The bonfire was burning brightly, but the snow suddenly became heavier. The snowflakes mixed with the flames swept the young man's face. The young man's expression was somewhat nervous as he replied, "I … I'm not here to cause trouble."
Yu Xingyang sighed slightly. Not only was his words useless, but he was also afraid. After all, he was a young man, so it was normal for him to have such a reaction.
Zhan Long scolded, "You injured a group of guards and forced your way in. You even injured the kingdom's soldiers. How is this not causing trouble?"
Yu Xingyang couldn't help but cough lightly, "Brother Zhan, this little brother must have his reasons for rushing here on a snowy night. Why don't you listen to what he has to say?"
Because of this sentence, the young man immediately gave Yu Xingyang a grateful look.
And because it was Yu Xingyang who spoke, Tian Qing had to give him some face. He took two steps forward and revealed a gentle smile to the young man, "Tian Qing is old. The younger generation is full of talents. I didn't expect little brother's sword skills to be so outstanding and your cultivation to be so high. I haven't asked your name yet."
The young man didn't dare to be rude. He could only put away his sword and bow slightly. This was a great general who had made great contributions to the kingdom and was respected by all. No matter who faced him, this was a necessary etiquette.
After bowing, the young man said, "I … I'm just a nameless soldier. I'm not worthy of being mentioned by Great General Tian."
Yu Xingyang let out a sigh of relief. This young man still had some brains. He knew that he couldn't say his name. Even if he could get through today, there was no guarantee that others wouldn't find trouble with him in the future.
Tian Qing smiled understandingly, "Little brother must have his own difficulties. That's fine. May I know why little brother has come to my humble abode?"
The young man turned around and pointed at the young girl, "I'm here because of her."
The young girl's eyes were swollen as if she had been crying. Her entire body was soaked as if she had just been drenched in the rain.
Tian Qing frowned, "Little girl, are you from the capital?"
This was asking the obvious. How could someone from the capital be dressed so shabbily?
The young man took the initiative to explain, "She's from a peasant family outside the city. She was born deaf and mute. She can't hear or speak."
So that was the case. Everyone now understood why the young man kept gesturing to the young girl. It was because it was sign language.
Tian Qing asked, "Little girl, what's the matter?"
The young man whispered, "This morning, I was hunting in the suburbs. The other hunters shouted that someone had jumped into the river to commit suicide, so we all went into the river to save him."
Tian Qing understood. "You were the one who saved the little girl?"
The young man nodded. Although his voice was still very soft, the people around him could still hear him clearly.
"General Tian, I know sign language. After asking around, I found out that there was a caravan that went out of the city last night. When they passed by her house, they saw that she was beautiful and deaf and mute, so they wanted to rape her. She was so sad and angry that she couldn't say anything, so she wanted to kill herself this morning. Luckily, Brother Wen Yuanliang, a hunter from Lanbao Village, found her in time and asked us to save her …"
The young man's train of thought was clear and organized. He explained the matter clearly in a few words and even pointed out the name of the witness. It meant that this matter was not fake and was not a child's play.
In fact, when these words were said, everyone in the manor was moved. In the current criminal law of the kingdom, the punishment for the "crime of lust" was extremely cruel. As long as one raped a young girl, they would be castrated.
After castrating, they would be beaten with a rod and finally beheaded. The head would be hung on the top of the city as a warning to the public: Lust is the most evil. Don't be rash with lust.
Tian Qing's face darkened. "So, the person who raped the little girl is from the caravan that went out of the city?"
In the past two days, there had been countless caravans leaving the city. Most of them were here to deliver birthday gifts to him. Caravans of gifts were transported into the Tian Manor, and the suburbs were the only way to pass through. There was clearly a trace of this matter.
The young man finally said something shocking. "This person is in this courtyard right now."
Everyone looked at each other with different expressions. Some were nervous, some were suspicious, and some were gloating. Who would be so bold?
To dare to mess around in the capital, disregarding the kingdom's laws.
This was great. They had been caught red-handed. This was going to be a big joke.
The young man bowed again. "I know that General Tian has been fighting for the kingdom for decades. The military law is extremely strict, and you have never practiced favoritism. That is why I brought her here. I hope that General Tian can uphold justice."
Tian Qing's expression was extremely ugly. "Who is this person?"
The young man took a deep breath, raised his head, and mustered his courage to say, "General Tian, he is your son, Tian Yi."
There was an earth-shattering rumble, and Tianqing felt as if a bolt of lightning had descended from the sky, shattering all the thoughts he had prepared. He suddenly recalled that the Skywings had indeed made a trip to the city yesterday, and their purpose was to purchase the batch of fireworks that were currently being set off.
He ignored the stunned people in the courtyard. His figure blurred for a moment before returning to normal.
In the blink of an eye, Tian Yi, who was still drunk by the lake, was dragged over. At the same time, Tian Qing released Source Energy from his palm, and a surge of energy entered Tian Yi's body. Tian Yi immediately sobered up.
Tian Qing yelled, "Yi 'er, listen carefully. Is what this little brother said true?"
Tian Yi's face turned pale, and he almost jumped up. "Nonsense, he's talking nonsense. How could I do such a thing? Nonsense, this is complete nonsense …"
Seeing him yell, the young girl's expression immediately turned to one of hatred. Although she couldn't hear anything, she wasn't blind.
