Chapter 198: Confrontation in Court

Chapter 198: Facing Off in Court

Bursting out of the secret room, bright sunlight poured in, stinging his pupils until they ached, forcing tears to well up.

My skills had returned, but the Yin Corpse was gone... He stood at the secret room's entrance, looking around, and discovered to his pleasant surprise that he was currently on the open-air corridor of the faculty dormitory. Behind him stretched rows of rooms; before him lay the azure sky, and below, a small garden.

"Room 3-208."

Zhang Yuanqing glanced back at the room number that had held him captive.

"According to the mission prompt, the crime scene is Room 404, Building 3, right on the fourth floor of this building."

Fortunately, fortunately. It saved him the time of searching for the dormitory building. After all, he had just over a minute left. If he ran into the Detective Squad while searching for the crime scene, he really would have no choice but to attempt a one-versus-seven.

The ultimate battle hadn't even started, yet the competition had plunged straight into its climax...

Zhang Yuanqing broke into a sprint, located the corridor, and rushed toward the fourth floor.

Soon, he reached the fourth floor and accurately found Room 404.

The door was shut tight, seemingly locked, but this posed no obstacle to Zhang Yuanqing. Employing a method that wouldn't damage the scene, he cast Spirit Roaming; his spiritual body left its vessel, passed through the security door, and entered the room.

*Click!*

The latch bolt retracted, and the spiritual body behind the door turned the handle.

The spiritual body returned. Zhang Yuanqing pushed open the security door and entered Room 404.

He summoned the Insight Glasses, his gaze rapidly scanning the living room—sweeping over the coffee table, the television, the sofa, and the various pieces of furniture. These furnishings were arranged neatly; clearly, this was not the primary crime scene.

Zhang Yuanqing strode quickly through the living room, pushing open the doors to the bedroom and the study. In the study, he found the murder scene.

The study was in utter disarray. Chairs were toppled, books scattered, shattered glass littered the floor, presenting the aftermath of a fierce struggle. On the ground were patches of dried blood.

In the corner of the study stood a single bed, its bedding in disarray.

Only the corpse was missing; presumably, it had already been taken away by the Public Security Bureau.

Wearing the Insight Glasses, Zhang Yuanqing's eyes were deep and calm. He scanned every corner of the study like a scanner, walking as he looked, missing no detail, including the space beneath the single bed.

"With only the crime scene, I can't prove my innocence. Time is running out..."

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes suddenly lit up. He opened his briefcase and took out a cell phone.

The phone had no lock screen; it lit up with a single touch, without need for any other operation. The illuminated screen automatically began playing a video.

In the video, the light was dim. The study's curtains were drawn, the lights unlit, creating a gloomy, quiet atmosphere. The camera angle was aimed at the desk. A figure in a shirt sat at the desk, back to the lens, wearing a mask, typing on a computer.

*Cough, cough...* The person at the desk coughed a few times, speaking with a heavy nasal tone:

"It's the change of seasons recently, I caught a cold!"

The phone's angle dipped slightly; the person holding the phone had taken a seat.

Then came a silence of over ten seconds. After struggling internally for a moment, the phone's owner spoke up on his own initiative:

"Professor Li, I came to the capital this time to ask you to look over my manuscript."

The Professor Li at the desk had his back to him, ignoring him entirely, as if he felt there was nothing to say.

The phone's owner spoke with urgency: "I know the last draft was barely passable, sales were poor, and it damaged your reputation. But this time, I come with confidence. Please, look at my new manuscript. You will certainly be satisfied."

Professor Li’s voice, heavy with a nasal twang, replied:

"I have no further interest in your manuscript."

"Professor Li..." The phone's owner sprang to his feet.

"Enough!" Professor Li rose as well, his tone softening:

"Since you’ve traveled all the way to the capital, I can't let you make the trip for nothing. Leave the manuscript here. Let's have a drink. You can tell me about your concept. But whether I use your manuscript or not—that I will decide for myself."

The phone's owner was overjoyed.

In the video, Professor Li stood and walked to the glass cabinet beside the desk, retrieving a decanter-shaped bottle of foreign liquor.

