Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 485 Beneath the Holy Sect's Halo

"Well, no justification is needed because it was the Bai Clan, right?"

Bai Zihan remarked with a mocking edge to his voice.

The entire hall fell into utter silence.

Some averted their gazes downward. Others froze in place.

For all present understood the harsh reality in Bai Zihan's words.

Even larger assaults from the Li and Zhao Clans on the Bai Clan had faced scant repercussions.

The quiet lingered on.

Suddenly—

Zhao Wutian rose to his feet.

His face remained composed, his tone even-keeled.

"The past remains buried," he declared smoothly. "Our focus is on the current issue."

Zhao Wutian swiftly shifted the discussion, redirecting attention to the immediate concern.

"Your excuse sounds utterly absurd. If that's your only basis for attacking the Azure Sun Holy Sect, then punishment for the Bai Clan must follow."

Many others chimed in promptly, agreeing with nods.

After all, rehashing old events served no purpose?

It failed to provide the Bai Clan with any valid grounds for invading the Azure Sun Holy Sect. "Heh."

Bai Zihan let out a soft sneer.

"I haven't finished speaking."

His voice held a hint of entertainment.

"I merely shared the primary motive behind the Azure Sun Holy Sect's invasion."

He halted on purpose.

"Additional reasons exist."

A subtle shadow crossed Bai Zihan's gaze.

"Next," he stated steadily, "they attempted to assassinate me."

Chaos erupted throughout the assembly.

"What?!"

"Assassinate? By Azure Sun?"

Murmurs piled up, with tension spiking right away.

Wen Haoyu's features twisted.

"That's pure defamation!" he barked. "What reason would we have to target you? There's no grudge between us!"

He managed a forced chuckle.

"Why on earth would the Azure Sun Holy Sect waste effort on you?"

Hearing Wen Haoyu's denial, the rest shared his skepticism.

Beyond Bai Zihan's assault on the Azure Sun Holy Sect, no prior clashes or disputes appeared between them.

Thus, an assassination attempt on Bai Zihan, though potentially a solid justification, struck as wildly implausible.

Could Bai Zihan be fabricating this to excuse his deeds? Or might Wen Haoyu be concealing unknown details?

Regardless, should Bai Zihan substantiate that Wen Haoyu struck first, this trial's verdict could flip.

Bai Zihan chuckled.

"No enmity?" he echoed.

He eyed Wen Haoyu with a gaze full of disdain, as if viewing a wretched soul.

"The cause," Bai Zihan noted casually, "stems from your fear."

Wen Haoyu's hands jerked slightly.

"Fear of what? Stop spewing rubbish!"

Wen Haoyu shot back at once, his voice tinged with unease.

"Fear," Bai Zihan pressed on, brushing him aside, "that I might expose your sect's hidden shame. Believing me weakened, you dispatched your Sky Pirates to end me."

For a fleeting moment, Wen Haoyu's poise shattered.

"Fabrications! You're merely defending the atrocities you've wrought!"

Wen Haoyu countered fiercely, aiming to label Bai Zihan a deceiver and shift all fault onto him.

The impartial observers remained uncertain about whom to trust.

While Wen Haoyu's allies backed him without question, Bai Zihan's supporters anticipated his forthcoming account.

"Hmph! You are fully aware of your misdeeds."

Bai Zihan declared while fixing him with a stern stare, making Wen Haoyu swallow hard in apprehension and dread.

Arrogance faded from Bai Zihan's tone.

"The Azure Sun Holy Sect," he articulated deliberately, word by word, "has conducted experiments on innocent children."

Dead silence reigned!

"They've been abducting them," Bai Zihan went on, scanning the courtroom, "and subjecting them to prohibited cultivation trials."

Outrage burst forth.

"Impossible!"

"Outrageous!"

"Such a severe charge!"

A number of officials leaped up.

Should Bai Zihan's claims hold water, not only would his invasion be vindicated, but the Azure Sun Holy Sect would face rigorous scrutiny and severe penalties.

Zhao Wutian's countenance altered too.

Wen Haoyu paled completely.

"You deceiver!" he yelled. "Produce your proof! How dare you level such allegations against the Holy Sect?!"

Bai Zihan kept his volume steady.

"Evidence is what you seek?"

His eyes flicked momentarily to the Emperor.

"I possess the saved survivors."

A wave of astonishment rippled through the chamber.

"We could inspect your experimental facilities in Azure Sun jointly to verify."

All eyes turned to the pair, puzzled over whom to credit.

Yet Bai Zihan's assured demeanor suggested no falsehood. Once checked, the facts would surface clearly.

Thus, why invent something so readily verifiable?

Gradually, the sympathetic glances toward Wen Haoyu turned wary.

If Bai Zihan's revelations proved accurate, then Wen Haoyu and the Azure Sun Holy Sect deserved the impeachment.

Still, Wen Haoyu persisted in rejecting every accusation.

"Bai Zihan aims to divert attention from his own crimes. As you mentioned before, beyond your assertions, what proof do you offer at this moment?"

Wen Haoyu grinned, beads of sweat trickling down his brow.

"Do you expect us to accept your tale outright? Or perhaps we should dispatch investigators to verify?"

Wen Haoyu questioned with feigned boldness.

Clearly, if his supporters handled the probe, truth or not, the report would favor him.

No doubt!

Besides, a mass expedition for confirmation wasn't feasible.

Hence, Wen Haoyu clung to a sense of security.

The Emperor would likely appoint envoys, and he trusted they would aid him despite any discoveries.

Suspicion and uncertainty brewed in the hall.

Wen Haoyu held his ground, projecting assurance onto his features.

Wen Haoyu shot Bai Zihan a challenging glare, as if demanding, What's your follow-up ploy?

But suddenly—

Bai Zihan grinned.

"You appear quite assured," he observed mildly.

"You demanded proof? While we could validate my prior statements, time constraints prevent that. Thus, I'll present the evidence you're so eager to witness."

Bai Zihan's fingers grazed his spatial ring.

"You're not alone," he remarked evenly, "in possessing a Memory Crystal Mirror."

The statement hit like a thunderbolt.

Bai Zihan retrieved the device from his storage ring.

A buzz of excitement coursed through the assembly.

Wen Haoyu's eyes narrowed sharply.

He dreaded the contents of that relic.

Bai Zihan channeled qi into it.

A brilliant glow erupted.

The space over the court quivered anew.

A fresh hologram materialized.

On this occasion—

The initial view depicted Bai Zihan sneaking into the Sect. Then darkness fell.

A concealed passageway.

Beneath the earth.

A fortified room buried deep in the Azure Sun Holy Sect.

The footage revealed Bai Zihan smashing open the chamber entrance.

And thereafter—

The record laid bare all horrors.

Lines of metal enclosures.

Tiny forms inside.

Children.

Some out cold.

Some gazing vacantly.

Some feebly resisting.

A unified inhale of shock ripped through the court. The display persisted. The view altered once more.

Eerie patterns carved into the ground.

Crimson runes stained with blood.

The enclosures. The trials.

The frightened youngsters.

Array formations meant for coercive spirit harvesting.

It played on until the Elder's admission, revealing nearly every detail of the Experiment.

Once the hologram concluded—

Not a soul uttered a word.

Wen Haoyu's visage had gone ashen as death.

"This—this is faked!" he cried raggedly. "You've seized footage from elsewhere and framed us!"