Hearing the verdict, Xu Yi showed no surprise. Instead, he broke into a delighted smile.
Count Basa and the dozen or so council members around him froze at Xu Yi's reaction.
Count Basa frowned and snapped, "What are you laughing at? This is the sacred Kingdom Noble Council. Such insolence will not be tolerated!"
Xu Yi shook his head. "I just find it rather funny. Gaining noble status is so difficult, yet being stripped of it is so simple. Apparently, all it takes is a few questions from you, Deputy Speaker, and you can immediately announce that I've been stripped of my noble status. Heh, don't you think that's a little too hasty?"
Count Basa's expression darkened. "This decision was made after careful deliberation by the council. You were summoned to this review hearing only to give you a chance to defend yourself. Yet you offered no defense just now and fully admitted that you violated the regulations. Do you really think there is anything wrong with this punishment?"
"No, no, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I simply find it genuinely amusing." Xu Yi waved a hand and smiled. "When I was first notified that I had to attend this review hearing, I was a little nervous. I never expected the process to be so simple, or even the outcome to have been decided beforehand. If I'd known, I might as well not have come at all. What a waste of time."
"Insolence!" Count Basa roared. "Xu Yi, I'm warning you again! This is the sacred Nobles' Council. You will not behave so insolently here!"
Xu Yi shrugged. "Deputy Speaker, you seem to have forgotten something. You just said the council had decided to strip me of my noble status, which means I'm now a commoner. And