Secular Immortal of the Nine Realms - Chapter 176

Chapter 176: New Punishment

Given the southern region’s extreme climate, it was rare for people to head out in the scorching noon, so there was hardly anyone to be seen at this time.

However, today was different from the usual days. People were anxiously streaming toward the entrance of the magistrate court.

Countless people were already gathered in the area, their heads looking around curiously as to what was going to happen next. Some tried to squeeze forward, but the defense line maintained by the Valiant Defenders firmly held them back.

At the entrance of the magistrate court was a tree stump, and Master Chen was tied to it by a thick metal chain. He had to narrow his eyes to cope with the blinding sunlight, and little beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

Beside him was a table and a chair.

Fang Chen sat on the chair unmovingly. The blinding sunlight didn’t faze him at all; his body remained fresh without the slightest hint of sweat.

The South Immortal Commandery’s officials stood behind the Auspicious King, their hands held above their heads to block off the blinding sunlight while frequently wiping away their sweat.

A few South Mountain School’s students came as well. They had conflicted looks on their faces. They still refused to believe that Master Chen was the true culprit behind Zhao Yan’s case, and that their chief student, Yu Zhang, was an accomplice.

However, the evidence was in place. There was no room for further arguments.

“I’d never thought Master Chen was such a person.”

“He’s a monster! I was thinking of sending my only son to study at the South Mountain School. I’m glad Imperial Duke Fang ripped off Master Chen’s hypocritical face, or else I would wallow in regret if my son ended up like him!”

“Imperial Duke Fang should be publicly executing Master Chen today. People like that ought to be killed! Who knows how many innocent people he has killed over the years?”

Murmurs could be heard from the crowd.

Commandery Chief Ouyang slicked off his sweat before asking the Auspicious King, “Your Highness, how do you think Imperial Duke Fang intends to deal with Master Chen?”

“How do I know Imperial Duke Fang’s intention?” The Auspicious King harrumphed.

Commandery Chief Ouyang sheepishly smiled. Not daring to say anything else, he patiently waited for Fang Chen to make a move.

Master Chen looked at the seemingly resting Fang Chen and chuckled. “Imperial Duke Fang, you should stop keeping us in suspense. Either way, you’re going to kill me, right? I believe in supreme-rulers in heaven and reincarnation in the netherworld. Who knows? We might meet again in the near future.”

The crowd was appalled. Master Chen is showing no remorse despite standing in the face of death?

“I never thought a scholar could be so depraved. Even martial artists like us fear death.”

The crowd felt bitter at how Master Chen was unfazed by his impending execution, especially the victims’ families. They felt like he wasn’t being sufficiently punished for his crimes despite having harmed so many people.

“Great Xia’s punishments have always been simple. Those who commit severe crimes either have their possessions taken away or are decapitated. Only the Valiant Defenders are more creative with their means,” Fang Chen said with a smile.

Jue Panshi awkwardly looked away. The Valiant Defenders had indeed used quite a few creative means to deal with the people whom they had apprehended.

“Oh? Are you going to humiliate me?” Master Chen laughed. “Do you think I’d fear that?”

“I’ll pass on the humiliation. I just think that Great Xia can add another type of punishment to deal with the worst scums,” Fang Chen said.

The crowd’s curiosity was piqued. Another type of punishment? Is Imperial Duke Fang going to come up with another way to punish the scoundrels of the world?

A hint of expectation glimmered in their eyes.

“I’ll use this dagger to cut your flesh off slice by slice. In total, there will be 3600 slices. I’ll pluck out your organs one by one. However, you won’t die. You’ll watch with your own eyes as you are reduced to a skeleton.”

Fang Chen flicked his wrist and whipped out a little knife. “Once your flesh is gone, I’ll scrape your bone and hammer your marrows. I hope that there is a netherworld too. I heard sinners who go to the netherworld will be put through such punishments, day and night without rest.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but his words were clearly relayed to the crowd, and it made their hairs stand on end. Even the Auspicious King and the other officials, who had seen their fair share of cruelty, felt goosebumps.

Master Chen’s smile slowly vanished. Panic slipped into his eyes. He glared at Fang Chen and roared, “Fang Chen, how can you be so vicious!”

“An eye for an eye,” Fang Chen replied. “People like you deserve such viciousness. You have shown me unpleasant things. I shall return the favor to you.”

“I won’t give you a chance to do that!” Master Chen’s face turned cold as he tried to commit suicide by biting his tongue, only to find his entire body stiffening up in place.

Some kind of invisible energy had suppressed him, rendering him unable to move at all.

The fearless Master Chen finally grew fearful. His confidence shattered, and his expression turned more savage than ever.

Fang Chen casually flicked the knife, and Master Chen’s clothes were torn into shreds, revealing his bare body.

The first cut.

A thumb-sized lump of meat was sliced off. Excruciating pain gripped Master Chen, and the feeling only worsened when he realized he couldn’t even shout to vent it out.

To the crowd’s astonishment, blood didn’t trickle down from the wound despite welling up around the injury. This meant that Master Chen wouldn’t die from excessive blood loss. At this rate, he might really have to take all 3600 slices…

Fang Chen tossed the sliced flesh onto the floor, which prompted some black silhouettes to frenziedly rush over and fight for the flesh. These were the wild dogs who usually roamed the streets looking for food.

A few Valiant Defenders stepped forward to chase them off, but Fang Chen stopped them with a wave of his hand. He eyed the dogs and said, “Let them do as they please.”

The crowd felt conflicted. This must be the most terrifying punishment seen. Not only does he have to endure the 3600 slices, but he has to watch as his flesh is eaten by wild dogs.

Time ticked by. Just as Master Chen was about to get used to the pain, Fang Chen suddenly brandished his knife again.

Master Chen’s face immediately warped once more. Both his body and soul were being put through immense turmoil, and the thought that there was still a long way to go plunged him deep into despair.

He looked at Fang Chen with pleading eyes, hoping for a quick death.

“Chiliarch Jue, you mustn’t be too fast with this punishment, else the sinner can’t experience the full suffering that comes with it. You have to slice him just as he is about to become numb to the pain,” Fang Chen explained.

Jue Panshi made a mental note.

The Auspicious King and the others were shaken up. The Valiant Defenders will likely grasp this punishment in due time. If we do evil like Master Chen, will we be put through the same torture as well?

This thought frightened them so much that they quickly suppressed it and chanted ‘Amithabha’.

Fang Chen continued at the frequency of fifty slices every hour, a pace that was neither fast nor slow. Time passed slowly.

Hours later, some of the civilians couldn’t take it anymore and vomited. Others turned pale like a sheet of paper. “I doubt that even the netherworld dares to accept him in his current state…”

The injuries inflicted on Master Chen’s body were small but many. Blood welled up around the injuries but refused to trickle down. This bewildering sight intimidated everyone present.