The second day was a good weather. From the morning, it was sunny and bright, just like the villagers' high spirits. Today they can finally return home with peace of mind to continue their previous life.

  Yesterday evening, they used all the accumulated food to hold a celebratory dinner party. Bambu brought out a bucket of wine that he had secretly stored for a long time. Everyone gathered around the bonfire singing and dancing. Although Asa didn't join in with them, she could still feel the simple and pure joy and attachment to her home.

  Early in the morning, villagers took all they could carry and headed to the grassland in the east, preparing to receive the amnesty and tax exemption. The imperial envoy said that one had to be present in person to be pardoned, so everyone went.

  Rodhart kept talking about how noble and learned the imperial envoy was. He was said to be a famous aristocratic scholar in the capital, conducting academic research at the Theological Academy and writing several books on faith and theology. These completely made Rodhart worship him with admiration. And because of his own efforts, he had helped such a great man out of trouble and also solved the troubles of his fellow villagers. Such an extraordinary achievement kept him excited from yesterday to today.

  After walking through the forest for a long time, it was almost noon. Asa and the villagers walked out of their residential forest together and arrived at the grassland where the imperial envoy had designated them to wait.

  As he walked into the meadow, Asa saw the maze forest in front of him that the old man had mentioned. At first glance, he was certain that this was the place he was looking for.

  This indeed looks like a forest that is somewhat different from the others. The trees are very tall and seem to have an ancient air about them, with the surrounding trees seeming to automatically give this forest a distance, leaving out a patch of grass in the middle. The entire forest emits a strange and heavy atmosphere, inspiring awe and mystery.

  The closer he got, the more pronounced this feeling became, and the stranger it felt. Asa could even sense that the entire forest was rejecting him. There was no malice, but a heavy, solemn atmosphere.

  As he walked closer, Asa discovered that it was a huge and magnificent forest. Each tree needed at least several people to encircle it with their arms. The curved massive trunk and branches showed endless ancient grandeur, and the mist floated between the trees, with sunlight filtering through the leaves in slanted columns, cutting through the thin fog. There was not a single bird chirping or beast roaring in the forest.

  Don't come any closer. Asa seemed to hear the entire forest whispering silently. He had walked so close that he could almost feel it on his skin, this intimidating aura. Asa recalled a metaphor by hunter Leven that had sounded incomprehensible at the time but now seemed incredibly apt - it was as if an enormous, ancient deity was gazing down, warning him not to approach, and even thinking about such grandeur was oppressive.

  "Is this it? The Whispering Woods." Asa said almost to himself.

  "Yes, this is the Whispering Woods." A sound that seemed like many people simultaneously whispering in a low voice responded.

  A Sa turned around and saw that the villagers had already stopped in their tracks, standing in a heap in the middle of the grassland far away, no one looking this way. This strange sound came from a person not far from him on the side.

  This was a person wearing a red robe, also like Asa, standing not far away facing the mysterious forest in front. The red robe seemed to be what Asa wore when he disguised himself as a hunchback in the imperial capital, covering almost every part of his body inside. However, slightly different from him, his face was exposed outside.

  It looked like just a face that could be seen anywhere on the street, with an expression and eyes shining brightly as it moved, but Asa felt that this face and the strange aura emanating from him were completely mismatched. The face was like several thousand dead snakes rotting under his robes, emitting a dangerous aura that seemed to carry a stench of death.

  "Do you want to go in?" asked the red-robed man in his strange voice.

  "Yes." Asa replied warily.

  The man in red seemed to be not paying attention to him, still looking deep into the forest and said: "Don't worry, after a while, I'll take you in." His voice was not loud, but it seemed like he had used a lot of effort to get it out of his throat, hoarse as if thousands of people were wailing at the same time.

  A Sa suddenly felt a chill all over his body.

  The villagers on this side did not notice the situation over there with Asa. They subconsciously avoided looking towards the forest, and even if they happened to glance over, a subtle yet unmistakable sense of rejection immediately made them turn their heads away, without even any interest in discussing it.

  And now they are also focusing on their own affairs. A rumbling sound of horseshoes came from afar, and dozens of cavalrymen emerged from the forest. "The Imperial Envoy has arrived." Rodhart saw that one of them was indeed the Imperial Envoy.

  "How can there be so many people?" Hunter Leven looked at the cavalrymen who were all fully armed with armor and swords, his heart filled with fear. "It can't be..."

  "It won't happen. The inspector has already said that he will pardon everyone. How could someone with such status and learning be so capricious? Last time you startled him, of course now he dares to come only with guards." Rodhart calmed everyone down.

  However, it was clear that the cavalry were not just escorts. They charged straight towards the villagers, surrounded them in a circle and trapped twenty or thirty of them inside. Then, the imperial envoy and an official-looking fat man rode over on horseback.

  "Your Excellency, what's going on here?" Rodhart asked.

