Atlas of Heaven and Earth-Chapter 190: Judgment

At eight o'clock the next morning, a convoy led by Armed patrol vehicles departed directly from the Patrol Bureau headquarters, heading towards the Yangzhi City Courtroom.

Wuyi students had received advance notice and were deeply concerned about the matter, so they arrived early at the Courtroom on Canglin Avenue, south of the city.

Among them were not only new students but also graduates from many years past. They all wore the formal attire of Wuyi Academy students and stood silently in the square in front of the Courtroom. The sight was a dense, dark mass, the invisible aura emanating from these Martial Artists exerting immense pressure.

This scene also attracted a large number of onlookers, who dared not get too close but watched from afar. Patrol Bureau police officers had also arrived in advance, setting up barriers and stationing an officer every few meters along both sides of the street, extending to the end of the road.

At 8:15 AM, as the sun rose high, the Patrol Bureau convoy arrived at the Courtroom.

One of the armored special cars came to a stop, and Chen Chuan stepped out, still in his formal attire. He didn't bring the Snow Emperor Blade this time.

Although he had a Weapon Permit, which theoretically allowed him to carry it anywhere except Government Agencies, he considered his current reputation and decided against provoking certain individuals too much.

He looked at the Courtroom ahead. The building appeared solemn and dignified in the sunlight, but because the matter involved too many people and factions, it had implicated almost the entire upper echelon of Yangzhi City. Therefore, the Courtroom itself couldn't play a decisive role.

Its main function was to provide a venue, act as an observer, and pronounce the final verdict, going through a seemingly legal procedure.

At this moment, he also noticed the Wuyi Academy students who had come of their own accord in the square. His sidekick sent by Guan Yumming said, "Little Brother Chen, let's go."

Chen Chuan nodded and, escorted by a group of police officers, stepped onto the stairs and entered the front hall of the Courtroom. Here, he adjusted his clothing in front of the mirror and then walked into the judgment hall.

As he walked in, in a nearby building, a telegraph operator was transmitting a Telegram to a certain location. It eventually reached a certain regional headquarters, where the receiving operator translated it and delivered it to Commissioner Cao, who was sitting there. After reading it, he said, "Understood. Maintain surveillance."

"Yes!"

He glanced outside. The scenery was rapidly receding. On the National Highway, the entire convoy was heading towards Yangzhi City.

Inside the Courtroom, Chen Chuan entered the judgment hall and walked forward along the upward slope, passing through the rows of seats. He could see that many people were already seated, looking at him with hostility, disgust, hatred, and a mixture of vigilance and scrutiny.

According to Gao Ming, not only would the family members of the thirty-seven students be present, but also Government Affairs Hall council members, the Wuyi School director, and Government Affairs Hall officials. In addition, some social luminaries and respected figures unrelated to the matter were present as observers.

The judge sat in the center of the Courtroom, wearing a black and red judgment robe, his hair neatly combed, with round glasses and a gold-threaded lanyard, exuding a refined air.

Chen Chuan went directly to the defendant's position on the right, which was elevated and surrounded by empty space, keeping him at a distance from everyone else but still allowing him to see most of the people present.

He glanced around and saw Bureau Chief Lei, Deputy Director Guan, and others he hadn't noticed earlier, as well as Wuyi teachers such as Bian Feng and Yue Hong. Seated with them were several individuals with serious expressions and imposing auras, clearly well-trained Martial Combat experts, likely from the Processing Bureau.

Because the attendees were Yangzhi City celebrities and dignitaries, all the tedious procedures were streamlined. After everyone had arrived, the judge picked up a small bronze hammer and struck the base beneath the seated statue of a mythical beast, the sound reverberating throughout the hall.

Once everyone was looking at him, he said, "This court convenes today to adjudicate the Lian Mechanical Old Factory case. Let the plaintiff and defendant read their statements."

The Patrol Bureau and Secret Cult Investigation Bureau had already submitted the collected materials. The evidence was substantial, especially with Tan Wang alive, who could provide numerous testimonies and evidence.

The Power families were also aware of this and had made extensive preparations. They reached a consensus that if they couldn't completely exonerate themselves, they would hand over some insignificant individuals but must portray the Power family members present as victims of deception.

If things went smoothly, they might even turn the tables and accuse Chen Chuan of colluding with the Secret Cult, turning the perpetrator into the victim.

The representatives of the plaintiff and defendant took the stand one after another, presenting their views and reasons. Neither of them was a Lawyer; they were Courtroom personnel responsible for reading, not arguing.

The people below listened quietly. The focus of the case was on Chen Chuan, but the interests of each party differed. For the Patrol Bureau and Secret Cult Investigation Bureau, it was about whether they could use Chen Chuan as a lead to investigate the case further.

The Processing Bureau, on the other hand, intended to use this opportunity to weaken or break the unified front of recommended students, reducing the Power families' Influence in the Academy.

But to do this, they first had to protect Chen Chuan and establish the righteousness of his actions, or else the subsequent steps would be impossible.

For the various powerful families, the target was precisely the opposite. If they allowed someone who had killed their descendants to go unpunished, it would not only be a loss of face but also a substantial decline in their power, indicating that they could no longer maintain the old order.

To survive, they might turn on each other, and more and more people would join the ranks of those tearing them apart.

They had made thorough preparations this time, first by persuading a large number of Consultative Bureau council members to side with them, thereby influencing the Government Affairs Hall and exerting pressure on the police, Secret Cult, and Processing Bureau from top to bottom.

However, although these council members had close ties to the Power factions and seemed to have the upper hand, it wasn't that simple.

