Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 127 - 126: Encourage Evil to Follow Goodness, It’s Not Too Much to Give a Little Reward, Right?

Chapter 127: Chapter 126: Encourage Evil to Follow Goodness, It’s Not Too Much to Give a Little Reward, Right?

At that moment, the martial artists by the entrance of the Council Hall parted, and an elder with hands clasped behind his back strode in.

Seeing an old man suddenly appearing from who knows where, Lu Qingquan became so agitated that he walked back and slammed his hand on the desk several times in a row.

"Who let you in!?"

"Who are you? What do you want to do!?"

"Do you know where you are? Guards, kick this senile old man out for me—"

Before Lu Qingquan could finish his words, he saw the two Principal Officers stand up from behind their desks and bow deeply with clasped hands towards the entering elder. They even bent at the waist, calling out in an extremely respectful manner, "Pharaoh."

Zhang San had thought it was someone causing trouble, not paying much attention initially.

But upon hearing the Principal Officers’ titles and recognizing the voice as indeed familiar, he looked back.

Wasn’t this Pharaoh, the friend of Teacher Ma whom he had met at Shi Family Villa?

Zhang San also immediately turned and respectfully gave Pharaoh a deep bow with clasped hands, saying in a deferential tone, "Master."

Principal Officer Yue frowned upon hearing this, and glanced quickly at Zhang San with a lowered head.

"Kid, don’t just blurt out anything. Do you know who this is?"

This is the flipping Pharaoh!

The leader of the Legalists in the Great Sui!

The Legalists are in charge of the Ministry of Punishment, and Pharaoh is in charge of the Legalists!

Not to mention the likes of us, mere Principal Officers, even Kaihuang himself has to show the utmost respect when meeting Pharaoh.

There’s even a rumor that Kaihuang once took Pharaoh as his master—not just an ordinary teacher, but a master!

Kaihuang, the current saintly Emperor, calls Pharaoh master, and now you too?

Are you tired of living!

Pharaoh looked at Zhang San calling him master, feeling supremely pleased in his heart!

Even when Kaihuang had sworn him as master and called him such, he had not felt this thrilled.

"My disciple, did you rush back for this matter? I thought you had returned to preside over someone else’s trial. How is it that you’re being scrutinized like a grandson instead?"

Zhang San had not originally wanted to take Pharaoh as a master. He had wanted to rely on his own methods to prove his innocence.

But let’s not even mention the rubbish "Kaihuang Law" for the moment—the actual conducting of the trial has been such that those with connections are clear of blame, while those without are left holding the bag.

If you still insist on the so-called equality before the law, you might as well resign yourself to rotting in prison.

If you think there’s a chance to fight for fairness in this feudal fantasy world, of course you can’t give up.

But now you know you can’t attain it; if you’re still stiff-necked and trying to act tough, then you’re truly foolish!

Therefore, this utterance of "master" doesn’t signify a change in Zhang San’s principles; his principle has always been survival of the fittest.

Since he found the rules to be inconsistent with his own beliefs, it would be true recklessness if he didn’t adjust his stance accordingly.

"Master, I’m just someone who likes to stay down here. You want me on top, but I’m just not accustomed to it."

Pharaoh couldn’t be bothered with Zhang San’s vulgarity, and walked up to the head of the Council Hall to sit down with a smile.

"You needn’t be so formal. I was just passing by and thought I’d drop in for a casual look, just a casual look."

Principal Officer Yue was so frightened he didn’t dare sit down.

Just a casual look?

During his life, Pharaoh took the Six Articles of Legalism as his doctrine, accepting six true disciples. As a result, these six disciples either died or entered the Heavenly Prison, leaving not a single one free to walk about outside.

At this moment, taking Zhang San as a disciple clearly means he has become a closed-door disciple without a doubt!

A closed-door disciple, eh? He’s likely to inherit all of Pharaoh’s knowledge and the entire Legalism heritage. Who knows, maybe in the future, Legalism will bear the surname Zhang!

And now a closed-door disciple is being judged, and you come over here just to "have a look"?

