The Second Elder finally released a breath, finally! He got to do his job.
"Stand on trial! The subject today is your wrongful execution and mistrial of an innocent boy."
"There's nothing innocent about that boy, and he's a man!" Wu Wei shouted, unable to control his anger as a wave of hostility spread out like a terror wind. His eyes were full of killing intent as he leaped up to stand on trial, dragging his wife with him by force.
"Don't try to flatter me, sir. You will repay your crime today!" Wu Han, slipping perfectly into the role of a bullied innocent, pointed toward Wu Wei with confidence.
"What crime!? The one who did something wrong is you!" Wu Wei pointed toward him with immeasurable rage in his heart, while at the same time glancing at his wife with disdain, and it felt like something stuck in his heart.
"Oh yeah? Then tell me my crime! Your son's death? I'm innocent, yet you sentenced me to house arrest! But since that judgment was pure nonsense, a sign of your lack of control and abuse of power, I chose to ignore it!"
His stance on self-respect was commendable, and everyone was moved by his conviction, to be able to stand up for his own innocence and not yield to power, that was a warrior's heart!
"I'M THE CLAN LEADER! MY JUDGMENT IS FINAL!" Wu Wei couldn't believe he still had the face to deny, since one of his crimes was standing beside him.
"AND I'M A DISCIPLE OF DOCTOR ZHONG!" Wu Han shouted.
His words drew gasps from all around.
Of course, everyone knew the Zhong he mentioned.
The persona might have been created only a few days ago, but the name of a miracle doctor wasn't hard to spread.
Even more so after he willingly treated and healed everyone in the area. News of the mysterious figure's arrival in their town, and his unmatched skill, had spread fast.
Naturally, the important figures of the Wu Clan had already heard his name.
"I... Impossible!" Wu Wei's face turned pale. It finally clicked why Wu Han's strength had grown so fast, he had a master, and not just any master, but the Miracle Doctor himself!
Wu Han didn't waste time healing the townsfolk out of kindness.
He did it to build a name for himself.
By spreading kindness, he not only made a name for "himself," he also built an alibi for all his future endeavors, ensuring no one would suspect him of anything.
"L-Liar!" Wu Wei shouted.
"No! Here's proof of my mentorship! My master gave me this!" To further his position, Wu Han pulled out a jade slip from Luo Chen himself.
All the elders' eyes went wide the moment the jade slip appeared.
They recognized it instantly; it was the same one Luo Chen had brought when he arranged the marriage with Wu Yaoshi.
It was the symbol of the highest authority in this town!
"Hmph! Just because your child is worthless trash doesn't mean my grandson has to be too!" Wu Zhen said, still uncertain how or when his grandson gained the backing of such a powerful figure, but proud all the same.
His words struck directly at Wu Wei's pride.
The blow was too much. Wu Wei coughed up blood from the pressure building inside.
The veins on his forehead bulged, pulsing like a heart demon was forming.
"Are you okay?" Haoyu tried to comfort her husband, but he smacked her hand away so hard that the bones in her palm cracked, and she screamed in pain.
"Don't touch me!" Wu Wei snarled through clenched teeth.
Rage twisted his face, but he still stood tall. He had one last card to play, something that would wound his pride but drag their reputation down with it.
"And if you forget, this isn't my trial, it's yours." Wu Han dragged him back to the topic.
"Using wrongful authority to punish me, then barging into my house trying to kill me, and even hurting my grandfather, what will you plead!?" Wu Han said.
"The crime of such is written, you will be stripped of your leader position and must compensate Wu Han. Will you accept this punishment?" The Second Elder tried to lower the flames, since Wu Wei was still their figurehead, respected by many.
He wanted him to go down with pride.
But Wu Wei had already passed that point. Not just the pride of a clan leader, even the pride of a man was already gone!
"Talk about misuse of authority when you forced yourself onto my wife, you sick lunatic!"
That sentence made every sound stop, especially the heartbeat of Haoyu.
