Infinite Professions
Chapter 411 - 212: Night Interrogation (Part 2)
"Ha!"
Yet, the red-robed deity smiled and said, "I serve as the Assessor Magistrate of the Punishment Department, responsible for inspecting the Yin and Yang and investigating misconduct. This is my duty. What more can be said?"
"You..."
The words of the Buddhist sect monks stalled, then burst out in anger: "You, without evidence, recklessly determine guilt. The Red Lotus is a Sixth Grade True God of our Buddhist Sect, equivalent to your role as a magistrate of the Punishment Department. Logically, you only have the authority to investigate, not to make judgments. Yet, you acted without report, recklessly determining guilt, arbitrarily using lethal force, interfering with Yin and Yang, directing this person to lead troops to massacre the monks of Red Lotus Temple, an egregious crime, intolerable in Heaven’s justice!"
"Venerable, your words are mistaken."
Before the red-robed deity could speak, Li Mubai from below the hall spoke up: "The illicit actions of the Red Lotus Demon Monk were indeed pointed out to me by Song Shenjun, but this is the right of the Divine Monarch, and also the responsibility that divine beings should fulfill. If this constitutes interference with Yin and Yang, then let me ask the Divine Monarchs present here, who among you hasn’t done such interference, and should all be judged similarly?"
"You..."
"Audacious!"
"Outrageous!"
As these words were spoken, many divine beings in the hall changed their expressions, and some even shouted angrily.
But Li Mubai was not afraid at all, only looking at the Jinyang Prefect: "Please, Divine Monarch, make a judgment!"
"..."
The Jinyang Prefect was silent for a long time, without speaking.
The Buddhist sect, seeing this, spoke again, but refused to lower themselves to argue with Li Mubai, only glaring angrily at the red-robed deity: "Song Xiang, you’re distorting black and white, how can these two things be confused?"
"Why cannot they be confused?"
The red-robed deity laughed loudly: "You, as venerables of the Buddhist sect, have the right to demonstrate the Buddhist Technique, to guide people into the Void Gate. As an official of the Punishment Department, I also have the right to manifest in the mortal world, to execute unlawful individuals. This is a principle even mortals understand. How could you divine Buddhas not know?"
"You..."
The Buddhist sect was speechless, only angrily looked at Li Mubai: "You are but a minor prefectural judge, without the order of the Prefect of Jinyang, you privately mobilized troops to attack Red Lotus Temple, isn’t this collusion with Song Xiang in Yin and Yang?"
"What business of yours is the matter of the mortal world?"
Yet Li Mubai was utterly unafraid: "Whether I privately mobilized troops, the dignity of Jinyang Prefecture and the laws of the Court will judge. You are a deity of the Yin Department, what authority do you have to accuse me? And saying I colluded with Song Shenjun, if communicating between divine beings is collusion, then let me ask the Divine Monarchs present here..."
"Enough!"
Before he could finish, he was interrupted, the Jinyang Prefect with a word suppressed: "This matter is indeed within the jurisdiction of the Punishment Department, Song Judge has not overstepped, as for Li Mubai’s matter, it will be judged by the laws of the mortal world, do not overstep and interfere."
The words carried a warning, intimidating the Buddhist sect.
Seeing the Jinyang Prefect make such a judgment, other than the venerables of the Buddhist sect, the divine beings in the hall all breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked at Shen Hex with suspicion and uncertainty.
Goodness, Li Mubai and Song Xiang are like master and disciple or father and son, their style of action and methods are exactly the same, always escalating matters, causing trouble for everyone.
This method, though somewhat ruthless, is admittedly effective. Even the Jinyang Prefect had to go along with it. If they were really to accuse all deities of interfering with Yin and Yang, there would be no end to this matter.
The Prefect decided, the charge of overstepping authority was no longer valid.
But the Buddhist sect clearly would not let it go at this, immediately another venerable stood and questioned: "Song Xiang, you say repeatedly that Red Lotus is unlawful and deserves death, where is the evidence? Without evidence, how can you act with lethal force?"
"The person below is the evidence!"
Shen Hex lowered his gaze: "Zhu Xiaolian, recount your experience with the Painted Wall to the Prefect and the venerables."
"Ah!?"
Seeing himself targeted, the still-spectating Zhu Xiaolian was taken aback, then reacted, faced with the gazes of all the deities, and with difficulty began to recount his experiences within the Painted Wall.
"Thus, I was fanned out of the Painted Wall by the Divine Monarch, and then I knew nothing."
Faced with this "Three Religions Tribunal," Zhu Xiaolian dared not hold back any details, recounting all his experiences within the Painted Wall, even the details and emotions of his interactions with Li Yunqing.
"Demon Monk!"
"Scoundrel!"
Hearing his recounting, the Confucian sages in their high hats and wide sashes became furious, some even slamming tables, angrily confronting the Buddhist sect: "What a vile deed you have done!"
"To compete for incense, such despicable acts?"
