Chapter 51: The Trial

The difficulty of the trial is still escalating.

Is this the half-artifact that kills without a trace?

The scene left Cheng Shi with no choice but to think so.

Though the dagger was clutched in the ascetic’s palm, he couldn’t hold it steady—the entire body trembled with every vibration of the weapon.

Seeing his bloodshot eyes and bulging veins, Cheng Shi truly feared something terrible would happen to him.

“The Grand Tribunal is downstairs—they could spot this place any moment. Dismiss your domain, I’ll help you!”

Cheng Shi’s sincerity earned him nothing but his usual silence.

Even as the ascetic’s condition continued to deteriorate, he did not dismiss his Silent Domain.

This truly left Cheng Shi speechless.

“You found the key clue to the trial, didn’t you?”

“......”

“Your condition is too poor—if you don’t let go, you’ll die!”

“......”

Fine, fine, fine, you want to go it alone, is that it?

“Alright, alright, then die!”

Seeing no communication was possible, Cheng Shi turned and walked away.

The commotion here is too loud—the Grand Tribunal’s people aren’t fools; they’ll soon realize where the bard’s room is and come searching.

If they see me here, my presence at the murderer’s door will be impossible to explain.

How could an ordinary traveler be so interested in a killer that he runs toward the killer’s room while others flee?

Investigate when you can, but save your life when you must.

Cheng Shi couldn’t match this lone-wolf warrior—he could only think of another way.

Yet just as he turned to leave, a terrifying purple lightning bolt shot past Cheng Shi’s cheek and struck the ascetic full-on.

Thunderclap!

Cheng Shi’s spirit reeled, his pupils shrinking instantly.

The searing burn and numbness robbed him of sensation in half his face.

He widened his eyes forward—and saw, at the second-floor staircase, a man standing there, coldly watching him.

Mo Qiusi!

This judge arrived faster than Cheng Shi expected.

Behind him stood several Enforcers, a crowd of thrill-seeking travelers, and among them, Fang Jue and Du Xiguang, their brows furrowed.

Clearly, they had already dealt with the bard downstairs.

So fast?

Cheng Shi instinctively sensed something had gone wrong downstairs.

He looked at Fang Jue, then paused slightly, and turned to look at Du Xiguang instead.

As expected, Fang Jue wore a grim expression and said nothing; Du Xiguang’s face twisted in conflict, but finally gave a slight shake of his head.

The bard was in trouble!

That’s why they came upstairs immediately!

Even at this moment, Fang Jue, a follower of [Order], was still pondering matters of opposing faiths.

Truly...

Forget it—faith-based conflict isn’t the player’s fault.

The [Chaos] faith really is detestable.

But what mattered now wasn’t that—it was how to extricate himself from being found at the murderer’s door.

Cheng Shi’s mind raced—he feigned shock and toppled sideways, rolling to the ground while stealing a glance at the ascetic inside the room.

Such a thick bolt of lightning—just a stray spark from the strike had numbed half his face.

If it hit a person directly, could they even survive??

You know what? They actually could.

The ascetic’s body was frozen for an instant under the thunderbolt as thick as a barrel—but he didn’t die; instead, he exploded outward, charred and blackened.

Simultaneously, he flung the crimson dagger at Cheng Shi’s feet.

Mo Qiusi was clearly stunned that his thunderbolt had failed to kill the criminal.

But he quickly regained his stern demeanor, his voice as cold as ice frozen for a thousand years in the abyss.

“Good. You are the first criminal to survive my Thunder Punishment.”

Such a physique is enough to earn even my admiration.”

The southern front is strained—we need men now.”

Surrender, hand over ‘it,’ and I’ll grant you a chance to become a ‘War Prisoner!’”

Convicts sentenced to death might earn survival through battlefield service—these individuals are commonly called War Prisoners by the Grand Tribunal.

Of course, no matter how many they’ve killed, they only escape execution—they’ll still be imprisoned upon return.

[Order] must be upheld, and punishment must never be wrong.

A criminal is a criminal from the moment they commit their crime—for eternity.

This is the will of the Grand Tribunal.

This is why Fang Jue refused to join the Grand Tribunal.

He frowned upon hearing those words.

The thick, viscous lightning atop Mo Qiusi’s staff still roared as he stared coldly at the ascetic, as if a single “no” would cause that howling thunder to swallow him whole.

Cheng Shi hid to the side like an invisible man, mentally calculating how this follower of [Silence] might break the deadlock.

Yet, contrary to everyone’s expectations—

He had no intention of breaking the deadlock!

As the ascetic struggled to rise from the ground, he did not flee—he lunged straight for Cheng Shi!

No!

For the dagger at Cheng Shi’s feet!

Cheng Shi’s eyes widened in utter disbelief as he scrambled backward two steps.

Brother, do you really have to be this stubborn?

Can’t you live unless your head’s made of iron?

Do you think the judge’s thunder is just electrotherapy?

It’ll kill you!

Those two swift retreats saved Cheng Shi’s life—because as the ascetic moved, Mo Qiusi’s lightning roared toward him without hesitation!

“Boom!”

No luck this time!

The instant the thunder struck the ascetic, he turned to ash.

This bolt carried far greater fury than the last.

Lord Mo Qiusi was enraged.

And so the criminal—

Died.

Dust scattered, thunder silenced.

Yet the dead man never spoke a single word throughout.

In his entire death, he upheld the tenet of [Silence], demonstrating his devotion to his master.

“Hum—”

The deafening thunder left Cheng Shi’s ears ringing.

His skull screamed; his spirit trembled.

Since the ascetic had charged toward him, Cheng Shi clearly saw the fixation in his eyes.

He saw the last flicker of that stubborn light vanish from the ascetic’s gaze before the thunder consumed him!

He wasn’t killed by the lightning!!

He died of fear!

Yes—he died from the crimson dagger beneath his feet, from [When Fear Arrives]!

He died before the judge’s verdict—killed by the half-artifact he sought to seize!

Cheng Shi stared in disbelief, quickly turning to look at the crowd.

If the bard downstairs was already dealt with, when had the ascetic been marked by it?

Could the killer still be among the crowd?

Even under the Grand Tribunal’s very eyes, he was still killing!?

Six remain—three left.

The trial is only on its second day!

Cheng Shi’s back prickled with cold sweat; he dared not speak.

He hugged himself slightly, pretending to be a frightened, injured traveler, trying to blend in.

Mo Qiusi had long seen through everything; he knew Cheng Shi was no good man, and he knew Cheng Shi wanted to take advantage of the chaos to find this dagger.

But the most advantageous thing for Cheng Shi was that, even though he appeared where he shouldn’t have, he did nothing he shouldn’t have done.

For a person who clearly wasn’t good but committed no criminal act, the judge could not convict him.

Otherwise, it would violate 【Order】.

【Order】 granted them authority, but also limited their power.

Mo Qiusi walked grimly up to Cheng Shi, ignored the “injured traveler,” and bent down to pick up the crimson dagger.

The semi-divine artifact that had nearly killed the ascetic monk showed no resistance in his hand, lying still like an ordinary piece of iron.

But the moment 【When Fear Arrives】 fell into Mo Qiusi’s grasp, the faces of the last three players turned utterly grim.

The trial’s difficulty was still escalating.