Upon arriving at the courthouse, Yue Hengyi still felt a sense of unreality, his head swimming as if he could fall asleep.
Having not slept for days, Yue Hengyi's mental state was poor. Now that he was finally out of prison, his instinct was to sleep.
A soldier noticed Yue Hengyi's condition and immediately activated a switch, using a customized chair to electrocute him, instantly invigorating Yue Hengyi.
Yue Hengyi's plight was broadcast live, and many saw his red, swollen eyes and haggard appearance. The once spirited young man had become this way, evoking sighs of regret.
Some, witnessing Yue Hengyi's suffering, recalled the countless ruins in Yanjing City and gritted their teeth, saying, "This kind of person deserves it. Only by killing him can justice be served."
However, a minority felt pity for Yue Hengyi, thinking it truly tragic for a former hero to be tormented in such a manner. They said, "But look, Yue Hengyi is truly suffering. He appears so worn out."
"You're just being overly sentimental. When did we start needing to pity a murderer like this? Do you only feel sympathy because your family wasn't harmed by him?" someone immediately rebuked those who pitied Yue Hengyi.
Standing on a moral high ground to criticize others often leaves them speechless.
Next came the case presentation, followed by the plaintiff's statement.
Qin Kewe was the first to speak. Suppressing her inner turmoil, she took out her prepared speech and said directly, "Yue Hengyi killed my husband. I can explain this as him acting out of hatred due to unrequited love, a crime of passion. Yue Hengyi pursued me in the past, a memory I don't recall clearly. Later, I married He Kanwen. Ten days ago, Yue Hengyi appeared before me and nearly beat He Kanwen to death, after which this incident occurred. I testify that Yue Hengyi had ample motive for murder."
Yue Hengyi's eyes were closed, and he showed no reaction.
However, the lawyer sitting beside Yue Hengyi began to object, "I wish to state one point. Before Yue Hengyi returned to the country, he was with Shen Feng. To my knowledge, Yue Hengyi followed Shen Feng's decisions throughout their journey. I have reason to believe that this incident was planned by Shen Feng and executed by Yue Hengyi. Yue Hengyi might have been forced to follow Shen Feng's instructions."
The lawyer beside Yue Hengyi was naturally arranged by the Tianlong Bureau, specifically to implicate Shen Feng.
At this moment, Yue Hengyi suddenly spoke, "I don't know Shen Feng, and no one instructed me. Sentence me to death directly. I no longer wish to stay in this world."
Yue Hengyi did not want to implicate Shen Feng. If he died, his parents would be treated better in Yuzhou. If this matter also dragged Shen Feng into it, it would be disastrous. Thus, Yue Hengyi spoke directly.
Yue Hengyi's words were broadcast everywhere. Hearing his statement, people did not believe it at all. Many had seen videos released by Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi online; the two were together fighting zombies at the time. Now, they claimed not to know each other? They were fooling ghosts.
The lawyer, hearing Yue Hengyi's words, was not affected in the slightest and continued, "My client wishes to shield the mastermind. The facts show that Yue Hengyi and Shen Feng stayed together during this period. Previously, under Shen Feng's leadership, Yuzhou killed twenty-four esper ability users from the Tianlong Bureau. After this incident, Shen Feng must have harbored resentment and planned revenge, sending Yue Hengyi to carry out this act to weaken Yanjing's strength."
Yue Hengyi realized that Shen Feng was being implicated, and it seemed all the blame was being shifted to Shen Feng. He could no longer contain himself and cursed, "You dogs, you want to harm me, fine, but you also want to shift your own actions onto others. Truly shameless. I know nothing I say now will be believed, but I still have to say it: I was framed. The ones who framed me are the guys from the Tianlong Bureau, and the esper ability users from Mount Lu. They..."
Yue Hengyi could not bear to see Shen Feng falsely accused, so in his excitement, he wanted to reveal the whole truth. Even though there was no evidence to support his words, speaking them out might expose the true faces of the masterminds.
Unfortunately, Yue Hengyi's performance in court was as expected. Long Qian had anticipated that Yue Hengyi might spout nonsense. Even without evidence, if he continued to speak nonsense, the Tianlong Bureau might also be suspected. Therefore, Long Qian signaled to someone, and a tranquilizer was immediately injected into Yue Hengyi, causing him to fall into a deep sleep.
The lawyer continued, "The facts prove that Yue Hengyi was the one who committed the murder, without a doubt. And Yue Hengyi's mental state is concerning. I have reason to believe that Yue Hengyi committed these acts while in a poor mental state..."
Before he could finish, a large group of onlookers began to stand up and protest, shouting, "You scoundrel, defending a demon, are you still a lawyer with a conscience? What nonsense are you talking about?"
"What do you mean by Yue Hengyi having mental problems? Are you saying Yue Hengyi is mentally ill? Do you think mentally ill people don't need to be responsible for their actions?"
"Your intentions are wicked. Trying to get Yue Hengyi acquitted by claiming he's mentally ill. Don't think I don't know; we've seen this tactic many times. It doesn't mean we're fools who can be easily fooled by you."