"No wonder so many of our young talents of the Confucian Sect have entered the Red Lotus Temple over the years."
"I thought it was a connection with Buddha, but didn’t expect such ugliness behind it!"
"How will you account for this?"
The great Confucian scholars stood up angrily, pressing towards the venerables of the Buddhist sect.
"This..."
The venerables exchanged glances, not expecting such a situation, instantly turning from plaintiffs to defendants, finding themselves at a disadvantage.
Yet at such a critical moment, there could be no retreat, a venerable stood and said: "Who knows if this is someone framing us?"
Then, they coldly looked at Shen Hex.
Shen Hex heard this and said no more, but turned to the Jinyang Prefect: "Please allow me to summon more witnesses, my Lord!"
"..."
Jinyang Prefect remained silent for a moment, then spoke indifferently: "Summon them!"
"Summon the witnesses!"
There was another loud proclamation, followed by an uproar as the Flower-Scattering Celestial Maiden led by Li Yunqing appeared.
"This humble woman Li Yunqing, pays respect to the Divine Monarch and all the masters present."
Li Yunqing led the women into the hall, causing the faces of the people from the Buddhist Sect to stiffen.
You evil Red Lotus, did you really commit such atrocities?
And having done them, you couldn’t even be discreet, letting yourself be caught by the tail like this.
Also, as a Sixth Grade True God, what are you even doing? Failing to defeat Song Xiang within your own Magic Realm is bad enough, but how could you not even manage to destroy the evidence, allowing this group of witnesses to jump onto the stage alive.
Truly useless!!!
The people from the Buddhist Sect inwardly cursed Red Lotus, but dared not show it on their faces, only looked grimly at Li Yunqing and the group of Flower-Scattering Celestial Maiden, listening to their testimony about the Red Lotus Hell Map.
Such...
"What a villain!"
Listening to Li Yunqing and others’ account, Shen Hex needed not speak further, as several eminent scholars of the Confucian Sect slammed the table, glaring furiously at the Venerables of the Buddhist Sect: "What more do you have to say?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The Venerables were all silent.
Red Lotus, you son of a bitch, doing such a thing without even a word.
And now this, you’ve left such a mess behind, how is it to be cleaned up?
All the Venerables wore grim expressions, with hearts wishing to dig Red Lotus out again and kill him.
But it’s no use, facing the fury of the Confucian Sect, and the gaze of the Jinyang Prefect and all the deities, they could only sigh.
"Amitabha Buddha!"
A Venerable stood up, chanting the Buddha name: "Who would have thought Red Lotus would be so insane, falling into the Dao of demons and evil, this time it was our oversight, wrongly accusing the Song Judge, we are willing to accept the punishment."
Afterwards, he bowed to Shen Hex and the Jinyang Prefect.
"Venerable Hui, you need not do this!"
Seeing him like this, the Jinyang Prefect and people of the Confucian Sect were moved, all getting up to say: "This matter is that Red Lotus demon being deceitful, deceiving us as well as all the Venerables, now he has already been executed under the sword of Song Judge, justice has been served, Venerable Hui need not take the blame."
The words carried a sense of reconciliation.
It must be reconciled!
This Venerable Huide, is a great Virtue of the Buddhist Sect, in life he was the founder of a sect, now having achieved the status of "Arhat," comparable to the Fourth-rank True God like the Jinyang Prefect, even slightly surpassing him.
Now with Red Lotus’ matter, although it was excessive, Huide has stood out to admit fault, this face must be given by all parties, not to add insult to injury and ultimately pursue the matter, otherwise it may break the balance of the situation, intensifying the conflict and competition among the Three Religions, possibly escalating into war.
Divine Beings, are long-lived and clear-sighted, unless it involves significant milestones such as the struggle for dragon essence concerning the Celestial Dao, they rarely engage in battles of life and death, but rather stop at a certain point.
After all, leave some room when doing things, so it’s easier to meet again later.
Doing things too absolutely might allow temporary advantage but long-term it is definitely detrimental, possibly planting the seeds of disaster unless you can eradicate it completely, leaving no roots.
But evidently, this cannot be achieved now, so everyone is intent on letting this matter lightly pass, giving the Buddhist Sect some face while leaving themselves some leeway.
Yet Huide remained motionless, still bowing low to Shen Hex.
Seeing this, the deities also turned their gaze towards Shen Hex.
Shen Hex observed and straightforwardly said: "A person’s crime is borne by the person, the main culprit has already been executed, naturally others should not be implicated, please rise, Venerable!"
"Amitabha Buddha, Song Judge is broad-hearted, we admire!"
Only then did Huide act, standing up in salute, and further speaking: "As for the monks of Red Lotus Temple..."
"Those guilty will be tried, those innocent acquitted, not a single person will be wrongfully treated."
Shen Hex’s expression remained unchanged: "However, this temple can no longer propagate the Buddhist Technique."
"What!?"
As these words were spoken, behind Huide, the Venerables of the Buddhist Sect changed color once more.