Professor Li returned with the bottle, his gaze landing on the camera lens, and said:

"What are you doing holding the phone?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

The footage ended there. Presumably, the suspect stopped recording and pocketed the phone.

So that’s how it is... Zhang Yuanqing gripped the phone, brow furrowed in deep thought.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached from the corridor outside, followed by the sound of a key turning in a lock. Immediately after, the security door to the living room swung open.

A whole crowd surged in with a clatter.

Leading them were none other than Zhao Chenghuang and Tudi Gong, at the head of the detective squad.

At this moment, Zhao Chenghuang and the others had changed into security officer uniforms; a few even carried briefcases, looking every bit the part of officials on official business.

*Screech*—Zhang Yuanqing dragged over a high-backed chair, sat down, crossed his legs, and looked at the crowd with a cold smile:

"The struggle between good and evil, the interplay of light and shadow, the contest between murderer and detective—all will reach their verdict today. The gates of fate have swung open. Detectives, you will each meet your ending.

"And as for me, the villain, I shall remain at large. For the only one who can defeat me is the legendary Detective Holmes..."

His gaze was sharp, his lips curled in a cold sneer, his expression wickedly arrogant, like the charismatic arch-villain from a television drama.

Before he could finish, Miao Miao interrupted in a crisp, clear voice:

"Yuanshi Tianzun, are you too deep in character? Stop wasting time. Let's get on with the plot."

Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a low voice:

"Jumping straight to violence is the work of small fry. A charismatic arch-villain *must* have his own signature lines, his own grand entrance. Only then does it match his style."

Miao Miao blinked her large, dark eyes: "But you don't have any charisma though. You're so weird~"

Zhang Yuanqing’s expression stiffened. He lost the mood to continue, waving his hand as if shooing a fly:

"Start, start already. Damn it all~"

As his voice fell, the Spirit Realm’s prompt tone echoed in the ears of all eight players:

【All personnel assembled. Confrontation begins. This phase is—The Court of Justice!】

【Duel Mode: The detective shall present evidence and accuse the suspect. The suspect must prove their innocence within the allotted time; failure to do so results in a guilty verdict. Once the suspect has proven their innocence, the detective must present further evidence within the allotted time; failure to do so results in a verdict of not guilty for the suspect.】

【Note: Skills may not be used in this phase. Violence is prohibited.】

The rules were simple: the suspect needed only to dismantle each piece of evidence the detective presented, one by one, to prove their innocence. Precisely because it was so simple, there were virtually no loopholes to exploit.

Sun Miaomiao listened, then turned her gaze toward Tianxia Guihuo, offering praise:

"You guessed correctly. This round truly comes down to who holds the most 'leverage.' We have ample criminal evidence against Yuanshi Tianzun; our odds of winning are high."

Tianxia Guihuo wore a faint air of smugness as he replied:

"This phase inherently favors the detective. But the suspect must have something to rely on—and that reliance, Yuanshi Tianzun, is likely inside the briefcase at your feet."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "There are indeed some clues inside."

"Found in the cell?"

"Yes."

Tianxia Guihuo mused aloud:

"Earlier, we were in a room downstairs. The mission prompt we received was to apprehend the suspect in eight minutes. I've been counting the time; you took roughly six minutes to escape the cell.

"Based on your skill level, one can infer the difficulty of escaping that cell. That difficulty rating, in turn, indicates the importance of the clues in the briefcase. You were two minutes away from failure. Viewed that way, the contents of that briefcase are critical."

All eyes immediately snapped to Zhang Yuanqing.

"Indeed, very important." Zhang Yuanqing smiled and nodded, confirming it.

The expressions of Sun Miaomiao and the others instantly grew complex. Even the aloof and proud Zhao Chenghuang raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting back and forth between Yuanshi Tianzun and Tianxia Guihuo.

Back in the room, Tianxia Guihuo had boldly deduced the mechanics of this phase based on the items and intelligence the detective team had acquired. The mission prompt just now had confirmed his speculation.

A precise prediction.

And now, Zhang Yuanqing had not only escaped the cell but secured a vital clue, raising the difficulty for the detective team to secure victory.

