Chapter 333: Hybrid

"How could you not mention something this important earlier?"

Beyond shocked, Yuan Zhixia couldn't help lowering her voice and snapping at Xiaoshuixing Jun beside her: "Didn't I tell you? Don't hide things from the lawyer!"

"I never thought they could dig it up! It shouldn't be possible! I already wiped the memories of all the construction workers, and I set up a restrictive ward outside the cave dwelling!"

Xiaoshuixing Jun was so panicked that he had no time to mind the disrespectful tone of a mere mortal, his palm trembling uncontrollably.

Granted, throughout the ages, the great figures of the cultivation world had, more or less, their quirks—sleeping under the same roof as their spirit pets, sword spirits, artifact spirits, or earthbound spirits, and even marrying them, was hardly rare.

But getting together with an untransformed, five-meter-plus divine beast was, in the end, still somewhat shocking to the world.

It would be fine even if you possessed some ability to take the form of a wild beast.

"..."

Things having come to this, Yuan Zhixia pinched her palm with her fingernail, forced herself to calm down, stood up, and said to the judge with an expressionless face: "Your Honor, I object! The evidence presented by the opposing counsel concerns matters that are not the point of dispute in this case, and have no logical connection to the plaintiff's claim."

Zhang Wei also came to his senses at this moment—right, Xiaoshuixing Jun getting together with the Xuanlei Qilin divine beast was a bit scandalous, and building a luxurious grand villa solely for the Qilin was a bit both devoted and perverted,

but the law didn't say any of that was illegal!

"Exactly."

Zhang Wei pulled the legal code from beneath the table, rapidly flipped through the pages, stood up and said: "According to the 'Immortal Court Animal Protection Law,' the Xuan Lei Qilin is listed as a Class One protected animal of the Mortal Realm. Illegal hunting, killing, purchasing, transporting, selling, imprisoning, and enslaving are strictly forbidden.

Heaven and earth can bear witness—Xiaoshuixing Jun treated the Xuan Lei Qilin very well, and did not violate a single law."

Extraordinary auspicious beasts like the Qilin and the Dark Bird all possessed considerable intelligence. Some divine beasts were even smarter than ordinary people.

When Xiaoshuixing Jun brought the Qilin back to the sect a hundred years ago, he handled all the paperwork, signed a labor contract with the Qilin, and "hired" the Qilin in the name of the Xiaoshu Sect as a mountain-guarding divine beast—so it really didn't count as a crime.

"Young man, don't be too impetuous,"

Hayer on the plaintiff's bench smiled at Zhang Wei. "You're a lawyer too, aren't you? When it comes to legal articles, I know them better than you.

First, artificially breeding Class One protected animals requires obtaining the Immortal Court Key Protected Wild Animal Artificial Breeding Permit, and complying with the relevant technical standards.

The Xiaoshu Sect does have an Exotic Beast Breeding Department, but Xiaoshuixing Jun himself never obtained that certificate. On this one count alone he broke the law, and can be sentenced to six months to three years in prison.

Second, as a legendary divine beast, the Xuan Lei Qilin's pregnancy lasts ten years, and its offspring possess consciousness even at the embryonic stage.

Xiaoshuixing Jun's act of impregnating the Xuan Lei Qilin is, to a certain extent, equivalent to ten years of imprisonment of an intelligent Qilin offspring. That can also be sentenced to three to ten years in prison."

An old ginger is still spicier—as the assistant of a legendary lawyer, Hayer handled Zhang Wei as easily as catching a chick, and continued in a calm, breezy tone: "Third point, and the most important one—the photographs."

Hayer turned his head to glance at his companion beside him; Zhongtian Beiji took the hint, pulled a stack of photographs from his bosom, and displayed them in the air.

It was a human child about three years old, with deer antlers on his head, golden scales covering his cheeks, shoulders, and the backs of his hands, dressed in splendid robes, wearing a longevity lock around his neck—exquisitely carved and utterly adorable.

