Zhao Yao's uncle, the Clan Leader Zhao Guang, wasn't present. He assumed that his uncle was with his son treating and getting information from him. His absence was a great benefit for Zhao Yao.
The crowd also changed considerably as most of the women and children went home. The clan didn't want the crowd to see, but due to their own rules, they couldn't force them away.
After the Grand Elders made the decision to cancel his 'Marriage,' Zhao Yao didn't say much as it was pointless. Zhao Yao didn't respect the clan's decisions anymore, and he liked getting that marriage decision canceled even though it's against his plans.
"With this correction, I will be considered as someone who never married?"
"Yes."
"But..."
"Let the trial begin." The Grand Elder Zhao Chengjiao gave the order without letting Zhao Yao talk.
The trial began despite Zhao Yao's disgruntles.
Zhao Yao requested for all Demon Beast raisers to give a quick statement first.
They all showed their account books and verified that all their Merps and Demon Beasts were accounted for, and none of them gave the North Manion a beast for the feast. It will be weird since the North Mansion owns a private collection of Demon Beasts.
Zhao Yao anticipated the clan to fake where they got the Demon beast for the feast. But he was both happy and sad about them not doing that. He was happy that this portion ended fast, but sad that he lost an opportunity to expose the clan corruption.
It was never easy to overwrite or forge a clan document without getting caught. With the half an hour time Zhao gave them, it was nearly impossible for them to pull it off without allowing him to find faults.
Since he stole North Mansion's account book, it will be problematic for them to claim that the beast was their own. Zhao Yao didn't want to give them that opportunity and asked his Master to get the account book in the morning.
'I guess they opted for the simplest way.' Zhao Yao thought as he looked at the North Mansion servants, some of whom he was familiar with since childhood.
One by one, the North Mansions guards and servants who were involved with the Demon Beasts and cooking came to testify.
And that's when the weird story unfolded.
The Elders and the crowd heard something extremely silly from them.
"What?" Even the Elder Master Zhao Huamin was surprised by their story. "Other than Young Master's riding beasts, all demon beasts disappeared before the feast?"
"Hahahaha..." Zhao Yao laughed, hearing the testimony.
"So you are saying that the Demon Beasts of the heavily fortified North Mansion soundlessly disappeared all of a sudden?" Zhao Yao asked with a smile.
"Yes."
"And you don't know the reason why?"
"Yes."
"Pfft." It wasn't just Zhao Yao who chuckled, there are multiple Elders, guards, and clan members who tried to hold in their laughter.
"What the hell am I hearing?"
"Hahaha. Is this some kind of joke?"
"That's a weird reason."
"I thought this kid's 'wife' claim was crazy enough, what's going on in this clan?"
The crowd discussed the extremely unique event the North Mansion servants testified.
"I was right in deciding to stick around. This trial is getting more entertaining the Selection Contest." Uncle Su said aloud to his accompanying old man.
"All of you are saying that the Demon Beasts disappeared 'MAGICALLY' before the feast?" Zhao Yao walked up to one of the North Mansion's servants and asked.
"Then let me take a guess, all those demon beast reappeared 'MAGICALLY' after the feast."
The young mansion servant gulped his saliva, he seemed to be pressurized by the trial atmosphere.
"I asked you." Zhao Yao forced.
"Yes, I don't know why. I didn't see anything myself, but the demon beasts returned to the shed by themselves."
The crowd erupted in another round of laughing.
"Then how did you steal my Merp?" Zhao Yao asked, but no one replied to him.
Zhao Yao turned to the crowd and loudly said. "These servants are very loyal. Making up such an excuse to protect their Young Master."
Some of the crowd agreed with him because they also thought the reason they heard was weird.
Even though Zhao Yao laughed at the excuse, he was one of the two people who knew the truth behind this strange event. It was because he was the one who asked his Master to do this. These servants were all telling the truth.
The day before the Selection Contest, this was the important request he made. He wanted to force Zhao Ping to consume the Subduing powder indirectly as well as ruin the Mansion's credibility.
'When the truth is strange, it will be viewed as a lie.' Humans are unique creatures who tend to reduce the world to their limited knowledge. If something happened that subverted their normal expectations, they were more likely to consider it a lie instead of thinking about how it could occur.