From these factors, it was clear that both of their dungeon-clearing abilities stood a cut above the rest.

Zhao Chenghuang withdrew his gaze, frowning.

"Enough talk. Let's begin."

With that, clad in his peacekeeper's uniform, he opened the briefcase he carried, withdrew a document, and announced as he read:

"Suspect Yuanshi Tianzun, you were Professor Li's assistant. Unwilling to accept your dismissal, you visited Professor Li at three o'clock yesterday afternoon in an attempt to persuade him to continue the collaboration.

"When Professor Li refused, a verbal dispute ensued, escalating into a physical altercation. In a fit of rage, you killed him with the fruit knife from the desk. You yourself were knocked unconscious when Professor Li, in his dying moments, struck the back of your head with an ashtray.

"Professor Li's wife returned home after her lecture to discover her dead husband and you, unconscious."

He finished reading the document, his gaze locking onto Zhang Yuanqing, suddenly sharp as a blade:

"Evidence presented: your fingerprints are on the fruit knife; photographs of the contusion on the back of your head."

Zhao Chenghuang drew the relevant forensic reports from the folder one by one, displaying them to the suspect, Yuanshi Tianzun.

Throughout this process, the other contestants remained silent, watching calmly, waiting to see how Yuanshi Tianzun would respond.

Watching in the same silence as they were were the spectators outside the arena.

At this moment, the coliseum was as quiet as a movie theater, everyone absorbed in the unfolding drama, having forgotten to speak.

So that was how the case had transpired... Zhang Yuanqing listened intently, piecing together the sequence of events, when simultaneously, a mission prompt chimed in his ear:

【Ding! You must prove you are not the murderer within ten minutes. Countdown begins...】

What I need to overturn are the fingerprints on the fruit knife and the contusion on the back of the head. The fingerprints on the knife are an established fact; to overturn them, I must have a reasonable, plausible explanation...

Under the gaze of the crowd, Zhang Yuanqing swiftly slipped into character and asked, "May I ask Officer Zhao, was the crime scene disturbed in any way?"

Zhao Chenghuang replied coolly, "Aside from the evidence removed during the investigation, everything remains exactly as it was."

Zhang Yuanqing continued, "Before I prove my innocence, I wish to see the on-site investigation report."

He needed to verify one thing to clear his name.

But the investigation report was part of the officer's casework process, belonging to the workflow, not listed among the evidence for this trial.

Tianxia Guihuo shook his head in refusal: "Beyond the evidence, we have no obligation to satisfy your demands, including the on-site investigation report."

Zhang Yuanqing ignored him, turning to Zhao Chenghuang with a mocking smile:

"Of course, Officer Zhao is perfectly within his rights to refuse. After all, I am this powerful; any convenience could let me turn the tables. I understand your fear!"

Zhao Chenghuang raised an eyebrow. "A clumsy goading tactic."

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed over the investigation materials, including photos and written records.

"Hey, you..." Tianxia Guihuo let out a sharp cry, his expression darkening with anger.

The goading was clumsy, but effective... Zhang Yuanqing smiled. To save time, he quickly skimmed the sections on the corpse and fingerprints, focusing on the residual trace evidence at the scene.

Half a minute later, he returned the report and began his defense:

"Actually, I am a man with five hundred degrees of myopia. As everyone knows, with five hundred degrees, the world is a blur once the glasses come off. There were no lens fragments left at the scene, nor were any mentioned in the report. This means I accidentally smashed my glasses before visiting Professor Li.

"How could I kill anyone without my glasses?"

Zhang Yuanqing opened his briefcase, took out the shattered glasses, and displayed them to the crowd.

The left frame was empty; the right still held a lens, but it was spiderwebbed with cracks.

Yinchi snorted, "Lacking glasses doesn't prevent you from struggling with the victim and killing him with a fruit knife. Myopia does not equal blindness. This cannot serve as proof of your innocence."

"Being unable to see clearly and being able to kill are two different matters." Zhang Yuanqing nodded.

"However, the traces of a struggle at the scene can prove I didn't kill anyone."

Sun Miaomiao pressed, "How so?"

