Chapter 308: Public Trial

Chapter 308: Public Hearing

It was still the main hall of Wusheng Hall from yesterday.

However, today's gathering was more comprehensive.

Almost all the Hall Masters and Deputy Hall Masters from the twelve halls were present, except for those who were truly absent from Wusheng Hall or had passed away.

Yet, many present were still unclear about the situation.

The drum in the drum tower of Wusheng Hall is called the Resonant Drum.

The Resonant Drum doesn’t need a heavy hand to strike it; once struck, it will surely stir up Wusheng Hall.

Therefore, unless faced with a major disaster, this drum would never be struck lightly.

For a moment, many felt uneasy.

And when someone noticed Su Mo sitting there, their hearts skipped a beat.

When Su Mo visited yesterday, he was polite.

But that very night, Wu Yong was dead.

Now, on his second day, the long-silent Resonant Drum sounded again.

If there were no reasons behind this, no one would believe it.

Immediately, many turned to Li Zhongming at the head, only to find him frowning deeply.

Perhaps feeling all eyes on him, he coughed and said:

"Since everyone’s here, Deputy Hall Master Deng...

"Please explain what’s going on?"

He wasn’t in a good mood.

Last night, Wu Yong died mysteriously, and Xing Lan clashed with Su Mo.

Both incidents could affect the wedding in two days.

However, Wu Yong’s case took a turn last night when the young miss suddenly appeared, bringing a new twist.

This greatly relieved Li Zhongming, letting him sleep soundly.

But this morning, he woke to news that Xing Lan had gone to see Su Mo again...

This ruined Li Zhongming’s good morning mood.

Fortunately, this time Xing Lan had no proof and was driven out by Su Mo.

In Li Zhongming’s view, the beating was too light.

Eastern Wasteland's Number One is too mild; if it were him, he’d have wanted to chop Xing Lan to pieces.

Of course, this was just a thought, a way to vent.

If Su Mo had killed Xing Lan, his son’s marriage to the young miss would likely face complications.

This situation is just perfect as it is.

But who would have thought, as one wave subsides, another rises...

Shortly after Xing Lan's visit, he turned around and headed to the Tenth Hall.

Isn't this just causing trouble out of nowhere?

Upon receiving the news, Li Zhongming felt his vision blur.

While he was still deciding whether to go, he received another message: Su Mo was also on his way to the Tenth Hall, carrying a corpse.

This left him no choice but to go.

But before he could arrive, the drum had already echoed through Wusheng Hall.

Li Zhongming was nearly speechless...

What's happening here?

All I want is for my son to get married. Why is everyone making things so hard for me?

At that moment, sitting in the great hall, Li Zhongming felt completely drained.

As he spoke, he was devoid of energy, and after finishing, he leaned back, prepared to see what these people were planning.

Hearing this, Deng Fengbai immediately stood up and clasped his hands towards the crowd:

"Everyone, I sincerely apologize.

"There's a reason we summoned you all with the drum.

"But now, we're still missing one person..."

He paused, then looked up at Li Zhongming:

"Hall Master Li, please go to the back mountain and bring the hall master here."

"What?"

Li Zhongming frowned slightly, puzzled, when someone approached from behind and whispered something in his ear.

Instantly, Li Zhongming's eyes widened in shock.

"What did you say?"

He turned back, astonished, thinking he must have misheard.

When he turned back, his gaze at Deng Fengbai became unreadable. He pondered for a moment, then glanced at Su Mo and forced a smile:

"Chief Escort Su, could there be some misunderstanding here?"

Su Mo smiled: "Hall Master Li, what misunderstanding do you mean? As it stands, no matter what we discuss, nothing has been finalized."

"Hall Master Deng isn't mistaken. Since the matter involves the hall master, Wusheng Hall naturally can't treat it lightly."

"Therefore, I, Su Mo, also agree with Hall Master Deng's proposal to gather everyone here for a public trial of the assassin."