If Zhao Yao, who was found naked in a shed with a Merp, claimed that he was innocent, these clan members wouldn't believe him and just laugh at him. He knew that's human nature, and Zhao Yao wanted to use the same weapon against his enemies.
A soldier came to Master Elder Zhao Huamin and whispered something.
Elder Zhao Huamin's face cleared, and he who was confused a little eased up.
"Zhao Yao, don't start speculations. I will subject them to truth ceremony." Zhao Huamin scolded.
But Zhao Yao wasn't worried about that.
"Elder Zhao Huamin, can you stop having soldiers coming up to you and 'whispering.'"
"What does that have to do with you." Elder Zhao Huamin asked in irritation.
Zhao Yao was sure that what the soldier told him was to subject the servants to the truth ceremony because what they told was the truth. Zhao Yao didn't want communications like these because it will hinder his plans.
He liked enemies to be confused because it will make them blunder, which he could utilize.
"If it's anything related to this trial, you can ask your soldier to say that aloud. I would like to hear that as well. But if it has nothing to do with the trial, then he can scram and wait till this trial was over."
"Who do you think you are dictating an Elder like me?"
"I am a nobody, but this is my trial, a trial I wagered everything on. I have the right to ensure that there are no underhanded plays."
Elder Zhao Huamin stared at him in anger, but Zhao Yao didn't care.
"I want this trial to be transparent, after all, the accused one is the son of the Clan Leader." Zhao Yao stated his point.
Elder Zhao Huamin, who was fuming in anger, calmed down instantly. It was like he found another way.
And with a face that was full of mockery, he replied. "Sure, just because it will be your last request as a direct descendant."
Zhao Yao didn't like that look, and he wasn't stupid either. 'Can they talk through their mind just like my Master?' He thought of another possibility.
'Master, where are you?' Zhao Yao asked in his mind, and he didn't have to wait long for a reply.
'This is getting interesting. I am in the Grand Demon Forest with Merry...' Immortal Lu said. 'Muaahhh.' Zhao Yao even heard Merry's cry in his mind.
'If you are that far away, how are you going to protect me?' Zhao Yao thought his Master was hiding in the crowd, ready to engage in action any minute.
'Haha. I don't need to be there to protect you. I can watch everything that's happening here.' Immortal Lu said with his confident laugh.
Zhao Yao thought he had to sacrifice Merry for the plan, but something in his heart made him hesitate. He didn't want the beast he was familiar with to be sacrificed, after all, it didn't do any harm to him.
So he asked his Master to get a similar looking Merp from outside the clan.
His Master, as awesome as always, didn't even take an hour to find one. As long as it didn't belong to the clan, Zhao Yao could proceed with his plan.
Zhao Yao was afraid that Zhao Ping could figure out the subduing powder due to its smell and taste. But his Master Lu offered a solution again and changed the powder to tasteless and odorless. He even enhanced the weakening effect.
Zhao Yao didn't know that his Master was greatly accomplished in alchemy.
The rest was easy. Make the Mansion's beasts disappear before they start cooking for the feast, and make them use the Merp they arranged with subduing powder consumed.
All went according to the plan. Not only Zhao Ping, but even elders who attended the feast like Zhao Jiang ate these subduing powder without realizing it.
Is there anything his Master couldn't do?
'Master, do you think this Elder Zhao Huamin is communicating through his sense?' Zhao Yao asked the pressing question.
'Yes, I can sense that your Uncle, the Clan Leader, started directly instructing him after you pointed out the soldier.' Master Lu replied.
'Oh, so Martial Lord can communicate through sense. Master, I have an idea. Do you think you can switch their communications when I wanted?' An evil idea rose in Zhao Yao's mind.
If you fight evil with good, you have a chance to resolve the conflict in the best way possible. But one must be prepared to lose a lot of time for it just like court proceedings take a long time.
But Zhao Yao didn't want to waste any time, because to him, time was more precious than anything.
He will frame his enemy the same way Zhao Yao was framed.
He will create false evidence in the same way they created against him.
He will treat the clan in the same way, Evil with Evil.