The Secret Cult, Processing Bureau, and police were the three most powerful local Government Agencies with independent military forces. Without military control at the local level, the Government Affairs Hall had to consider the opinions of these departments.

So, to suppress this matter and achieve their goals, they needed a legitimate reason that conformed to the rules of the Da Shun Republic. Forcibly suppressing it with power would not only fail but also create more conflicts, and they couldn't expect these departments to cooperate in the future.

Considering the various cultists, Resistance Organizations, and armed groups outside, they needed the cooperation of these powerful departments even more, and sometimes their lives depended on it, so they couldn't be careless.

Therefore, the procedure had to be followed.

At this point, the plaintiff and defendant had finished their lengthy statements, and the family members of the deceased took the stand. Those who appeared were mostly elderly people and women from the deceased families.

They recounted the heartwarming and touching stories of the "victims," one by one, detail by detail, with genuine emotion. At poignant moments, they couldn't help but weep and wail, moving many of the observers, and soft sobbing could be heard from below the stage.

The judge watched silently from above. When these statements were finished, he looked at Chen Chuan and, as usual, asked, "Defendant Chen Chuan, the plaintiff accuses you of killing thirty-seven students at the Lian Mechanical Old Factory in Xigang District on the night of the twentieth. Do you admit to this?"

This was just a formality. Usually, the defendant would deny committing these acts, and then the Lawyers would step in and engage in courtroom arguments, which, given the complexity of the matter and the number of parties involved, could be a very lengthy process.

However, he didn't expect that after asking this question, Chen Chuan would calmly say, "I killed them. I killed all thirty-seven of them that night."

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The judge was somewhat surprised that Chen Chuan admitted it so readily, but that wasn't the main point. It was hard to deny anyway; the key was the reason for the killings.

He continued, "Before and during the killings, were you coerced by someone or manipulated by Secret Rituals, leading you to commit the killings?"

Chen Chuan calmly said, "No, I killed these people entirely of my own volition. I was not coerced or influenced by any Secret Rituals."

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar below the stage.

"Murderer!"

"Murderer!"

Finally, someone couldn't contain themselves and stood up excitedly, shouting, "My child was well-behaved and honest, always very filial to his parents. He was just a child, still a child… Why did you kill him? Why!?"

Chen Chuan turned to look at him and said, "Because he deserved to die."

The man trembled at his gaze, "You, you…"

Chen Chuan looked at the seats, looking down at everyone sitting there, and sincerely said, "They all deserved to die. They intended to use Secret Rituals to Control me, but they failed. Later, they even shot at me. To protect myself, I had to kill them all."

"Intended? How do you determine their intent?"

Angry and self-righteous accusations came from below, "Even if they shot at you, that's not a reason to slaughter them. You have no right, you murderer!"

"In fact…" Chen Chuan looked at him, "I have that right."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, and this action made everyone tense up. Some even wanted to call for Security guards.

The judge also became nervous. He knew that Chen Chuan was a Martial Artist who had single-handedly killed dozens of Wuyi Academy students and Security guards armed with firearms. If he went crazy on the spot, even with Security guards present, he would be in danger being so close.

He quickly said, "Student Chen, what are you doing? If you need something, our staff can get it for you."

Chen Chuan slowly said, "Just showing you the power I possess." He slowly took his hand out, holding a card, which he raised to the front, displaying it to everyone.

It was a jade card with a cyan-black hue, with blood-red patterns like diffused cinnabar, resembling dyed blood.

Because the distance was somewhat far, some people didn't see clearly what it was, but those sitting in the front row saw it clearly. Someone who recognized it exclaimed: "Unlimited Self-Defense Permit?!"

The judge stared fixedly, adjusted his glasses, looked at Chen Chuan, and murmured, adding, "And it's a Level B Certificate…"

Chen Chuan's steady and powerful voice echoed in the courtroom:

"You ask if I have the right. I tell you I do. This is the right to legitimate defense granted to me by the Da Shun Republic Government. When I perceive that someone is persecuting me or feel that my life is in danger, I have the right to unlimited defense, so… I will eliminate all threatening targets within my sight, without exception!"

The courtroom was silent. Only the echo of his concluding words lingered.

Many people looked at Chen Chuan in horror, some with trembling hands. They couldn't tell whether it was because of this news or something else.

"Unlimited Self-Defense Permit, how could he have an Unlimited Self-Defense Permit!? It's fake, it must be fake!" Someone immediately questioned from below the stage, immediately stirring up an uproar.

The judge then picked up the Hammer and struck it once, the sound immediately overpowering the noise below. He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "Student Chen, for the sake of fairness and justice, please allow me to verify your defense permit."

Chen Chuan nodded, "You may."

The judge stepped down from the stage, took the card from Chen Chuan's hand, examined it, and said, "It's genuine. The material, the serial number, and the name all match, and… this is a Level B Certificate."

After he said this, the seats were silent. Many Power families present looked pale and sat there powerlessly because they knew that with this certificate, unless caught in the act or the evidence was extremely unfavorable, it would be almost impossible to be convicted.

Wei Hang couldn't help but close his eyes, knowing that the most unwanted situation had occurred.

They had considered this possibility before, although the probability was very low, but they could never stop their pursuit because of this speculation. Did they want to proactively give up pursuing this matter?

So even if Chen Chuan really had an Unlimited Self-Defense Permit, this step had to be taken.

But in this case, they could no longer use official procedures to kill Chen Chuan, but he had another choice, although it was a choice from which there was no return once taken.

He looked at the young man sitting beside him, who nodded to him, so he stood up with his cane, "Judge, and everyone present, I have something to say."