He bore a six-tenths resemblance to Xiaoshuixing Jun, and eerily, also bore some resemblance to Miaoyin Ju Shi.

Zhongtian Beiji announced in a clear voice: "During the recess, we specifically consulted the Beast-Taming Alliance, which has the deepest understanding of exotic beasts in the Mortal Realm. The experts told us that ancient texts say Qilin and humans do not have reproductive isolation.

But there is a reproductive isolation mechanism known as hybrid breakdown. Offspring are very difficult to survive."

Biological reproductive isolation takes many forms. Hybrid inviability—Australian flax crossed with perennial flax, the hybrid embryo can develop, but the seeds cannot germinate, and the hybrid cannot survive.

Hybrid sterility—a horse with 64 chromosomes and a donkey with 63 chromosomes produce a mule that cannot reproduce.

Hybrid breakdown—upland cotton crossed with Xia Weiyi cotton results in shrunken seeds that cannot germinate, cotyledons that cannot unfold, and abnormal development. The ligers and tigons bred in zoos are mostly unhealthy and unstable, which can also be counted as hybrid breakdown.

Zhongtian Beiji said with a light smile: "From the photographs, this child is very healthy and has not been affected by hybrid breakdown.

The reason is simple—fifteen years ago, the relationship between Xiaoshuixing Jun and Master Miao Yin had not yet fallen apart,

and he specifically used the genetic material of himself, the Xuan Lei Qilin, and Master Miao Yin. Combined, they produced a healthy half-human, half-Qilin baby.

This is the genetic testing report."

Huh?

Huh!

Huh?!?!

From the gaggle of besties on the plaintiff's bench, to the clerk below the high platform, to the judge on the high platform, to Yuan Zhixia and Zhang Wei on the defendant's bench—everyone was struck dumb, too thunderstruck to utter a single word.

Even the usually calm and silent Dark Falcon couldn't help pulling a cigarette from his inventory, lighting it, and taking a puff.

"Th-this-this, does biology no longer exist?!"

Zhang Wei frantically grabbed at his own hair. "It doesn't make sense, it's impossible."

"Actually, it is possible."

On the plaintiff's bench, the human computer Aida stood up and said calmly: "Plants generally cross-breed across families,

and in the animal kingdom there are cases of cross-order hybridization, cross-class hybridization, and even cross-phylum hybridization.

For example, the purple sea urchin of the phylum Echinodermata can indeed produce offspring with the blue mussel of the phylum Mollusca, the double-toothed sandworm of the phylum Annelida, and certain sea snails.

The sea urchin provides the egg, other non-urchin animals (mussels, sea squirts) provide the sperm, the sperm serves to activate the egg and initiate division, and the egg adjusts its own chromosome count—equivalent to parthenogenesis in a certain sense.

But in some cases, part of the sperm's genetic material can be mixed into the offspring, causing varying degrees of influence on the young's appearance and behavior.

A dragon begets nine sons, each one different—that's also this principle."

The dragon's nine sons can be explained like that?

Zhang Wei felt his brain had undergone a passive upgrade. Emotionally he really didn't want to agree with Aida, but rationally he had to admit such a possibility existed.

It seemed that in every work of literature and art, whether Eastern dragons or Western dragons, they were renowned for the dominance of their genes, always able to combine with different creatures to produce all manner of bizarre offspring.

"To further verify, we specifically invited the Xuan Lei Qilin, as well as the child in the photographs, over."

Zhongtian Beiji said to the presiding judge: "The plaintiff applies for the witness to take the stand."

In civil litigation, before a lawyer applies for a witness to take the stand, they must submit a 'Witness Testimony Application' to the court, but if there are objective reasons preventing application within the evidence submission period, it can also be raised in court.

Zhongtian Beiji and the others deliberately held this card back, precisely to catch the defense off guard.

"The witness may take the stand."

The judge considered briefly, then nodded and waved his hand in signal.

