"Zhao Zimo, what you've just said is just a guess, a malicious guess. I don't know if what I bought was lost in Alpha City. However, it's very simple. I have proper procedures. I just want to ask a question. When you buy something, do you still ask the other party where it came from?" Zhao Zimo smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
Zhao Zimo smiled and said, "That depends on the place."
"A small auction house in the Dimora Market," said Ma Dong.
"Haha, that's not a proper market …"
"Zhao Zimo, use your brain before you speak. Right now, anyone can go to the Dimora Market. There are close to ten thousand people passing by every day. You're talking about proper? I'm just a student from Tianjing, and I'm still young. Of course, with the power of the Zhao Family, we might be able to change this situation!" Ma Dong's counterattack was extremely sharp. Most importantly, Zhao Zimo did not expect his sudden attack. His opponent's thoughts were clear and he wasn't afraid at all.
"Who knows if you colluded with him? Furthermore, it could be instigated by the Assassin Family. It's just a formality in the market!" said Marino anxiously.
Ma Dong shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Everyone has seen it. If you want to pin a crime on someone, you can always find a pretext. Everything you've said is just speculation. There's no evidence at all."
"But the item is in your hands. Furthermore, if you say that such a great Divine Weapon can be bought at any time, you've really missed out. Do you think anyone would believe that?" Said Zhao Zimo with a smile. Everyone else also felt that what he said made sense. This was the Laforgue Infinite Slash, a genuine Divine Weapon. Just like what Ma Dong said, no one would believe that it could be bought at any time.
Both sides were in a stalemate. There was no substantial evidence, but Zhao Zimo wasn't the slightest bit anxious. Even if Ma Dong had the guts, he wouldn't dare to blame the Zhao and Gui Families. If not, just this slander alone would be enough to take his life. As for Zhao Zimo, he didn't need any evidence at all.
"Furthermore, there's an even more important point. Quite a few squadrons have suffered heavy losses due to this Divine Weapon. I don't deny Wang Zhong's strength, but I suspect that he's not worthy of his current glory. I feel that there's a need to let the citizens of the Federation know your true colors!" Zhao Zimo's words struck the heart. This was his trump card.
A frown appeared on Long Mei 'er's face. This was the current unbridled and unscrupulous behaviour of the aristocratic families, as they dared to stir up trouble without any evidence. If they were to really toss and turn things around, the entire CHF would be thrown into chaos. Since the Gui and Zhao Families couldn't play, they wouldn't allow others to play. As for the other aristocratic families, this matter had nothing to do with them. After all, they were united in the long term.
"We have a general understanding of the situation now. In the history of the CHF, such disputes have occurred before. Since both of you don't have any hard evidence, we will use the CHF's methods to conduct a trial by combat. Regardless of the outcome, both parties will have to obey the judgement of the CHF's referee committee. Furthermore, no private actions are allowed." said Long Mei 'er as she looked towards Zhao Zimo.
With a faint smile, Zhao Zimo nodded his head in salute. "The Zhao and Gui Families are willing to accept the referee committee's judgement. Fairness is the foundation of our Federation's honour and glory."
Truthfully speaking, everyone present in the stadium was speechless towards Zhao Zimo's words. He was actually able to say the word "fairness" in such a calm and smooth manner. Everyone's hatred towards this person wasn't just for a day or two. However, he basically didn't care about it at all. Naturally, Zhao Zimo was cocky about it, as he had already achieved his objective. From the very beginning, he had never intended to rely on this matter to take down Tianjing. Indeed, he didn't have any evidence on hand. Furthermore, he was truly clear about this matter.
Wang Zhong and Ma Dong had no choice but to nod their heads in agreement. They didn't have much leeway to say anything about this matter, especially with Long Mei 'er's decision. At the very least, this was an opportunity.
"The trial by combat for this year's CHF will be a bloody cage fight." Said Long Mei 'er in an indifferent tone. "Wang Zhong, you can choose to challenge me. Regardless of whether you win or lose, this matter will end here. You can choose to reject the challenge, but you have to return the cross wheels. At the same time, Tianjing will be disqualified from the CHF, with the Gui Family entering the semifinals as a substitute."
Once it was disqualified, the reason behind it would definitely be announced. That was truly a case of yellow mud falling into one's pants.
"What's the opponent for the cage fight?" All of a sudden, Ma Dong asked.
"5 Bloodthirsty Iron Ape Kings." Replied Long Mei 'er in an indifferent tone. However, the faces of everyone present in the stadium instantly changed. In a one-on-one fight, these creatures were absolutely top-notch life forms within the Casted Soul Stage. Not only did they possess a frightening physique, they also possessed an exceedingly strong combat intelligence. During the dark era, there were some cruel aristocratic families that loved to use these Bloodthirsty Iron Ape Kings, locking them in the same cage as their family members to undergo tempering.
Furthermore, apes lived in groups. If 5 4th rank Bloodthirsty Iron Ape Kings were to join forces in a group fight, it would be something that Casted Soul Stage experts would absolutely not be able to defend against. They loved to tear their targets into strips. Due to their coarse skin and thick flesh, they possessed an exceedingly strong resistance to special abilities, and were known as the kings of physics!
