Fate's Judgment

Days passed by.

Angela's mental state deteriorated. Initially, she felt nauseous and vomited at the sight of this "food," and even after biting into it forcefully, she would eventually vomit. But slowly, Angela began to change. Li Lin watched as the girl's fear turned into craving. At this moment, all of Angela's mental needs seemed to give way to the thought of survival. She would even eat rotting flesh crawling with maggots. In the days that followed, Angela's food consisted of rotten, stinking human flesh and icy snow water. The moat outside did not freeze despite the arrival of winter, and Angela no longer went out. Although she had enough food to sustain her life, the cold weather could still kill her. The only fortunate thing was that there were still many warm clothes and blankets inside the castle to keep warm.

After that, Angela's memories began to become chaotic and fragmented, with black and white alternating in her mind. Perhaps because of the cold weather, Angela now focused most of her energy on sleeping. When she woke up, she would wander aimlessly throughout the castle, searching for corpses that weren't completely dried out and could be eaten. She would hug their legs or arms and gnaw on them, and Angela's complexion grew increasingly worse. Li Lin had never eaten human flesh, so he didn't understand what kind of effects it would have on a person. However, he could imagine what kind of effects rotting food would have on the human body. Various diseases had begun to afflict Angela's petite and frail body. Her face began to turn blue, and even her limbs would tremble uncontrollably from time to time, and vomiting blood was a frequent occurrence. But even so, Angela did not give in. As if forcing herself, she diligently searched for "food" every day, ate it, and then returned to her room, nestled beside her long-dead mother, and fell into a deep sleep.

If things continue like this, Angela's death is only a matter of time.

Watching the little girl's spirit gradually weaken, Li Lin could only helplessly observe and draw this conclusion: no matter how strong Angela's will was, her body was too weak. The environment before her, the "food," and the illness could easily break her. Humans choose to escape because if, after suffering such torment, they don't quickly find a safe haven for their souls, they will go completely mad and become nothing. Even the mad still possess simple cognitive abilities, able to react to changes in their surroundings, retaining the most basic core of "I." But once this is completely destroyed, they will become utterly beasts, devoid of any trace of the concept of "I," replaced by a mad and destructive existence.

Angela, at this moment, has embarked on a path of no return that leads to the destruction of herself and her own ego.

"Boom!!"

After countless exchanges of these black and white memories, a loud bang finally shattered the tranquility.

What happened?

Li Lin looked out the window in surprise, but all he saw was a snow-covered earth and a thick white fog. Angela had never seen what was happening outside, so naturally he couldn't either. At this moment, Angela had been awakened from her deep sleep. She showed neither panic nor joy. The frantic life she had led for days had almost tormented the girl to the point where she was no longer able to make any dramatic reactions.

She slowly walked out of the room and into the corridor. Li Lin could clearly hear the hurried footsteps echoing through the castle. Then, just as Angela turned the corner and mechanically walked towards the hall, a group of fully armed soldiers suddenly appeared in front of her.

Upon seeing the soldiers, Angela's already exhausted spirit seemed to be suddenly stimulated. Fear and panic returned to her. The little girl desperately turned and ran away, not even knowing why she was running from the soldiers. The soldiers were clearly also terrified upon seeing Angela; their surprised shouts were almost as loud as the girl's.

Angela turned and ran in a panic, not knowing where to go or what to do. After being isolated in the castle for so long, Angela had almost forgotten how to interact with others. The cold air had also severely weakened her. She hadn't run far before Angela found herself trapped on a dead end.

As she turned her head, the soldiers surrounded her, their faces showing surprise, fear, and unease. They waved torches and watched the girl warily. Just then, a man dressed in heavy leather appeared behind them. Upon seeing Angela, the man's expression changed drastically. He stared intently at the girl and finally whispered some orders to the soldiers.

Although reluctant, the soldiers rushed forward, pinning down the girl's hands and feet. Angela's weak and feeble struggles were utterly futile. She opened her mouth, but only managed meaningless screams. Just then, Li Lin saw a soldier raise his fist and strike Angela hard across the face.

The world turned dark and gloomy once again.