Two giant-race bailiffs, who had thoroughly enjoyed the gossip, strode forward with bold steps and pulled open the great doors.

Outside the door squatted that golden, resplendent Xuan Lei Qilin, and on the Qilin's back sat precisely that little mixed-blood child.

"Sir," the moment it saw Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui, the Xuan Lei Qilin's face showed a human-like expression of anxiety, and it spoke in human tongue, "I heard from the Lady that you've run into trouble, and asked me to bring the baby to find you—"

Halfway through speaking, the qilin noticed Master Miao Yin Ju Shi and Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui sitting on the two sides of the plaintiff's and defendant's benches respectively, and instantly choked on its words.

"…Sit down first, then we'll talk."

Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui's face was ashen, and he forced out a bitter smile with great effort.

Zhongtian Beiji wasn't wrong—this child really was born from his mixing of genetic material from three parties,

Because he loved her so much, he had specially found a secluded Shenshan to build a cave abode, arranged puppet servants, and let the qilin peacefully sit out her confinement period, to the extent that he hadn't even told the qilin about this matter,

In the end, allowing Zhongtian Beiji to trick her over with just a few words.

The qilin carefully squeezed into a seat in the back row, and said uneasily, "Sir, did I do something wrong?"

The little doll on the qilin's back, surrounded by lightning and thunder, held a baby bottle in one hand and waved a tiny fist with the other, "Whoever dares to bully my daddy, I'll beat them up."

"You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who was wrong."

Things having come to this, Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui was already close to giving up in despair, and looked at the legal team on the plaintiff's bench, "Speak, what conditions do you want."

No errors, no typos, no missing content—read at your own risk!

"We handle matters according to legal regulations."

Howard grinned and said, "According to Article Nine of the 'Several Opinions of the Immortal Court on the Trial of Cases Where Cultivators Cohabitate as Husband and Wife Without Marriage Registration,' illegitimate children enjoy the same rights as legitimate children,

When terminating an illegal cohabitation relationship, the two parties shall negotiate custody; if negotiation fails, the decision shall be made based on the interests of the child and the specific circumstances of both parties.

Children within the nursing period shall, in principle, be raised by the mother.

Considering that the Xuan Lei Qilin is legally classified as a Class One protected animal, and the Marriage Protection Law does not apply,

Therefore, this child, who used Master Miao Yin Ju Shi's genetic material, should be considered an illegitimate child born from the cohabitation relationship between Master Miao Yin Ju Shi and Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui.

And since the child has not yet been weaned, Master Miao Yin Ju Shi should be granted full custody."

A winning game is truly easy no matter how you play it. Howard could hardly conceal his smugness, and continued, "According to Article Twenty-Five of the Marriage Law, the biological father or mother who does not directly raise an illegitimate child shall bear the child's living expenses and education fees until the child reaches adulthood or can live independently.

And the adulthood period of the qilin clan is approximately four hundred to five hundred years.

In other words, the defendant shall pay the plaintiff four to five hundred years of child support."

Huff—

Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. He did not know that in the real world of Earth, the two major reasons the American middle class degenerates into street vagrants are divorce and paying child support.

But this did not prevent him from understanding the other party's intent.

As a father, he could not possibly hand the child over to the completely unaffectionate, even maliciously disposed "stepmother" Master Miao Yin Ju Shi, and could only think of ways to negotiate for custody.

Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui waved his hand to refuse Zhang Wei's interjection, and said weakly, "How much do you want…"

The four lawyers opposite exchanged glances, and Haiye spoke up, "The first property division plan: 51% of the shares of the Lord Xiao Shui Sect Commercial Group shall be divided to Master Miao Yin Ju Shi, and Master Miao Yin Ju Shi shall obtain custody, receiving child support equivalent to 100,000 spirit stones annually.

The second property division plan: 90% of the shares of the Lord Xiao Shui Sect Commercial Group shall be divided to Master Miao Yin Ju Shi, and Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui shall obtain custody."

The so-called shares were merely an euphemism in court.

