Tang Qi's plan was a success.
With a familiar-looking prophet taking the lead in renouncing her faith, the prisoners became even more willing to recite the Ironblood Bible. That very night, a fairly intelligent Goblin recited the whole thing, and Tang Qi rewarded him with half a sausage.
Originally, Tang Qi had not intended to keep this prophet in the same beast pen as the others, lest she regain consciousness and start misleading people again, dragging the rest into the Nine Hells' scheme.
But the Deep Pit Lord had another idea. "Just make it impossible for her to speak."
"Too cruel. You do it."
Tang Qi felt that as long as he did not witness the process, it did not count as bloody, so the Deep Pit Lord planned to cut out her tongue before they set off tomorrow.
To Snakefolk, this was not considered cruel. It was merely a convenient way to maintain discipline.
Just as they returned to the Snakefolk camp, they saw several Pureblood Snakefolk still enduring the whip. The long whip was stained with blood, as if it had never been cleaned, dyed a deep scarlet.
The punished were several familiar faces to Tang Qi—the Pureblood Snakefolk who had once tried to deceive them into a snake den.
They lay sprawled on the ground with their backs exposed, their bodies covered in old and fresh wounds. The executioner was a Progenitor with mammalian limbs but a smooth, snake-like head.
"Are you deliberately putting on a show for me?" Tang Qi looked at the Deep Pit Lord.
The latter hurriedly shook his head. "Although the outcome was good, they failed in the process. They have to be punished according to our Snakefolk rules. Otherwise, those under you will not obey your orders!"
"You weren't physically punishing them