GRMFBS CH104

Zhan Yan: …Hey! Wait a minute!

[The Ghost Spirit Shan Yankai has already floated out of the residential compound.]

At this moment, the uncles and aunties practicing the “Laughter Fitness Regimen” had finished their first round. Having laughed for two minutes, they paused to rest. Truth be told, laughing continuously was surprisingly exhausting.

Bai Linghui turned her head and spotted Zhan Yan:

“Oh! Little Yan is here. Come on over, come on! Let’s exercise together!”

Zhan Yan: “…What kind of exercise is this?”

The group of uncles and aunties surrounded him and began their educational pitch:

“Ah, you youngsters just don’t understand, do you? This is called the Laughter Fitness Regimen. It has so many benefits! Haven’t you heard that a smile makes you ten years younger?”

“Don’t go thinking this is just nonsense. There’s scientific proof for this! Hearty laughter has many benefits!” An uncle, wearing yarn gloves, began ticking them off on his fingers for him. “First, laughing promotes the production of endorphins, which helps you relax. Second, laughing exercises your lung capacity. Third, when you laugh, your abdominal muscles get a workout too, which can…”

Zhan Yan: “Thank you, thank you, but no thanks…”

Zhan Yan swiftly slipped away, keeping the Gossip System open the entire time.

It had to be said, the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau’s response time was remarkably fast. Ten minutes later, someone arrived at the residential compound.

[Because the Ghost Spirit Shan Yankai was too terrified to lead the way, Miao Ruoyu had no choice but to come alone to search for traces of the anomaly.]

[Miao Ruoyu located the spot where the square dancing troupe was practicing their Laughter Fitness Regimen. After using her instruments to confirm there were no traces of any anomaly, she stepped forward to converse with the troupe.]

[Miao Ruoyu learned about the “Laughter Fitness Regimen.” Having cleared up the misunderstanding, she prepared to leave.]

[The square dancing troupe was deeply regretful that they hadn’t managed to pull you in to practice the Laughter Fitness Regimen with them. Thrilled to finally see another young person showing “interest” in the regimen, they enthusiastically grabbed Miao Ruoyu and invited her to try it out with them.]

[Miao Ruoyu was forced to laugh heartily for ten minutes.]

Zhan Yan: …Pfft.

In the blink of an eye, the day arrived for the Tianshi to stand before the tribunal.

Zhan Yan nervously watched the live text broadcast via the Gossip System.

The Tribunal—the name alone didn’t sound like a good place! Just the thought of his mom having to go to a place like that made Zhan Yan unhappy!

Honestly, the Tianshi was clearly cleaning up the mess left by those unreliable fools. Why did she have to stand before a tribunal?!

He didn’t know how his mom would use the information he provided, but with those files in hand, she shouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

In case anyone tries to harm Mom… Gossip System, open multiple screens! Keep a full, real-time surveillance on every suspicious character! The moment any foul play is detected, send a real-time alert!

Social death! Full exposure! I’ll arrange it all for them!

Let’s see who dares to harm my mom!

Overwhelmed with protectiveness, Zhan Yan glared at the system interface with wide, round eyes.

The Gossip System leisurely refreshed with a new slip:

[Before the Tianshi entered the tribunal, Ning Xi repeatedly pleaded and urged her absolutely not to resort to violence in the courtroom.]

Ji Yueming casually toyed with her mask. “I know, I know.”

“It’s not like I’m some hot-tempered person.”

Ning Xi thought to himself: You could at least make me believe it.

Upon entering the tribunal, Ji Yueming fastened her mask into place.

Two overseers standing on either side of the doors followed closely as she walked in.

Logically, these two were supposed to flank her on either side to prevent the person on trial from suddenly attacking anyone. But as Ji Yueming’s gaze swept out from beneath her mask, the two unconsciously hesitated, their footsteps falling a beat behind her.

The tribunal was built in an interesting way. From the entrance to the center, a flight of stairs led down to a circular open space in the middle.

Smack in the middle of this open space—the ultimate “center stage”—sat a chair equipped with guardrails. From this position, every single person sitting in the front, back, left, and right was physically positioned higher than the person in the chair.

It was a simple, effective psychological suppression tactic.

The seats surrounding the tribunal weren’t fully occupied. Not just anyone had the qualifications to witness the trial of the Tianshi. Moreover, the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau was incredibly busy right now, and almost all capable personnel had been drafted to handle the aftermath of the recent incident.

Furthermore, even the Council of Twenty-Four, which was supposed to attend in full, was missing six members. One council member had been verified as genuinely corrupted during Da Wule’s suburban sacrificial ritual and was currently under strict confinement. There were only three alternate council members in total, so the empty seats couldn’t be filled in time.

With her hands clasped behind her back, Ji Yueming walked to the center, opened the guardrail herself, flicked her long robes, and sat down with leisurely grace.

Resting both hands on the armrests, her gaze swept across the room from behind her mask. With sheer presence alone, she forcefully turned the interrogation chair into a throne. The two overseers standing to her left and right looked like her personal guards.

Swept by her gaze, the few people with guilty consciences felt their hearts jump, inexplicably feeling as though they had shrunk several levels.

One man—his hair half-white and slicked back flawlessly with pomade—was the first to speak, his voice sharp and severe: “Tianshi, you are still wearing your mask. Are you showing contempt for this court?!”

Ji Yueming raised her eyes coldly. “I don’t mind taking it off, I’m just afraid that without the seal, I won’t be able to stop myself from striking you dead with lightning.”

Ning Xi: “…”

Watching the live broadcast remotely, Zhan Yan: Hahahahaha!

