lcionline Chapter 471 Loyalty
Chapter 471 Loyalty
On this side, the demon cultivator captives who had managed to survive were crawling on the cold and sticky obsidian ground, their bodies shaking like sieves, almost merging with the still warm corpses beneath them.
The strong smell of blood in the air almost solidified into substance, and every breath carried the rusty scent of death.
They were strangled by invisible fear, and felt that the gazes of the sword-wielding monks around them were like real thorns, piercing their skin and making their souls tremble.
They had completely lost the courage to even raise their heads to look at the figure on the platform who would decide their fate. They could only press their foreheads against the blood-stained ground, humbly praying for the slim chance of survival.
My heart was beating wildly in my chest, almost breaking free and jumping out.
A faint trace of relief after surviving the disaster, like a firefly in the cold night, swayed in the desperate lake of their hearts - fortunately, fortunately they had kept that tiny bottom line and had not been stained with the blood of innocent people, otherwise at this moment, they would have been able to lie forever on this filthy land like these silent bodies.
In this suffocating silence and blood, a gentle, warm voice, like sunlight penetrating the dark clouds, fell clearly:
"No need to kneel, stand up."
This voice was so calm, so... gentle? It was completely different from the cold voice that had just issued the slaughter order!
A few braver demon cultivators could hardly believe their ears. With great fear and a hint of unbelievable hope, they raised their heads very slowly and cautiously.
His gaze unexpectedly met a pair of deep eyes.
The owner of those eyes was still Lu Wensheng, still the Fu Guangjun who had just cleansed his sins with thundering means.
At this moment, his expression was surprisingly peaceful. The cold murderous aura between his brows seemed to be blown away by an invisible spring breeze, leaving only a quiet, almost compassionate gentleness.
Like a lake after a storm, it returns to its clarity and tranquility, even reflecting the light of the sky and a hint of warmth, quietly reflecting their filthy and fearful souls.
They were stunned, their minds going blank.
The impact of this huge contrast is even stronger than the previous fear.
It was as if one had just experienced a devastating storm, but now was bathed in the calm and peaceful spring breeze, making one feel as if in another world.
A gentle yet overwhelming spiritual energy, like an invisible and warm hand, gently brushed across their stiff and cold backs and trembling knees, lifting them up from their prostrate position with irresistible yet soothing power.
They were flattered by this power, and an indescribable sour and warm feeling surged in their hearts.
My anxious heart seemed to be gently stroked by an invisible hand, and it strangely calmed down.
Looking at the figure on the high platform, a sentence suddenly popped into my mind - thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all the grace of the king.
The judgment just now was like a fierce thunder, and the forgiveness now is like a gentle rain that moistens the earth. Both came from his hand and were the embodiment of his will.
Ah Qi only felt his throat dry and tight, and a surge of hot blood rushed to his head, dispelling the last bit of cowardice.
He took a deep breath and used all his strength to shout out in a trembling but extremely clear voice: "Lu Kui Shou! I... I am willing to give up my magic power, give up all my cultivation, and return to the right path!" As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he was stunned, and then he became even more nervous - he actually had the courage to speak on his own initiative?
Was it the words "upright and just" that ignited his heart? Or was it the gentle eyes before him that gave him the confidence to speak his mind?
His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, immediately causing ripples.
The other pardoned demon cultivators also woke up from their dreams and eagerly echoed:
"Yes! Chief, I am also willing to start over!"
"Please give us a chance, Chief. We are willing to turn over a new leaf!"
Lu Wensheng stood on a high place, his face still with that reassuring and warm expression. The sunlight fell right on him, as if coating his whole body with a hazy and holy halo, making him look like a compassionate statue in a shrine, embracing all things and benefiting all living things.
His voice was clear and calm, yet it carried a shocking force that resonated deeply with every captive:
"No need."
These two words brought all the petitions to an abrupt halt, and the prisoners' faces were filled with great confusion and bewilderment.
Lu Wensheng's eyes swept over these frightened faces, covered in filth but with a hint of clarity in their eyes, and continued:
"Practicing the devilish path is merely one of the myriad paths of nature. There's no absolute distinction between good and evil. As long as you don't engage in crooked ways that slaughter lives and harm innocent people, there's no need to be so secretive. There are three thousand great ways, and even different paths lead to the same destination."
His voice was not loud, but every word was weighty, like a mighty bell, shattering the deep-rooted inferiority and fear in their hearts:
"From now on, as long as you strictly abide by the laws and rules of the cultivation world, do your duty, and do not harm others, you will be no different from us."
No difference!
These four words were like thunder, exploding in the minds of Ah Qi and all the surviving demon cultivators!
The huge impact was like a surging wave, instantly breaking down the last dam in the hearts of these demon cultivators.
The long-accumulated humiliation, struggle, and despair of not being recognized were completely soothed and dissolved by these inclusive words at this moment.
The ideas instilled in them by the Demon Sect, the fear of being hunted by the righteous, and the humiliation of being despised by the world are like heavy shackles that nail them firmly to the pillar of shame of "aliens" and "evil demons".
They have long been accustomed to struggling in the shadows and surviving in the mud, and have never dared to hope to be on an equal footing with the "righteous monks", let alone the "right to bask in the sun"!
So... they weren't born to live in filth? So... they could have a "righteous" future? So... this seemingly hopeless path they were walking on could, as long as they steadfastly embraced the light, lead to recognition and acceptance?
An indescribable sourness suddenly rushed into my nose, blurring my vision in an instant.
Hot tears burst out uncontrollably, mixing with the blood and dust on his face and washing down.
Those were not tears of fear, but the catharsis after long-term repression, the ecstasy of surviving from a desperate situation, and the touch of being endowed with dignity.
They looked at the figure on the high platform, bathed in the sunlight, with a peaceful expression but full of infinite tolerance, and felt a warm current rushing from the cold soles of their feet to the top of their heads, and every limb was filled with new strength.
The figure became blurred yet extremely clear in the tears, as if it had become the only light source at the end of the darkness, sacred and full of hope.
It was a kind of tolerance that transcended personal emotions and was almost as grand and compassionate as the laws of nature, making them willingly want to prostrate themselves at its feet and offer their complete loyalty.