Tang Hanlin transmitted his voice in a whisper. "Void Sage Fang, you must think this through! Once you use private troops against villagers, you are bound to be branded bloodthirsty and cruel to your own people."
Fang Yun said calmly, "If I can rescue those innocent women and children in the cells, if I can make those traffickers afraid, if I can reduce the number of shattered families, then let them brand me with harsher judgments, and more of them!"
Grand Academician Ren of the Hall of Punishment, who had followed them without speaking all this time, finally spoke. "Void Sage Fang, you may have overlooked a problem. If trafficking invariably carries a death sentence, then once traffickers discover they might be caught, they may kill their captives to destroy the evidence. Moreover, during the Three Kingdoms period, wars were frequent and the people could barely survive. Authorities everywhere imposed harsh penalties and slaughtered people like cutting hemp, yet some still risked everything to murder and plunder."
Fang Yun said, "Grand Academician Ren, your example from the end of the Eastern Han seems well reasoned and supported, but you have forgotten that they took those desperate risks not because they did not fear execution, but because they could no longer survive! Once they can survive, have enough food and warm clothing, and live somewhere safe with their families, they absolutely will not take such risks, and most will not murder and plunder. Does that make sense?"
"What you say is entirely correct, Void Sage Fang. I spoke rashly." Grand Academician Ren expressed his agreement.
"As for traffickers destroying evidence because they fear execution, that actually proves one thing: traffickers fear death! Even if they do not fear it, they do not want to die. The death penalty deters them! Since