Many in the audience were relatives of the victims, and their emotions were understandably high. What they could not tolerate was the label of mental illness. Previously, when mentally ill people committed murder during an episode, they were not held responsible. Thus, wealthy individuals would kill someone, then obtain a mental illness certificate from a hospital to escape punishment. Moreover, in the public's view, even if someone was mentally ill, they should still be held accountable for murder.
Not only were the people in the audience angry, but others watching the broadcast were also enraged. Ordinary people's sense of justice was simple: a life for a life, a debt for a debt, regardless of status.
"This lawyer is clearly sick. Having him defend is just a formality, yet he actually took it seriously and tried to acquit Yue Hengyi, talking about him being instructed and mentally ill. That's just fooling us."
"Exactly. The murder process was witnessed long ago. Besides Yue Hengyi, who else could have caused such immense damage?"
"Pronounce the death sentence quickly. What's the point of dragging this out?"
The judge also needed to consider public opinion. Seeing the agitated crowd, the judge quickly called out, "Order, order!"
Finally, after careful consideration, the judge announced in court, "Yue Hengyi, death sentence!"
Upon this verdict, the entire courthouse erupted in cheers. Everyone felt that justice had truly prevailed, and in their excitement, they embraced those around them.
The Tianlong Bureau, which had arrested the murderer Yue Hengyi, was also thrust into the spotlight. Countless people began to praise the Tianlong Bureau's just actions.
Often, ordinary people's justice is blind. Many things are seen as black and white, and regardless of what others say, they cling to preconceived notions, believing their own words to be correct. Online, these people are keyboard warriors, saying whatever they please. In life, they are stubborn, refusing to listen to anyone.
The number of more sober individuals among them is too small, and though clearer-headed, they can only be swept along.
Just like this trial, the evidence presented and legal interpretations had not yet been fully laid out, nor had logical debates commenced. Ultimately, swayed by public opinion, a hasty verdict was reached. Even though Yue Hengyi himself sought death, many of the procedural steps were overlooked.
Long Qian leaned back in a chair, observing the jubilant crowd around him with a smug smile. He knew his plan was perfect, allowing the Tianlong Bureau's reputation to soar without any threat, and a potential enemy had been eliminated.
In his triumph, Long Qian thought to himself, "Yue Hengyi, Yue Hengyi. If you had been sensible, you might have received a life sentence. But since you'd rather die than implicate Shen Feng, you can only go to your death."
Qin Kewe looked at Yue Hengyi, who had fainted in the chair opposite her, and only one thought remained in her mind: "I killed Yue Hengyi. It's my fault."
Looking at Yue Hengyi's listless appearance, Qin Kewe suddenly felt a pang of heartache, and her head began to ache. She clutched her head, saying, "My head hurts so much."
Suddenly, images flashed through Qin Kewe's mind: scenes in darkness underground, scenes in raging fires, even scenes at sea. Back then, Yue Hengyi's smile was so happy.
Amidst the cheering crowd, Qin Kewe's actions and words were not particularly noticeable, as everyone was celebrating the realization of justice. However, at this moment, Yang Yunhe sensed something. His greatest fear was that the stimulated Qin Kewe would regain her memories, so he had been standing nearby. Seeing Qin Kewe's actions, he quickly stepped forward.
"You must have recalled some painful memories. Let me seal these unpleasant memories for you." With that, Yang Yunhe placed his hands on Qin Kewe's temples.
Qin Kewe began to resist Yang Yunhe's actions, replying, "No, I must recall these things. These memories must be very important to me. Don't seal my memories!"
However, no one was paying attention to what Qin Kewe was saying. The memories that were about to resurface were now sealed away once more.
The judge then announced, "Execution in one month."
Yue Hengyi's fate was sealed. As for the execution date, many wished it could happen immediately, wanting him dead now. This demon had killed too many people. The evidence was conclusive, and executing him now was the most appropriate choice.
But since the court had made its decision, others could not change the verdict and could only await the day of execution.
Long Qian whispered to Zhan Jinsu beside him, "On the day of the execution, remember to bring back Yue Hengyi's body. We'll say it's for cremation, but you know what I need."
"I understand. I will definitely bring back Yue Hengyi's brain," Zhan Jinsu replied seriously.
Yue Hengyi's power was evident to all. With his death, the esper ability of gravity control would essentially disappear. He was the only one in the world with such a capability. If it were taken underground, wouldn't that be a pity? Therefore, the best choice was to retrieve Yue Hengyi's brain and transfer it into someone else, thereby cultivating a powerful esper ability user.
Long Qian had not obtained extraterrestrial elements or esper ability potions from Yue Hengyi, but he had not come away empty-handed. At least, Yue Hengyi's brain was now within his sights. There was no need for the successor esper ability user to surpass Yue Hengyi; reaching his level would be sufficient.
Yanjing City erupted in cheers, with people setting off firecrackers to celebrate the demon receiving its just deserts. Gong Changfa sighed, lamenting the fall of a hero. After all, he was a genius from the Esper Ability Administration, one of the earliest six esper ability users, who had reached the third-tier esper ability level in just a few months. Yet now, he faced a death sentence.
"Find a way to collect Yue Hengyi's remains. We were acquainted, after all. We can't be too cold," Gong Changfa said to Xun Yan beside him.