Chapter 37: Do you have something to say in your defense?
Ashen looked at Mo Fan before ordering:
"Speak, What do you want to say!"
"Huh? Didn't you already see the injustice that I am suffering right now!
What is there to speak anymore?"
Mo Fan asked with a confident face.
He was sure that he was in the right here and seeing that Ashen made the patriarch release him, he was more sure that this lord in front of him would give him justice.
"Yes, Indeed, I saw everything that transpired here.
I saw how you tried to kill your own brother in the guise of a match at the event.
See, he is unconscious even now!"
Ashen said with a smile while gesturing at the unconscious Mo Yi.
"What? How is that true?
I only defended myself when he tried to kill me?
Surely lord, you must've noticed his intentions!"
Mo Fan asked with a surprised look at Ashen's reasoning.
Any sane person could see that he was facing the injustice right now.
Hearing this, Ashen raised his eyebrows while asking:
"Oh, He tried to kill you?
Then why don't I see any bruises on you?
You were perfectly fine before the Patriarch himself attacked you!"
Mo Fan made an incredulous expression upon hearing this, "What is wrong with this lord? I don't have wounds because of my skill, what else?"
Mo Fan thought to himself before putting on a forced smile on his face as he answered:
"Lord, Why are you playing with my pitiful self?
I am sure that a powerful person like you can notice the killing intent Mo Yi had while he was fighting me!"
Mo Fan said with a respectful bow.
"Nice, This guy isn't easy.
Now he is praising me to make me take his side.
If I say that I didn't notice any killing intent while clearly there was, It would mean that I am not powerful enough.
Making me a clown in front of all!"
Ashen thought to himself, praising Mo Fan in his mind.
"Yes, I admit that he was carrying killing intent while fighting, but it can leak in immature fighters.
I am sure you can see that he just gained a high amount of strength thanks to the medicine and wasn't able to garner much experience.
I am sure he doesn't know how to control his killing intent!"
"You are correct my lord, My son didn't know how to control his killing intent fully, but this Mo fan didn't hold back while fighting him, I ask justice for my son!"
Mo Yi's father yelled as he knelt down while begging Ashen.
"See, I was right in my speculation.
Now, Coming to you, I also sensed killing intent from you when you grabbed his hand and attacked him before making him unconscious"
Ashen said with piercing gaze, seeming to gauge out Mo Fan's every emotion.
Mo Fan began to sweat as he cursed in his mind: "Shit, he noticed even that small amount of killing intent. Why is he doing this? Can't he just take my side!"
Ashen once again spoke up:
"Now, let's say that you also didn't have control over your killing intent, then, we can leave this matter out, Do you agree?"
Mo Fan smiled, getting a way out as he nodded.
His goal wasn't to get Mo Yi punished but, getting out of this Mo family.
"Now, to your second crime, you attacked your fifth uncle.
Wanna give an explanation?"
"Huh? Wasn't that my self defense?
He attacked me first"
Mo Fan once again became confused.
Wasn't his uncle the one who attacked him first?
How was he wrong in this?
How was defending himself a crime?
Ashen shook his head, retorting Mo Fan:
"He attacked you first, that is true, however, weren't you beating up his child?
Which father would be able to keep calm and ignore his son in that situation?
Obviously he attacked you to make you release his son"
"This..."
Mo Fan made a conflicted expression, unable to retort Ashen.
It was true that no father would remain quiet while his child was on the verge of dying.
Therefore, leaving that, He focused on afterward:
"But lord, after he had attacked me, he didn't allowed me to leave this family.
Wasn't that the rule?"
Mo Fan looked at Ashen in hopes of getting him on his side with this argument.
Ashen nodded in understanding as he fixed his gaze at Mo Yi's father, asking:
"Do you have something to say in your defense?"
A smile appeared on Mo Fan's face at this, finally seeing Ashen question someone other than him.
Mo Yi's father knelt and explained his reasoning:
"My Lord, I also wanted to let him leave, however, his father had hidden this body cultivation technique from our family and given to this Mo Fan alone.
I only wanted to make him hand it over before leaving.
I was planning to offer the technique to the main family, where a technique this good should belong!"
Ashen nodded in agreement before drifting his gaze back on Mo Fan:
"Mo Fan, If I remember correctly, he did say that you can leave if you hand over the body cultivation skill and shouldn't you offer the technique to the main family as a member of the Mo Family?"
Mo Fan gritted his teeth in anger at this before forcing a smile, asking:
"But lord, Didn't the event rules stated that if I won, I could leave the Mo Family freely?"
Ashen nodded, agreeing with him:
"Yes, and I am not stopping you from leaving but as the member of Mo family, you should offer the Body cultivation skill to the main family!"
Mo Fan clenched his fists in frustration at this unreasonable demand as he shouted:
"Do you find me easy to bully just because I'm weak?
Why should I offer a skill that belongs to me?"
"You Bastard!
How dare you shout in front of the lord!"
Seeing him shouting, The patriarch attempted to come forward and make him regret, however, Ashen stopped him with a glare.
The Patriarch stopped in his tracks before standing at his previous spot obediently.
Ashen glared at Mo Fan, announcing:
"Mo Fan, Do you think you have the ability to get a skill by yourself?
I'm sure that you got this skill from your father, correct?"
Mo Fan nodded reluctantly in response to Ashen's question.
"And where do you think your father got this skill?"
Ashen asked with a stern tone and piercing gaze.
"I-I don't know!" Mo Fan answered with a squeaking voice.
"Then let me enlighten you,
It was the Mo Family.
You father traded that skill for a skill of the Mo family.
Do you think your father had the power and money to buy this good of a skill on his own?"
Ashen asked, waiting for Mo Fan's answer.
"N-No" Mo Fan answered reluctantly.
It was true and he was aware of it.
He first thought that the skill book that his father left him was a low level one, however, now he could easily see that it was not a simple skill book.
"Then, If your father got this skill with the help of Mo Family, Don't you think that this skill belongs to the Mo Family?
Shouldn't you atleast return the skill to it's original owner?
Otherwise, you will be treated as a thief and wouldn't be able to leave today!"
Ashen informed of the consequences that would follow if he didn't returned the skill to the Mo Family.
Now, the choice was clear, Mo Fan just had to give the skill book to the Mo Family and he would be able to leave unharmed.
Ashen provided him a clear way out of this and now, no one would blame Mo Family for any injustice towards Mo Fan.
And this could be seen by the people who had been swayed by Ashen's words.
"Yes, Mo Fan should just give the skill book"
"It belongs to the Mo Family after all!"
"The Lord is really wise. He made the situation so clear!:
"Right, At first, I thought that Mo Fan was facing injustice, however, it was Mo Fan who was in the wrong all this time."
"Correct, How could the Mo Family let him leave with one of their belongings, wouldn't that just count as thievery?"
"If even now, Mo Fan refuses to hand over the book, then, no one can blame the Mo Fan to hold him here and not let him leave!"
"Yeah, Lord has clearly given him a way out, he should just take it and leave freely."
Mo Fan heard all of this as he began to sweat profusely,
He didn't have the skill with him, it was absorbed by his body after getting burned by him.
He looked at Ashen, who was smiling politely at him, appearing like a saint in everyone's eyes.
"What the hell is going on?
Didn't I called him to help me?
He twisted the situation and made me the bad guy.
And the worst part is that I can't even retort to his words.
What a terrifying man, I should avoid him in the future!"
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(A/N - Thanks for reading. ^..^)