BAM—!
"Ahhhhh!"
Viren screamed in pain as he fell to the floor.
The crowd let out shocked gasps and Yu raised her eyebrows in surprise as well.
Parting to the side, everyone saw a green-haired boy standing behind the broken table Viren sat near.
None of them could make out what had happened as they were busy focusing on Yu, Viren included.
"You! How dare you—"
Before Yu could speak or the bootlickers could make a move, Leo walked close to Viren and stepped on the piece of wood stabbed into his leg, making him howl in pain.
"Aaahhhhhhh—!"
The voice was so loud that everyone in the hall flocked towards him.
Yu knitted her brows as tension swelled up within her. She was prepared to attack this green-haired bastard at any moment if he dared to come close to her.
"Elders!"
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Leo did not move. Instead, he shouted and called for the elders, dumbfounding everyone involved.
"Elders! Elders! Elders!"
"Please come help me!"
Leo shouted again as if he was in great distress.
Hurried footsteps became louder with the passing seconds and soon, a few people wearing black-colored robes, exuding a powerful aura, gathered around Yu, Viren, and Leo.
"What's happening?" An elder with a burly figure asked, looking around.
"Elder!" Leo quickly addressed with a sorrowful expression and puppy eyes. "Do you know, I was just trying to go to the washroom, but someone tried to block me with their leg. I tripped, then fell on the table, breaking it. Now, as I tried to get up and walk, these people here are blocking me again."
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Aaaahhhhhh—!"
Viren howled again as Leo took a step back while pushing the wood further into his leg.
"Gehhh. Why's he shouting like that? It's hurting my ears…"
Leo rubbed his ear and said. His expression was as innocent as a three year old child's.
Everyone in the hall fell silent as they heard the nonsense Leo had just spouted. He was so effortlessly saying such bullshit things as if everyone was going to buy his story.
"Elders! Elders punish that bastard! He's the one that hurt me!" From the ground, Viren shouted. "Isn't fighting prohibited in the Awakening Hall? Take action, eldersss! Do me justice!"
"That's right. Fighting is prohibited," an elder with a lanky build said and walked towards Leo.
"Hm?" Leo tilted his head in confusion and took a step back, not letting the elder touch him. "Why are you coming close to me, elder? I know I look cute, but I am not into men."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
The elders, the bootlickers, the spectators, Yu, and even the lying-on-the-ground screaming Viren expressed their befuddlement.
The lanky build elder clenched his fist in anger. Nobody had ever dared to say such a thing to him before and this boy… he was openly disrespecting him!
"Elder, before you try to touch me or take action, do you mind telling me what I've done?"
Before they could take action, Leo spoke.
The lanky elder knitted his brows. "Boy, pretending to be innocent won't make you innocent. You'll be severely punished in the disciplinary hall for your audacity."
"I am fine with it as long as it is proven that I've done something. First tell me, what wrong have I done?"
The elder frowned and the rest of the red-haired crowd did so as well.
"Bastard, did you not stab Viren? Isn't that enough proof?" Yu shouted on top of her lungs.
"Is that so?" Leo asked calmly. "Where's the evidence of it?"
"Evidence? Is he, the one lying on the floor and screaming in pain, not enough evidence?" Yu stomped her foot on the ground, right beside Viren, scaring him, and pointed at him.
Leo shook his head at her words and calmly explained, "I can see he's in pain and got stabbed by a piece of wood. But I don't see how I was the one that did it. As you know, I was sitting in that corner and minding my own business, until you people created a commotion."
"What the— what nonsense are you spouting, you piece of shit!?"
"Wow. Elders, do you see the tone young miss Yu is using? I've not said a single disrespectful thing or done anything, yet I am being told such harsh words. Is this justice? Is this how the disciplinary committee operates? Letting snobby brats say whatever they wish in a place like the sacred Awakening Hall?"
"Huh—"
"Young miss Yu, I hope you refrain from speaking profanities from here onwards."
The bulky elder walked beside her and said, staring right into her eyes with his overbearing ones.
Yu gulped in nervousness and immediately shut up. The disciplinary committee was not something she could afford to go against.
They were not theirs or anyone's servants. They weren't obliged to listen to anybody and could take whatever action they wished to, as long as it was within the Awakening Hall and the places they operate.
The bulky elder then turned to look at the lanky one. "Elder, before you take action, I hope you provide that boy with the proof he's asking."
"That boy on the ground is screaming in pain, elder Kim. That should be enough proof," argued the lanky one.
The bulky elder called Kim shook his head. "Neither you nor me saw the boy hit this one. Nobody else did as well in the hall. What if whatever he's saying was true? We can't punish a youngster of the main family like that without any basis or we'll lose credibility."
Elder Kim walked towards the lanky elder and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Elder, you must know that we are meant to be impartial. I hope you don't punish someone just by hearing words from someone else and not having any evidence."
The grip on the lanky elder's shoulder was firm, making him gulp a mouthful of saliva.
Now that he thought about it, there really was no proof of the boy hitting the table or Viren. Shit… he really was jumping to conclusions and was about to punish this boy. What if he had done it? What would've happened then?
The man shuddered thinking so.
The disciplinary committee was not only strict on others, but also strict on their own members. Everyone's work was cross checked by two random officials to ensure it is actually a correct judgment. If it was found that someone had done something wrong, the consequences were quite severe.
"You lot, go back to your seats. And someone come heal this boy. We'll investigate first and after finding appropriate evidence, severely punish the perpetrators."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"That's so nice to hear. Good luck on your job, elders. Now if you may, I really have to go to the washroom."
Saying so, Leo stepped forwards, 'accidentally' stepping on the piece of wood stabbed in Viren's legs.
"Aaahhhhhhhh—!"
"Oops, I didn't see that."
Leo's expression was so stupid that anyone could tell he was faking it. Despite that, there was no way for them to prove whether he had accidentally stepped on it or whether it was intentional.
Shaking his head, Leo walked past Viren and appeared in front of Yu, his expression calm and neutral.
Leo gave one look to Yu, and was about to walk past her, when he stopped and looked at her and her servants.
"Ehhh? Elders, please come here and see this!"