If I weren’t a fool, I would believe you. Principal Officer Yue looked at Pharaoh sitting in the chief seat and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Our Legalism is renowned for being fair and impartial. Continue with the trial, don’t mind me. Continue, please continue..."

Although Pharaoh said with a laugh to continue,

at this point, if anyone really thought they could carry on judging Zhang San, that would be utterly foolish.

Lu Qingquan naturally understood this logic and turned to look at Principal Officer Yue.

Lu Qingquan realized that among the two principal officers who had arrived, Principal Officer Ximen was purely a martial artist with not a single flexible thought in his head; for such matters, they could only rely on Principal Officer Yue to decide.

The issue was, Principal Officer Yue had no idea either.

It was obvious from Pharaoh’s behavior just now that he was dissatisfied with the current outcome of Zhang San’s trial.

But everything was acquitted, how can there still be dissatisfaction!

Previously, Principal Officer Ximen had secretly entered the Ghost Domain to investigate. Although many bodies were gone, one could still discern the traces of battle from that time, and it was even confirmed that near Blade Guan Dam, someone had actually unleashed a strike with Blade Intent so powerful that even the Spiritual Platform Realm could barely withstand it.

Out of all the people in the Town Martial Office, Zhang San was the only person who had grasped the Blade Intent. Who else if not him, could have used the Blade Intent?

But now, with Pharaoh sitting here, how the hell are we supposed to handle this!?

Using all of his lifetime’s bureaucratic cunning, Principal Officer Yue had a spark of inspiration and shouted angrily at Lu Qingquan, "What are you looking at me for? Principal Officer Ximen and I are here by the Chief’s order to investigate the matter. But the specific details of the trial are your responsibility. Punish who must be punished, reward who must be rewarded!"

Principal Officer Yue specifically emphasized the word "reward".

Lu Qingquan, after all, was perceptive and noticing Principal Officer Yue’s attitude and wording, he got the hint!

"Ahem... for this matter, Zhang San has already confessed everything just now. Zhang San, let me repeat it again, and you tell me if it is correct."

"In the Ghost Domain, Bai Yucheng admitted to embezzling the Town Martial Office’s cultivation resources and then went further to murder his colleagues from the Town Martial Office, gravely injuring Xu and killing twenty-two other colleagues. In the end..."

"You, Zhang San, saved the building from collapse and your colleagues from the brink of disaster. You persuaded Bai Yucheng on the spot, leading to Bai Yucheng’s sudden realization of the gravity of his crimes. Knowing the depth of his sins, he committed suicide on the spot as an act of fear and guilt. Is that correct?"

Lu Qingquan wiped the sweat from his forehead, discovering for the first time that the skill he was best at, spouting nonsense, could be so difficult.

Zhang San nodded and said softly, "That’s exactly what happened, my speaking skills are not good, I didn’t explain it clearly just now."

Seeing Zhang San being so cooperative, Lu Qingquan also felt quite relieved.

"Given that, thus far in this case, it is quite clear that Bai Yucheng embezzled the Town Martial Office’s cultivation resources and then turned to murder his colleagues, eventually being persuaded by Zhang San to commit suicide out of fear for his crimes. For this case, since Zhang San saved many colleagues, he should be rewarded. The reward... "

Lu Qingquan knew that in the Town Martial Office, additional rewards consisted of medium rewards, great rewards, and grand rewards.

The medium reward was at least one jin of copper.

Great rewards could range from five to ten jin of copper.

And the grand reward could go up to thirty jin of copper.

But thirty jin of copper is the limit.

"Considering this time Zhang San was willing to stand out and persuade Bai Yucheng despite the vast gap in their realm and power, it really is a great kindness. How about we take thirty jin of copper as..."

Lu Qingquan, seeing the corners of Zhang San’s mouth slightly turn down in dissatisfaction, and Principal Officer Yue’s expressionless face, realized they all thought it was insufficient.

Then just add more, it’s not coming out of my pocket anyway.

"We’ll take thirty jin of copper as half of the reward, giving a total reward of sixty jin of copper!"

Zhang San’s mouth curved upward, he muttered quietly, "Now that’s better, it could cover for three years of penal servitude."