LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 151: Execution
Chapter 151: Execution
A few days later.
Xu Lian felt that the Zhao sisters had endured enough fear and anxiety in the dungeon, so he instructed the county magistrate to issue a public notice regarding their punishment.
The first clause of the notice clearly stated that the clan leaders of the Zhao, Zhou, and Zheng families were long dead and had been controlled as corpse puppets by infiltrators from certain sects. These puppets had attacked the former Town Guard commander, leaving her severely injured and unable to maintain order in Pingyang County. As a result, many evil cultivators and demonic beings took advantage of the chaos and committed arson, murder, and plunder, causing great damage to the entire county. Therefore, the Zhao, Zhou, and Zheng families were declared innocent and should be released without charge.
However, because the clan leaders of these three families had attacked the former Town Guard Commander, causing chaos and suffering in Pingyang County, the families were still held responsible. As a form of punishment, the assets of the three families were to be confiscated.
The second clause of the notice dealt with the punishment of several small and medium-sized families. These families had taken advantage of the chaos to commit arson, murder and looting. Such acts were unpardonable. Except for the elderly, infirm, women, and children, all other members of these families were to be publicly executed in the marketplace.
The third clause dealt with the punishment of various demonic creatures. No specific reasons were given; they were simply to be publicly executed in the marketplace.
On that day, at noon.
The marketplace was crowded with people. Almost the entire population of the city had gathered here, their eyes red with rage, shouting at the top of their lungs, demanding justice for their deceased loved ones.
A makeshift execution site had been set up. Xu Lian sat on the main seat with a long table in front of him. On the table were a cup of tea and a box of execution orders.
The county magistrate, the registrar, the jailer, and other officials sat solemnly under the main seat, behaving like “obedient children” in front of Xu Lian.
The crowd slowly dispersed, making room as the prisoners were brought in by the guards, bound and shackled.
Among the several hundred prisoners, about half were humans, while the other half were strange and grotesque demonic creatures. All of them had been poisoned, leaving them weak and unable to resist.
The enraged crowd cursed and spat at the prisoners, hurling rotten eggs, spoiled vegetables, stones and bricks at them, leaving them covered in filth and blood.
The prisoners, however, were numb and resigned, feeling nothing.
The guards escorted the prisoners onto the execution ground, forcing them to kneel in rows facing the crowd.
Xu Lian took a sip of tea, looked at the sun in the sky, and announced, “The time has come. Execute them!”
With that, he picked up an execution order from the box and threw it onto the ground.
As the order landed, so did the heads.
The executioners first drank wine and sprayed it on their broadswords. They raised their swords high, and under the sunlight, they swung them down with force.
Normally, these executioners would not have been able to cut through the bodies of cultivators, but these prisoners had been poisoned for days, their cultivation had been eroded, and their bodies had been weakened, making them no different from ordinary people.
“Thud! Thud! Thud!”
Blood splattered as heads rolled to the ground, clean and swift.
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers. Many who had lost loved ones wept, murmuring to themselves as they comforted the spirits of the deceased.
To ensure that everything was done properly, the county magistrate personally inspected the bodies, confirmed that all the prisoners were dead, and then reported to Xu Lian, “Sir, all the prisoners have been executed.”
Xu Lian stood up from his seat and left the room.
The county magistrate ordered the guards, “Hang these decapitated bodies at the city gates and let them rot in the sun for three days. After that, throw them into the mass grave. Let this serve as a warning to anyone who dares to create chaos in Pingyang County.”
The guards loaded the headless bodies onto dozens of prepared carts and stuffed the severed heads into sacks, filling about twenty or thirty sacks.
The crowd, still clamoring for more, slowly dispersed.
…
At the entrance to the dungeon.
The members of the Zhao, Zhou, and Zheng families were released. They were all beaming with joy, their faces filled with excitement and tears. They had thought they were doomed, but now that they had been given a second chance at life, they felt like they had been reborn.
Although their huge family fortune had been confiscated, the loss of wealth seemed insignificant compared to their lives.
Cultivation resources could be earned again, but once life was lost, it was gone forever. This was a truth they all understood.
Zhao Yuqing and Zhao Yuhe exchanged glances, their eyes red with emotion. They knew that this outcome was the result of Xu Lian’s tireless efforts and his plea to the higher-ups of the Yi Sect.
The sisters felt immense gratitude, moved by Xu Lian’s actions, and filled with both joy and longing. They wished that they could immediately appear by his side.
“Huh? Where is Ren?”
Soon, Zheng Ren’s father noticed that his legitimate son was missing. Only a group of illegitimate children were standing by his side.
The Zheng family members looked around but saw no sign of Zheng Ren.
“Maybe the young master fell asleep in the cell?”
“Hahaha, the young master really is the young master! How remarkable that he can remain so calm and sleep soundly in a place like a prison cell. Unlike us, who were all anxious and terrified, his mindset is far superior to ours”.
The family members couldn’t help but praise him with admiration.
Zheng Ren’s father couldn’t help but smile with relief. “After going through this ordeal, Ren has truly developed the heart of a strong cultivator.”
He patted his body, searching for some silver to bribe the guards at the dungeon entrance. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find even a single copper coin, which left him somewhat embarrassed. He could only clasp his hands and say, “Officer, could you please go inside and call for my son Ren?”
In the past, as the head of a prominent family in Pingyang County, he wouldn’t have even glanced at lowly guards, let alone addressed them as “officer”. But times had changed. He had just been freed from being a prisoner and lost his former authority. Now, he had no choice but to treat these small figures with respect.
The guard at the dungeon entrance replied indifferently, “No need to call him. He’ll stay in the dungeon.”
Upon hearing this, the head of the Zheng family frowned. “Why is there no need to call him?”
The guard said coldly, “Why so many questions? Leave now. If you don’t go, we’ll treat it as an attempt to break someone out of prison.”
The Zhao sisters exchanged meaningful glances, vaguely guessing that Zheng Ren’s continued imprisonment might have something to do with Xu Lian.
The Zheng family patriarch’s expression darkened. As the head of a prominent family, he had once been so influential in Pingyang County that he was treated like a star wherever he went. How could he be treated so dismissively by such a lowly figure?
In the past, he could have crushed someone like this with a single finger.
But now, he didn’t dare to act.
Having just been released from the dungeon, if he were to clash with the authorities and incur their displeasure, the consequences would be unthinkable.
With a grim face, he led his family away. Rescuing his legitimate son would have to be a long-term plan.
The Zhao and Zhou families also left separately.
Now penniless and without a place to stay, the Zhao family members discussed their options and decided to seek refuge with a family they were related to by marriage – the Fei family.
But they didn’t even have the money to rent a carriage, so they had to walk.
As they walked through the streets, the townspeople looked at them with strange expressions. The “schadenfreude” mentality existed in every world. Seeing the once mighty family reduced to such a state, many people couldn’t help but feel a sense of glee. That was human nature.
The Zhao family members couldn’t run through the streets, it would be too embarrassing. They could only try to walk with as much composure as possible, preserving the last shred of dignity their family had left.
After walking for over an hour, they finally arrived at the Fei family’s residence.
However, as soon as the Fei family’s gatekeeper saw the Zhao family members approaching from afar, his expression changed. He hurriedly closed the gate as if he were averting a plague.
The Zhao family members froze and slowly came to a halt. They knew there was no need to go any further.
Obviously, the gatekeeper had already received instructions from the head of the Fei family. The act of closing the gate said it all.