Wu Wei decided to draw the final card he had to bring down Wu Han, the same reason he had arrived late!
Before this, after Wu Han had already left Haoyu sleeping on the bed, Wu Wei came back with the intent to greet his wife after a long night of recovery.
"Haoyu, what are you doing?" With a happy voice, he opened the door, but the sight and smell inside made his heart go numb.
His wife lay naked, her face twisted in ecstasy, her legs spread wide, full of leaking white liquid. The smell of lust and sweat clung to every inch of the room.
Haoyu's mind was still recovering, but like a jolt awake, she saw her husband had returned. She quickly stood up before collapsing on her legs, cramping from being railed all night long by a vigorous young man.
"Oh… hi. It's just—I… I was so lonely, I played with myself waiting for you…" Haoyu tried to come up with a lie, but every word stuck from the cum in her mouth. Just saying it made the sweet taste flow through her, almost making her climax on the spot.
Wu Wei wasn't buying it. He knew that his wife had just cheated on him, but with whom?
"Who is it!?" A tear dropped from his eye as he demanded an answer, his hands shaking, heart numb. He couldn't believe his eyes. The wife he'd married for decades still showed signs of pleasure even after being caught cheating.
With him, she had never shown that face.
"I—" Haoyu tried to conceal it.
"I asked, who is it!?" The force of his voice was so powerful it shut the door and pushed her to the floor. His violent aura made her kneel, and for the first time, Haoyu finally understood why people feared her husband.
She finally got to be on the side he wanted to kill.
"I can explain, it was Wu Han! That boy forced himself on me! I tried to refuse, but he was too strong!" Haoyu quickly tried to save her skin.
Every inch of her body craved his touch, but her mouth still said he had forced himself onto her when she wished she were younger to ride him again.
"Wu… THAT DAMN BRAT!!" Wu Wei's power surge destroyed the entire room in one blink. Haoyu screamed in fear but received only a cold glance.
"Clean yourself," he commanded, then sat down alone, quietly, under a tree behind his house.
Back to the trial, chaos filled the hall.
"Was… was that true?" Wu Zhen turned toward his grandson. He could see that Haoyu still had the charm of a mature woman, but his grandson should've known the line that shouldn't be crossed. This could jeopardize their entire plan.
"Care to explain?" the Second Elder asked him.
"This crime is punishable by death!" another elder stood up and demanded.
"DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!" All of Wu Wei's secret supporters began inciting the crowd.
But as everyone shouted and blamed him for something he did, he still acted like he didn't care.
"I didn't do it!" Wu Han stood firm, voice loud.
"Nonsense! You want proof!?"
"What proof!? If you want to show some wet bedsheet, forget it! Soul search me if you dare! But if I'm innocent, you die!!" Wu Han's declaration of innocence made everyone start to question things.
How could he be so confident?
Wu Wei would never, ever bring this up unless he was sure of what happened.
"What do you think?" the Second Elder asked Wu Wei.
"Do it! And show everyone what kind of monster you are! And at the same time, show that he killed my son too!" Wu Wei smirked.
If both crimes were confirmed by soul searching, all his own crimes would disappear, and he would keep his position as clan leader.
As for a wife, he would make sure never to pick a whore again!
"So be it." Wu Han leaped down to the stage as the Second Elder stepped forward to perform the soul search.
Back then, he had been too weak to endure it, but now, at the peak limit of the fifth stage, he could handle it.
Soul Search
The Second Elder tapped his forehead and began reading his soul.
A soul can't lie and it will always remember, so the Second Elder could see and feel what events Wu Han had experienced and learn the truth.
A minute passed as everyone went silent in anticipation.
Wu Zhen's chest heaved with expectation.
Had his grandson really changed from being a burden, or had he just gotten lucky and grown stronger?
As for Wu Wei, he smiled, victory already within sight.
Haoyu clutched her chest, knowing this was the end for her.
But Wu Han was smiling.
The Second Elder's eyes opened again, and his face showed signs of surprise—panic, even.
"He… he's innocent!!"