When Angela awoke again, she was bound by ropes in a cold, dark dungeon. The surrounding firelight completely obscured her features. But Li Lin could see clearly that she hadn't woken up naturally. On her pale, colorless chest, a horrible brand slowly seeped blood, emitting wisps of smoke. The girl, even in this state, no longer had the strength to protest.

Li Lin also noticed two dark figures behind the man. They were standing far away, seemingly talking in hushed tones.

The distance was too great for Li Lin to hear their conversation clearly. Soon, tormented by immense pain and weakness, Angela fainted again, and her memory naturally ceased.

The fragments that followed were scattered and disorganized, like puzzle pieces that couldn't find their place. They became chaotic and complex, before finally transforming into a new scene.

This was no longer in the dungeon. Angela was now being dragged forward, her neck tightly bound with Angela. Her hands and feet were tied to heavy boulders; she was being pulled rather than walked. She passed through the dungeon, across the stone floor, and was finally pulled by two soldiers to an open platform. Below, a dense crowd of people—nobles, commoners, and farmers—caught Angela's gaze. Their shouts created a cacophony of sounds, almost impossible to understand. Almost everyone was waving their fists at Angela, expressing their fury.

Faced with all this, Angela simply stared blankly, completely unresponsive. She had no idea what was happening or what would happen next.

But soon, someone will tell her the answer.

"Quiet! Quiet!!"

From the other side of the platform, a person dressed in elaborate costume emerged. He was dressed extravagantly, like a clown on a stage, but his expression was unusually serious.

"Based on the court's verdict, we have reached a conclusion!!"

His desperate shouts temporarily calmed the angry crowd below, and they began to listen to him.

"The court declares that tomorrow morning!! At sunrise!! Angela Christie, the third daughter of the Christie Family!!, for being an accomplice and messenger of the devil!! Spreading plague!! Desecrating corpses!!, she will be sentenced to death!!"

"Oh!!"

Upon hearing the man's reply, the crowd below cheered, but quickly fell silent again. After all, everyone knew that this was only the beginning.

"She will be bound to a cross! Facing the sky!"

"Yeah!!!"

Cheers erupted again; everyone was thrilled by the news. Even the soldiers who were originally there to maintain order became unusually excited.

"Strike thirteen times with the heaviest wooden stick!!"

"Yeah!!!"

"Break all the bones in her arms, shoulders, waist, and legs!!"

Praise be to the Almighty Lord!

"Smash it! Smash it!!"

As the judge announced the verdict, the crowd below grew even more agitated, shouting wildly and chanting slogans in unison.

"After being exposed to the scorching sun for three days! Beheaded!!"

"Yeah!!!"

"The court hereby declares that no one is permitted to collect her body under any pretext! Her body will be placed before the cross, serving as a warning and a guide to those plague messengers who wantonly ravage our land!! Until it turns to ashes!!"

"Yeah!!!!"

People cheered and jumped for joy, tears streaming down their faces as they embraced and congratulated each other on the good news. Angela, however, remained standing bewildered on the platform. She didn't understand what had happened, nor why she was suddenly facing such a trial. But all of that seemed irrelevant to her now; no one wanted her answer, and she had no strength left to protest.

That night, Angela surprisingly couldn't sleep, not because of the impending threat of death, but because the noisy crowd singing and dancing outside kept her awake. Their laughter and merriment lasted all night, as if the end of the world had passed and a new future was about to begin.

Li Lin sat beside Angela, gazing at the girl's haggard, dirty face. Her long, golden hair was now covered in grime, and her beautiful sky-blue eyes were devoid of any light. Yet, even so, Angela seemed not to have given up her desire to continue living, even though she could do nothing about it now.

Perhaps it was long, yet also short, but the night ended, and the sun's rays reappeared on the earth.

Angela was bound to a cross and pulled by three horses along the crowded road. A dark mass of people surrounded her, cursing and shouting angrily. Even the guards responsible for watching over Angela did not stop the stones and rotten leaves flying towards her. The entire city seemed to have turned into a sea of rage, and the girl bound to the cross was, at that moment, an unforgivable demon.

The square had already been cleared, and fully armed soldiers were blocking those who tried to rush forward. Before Angela appeared, they were furious, wishing they could tear this messenger of plague to pieces with their own hands. But when Angela appeared, they spontaneously stopped and instead looked at the girl with eager, expectant eyes, waiting for her doom.

