284: prosperous scene

“How dare you blaspheme the esteemed Supreme Holy Mother!”

To Chen De’s surprise, the one who spoke these words was not the local Holy Mother, but the former City Lord.

As soon as he said this, Chen De couldn't help but look at him with renewed respect.

Could it be that he was a kindred spirit?

The parents of the child beside them immediately realized what had happened. They knew they had caused a huge problem!

So they grabbed the child who was standing there, and the child’s father immediately gave him a severe beating.

He started with a slap that knocked the child to the ground, a trickle of blood oozing from his mouth.

Then, in front of everyone, he pulled down the child’s pants and began to whip his pale buttocks.

For a moment, the child’s cries echoed in everyone’s ears.

But everyone in the field watched everything with cold, expressionless eyes.

The local Holy Mother on the side shouted, “How dare you! You have offended the Supreme Holy Mother. Do you think you can simply brush it off like this?”

Chen De, however, was unconcerned. To be a Holy Mother, one must have the magnanimity of a Holy Mother.

Chen De twirled a flower, his eyes full of smiles, and waved his hand, laughing carelessly, “No matter, no matter. He is young and ignorant, it is excusable!”

Upon hearing this, the child’s parents grabbed the child and knelt towards Chen De.

Then, pressing the child’s head down, along with their own, they repeatedly kowtowed to Chen De in thanks, not even realizing their heads were bleeding.

“Thank you, great Supreme Holy Mother!”

“Thank you, great Supreme Holy Mother!”

“Thank you, great Supreme Holy Mother!”

…

Chen De raised his hand, a gentle smile on his face, “Alright, alright.

Our Holy Mother Sect establishes its teachings on benevolence and virtue, and we must set an example!

You may go now, withdraw!”

The family of three was overjoyed upon hearing this. “Thank you, Holy Mother, for your great kindness and virtue!”

The former City Lord on the side, however, felt something was amiss and immediately said sternly, “You offended the Holy Mother, and you think you can just leave like that?”

He didn’t know why he felt uneasy, but he just felt that if the Supreme Holy Mother truly forgave them, he should have asked them to continue listening to the sermon.

Chen De, however, said, “Go, go!”

The three of them repeatedly thanked him, bowing and backing out of the venue.

As they reached the door, they didn't forget to give Chen De a grand bow.

The former City Lord quickly and anxiously said, “Holy Mother, this…”

Chen De waved his hand, “Let him go, let him go, let him be, let him be, let him be!”

As Chen De spoke these words, the former City Lord's uneasy premonition deepened.

But since Chen De had already said this, he dared not speak further, otherwise, wouldn't it be a slap in Chen De's face?

Sure enough, the next moment, as he expected,

After that family walked far away, Chen De on the stage suddenly spoke.

“It doesn’t matter that the young child offended me and talked back to me today.

But his words and actions today blasphemed the teachings of my Holy Mother Sect.

As everyone knows, the teachings of my Holy Mother Sect are essentially the manifestation of the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth.

To blaspheme the teachings of the Holy Mother Sect is to blaspheme the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth.”

Chen De lowered his head, his tone somewhat dejected, his eyes full of apology,

“We Holy Mothers are compassionate. Even though he blasphemed the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth, my highest belief, I still couldn't bear to strike him.

But I cannot save him!”

Chen De raised his head again. Only then did everyone notice that his eyes were already filled with tears.

Everyone was moved, touched. “Supreme Holy Mother, this…”

Chen De spread his hands, choked up, and said in a trembling voice, “But he blasphemed the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth, and that is what is most important.

As everyone knows, the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth cannot tolerate slander. His words and actions will surely be punished by the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth.”

Chen De slowly exhaled, tears already forming two streaks on his face.

“Their family will be punished, severely punished.

Their eyes will be gouged out, their ears cut off, their noses dug out, their tongues pulled out, and their limbs chopped off!”

Saying this, Chen De pointed in the direction of the city gate, “As human pigs, they will be hung on that city wall, cursed by thousands, as a warning.”

Listening to Chen De’s words, everyone grew colder and more afraid.

And at this moment, no one noticed when the Holy Mother stationed at the local Holy Mother Sect branch had disappeared.

No one perceived or discovered it, as if they had deliberately ignored it all.

Soon, everyone, with uneasy hearts, continued to listen to Chen De’s sermon.

During the rest of the sermon, Chen De occasionally sniffled twice, the reluctance in his eyes like a true outpouring of emotion.

…

This sermon lasted for three hours, which is to say, from five in the morning until eleven in the morning.

Many people’s stomachs were growling with hunger at this time, but no one showed the slightest urge to rush him; they all listened attentively.

It wasn’t until Chen De told them it was over that they belatedly realized all this, awakening from their immersion.

Seeing their eager and unsatisfied expressions, Chen De was very pleased.

