Chapter 557

"Zeon, since you claim innocence, this court shall grant you the right to speak, but remember, in these halls you must speak with substance, present your stance and evidence in full to prove you are not guilty."

Adam gave the magistrate a respectful nod before speaking in a measured tone, "Your Honor, I understand, may I request the presence of the other party involved, Vance? He was the one who fed a pill to Miss Zella, that pill is what poisoned her."

He let the words settle before continuing.

"His love for her went unanswered, so he devised a plan to make Zella appear dead, framing me for her murder, all so he could have Miss Zella for himself."

The courtroom erupted, murmuring rippled through the crowd as villagers exchanged shocked glances, heads turning as if searching for Vance among them, Vance himself, hiding within the throng, went deathly pale the moment his name left Adam’s lips, a flicker of panic shot through his eyes.

"Vance? How is he mixed up in this?" someone whispered.

"How could he harm Miss Zella? Aren’t they childhood sweethearts?"

"Exactly, Vance is a child we all watched grow up, how could that be possible?"

The magistrate’s brow furrowed, his gaze swept over the crowd and settled on Vance, "Vance, are you willing to take the stand and testify?"

Called out by name, Vance had no choice but to grit his teeth and step forward, every step seemed unbearably heavy, he came to stand beside Adam, his gaze shifting erratically, fighting to conceal the panic clawing at his chest.

"Your Honor, I..." His voice trembled, he drew a deep breath, struggling to steady himself.

"How could I possibly possess such a miraculous pill? I am a commoner, nothing more, aside from this creature here, I have never encountered anything bizarre in my life."

"Oh?" The magistrate’s tone carried a thread of suspicion as he regarded Adam, "Words alone are no proof, you must produce evidence that the pill belonged to Vance, otherwise, what prevents this court from concluding you were the one who fed it to Zella?"

Adam did not flinch, he spoke with calm precision, "Your Honor, I know that words alone cannot convince the public, but every word I have spoken is the truth, regarding that pill, I know nothing of it nor where it came from, although I did not share a deep bond with Miss Zella, I have always respected her innocence and kindness."

"That day, I noticed Vance lurking around my doorstep, so I followed him, I then witnessed Miss Zella collapse without warning, her body wreathed in bizarre black qi, falling right at Vance’s feet."

"I rushed forward to check on her, only to find her breath already fading, to save her life, I had no choice but to draw upon the power within my body."

Adam paused deliberately, his gaze swept the crowd, lingering on Vance, and he watched the man’s complexion drain further, fine beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Furthermore, though I am no saint, I understand that good and evil carry their karmic returns, why would I take a life without reason? If I were truly the murderer, why would I stand here facing trial instead of fleeing? Moreover, though I possess the power of the Devourer of Desires, I have constantly worked to control it and never let it become a weapon against others, I request Your Honor to summon a professional alchemist from the higher authorities to examine the toxins within Miss Zella’s body, verifying whether the evil qi originated from me will reveal the truth."

The magistrate’s frown deepened, he was merely the chief official of a small town, how could he possibly summon a noble alchemist? The request felt deliberately impossible.

"Your Honor, there is no need for concern, simply report that you have captured an escaped evil demon who is severely injured and requires an alchemist’s attention, when they arrive, I will leave with them willingly, not only will you have resolved Miss Zella’s case, but you will have captured an evil demon, two great merits in a single stroke," Adam understood the official’s predicament and laid it out plainly.

The official’s eyes lit up at once, this was a heaven-sent opportunity, capturing an evil demon would spread his name far and wide, his legacy would be secured.

"Good, men, bring brush and ink."

A letter of request flowed from the chief official’s brush and appeared on the desk in short order.

The atmosphere in the courtroom thickened, villagers discussed animatedly among themselves, some began to waver, while others remained firmly certain that Adam was the murderer.

As for Vance, he stood as though nailed to the ground, the terror and panic inside him threatened to swallow him whole.

"We will stop here for today, the trial shall resume in two days, upon the alchemist’s arrival."

The magistrate struck his gavel, bringing the proceedings to a temporary close.

In truth, the office had already conducted an autopsy, but their examiners lacked the skill to determine the exact cause of death.

Because of the unique power within his body, Adam was returned to his cell, Vance, meanwhile, was placed under supervision and forbidden from leaving the town.

In his cell, Adam’s brows drew tight together.

The day of the alchemist’s arrival came in the blink of an eye.

The air across the small town was thick with tension and anticipation, just as the first pale light crept over the horizon, residents gathered outside the judgment hall in droves, discussions rose and fell, everyone eager to learn how the mysterious alchemist would uncover the truth.

At the same time, on a secluded forest path beyond the town, the alchemist Chrome rode swiftly on horseback, flanking him were two cultivator guards on their own mounts.

Chrome’s heart brimmed with anticipation, if he handled this well, it would mean a massive merit, moreover, he had heard that the bodies of evil demons were treasures through and through, possessing perfect physiques that could be harvested for refining pills.

That anticipation did not last long.

A flurry of urgent hoofbeats approached from the distance, shattering the tranquility of the three riders.

"Who’s there?" Chrome pulled back sharply on his reins, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding trees like a torch.

Deep in the forest, several dark figures rapidly approached, they were dressed in night-walking clothes and wore ghostly masks, revealing only pairs of eyes that flickered with a cold, piercing glint.

A/N:

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