Paying the Price

Cang Xing stared intently at Ian, recalling the first day he went to the Religious Tribunal. A youth had walked toward him, his agate-red eyes so stunningly clear without any impurities, wearing a white robe that made him look even more otherworldly.

Looking at Ian now, however, Ian seemed like a pathetic fake trying hard to imitate that youth.

Ian walked through the crowd and stood beside the Chief Justice. He spoke with great solemnity:
"In recent years, the church has received many unrealistic slanders and accusations against the Moton family. Now, as everyone has seen, the reason our Moton family killed those people is because they were possessed by demons. The reason we didn't tell everyone was because we didn't want to cause panic."

The Chief Justice said: "I have always believed that the Moton family is not the kind of family that slaughters the innocent. I think the charges imposed on the Moton family will probably dissipate today."

Mi Xuan flew onto Ian's shoulder, intimately touching Ian's face.

On the Wubi, the image changed again. This time, the protagonist was Baron Moton. The Baron forced young men and women into his castle. Before the crucifix, these youths revealed their true forms—the beautiful faces and seductive figures of demons—and the Baron killed them.

The Baron held a treasure sword, its blade stained with blood. His sharp-featured face bore an expression of pain. He put down the sword, pressed his palms together, and prayed for the corpses on the ground. The crucifix hanging on the wall emitted a soft light, shining on the corpses as if purifying the sins on them.

After praying, the Baron dispatched guards, instructing them to return these bodies to their families.

"Baron, if you only return the bodies without telling them the true reason you killed them, the citizens will definitely think you killed them intentionally. Your image in everyone's hearts will plummet."

The Baron: "After all, I don't want them to think their children were demons. These children were victims possessed by demons. I want to give these poor children their last bit of dignity."

In the image, the white light from the crucifix shone on the Baron's face, which was filled with compassion.

With this, the Wubi revealed the truth of the matter.

"This is the truth!" the Chief Justice said passionately. "This is our great Moton family!"

The crowd supporting the Moton family received immense encouragement. They shouted at the opposing side: "Baron Moton killed your demon-possessed children! You should be weeping with gratitude! If not for Baron Moton, you might have all become food for your own children!"

Cang Xing pursed his lips tightly, anger boiling in his heart.

He inadvertently looked at the man on his left, the very man who had accused Baron Moton of taking his daughter.

"My daughter was taken by him!! I begged Baron Moton to return my daughter... but he only returned a corpse." Those painful words had left a deep impression on him.

At this moment, the man muttered in disbelief: "He killed my daughter, and I'm supposed to weep with gratitude?"

Cang Xing looked at the Chief Justice and Ian again. Indeed, they had superior, upright faces and sincere eyes.

Because of the "Wubi," the Moton family washed away the slander on them, bringing the righteous truth before everyone's eyes.

But Cang Xing only felt a wave of disgust.

He looked around at the people beside him. Their faces were dark. Their family members had been toyed with to death by nobles. When they wanted justice, they were counter-accused. Their dead family members were labeled as demon-possessed who deserved to die, while the Moton family's killing of demons was earthly justice, and they should be grateful.

Cang Xing stared at the ground, his eyes aching and swollen, wanting to cry.

Only the victims knew the real truth, their pain unable to be alleviated.

The setting sun was like blood as the dark night descended.

The Chief Justice said to everyone: "Everyone knows the truth now. It's getting dark, everyone go back."

The citizens supporting the Moton family spat at the opposing side a few times, bowed respectfully to Ian, and then dispersed one after another.

Someone was too angry to bear it and shouted: "The truth is not like this! How could my child be possessed by a demon?! My child was so obedient..."

The Chief Justice's gaze turned cold: "Still so stubborn!" He looked at a guard, who immediately dragged the man away toward the backyard of the Tribunal.

Cang Xing was still restrained by the guards, unable to move. Gradually, the crowd dispersed, leaving only him, Xi, Cang Jiazhu, the Chief Justice, Ian, and the Tribunal guards on the hill.

The Chief Justice said: "Release them, let them go."

The guards indeed let go. Xi stood up straight, her lips trembling: "Is my Ranran really a demon?"

Ian said patiently: "That's right, your child was a Succubus."

Xi shed tears: "It seems the truth is indeed like this... My daughter was a Succubus."

Cang Xing looked at Xi in shock. Xi actually believed it?!

Xi wiped away her tears and slowly approached Ian, her face filled with gratitude: "It was hard for me to accept my daughter's death, but after learning she was a Succubus, I feel at peace. Demons deserve to die! Even if the one possessed was my daughter."

"I am very grateful to you, Young Master Ian. You rid the people of a pest. You are truly an angel!"

"Without you, our family might have been killed by the Succubus. I want to thank you so much. Can I give you a hug?"