The Lord Xiao Shui Sect had a vast family fortune; besides the businesses on the surface, there was also a large amount of wealth beyond regulatory oversight.

For example, dividends from gambling houses and brothels, tribute from subordinate sects, unlicensed mining of black spirit stone mines—

Miao Yin had been Lord Xiao Shui's business partner for over a hundred years, and was well aware of all this hidden wealth; if she wanted 90%, she really meant 90% of all wealth.

Seeing the look of resignation on their employer's face, Yuan Zhixia and Zhang Wei were just short of shouting, "We were ready to fight to the death—why has Your Majesty already surrendered?"

An Sun snuffed out the cigarette in his hand, and rarely spoke up to advise, "Losing custody of the child means you can have another, but once the money's gone, it's truly gone."

Lord Xiao Shui slowly glanced at him, tucked the hair beside his ear, revealing the hidden greying at his temples, "…Do you really think I can still have another?"

An Sun coughed, "Uh, pretend I didn't say anything."

The more powerful a cultivator, the harder it is to produce offspring. In his earlier years, Lord Xiao Shui had struggled and striven, exploring various ancient secret realms, leaving himself with countless hidden injuries.

Being able to have a child in his old age was largely thanks to the powerful genetic affinity of the auspicious qilin beast.

If the money's gone, it's gone; if the offspring is gone, it's gone too.

"…Tch."

Zhang Wei smacked his lips with a complicated expression. Before becoming a player in the real world, he had always been a third-rate lawyer,

Able to help clients get their sentence reduced from detention to fixed-term imprisonment,

From fixed-term to life imprisonment,

From life imprisonment to death,

Never expected that after becoming a player, he'd still be a third-rate lawyer.

Thinking of this, Zhang Wei couldn't help but turn and ask Yuan Zhixia, "Where's Master Pi Fu? Where did he actually go?"

"Heaven knows."

Yuan Zhixia shook her head. During the recess just now, Li Cheng had put on some makeup, gone out to chat with the reporters, and after coming back had asked Lord Xiao Shui for some pocket change, leaving behind the words, "I'm going out to gather some clues."

Then he went out, hailed a ride-share flying sword (a streamlined hollow flying sword, looking like a small sedan), and vanished without a trace.

The system had specifically made this world dominated by six-base organisms, and all cultivation techniques, secret treasures, and dharma artifacts were also built upon the foundation of six-base organisms,

Therefore, for outside players, there were no classic xianxia novel tropes like "secret realm exploration, killing people and seizing treasures" that the masses loved to hear about.

Yuan Zhixia also didn't know where Li Cheng had run off to, and sighed, "A blessing in disguise—we probably shouldn't count this as a complete loss this time."

The last clause of the mission failure punishment stated 【Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui's Wrath】,

Now that they'd lost the case, it was entirely because Lord Xiao Shui himself hadn't explained things clearly to the lawyers, and he was the one who surrendered directly; he simply had no face to make trouble for the legal team.

Star Lord Lord Xiao Shui glanced at the qilin and the qilin child sitting in the back row, took a deep breath, and said, "I'll choose the second property division plan—"

"Wait!"

A loud shout suddenly came from outside the door. Li Cheng pushed the door open, wearing a loose shirt, beach shorts, and flip-flops, with a fresh flower lei around his neck, holding a stack of documents in his left hand and a freshly opened coconut in his right,

Like a tourist vacationing in a tropical region.

Zhongtian Beiji's heart skipped a beat. He had heard the full account of this Master Pi Fu's strangeness from his younger brother, and didn't dare give the other room to perform. He immediately turned to the presiding judge and said, "my lord, the opposing counsel is absent without cause, in contempt of court, and should be expelled."

"Our lawyer hasn't been late; he was gathering evidence, and he's just about to bring it over."

Yuan Zhixia shot back without mercy: since Zhongtian Beiji had just pulled out evidence mid-trial to annoy the defendant, they could certainly annoy them right back.

(End of Chapter)