The cross was quickly placed, and Angela faced the sky, her limbs and neck tightly bound with leather ropes. They were not bound particularly tightly to prevent the girl from suffocating to death; this was not out of mercy, but to prepare for a more cruel execution.

A shirtless man with a black hood walked onto the execution platform, displaying his muscular physique and the thick, hard wooden stick in his hand to the surrounding audience. This action elicited screams and cheers from the crowd, as if the man were a warrior about to slay a dragon.

Then, amidst the great anticipation of the crowd, the punishment began.

The man swung the wooden stick and then brought it down heavily.

"Thump!!!"

The entire place was completely silent; the only sounds were the thud of the wooden sticks hitting the ground and even the faint cracking of bones.

Then, cheers erupted.

Angela didn't scream. Li Lin stood beside her, and he understood. It wasn't that Angela didn't want to scream, nor that she wanted to endure the pain; it was simply that she no longer had the strength to even utter a sound. In his memory of the past few days, he hadn't seen Angela eat a single meal or drink a drop of water. For a girl who was already physically weak, what strength did she have to scream and release her pain?

"Again! Again!! Again!!!"

Staring at the severed, twisted arm, the crowd went wild. They chanted slogans and gazed at the executioner with fervent eyes, as if he were their embodiment, their very will. And the executioner, responding to the crowd's fervor, raised his club high once more so everyone could see it, and then brought it down with all his might.

"Thump!!!"

Cheers erupted again.

This horrific act was repeated thirteen times. Angela's entire body was no longer intact; the parts not bound by leather ropes were twisted and deformed from the beating, blood constantly flowing from them. The cheers of the people grew louder with each repetition, firmly believing it to be a victory for justice and the divine, and praising their god.

Finally, the thirteenth time has come.

Angela motionless with her eyes open; there was no part of her body left to move. Almost everyone assumed she was dead.

The executioner accepted the thanks and blessings of the onlookers with satisfaction, then reached out and placed his hand in front of her nose—before stepping back as if touched, his smug, victorious posture completely gone.

"She's alive!! Almighty God!! She's alive!!"

The previously boisterous cheers in the square immediately fell silent. People stared at the executioner in horror, seemingly unwilling to believe what he was saying. What a joke! He had broken every bone in the girl's body; in that state, even an adult would probably be dead long ago.

An eerie, unsettling atmosphere began to spread, and everyone involuntarily started to back away. They were facing a girl whose bones had been shattered, but now, it was as if they were facing a terrifying, immortal demon.

Ultimately, the people decided to proceed with the execution. She had three more days of exposure to the scorching sun. The loyal soldiers would ensure that no one would secretly execute this terrible devil out of personal vendetta; she had to die in full view of everyone. Of course, people were also willing to open their eyes to the news of the devil's death—how delightful that would be!

The crowded square slowly dispersed, leaving only the soldiers standing there. Li Lin noticed that several of them glanced at Angela from time to time, clearly intending to end her life. But duty overcame reason, and in the end, they did not act.

These three days were the clearest part of Angela's memory so far, almost without any blurriness. Children threw stones at her, while adults cursed her, loathed her, and wished for her quick death. Then, on the morning of the third day, the crowd gathered again, expecting to see a corpse, but Angela's faint breathing shattered their hopes once more.

Fortunately, the punishment had already taken this into account—as apostles of the devil and spreaders of plague, they would not die so easily; in the end, it would still be the hands of humans that would end it.

A hastily made wooden platform quickly appeared, Angela was pulled off the cross and pressed headfirst into the groove of the platform. The executioner sharpened his gleaming axe, intending to complete his final mission.

"Devil, die!!"

With a childish cry, another pebble flew by, hitting Angela squarely on the head and adding another wound.

Fresh blood slowly trickled down Angela's cheek, until it reached her mouth.

Then, Angela finally moved.

She opened her lips, stretched out her tongue, and licked the blood from the corner of her mouth.

That was her warm blood.

Just then, the axe fell.

"Bang!!"

The entire world was instantly enveloped in crimson, then shattered like a broken mirror.

Then, a voice that Li Lin was very familiar with appeared in his ear.

"Master, what are you doing here?"