Chapter 507 - 39: Bao Gong Makes a Judgment
The mist drifting on the mountain path always reminded Zhao Shu of the beam of light cast down from the factory’s height.
He had learned in class how plants grow, how cattle and sheep breed, how to express his thoughts through language and writing, or calculate the quantity of different items using numbers.
But no one ever told him what else, besides the sun, moon, stars, and flames, could emit such bright and stable light.
It wasn’t until this moment that Zhao Shu realized how little he knew about the leader.
Until now, he always thought the new leader wasn’t much different from the original tribe’s leaders, just more knowledgeable and living in more luxurious houses.
That was precisely why he dared to execute that bold plan.
Now, thinking of that beam of light, the words spoken by Sunday, and the temple built in the distance along with the majestic statue inside, he felt uncertain.
...
It was early morning, the sky was gloomy, and the temple, usually quite dim, was even darker than usual.
Pushing open the solid wood door and stepping into the temple, only three points of red light could be seen flickering in the incense burner, faintly carrying the scent of burning wood past one’s nose.
No one spoke during the procession.
All the natives could feel a sense of oppressive atmosphere.
The old-timers who had seen the leader’s methods expected that perhaps someone might lose their life today.
Anyone who had been lazy or made mistakes in their work was now reviewing their deeds from recent days.
If Sunday hadn’t explicitly said that today’s matter was related to the leader’s cat, those less mentally strong would probably have knelt on the ground by now, confessing voluntarily.
Even those without any mistakes, faced with such circumstances, native hearts couldn’t help but be tense, fearing the end of their good days.
...
After circling the temple, Sunday ordered everyone to line up for testing, one by one entering the temple.
The temple doors opened and closed repeatedly, like a giant maw choosing people to devour, swallowing each native one by one, and moments later spitting them back out.
Those who walked into the temple came out pale, as if they had witnessed something terrifying, and once outside, stood silently by, saying nothing.
Chen Fu and Chen Lu were supervising from the side, while Chen Shou entered the temple together with Sunday.
The four monitored all the natives, observing their every move, leaving Zhao Shu afraid to act out of the ordinary even though he desperately wanted to know how the Temple’s Divine Artifact discerned if someone was lying, and how one might avoid the test.
...
In the back of the line, Zhao Shu had considered sneaking away or finding an excuse to ask others about the nature of the test.
Alas, his courage only surged when it shouldn’t, and faced with such tight scrutiny, it quickly fizzled out.
Even though he felt like a cat on a hot tin roof, he could only mimic others, pretending it had nothing to do with him, quietly awaiting the arrival of "judgment."
Time ticked by, and finally, it was the person in front of him who entered the temple.
Zhao Shu watched as that person nervously stepped into the darkened place, listening to the creaking sound the wooden door made as it closed.
He craned his neck slightly, yearning to hear what was happening inside the temple, but the distance was too great, accompanied by the mountain wind, insect chirps, and bird calls—he couldn’t make out any details even if he grew another pair of ears.
Soon enough, his companion emerged from the temple, head lowered.
Zhao Shu almost wanted to grab his companion’s hand, pull him aside, and ask what had happened inside the temple.
But under Chen Fu and Chen Lu’s watchful eyes, he dared not act out of line, only stepping obediently into the pitch-black temple that filled him with fear.
...
Inside the temple was darker than outside, two flickering oil lamps illuminating the statue’s fierce face.
Long incense sticks, carved from wood, emitted a faint aroma, with Sunday and Chen Shou standing on either side of the statue like guardians.
Beside the prayer mat, there was a black object.
The temple was too dark; even though Zhao Shu opened his eyes wide, he couldn’t discern the true nature of the object.
Following the procedure, he knelt on the mat and respectfully bowed thrice before Wang Lingguan, approaching the object anxiously.
...
The temple doors were tightly shut; the last few natives who hadn’t yet been tested waited nervously, suddenly hearing a desperate wail from inside the temple.
The sound wasn’t in Mandarin but shouted in the native language—
"It wasn’t me!"
Immediately after, they heard a dull thud from the temple door, as if someone inside was struggling to open it.
However, the sound quickly stopped, as if someone had been pushed underwater, letting out a muffled, hoarse plea for mercy.
About ten seconds later, the temple doors opened, and people saw Sunday and Chen Shou escorting a native out.
That native’s face bore signs of blood, their hair disordered like a bird’s nest, clothes covered with countless footprints, legs tied up, evidently having received a severe beating.
...
Sunday’s hand was like a pair of iron pliers, gripping Zhao Shu’s wrist tightly.
Subduing this guy hadn’t cost him much effort. Zhao Shu, who hadn’t been on the island long and hadn’t undergone any physical training, couldn’t even disrupt his breathing.
With a gaze sharp as a knife, he scanned all the natives, both those who had completed and those who hadn’t completed the test, clearing his throat.
"Anyone who conspired with him to harm the leader’s pet, I advise you to step forward sooner rather than later to avoid suffering more."
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