear some of the people said that they are going to sign up for martial arts classes the next day.

Once Patriarch Ku is seated, he looks at his grandsons and lets out a sigh. He is obviously saddened by the state of his grandchild right now, who had just been flogged and slapped, but he knows that this is how the courts operate and do nothing to prevent it.

"Let us continue the trial. Ku De Hua, Ku De Ren, why were the two of you watching the Ministry of Rites burn that night? All the townsfolk who came to watch the fire joined us in trying to extinguish the flames that night, why did you not join us in trying to extinguish the flames?"

Ku De Hua who still had a rebellious streak in him started laughing. "HA HA HA HA. Help you put out the fires?"

*Ptui* he spits out some blood on the blood.

"Who in their right minds would help this Ling Zi Xiang save his dirty Ministry. His niece killed my brother and yet he got her a cushy job in the Ministry of Rites, even when she is obviously unqualified for the post!"

"Such a dirty place can only be cleansed by fire! Me and my brother were watching the building burn and we even brought some fireworks and wine to celebrate the burning of the building!" Ku De Hua laughs as he mocks Director Ling and is exhilarated by the ugly face that Director Ling is making right now.

"Look! He just admitted that he was the one who set fire to my ministry! Give the order to execute them right now!" Director Ling shouts angrily.

"Nooo! We did not start the fire! We were only watching!" Ku De Ren shouts and cries in protest.

"Hmph! You don't even seem to understand simple words. When did I ever say that we started the fire! Magistrate, there is nothing wrong with watching the ministry burn nor celebrating it being burned is there?!" Ku De Hua says as he sports a bloody grin. He seems to be more courageous as his grandfather is watching them right now.