Chapter 1256: Chapter 1260: Exile Punishment

“Deities?”

“Loose Immortal.” The man said.

“As Immortals, we should mean what we say. It’s their fault for being so uncouth and ruining our refined pleasure. It’s a rare occasion that we come here for a stroll to unwind, yet they insist on impeding our view. If we don’t impose some punishment, how will my intentions be satisfied?” The lady spoke.

“Cousin, your mood is of utmost importance. Even if other deities intervene, we must make them pay a price.” The man with blue-green hair said.

“Before the young Loose Immortal arrived, that couple was already at death’s door, they couldn’t possibly reach the source of the glacier… I believe, to achieve a terrifying effect, it is best to have them live and walk the entire course. The sight of two pitiful corpses discarded on the glacier is far less cautionary than a pair of violating spouses endlessly wandering the icy river,” the Falcon man suggested.

“That makes sense. If they died, my heart would only be pleased for a moment, but knowing they continue to suffer punishment, that would truly delight me.” A smile appeared on the woman’s face, finding the prospect much more interesting.

“Indeed, not bad, not bad at all. This also reflects the compassion we deities possess.” The man with blue-green hair said contentedly.

“Then once the couple has recovered, I will oversee the execution of their punishment.”

“Go ahead… Oh, and investigate that young Loose Immortal’s background. If he’s a nobody, give him a lesson too. The affairs of Bright Moon Fairy Ridge are not everyone’s business to interfere with!”

“Yes!”

…

It took four days for Cao Juan to gradually recover.

But the situation with her husband Lu Kuan was very grim; his body was still in a state of hypothermia, unable to eat, surviving only on warm porridge forcefully fed to sustain his life.

Cao Juan sat beside him, her eyes brimming with sorrow and helplessness.

Her and Lu Kuan’s Dragons had been killed, and the breaking of the Soul Contract meant they had changed from Cultivators into mere ordinary people, even less healthy than ordinary folks.

Moreover, the terror inflicted upon them by those people haunted them incessantly. They struggled to sleep peacefully and were clueless about where they could find refuge and live in peace.

Zhu Minglang wanted to ask what had happened. At that moment, a frail girl peeked inside the door. She appeared timid, hesitant to speak, and dared not come closer.

“Is there something you need?” Zhu Minglang asked the thin and pale girl.

“Are… are they doing okay?” the girl whispered like the buzz of a mosquito.

Zhu Minglang glanced at Cao Juan, who suddenly became agitated, and seemed to grasp the situation. He got up, left the house, and brought the girl aside.

In the bitterly cold weather, the girl wore only thin clothes, her lips chapped, her body emaciated.

“It’s all my fault that they’re in this situation,” the girl said with her head lowered.

Zhu Minglang sighed, bought a coat from a villager, and draped it over the pitiful-looking girl.

“Let’s talk in another room. It’ll be warmer,” Zhu Minglang suggested.

“No, no, no, that would only trouble more people. No one dares to take us in,” the girl said in panic.

“Young man, I advise you not to meddle in others’ affairs. They are people who deserve their punishment. If you help them, you’ll be making an enemy of the entire Snow Town, and the townsfolk will despise you,” an elderly person passing by chimed in, glancing at the girl.

“There must be a reason, and besides, I don’t think the couple in the house deserve their fate,” Zhu Minglang replied.

“They as a couple naturally do not count, but she does,” the old man pointed at the girl, then as if afraid of becoming involved or entangled, he quickly left the place.

The old man’s accusation made the girl even more afraid to speak.

Zhu Minglang observed the girl carefully and noticed that her features seemed to be somewhat different from ordinary people.

“I… I made a mistake, was punished to kneel and walk to the top of the Snow Ridge without eating or drinking. I thought… I thought no one would be watching me all the time, so I accepted their help, I drank the water they gave me, used the ointment they provided…” the girl said, her head bowed.

“Then what?” Zhu Minglang asked.

“Just like that… It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have involved others, I shouldn’t have accepted their help, I was so thirsty, so hungry at the time, I thought no one would see, I thought…”

“They just handed you water and food, and for that all their dragons were slaughtered, and they were forced to walk on the ice river, until they froze to death??” Zhu Minglang asked.

“Yes…” the girl continued.

Do a good deed every day, Zhu Minglang remembered Cao Juan’s principle of conduct.

Passing water and food to someone about to die of thirst and hunger, to receive such a punishment.

Is this truly the Jiaoxiu Sky City, where the gods gather, or is it actually some uncivilized, ignorant, and brutal tribe??

Zhu Minglang could not comprehend and his heart filled with even more anger!

“I… I should go, I just wanted to see them, to say I’m sorry,” the girl said.

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, hurriedly returned the coat she was wearing to Zhu Minglang, and then walked towards the freezing cold world outside.

Watching her frail figure, Zhu Minglang even felt that after stepping out, she would not survive.

After the girl left, the old man, from a distance, earnestly admonished Zhu Minglang not to meddle in others’ business.

Zhu Minglang also noticed that the old man had a kind heart and wanted to help him but was deterred by some intimidation, not daring to come closer or say more.

“Old man, what exactly is going on? I’ve come from Li Prefecture and really can’t make sense of it,” Zhu Minglang asked.

“Here, we have a penalty called ‘exile.’ Our God Luo Hun does not like killing; hence, there is no death penalty in our Jiaoxiu Sky City region. But how could it be that Jiaoxiu Sky City does not have vicious villains? So, those who would have been sentenced to death are instead dealt with by the Moon Gods through the method of ‘exile.’ This exile is not a simple banishment, but a form of punishment where the offender must walk without drinking, eating, or resting, until death… Anyone who bestows charity, aids, obstructs, or interferes with the offenders during the execution of exile bears the same guilt!” the old man explained.

Zhu Minglang understood the reason behind it all.

Because he did not understand the laws here, Cao Juan maintained the principle of doing a good deed every day, and thus when she saw the girl being punished, she rescued her.

To interfere is to be equally guilty.

Cao Juan and Lu Kuan also received the same punishment of exile for this reason.

There is no death penalty, yet this penalty of exile exists, that I can understand.

But to use this principle of equal guilt for interference as a means to harm innocent people, it’s quite despicable!

“Strictly speaking, you’ve also interfered. Unless you’re from the God Clan or a divine figure, otherwise, you would be punished as well,” the old man kindly warned Zhu Minglang.