The male supporting character was actually myself.

It is said that if one breaks through to the ninth level or above, one can touch the edge of the cultivation world and become a so-called cultivator. At that time, one can cultivate immortal arts, turn one's hand to make clouds or rain, move mountains and fill seas, and be omnipotent!

The Gu family of Junxi Town has connections with powerful sects in the cultivation world, so this case must be handled with utmost care.

Ling Qiye naturally believed what the Director said, but he was very skeptical about how the Gu family of Junxi Town could possibly have any connection with a mysterious cultivator. After all, even the royal family of the Great Sui Dynasty had no way to contact cultivators.

Given such a powerful background and backing, why would he need to rely on the Kyoto Gu family in every way? Why would he risk incurring public wrath by amassing wealth on a massive scale?

Filled with many questions, Ling Qiye, relying on his formidable strength, rushed over that very night and immediately began the court hearing.

"Your Excellency is wise!" The elderly Gu Yong, bound by special shackles designed for superhumans, knelt in the main hall and declared in a resounding voice, "Our Gu family of Junxi Town and the Gu family of Kyoto are of the same lineage. Although we moved here for some reason, we still maintain ties with our clan."

Besides myself, who is a level 5 expert, my sons are all extraordinary individuals, and my grandsons have all broken through to level 1 at a young age.

"For extraordinary beings like us, making money is effortless; why would we need to engage in human trafficking, gambling, and debt collection? Please, Your Excellency, be wise! This was absolutely not our doing! It was all the unfilial descendant Gu Xingzhou who forged accounts and made baseless accusations!"

Ling Qiye, despite his young age, sat in the courtroom in a specially made official uniform of the School Affairs Department, looking dashing and arousing the envy of the men and women who crowded at the door to watch the excitement.

Even Gu Yong sighed inwardly, "It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy!"

His own descendants are all as greedy and incompetent as pigs. Look at Lord Ling, who has already broken through to the eighth level of mastery at such a young age, and has such an extraordinary and handsome appearance. It's a pity that he didn't give birth to a granddaughter who is as beautiful as an angel, otherwise he might have been able to create an opportunity to climb up this high branch...

Gu Yong felt that by first bringing up the Gu family in Kyoto, and then coordinating with the whole family to unify their story, they could logically and convincingly place all the blame on Gu Xingzhou, who was nowhere to be found. Even the investigators from Kyoto would have to give them face and let the matter drop.

Before long, my whole family will be acquitted.

Therefore, although he was kneeling in the courtroom, he felt relaxed and confident. He even started to think about how to get in touch with Ling Qiye so that he could make plans to return to Kyoto and settle down in the future.

"You mean, all these evidence ledgers are fake?" Ling Qiye's sharp eyes swept over the pile of scattered papers on the table beside him.

He was entrusted with an important task this time, so he naturally brought plenty of tools and had already examined the physical evidence repeatedly to confirm that it was definitely not a forgery.

“That’s right.” Gu Yong lied without blushing, his expression confident and sincere: “I have failed in my upbringing, which has led to my grandson Gu Xingzhou being unwilling to engage in production or cultivation, and instead indulging in wealth and luxury. After failing to obtain a huge amount of wealth, he became enraged and used these falsified account books to frame and smear the family.”

"I implore Your Excellency to investigate thoroughly and restore the reputation of my Gu family, so that our unworthy descendants will not tarnish our family's honor and disgrace the pure name of the Gu clan of the capital!"

Ling Qiye frowned upon hearing this.

The old man kept mentioning his family in Kyoto, clearly trying to imply that he had powerful backers and to make the investigators think twice before offending anyone.

However, this would lead to a significant discrepancy with the information provided by the Director. If they truly knew a cultivator who transcended the mortal realm, would they still consider the Gu family of Kyoto a threat?

"The suspect, Gu Xingzhou, is still at large. Let me hear your testimony first. Why did he demand such a huge sum of money?"