"But I wonder, what is the misunderstanding that Hall Master Li is referring to?"

"Hmm..."

Li Zhongming was briefly speechless. Currently, Su Mo hadn't accused anyone; he was simply seeking the truth.

It was Deng Fengbai who had suggested gathering everyone.

He shot a quick glare at Deng Fengbai before speaking:

"Regardless, since the incident occurred within our Wusheng Hall's territory, Wusheng Hall is undoubtedly responsible.

"In that case, let's bring the person in."

Now that he knew the details, he realized there was no other option.

The only way forward was to resolve the issue.

Moreover, whether it was Wu Yong or the matters of the Tenth Hall,

the most crucial point was that the hall master must remain unharmed.

If anything happened to the hall master, the wedding would be called off.

He seized the moment before the assassin arrived to brief everyone on the day's events.

Only then did everyone grasp what had transpired.

For a moment, gasps echoed through the hall.

Su Mo observed everyone's reactions.

At that moment, the Qilin Swordsman, with Zhen Xiaoxiao and Hu Sandao in tow, brought in Ding Wugong and the assassin.

All eyes turned to them, each person's expression a mix of emotions.

The Qilin Swordsman sat down with authority, flicked his sleeve, and addressed the assassin:

"You must be someone special; the alarm drum was rung for you.

"Now everyone in Wusheng Hall, whether they belong here or not, has gathered. Speak your mind in front of everyone.

"Make it clear, and Chief Escort Su might end you right here, giving you a swift death.

"If you're vague and start making baseless accusations... well, regardless of Chief Escort Su's methods, Wusheng Hall will make you regret being alive."

The assassin stood there, looked around, and gave a faint smile:

"Haven't I already said what I needed to say?

"The one who ordered me to kill Ding Wugong was none other than Wusheng Hall's hall master... Wan Yutang!!"

"Bullshit!"

Though they had heard it from Li Zhongming earlier and were somewhat prepared, hearing it firsthand still caused some to slam the table in fury.

Others pointed fingers:

"How dare you! Who do you think our Wusheng Hall's hall master is? How can you spout such lies?"

"Slander?"

The man shook his head lightly: "The truth has come out, and I am certain to die. Now, all I want is a swift death. Why would I slander others?"

A dying man's words are kind; a dying bird's song is mournful.

Now that he accepts his certain death, it makes sense that he has no reason to slander others.

However, without evidence, his kind words still don't convince anyone.

Right away, someone stood up—it was Duan Qinghen, the Eighth Hall Master.

He looked at the assassin and said coldly:

"Alright, since you say the hall master ordered you.

"Then tell me, why would the hall master want to kill Ding Wugong?"

"Naturally, because the hall master didn't want him to spill the wrong information."

The assassin looked at Ding Wugong: "Many of you likely don't know that Wusheng Hall has a secret hall in addition to the twelve halls.

"Ding Wugong comes from there.

"In Wusheng Hall, everyone calls Ding Wugong the hall's lapdog.

"Trained specifically to handle the hall's dirty, hidden tasks...

"While not entirely true, it's not all lies.

"To be exact, Ding Wugong doesn't do dirty work for Wusheng Hall—he does it for the hall master!"

"A secret hall?"

Right away, some people looked uneasy, and whispers spread.

But the assassin didn't give them time to process this.

He went on:

"This time, the dirty job Ding Wugong did for the hall master was to take care of Chief Escort Su.

"But he failed and was caught by Chief Escort Su.

"He was taken to Wusheng Hall to face Ren Xiongfei.

"Ren Xiongfei had no idea about this.

"If they faced off, Ding Wugong would be silenced by Ren Xiongfei.

"The hall master worried that Ding Wugong might slip up and reveal everything.

"If Chief Escort Su discovered that Wan Yutang had ordered Ding Wugong to poison Deputy Chief Escort Yang...

"How could our hall master survive that?

"So, he decided to eliminate Ding Wugong.

