CHAPTER 505: CHAPTER 505. INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRIAL

The next two weeks were filled with mock trials for the rebel leaders. These trials were only for shows. The verdicts were already predetermined. All of them received the death sentence.

Only a few well-known rebels were put on trial. The rest were tortured behind the scenes. They were forced to reveal all the names of those who were in allegiance with them. Most of the names were dead people’s identities because the First Demon Legion hit all the rebel bases at the same time. Any rebels who escaped the net were too minor to be a menace, but it didn’t mean the kingdom would let them go free. The names also included rebel accomplices who aided them for payment. These folks were targeted for punishment.

During the interrogation, Amon’s name was brought up as someone they suspected of possessing the Allure Beacon that caused Qishurg City’s destruction. However, no interrogator came for Amon. This was because Amon had already come clean when he provided the debrief. He informed everyone he again lied about the Allure Beacon to lure the rebels, just as he did when he was captured during his academic years.

The rebels were put to mass executions two weeks after they were brought in. The venue was at the plaza in front of the Grand Barrack. Luan Xuan was placed at the forefront. They were not gagged, but none of them said anything throughout the process because they no longer had tongues. All they could do was watch the masses who spectated them as the guillotine was brought down.

Luan Xuan’s eyes showed utmost unwillingness when it was his turn. He tried to utter something, but no one understood. Like Pan Xisheng, he received special treatment to be beheaded using the golden execution blade. Huang San was again the one who wielded the blade.

Huang San gave Luan Xuan time to futilely try to convey his message using his tongueless mouth. He was crying as he did that. The crowd laughed at his pathetic display. Huang San himself felt pity at the sight. Even a leader who inspired fear could be reduced to this when all his power was stripped. Such was the fate of a loser.

Out of pity, Huang San almost stepped back and requested someone to replace him as the executioner, but then he remembered the things the rebels had done. The cruelties they enacted on the kingdom soldiers or the Royal Academy students they captured. The destruction they had caused to Qishurg City and Fuxiang City. His sense of pity vanished then.

His gaze returned to its steely resolution, and his grip on the executioner blade’s hilt was firm again. He lifted the blade. With one swift and steady swing, he chopped Luan Xuan’s head off.

The sound of Luan Xuan’s head hitting the floor was like the bell telling the world that the Yellow Voice Rebels had officially ended.

*

One and a half weeks later, it was finally the day before the trial. All the participants were ordered to stay the night inside the palace. This was to ensure everyone was on time during the trial. By then, all the participants were finalized. All four parties received the final data of their opponents.

Amon arranged a final meeting with the chosen participants of Huang San’s team on that night. He was studying their opponent’s data.

There was no change to the Spirit Stage participants in Huang Zi, Huang Er, and Huang Zhan’s camps previously informed by Huang San. Amon was not too troubled about the Mystic Stage participants on the list. However, two of the names on the list drew his attention.

One was from Princess Huang Er’s camp. The name that caught his attention was Sima Fang. For a young Royal Academy graduate to climb into the list of the princess’ trusted personnel was not easy. Sima Fang must have made a significant contribution at the same level as he did for Prince Huang San to gain this privilege.

Another surprising thing about Sima Fang was she was registered as an Intermediate Mystic Stage cultivator, the same cultivation level as him. This established that she had almost the same cultivation speed as him. This fact surprised him more than the news that she was on the list. While he was aided by the Spring of Life and Aetherium Tree, what did she rely on to achieve such an impressive cultivation speed?

Her inclusion among Huang Er’s retinue reminded Amon of what Gao Tien said before his death. Gao Tien mentioned Princess Huang Er was accompanied by a young woman when they were recruited. Amon had a feeling the young woman Gao Tien mentioned was Sima Fang. If that was true, it meant Sima Fang should be the one responsible for the ploy that almost disrupted his plan.

During the weeks when the rebel captives were tortured, an investigation was also conducted on the seven corpses of the black-suited intruders. Amon suspected they were all kingdom soldiers like Gao Tien. However, Huang San mentioned that they couldn’t find any records of these people in the kingdom army registry. When Amon asked Huang San to search for data on Gao Tien, it was also not available. This proved how meticulous the culprit was in covering their tracks.

Now that Amon knew it was highly likely Sima Fang was the culprit, he didn’t find it surprising. He always knew the woman was cunning. She also had the advantage of being in the shadow. That advantage was gone now that Amon knew about her being in Princess Huang Er’s camp.

The second name on the list that surprised him was from Prince Huang Zhan’s camp. One of the listed names was Qing Lion.

"A tamed beast?" Amon asked Huang San, who gave him the list.

"Yes, that is Huang Zhan’s pet," Huang San confirmed.

Amon had met this Qing Lion before when Huang Zhan visited him outside Fort Fresh Maw. From its aura, Amon estimated it to be a lower mythical beast. The Qing Lion took one slot reserved for the Mystic Stage cultivators.

"Many officials are confused as well as to why Huang Zhan chose to bring his pet," Huang San said. "The Qing Lion might be better for battle situations, but having a cultivator companion inside the trial is better."

"Perhaps he is gearing more for a battle instead of solving the trial," Amon remarked.

"Encounters between parties are random inside the trial. There is even a chance that different parties never meet each other during the entire trial," Huang San said. "Seems like a waste to swap a cultivator with a tamed beast. Well, that brother of mine is an eccentric, after all. Most officials have grown to stop questioning his actions."

Amon put down the paper containing their opponent’s data. He looked at his own team. Thanks to Gao Clan’s aer stone contribution, they managed to have six members on their team. Xin Wuming, Yang Li, and Wu Di were there with Huang San and him, as he wished for. The sixth member was An Guan.

With six members, they managed to raise the bar for the Spirit Stage cultivator in their slots, from the Beginning Stage to the Intermediate Stage. Huang San was originally torn between choosing Xu Bao, An Guan, or Ha Gild. Xu Bao might have had better battle experience thanks to his service in the army, but the trial didn’t focus on combat situations. As for Ha Gild, his expertise was geared more toward nature and spirit beasts. After consulting Amon, they ultimately chose An Guan because he had better general knowledge of subjects outside combat.

"Are you sure our chance of meeting the other parties is small?" An Guan asked. "I’m not keen on that happening. I can’t protect you all if I must go up against multiple Spirit Stage opponents."

"Well, that’s the conclusion I get from reading the accounts from participants of the previous trials," Huang San said.

"The chances of different parties encountering one another depends on how long the parties stay inside the trial," Amon said. "Previous participants all stay for no longer than twenty days. That’s why the chance of encounter is small."

"Why do you sound like you know more about this trial than His Highness?" Wu Di asked.

"Yeah. I was about to ask that," Huang San added.

"That is my conclusion from the research I conducted for this trial," Amon answered.

"What research? Where do you find information about the trial?" Huang San asked. "Even the Royal Library possesses only a little information about the Ancient Ascension Trial, and the information mostly came from interviews with the previous surviving participants."

"Actually, the Royal Library contains quite a lot of information about the trials. The information is spread in multiple tomes discussing other subjects," Amon answered. "No one is aware because they fail to perceive the connection between the information."

"Huh? You spoke like you have read a lot of books in the Royal Library," Wu Di said.

"No way. The Royal Library is reserved for nobilities," An Guan said.

"Wait! Was that why you asked me to grant you weekly entry into the Royal Library?" Huang San said.

"He did?" Both An Guan and Wu Di asked.

"Yes. I took him to the Royal Library almost every week starting around three years ago," Huang San said. "I don’t know what he read in there, but he spent the entire day there until I picked him up."