"Lord Ling comes from the capital, so he should know that the Gu clan of the capital holds a martial arts tournament every few years..." Gu Yonglai gave a brief, evasive account of the whole story.

"Oh my, so that's what happened! I saw Gu Xingzhou come to complain yesterday, and it was about this!"

"Gu Feiyue's wife, Xu Xueqing, also filed a lawsuit requesting a divorce, also for that money."

"Tsk tsk, it's all because of money! The Gu family is so rich, yet they still cause trouble over money. It's really ironic."

"I'm on the Gu family's side this time. They've raised a superhuman and spent money like water. Gu Feiyue broke through to level four in one day but didn't bring any benefits to the family before he was ruined. He definitely has to repay the family's kindness in supporting him first."

"But he has a wife and children, shouldn't he have to consider that? Even if he leaves a small portion, that would be fine. Even if he gives it all to the family, he should at least tell his wife. He didn't even discuss it with her before making the decision."

"That's Gu Feiyue's fault for wronging his wife and children. What does it have to do with the Gu family?"

"If you take someone's money, shouldn't you treat them better? Haven't you heard what kind of life this family of three is living?"

"Humans are all greedy! Even extraordinary people are no exception. Look at them, they're already so rich and still not satisfied..."

…………

The onlookers pointed and whispered among themselves, when suddenly someone with sharp eyes spotted a group of handsome men and beautiful women in flowing white robes, like immortals descending to earth, escorting Gu Xingzhou, who was dressed in coarse cloth, as they strode over. They quickly called out to the others, "Look, isn't that Gu Xingzhou?"

"My God, who is that beautiful woman next to him?"

"Hey, judging by their clothes and appearance, they're definitely not ordinary people. They're all carrying swords, so they must be superhumans, right?"

"That girl looks familiar. Doesn't she resemble the sickly girl who stayed at the Gu family's house a few years ago?"

Some people recognized Yan'er and were amazed that the once frail little girl had become so otherworldly, like a celestial being untouched by worldly affairs.

The crowd automatically parted to make way, all watching Gu Xingzhou's sudden appearance and speculating about the changes that were about to occur in the courtroom.

"The so-called property has already been confiscated, Gu Xingzhou has no right to ask for it..." Gu Yong was still speaking passionately when he was suddenly interrupted by a confident voice behind him, "That's sophistry! That compensation originally belonged to our family of three!"

Gu Xingzhou, feeling good about himself with the presence of a cultivator by his side and the burst of his aura, coldly interrupted the other party and walked into the courtroom with his head held high, looking directly at the unfamiliar young official presiding over the case. He said in a deep voice, "I have newspaper articles from back then as evidence. The Gu family of Kyoto provided huge compensation so that my father could have a fortune to support his wife and children after he lost his mobility."

The boxes of priceless elixirs were used not only for my father's medical treatment but also to raise our only son, Gu Xingzhou.

They were greedy for money and took advantage of my father being a cripple, my mother being an ordinary person without any connections or support, and my inability to resist before I was even born. That's why they forcibly seized my gold, silver, jewels, and elixirs.

All I want now is to seek justice for my family, but they're using a lame excuse to claim the treasure vault was robbed and trying to pin accusations of wrongdoing on me. I didn't falsify accounts, nor did I steal any money. They're the ones committing evil and then making baseless accusations; they deserve even greater punishment!

"Snapped!"

Ling Qiye, his face grave, slammed his gavel and reprimanded, "Who goes there? You hold no official position, have no rank or privileges, yet you barge into the court and show contempt for me. According to the laws of the Great Sui Dynasty, you should be flogged forty times. Guards! Beat them first, then bring them to the court for interrogation!"

"mighty!"

The guards brought from Kyoto were all experts of level five or above. Upon seeing this, they shouted and knocked Gu Xingzhou, who was still smug and thinking he was being righteous and behaving well, to the ground with their batons. Then, they rained blows on him.

Yan'er and the others were already a step behind, and seeing this, they looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

If the demon cat hadn't given them a heads-up, they would have already acted recklessly and without restraint, at least they wouldn't have allowed anyone to be so arrogant in front of their junior sister.