  "That knight, you can come out." The imperial envoy nodded to him. Rodhart walked over. "In view of your noble character and good education, the crime of knowing these bandits can be completely forgiven."

  Rodhart asked cautiously: "Then they..."

  The imperial envoy naturally said: "Of course he will be put to death." Upon hearing this sentence, the villagers cried out in surprise.

  "But you promised to pardon them." Rodhart said hastily.

  The imperial envoy raised his hand and pointed to his own head with a tone full of superiority, saying: "This is wisdom. If I didn't say so, would they let me go? At that time, I was not making a sincere promise, but rather implementing a clever strategy."

  An official-looking fat man beside him exclaimed in a tone of utmost admiration: "Sir, your strategy is truly extraordinary. If you were to take the battlefield, you would certainly be an invincible general. With both literary and military talents, you are indeed a pillar of the state."

  The imperial envoy smiled and nodded, saying humbly: "I'm just a scholar, not suitable for fighting. As for the pillars, Lord Dao Te can also be counted as one. I've inspected many places, and the situation here is one of the best. The construction of the chapel also shows your piety to God."

  "Didn't you see yesterday, they all apologized to you and admitted their mistakes? Doesn't that prove they are still good ordinary people?" Rodhart knelt down in supplication. The hope and reality were diametrically opposed, this sudden reversal of fortune was completely unacceptable to him.

  "I certainly remember. As a reward for their apology, I will execute them simultaneously, sparing them the pain of losing loved ones. You see, when punishing pagan villages, it's customary to kill the children first, allowing those who have disrespected the gods to feel the greatest spiritual pain, in order to cleanse their vile souls."

  "I heard that this method was invented by you, sir?" asked the fatty with great respect.

  The face of the Imperial Envoy was filled with a self-satisfied expression. "This is what I thought of when I studied books at the Theological Academy. Let those heretics' souls experience this painful baptism while they are still alive, so that they can quickly redeem their sins in hell."

  The fatty squeezed the fat on his face into a flattering smile and praised: "You are really too kind, too wise."

  Rodhart's voice was already choked with sobs. "But they're not heretics, are they? Didn't I explain the real situation to you yesterday?"

  The Imperial Envoy was getting impatient. "They are not now, but what about later? They kidnapped a minister for some money and food, which is completely lawless. And I have investigated," he said with the dignity of a judge, pointing to the fat man next to him. "They are slandering the honest local official, Mr. Dote. Mr. Dote collected a small tax from the people to build a church in the city, which is a meritorious deed for God. They not only refused to pay this glorious tax but also slandered the devout Mr. Dote, showing that they have no divine guidance or gratitude in their hearts. As an expert in theology, I can tell that such souls are most easily tempted by the devil. Executing them before they become servants of the devil is the best way for them."

  He turned his head and asked the fat man called Dote: "However, Lord Dote, why do you insist on executing them here? Wouldn't it be more intimidating to burn them with fire after capturing them in the city?"

  Fat Chai Tse said, "That is because more than ten days ago a charitable gentleman visited me. He expressed concern that our burial ground was not sufficient and that it would be improper for infidels to be buried with the children of God. He suggested we bury them here instead, offering us one silver coin per corpse. That's why I suggested killing these bandits here. Transporting so many corpses would require a lot of effort."

  The imperial envoy's face showed a worried expression and said: "Such a strange thing, are you sure he is not a heretic?"

  The local official hastily shook his head, the fat on his face shaking along with it. "No way," he said. "He gave me all that money to build our church hall. Someone who spends their money on such a meaningful cause must have a great sense of compassion. Don't you think?"

  The imperial commissioner nodded, turned his head to look at the villagers who were trembling with fear and said in a tone of grace: "You heard that, your corpses will also increase the construction cost of the temple in the city, this is also your glory." He waved his hand to the cavalrymen with a gesture like some kind of courtesy. "Well, execute them."

  Dozens of cavalrymen drew their swords and killed the villagers, mostly old men, women and children, like slaughtering livestock. Cries and wails accompanied by blood burst out from these unarmed bodies.

  "Halt." Rodhart sprang up from the ground. Instantly, three cavalrymen's long swords were at his throat, while a fourth behind him struck him on the head with the hilt of his sword and knocked him to the ground.

  The imperial envoy looked at him and said with regret, "It seems that your loyalty to the law and your faith in God are not as strong as your feelings for these bandits. Although you have some merits, I also have no choice but to execute you together with them, lest you tarnish the glorious title of knight."

  Although he was kidnapped yesterday, he lightly used a small trick and easily caught the group of bandits. Listening to the miserable cries of these heretics, the imperial envoy felt that what Da Te said earlier made sense, and he might really be able to become a general. Suddenly, he saw someone rushing from the edge of the distant forest, so he also waved his hand very majestically like a general to several cavalrymen beside him: "There is still an enemy there, who will go and take his head."