Author: Chris Webber

The guards took away all his weapons—including the short knife he had obtained from Igrilynbod, and ordered him to stay in the room and not go anywhere until the superiors decided what to do with him, and there were guards outside the door to make sure he obeyed the orders and not allow friends to visit.

"What can I do?" When the door was closed, Akton said to the wooden door. He hugged his knees with his hands, his back pressed against the wall, staring at the light on the edge of the small window on the left. It was the only light source in the room. As time passed, the room became darker and colder. Tonight might be another sleepless night! Akton thought to himself.

At some point, Akton woke up again. It was already dark. He felt his whole body stiff and numb. He stood up and wanted to move his hands and feet. Suddenly he heard a light sound from outside the door - someone was opening the door, but now it was dark. Who would see him at this time? Should he drag himself out and behead him?

Akton subconsciously reached out and touched his waist, but he felt empty. Then he remembered that his short knife had been taken away. He clenched his fists in despair. Could it be that he died in this ghost place in a confused manner?

The door was pushed open, and the flames poured in from the door, shining on Akden's face. He subconsciously turned his head to avoid the dazzling light. When his eyes adapted to the light, he found a familiar figure standing at the door: "Why are you?"

"I'm surprised, are you?" Igelian Bod asked angrily, and he threw the short knife back to Akton: "I was really surprised when I saw this short knife! You were not so stupid when you were on the shore!"

"That man scolded me? He spitted on me!" Akton took the short knife and made a weak defense. Igelianbod snorted coldly: "Then you cut his neck? You are now a guard for the Grand Governor, whether it is a guard or a training session, let alone being scolded, even if it is a whip, right? Why don't you think you're killing people?"

"How is this the same? The army scolded me and beat me up, but that person was not my Shangguan. Besides, he cursed for no reason at that time, and he spitted at me. I endured him for a long time before I started. If I were in my hometown, I would have done it long ago!"

"You also know that this is not your hometown?" Igrilynbod snorted coldly and pondered for a moment: "Where are other people present at that time, can you testify for you?"

"Yes, I had two companions around me at that time. They all witnessed everything that happened with their own eyes. They could testify for me!" Akton replied.

"Fortunately, you are not stupid!" Although Ijirenbod's tone was cold, Akton could still feel the kindness hidden below. Obviously, although this noble man kept scolding him since he entered the door, he wanted to help him.

"Do you know what kind of punishment I will be subject to?" Akton asked cautiously.

"When Emperor Gaozu of Han entered Guanzhong, he made three rules: the first of which is to kill someone and die! If you kill someone, it is the most common punishment to pay for your life! Unless——"

"Unless what?" Akton asked hurriedly.

"Unless the Grand Governor doesn't want you to die!" Igelian Bod smiled: "But I don't know if he has to spare your life. After all, there is nothing special about you, and laws are the most important weapon of the country!"

Akton sat down again, trembling uncontrollably. Everything that happened was like a nightmare, but he was definitely not in a dream at this time.

Igrilynbod looked at the young man Jinghe on the ground and finally decided to say good things to him: "I will go back to see the governor later. Don't do stupid things. Maybe things will turn around!" After that, he turned around and walked out the door, and the wooden door closed behind him.

The next morning, when the sunlight shot through the window again, Akton woke up from his sleep. He didn't know when he fell asleep. He stood up and something slipped from his arms and made a sound. Akton looked down and saw that it was the short knife. He picked up the short knife, drew it out of the sheath, and the sharp blade exuded a cold light. He used this knife to cut the man's throat. He still remembered the scene at that time. Blood sprayed out from the wound. The murdered person was lying on the ground, his whole body twitched, and his breath was cut off after a few breaths. If he aimed the blade at himself, it would not be too painful. Isn't this good? Although they are all dead, it is better than being beheaded in public in full view of everyone!

