NOVEL NEXT Chapter 328 - 321 The Principle That What Is Eaten Cannot Be Spit Out_1
Chapter 328: Chapter 321 The Principle That What Is Eaten Cannot Be Spit Out_1
As for this dethroned monarch who reached the Immortal Realm, how he fared was unknown to anyone.
Ever since the He Family obtained the “Dragon Elephant Art,” they have been secretly cultivating it without revealing it to the outside world.
It was only because He Jun wanted to ask City Commandant Lu for help in taking revenge that he did not hesitate to unveil his family’s secret. To impress a mighty character like City Commandant Lu, ordinary wealth couldn’t catch his eye.
City Commandant Lu rushed to the rescue just to obtain the He Family’s “Dragon Elephant Skill” and the Blood Silkworm cocoons.
He believed that with the Dragon Elephant Art, and ten years to train the city’s guards under his command, he, the city commandant, would become an unrivaled authority in the Black Tiger Gang.
Even the direct ascent to Gang Leader was highly possible.
“City Commandant Lu, please calm your anger. I killed He Jun because he tried to kill me first, and I was merely forced to defend myself,” Qin Niu pleaded.
Qin Niu was very aware that City Commandant Lu was almost certainly a strong practitioner of the Spirit Qi Realm.
At present, he was no match for such an existence.
As long as he didn’t confront City Commandant Lu head on, the commandant actually had no real way of dealing with him.
“With both the human witness and the physical evidence present, you still dare to quibble? Come back to the court with me to speak further.”
City Commandant Lu’s face darkened.
With a wave of his hand, two Innate Realm experts rushed towards Qin Niu from both sides, aiming to capture him.
“I am of the highest nobility, and even if I have committed an offense, it must be tried by the tribunal of three. You have no right to arrest me. If you wish to take me to trial, I will go with you,” Qin Niu declared.
Naturally, Qin Niu would not go quietly.
If he were to be caught, his life and death would be completely at the mercy of others.
“Move the corpse outside the court, and invite the Law Enforcement Elder and the deputy Gang Leader holding the Legal Authority Seal to join the tribunal for the trial.”
The tribunal of three consisted of the punishing city commandant, the Law Enforcement Elder, and the deputy Gang Leader with the Legal Authority Seal.
Typically, cases that required the convening of the tribunal were major cases.
At this time, the Black Tiger Gang Leader would definitely inquire into the matter or watch covertly to see the final verdict.
It must be explained that the Black Tiger Gang Leader was the supreme authority of the Black Tiger Gang, but his word was not the law.
Major affairs within the gang were not decided by him alone but required consultation with the gang’s high-level officials.
After being brought to court, Qin Niu was given a chair to sit on for the trial, as befitting someone of his noble status.
Even having killed someone, he did not need to wear shackles like an ordinary person or kneel on the ground for his trial.
It was also impossible to subject him to torture so readily.
It wasn’t that City Commandant Lu didn’t wish to torture him, but that the rules forbade it.
If Qin Niu could be tortured today, other high nobles who committed crimes could similarly be tortured in the future.
This concerned the privileges of all the highest nobility, and City Commandant Lu would not likely make such a dire mistake, provided he had the slightest bit of sense.
Since it was night, calling the tribunal together wasn’t an immediate affair.
The other members of the tribunal were cocooned in their blankets, embracing their delicate wives or concubines in sleep, and it was just before dawn, the sweetest time to slumber.
Rousing them from bed and getting dressed would take some time.
“Qin Niu, it hasn’t even been two days since you were made a noble of the highest rank. Why didn’t you cherish it? Instead, you revealed your true colors and went on a killing spree?” City Commandant Lu questioned Qin Niu sternly.
“It was the He Family who wanted to kill me, not I who wanted to kill them,” Qin Niu responded.
“I’ve heard that the He Family’s wealth has fallen into your hands. Do you dare to say it wasn’t about killing for wealth?”
City Commandant Lu already knew about the He Family’s wealth ending up in Qin Niu’s hands, which suggested that He Er might have secretly turned to City Commandant Lu.
