Chapter 154: The Commandment Hall
To be precise, the lightning horse was not just a horse, it was way beyond it as it was regarded as a kind of spiritual beast. And this unique spiritual beast was domesticated by some experienced and powerful people.
The speed at which the lightning horse started running was pretty average, but as it gained momentum, the speed would get faster and faster knowing no bounds. While carrying Zen on its back, the lighting horse was running at an extremely high speed and it appeared like a flashing light at this time.
For the several days along the way, Zen stopped occasionally to rest. After giving the lightning horse a little rest, he set off on his way without any delay.
Even so, it took Zen several days to get to the capital of Burning Sky Empire?from G County.
Upon arriving at the Cloud Sect, Zen left his lighting horse in a place where spiritual beasts were raised in Cloud Sect, and then headed straight to the Drizzle Peak.
Zen was away for a long time to slay demons. Those disciples, who had taken part in the trial for slaying demons, had returned to the peak early. Zen might be the last one, so he'd better hurry up.
Just as Zen walked up to the foot of Drizzle?Peak, and prepared to climb up the mountain, he spotted two people?standing along the mountain road. Dressed in a distinct purple light armour, both of them were Cloud Sect inspectors.
As the two inspectors saw Zen, they walked towards him, pointed at his waist and said, “Show us your disciple card before you proceed onto this path!”
The inspectors of Cloud Sect?had many permissions and rights. They mainly maintained the order for the entire Cloud Sect. But for the order at each peak, that would be something the masters should handle. So, the inspectors were in charge of all the places outside the peaks.
Upon hearing their request, Zen didn't question them and just took off his disciple card and handed it to the inspectors without even giving it a moment's thought.
One of the inspectors?grabbed it and after a quick glance, he gave the other inspector who was standing right next to him an expressive look in secret, before he turned to Zen and said, “Well, at the moment you can't go up the mountain. You must come with us.”
“What is the matter? What's wrong with my disciple card?” crippled by confusion, Zen asked as his face appeared clouded. Evidently he did not
know what was happening and what could call for such a drastic measure of reprehension.
“For now just follow us, you'll know when you get there,” added the inspector. “Now stretch out your hands.”
The moment Zen stretched out his hands, one inspector clapped his hands gently in what appeared as a silent command of a sentence. Within seconds a ray of?life vitality twined around Zen's wrists tightly. As the grip got tighter, the life vitality?turned into a green rope of thorns, and it bound Zen's hands tightly together serving the purpose of handcuffs.
“What is going on here?” Zen yelled out defensively as he clenched his teeth. Zen knew very well that in the?Cloud Sect nothing happened beyond the rules. But to bind his hands without mentioning a concrete reason, this annoyed Zen to a great extent.
One inspector sneered and said in a sarcastic tone, “Oh, didn't I tell you? Just be patient. You'll know when you get there!”
Bottled down with his bubbling anger, Zen?closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. He comforted himself, “We are inside the?Cloud Sect. I am sure they will not dare to harm me in any way.”
The next moment, Zen was pushed onto a flying chariot by the two inspectors in a rather conspicuous manner.
With an understated elegance, the flying chariot sped through the Cloud Sect and soon stopped upon reaching a hill.
On the top of the hill, a gigantic iron plaque with the words “Commandment Mount” greeted them.
Just at the sight of the sign, a faint frown appeared on Zen's dull face.
According to what Zen had heard earlier, Commandment Mount was the “tribunal” of Cloud Sect. To be specific, a disciple?would be sent here to face trial when he made a mistake, or worse even committed a crime. And before he could face such a trial, he would be locked up here. And after the truth was revealed and justice was delivered, he would either be released or sent all the way down to Mountain?based purely on facts.
Even though the two inspectors checked his disciple card, and knew for a fact that he was Zen, they took him straight to the Commandment Mount. “Did I violate any?rules of Cloud Sect without realizing it?” Zen thought nervously.
As the flying chariot came to a smooth slow stop, one of the inspectors nudged Zen, “Get?off the chariot!” He pushed Zen from the shoulders indicating him to get off in a rather passive-aggressive manner.
The inspectors' attitude had changed all of a sudden. It truly reflected who they were and Zen?immediately realized that someone must have ordered them to do so.
A look of sheer disdain appeared on his face.
In that instant he decided, that irrespective of what an extremely dangerous place the Commandment Mount?was or even who was against him, he would not reflect any signs of fear and wouldn't surrender.
Right after calming himself down, he followed the two inspectors up the hill.
Walking up along the inclined mountain path, a black building with a stone reading “Commandment Hall” appeared across them.
Owing to the sensitive ears Zen had, he could hear the harsh and intimidating sound of whips and shrill screams echoing from inside the building. All of these were the sounds of officers in the Commandment Hall torturing disciples who had violated the rules and disobeyed commands to some degree. He wondered what would possibly be done on him in such a hall of shame...
After Zen entered the hall, he saw a middle-aged man dressed in purple and gold robe with flying fish on it sitting in front of the desk. He had a square face, and was black and solemn. He must be the chief judge.
The two inspectors pushed Zen to the front and stepped aside in a rather synchronised obedient manner. As it caught the middle-aged man's attention, he tapped the judicial mallet?on the desk with a loud thud, alerting everyone. The man commanded, “Who is this? Kneel down!”
“Kneel down?” Zen repeated as he opened his pursed lips, “I kneel to the heaven, to the ground and even before my parents, but I never kneel before others!”
“How dare you!” shouted the middle-aged man angrily as his facial expression froze suddenly. “You know the rules. A person who doesn't know how to behave?will die miserably!”
“The rules? Of all the rules, do tell me who created the rule of kneeling in the hall? The leader of Cloud Sect? Or you?” Zen inquired in a rather arrogant tone.