Most importantly, the cage fight would cause many combat techniques to be unable to be displayed.
Once it was confirmed, there would be no leeway. Long Mei 'er brought everyone to the cage fighting arena. There were many places like this in the Stuart Dimensional Arena. Clearly, the organising committee had already made preparations for this. However, this was prepared for the conflicts between the great aristocratic families. Never did they expect for it to be used on Wang Zhong.
Being only 15 metres in length, the cage appeared gigantic. However, the 5 Bloodthirsty Iron Ape Kings with their eyes blazing with red light and saliva dripping from their mouths caused the cage to appear exceedingly small. Even an assassin would not have much room to maneuver around.
"You can't use the Cross Wheel. You can choose other weapons." Said Long Mei 'er with an emotionless expression on her face. However, there was some regret in her heart. In fact, this trial by combat was used to deter the conflicts between the aristocratic families. Clearly, Zhao Zimo knew about this, and had purposely chosen this method. However, Long Mei' er could not allow Tianjing to be directly eliminated. "You can admit defeat if you're able to last 10 minutes in the cage."
There wasn't the slightest bit of relaxation present on the faces of everyone present. Without talking about 10 minutes, it would be extremely difficult for them to even last for a minute. Furthermore, even if they were able to forcefully endure it, they would be riddled with scars, leaving them in a half-dead state. This was the outcome that Zhao Zimo and Gui Hao wanted. A mere semifinalist? They didn't care about that. Even if they were able to enter the semifinals, the pressure from public opinion would be extremely great. Gui Hao wanted Wang Zhong dead. As long as Zhao Zimo was able to complete this mission, there would clearly be many benefits for him.
Wang Zhong nodded his head. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Zhao Zimo suddenly spoke up. "Mr Long Mei 'er, this mission should be completed by Wang Zhong and Ma Dong together. Both of them should be responsible for this matter!"
Hearing that, everyone's faces changed. Zhao Zimo had gone a little overboard. Wang Zhong's eyes turned cold. The reason why he had not spoken up all this while was due to him not knowing the origin of the cross wheels. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Ma Dong stopped him. Looking towards Zhao Zimo and Marino with a grin, he said, "Everyone has heard it. Everyone has to bear the responsibility."
Hearing that, Zhao Zimo gave a smile. What's the use of saying sarcastic words? "That's only natural."
"That's great! Look at my brain, I've actually forgotten about such an important piece of information. I have all the information on the origin of the Laforgue Cross Wheels here. You guys say that this matter has caused a ruckus. Initially, I just felt that this thing was extremely cheap. In fact, I didn't take it seriously, and just wanted to give it to Wang Zhong as a souvenir. However, I never imagined that Wang Zhong would be able to display the might of the cross wheels. Therefore, I did some investigations to prevent some shameless people from using it as a pretext.
However, I didn't think that Wang Zhong would be able to display the might of the cross wheels. Thus, I did some investigations to prevent some shameless people from using this as a pretext. However, there were actually some interesting things that happened. "Ma Dong opened his skylink and played the information. There were two videos. The first one was of Ma Dong returning to the market to look for a buyer. The buyer did not take it seriously at all, as there were too many imitations of the Laforgue Cross Wheels. Furthermore, the market would also accept some strange goods. Due to there being too many imitations of the Laforgue Cross Wheels, coupled with the fact that they couldn't be used, no one showed any interest in them. The real one was a fake, and the fake one was still a fake. This continued until Ma Dong bargained down the price and bought it.
The owner of the second video was the most fatal one. This video was taken out by the owner, as the seller was the curator of the museum, Marino. He had stolen it and sold it …
These black market owners were all shrewd people. They had conveniently left behind a record of the theft to ensure that nothing would go wrong.
The entire arena turned silent, while Marino's face turned pale, while his entire body was covered in sweat. "It's not me, it's not me …"
Ma Dong did not even look at Marino. A small fry like him didn't count for much. In fact, Ma Dong had already kept an eye on him when the cross wheels had displayed their might. At that time, he really didn't think too much about it, and only felt that it was worth investigating such a formidable weapon to see if it was the real deal. Who would have thought that it would be able to save his life at this moment? Naturally, if he had taken it out right from the start, it would be all bark and no bite. He needed to give Marino a taste of his own medicine!
Being merciful to one's enemy was being cruel to oneself.
"Mr Long Mei 'er, according to the Federation's laws, such a false accusation is punishable by punishment. Do you think that we should invite these 2 people to the cage to have a good time?" said Ma Dong with a smile.
At this moment, everyone present in the arena no longer dared to look down on Tianjing. Indeed, being able to fight didn't count for much, as one needed to have a brain. From the start to the end, Wang Zhong's calmness and Ma Dong's arrangements had allowed them to maintain their composure. Zhao Zimo's face had turned ashen. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that things would turn out like this. Due to his habitual understanding of the situation, he was basically unable to investigate further. Furthermore, he did not have the time to do so. Who would have thought that Ma Dong would actually make preparations for this?
