At noon the following day, a bustling district in Heaven Dou City was packed with people.
A murder committed during the Spirit Master Tournament, right before everyone's eyes, was unprecedented.
The news had spread rapidly, and countless people were waiting to hear the final verdict.
Early that morning, when the court officials began constructing the execution platform, it had already attracted a large crowd. Combined with the rumors from the previous day, it wasn't difficult to guess its purpose.
Before long, the entire street was overflowing with spectators. Those who arrived later couldn't even find a place to stand, let alone get a clear view of the proceedings.
By coincidence, the execution platform had been erected directly behind the hotel where the Seven Treasure Team was staying.
Without leaving the building, Wu Qi and the others could clearly see everything happening on the platform.
They had finished their match early that morning and had been waiting by the window ever since for the trial to begin.
As noon arrived, the sound of horses' hooves echoed along the stone-paved street.
Looking outside, they saw soldiers escorting a prison cart toward the execution platform.
The soldiers carefully scanned the surrounding crowd, remaining alert in case anyone attempted a rescue.
Inside the prison cart, Ma Hongjun was barely conscious. His body was tightly bound with thick ropes.
Tang San, on the other hand, bore no restraints whatsoever. Only two officials walked behind him.
After arriving at the platform, the soldiers dragged Ma Hongjun out of the cart and forced him to kneel before the tribunal. Behind him stood an executioner holding a large blade, ready to carry out the sentence at any moment.
Tang San stood calmly before the tribunal without the slightest hint of nervousness, as though he were merely there to fulfill a formality.
The members of the tribunal were all influential figures: Platinum Bishop Salas of Spirit Hall, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and Xue Xing, representing the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
Among the spectators, Flender's eyes were bloodshot. His fists were clenched tightly, and his chest rose and fell violently.
The executioner was already standing behind Ma Hongjun. The outcome hardly needed to be announced.
When Qin Ming had died, Flender had been powerless to stop it and had not even known it was happening. Now, his own disciple was about to meet the same fate, and he was once again powerless.
The mixture of frustration and rage gradually twisted his expression.
He wanted to storm the execution grounds, but with Gu Rong presiding over the tribunal, he would be suppressed instantly.
For the future of Shrek Academy, he neither dared nor could take such a reckless step.
Grandmaster and Liu Erlong stood behind him.
After Grandmaster had relentlessly pressured Salas, the latter had finally relented that morning and agreed to surrender some of Spirit Hall's interests.
As long as Ma Hongjun died, Shrek Academy would regain its eligibility to compete.
At this point, if Flender lost control, they would stop him themselves. No matter what, they could not allow him to jeopardize the academy.
An official briefly recounted the events before formally opening the trial.
The investigation had already been completed beforehand, so this hearing was largely intended to present the gathered evidence and Ma Hongjun's confession to the public, bringing the matter to a close.
As each piece of evidence was presented, the crowd became fully convinced that Ma Hongjun had held a grudge against Wang Teng after an argument at a brothel. Harboring resentment, he had deliberately killed Wang Teng during the match by disguising the act as an accidental loss of control over his Spirit Skill.
The moment Tang San's testimony was read aloud, Flender's eyes widened in disbelief.
He could not believe that Tang San had also betrayed Ma Hongjun.
Then again, it made sense. Master and disciple had always stood together.
In that instant, Flender felt utterly hollow. The brotherhood he had shared with Grandmaster for so many years vanished completely.
He hated himself for failing to guide Ma Hongjun properly, and he hated Grandmaster and Tang San for abandoning Ma Hongjun when it mattered most.
For the first time in his life, Flender felt completely lost.
How could he continue calling himself the dean of Shrek Academy?
He couldn't even protect his own disciple. Who would still respect him as the academy's headmaster?
After everything he had struggled for, he had gained nothing in the end. Worse still, Ma Hongjun had become the sacrifice.
Flender looked up at the sky, all hope for the future drained from his heart.
Perhaps he truly was getting old.
If he had accepted reality and closed the academy before Tang San and the others enrolled.
Perhaps Qin Ming and Ma Hongjun would still be alive. It was his own obsession that had ultimately cost the lives of those closest to him.
At that moment, thoughts of retirement filled his mind.
He no longer cared whether Shrek Academy succeeded or failed.
At least his old companions were still alive. Taking them away to live quietly in the mountains might not be such a bad ending after all.
On the tribunal platform.
Salas finished presenting Tang San's testimony and publicly announced the findings of the investigation.
"After conducting an extensive investigation, we have confirmed that there was no personal grudge between Tang San and Wang Teng. During the match, his intention was only to injure Wang Teng and eliminate him from the competition."
"The law will not let the guilty escape, nor will it condemn the innocent."
"I hereby declare Tang San innocent. However, on humanitarian grounds, Shrek Academy must issue a public apology to Blaze Radiance Academy and provide appropriate compensation for the losses suffered."
Tang San put on a show of gratitude, thanking the tribunal members before apologizing on behalf of Shrek Academy to Blaze Radiance Academy and Wang Teng's family.
As for compensation, he could not decide on that himself. It would have to be discussed after he returned.
Soon afterward, under the escort of the imperial guards, Tang San left the tribunal.
What remained was Ma Hongjun's trial.
After everything he had endured the previous night, Ma Hongjun had already lost consciousness and was little more than a living shell.
Whenever Xue Xing questioned him, he responded only with mechanical nods, taking all responsibility upon himself.
Flender knew perfectly well that this confession had been beaten out of him.
Seeing Ma Hongjun in such a miserable state, his heart felt as though it were being cut apart. His body staggered, and only the tightly packed crowd kept him from collapsing to the ground.
The trial concluded quickly.
Ma Hongjun "confessed" to every charge.
Killing someone in front of countless spectators was already a capital offense, let alone doing so while flagrantly violating the rules of the Spirit Master Tournament.
As Xue Xing dropped the command token from his hand, the executioner lifted a large jug of wine and took a deep drink.
He then raised his heavy blade and sprayed the wine across its edge.
On the tribunal platform, Ning Fengzhi covered his eyes with a handkerchief.
The executioner was using a dull blade. Everyone knew the scene that followed would be horrifying.
Unlike Qin Ming, who had been sentenced to death by slow slicing, Ma Hongjun's punishment began with the amputation of all four limbs before he was submerged in strong liquor.
His agonizing screams echoed throughout the entire street.
The brutal execution left many spectators pale with horror.
Wu Qi pulled the curtains shut, preventing everyone in the room from seeing what was happening below.
"That's enough. If you keep watching, you'll have nightmares tonight," he said.
Changkong cursed, "Tang San really is something else. Anyone who calls him a brother is cursed with the worst luck imaginable."
Among all the evidence presented during the trial, Tang San's testimony had been one of the most decisive pieces.
He had betrayed a comrade without the slightest hesitation. Who would ever dare call someone like that a friend?
Huo Wushuang chuckled.
"I wonder what Yu Tianheng and the others are thinking now."
After this incident, the Shrek Seven Devils would likely begin to distrust one another.
How much strength could a team divided by suspicion truly display?
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