"Hahaha!" Ling Han laughed loudly. "All right then. I would really like to see how are you all going to obtain a confession from me under torture!"
"Ling Han, even if you are a glib speaker, do not think you will be able to escape today!"
"Facts speak louder than words. Now that you have done this shameful deed, you should pay the price for it!"
"The empire will not accept traitors!"
Those witnesses had already recovered from the Ling Han's attack to their spirit. Naturally, they were all very energetic again, wanting nothing more than to rush up personally and force Ling Han's head to the ground, compelling him to kneel down and confess his guilt.
"Traitor, die!" On the spectators' grandstand, someone tossed out an egg.
Pa, it was naturally impossible that it would hit Ling Han, and was blocked by the shield of Origin Power that he had put up.
Ling Han's eyes swept over, and he saw that it was a sneaky-looking young man. When the latter realized his eyes were focused on him, he immediately shrank bank, and did not dare meet his gaze.
'One of either Zhao Lun's or Sha Yuan's underlings,' Ling Han immediately thought. They were trying to trigger a public outrage.
True enough, with this toss from him, a great many became stirred up. Some people had come prepared, and were throwing eggs. Some had not been prepared, and so they spat down at him.
Though Ling Han had put up a shield, and would not be hit by anything, nor be spat on, there was over 1000 people here, and at least one half of them was doing something insulting to him. What kind of humiliation was that?
If this spread out, how would Ling Han be able to face the public any longer?
Zhao Lun smirked coldly. He did not care what the truth was. If he could use the crime of treason to kill Ling Han, that would naturally be the best-case scenario. But even if he couldn't, merely this scene alone was enough for Ling Han to suffer. How would he be able to hold his head up high in future?
In this battle, he had won, and it was a complete victory!
Pei, he was a minor character without any background nor foundation to speak of, so what qualified him to be an apt match for him?
Zhao Lun looked towards Shui Yanyu, and saw that this seductive beauty was clenching her fists, her beautiful face pale. Involuntarily, a maniacal pleasure rose up in him. He had already gotten bored of Yang Luodan. Looking at her on her own, she was quite beautiful, but if she was standing next to Shui Yanyu, she was completely out of her league.
'Hehe, you will not be able to escape the palm of my hand!'
"Come, bring the torture devices!" Gu Tianchu called out. With so many witnesses here, it was not too much for him to suggest the use of torture, and complied with the rules.
Very soon, two men carried in a massive grindstone.
This was a cruel torture. It was to crush one underneath the grindstone, and every bit of blood, flesh, and bone would be crushed into mush. However, Immortals were hard to kill, so they could endure it for a very long period of time. Thus, the pain they had to endure was naturally even more extreme.
Anyone would pale when speaking of this torture device.
Zhao Lun and Sha Yuan both smirked coldly. Finally, they could make this commoner endure some real and genuine suffering.
Those witnesses, meanwhile, smirked coldly. Some of them had no choice but to provide false testimony due to their orders, while others wanted nothing more than for Ling Han to vanish from this moment on due to their jealousy of him. Now that their plans were finally going to succeed, they were naturally pleased.
"Begin the torture!" Gu Tianchu commanded, clapping down the judge's gavel.
"Wait!"
Just at this moment, a woman strode over. She was wearing a brilliant gold armor, just like a female Goddess of War, exuding a supreme aura.
"W-we pay respects to the Chief Commander!" The three judges quickly stood, circled around from behind their desks, and knelt down to pay respects to this female guard.
"Respects to the Chief Commander!" Even Zhao Lun and Sha Yuan knelt, and everyone on the spectators' grandstand knelt. No one dared to refuse to pay their respects.
Qu Qiuxue, the Chief Commander of the Imperial Guard, an elite of the Heavenly Body Tier!
Whichever identity she was using, it was enough to intimidate the whole world. In the whole Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire, only nine Kings, the Left and Right Ministers, and Seven Generals could stand with her on equal level.