Akton stood in front of the window, the blade approached his throat several times, and then left several times. It seemed that there was a voice in the dark reminding him that before that moment had arrived, there would be hope for him to survive. If the Grand Governor really wanted to kill him, he would not have allowed the noble man to come to see him late at night.

The movement outside the door interrupted the dangerous tug-of-war. Akton inserted his short knife into the sheath and hid it against the wall. The door opened, and the person entering the door was a fat man with a thick waist and a loud voice.

"Akton, come with me!"

"Where to go? What?" Akden asked back.

"This is an order!" the fat man with black face sneered: "Your instructor hasn't taught you what you should do when facing orders for so long?"

Akton suppressed the anger in his chest. He didn't like this black-faced fat man. The other party's smile reminded him of the bobcats that forced his prey to the dead corner. He kept playing with the prey until the prey was extremely frightened and exhausted. He hunted prey a lot, but he only minimized the pain of the prey as much as possible. After all, deer, wild boar, and mars are all part of the forest. It is normal to hunt animals for survival, but killing prey is another matter.

"Tie his hands!" said the fat man in black face: "If he dares to resist, beat him!"

Akton suppressed the anger in his chest and allowed the soldiers to tie his hands up. The rope was deeply tied into his muscles, causing severe pain. However, Akton did not show anything. He knew that this would only make the other party even more proud. He looked at the eyes of the black-faced fat man coldly. Maybe he could not resist, but at least he could not let the other party get happiness from him.

"Fish-skin Tartar!" The fat man with black face spitted. The boy's eyes made him feel uncomfortable. He would dig the other person's eyes if possible, but he knew that it was not the time, so he waved: "Go!"

The soldiers escorted Akton through a wooden bridge and passed under a strong oak gate. The river under the bridge surging, stirring up countless waves and washed the cornerstones of the barriers. They walked through the second doorway, which was even larger than the first, and the stones were covered with green moss. Akton was tied with his wrists and stumbled through a muddy yard, and the guards escorted him up the steps and came to a large room.

As soon as he climbed the steps, the black-faced fat man asked Akton to take off his straw sandals to avoid staining the smooth wooden floor. Akton did as well. He took small steps carefully and bowed slightly. He did not forget the etiquette he learned a few days ago.

Wang Wenzuo sat behind the long table, with several thick stacks of booklets on the table. On his right hand was Igrienbod, and two old men, one woman, were kneeling down at the bottom, holding a baby in her arms, and a slightly larger-written one was kneeling beside her, looking curiously at Akden who was walking up with his hands tied up.

"Get a few pads, I don't want to break their knees! And-" Wang Wenzuo pointed to Akden: "Let the rope on his hand also. Before I pronounce the sentence, he is not a criminal yet!"

Akton's hand was untied, and he couldn't help but let out a moan. The soft pad made his knees feel a lot more comfortable. He looked at the strangers beside him curiously. Why are they here and what does it have to do with him?

"Akton! They are the parents, wives, and children who were killed by you!" Wang Wenzuo pointed to the strangers who were kneeling on the ground: "For you, parents have lost their sons, wives have lost their husbands, and children have lost their fathers. Do you have anything else to say now?"

Akden knelt on the ground, his wrists were worn out by the rough ropes, and it hurt so much, but he had no feeling at all. Wang Wenzuo's words were like a hammer hitting his head, making him buzz. He shook his head: "I have nothing to say!"

"Very good!" Wang Wenzuo's eyes turned to the other people: "It was this child who killed your family, but before that, your family called him a fish-skinned Tartar and a dog, and spit at him. The only reason he did this was that the child was a man of the mars. The child turned around and left, and he chased and continued to scold, and then he was killed. I have sent people to verify this from the people around me, and it is indeed the case. Do you have anything to say?"

The two old men were knocked down by the great pain of losing their son. Faced with Wang Wenzuo's inquiry, they just shook twice before they fell to the ground and cried. The woman was better. She raised her head: "Grandmaster, I don't know what to do. Please make a fair judgment!"