But now the other party is an official from the Great Sui Dynasty, who is judging the case according to the laws of the mortal world. Since Junior Sister hasn't spoken, they all stand silently to the side, keeping their eyes down.

Yan'er stared expressionlessly at the detectives of similar age in the hall, showing no reaction to Gu Xingzhou being beaten.

To be fair, if I were presiding over a trial and someone barged in rudely and disrespectfully, I would certainly punish them according to the law first.

"You, you're a corrupt official too! You must have been bribed and colluded with the Gu family. I shouldn't have believed there was any justice in the world. You officials protect each other and scheme like flies and dogs..." Gu Xingzhou didn't expect to be beaten up as soon as he stepped into the hall to refute them.

Especially since the opponents were all powerful superhumans, he couldn't possibly withstand them even if he wanted to.

Last night, I had just recovered from my injuries thanks to the elixir left by my beautiful master, but this beating has made them even worse.

"Snapped!"

Ling Qiye slammed the gavel again and said in a deep voice, "You dare not bow to me in court, and you slander and defame me without asking any questions. If I don't punish you, where is the dignity of the officials of the Great Sui Dynasty? If you dare to spout nonsense again, you shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane!"

Gu Xingzhou, who was in pain all over his body, immediately swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

"Who are those people at the door? Are they related to this case?" Ling Qiye, upholding the law impartially, was already on guard.

The group of people who came with the guy who disregarded the court all had their auras concealed. Even though he was only level eight, he couldn't detect their level at all, which meant they were definitely level nine or higher.

That must be the mysterious cultivator that Director Si mentioned!

If he angered them and they started fighting without regard for anything else, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat any of them even if he tried his best. But wearing this official robe and sitting in the courtroom, he represented the face of the Great Sui Dynasty.

If one easily backs down and allows others to disregard the law out of fear of the powerful, how can one be worthy of the position of an investigator who "only seeks the truth and is not afraid of power"?

Therefore, Ling Qiye gritted his teeth and ordered the execution with a heavy heart before looking at the others.

Aunt Xia stepped forward and performed the sword-holding salute, replying, "We are members of the Heavenly Dao Sect and are not under the jurisdiction of the Great Sui Dynasty. We are not familiar with the laws of the Great Sui Dynasty. If we have unintentionally violated any of them, please forgive us, sir."

She pointed to Gu Xingzhou, who was lying on the ground, still recovering from the beating, and explained, "This man has some connections with my young lady. He received a distress message saying that he was being framed due to official collusion. My young lady, remembering our past friendship, came to accompany him to the interrogation."

"My lord, please handle this matter impartially according to the laws of the Great Sui Dynasty. If the case is reasonable, based on evidence, and without favoritism or perversion of the law, we will not interfere."

Ling Qiye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They are indeed cultivators, but they are a group of very reasonable and powerful individuals!

"Your auras are so powerful that I cannot ascertain your true strength due to my rank." He said frankly without any hesitation, "According to the laws of the Great Sui Dynasty, those who are above level six are not required to kneel in court; those who are above level seven are given a seat."

"Guards, offer seats to the esteemed immortal masters of the Heavenly Dao Sect and invite them to observe the interrogation."

The crowd, swords drawn, expressed their gratitude and then sat in rows on one side of the courtroom to observe the trial proceedings.

"Miss, this young man is quite remarkable for his age." Aunt Xia glanced at Ling Qiye and whispered, "His talent is also exceptional. To break through to the eighth level at such a young age in the mortal world where spiritual energy is scarce, he would probably be able to cultivate immortal techniques long ago if he were nurtured in a sect."

In the face of a group of powerful figures, Gu Xingzhou remained humble and impartial in enforcing the law, which made him appear petty and narrow-minded in comparison.

Yan'er nodded slightly in agreement, and then carefully observed the officials in the hall out of the corner of her eye. She thought they were truly outstanding individuals, and it was a pity that they were cultivating in the mortal world.