"Last night, Wu Yong, the Fourth Hall Master, was tragically killed in his bedroom."

Xing Lan received the news and believed it was the work of the Tenth Palace.

Since Chief Escort Su was involved, he naturally wanted to see what was happening.

This was the perfect chance to eliminate Ding Wugong.

And from the moment Chief Escort Su broke the door until he left his residence to go to the Tenth Palace, there was a brief window.

To quickly disguise as a carpenter and fool both the guiding disciple and other carpenters—only the hall master's order could make it possible to plant an assassin among them.

With that, the assassin fell silent, his words hanging in the air.

Yet, uneasy glances filled the hall.

Simply piecing together the assassin's words, it was clear that Wan Yutang controlled the Shadow Hall and had ordered Ding Wugong to harm Su Mo.

With Su Mo now at Wusheng Hall, Wan Yutang, fearing a leak, ordered Ding Wugong's assassination.

Viewed this way, the story holds up.

Yet, despite the explanation, doubts lingered among the crowd.

Then, a middle-aged man sitting in the second seat from the left softly spoke:

"That's complete nonsense."

The assassin raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"

"Are you Bei Changzhi?"

Bei Changzhi did not look at him but glanced at Su Mo, clasping his hands slightly:

"Chief Escort Su, this man is speaking nonsense. His words make no sense at all. I hope Chief Escort Su can discern the truth."

"Hmm... Greetings, Palace Master Bei."

Su Mo returned the salute and then spoke:

"However, when I listened to what he said, it seemed quite reasonable.

"I wonder why Palace Master Bei says otherwise?"

"Chief Escort Su is the foremost figure in Donghuang, with wisdom and martial arts both ranking first in the world.

"It's not hard to see that there is a crucial point he has never mentioned in his speech."

"Hmm? I would like to hear more about it."

"The reason."

Bei Changzhi stood up, glanced at the assassin, and then said:

"You keep saying that our Wusheng Hall's Grand Hall Master wants to harm Chief Escort Su.

"But I want to ask you, our Wusheng Hall dominates one region and holds its ground firmly.

"Chief Escort Su has friends all over the world and his heroic name resounds throughout Donghuang.

We don't have any enmity between us, nor do we have much of a connection."

He paused slightly, then bowed respectfully towards the back mountain: "Then why on earth would our Wan Hall Master want to kill Chief Escort Su!?"

"Exactly!"

"That makes sense."

"Right, we have no past grievances or recent conflicts with Chief Escort Su.

"Why would we provoke Eastern Wasteland's Number One for no reason at all?"

"Isn't that like an old man hanging himself, tired of life?"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Someone else added:

"What you're saying is completely unfounded. You keep claiming the hall master ordered the kill, but you've provided no concrete evidence."

"Exactly, after all this talk, it's all just a tall tale."

For a moment, everyone in Wusheng Hall, except for a few hall masters, pointed out the story's flaws.

Some simply parroted what others had said.

The assassin stood in the center, his face a mix of emotions, and suddenly took a deep breath:

"Evidence? Fine... I'll show you evidence!!"

As his words ended, his arms suddenly shook.

Several loud bangs echoed.

The acupoints Su Mo had sealed were forcibly broken open, and then he stepped forward, striking directly at Duan Qinghen.

Simply because she was the closest to him.

No one could have anticipated this sudden turn of events.

Even Su Mo was stunned.

He had used the Qiankun Acupoint Technique to seal acupoints, always successfully.

Yet, this person had managed to break through the acupoints Su Mo had sealed?

Earlier in the courtyard, Su Mo had used the Great Open Yang Scattering Palm to control his meridians and acupoints, but the assassin immediately broke free, greatly surprising Su Mo.

Now, with this ability, it wasn't entirely surprising.

The martial arts this person practiced were definitely extraordinary.

As Su Mo's thoughts raced, Duan Qinghen had already raised her palm and clashed fiercely with the assassin.

With a loud bang, their palms met, sending Duan Qinghen's robe sleeves fluttering and shattering the chair behind her into pieces.