Ian nodded. Xi gently extended her arms and softly hugged him.

The Chief Justice smiled as he watched them.

Xi lowered her head, her lips approaching Ian's neck. Suddenly, she tightened her arms around Ian, locking him fiercely in her embrace. She opened her mouth and bit Ian's neck savagely, tearing at his flesh until it was a bloody mess. Ian screamed in pain, struggling violently.

The Chief Justice was horrified and rushed forward to pull Xi away. The guards also advanced, pointing their spears at Xi's back.

Xi bit and tore at Ian wildly. As Ian struggled, she bit off his ear. Ian shrieked repeatedly: "Ah!!!!"

Seeing that the guards were about to pierce Xi, Cang Jiazhu shouted: "Your Holiness the Pope!"

This shout stunned everyone, and they couldn't help but look outside the Tribunal. Taking advantage of these few seconds, Cang Jiazhu picked up Xi and ran outside, with Cang Xing hastily following behind them.

Xi spat out the ear from her mouth and cursed Ian loudly: "You murderer, you will get your retribution!!"

She pointed at the Wubi: "This killing machine turns black into white!!!"

She pointed at Mi Xuan: "You are nothing but a demon wearing an angel's skin!!"

The guards pursued relentlessly, but they ran very fast. After escaping the church, they twisted and turned through the city's alleys, eventually losing the guards.

During the frantic run, the butterfly orchid in his pocket fell out.

This flower was never delivered to his sister. It fell to the ground, keeping company with the garbage in the alley, awaiting its fate of rotting away.

He wanted to pick it up, but then heard another rush of footsteps behind him.

Cang Jiazhu called him: "The guards might be catching up, let's run faster!"

He didn't hesitate, following his father and mother as they ran deeper into the alley.

A few days later.

They settled in a dilapidated room. Surprisingly, it had all the necessary amenities. Because the room was located in a sparsely populated area, very few people came here, allowing them to evade the church guards' pursuit.

Cang Jiazhu tied up Xi's hair and said gently: "Our family will go to another country, to the prosperous Lanyao Empire."

Xi nodded silently. She looked at Cang Xing, her eyes suddenly lighting up. Counting on her fingers, she suddenly said: "Today is Star's birthday!"

Cang Xing was stunned. His birthday?

For the past few days, Xi hadn't smiled once, but now she finally smiled and said: "Today is Star's tenth birthday. Let's celebrate a bit."

Cang Xing walked over to Xi, who wrapped her arms around him: "Mother only has you and your father. You two must be well."

Cang Jiazhu said: "I bought a lot of ingredients yesterday, and there's still plenty left. I'll go to the kitchen and cook us a good meal for lunch today. Tomorrow, we will leave for the Lanyao Empire to start a new life."

Xi stroked Cang Xing's head and said to Cang Jiazhu: "Alright."

A moment later, Cang Jiazhu's voice came from the kitchen: "There's no water. Star, could you go outside to the well and fetch some water?"

Cang Xing agreed. Xi said: "I'll go." With that, she went to grab the bucket.

Cang Xing beat her to it, lifting the bucket: "I'll go. Mother, your health isn't good, you should rest more."

He carried the bucket out the door. Stepping out of the room, he couldn't help but look back. Xi was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking peaceful and quiet. Seeing him look back, she revealed a loving smile.

He smiled too. The path to fetch water was exceptionally desolate, and the sky was gloomy, but his mood wasn't as dark as it had been a few days ago.

Today was his tenth birthday. Actually, it wasn't his real birthday; he didn't know when he was truly born. Xi had set the day she adopted him as his birthday and roughly calculated his age.

He finished fetching water and walked back. His heart thudded with a growing sense of unease, and he quickened his steps.

Not far away, he saw the door wide open. Two burly men were guarding the entrance. Spotting him, they said fiercely: "He is that woman's son, grab him!"

Cang Xing wanted to run, but thinking of his parents inside, he hesitated for a few seconds. In those few seconds, the burly men pinned his arms and dragged him into the house. The water bucket fell, splashing water everywhere.

Inside, Xi was pinned to the floor, and Cang Jiazhu was tied up.

Ian stood in front of Xi, his head wrapped in a bandage. The left side of the bandage was clearly flat; his left ear was gone.

Ian grabbed Xi's hair and cursed savagely: "Damn it, you actually dared to bite off my ear!"

Ian's face was distorted with a vicious, hateful expression. In Cang Xing's eyes, this Ian and the kind Ian on the Wubi, or the Ian in front of the public, were practically two different people.

No, this was Ian's true face.

Ian looked around at the three of them and sneered: "I will make you pay the price."

The person beside him respectfully presented a tray filled with various knives. He picked up a rusty, blunt knife.