Shocked expressions covered the faces of every master up and down the hall. Wei Shan pointed at He Yongliang with a shaking hand, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
"He Yongliang!" He shouted. "Are you saying--you've known? Are you saying that child has had a similar ability to his father all this time, and you didn't inform the Baohu Council?"
"This is an extreme breach of Baohu Mountain Range's council guidelines," Zhong Yatong said coldly. Despite being the youngest, she never hesitated to speak up sternly when clan safety was involved. "We are all to report high threats to safety to each other, and He-shixiong has failed to."
Questions and horrified whispers rose up among the other masters.
"What is the nature of his ability? Can he also alter thoughts?"
"How long have you known, He-shidi?"
"Has his affinity for demonic cultivation been measured? Is it higher than his father's or lower? If it's significantly lower, we have be able to handle it. If not..."
"His powers must be sealed!" Du Wanlin slammed her hand down on the table, silencing everyone. Her voice was as booming as thunder. "Until the extent and depth of his powers has been studied, he must not be allowed to cultivate."
"I agree," said Zhong Yatong.
"He should be banished as well!" Wei Shan hollered, slamming his fan down. It was far less intimidating than the slamming of Du Wanlin's fist, which had shaken the whole table. However, the sound of bamboo rapping on stone still made everyone wince. "How can we harbor someone like him? He has such abilities, and has already killed two members of Baohu Mountain Range! Doing any less would be dishonorable and stupid!"
"Quiet."
The room hushed into silence.
Suddenly, one could hear the dripping of water off stone. In the pond in the corner of the hall, a bright red koi fish fluttered.
It was Tan Shu, the great master of Fan Yao Peak, and the head of Baohu Mountain Range, who had spoken. Though his appearance was usually merry and handsome, his expression right now was grave, silencing everyone with a single look.
Tan Shu went on:
"He-shidi informed me of Li Chenyuan's abilities some time ago. There had been suspicions before that such abilities were hereditary within the Li family, but none were confirmed until He-shidi witnessed Li Chenyuan struggling with such abilities firsthand. I did not inform the rest of our council for two reasons. First, Li Chenyuan had been managing his abilities exceedingly well under He-shidi's care. Two, I feared panic from the council, and that word might spread." He sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "I see now that further safety measures should have been implemented. Releasing that child into Heixi Gorge without supervision was unwise."
"Incredibly unwise!" Wei Shan called out, waving his fan furiously.
Tan Shu held up a hand, silencing him. "However, He-shidi is correct. Li Chenyuan seems to have been forced into a state of madness in Heixi Gorge. Three used Demon Soul Idols were found at the scene. Lei Ruolan claims to have only brought one Soul Idol into the arena. Thus, the other two's source is unaccounted for. Meanwhile, Li Chenyuan claims that people in black infiltrated the arena, likely bringing those Soul Idols with them."
"How can we ensure that either of their claims are correct?" Zhong Yatong asked. "Have we done so in the pre-trial examination?"
Tan Shu nodded solemnly. "Both of their memories have been examined for evidence. However..." He put a hand over his face tiredly. "It seems neither of their memories are especially good sources of evidence. Lei Ruolan fell unconscious shortly after Li Chenyuan seems to have gone mad. What's she cannot recall from whom she received the Soul Idol. She claims that she was told to give it to Li Chenyuan, but the memories of who told her such have been tampered with and erased."
"How convenient," Zhong Yatong muttered sourly.
Tan Shu went on: "As for Li Chenyuan, his situation is similar. After touching the first Demon Soul Idol, his mind became so consumed by demonic qi that his memories are hazy and undefined. There are a few moments that we were able to view, but..." He trailed off, casting a slightly anxious look at He Yongliang, who sat hunched over with empty eyes at the table next to him. "They aren't very relevant to the case. In short, we are unable to view where the other two idols came from, and are unable to view who gave Lei Ruolan the first. However, what is certain is that Li Chenyuan was driven to madness before any of the murders were committed."
A moment of silence settled over the long table as the masters considered this new information. It was common practice to examine the memories of criminals before trials, particularly those involving murders. To have memories tampered with and obstructed to the extent that almost no evidence could be gained left the case with a gaping hole and unending unanswered questions.
"Well..." Wei Shan floundered, snapping his fan open and closed. He had certainly been exerted himself passionately at this meeting. A drop of sweat crawled down the side of his bald head. "Even so, Li Chenyuan murdered two people! If he was driven to madness, the crime still occurred!"
"I am aware," Tan Shu said simply. "However, we cannot ignore the fact that someone drove Li Chenyuan to madness. Based on what we do know, it seems likely that whoever provided the Demon Soul Idols aimed to cause Li Chenyuan to commit violence against his will. Thus, his crime may be not one of murder, but of being used to murder unwillingly. In that case, we should not view him as the central perpetrator."
"I see," Zhong Yatong said quietly, as if to herself. Her expression was both sharp and thoughtful. "More investigation must be conducted in order to make any verdict. If an outside force or person is involved, it seems they must have nefarious intentions, and we have no way of knowing they will stop here. Thus, we must concentrate our efforts into finding out the source of this incident. So, the trial taking place in two days is merely one to pacify while we continue searching."
"But--wait!" Wei Shan spluttered. "Two murders were still committed! Even if that kid was forced, isn't he still dangerous? He had the same abilities as Li Guiren! He can't be allowed to roam free after such an incident, and he shouldn't have been allowed before!"
"I agree," Du Wanlin said seriously. "Even if he has some innocence in this situation, he should be kept under close watch. If the trial is to pacify the public, then we should sentence him in a way that will ensure he is not a danger to the sect."
"Should he even be allowed to remain with the Jade Clouds Sect?" Another master muttered. "If another incident occurs, or word gets out, the reputation of Baohu Mountain Range will plummet!"
Tan Shu held up his hand once more. "Let us convey our thoughts to Baohu Judge Zhen Wei after the meeting. He will know what legal procedures to take. If it is viable, I will leave the decision of keeping Li Chenyuan within the Jade Clouds Sect to He-shidi. He-shidi, would you agree?"
He Yongliang sat there like a shell, looking down at the table with a heavy expression. He sighed, straightening up and giving a weak smile to Tan Shu. "I agree, shixiong."
Tan Shu nodded in return. "It's settled, then. We must conduct a thorough investigation and find the culprit behind this situation. In the meantime, we will investigate Li Chenyuan's powers after the trial, and ensure that he does not remain a danger to the sects. Anyone with an objection should speak now."
The hall was silent. Wei Shan opened his mouth, then closed it, furiously flapping his fan and muttering under his breath.
And so it was settled.