Based on the young girl's reaction, most of the people present knew that this was most likely the doing of this bastard.
Tian Qing had been on the battlefield for many years, so he had no time to discipline his children. His wife also spoiled his precious son too much. The saying that a loving mother spoils her son was absolutely true.
However, Tian Yi was also known for his lecherous nature in the capital. He could be found in brothels, taverns, and dance halls. Who would have thought that he wouldn't even let a village girl go? He was extremely shameless.
At this moment, however, most people wisely chose to keep their mouths shut. If they opened their mouths, even if they said a single word, it was very likely that they would get into trouble.
This trouble was too big, so big that it could take someone's life at any time. This young man was young and ignorant, and he didn't see the world clearly enough. He still thought that he could seek justice.
Of course, it wasn't as if there weren't people who spoke up. A deep and powerful voice came from the main table. "Little brother, you keep saying that Tian Yi did this, but you need to show evidence for everyone to believe you."
There was nothing wrong with this statement, but Yu Xingyang frowned because the person who had spoken was right next to him. He also knew this person. It was Bai Pinghai, who had been sent flying by his blade at the Martial Arts Symposium seven years ago.
Bai Pinghai was an outstanding genius among the younger generation of the kingdom. He had a good relationship with Tian Qing and was now the chief expert of the "Bai Clan." Naturally, Tian Qing wouldn't misunderstand his words.
Bai Pinghai's figure also flashed, and he appeared next to Tian Qing in the blink of an eye. He didn't even cause a gust of wind. This level of cultivation was at least at the Combat Master level.
"Young man, illness comes from the mouth. I hope that you won't be bewitched by others and come to Old Master Tian's birthday banquet to cause trouble. If you don't have evidence, it's not too late to turn back now. Old Master Tian's illustrious name won't allow anyone with ulterior motives to slander him …" Bai Pinghai's expression was very gentle, but this gentleness made the young man feel an inexplicable chill.
He was too young and didn't know much about the dangers of this world. He didn't know that the most frightening thing in this world wasn't beasts, but the human heart. Thus, he replied without hesitation, "I have evidence."
Bai Pinghai glanced at him. "Where is the evidence?"
The young man faced the girl. "She told me that she bit Tian Yi's shoulder. The mark must still be there."
Tian Yi wasn't an Origin Energy User. If there really was such a wound, it would be impossible for it to heal in a single day.
Thus, Bai Pinghai struck out like lightning, pressing down on Heaven's Wing's shoulders with a "pa" sound, and tearing open his clothes with a "chi" sound. Heaven's Wing's shoulders were spotlessly white, and there were no bite marks.
This time, everyone was stunned, and they all looked at the young man suspiciously.
Yu Xingyang's eyes suddenly flashed with killing intent. Although there were many experts present, only he, Tian Qing, and this Bai Pinghai could truly rank in the top three. Thus, while it was normal for others not to be able to see through it, there was no way they could hide it from his eyes.
It turned out that when Bai Pinghai had pressed down on Tian Yi's shoulders, he had already secretly channeled two masses of pure energy into Tian Yi's shoulders. Bai Pinghai was an Origin Energy User who cultivated both Origin Energy and Origin Energy at the speed of light, and he had cultivated a self-healing Origin Energy. In addition, his technique was extremely fast and stealthy, so the fact that he could instantly heal a wound was definitely enough to fool most people present.
As for this young man, he couldn't even clearly see how Bai Pinghai had flashed down from the banquet, so there was no need to even mention what technique he had used.
Bai Pinghai coldly looked at the young man. "I've already said that if you don't have evidence, it's still not too late to turn back. Right now, you'd best tell the truth about the mastermind behind you. Today is a day of great luck. Seeing that you're young and ignorant, I, Bai Pinghai, can plead for leniency on your behalf with the old man and have him deal with you leniently."
Snowflakes drifted down in the manor, and the surrounding air was so quiet that it was about to explode. Unexpectedly, the young man's expression didn't change in the slightest. Instead, it was terrifyingly calm. "She also said that at the base of Tian Yi's thigh, there's a dark red triangular birthmark."
With these words, the situation reversed once more. Over a hundred suspicious gazes turned back and swept over Tian Yi's body.
The killing intent in Yu Xingyang's eyes also disappeared, replaced by a bright light. The young man was calmer and smarter than he had imagined.
If a person's birthmark grew on a special part of the human body, it was naturally impossible for it to be exposed in public. It was also unlikely for outsiders to know about it. This proved that the young girl's words weren't false.
Bai Pinghai's expression didn't change. "Since that's the case, then I'll invite a few seniors from the famous clans to come together with Tian Yi to examine the body indoors to see if what you said is true."
The young man decisively said, "No. If you want to examine it, you have to do it here."
He didn't know why, but when he heard the word "no" come from the young man's mouth, Yu Xingyang's blood instantly boiled. He had always been calm and indifferent, and he didn't know how many years it had been since this kind of long-lost feeling had appeared on his body.
He didn't know if he would have the courage to say "no" in front of so many nobles and heroes if he were in this young man's shoes.
A high-level Origin ability user actually dared to raise doubts in front of so many War Sovereigns and War Masters in order to seek justice for a peasant girl.
A surge of heroism welled up, and Yu Xingyang couldn't help but use his Origin Energy to speak. "What he said makes sense. We should examine it in front of everyone. If we go indoors, the results of the examination might not necessarily be the truth."