"If I had harbored murderous intent toward Professor Li, but my glasses were broken at that moment, leaving everything a blur, I would have hidden the knife and waited for a chance to ambush him, killing him in one blow. I absolutely would not have engaged in a struggle, because the me who couldn't see clearly might not have won." Zhang Yuanqing spoke eloquently:

"Therefore, the signs of a struggle in the study are the evidence proving my innocence."

The instance prompt did not sound. The argument was invalid.

Tianxia Guihuo revealed a smile:

"You're right, but is it possible that you, planning a sneak attack, made a noise because your vision was too blurry, alerting Professor Li, and thus a struggle ensued."

"That is indeed a possibility!" Zhang Yuanqing agreed, but just as Sun Miaomiao and the others broke into smiles, he countered:

"Then why are the bloodstains behind me?"

As he spoke, he rose from the high-backed chair, turning his back to the crowd.

Only then did everyone see large patches of dried blood on his back, and faint dark stains on the back of his trouser legs.

Zhang Yuanqing turned back around, smiling:

"The autopsy report states the killer died from a single stab through the heart. Why would blood splash onto my back? I couldn't have killed him with my back turned. Combined with the glasses and the bloodstains, it can be inferred that the killer is not me."

[Ding! The Detective must prove the killer is the suspect within ten minutes. Countdown begins...]

As expected, one only needs to raise a doubt, create a paradox, to overturn the Detective's accusation; even if my fingerprints are on the fruit knife, presumption of innocence applies... Zhang Yuanqing let out a slight breath of relief.

Tianxia Guihuo narrowed his eyes; though exceptionally unwilling, this result was within his expectations—after all, his opponent was Yuanshi Tianzun.

Nothing is resolved so easily.

The other contestants frowned; among them were Qingsongzi and Tudi Gong, who had voted for Zhao Chenghuang, but that was the previous round—in this round, Yuanshi Tianzun was their common target.

If they couldn't eliminate Yuanshi Tianzun, everyone would be deducted ten points.

...

Outside the arena, the official Walkers watched with relish.

"When I saw the crime scene just now, I thought of this link; Yuanshi Tianzun indeed noticed it too. I only spotted it because I'm a Scout; how did Yuanshi Tianzun do it? His mind turns too fast."

"Now the pressure is on the Detective side; this is getting interesting. Future arena matches should all use this mode; it's great to watch."

"Ah, so boring. Hurry up and fight. I want to see a brawl; failing that, let me on stage."

"Pah, vulgar Pyromancer."

...

The Tudi Gong, dressed in a leather jacket and pants, chuckled:

"Young man, not bad. No investigative experience, yet you overturned the accusation in such a short time—great talent. This old man will give you a hard time too."

He immediately pulled a stack of documents from his briefcase and said:

"The Enforcers lifted three sets of fingerprints at the scene: yours, Professor Li's, and his wife's. And according to the testimony of Old Wang next door, at 3 PM that day, only you visited Professor Li until his wife got off work and called the police. So the killer must be you."

[Ding! You must prove you are not the murderer within ten minutes. Countdown begins...]

Zhang Yuanqing received the mission prompt tone again.

This was an unfair contest; for the Detectives, they only need to follow procedure, produce evidence, accuse the suspect, and shift the burden.

The suspect, conversely, must rack their brains based on existing information to prove their innocence.

Fingerprints and testimony point to me. How to overturn them? No, impossible to overturn, because the evidence is real—how does one overturn reality... Zhang Yuanqing fell into thought, silent for a long while.

The contestants' moods instantly relaxed, pleasantly counting down the time in their heads.

Change the angle of thought: when ironclad proof cannot be overturned, how does one prove one's own intelligence? From my perspective, to prove my innocence, the murderer must be someone else... He meticulously recalled the case details, his eyes suddenly brightening:

"From the moment I entered the room until Professor Li's wife returned, no one else came to visit. But what if... the murderer was already in the room at the time."

Fingerprints and testimony are both ironclad evidence, but they aren't necessarily the truth.

Tianxia Guihuo's face abruptly darkened.

The other contestants lagged by two seconds, then their hearts sank in unison; Yuan Shi Tianzun's keenness and tenacity made them feel a prickly unease.

...