The Hall of Justice, a sacred place where state affairs are carried out.
Though usually an impeccably holy and clean place, today the Hall of Justice was filled with an odd tension and chill.
The reason was none other than the arrival of Lord Bao, the incorruptible judge known as Bao Qingtian.
Bao Qingtian does not mete out mercy. While he does not impose harsh punishments arbitrarily, if someone is guilty of a capital offense, no matter their position—whether a high-ranking official, a close friend, family, or a woman—he executes the death penalty without exception.
And today, the prisoner he was to judge was none other than Sword Sage, Namgung Cheolbin.
“Huhk…!”
Shuffling footsteps.
A man, tied up and escorted by bailiffs, was dragged into the courtroom. It was Namgung Cheolbin, the Sword Sage. His crimes were so heinous that he deserved the death penalty not once, but a hundred times over. The spectators instinctively sensed that today there would be blood.
From head to toe, the man was deathly pale. The white clothes he wore were plain, devoid of any patterns—a simple white garment that complemented his ashen skin and white hair, evoking a peculiar awe.
However, one must not forget the dark nature and deeds hidden beneath this outward appearance of purity. Most of the audience were well-aware of the atrocities attributed to him and harbored no good feelings toward him. Among the spectators were also several martial artists, whose presence seemed out of place at the courthouse.
In creating an atmosphere of dread, nothing beats a chilling weapon, so even though the martial artists were unarmed due to courtroom regulations, their very presence was as sharp as a blade. Non-martial artists among the audience shivered with unease.
Of course, just because someone is a martial artist doesn’t mean they act rashly. Tales of the Sword Sage’s heroism were as widely known as his misdeeds. The Five Greatest Sect Leaders of the world, known as the Five Peaks, were also present under the guise of ensuring safety but avoided unnecessarily provoking the Sword Sage.
Though it could not be outright denied that the Sword Sage’s icy aura as he slowly entered the courtroom was overwhelming.
“For verification, let me confirm—Are you Namgung Cheolbin of the Namgung family?”
“That’s correct.”
“Very well. Today’s session is held to determine the truth of your crimes and to judge their severity. If the charges are proven false, you will be released without any penalty. However, if the charges are proven true, you could face the maximum penalty, which is the death sentence. Do you understand everything?”
Byul Rak nodded calmly. Upon hearing Bao Qingtian’s words, murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.
“What? False charges? Isn’t the trial just a formality before sentencing him to death?”
“Huh… Could the Sword Sage team up with the judge? Maybe he bribed officials to walk away unscathed?”
“Do you even see the judge’s stern face? He’s known as the Iron-Faced Judge.”
“If that’s the case, why would the Sword Sage agree to this trial?”
“I don’t know. But what’s clear is that the Sword Sage is no ordinary figure, be he a sage or a villain. He was once at the peak, so he must have some hidden strategy.”
The crowd was both hostile and wary of the Sword Sage. Though none had personal grievances with him, the notion of punishing evil and promoting good was powerful enough to incite their animosity.
“Is the complainant, Li Yuanfang of the Honored Sect, present?”
“Yes.”
“Then, since both parties are present, let us begin the trial.”
With Li Yuanfang’s confident response, Bao Qingtian solemnly opened the court proceedings.
The first matter they tackled was, naturally—
“Namgung Cheolbin, do you admit to the crimes of murder, adultery, theft, rape, assault, and practicing demonic martial arts that violate the rules of the martial world?”
“I swear, I’m guilty of none of these, unless it pertains to affairs of the martial world.”
“You mean there are some within the martial world that you admit to?”
“I’ve slain members of the Blood Cult or those who were less than human, following the martial creed of establishing justice through the sword. Legally, these acts are without fault.”
“If it’s an internal matter of the martial world, we will not concern ourselves. Yuanfang, do you have evidence to support the charges?”
“I do. I have both evidence and witnesses, all of whom can be summoned instantly.”
“Summon the witnesses first then. Bring forth the witnesses that Li Yuanfang has brought!”
As Bao Qingtian’s loud voice commanded, a line of bailiffs ushered the witnesses from the corner of the courthouse to the center. There were about thirty individuals.
“First, I shall confirm the identity of each witness. O Jiaxing, the eldest son of the O family from Sichuan, is that correct?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Lin Lixiang, the second daughter of the Lin family, is that correct?”
“Yes, I am Lin Lixiang.”
Bao Qingtian rigorously verified the identity of every witness, carefully cross-checking their residences, neighbors, and occupations.
Around twenty out of the thirty witnesses provided hesitant yet accurate answers, but ten gave incorrect responses and were dismissed by Bao Qingtian for having “unverified identities.”
Upon immediate objection from the Honored Sect claiming there was no legal issue, Bao Qingtian rejected their claims, stating that, as this was a matter of determining someone’s fate, even minor details could not be overlooked. The Honored Sect was silenced.
“O Jiaxing. What are you here to testify about Namgung Cheolbin?”
Lord Bao addressed a middle-aged man standing at the forefront.
“Yes, yes! While passing through the Hebei region, I sought rest at a cottage. There, I witnessed the Sword Sage raping a woman!”
The middle-aged man, called O Jiaxing, stammered nervously as he spoke.
“Please describe the situation accurately.”
“Eh… well, the woman was exceptionally beautiful. She had a husband present. But when I peeked through the crack in the door, I saw the husband with his neck pierced by a sword, pinned to the wall, dead. Beside him, the Sword Sage was raping the woman.”
“Are you certain the person was the Sword Sage?”
“Yes! It’s him! I remember his face vividly! His hair was very white!”
“But according to records, the Sword Sage had black hair during that period?”