"Okay!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "According to Tang Rule, your family insults people for no reason, so they have to be divided by whipping, but he is dead now, so he cannot be executed, so he can only do it; and Akton, you commit murder, and the murderer dies, so you have to behead him. Do you think this sentence is fair?"

"Fair!" After seeing the families of the deceased, Akton felt as if he was exhausted. He bowed his head and pleaded guilty. Not to mention the families of the other deceased, they all agreed and saw that the case was sentenced within a few minutes.

"Well, it's very good!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "The murder case has been sentenced, and the civil case will be judged next. Akton, the person you killed is the son of your parents, the husband of a woman, and the father of two children. These people have to be supported by the deceased. Now that you have killed people, no one has supported them, you have to compensate them for their losses, so as not to be unable to survive because of losing the pillars of the family. Do you think my judgment is right?"

Akton was stunned. He didn't expect that Wang Wenzuo suddenly made this happen, and he felt that the other party was right: "The Grand Superintendent's judgment was correct, but I had nothing on my body. I was a dying person and had no money to compensate them for their losses!"

"Not bad!" Wang Wenzuo's eyes turned to the woman: "You also heard that this boy named Wei is still a half-aged child, not officially joining the army, so he has no military pay, no property, and has no ability to compensate you for your losses! Maybe you accept it?"

"He really has no money, what can I do?" The woman smiled bitterly: "I blame my devil for being unvirtuous. Not only did I kill my own life, but I also drag others to death. I can't blame others for not blaming others!"

"He has no money now, but it does not mean he has no money forever!" Wang Wenzuo pointed to Akton: "He is fourteen years old now, and he will be able to join the army in two years, and then he will get the military salary. If you are willing to spare him, I can first take the advance payment of his military salary for twenty years to you as compensation!"

Wang Wenzuo's words made the woman's eyes shine with hope. She looked at the child in her arms, then at the old man beside her, and whispered: "Can the little people discuss it for a while?"

"Of course!" Wang Wenzuo pointed to the corridor beside him: "You can go to the side to discuss first, and then come back to talk after the discussion!"

The family thanked him and retreated to the corridor beside him. After a while, the woman came back, her eyes were red, and she had just cried. She kowtowed twice to Wang Wenzuo: "Grandmaster, the old man is old and the children are young. For the sake of living, villains can only be wronged and killed!"

"I understand!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "Don't worry, death penalty can be avoided, and living crime cannot be escaped. Even if Akton does not need to behead, eighty whips will still not be able to escape!" Speaking of this, his eyes turned to Akton: "Akton, you will transfer your military pay to this family for the next twenty years. In addition, you will also be subjected to eighty whips. If you have repeated serious punishments in the future, you will be beheaded. Do you think the verdict is fair?"

"Fair, fair!" Akton thought he would die, but he didn't expect to escape. In his ecstasy, he didn't take the military pay and eighty whip for the next twenty years at all, and kowtowed continuously.

"Okay, execute the execution immediately!" Wang Wenzuo said.

Akton was immediately dragged down, peeled off his shirt, and whipped eighty whips, and dragged them up in a bloody way. Wang Wenzuo asked the victim to read it, so he asked someone to copy the verdict on the wooden board first, and walked around the outside street with Akton three times before coming back for the doctor to treat him.

Although the eighty whip was quite heavy, it did not hurt his muscles and bones. Akton was still strong and lying on the bed for two days, he gradually slowed down. That day he saw Igrienbod coming and threw a short knife in front of him: "How can I not even want my gift knife?"

When Akton saw Iji Lianbod, he knew that the other party had said good things to him in front of Wang Wenzuo, so he saved his life. He struggled to get up and salute, but was held down by Iji Lianbod: "Forget it, you have to kowtow and wait until your health is good! You don't have to thank me. This verdict was made by the Grand Commander and has nothing to do with me!"
Chapter completed!