"Gu Xingzhou, do you have any additional evidence regarding the huge compensation from eighteen years ago?" Ling Qiye sat in the courtroom and quickly put the matter of the cultivators out of his mind to seriously examine the case.

The case is not complicated, but it involves a lot of messy things, so it can only be tried and judged in several parts.

"Nothing else to add." After being beaten, Gu Xingzhou became much more obedient, handing over the newspaper and replying in a sullen voice.

Ling Qiye looked at the familiar newspapers and habitually touched his nose with his finger, wondering what the little demon cat was up to.

If it weren't for its behind-the-scenes manipulation, why would this newspaper, which I helped it find, have appeared in Junxi Town?

“You’ve accused the wrong person.” He put the newspaper aside and said in a deep voice, “According to the laws of the time, there is no such thing as compensation for injuries sustained in a ring match, regardless of life or death.”

The person who privately gifted the gold, silver, jewelry, and elixirs to Gu Qinglang was Gu Feiyue. He doesn't need anyone else's consent to dispose of his personal property; as long as he is of sound mind, he can make his own decisions. Therefore, if he wants it back, Gu Feiyue himself should file a lawsuit to determine whether it should be returned and how much should be returned based on the actual circumstances.

As an unborn fetus at the time, you had no right to inherit and therefore no right to sue for compensation. To put it bluntly, this compensation has nothing to do with you.

It is indeed inappropriate that your mother has worked hard for many years without receiving the treatment she deserves and was unaware of the huge compensation. Even so, if she wants to seek justice, she must sue her husband herself and make him provide compensation for his years of hard work in taking care of her.

The deprivation of the right to know does not involve financial compensation. Depending on the severity of the consequences, the defendant may compensate with money or be imprisoned.

Given that your mother filed for divorce yesterday, and the magistrate of Junxi Town has already made a proper judgment, there is nothing wrong with that. If you wish to claim compensation, you must file a lawsuit within two months; otherwise, the matter will not be pursued further.

Ling Qiye slammed his gavel and delivered his verdict: "This official hereby declares—Gu Xingzhou's appeal for compensation is dismissed, and the Gu family of Junxi Town is not required to pay him any compensation."

"I refuse to accept this!" Gu Xingzhou said indignantly, "The purpose of the compensation was clearly stated: it was to allow my father to support his wife and children and raise me. How can we let him make the decisions? He's just a useless person. How did the adults know that contributing to the family was my father's original intention? Was he even thinking straight at the time?"

Upon hearing this, Yan'er couldn't help but close her eyes and sigh softly.

Senior Demon Cat is right, this person is indeed unable to distinguish right from wrong and has a muddled sense of right and wrong.

Didn't the investigator explain things clearly enough? Are you unable to understand, or do you simply not want to understand?

A person of extraordinary stature, where can't you find a job and create a comfortable life with your own hands after leaving this small mountain village? Why insist on stubbornly clinging to worldly possessions that have nothing to do with you? The other party is performing their duties, yet you falsely accuse them of collusion without any evidence. It seems that the forty lashes were too lenient.

Gu Xingzhou's most relied-upon backer's attitude changed significantly, and a small part of his aura was affected and flew to Ling Qiye.

"You actually took him as your disciple?" The nine-tailed fox gave Hong Luo a disdainful look. "Aren't you afraid of catching his stupidity from you?"

Chapter 1: Can Doing Bad Things Make You Stronger?

"Hehehe, Host, we've received recognition from the main system!" Back in the script selection space, the fluffy little dumpling excitedly smugly, hands on its hips, shaking its big, furry ears and saying confidently, "Especially because Host braved danger and set an example by capturing the virus, successfully completing the mission and making a great contribution!"

As for the rewards, the main system gave us a huge bunch of items, which are equivalent to the rewards we got from several previous mission worlds.

There's supposed to be a lucky draw prize, but data adjustments are still underway, so you'll have to wait until then.

And medals…