Abandoned Woman Busy Farming
Chapter 1312 - 1314: Like Two Different People_1

Chapter 1312: Chapter 1314: Like Two Different People_1

"Lin Zhu, don’t push people too far!" Madam Diao Mo glared, her attitude noticeably more arrogant without the Holy Maiden present.

Bai Ruozhu smiled and said, "The great elder said he wouldn’t punish the criminal too harshly, so why is Madam Diao Mo so nervous? I just want to see how the Holy Hall uses kindness to influence evil, so that Jin Jing won’t always trouble me in the future, and also to clarify your standards, so the next time there’s an issue and I’m caught, I can have an idea of what to expect."

The sovereign chuckled, "I’d like to see that too, but suddenly I recalled how Qun Lian was too straightforward and ended up sentenced to death by fire punishment for blaspheming the gods. At that time, wasn’t there talk of using kindness to influence evil? Perhaps Qun Lian has been influenced and is now a devout believer."

The great elder’s face darkened, and he even emitted a sense of anger, "Why should the sovereign bring up Qun Lian? His sins were grievous, truly beyond redemption."

Hearing this, the sovereign wasn’t angry, but spoke indifferently, "Oh, I see, in that case, I’ll see how you handle it today."

Taking a deep breath, the great elder said to Madam Diao Mo, "Bring Jin Jing out. She owes everyone an explanation."

After speaking, he turned to the five Holy Guards, "Since Mrs. Bai is unwilling to forgive you, each of you shall receive twenty lashes as punishment."

Twenty lashes were not severe, but it was a lesson nonetheless. Bai Ruozhu didn’t say anything; after all, these were just minions following orders from above.

Before long, Jin Jing was brought out, her eyes red from crying, and she had clearly been crying bitterly.

"Jin Jing, you falsely accused Lin Zhu, do you admit your guilt?" the great elder suddenly asked severely.

Knelt down, Jin Jing cried out, "That day I nearly died at the jaws of a ferocious beast, and upon hearing the Holy Guards describe it in such terms, I was overwhelmed with grief and anger. To think that not only did someone fail to help, but they also blasphemed the gods, yet I had no idea they were completely fabricating the story."

The five Holy Guards bowed their heads, offering no rebuttal but hiding the dissatisfaction in their eyes.

Bai Ruozhu scoffed from the sidelines. Last time, Jin Jing tried to poison her, accidentally killing a kitchen maid and then pinning it on a young lad, making him her scapegoat. It seemed this wasn’t her first offense, and she was rather adept at it.

The great elder glanced at her and said, "Although you were deceived, you accused Lin Zhu without clarifying the facts, and for that, you will be punished for your carelessness, just like them, with twenty lashes."

Grinding her teeth, Jin Jing said, "Yes, Jin Jing knows she was wrong and is willing to accept her punishment."

To everyone’s surprise, the great elder dealt with the matter cleanly, showing no mercy to Jin Jing and even subjecting her to the same twenty lashes as the Holy Guards. This outcome left Bai Ruozhu and the others unable to react further or to make more trouble.

"Lin Zhu, are you satisfied now?" the great elder asked Bai Ruozhu.

"You flatter me, great elder. The Holy Hall indeed handles matters fairly, and as a humble woman, I am now reassured. I also hope that they, having been punished, will repent quickly and not commit such harmful mistakes again. What a man does, the gods watch, and the gods will eventually punish those who do evil," Bai Ruozhu said, her voice rising slightly towards the end, using their beloved gods as a threat against them.

The great elder didn’t continue the conversation with Bai Ruozhu but ordered the punishment to be carried out. Indeed, in the presence of the sovereign, Jin Jing and the five Holy Guards were given the lashes. The Holy Guards, being warriors, didn’t show much reaction, but Jin Jing, a girl, also endured it without the expected screams, which was quite strange.

Thinking it was enough, the sovereign said cheerfully, "Today I’m fortunate to have met people from Honglian Residence. Lin Zhu, you and your companion shall accompany me to the palace; I wish to extend you the best hospitality."

Bai Ruozhu bowed to the sovereign, "Thank you, my sovereign."

Jiang Yichun also performed a courtesy, but a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes; he did not know whether it was safe to become closely involved with the royal family of the Western Regions.

After the sovereign left with his retinue, the great elder, accompanied by Diao Mo and Jin Jing, passed through the Inner Hall and went to the backyard.

"Great elder, are we just going to let this go? That woman must have problems. How could she possibly be from Honglian?" As soon as they reached a secluded place, Mrs. Diao Mo asked indignantly.

The great elder gave her a displeased glare and said in a low voice, "I thought you were smarter than this. You’re so impatient!"

Mrs. Diao Mo hurriedly repressed her anger and said somewhat nervously, "It was my fault for being impulsive."

She dared not say more on the rest of the journey, and the great elder remained silent, with a grim expression on his face. Jin Jing also didn’t dare to speak, despite the fact that her clothes had been torn and bloodied by the lash of the whip. Nonetheless, she walked briskly as if nothing had happened.

The great elder entered the Main Hall where the Holy Woman of Honglian was staying and saw her meditating cross-legged. He asked, "Did you not control the ceremony just now?"

Honglian slowly opened her eyes, the previous warmth and gentleness replaced by a coldness that was startling.

"Would I not follow your orders?" Her voice was the same, but her tone was sharp, unrecognizably different from before.

"I told you Bai Ruozhu is a ghost. No blame should fall on Honglian," said Diao Mo hastily.

The great elder snorted coldly, "With that said, is that woman also an expert in medicine? Did none of you notice her making any moves?"

Diao Mo and Honglian both reflected but couldn’t come up with any slip-ups.

However, Jin Jing spoke up, "She cured my father of snake venom, and later, I heard she also saved someone whose intestines had spilled out."

The great elder glared at her, "Why didn’t you say so earlier?"

"How was I to think of that? I assumed she just happened to have some good snake medicine on her, and that saving people was just her way of playing God," Jin Jing hadn’t finished her sentence when the great elder slapped her, halting her words.

"Good for nothing but trouble, and you still talk back?" The great elder burst out in anger.

Mrs. Diao Mo quickly supported the great elder and said, "Don’t let your health be spoiled by anger. I will discipline this girl. She’s just thoughtless. She received her fair share of lessons this time, nearly losing her life in the process."

"She got what she deserved!" exclaimed the great elder furiously: "Could she really intervene in Sangta’s combat? She fancied someone else’s husband for no good reason, and it’s bad enough that she liked him, but to fail repeatedly in settling the matter, she really has lived all these years in vain."

Honglian continued to sit cross-legged on the ground, not responding as if these matters had nothing to do with her. Yet, a strange light flickered in the eyes she cast downward, and her lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Diao Mo, use that spell in the heavenly sacrifice. Since we cannot handle her openly, we might as well use that move, and it can be said to be divine retribution," the great elder instructed Mrs. Diao Mo.

But Diao Mo’s face grew extremely ugly, and her hands began to tremble slightly...