After receiving Chen De’s command, they didn’t leave immediately. Instead, they stood up with wobbly legs and bowed, saying, “Holy Mother first!”

Chen De chuckled, “You go first!”

Everyone remained motionless, insisting, “Holy Mother first!”

Shaking his head, Chen De was a little helpless, smiling wryly, “Alright, alright, then I’ll go first. But you mustn’t see me off, okay?

When I went to the previous few cities, everyone in each city came to see me off, escorting me outside the gate.

I originally wanted to leave quietly, just as I came quietly, to be low-key, but every time, it ended up being known by everyone.”

Chen De said again, “You absolutely must not see me off, okay!”

Saying this, Chen De stood up and walked out.

“Farewell, Holy Mother!”

Behind him, those people then took their trembling, weak legs and followed closely behind Chen De to see him off.

Chen De seemed to notice them following, his expression full of helplessness, “Didn’t I say, you don’t need to see me off? Go back quickly, go.

Look at that child, he’s so hungry his face is a bit pale. Go back and make something for the children to eat.”

Everyone hastily shook their heads, “No, great Supreme Holy Mother, we are too reluctant to part with you, even though it has only been a short morning.

But your virtue truly amazes us; you are an example to the world.

We really cannot accept your departure and must come to see you off!

Also, the children are not hungry, but are too sad knowing you are leaving. Their faces are pale like this simply because of excessive sadness.”

Saying this, he also looked at some of the children, “You tell them, isn’t that right?”

All the children answered in unison, “Yes, great Supreme Holy Mother, we are reluctant to part with you!”

Chen De also shifted his gaze to look at the children.

At this moment, all the children had slap marks on their faces, the imprints particularly clear, revealing the lines of the hand that had struck them.

It wasn't just one or two; all the children had such a mark on their faces, and each had only more, not less.

If it were just one, it might seem a bit strange, and Chen De might have thought their parents forced the child to say it.

The purpose of which would be to curry favor with Chen De.

But since all the children were like this, it couldn’t possibly be that they were forced to say it, could it?

The presence of slap marks might be a morning custom among the people of this city.

Chen De could only speak helplessly, “I am also reluctant to part with you, but there are many other places where I need to preach.

You are all living beings, and they are also living beings; everyone should not be abandoned.

You all go back!”

Chen De waved his hand again, signaling them to return, but they remained motionless, determined to see Chen De off.

Finally, Chen De made a decision, “Very well, then you may follow.”

Everyone was overjoyed at the news and happily trailed behind Chen De.

And so, following Chen De, they arrived at the city gate.

On the city wall, they actually saw the family of three, who had already been made into human pigs.

The former City Lord saw this scene, a faint trace of intolerance flashing in his eyes,

“Great Supreme Holy Mother, they committed such a grave error, is punishing them like this not too lenient?

Allowing them to still be alive is truly letting them off too easily.

I propose executing them on the spot to restore peace and order to the world.”

Chen De looked deeply at the former City Lord, then looked up, his eyes also full of reluctance,

“The Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth has already punished them; do not take their lives again.

This is, after all, the punishment of the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth, and I cannot pardon or defy it, so I can only let them hang on the wall like that.

But to let them die like this, I truly cannot bear it.

Therefore, you must send people to provide them with three meals a day.

Ensure they can live until the day they die of old age; then their lives can be considered complete.”

“Yes!”

As soon as Chen De finished speaking, someone immediately responded.

At this moment, Chen De suddenly turned to look at the former City Lord, “But you, you constantly speak of slaughter, the chief of all evils, with killing as the foremost sin.

They only committed a small mistake, so the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth only gave them a minor punishment as a warning.

Using a small punishment to wash away the sins from their bodies.

Allowing them to continue to cleanse their sins in the ups and downs of life.

But your sins can no longer be cleansed by the ups and downs of life.

How can there still be a devil like you under my Holy Mother Sect?”

Chen De looked at the former City Lord, his eyes full of disappointment. He had thought he would have spiritual roots, but he never expected him to be like this.

“Your sins are a thousand times greater than theirs; the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth will punish you.”

At this moment, a giant finger suddenly extended from the sky, accurately pointing from the crowd towards the former City Lord.

The former City Lord’s expression changed dramatically. He wanted to quickly move away and escape.

But he found that he couldn't move; not only him, but everyone else couldn't move either.

They could only watch as the giant finger slowly descended and pointed at the former City Lord.

Then, the former City Lord vanished into thin air before everyone’s eyes.

“I knew there would be retribution, but I didn’t expect it to come so quickly.”

Chen De slowly retracted his finger, clasped his hands together, and sighed helplessly.

“You also saw, I didn’t even have time to save him.”

“Alas!”

“Namo Amitabha! Namo Amitabha!”