“…”
“Hmm, let’s overlook that for now. Do you have evidence? Identifying information of the victims, or perhaps physical evidence? Is there anything that can prove what you’ve said? And one more thing—how is it that you, a commoner, survived peeking at a martial arts master? To my knowledge, these masters can sense the presence of someone from a hundred paces away.”
As he questioned sharply, Bao Qingtian glanced at the man standing beside him. His name was Wuming, a master of martial arts known in the world as Zhan Zhao.
“Yes, that’s correct. It’s unimaginable that the Sword Sage, one of the Five Great Peaks, wouldn’t sense a commoner. He likely spared you intentionally.”
“There’s some truth to that, but since the defendant is present, we must ask. Namgung Cheolbin, is everything the witness just said true?”
“It is false. I’ve neither seen nor met this person.”
“Hm… If there is no evidence from either side, the testimony carries no weight. O Jiaxing, do you have anything else to add?”
“Yes, yes? Um, well…”
Bao Qingtian’s unexpectedly lenient approach seemed to fluster the middle-aged man, who struggled to respond. Frustrated, the Honored Sect’s representative interjected.
“We do! Evidence!”
Bao Qingtian shifted his gaze slightly, raising an eyebrow.
“Bring it forward.”
As if waiting for this moment, the Honored Sect representative produced a sword. Engraved on the blade in large characters was the word ‘Namgong’.
“This was brought by O Jiaxing. It is the very sword the Sword Sage used to kill the man! Moreover, I know the identities of the victims! It’s the unsolved murder case at the Wuxiang Mountain near Hebei! The perpetrator was the Sword Sage! By comparing the records of the case back then, we can determine if this is true!”
“Wuxiang Mountain murders? Ah yes… The case where a young couple was found murdered in a cottage at the base of Wuxiang Mountain. Both had suffered grievous wounds, but no weapon was found nearby. Is this the one you’re referring to?”
“Exactly! It’s been preserved by O Jiaxing and presented to the court!”
The representative of the Honored Sect handed the sword over to the bailiffs, who then presented it to Bao Qingtian. The prominent ‘Namgong’ characters were unmistakable.
“Namgung Cheolbin, is this yours?”
“It’s a practice sword distributed by the Namgung estate. However, it is not mine. Most people here should know that the Sword Sage was known solely for wielding the Qingguang Precious Sword.”
“It is possible he used another weapon to cover his tracks.”
“I’ve never been to Wuxiang Mountain below. Ask for a specific date, not from the Honored Sect’s representative, but directly from O Jiaxing!”
“Me? M-me?”
The unexpected questioning threw O Jiaxing into a panic. The instructions given to him did mention a date, but the illiterate man, who wandered as a vagabond, couldn’t grasp the fine details.
“Er… well… that is…”
“It was a case from three years and seven months ago! An event recent enough for clear remembrance. Do not harass the criminal unnecessarily!”
Once again, the Honored Sect representative interjected. The Sword Sage frowned, questioning them.
“If it was then… I was at the opposite end of Hebei, in the province of Sichuan, hunting the remnants of the Blood Cult and a group of Jiangshi.”
Bao Qingtian neither agreed nor disagreed as he sharply pressed on.
“Can you prove this?”
“Proof… I believe it can be done, now.”
With a snap of his wrists, Namgung Cheolbin broke the ropes binding him and began rummaging through his robes. The bailiffs and martial artists, who had tensed at first, relaxed when they saw he was merely searching through his clothes.
Namgung Cheolbin revealed a book. He tore it open at the midpoint and split it into two parts, offering the latter half to the bailiffs.
“The item I just presented is a journal that I’ve maintained since four years ago. It was left behind during my expulsion from the Namgung Estate but was fortunately retrieved by my wife.”
Recalling the moment he found the journal, Namgung Cheolbin remembered discovering it when he noticed the swelling shape of Soeun Yu’s belly beneath the covers. Upon uncovering her clothing, he found the journal instead.
Subsequently, while reading, he uncovered details of Soeun Yu’s meticulous memory, realizing she had intentionally retrieved it to help him, despite her inability to later remember the event herself. Regardless of the details, the journal was now in his possession, providing the necessary evidence.
“Four years ago? Then where are the earlier pages?”
“These I cannot show. Broadly speaking… this concerns secrets of the martial world, so I trust you’ll understand.”
The risks of showing the diary from the time of the Scarlet Blood War, which could lead to numerous deaths being revealed, were significant. Byul Rak responded ambiguously.
“Thank you, wife.”
Of course, certain words relating to ‘regression’ also appear in the latter pages. However, having reviewed them thoroughly the night before, Byul Rak knew that the sections—presumably teared by Soeun Yu’s tears—were illegibly smudged, intentionally made unreadable in some places.
“Secrets of the martial world, huh… Very well. But how can we verify that this journal was written four years ago?”
“Judging by the condition of the paper, one can see that it’s aged. Even with just the ink’s dryness, it’s clear it wasn’t written recently. Furthermore, the specifics of that day’s events are accurately documented here.”
“Indeed, the paper’s worn condition suggests no intentional fabrication. Alright, I’ll accept this as evidence. The sword shall remain as evidence too. Next, the following witness can step forward.”
‘Tch! A journal, huh? He kept such records?’
The Honored Sect representative, sensing the trial was not proceeding as planned, became increasingly frustrated.
And…
‘…So Soeun Yu gave Cheolbin his journal? That means she was aware of its contents? Damn, is that why she’s been glaring at me like she wanted to kill me for the last few months? Surely not entirely for that reason, right? If it’s true, my reputation is ruined!’
The head of the Namgung family, watching all this from the audience, was slowly being overcome by creeping unease and frustration.