"Marino, you despicable person! You actually dare to falsely accuse our glorious soldiers! This is my negligence! I'll apologise to you!" Zhao Zimo's face immediately changed, instantly abandoning Marino.
"Master Zhao, Master Zhao! You can't do this! You're the one who found me! You're the one who asked me to falsely accuse them …" Hearing the sounds of the iron ape monster grinding its teeth, Marino instantly pissed his pants.
"Zhao Zimo, it's fortunate that there's a bunch of witnesses here. Furthermore, I've recorded the entire process. Tsk tsk, I feel that we should let the entire Federation enjoy such a marvellous plot. Being weak isn't something to be ashamed of, as it's fine as long as you put in the effort. Using crafty plots and machinations is such a despicable thing. I really don't know if it's your personal actions, the actions of the Zhao Family, or the instigation of the Gui Family.
I don't think that Gui Hao is such a person. "Ma Dong continued to strike, forcing Zhao Zimo into a hopeless situation. In an instant, the situation had reversed. Just a moment ago, it was Zhao Zimo who wanted to force Ma Dong into the cage. Now, it was Zhao Zimo's turn.
Looking towards Zhao Zimo and Marino, Long Mei 'er said, "You two can choose to enter, or choose to compensate. However, the conditions for compensation will be decided by Tianjing."
Marino was scared out of his wits, fainting on the spot, while a foul stench radiated from his entire body. Despite that, Zhao Zimo still forced himself to remain calm as he said, "You guys don't have the authority to make such a decision. I want the Federation's court to make a judgement. Furthermore, I was only deceived …"
With a sneer, Long Mei 'er replied, "Even the Zhao Family's Family Head wouldn't dare to speak to me in such a manner!"
Immediately, soldiers rushed in, grabbing Zhao Zimo and Marino. Zhao Zimo struggled with all his might, "I choose compensation!"
A wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him. Thinking about it, the other party wouldn't dare to demand an exorbitant price, the soldiers placed Zhao Zimo down. Looking towards Ma Dong, Zhao Zimo said, "Say it. How much do you want? However, you have to remember that what you take might not be yours. Even if you're alive to take it, you might not be alive to spend it."
In fact, Ma Dong knew that this was the most he could do. After all, this was the Zhao Family. As for compensation, it was just like what Zhao Zimo had said. There was nothing he could do about it, as this was the current situation of the Federation. Although he was unhappy with Zhao Zimo's arrogant gaze, Zhao Zimo did not care about how Long Mei 'er and the others viewed him. This was the strength of the Zhao Family.
All of a sudden, Wang Zhong stopped Ma Dong and said, "General Long Mei 'er, being the one being framed, I choose the third option. Both Ma Dong and I will participate in the cage fight, and they will also participate in the cage fight!"
Everyone instantly gawked, with even Long Mei 'er not expecting Wang Zhong to be so vicious. "Are you sure?"
With a faint smile, Wang Zhong replied, "Only blood can prove everything. It doesn't matter to me whether I have the cross wheel or not."
His words were rather domineering. Even in front of the 3 great families present, Wang Zhong was still overflowing with dominance. Keeping a low profile didn't mean that he was good to provoke. Wang Zhong needed to make his enemies pay the price!
"No, I want compensation!" Zhao Zimo shivered. Wang Zhong was basically a lunatic! He didn't want to die, and this bunch of lowly commoners weren't worthy of him.
Shooting a look at the other 4 head judges, Long Mei 'er nodded her head. Indeed, the one being framed had the right to choose. This was a method to perish together, and also to prevent the aristocrats from being overly arrogant.
Although there were some amongst the 4 head judges that had a good relationship with the Zhao Family, none of them spoke up. Indeed, Zhao Zimo did have some status, but he had placed himself too highly. There were dozens of direct descendants of the Zhao Family, with him being just one of them. Furthermore, one had to take responsibility for one's actions. It wasn't the family taking responsibility for you, but you taking responsibility for your family.
Being the framers, Zhao Zimo and Marino were thrown into the cage. Along the way, Zhao Zimo struggled with all his might, and issued various threats … nevertheless, everyone present remained unmoved. Even Carolyn and the others were shocked by Wang Zhong's actions. They seemed to have underestimated Wang Zhong too much, and had always looked at him with the superiority of a family. Wang Zhong wanted to tell everyone that he wouldn't offend others if they didn't offend him. However, if they offended him, he would definitely offend them!
What followed was a miserable shriek. Naturally, it only lasted for a short while before everything went silent … no one felt pity or pity for him. If Tianjing had been the slightest bit careless, they wouldn't have died so miserably. Instead, the entire Tianjing would be branded with a name worse than death.
Never in his wildest dreams would Zhao Zimo have imagined that all his grand plans would go down the drain just like that. There was only a head in the cage being kicked around like a ball. The five bloodthirsty monsters were not satisfied at all, because such a weakling would not be able to obtain any pleasure at all.
"It's your turn now." said Long Mei 'er as she looked towards Wang Zhong and Ma Dong.
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