Chapter 17: The First Inquiry to Heaven

Ding Hao stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret that his mother had given him.

Hearing Ding Hao say this, Ling Yunxiao was puzzled and asked, "What kind of lawsuit?"

Ding Hao replied, "Don't you, City Lord Ling, find it strange that I awakened at the Prefect's Office?"

Ling Yunxiao only now thought about this issue. He could see that Ding Hao had been wronged and said, "What kind of lawsuit? Just tell me, and I will take care of it for you!"

The Prefect of the Prefect's Office, Zhou Genwei, was already frightened out of his wits. He fell to his knees and said, "City Lord, the matter is as follows. The family of Ding Lao Si filed a lawsuit against the prodigy Ding Hao, claiming that he had not awakened by the age of fifteen and a half. Meanwhile, Ding Lao Si's son, Ding Juncai, had just awakened with a Third-Rank Immortal Root, so they wanted to use the prodigy's priority rights to forcibly take Ding Hao's Immortal Seed status. I felt that this was inappropriate, but since a Third-Rank prodigy has certain privileges, I gave Ding Hao a ten-day grace period to awaken as soon as possible!"

This guy was very good at dodging responsibility, making his clearly biased judgment sound impartial!

Ling Yunxiao frowned and said, "Your judgment has some merit, but ten days is too short."

Ding Hao would not let him off so easily and said, "Prefect, you are quite impressive! Do I have the right to speak now?"

Zhou Genwei was on the verge of tears, thinking to himself, "How was I supposed to know you were a Super First-Rank prodigy?" He hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Young Master Ding is a world-class prodigy; how could he not have the right to speak?"

"World-class prodigy?" Ding Hao burst out laughing and said, "Then why did you tell me not to dream? Why did you say I wouldn't shed a tear until I saw a coffin? You had already decided my fate for me, and you are indeed very powerful."

Zhou Genwei deeply regretted his actions, kowtowing like a pestle and repeatedly pleading, "Young Master Ding, you are a world-class prodigy; don't hold a grudge against a small person like me. I take back everything I said; please forgive me! Forgive me!"

"Once said, it's said! Once the water is poured, it can't be taken back!" Ding Hao was not so magnanimous. He coldly asked, "I also want to ask you one question: Does the defendant have the right to speak in court?"

Zhou Genwei, too frightened to look at Ding Hao, lowered his head and said, "Yes."

Ling Yunxiao, seeing that Ding Hao had been treated unfairly, coldly snorted, "To dare to bully the greatest prodigy of Wuzhou, it seems some people really need to be questioned! All those involved in this case, enter the Prefect's Office; I will re-judge the case!"

Zhou Genwei trembled all over and was supported into the Prefect's Office by a junior officer from the City Lord's Office.

The family of Ding Lao Si was also brought in, but Ding Juncai was nowhere to be found.

Ling Yunxiao sat on the dais, called in the officers present at the time, and quickly understood the case. He shouted, "Zhou Genwei, how do you serve as a Prefect? You lack even the most basic fairness, and you make a judgment without the defendant saying a word! You are simply a scoundrel!"

Zhou Genwei cried out, "City Lord, I admit I was wrong. Because my subordinate, Ding Juncai, often told me about the waste in his family, over time, I developed a misunderstanding about the waste, leading to a wrong judgment. I beg for your mercy, City Lord!"

Ling Yunxiao said, "Considering your past contributions, I now sentence you to a demotion of three ranks and expulsion from Wuzhou City! You will serve as a junior officer on the border of Tianyi! Are you willing?"

From the prosperous Prefect of Wuzhou to a junior officer on the border, Zhou Genwei was extremely frustrated, but offending a Super First-Rank prodigy, not being executed was already a great mercy.

Ling Yunxiao then pointed to the hall and said, "Ding Lao Si, you maliciously attacked the prodigy of Wuzhou. Do you know your crime?"

Ding Lao Si, kneeling on the ground, said, "City Lord, I do not know my crime! Ding Hao had not awakened by the age of fifteen and a half. Who knew he was a Super First-Rank prodigy? My son, Ding Juncai, has a Third-Rank prodigy, with priority rights, which is a rule in the Nine States. How is it a crime to use the priority rights to take the Immortal Seed status?"

"Do you still deny it?" Ding Hao pulled out a pill from his sleeve and said, "City Lord, please look. This is the refined and solidifying pill that Ding Lao Si gave me from the City Lord's Office!"

Ling Yunxiao took the bottle, opened it, and a strange smell wafted out. He frowned, sniffed it, and his face changed dramatically, "This is definitely not a pill from our City Lord's Office! This is an evil pill, the Pulse-Cutting Pill! Where did you get this, Ding Lao Si?"

Seeing the pill, Ding Lao Si was terrified, his face pale.

Ding Hao said, "City Lord, it was the butler, Ding Lao Si, who took it from the City Lord's Office and gave it to me to take."

"Nonsense, how could our City Lord's Office issue such a pill?" Ling Yunxiao slapped the table and roared, "Ding Lao Si, confess!"

Ding Lao Si thought to himself, "This little waste is so devious, keeping the pill all this time." He knew he could not admit it and crawled to the desk, crying, "City Lord, I have never seen this pill before; it's all lies from this little waste!"

