Chapter 14: Justice vs. Selfish Desire

In the auditorium,

The appearance of a key witness—the examiner who had overseen Ke Jie's test—once again shifted the situation's trajectory.

The Provincial Prosecutor-General adjusted his posture, leaning forward slightly.

"Teacher, there's no need to be nervous. Whatever you know, saw, or remember, simply state the truth. Here, no one can threaten you. The law and the Imperium are your strongest shields."

His words seemed to carry a persuasive magic, compelling listeners to believe every syllable.

The examiner, having regained his composure, spoke clearly and logically, his voice measured and deliberate:

"When Ke Jie's Spirit Power was measured, it was already beyond the normal range, indicating an estimated premature Awakening of over a month."

This testimony sliced through the power struggle like a surgeon's blade, exposing a corner of the conflict.

This had long surpassed the realm of individual crime; it was a battle between justice and selfish desire.

Since ancient times, the concept of "fairness" has always struck a sensitive nerve in the hearts of billions, remaining an eternal focus of heated debate.

The current outcome undoubtedly represented the insidious encroachment of selfish desire upon public justice.

From the audience, malicious speculation about Ke Zhan and the Ke Family surged like a tide. Ke Zhan's face darkened; he could already foresee the devastating blow this would deal to the family's business empire.

He clasped his hands in a respectful bow toward the figures on the stage. "I sincerely apologize for prematurely questioning the matter without understanding the full context. I nearly jeopardized a crucial investigation." His tone was impeccably sincere, leaving no room for criticism.

Ke Zhan turned to the young man standing before Hysilens. "Given this revelation, this young brother's testimony now holds weight. I never imagined such a degenerate could exist within our family—committing such heinous acts against natural law! I hereby pledge to conduct a thorough internal investigation and show no mercy to those responsible!"

These words sounded righteous enough, but they carried little conviction. Almost no one believed him.

"Trying to distance yourself now? Where were you before?"

"Investigate the family? I think the first person who needs investigating is you!"

A journalist even cut straight to the chase:

"Ke Family Clan Leader, Principal Wang is your father-in-law, and hypnosis is the Ke Family's specialty. Did you play a role in this scheme?"

Ke Zhan immediately recognized the journalist before him—a notorious "straight-shooter" in A City's press corps, renowned for her relentless pursuit of truth and fearless defiance of authority.

At that moment, murderous intent churned in Ke Zhan's heart, yet his face remained composed, as he sighed mournfully:

"I won't hide the truth from you all. I did indeed gift my father-in-law a protective magical artifact, storing within it a portion of my own power, intending it solely for his self-defense."

"I never imagined he would succumb to momentary madness and misuse this power to commit such a grave transgression."

Standing unflinching at the eye of the storm, he deftly shifted all responsibility onto his father-in-law.

He knew perfectly well that while the public outcry and commercial setbacks might wound the Ke Family, they could never shake its true foundation:

Himself—the absolute martial power of a Martial Grandmaster.

In this world where martial prowess reigned supreme, even wealth bowed to strength.

As long as no irrefutable evidence could directly implicate him, as long as he, the Martial Grandmaster, remained standing, the Ke Family would never fall!

What was lost today would inevitably be reclaimed tomorrow, with interest.

From the moment he decided to scapegoat his father-in-law, he had meticulously calculated every step of this plan.

Cutting off the tail to save the body, sacrificing the pawn to protect the king—this was a familiar drama for the great clans.

A stir rippled through the audience, and the murmurs of doubt refused to subside.

Just then, the Provincial Prosecutor-General tapped his finger lightly on the table.

Though soft, the voice cut through the clamor like a blade, resonating clearly in every ear with unquestionable authority:

"Silence."

"The trial and judgment of this case fall under the sole jurisdiction of the Imperial Court, operating independently in accordance with the law. My primary mission here is to gather and secure evidence to ensure the truth is revealed."

His gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Hysilens as he declared in a steady tone:

"Based on the confirmed evidence, multiple students and examiners were subjected to illegal hypnosis, their memories altered. Our immediate priority is to break the hypnotic effects and restore the original truth."

"Ms. Hysilens will now cast a spell to break the hypnosis affecting the individuals involved. I, representing the Procuratorate, will observe and supervise this process."

He paused briefly, his eyes burning like torches as he swept his gaze over Ke Zhan, whose face had shifted on the dais, and the hushed crowd below. His voice suddenly deepened:

"Does anyone object?"

The hall fell deathly silent.

Hysilens reached into the air and conjured a delicate violin into her hands. For the first time, facing such a wide-ranging spell, she had finally drawn her weapon.

She bowed slightly, a gesture of respect before her performance.

The bow glided effortlessly across the violin strings.

The moment the first note flowed forth, it was no longer mere sound.

It transformed into a pure, gentle, wave-like barrier, radiating outward from Hysilens at its center, instantly enveloping the entire auditorium.

Within this barrier, countless semi-transparent fish, shimmering with spiritual light, materialized from thin air.

These were not physical creatures, but rather beings coalesced from pure musical notes and spiritual energy, undulating joyfully through the invisible "water."

In the next moment, an even more wondrous spectacle unfolded.

As if possessed of their own consciousness, these luminous fish, born of music, flicked their tails and, one by one, silently slipped into the foreheads of everyone present!

There was no pain, no discomfort.

Those whose minds were entered by the fish felt only a cool, soothing energy flooding their spiritual realms, sweeping away the dust and dispersing the fog like a gentle breeze.

When the music ended,

everyone awoke as if from a dream, now seeing the same scene that the first young man had witnessed.

Ke Zhan gritted his teeth and turned to leave, but the Prosecutor-General's voice echoed clearly in his mind through Spirit Power:

"I know exactly who you are. Next time, you won't be so lucky."