The assassin's martial arts were extraordinary, and Duan Qinghen was a formidable opponent.

In this sudden clash, fierce winds swirled around them.

Seeing this, the hall masters of the various halls were instantly enraged:

"You scoundrel!"

"Cease immediately!"

"Are you courting death?"

As they spoke, they were about to step forward and take action, but suddenly, Deng Fengbai of the Tenth Hall changed his expression:

"Wait, everyone!"

Hearing his words, the others paused slightly and instinctively turned their gaze toward Deng Fengbai.

They saw Deng Fengbai pointing at Duan Qinghen:

"Look at Hall Master Duan's palm!"

Prompted by his words, everyone turned their attention to Duan Qinghen's palm.

They saw a grayish-white hue spreading from where their palms met, up Duan Qinghen's entire hand, and his entire arm appeared to be withering.

This sight made everyone present pale with shock.

Even Li Zhongming, who had been sitting still, gasped in shock:

*The Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra!*

The Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra was a secret, unpassed-down divine skill of Wusheng Hall.

In the current lineage, only Hall Master Wan Yutang was qualified to practice this martial art.

However, last year, Wan Zangxin secretly stole this supreme technique during a great fire.

After Wan Zangxin recounted his experiences in Tianqu City, Su Mo killed him with a single palm strike. When the news reached Wusheng Hall, everyone assumed the Night Lord had taken this martial art.

They had even sent people to East City in secret to investigate.

Yet, no one expected to see this supreme technique manifest on someone else at this very moment.

In their shock, they heard Duan Qinghen let out a soft shout, and the grayish-white hue on his arm completely receded. He thrust his arm forward, pushing the assassin away in one motion.

As their palms parted, the assassin staggered back several steps before steadying himself.

A faint look of unwillingness crossed his face as he raised his head to look at Duan Qinghen:

"If I weren't so badly injured, you wouldn't stand a chance against me."

Duan Qinghen frowned, glanced at the man twice, and then nodded frankly:

"You're right."

The assassin had first clashed palms with Zhen Xiaoxiao, injured by her profound internal energy. Then, Yang Xiaoyun stabbed his arm with a spear from above, worsening his injuries.

Finally, Su Mo pierced his shoulder with a spear and dragged him from his residence to the Tenth Hall.

His injuries were already grave.

Yet, even in this state, he managed to hold his ground against Duan Qinghen briefly during their palm strike, showing just how formidable he would be at full strength.

At least from this palm technique, Duan Qinghen was indeed no match for him.

Hearing this, the assassin chuckled, then looked around and sneered:

"The Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra... Let me ask you, besides Wan Yutang, who else knows this technique? Who else... could have taught it to me?"

This question left everyone present utterly speechless.

For a moment, they were at a loss for words.

The assassin then said with a smile:

"To be honest, this technique was taught to the Dark Hall by Wan Yutang.

"Not only do I know it, but he... knows it too."

He pointed towards Ding Wugong.

Everyone instinctively looked at Ding Wugong.

Ding Wugong, suffering from the Parting Brew, still sighed and nodded slightly upon hearing this.

This was something he couldn't refute.

Because Su Mo had personally seen him use this technique.

Even if he could fool the twelve Hall Masters, he couldn't fool Su Mo.

Seeing Ding Wugong nod, the Hall Masters were even more speechless.

Bei Zhangzhi furrowed his brow but remained silent for the time being.

Yang Xiaoyun instinctively glanced at Su Mo.

With the assassin's use of the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra, the blame was almost entirely pinned on Wan Yutang.

Su Mo, who had been observing coldly, suddenly laughed:

"Hall Master Wan is truly remarkable. Even while in seclusion, he managed to establish such an impressive Dark Hall.

"Truly impressive... truly impressive!

"However, Brother Assassin, you claim that the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra was taught to you by Hall Master Wan.

"Then... who taught you that Shadowcraft technique?"