Many of the people present had never heard of the Hayes family, whereas the name of Saint Sky Sword Pavilion was well-known, a prominent presence among the super sects of the ancient martial world. They never expected that the esteemed First Minister of the Ministry of Works was actually a member of a super sect.
On the other hand, many people had their suspicions that SHADOW’s capture of these individuals today might be related to the affairs of the ancient martial world.
“Not only did Denton Sarratt provide substantial benefits to Saint Sky Sword Pavilion, but he also used his authority to suppress his peers on behalf of Len Matthews!” Night Orchid continued.
“During these ten years, the number of people directly or indirectly harmed because of Denton Sarratt, according to incomplete statistics, is at least forty to fifty individuals!”
“Just three months ago, the owner of a conglomerate company competed with a company under Len Matthews’s name for a project. Denton Sarratt instructed someone to set a trap for the other party, ultimately leading to the bankruptcy of that company and the owner committing suicide by jumping off a building.”
Once again, a wave of sighs swept through the surroundings.
As the First Minister of the Ministry of Works, it would be all too easy for him to put certain people in a life-or-death situation. Upon hearing this, the curly-haired man from the Ministry of Works almost collapsed, his legs giving way, his face showing intense panic.
The situation wasn’t much better for the other two; they trembled all over, their faces pale. Although the three of them had no connection to the ancient martial art world, the things Night Orchid just revealed implicated them as accomplices. They truly brought this upon themselves, recklessly throwing themselves into the line of fire.
“Humph! What’s tricky about falsely accusing someone?” Denton Sarratt spoke up, his voice loud. He clearly had no intention of admitting guilt.
“All of this is fiction, fabricated by SHADOW!” he continued. “I don’t even know anyone called Len Matthews, let alone suppressing his peers on his behalf!”
“Do you deny it?” Billy spoke calmly. “It doesn’t matter. Whether you admit it or not, the outcome will be the same.”
With those words, he turned to Night Orchid and asked in a low voice, “According to SHADOW regulations, what should the punishment be?”
“The punishment should be beheading!” Night Orchid responded loudly.
“Then behead him!” Billy waved his hand. He didn’t bring these people here today for a public trial.
Even if SHADOW had evidence, there was no need to present it. SHADOW had its own rules and didn’t need to explain anything to anyone. No matter how these parasites of the nation tried to argue, there was only one ending for them: death.
“Yes, Commander!” Night Orchid nodded vigorously.
Upon hearing Billy’s words, Denton Sarratt’s pupils contracted in cold fear. After a slight pause, he angrily exclaimed, “I am the First Minister of the Ministry of Works, an important figure of the nation! SHADOW has no right…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Night Orchid’s wrist flicked, and a flash of blade energy shot from his neck, sending his head soaring into the sky, blood spewing like a fountain.
The scene was jaw-dropping, and the surrounding crowd was petrified, their eyes wide open, fixated on the headless body lying on the ground.
The three men from the Ministry of Works could no longer hold themselves up, falling to the ground simultaneously, trembling all over, their faces filled with panic and drenched in cold sweat.
“Commander Gardner, we… we were wrong. We didn’t know that Mr Sarratt…” the curly-haired man stammered, swallowing hard.
“Take them away, investigate thoroughly, and severely punish them if any issues are found!” Night Orchid interrupted him and instructed several SHADOW brothers with a wave of his hand.
“Yes!” the six SHADOWers nodded in response and proceeded to escort the three men towards the interrogation room.
“Commander Gardner, spare us… we know we were wrong. Please spare us, Commander Gardner…” the three of them pleaded in unison, their voices growing fainter as they moved further away.
“Mr Valdez, you should be from ane ancient martial art family, right?” Billy soon turned his gaze towards Marc Valdez.
“Commander Gardner, you jest. Although my surname is Valdez, I have never heard of any ancient martial art family with this surname,” Marc Valdez replied, slightly taken aback, a hint of panic flickering in his eyes.
“Is that so?” Billy smiled faintly and continued, “Do you remember, Lord Valdez, where you went and who you met on the evening of the 5th of last month?”
“Hmm?!” Marc Valdez became alert at this point. After taking a deep breath and adjusting his emotions, he looked at Billy and spoke, “Commander Gardner, I apologize, but with so many things going on recently, I have already forgotten about what happened last month!”
“I see. Should I remind you then?” Billy’s eyes narrowed slightly. “On the evening of the 5th, at ten o’clock, you went to a club in the south of the city called Serene Pavilion. It is owned by someone from the country of Xidengia, and the young man named Gerard Valdez, who accompanied you that night, is the third son of the Valdez family.”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have never been to any club name Serene Pavilion ,” Marc Valdez’s pupils contracted again. He clearly didn’t expect Billy to have such detailed information.
“Are you curious how I know all this?” Billy smiled and continued. “The night before the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, SHADOW captured several foreign agents in the ancient city. They revealed all the people they had contact with in the capital, and Xidengia pointed out that… ”
Before Billy could finish his sentence, Marc Valdez quickly dodged to the side without hesitation as he realized that there was no room for escape. If Billy only knew about his connections with the ancient martial art sects, he might still be able to argue his way out. Even if SHADOW had some leverage against him, he wasn’t too worried, as he believed those actions didn’t warrant death. But as the minister of the Ministry of Revenue colluding with foreign martial artists and betraying the country, it was an absolute crime, and in severe cases, it could lead to the extermination of three generations of his entire family. At this point, if he didn’t run, staying behind would only lead to certain death.
“Still want to run?” White Tiger sneered, raising his hand and slashing.
“Damn it!” Marc Valdez muttered, quickly trying to dodge to the side. However, to his despair, before he could stabilize his position, Ian had already made his move.
The sharp blade energy slashed towards him like lightning. Although he sensed the danger, he didn’t have enough time to dodge, only able to watch as the blade energy rapidly enlarged in his pupils. In the next moment, the blade energy flashed past, just like Denton Sarratt, Marc Valdez’s head flew up into the air, his face filled with regret.
Marc Valdez was still young, less than thirty-five years old, and already a minister of the Ministry of Revenue. If he could endure for another seven or eight years, he would definitely be able to rise to a higher position, overseeing the entire ministry, with a bright future ahead. But now, he had been beheaded just like that. If only he had known earlier, why did he do those things in the first place?
This time, due to Denton Sarratt’s incident paving the way, there were no exclamations from the surrounding crowd. Instead, many people had a sense of relief on their faces. Marc Valdez, as an important official of Glavale, colluded with foreign enemies, betraying the country for personal gain. He deserved his punishment.
The members of the Ministry of Revenue, who had initially been filled with righteous indignation, now had unpleasant expressions on their faces. Many of them turned around and left in disappointment.