The day of the trial arrived and it was to be held in the Mystic Mountain Sect. I told Lu-Li that if I don't make it back alive, I trust that she could be a good lady of the sect. She told me not to say such things, but I couldn't believe Chengli would play a fair trial. It has been a month since Hanzhou died and things didn't get any better. Looks like there is no chance of stopping the war that would soon fall upon us.
I travelled to the Mystic Mountain through another route to prevent unwanted encounters. I got to the trial hall and made my way to the center. The Jianyu Council was introduced and they came in except for Mu-Liman, Mu-Shibai, and Sima Jun. Chengli started the trial by asking:
"Lu-Hanzhou has been charged of the death of Gu-Baixing, the lord of the Mystic Mountain Sect and former leader of the Jianyu Council. Lu-Min, representative of Lu-Hanzhou, you will have to answer some questions to prove his innocence."
This guy really knows how to put on a show. Why use tactics in a war you've already won? He continued:
"What do you have to say for the blade? Was the blade that was used to kill Gu-Baixing owned by Lu-Hanzhou?"
I answered, "Yes."
He said again, "Were there blood stains on it?"
I answered, "Yes."
He then asked for the last time, "I remember Gu-Baixing being a fierce warrior, which means Lu-Hanzhou ended up with severe, serious injuries. Did he have any?"
I answered, "Yes."
"Then I do not see a reason why we should continue this trial. Lu-Hanzhou is obviously guilty," he said confidently.
"Wait!" I said in order to continue the trial. I then asked, "What if Lu-Hanzhou was attacked by Gu-Baixing and Lu-Hanzhou had to fight back as an act of defending himself and his sect?"
Gu-Chengli became speechless. I could see how furious he was by his expression. He asked me what I meant by that, and I explained the whole thing that happened in the Eastern District.
Chengli was about to counter-attack, then I said, "I have one more question. If the fight happened in the Blue Moon Sect, how did Gu-Baixing's body get to the Mystic Mountain Sect?!"
The whole place became silent. Ma-Wushi started laughing loudly, destroying the silence.
"I thought that Lu-Hanzhou was the only interesting person the Blue Moon Sect had to offer, but this guy is making things fun!" he said playfully.
"How dare you question the Mystic Mountain Sect!" Chengli said angrily.
He was about to attack when...
"That is enough," said Mu-Shibai as he walked in with his body covered with blood, but it was not his blood.
He stood in front of the council and dropped a bloody sack on the ground.
"No need for discussions. The war has already begun, and the Fog Forest Sect and the Dark Fog Sect would stand for the Blue Moon Sect," he said arrogantly.
Chengli asked him what gave him the right to choose a side in war for two sects which he is not the leader of. Mu-Shibai picked the sack from the ground, turned it upside down, and two heads fell out.
"As you can see from this evidence, my father is dead, leaving me as the new lord of the Dark Fog Sect, and Sima-Jun lost to me in a war making me the conqueror and lord of the Dark Fog Sect," Mu-Shibai explained.
So that guy actually killed his father. So these are the kind of things that go down in the council. How does Lu-Hanzhou deal with these kind of stuff?
Chengli then asked, "I believe since the war has been declared, there is no need for a trial because it is all part of war. So why should we leave you to go alive?"
Looks like we still have to go down. If we were to fight here, it wouldn't be totally bad, but with Shin-Rendi here, asking for a fight is asking for death.
As we were about to start attacking, a very bright light appeared in the center of the trial hall, preventing everyone from seeing. The light started to fade, and inside it stood a man... no... a god. The light faded leaving only a god standing there surrounded with a calm golden aura.
"Mere humans of the Lower Earthly Realm, I have brought a message from the gods. Listen calmly or face your death," the god said.
What an insulting tone! Who could ever listen to someone like that?
The god continued:
"The gods have found interest in the war of you mere humans and would like it to go on longer. Therefore, the Mystic Mountain Sect would have to let the Blue Moon Sect and the Fog Forest Sect leave unharmed. If any harm should be inflicted, the consequence would be unbearable!" Then it disappeared.
"Who cares what that fool says? Let's slaughter those bastards!" Shin-Rendi said arrogantly.
Chengli told him not to do anything that could get them killed before the war began. We all thought the story of gods and other realms were just folk tales, but what we just witnessed cannot be unseen.
"Fine then. We shall allow you to go free, but before we leave, the Jade Milk Sect would have to pick a side in this war!" Chengli said, directing all the attention to Ma-Wushi.
Ma-Wushi laughed and said:
"You all are very interesting fellows, but I can't choose between you. As much as I hate the Mystic Mountain Sect, I could have sided with the Blue Moon Sect, but the interesting Lu-Hanzhou is no more. So for now, I guess I'll be neutral." And then he left.
We all went back to our various sects without any attacks from any sect. I thought that we were on the losing side in this war, but with Mu-Shibai on my side, we might have a chance. Out of the seven sects in the Jianyu, we have the Blue Moon Sect, the Blood Moon Sect, the Fog Forest Sect, and the Dark Fog Sect—leaving us with four sects, two sects against us, and one neutral sect.
It was not about land mass, but about manpower and tactics, and that is what makes it impossible for us to overthrow the Mystic Mountain Sect.
I got back to the sect and went to the royal court to sleep and clear my head. Looks like Wang-Min and Lu-Li are still helping out in the Eastern District, leaving me home alone again... without Wang-Min.
I walked slowly to my room when I heard:
"HHEELLPPP!!!" It came from the basement. Could it be a thief? I ran to the basement to see what was happening when I saw...
...Hanzhou, sitting inside his coffin. Then he smiled at me and said:
"Umm, could you help me out of this coffin?"