At the start of it all, to have a better understanding of?Mountain, Zen had investigated the Commandment Mount and Commandment Hall. So he was confident of his understanding about the rules and knew right from wrong in this regard.
It was very clearly written that?Commandment Mount did not have such great authority at the beginning, but with Cloud Sect's development, the interrogation methods were further developed and even modified. In order to improve interrogation of the disciples who violated rules, the?Commandment Hall replicated methods?of the judgement hall in the Burning Sky Empire.
However, there were no rules granting these methods in Cloud Sect.
As a disciple of Cloud Sect, Zen naturally and impulsively abode by all the rules of Cloud Sect. But as for the rules in the hall, that were nothing he needed to bother with. He didn't care what were they or what disobeying them meant.
The middle-aged man's name was Murry Qin. He was the deputy principal of the Commandment Hall. In all these years, on his trial list, there were over eight hundred disciples.
Murry Qin was about to lose his temper by the complete disregard of his commands and was about to show Zen what would come off by disobeying him. But then he thought of what he was told and held back his temper while adding, “All right, suit yourself and just stand there. Do you know why I summoned you here?”
“No, I don't have a clue!” answered Zen as he shook his head.
He really didn't know, let alone have an idea about which rule he had broken to be summoned here. Did he miss something, a small mistake or maybe even a big one?
After participating in the?trial for slaying demons, Zen?travelled out of Cloud Sect all the time and never returned. Before he got a chance to go to Drizzle Peak, the two inspectors brought him here. Even while retrospecting, Zen could not find the smallest tiny hint?as to what crime he could have committed.
With a sly smile, Murry Qin asked, “Hey hey, you sure you really don't know?”
“No, not even the slightest clue. I have no reason to lie to you!” said Zen?in an indifferent tone. He did nothing wrong, and he didn't disobey any rules, so he had nothing to be guilty about or even show any remorse.
“Well, if you don't know, I'll help you jog your memory!” said Murry Qin as he pointed at Zen. “A few days back, you participated in the trial for slaying demons, but you colluded with the demon and tried to kill Yale Zhuge instead! You nearly murdered?a Cloud Sect disciple. He was your mate and your companion. Even if you suffer a thousand cuts, it will not be enough for a punishment you deserve!”
Upon hearing Yale Zhuge's name, Zen suddenly understood what commanded his sudden presence in this hall.
“Alas,” Zen could not help sighing. These people really got a nerve. Even if they wanted to kill him, they should have made up a better excuse for carrying out their indiscretion. They just shouldn't have said that he colluded with the demon.
The Burning Sky Empire and the demon had been fighting for over a thousand years. When it came to a collusion with the demon, a human would be too scared to approach. To protect themselves, they would stay away from any topics relating to the demon simply because it would bring genocide and unfathomable wrath to their families!
But Zen was not scared, instead, he was rather calm. Even though the middle-aged man knew everything about the demon, he still tried to punish him. This indicated his urge to punish Zen with a severe penalty. Evidently, someone was behind all of this conspiracy. Zen thought for a moment, he soon realized who was behind Murry Qin. It was most probably Fren Zhuge, namely Fren the loony.
Zen pulled himself out of his deep line of thoughts as he smiled and said, “You said I conspired with the demon, but now the question of the hour is what do you want to do with me?”
In cold harsh tone Murry responded, “You?committed a serious crime, you should prepare for a genocide. However, I learned that your clan was not involved in it, so you will be the only one to be punished!”
Suddenly, Zen took two steps forward as he stared at Murry Qin and smiled, “Now I'm here, do you want my life? Beat me if you have the strength and capabilities. That was just your excuse for killing me. Save your energy for later!”
To sentence him to death after just a few words? Murry Qin must be too naive! Moreover, Zen did not fear anything, let alone the Commandment Hall.
So without any delay, Zen blatantly stated their purpose. If they wanted to fight, he would fight but he did not have the patience to sit through their excuses. He had to get back to Drizzle Peak.
Murry Qin's facial expression changed, he sneered for a second before speaking, “Since this is what you want, guards! Show him the power of the heaven-destroying cudgel. I want to beat him to death! Zen Luo, prepare for your doom.”
Just as Murry Qin finished speaking, four men appeared from the back holding four long golden cudgels. That would be the 'heaven-destroying cudgel'. The cudgels were made from a special wood which had a density and strength equal to and probably even more than iron. More importantly, the wood could break through life vitality.
Even if people were protected by life vitality, the heaven-destroying cudgel could easily penetrate the life vitality and pierce through the flesh, even a nature creature would be impaled and killed!
Actually, Murry Qin?felt some amount of guilt. The Commandment Hall?had no right to take a person's life, according to the Cloud Sect rules. Only the senior managers of Cloud Sect could sentence a disciple to death. The most he could do was to send disciples to Mountain.
But since he was entrusted, he had to handle it in any way. Their ultimate purpose was to take Zen's life!
If he?wanted to take a disciple's life, he would have to go forward in a smarter manner to avoid trouble. “I can't kill him directly, but I can beat him?to death,” thought Murry Qin.
If Zen?revolted against the punishment, that would give them the license to kill him. If not, then they would beat him to death with the heaven-destroying cudgels!
Zen was prepared to fight at that moment. No matter who tried to take his life, he would let them pay the price and there was no exception.
But when he saw the four men came in with four cudgels, his heart was filled with joy, a feeling so contradictory to what he thought he would feel.
The last thing he feared was being beaten...
Now he was at the nature level, and was worried that nobody would beat him!
In this case, Zen gave up resistance. He wanted to see what would happen after suffering through the strokes. Would his strength and might increase?