Proofreader: Arya
The Dean himself had confirmed the results.
It seems this is the truth.
Oong!
Loud discussion came from the void of space.
These voices were overlapping with one another, becoming louder and louder by the second.
A Guru had tried to use such a method to fool the Dean and the Sentinel!
What was she thinking?
Does she want to die?
Isa was feeling an unprecedented sense of fear…
She loudly screamed: “That isn’t so! Dean, please check my card carefully, my card definitely hasn’t been tampered with!”
From the voice of space, the wrinkled hand holding the God’s Chosen card was a bit hesitant.
I’ve already confirmed the matter and yet she still wants me to check again?
At this point, Su Xue Er lightly pulled on Lord Bloodcloak’s sleeves.
Her voice was a bit frightened: “Sentinel, maybe this matter should just end here”
Lord Bloodcloak turned to look at the little girl next to him.
What a familiar scene.
Just like that female student of mine from all those years before.
It was like this back then as well, every time she was bullied by someone, her tone of voice, her gestures, her choice of words.
They were exactly the same.
Unfortunately, at the time I was only an apprentice Guru, I didn’t have a lot of power yet.
There were a few things that I had no way to do her justice.
As my student at the time, she was truly pitiful.
Pitiful…
Boom!
「 Dorraargggghhh!!! 」
Lord Bloodcloak started to roar, the blood glow on his body erupted to form an endless sea of blood in the sky.
This sea of blood had covered the entirety of the Institute, making everyone who witnessed it couldn’t help but want to escape.
The Institute itself was trembling slightly from this overwhelming power.
Lord Bloodcloak glared at Isa and snickered: 「 Isa, you dared to try and fool me in front of everyone, furthermore manipulated me to deal with my own Disciple, I want to kill you 」
“No! Dean, please save me!” Isa was so scared she had hurriedly called for help.
“Stop!” the old voice shouted.
Seeing how a disaster was about to happen, the Dean temporarily ignored the card in his hand.
He appeared from the void of space.
He was an extremely old and tall man.
When the Dean waved his hand, the other 6 Elders also appeared.
“The situation has yet to become clear, Sentinel, calm down a little” the Dean spoke.
When Lord Bloodcloak was about to speak, a small hand grabbed his own.
「 Su Xue Er, what is it? 」 he held the words down and asked her.
“Please don’t kill someone because of me, I want to solve this legitimately, by the Institute’s rules” the young girl told him in a low voice.
Lord Bloodcloak was a bit surprised, then asked: 「 Are you sure you don’t want me to help you relieve your anger? 」
The young girl spoke: “I trust the Institute’s laws and rules, and I trust that for such a thing, the Dean can definitely uphold his impartiality”
Seeing how she persuaded him, everyone silently praised her.
Such a child who can see the big picture is truly worth the Institute’s raising.
The other Gurus also silently nodded.
Su Xue Er continued: “I request for myself to go through Soul Interrogation”
The Gurus’ expressions changed.
Soul Interrogation is the highest level of investigation in the Institute, directly questioning the sinner’s soul.
No lies could ever escape the judgement of God’s Chosen.
This is the cruelest type of interrogation method which will always leave a scar on the recipient’s soul.
During the process, the recipient will also experience a literal soul-rending pain.
To think that Su Xue Er would be willing to accept Soul Interrogation to prove her own innocence!
If she’s willing to go that far, the Dean doesn’t even want to check the card in his hand any further.
Who knows how many hidden things are in the card.
He threw the card back to Isa.
Seeing this, Su Xue Er’s expression didn’t change, but her clenched hands slightly loosened.
Isa hurriedly: “Dean! Please check my card, I swear it has no problem”
The Dean looked at her in irritation and spoke: “I’ve already used the pack of wolves to check, which will be followed by Soul Interrogation, and you’re still not satisfied?”
Checking whether or not another person’s card has been tampered with takes a lot of time and effort.
To find out the truth, Soul Interrogation is much quicker, not to mention more trustworthy.
Hearing that, Isa have nothing left to say.
——–the Dean is already very displeased with me openly singling out a particular student.
Not to mention, it’s true that no one can lie during Soul Interrogation.
Thinking that, she didn’t dare to anger the Dean any further.
Lord Bloodcloak stepped forward and shielded Su Xue Er behind himself.
He spoke in a low voice: 「 Soul Interrogation will harm her soul, no more than three questions 」
“I agree” the Dean spoke.
As the two of them glared at each other, Lord Bloodcloak slowly stepped to one side.
He looked at Su Xue Er and whispered: 「 Xue Er, my Disciple, accept this interrogation, I guarantee no one else will be able to badmouth you ever again after this 」
Su Xue Er smiled and spoke: “I trust teacher”
Lord Bloodcloak nodded.
At this moment, their relationship as student and teacher has already been established.
The Dean inhaled deeply as his expression turned solemn.
It’s been a very long time since I had to use Soul Interrogation.
But this matter, the strife has become too great to mediate.
Everyone here is waiting for a conclusion that will sooth all parties involved.
I have to use the most partial method to solve this in front of everyone.
The Dean reached his hand into the void of space.
A long, jet black tooth appeared in his hand.