“It’s a wrongful accusation, City Commandant Lu! If you say I killed the He Family in self-defense, I admit it. But regarding their wealth falling into my hands—that is entirely unfounded,” Qin Niu protested his innocence vehemently.
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“Hmph, if you wish for none to know, you ought not to do it at all. You took the He Family’s property, and I, as the City Commandant, could have chosen not to pursue it. However, there are two items that belong to my Lu Family which were left in the He Family’s care. Return them to me, and a major issue can be minimized, and a minor one erased.”
Lu, the City Commandant, snorted and took this opportunity to discuss terms with Qin Niu, while the other two influential figures were absent.
He wouldn’t openly demand them, of course.
Instead, he used this more subtle expression to get Qin Niu to hand over the two items.
“Lord Lu, if you have belongings stored with the He Family, you should claim them from the He Family. As I’ve said before, I only killed the people of the He Family, not taken their property.”
Once Qin Niu had something in his possession, it was impossible for him to spit it back out.
To extinguish the He Family was a shocking, monumental case.
The several chests of gold, silver, and jewels actually interested him little. The silver money converted could be no more than ten thousand or so.
The He Family, being such an extensive clan, had enormous daily expenses, and the wealth was unlikely to be concentrated in one person’s hands. It was distributed among all family members.
Moreover, the family’s available cash was typically minimal.
Most families would opt to invest in farmland, shops in the town, and so forth.
“Qin Niu, I know you’re a smart man. Same goes, if you return the Cultivation Technique and a Blood Silkworm cocoon belonging to Lord Lu that were left in the He Family’s care, we’re all nobles of the same rank—naturally, I’d save you face. However, if you are determined to embezzle the two treasures of Lord Lu’s, you should consider the consequences carefully.”
Lu, the City Commandant, was clearly running out of patience.
“I truly haven’t taken any property from the He Family; if Lord Lu does not believe me, he can call someone out for confrontation.”
Qin Niu stuck to his guns — he hadn’t taken it.
At this moment, someone came from outside.
“Law Enforcement Elder Gong Sun of the Black Tiger Gang has arrived!”
A middle-aged man with three tufts of handsome beard walked in. He looked to be around fifty years old, with a lean face and a small locked box in his hand.
This man was Gong Sun, the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang, in charge of the Legal Authority Seal.
He had a composed, outstanding demeanor and carried an air of nonchalance in his movements.
“Lord Lu, it’s inappropriate to disturb a person’s rest in the middle of the night! What’s the big trouble that couldn’t wait until morning and demanded a meeting of three departments?”
Vice Gang Leader Gong Sun inquired.
Before coming, he’d definitely gained a preliminary understanding of the case and now seemingly feigned ignorance.
“Well, it’s all about the newly ennobled noble of the first rank, Qin Niu. Just days after his ennoblement, he wiped out the He Family. Moreover, at the western city gate, in front of the city guards and myself, he killed an Innate Realm expert of the He Family.”
Lu, the City Commandant, pointed at Qin Niu below the hall.
“I’ve met Gang Leader Gong Sun.”
Qin Niu rose and bowed respectfully.
It is said that no one faults excessive courtesy. Now, being at fault, he naturally wanted to make a good impression on the judge.
Lord Lu wanted the Dragon Elephant Skill scroll and the Blood Silkworm cocoon, and Qin Niu refusing to hand over these two items would definitely result in a strained relationship between them.
The Dragon Elephant Art scroll didn’t matter much to him.
Its market value was probably around five thousand Silver Money at most.
But if he handed over the Dragon Elephant Skill, then the Blood Silkworm cocoon could not remain hidden.
After all, no one was a fool.
If Qin Niu had already taken the He Family’s Dragon Elephant Skill, who would believe that he didn’t take the Blood Silkworm cocoon?
Therefore, the best strategy was to flatly deny everything.
Qin Niu secretly speculated that it must have been He number two who snitched to Lu, the City Commandant.
Originally, he had considered killing He number two, but Qin Niu was coveting the fields and properties of the He Family and wanted to use He number two to get them into his hands.
Fortunately, Qin Niu had prepared for this in advance and was not worried about He number two stirring up any serious trouble.
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