However, Qu Qiuxue was always by the side of Her Imperial Majesty, the empress, and could be considered her trusted aide. In a sense, she could be considered the latter's representative, so her status was naturally even higher than the others'.
Such a powerful figure had personally arrived; who wouldn't be very scared and on edge at her presence?
"Rise!" Qu Qiuxue said calmly. She was incredibly beautiful, but at this moment, who would dare to take a second look at her? Such a powerful figure, such an elite… If anyone actually dared to stare at her, wasn't it courting death?
Only now did everyone dare to rise to their feet. They were all confused and filled with incomprehension. This was only a trial for a mere ninth-ranked military officer, so how had it attracted the favorite of Her Imperial Majesty?
"I came here today to read out a commendation from Her Imperial Majesty!" Qu Qiuxue said, her eyes sweeping over Ling Han and Zhao Lun.
Her Imperial Majesty wanted to present a reward?
Then it had to be for Zhao Lun!
Everyone was sure of this. Zhao Lun had discovered the huge conspiracy of the Eternity Sky Majestic Empire, finally culminating in the latter willingly retreating. This was a huge service, so it was logical that Her Imperial Majesty, the empress, would reward him for this outstanding service.
Still, she chose to do so at this moment. Wasn't that completely announcing Ling Han's death sentence in a roundabout way?
It looked like they didn't even need to use torture, and the empress was already declaring her position in this matter. Later, they would simply have Ling Han dragged out and beheaded!
Even Zhao Lun thought that way, and involuntarily put on a proud look. He had just been rewarded by the empress not too long ago, and granted the title of a seventh-rank military officer. Now that he was again rewarded for his service, no matter what, his official rank could be boosted to another rank.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. A sixth-rank military officer that had not even reached the age of 1000. Even in the empire, this was rarely seen. Who knew how many people would die of envy?
Qu Qiuxue drew out an imperial decree. Instantly, golden light shot out in all directions, exuding a frightening pressure.
"Her Imperial Majesty flourishes!" Everyone once again knelt to receive the decree from the empress.
"Imperial appointment for…" Qu Qiuxue read out loud. She was an elite of the Heavenly Body Tier, so there was no need for her to read too loudly. As her divine sense spread out, her words could clearly spread to each and every corner.
"…Ling Han as a seventh-rank military officer!"
Pu!
When they heard Qu Qiuxue read out the last words, everyone choked. They stared with eyes wide open, their mouths so wide agape that a fist could fit inside.
The imperial appointment from the empress was actually not for Zhao Lun, but rather Ling Han!
This, this, this… What was going on here?
Wasn't this guy a traitor? Hadn't Zhao Lun exposed the conspiracy of the Eternity Sky Majestic Empire, and thus performed a great service?
How come it was now the opposite?
Everyone was stupefied, but would the Chief Commander Qu joke around regarding the will of the Empress?
You had to be f****** joking!
She was Chief Commander Qu, the empress's trusted aide!
Hiss, the empress did not ask whether Ling Han was a traitor, but chose to announce her imperial appointment for Ling Han at this moment in time. Was her meaning not clear enough?
The empress was pleased with Ling Han here!
You f*******, who else would dare proclaim that Ling Han was a traitor? If anyone dared to call Ling Han a traitor, wasn't that a direct slap to the empress's face?
Just ask the world, who would dare slap the face of the empress? En, was there anyone that bold?
Zhao Lun's initially proudly upheld expression instantly crumbled. His body had even begun to tremble.
As the son of Great General Zhao, he was very awesome! But in front of Empress Luan Xing, he was considered f******* nothing! Putting him aside, so what if it was his father instead? If the empress wanted to kill him, she would similarly not be merciful at all.
Otherwise, the Eight Generals wouldn't have become the Seven Generals in the first place.
The empress herself favored Ling Han, and yet you wanted to set him up. Wasn't that outright going against the empress? To dare go against the empress in the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire… You had to be an idiot! The kind with no fear of death!
Zhao Lun felt that he was presently an idiot, but he had a very healthy fear of death.