The tooth has been carved into the shape of an execution platform, with one skeletal guard on either side.
One of the skeletons held a jagged longsword, the other was swinging a flaming whip, as both of them looked at the Dean.
“What is it?” one of the skeletons asked.
“Judge: Su Xue Er” he spoke in a low voice.
“As you wish” the skeleton answered.
The jet black tooth instantly disappeared.
A light descended from the sky, directly shining on Su Xue Er.
Su Xue Er lost control of her body as she slowly floated up into the air.
““Kashashashasha!””
A terrifying laugh came from the void of space.
The two skeletons appeared, looming.
The execution platform slowly manifested behind them as a phantom image.
Su Xue Er was then placed on the execution platform, tied up by an invisible rope.
Her beautiful face grimaced, as if she was going through some sort of torture.
“The first question, begin” a skeleton announced.
“Lie, and your soul will receive irreversible pain” the other skeleton excitedly added.
Right after, they raised their respective weapons, waiting to give Su Xue Er the torture she might deserve.
The Dean looked straight at her in front of everybody and asked in a loud voice: “Su Xue Er, did you or did you not ask Guru Isa to become her Disciple?”
Su Xue Er answered straight away: “I did not”
The two skeletons looked at each other and lowered their weapons in annoyance.
One of the skeletons looked at the Dean regretfully: “She told the truth”
Never mind three questions, even the first question had managed to prove the girl’s innocence!
“Hah —–“
Quite a few disembodied voices couldn’t help but utter such a sigh.
As if the truth was already clear to them.
Isa was now really panicking.
She hurriedly recalled the situation at the time.
When they were talking, I had clearly arranged an anti-power zone, no matter what kind of power she had used, I would’ve noticed.
But the zone didn’t react at all, and I couldn’t find any signs of tampering.
That is why I was so sure of my plan and made such an irreversible claim at such a place.
There’s no turning back now.
Isa decided to risk it.
She suddenly interfered in the interrogation and shouted: “Su Xue Er, do you dare to claim that you did not plot against me!?”
“Silence!” the Dean’s expression shook a bit.
He was severely offended.
He was the Judge, yet someone had dared to interrupt his trial.
Lord Bloodcloak also glanced at Isa, killing intent emitting from his body.
But it’s already too late, the question had been asked.
Hearing someone asking a question, the two skeletons raised their weapons once more and came next to Su Xue Er.
“Answer the question!”
The skeleton with the longsword shouted.
Su Xue Er remained silent.
Isa excitedly trembled a bit, pointing at Su Xue Er and yelled out: “Look! Take a clear look! She doesn’t dare to answer my question!”
It was now that everyone had temporarily let her off to observe Su Xue Er.
They saw an expression of suffering on Su Xue Er, together with a look of unwillingness.
Going through Soul Interrogation is torture in and of itself, so this was understandable.
She slowly answered: “Perhaps you have been framed once before, and thus think that me as a mere Disciple candidate could plot against you”
Su Xue Er stopped to catch her breath, then continued: “If someone had indeed done so, I truly apologize, but I have to say that I am not smart enough to plot against you”
The two skeleton regretfully lowered their weapons again and announced: “Truth! This is the truth!”
Isa was completely stunned.
She couldn’t comprehend what was going on in front of her eyes.
Clearly she had lured me into this trap, yet the statement that she didn’t plot against me was true.
Then, she thought of something.
She had realized what method she had used.
Isa ignored the Dean’s anger, disregarded Lord Bloodcloak’s glare and desperately cut in to ask the final question.
“An accomplice! You definitely have an accomplice!”
She shouted, “you said you aren’t smart enough, then there is definitely someone helping you! That accomplice helped you and did all this didn’t they!?”
The two skeletons looked at Su Xue Er again.
One of them shouted: “Answer the question!”
Both the Dean and Lord Bloodcloak were boiling with anger.
The trial of someone who had actively accepted Soul Interrogation reduced to such a state.
If something like Soul Interrogation could be made so unjust, what kind of chaos would befall this Institute later on!
“Isa, you…” the Dean was furious.
“Please look! Dean, she doesn’t dare to answer!” Isa pointed at Su Xue Er and spoke without rest.
The two skeletons raised their weapons.
One of them stared at Su Xue Er and excitedly spoke: “If you don’t answer, we will whip your soul, letting you enjoy overwhelming pain unlike anything a human can ever withstand”
The other one continued: “At that point, you will tell the truth regardless”
Su Xue Er stayed calm.
She didn’t look at the skeletons but directly at Isa.
They heard her spoke in a soft voice: “Accomplice? I couldn’t believe you would think of that, there is no such person who is my accomplice”
The two skeletons stopped.
They dejectedly let go of their weapons, announcing to the Dean and everyone else: “She spoke the truth”
“No! Do you dare ——“ Isa shouted, wanting to ask again.
The two skeletons looked in intrigue.
Then, the Dean declared with a low voice: “The three questions are over!”
As the Dean’s hand moved, the execution platform as well as the two skeletons all disappeared instantly.
Lord Bloodcloak flew up to receive Su Xue Er and hide her behind himself.
The two of them looked back at Isa.
Two powerful God’s Chosens who had been through countless battles in countless worlds stared her down in boiling fury.