Before the head of the Discipline Institute could speak, Long Chen sneered, "When have I ever insulted the Dean?" Long
Chen was a man and had seen all kinds of formations. This old man was targeting him right away, his hostility obvious. If Long Chen couldn't guess the secret behind this, he would be an idiot.
"Shut up. This is the Judgment Hall. If you are not allowed to speak, you are not allowed to interrupt recklessly, or you will be punished with flogging." Another elder shouted sternly.
Aha? There's more than one relationship. The Chu family's power is impressive, two against one? As soon as another old man spoke, Long Chen immediately understood—these two old men were wearing the same pair of pants.
Luo Bing sat next to Long Chen, tugged at him, signaling him to be careful, not to get caught or beaten up, or no one would be able to save him.
But Long Chen remained unmoved. He looked at the old man and sneered, "What a joke. This is indeed the Judgment Hall, but has the head official announced the start of the trial?"
Since the trial hasn't started, why can't others speak? How? You're big on your butt, so you only have to fart yourself, but can't others talk? "
Long Chen..."
Luo Bing turned pale with fear. Long Chen was bold beyond words, defiing heaven, earth, and air—even the old man dared to challenge him. After all, those two were the chief judges on the Judgment Throne, holding the same status as the head of the Discipline Institute, only slightly less powerful.
But Long Chen kept using his butt as an excuse, deliberately provoking the old man. Now it was over. Even Luo Ning and Mu Qingyun trembled with fear. Was Long Chen really trying to get his life done?
As soon as Long Chen finished speaking, laughter erupted from the vast Judgment Hall. They truly couldn't hold back. When they realized their laughter was inappropriate, they quickly restrained themselves, but the atmosphere in the room became extremely strange.
Those who could come here were all of extremely high status and had weathered countless storms, but Long Chen's words made them all laugh.
"How dare you, Long Chen! How dare you insult me..." The old man was furious and was about to sentence Long Chen.
"Forget it. Before the trial begins, our identities are the same. Don't bring up those useless things.
According to the academy's laws, the trial chapter, Chapter 7, Article 21, and Article 9 clearly state: In the courtroom, the law is strict; no one is allowed to provoke the judge's authority or utter insulting words. Violators may be punished with physical punishment as a warning and to deter arrogance... In the courtroom, everyone is equal, rights are equal, so punishments are not for personal gain, and punishments are not for anger..." Long Chen sneered and recited a long passage of text at length.
All the experts present were shocked. Long Chen had recited the academy's laws so thoroughly, which made everyone see him in a new light.
Long Chen recited the law, and the two elders' faces darkened. Clearly, Long Chen had recited it perfectly, which was beyond their expectations.
It should be noted that academy laws are not a required course for disciples. Not only is Long Chen, a newly initiated disciple, unaware even some elder-level experts are unaware of it.
Court rules are a required course, but the law is not, especially details about trials, which few people know.
The reason the experts present knew Long Chen was right was because they could tell from the expressions of those two elders.
Seeing the shocked expressions on their faces, Long Chen sneered inwardly: I knew it, this thing will definitely come in handy someday.
Long Chen had deliberately studied the laws of the Divine Academy in the Divine Path Scripture Pavilion, hoping he might unknowingly fall into a trap in the future. He also had a premonition that he would be a regular at the Judgment Hall, and sure enough, now was the time to use it.
"Alright, the trial has not yet begun. You have the right to defend yourself at any time." The old man was quite shrewd and hadn't been angered by this matter.
"But you insulted the dean, that's an undeniable fact. How can you argue with that?" The old man said coldly, then circled back to the original question.
Long Chen suddenly stood up, pointed at the old man with righteous righteousness, and said, "As the chief judge, you should speak with neutral words, without praise or criticism. You cannot view matters from a personal emotional perspective. Only by being an observer can you see things clearly and keep public and private matters separate."
You came up and used the word 'excuse' to ask, which means you have already accused me of betrayal before the interrogation even began. You need to apologize to me, or I will appeal to the dean that the chief judge of the Discipline Institute has seriously neglected his duties, acted unfairly, had a bad impact, and damaged the foundation of Lingxiao Academy..."
Long Chen rambled on, speaking at length and fluently, He caught a loophole in a word, and the old man was almost accused by Long Chen of being a spy plotting to overthrow Lingxiao Academy.
The old man's face turned green with anger. He never dreamed that a young boy still inexperienced could be so troublesome. Just because of a single word, he caught him in a trap and was instantly cornered.
"Chief Steward, according to the laws of the temple, if a petitioner suffers unfair treatment during their defense, to avoid wrongful convictions, they have the right to appeal to a higher authority.
So this old fellow, even before the interrogation, has already pinned me on a charge. If he doesn't apologize, I'll file a petition right now and ask the Chief Steward to apply for my qualification. Long Chen cupped his fists toward the head of the Discipline Institute.
The head of the Discipline Institute's expression remained unchanged, but there was a hint of admiration in his eyes. He hadn't expected Long Chen to be so troublesome. Several times, he wanted to laugh but held back.
The two elders' faces turned extremely grim, especially the one caught with a weakness, who wished he could crush Long Chen to death.
But Long Chen was well-versed in the academy's laws, and he had indeed said the wrong thing. According to the law, Long Chen had the right to appeal.
Moreover, these three were already the three with the highest authority in the discipline institute, aside from the head. To pursue fairness, the accused had to be two ranks above the elder, so the higher-ups wouldn't shield them and cause injustice.
And above the head of the Discipline Institute, there was only one person left—the head of Lingxiao Academy.
If this matter alarmed the Dean, the consequences would be disastrous. The old man could only grit his teeth and stand up, bowing slightly to Long Chen and saying,
"I apologize for my rudeness. Because your words offended the dean whom I respect most, I have spoken too harshly. I apologize to you here."
Mu Qingyun, Luo Bing, Luo Ning, and the Xiaoyao Alliance disciples behind them were all stunned, their mouths agape, hardly able to believe their eyes.
Long Chen actually forced that high-ranking chief examiner to bow and apologize for him? Is the world crazy, or are we crazy?
"Forget it. Since you're so sincere, I won't hold it against you anymore." Long Chen waved his hand, acting as if he were an adult who forgot his own mistakes, and sat back down in his seat.
All the powerful figures present turned their gaze to Long Chen. It seemed that in history, the time to force the chief judge to bow and apologize in the First-Level Judgment Hall was unprecedented.
After bowing, the old man's expression turned serious, as if he had become a different person. Suddenly, he shouted sternly, "Long Chen, you insulted the dean. How do you explain yourself?" "