Da Wule, who had come to watch the spectacle: “…Pfft!“

The others started glaring at him.

Da Wule: “Don’t look at me, I just remembered a joke.”

The tribunal panel began their inquiry, and no one brought up making the Tianshi remove her mask again.

The panel interrogated the Tianshi about colluding with the Wan Yao Alliance.

Ji Yueming: “Do none of you have friends? Asking a few friends for help is called collusion now?”

The panel interrogated the Tianshi about destroying the Infinite Research Institute.

Ji Yueming: “The corruption from the ‘Apocalyptic Fragment’ leaked, and the researchers were contaminated. I cleaned up the corruption according to the emergency response protocol. The reports were submitted. Are you all illiterate?”

The panel interrogated the Tianshi about forming factions and pursuing private interests within the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau.

Da Wule: “Hey, don’t drag me into this! When did I form factions or pursue private interests with the Tianshi? Wasn’t the suburban sacrificial ritual short-staffed because you lot wanted to transfer the Infinite fragments? Didn’t you confirm the replacement list yourselves? If they got corrupted and exposed themselves during the ritual, was I supposed to just let them go? Didn’t you bring all of this upon yourselves?”

Ji Yueming: “Exactly what he said.”

Watching the text broadcast, Zhan Yan was utterly amazed. Mom’s roasting skills are leveling up by the day!

The council members up top were fuming, their anger muddling their thoughts: “Why do you have personal relationships with demons from the Wan Yao Alliance? How is this not colluding with a foreign race? Was there really no other way to clean up the corruption leak? Why did you have to destroy every single Infinite fragment? Did you do this to aid the enemy?”

Ji Yueming sneered coldly. “Why do I have personal relationships with them? Because twenty-six years ago, we fought side by side! You talk about colluding with a foreign race, about aiding the enemy—ask yourselves how you managed to survive! And why don’t you tell me another way to clean up a corruption leak!

“Have you ever been inside Infinite? Have you seen what the world of Infinite is like? Do you even know what Infinite is?

“Did the benefits it promised you tempt you? Greater power, higher authority, immortality? Is that the reason you agreed to help it revive?”

“You’re making baseless accusations!”

With a flash of lightning and a crackle of thunder in the air, the figure vanished from the interrogation chair.

Standing opposite the enraged Third Seat Council Member, the Tianshi slammed him onto the desk with one hand. “You saw those players who escaped from Infinite, knowing they were all ordinary people before they entered, but now they’ve all gained power. You were tempted, weren’t you?

“You thought you were offering a helping hand in its time of need. You thought you could manipulate it and obtain the power Infinite offers without having to suffer what the players went through, didn’t you?”

Each word Ji Yueming spoke sank heavier than the last, her voice booming like rolling thunder. A heavy, oppressive aura permeated the air, as if a corner of the heavens were collapsing upon them.

“What do you know?!” Bloodshot veins popped in the Third Seat’s eyes as he lay pinned. “You undead monster…”

“Isn’t this exactly the immortality you pursue? Want me to give you a hand?” Lightning crackled at Ji Yueming’s fingertips.

Very few people knew that the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau’s Tianshi could not, in fact, be considered “human” anymore.

Twenty-six years ago, she had forcibly channeled a power beyond the grasp of any living being. The thunder had obliterated every inch of her flesh and bone, driven solely by her will as she blasted toward the core of Infinite.

She should have vanished completely; it was supposed to be a final, life-risking strike.

But she had yet to see the end. Under her terrifying willpower, the lightning became her bones, her flesh, surging endlessly through her veins like blood.

She became living lightning with a will of its own.

Neither dead nor alive, yet liable to dissipate at any moment.

That was why those close to her never wanted her to go all out. They were all terrified that Ji Yueming would scatter back into pure lightning.

“Tianshi!” “Ji Yueming!”

Everyone jumped to their feet in panic.

Ning Xi and Da Wule pushed forward against the crushing pressure.

The Third Seat Council Member’s face was filled with sheer terror. Other than this abnormal freak, the Tianshi, who could possibly survive turning their body and soul into lightning? This was murder!

With lightning coiled around her left hand, Ji Yueming pressed it toward his forehead. The Third Seat had already started screaming for help.

Just as the terrifying lightning was about to make contact, the electricity in Ji Yueming’s hand suddenly vanished. With a flick of her wrist, she produced a square seal from her sleeve and smashed it hard against the Third Seat’s forehead.

The Third Seat let out a miserable shriek. Corruption abruptly poured from his body, only to be instantly eradicated by the residual lightning energy in the air.

Ji Yueming let go, tossing him onto the floor. Turning back, she looked at the few people who had rushed to her side. “Why are you looking at me? I’m perfectly fine.”

Ning Xi inspected her carefully from head to toe before finally breathing a sigh of relief. “Go rest. I’ll handle things from here.”

Da Wule: “…You really like to play, don’t you!”

She just had to put on a show to scare everyone!

Ji Yueming smoothed out her sleeves. “Don’t panic. Infinite takes root in desires. Conventional detection methods can’t pick up corruption born from one’s own desires. This is an Evil-Shattering Seal I had Artisan make. I just tested it, and it’s quite effective. Take it and study it.”

“Does having corruption cleared by this thing make you pass out?” Squatting beside the unconscious Third Seat, Da Wule studied him, reaching out to poke the raised, seal-shaped welt on his forehead. It’s swollen so badly. Is this also an aftereffect of forcibly expelling corruption?

“No, I knocked him out by smashing it into him,” Ji Yueming said, placing the seal on the desk.

The seal hit the desk with a heavy thud, making several people flinch.

Da Wule gave her a thumbs-up. “Beautifully done!”