September 2, Pinglu City Court.
By the time Guan Tong arrived, the gallery was already packed.
Teacher Chen, who had arrived early, had saved him a seat. He went over and sat down.
"Too many people are following this case," Teacher Chen said. "You saw it when you came in, didn't you, Teacher Guan? Besides the people inside, there's a huge crowd gathered outside too."
"I saw."
In fact, there had already been many cases over the past year involving conflicts between Ascendants and ordinary people that resulted in casualties and went to court.
But none had carried anywhere near the influence of this one.
Guan Tong felt there were many reasons for that.
For example, people from the camp had recorded clear footage of the conflict and uploaded it online. And on one side were Academy Students, the favored children of heaven, while the other side consisted of ordinary people living in a wilderness camp. The contrast in their identities alone made for a highly discussable topic.
The collision of all those factors had produced a chemical reaction, turning this case into one watched not only across the country, but even by the UHC.
"Teacher Guan, how do you think they'll rule?"
"Hard to say."
"Ah, the judge is here."
The court staff began entering. Once everyone had taken their places and made brief preparations, the hearing was officially announced open.
Before long, Shen Yun and the other four students, along with several representatives from the camp, were all brought in by court officers.
Guan Tong looked over Shen Yun and the others' faces. Every one of them looked haggard.
They had not suffered any punishment during the days they had been detained, but the fear of the outcome alone had been enough to torment them.
Once everyone had