"Little waste?" Ling Yunxiao's face changed, and he looked at Ding Lao Si.

Boss Shang stepped out of the crowd and said, "City Lord, the butler of the Ding family, along with his family, has long been plotting to take away Young Master Ding's Immortal Seed status. This family of four has done everything possible to prevent Young Master Ding from meditating, mocking him, and restricting him in every way, even calling him a little waste!"

Ding Chen's wife immediately lay on the ground, making a scene, "You wicked person, what have we done to you? How dare you defame us! Our family has always been loyal to the Ding family. When the Ding family had no money, I used my dowry to support them. I never thought I would raise a white-eyed wolf who, after being cultivated to a Super First-Rank Immortal Root, would turn around and bite us..."

Ding Chen's wife cried and made a fuss, causing chaos in the hall.

At this moment, the young prince stepped forward and said, "City Lord, I have something to say!"

Ling Yunxiao said, "Speak."

The young prince said, "I want to ask, if Ding Lao Si gave Young Master Ding this evil pill, why didn't Young Master Ding get poisoned? Instead, he awakened with a Super First-Rank Immortal Root? I think there is something suspicious here, and we cannot just believe Young Master Ding's words."

Boss Shang said, "I saw with my own eyes that Ding Lao Si gave this bottle to Young Master Ding! How could a prodigy like Young Master Ding be deceived?"

The young prince said, "Boss Shang, you must speak the truth. Yes, you saw Ding Lao Si give the bottle, but did you see the pills inside? Even if you saw the pills, could Young Master Ding have switched them?"

This young prince was too despicable, confusing right and wrong! Ding Hao was furious and said, "Young Prince, do you think I, Ding Hao, took the pill and then switched it to the Pulse-Cutting Pill to frame Ding Lao Si? They are just servants; would I go to such lengths?"

Min Qingqiu also entered the hall and said, "City Lord, I also have something to say! The family of Ding Lao Si has been extremely cruel and cunning to Ding Hao, calling him a little waste every day, and even placing a broken bowl in the hall to humiliate him! Once, I even saw Ding Lao Si's eldest son holding a Spring Embroidery Knife, ready to attack Ding Hao! I think they are capable of doing such things!"

The young prince, determined to oppose Ding Hao, stood in the hall in his white robe, elegantly bowing to Ling Yunxiao, "City Lord, because of these small matters, Ding Hao has a grudge against the family of Ding Lao Si, and it is possible that he framed them. Why didn't Ding Hao report the Pulse-Cutting Pill when he first received it, but only now? What is the reason?"

Ding Hao, hating the young prince, said, "Ding Juncai works at the Prefect's Office, and you all saw what Prefect Zhou did. If I had reported it then, think about the outcome!"

The young prince said, "So you endured until now, your mind is quite deep!" This sentence, though seemingly casual, was extremely malicious.

Ding Hao loudly said, "Young Prince, are you questioning my character? Go ask the people in the hall, is there anyone who speaks ill of me?"

The people in the hall, most of whom were clients Ding Hao had helped to meditate, all shouted, "Young Master Ding's character is absolute! We can vouch for Young Master Ding!"

Seeing that everyone supported Ding Hao, the young prince had another idea and bowed again, "City Lord, to hear both sides is to be enlightened, to believe one side is to be in the dark. No matter what, we cannot just listen to Ding Hao. Why don't we let my nephew investigate this matter thoroughly and report back to you before making a decision?"

Ling Yunxiao, seeing that they each had their own arguments, and the young prince was a royal, could not refuse and said, "That's fine."

Ding Hao cursed in his heart, "You little prince, do you have to fight me to the death? This matter absolutely cannot be investigated by the young prince. This guy has ulterior motives, and if he investigates, it might end up with right and wrong reversed!"

Therefore, Ding Hao stepped forward, bowed, and said, "City Lord, I have heard that the prodigies of Wuzhou City have a special privilege, to ask Heaven's will!"

"What, are you going to waste the privilege of asking Heaven's will on them?" Ling Yunxiao was shocked.

Asking Heaven's will is a special privilege given to prodigies with a Super First-Rank Immortal Root. For things they do not understand, they can ask Heaven's will once, and Heaven will give them an answer! The opportunity is extremely precious!

Even the young prince was a bit shocked, not expecting Ding Hao to be so resolute.

Ding Hao said loudly, "Now, each side has their own arguments, and someone is deliberately muddling the waters. I cannot explain clearly, so I can only use this method to prove my innocence and the crimes of the family of Ding Lao Si!"

"Ding Hao, wait, listen to me!" Min Zhengyuan, standing outside the hall, stepped in and stopped him, "The opportunity to ask Heaven's will is very precious, used to resolve doubts in cultivation. Why use it on these people? They are just servants; why not let them go? We are righteous Immortal Masters, emphasizing forgiveness and virtue, and a broad mind. This is the way of a gentleman!"

Ding Hao firmly said, "Dean Min, I agree with your teachings, but not with your attitude. The family of Ding Lao Si has bullied me for eight years! They are cunning and vicious, using every trick to harm me. If these four are not punished, I will not be at peace, and my mind will not be stable. I cannot even eat or sleep in peace, let alone cultivate. I beg City Lord Ling to approve!"

"Alas, when will the cycle of revenge end!" Min Zhengyuan sighed and stood to the side.

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