บท 22: Chapter 22, Primordial Wrath Owl Sect
Several Marines' electromagnetic guns were firing fiercely.
The middle-aged man, under the ferocious shooting, had no strength left to launch a counterattack like before. He could only barely maintain a Storm Shield to avoid being shot to death.
But he was not going to hold on much longer.
Superhuman strength was indeed powerful, but it couldn't withstand the full-force shooting from several electromagnetic rifles. The fact that he could hold on for a few seconds was actually quite surprising.
Seeing that the Storm Shield was about to fail, and the frail human body behind it certainly wouldn't withstand a single metal spike before being killed.
But just at that moment, the Marines stopped firing.
At this point, there was of course only one person who could make them stop: Gu Hang.
"Capture one alive."
Yan Fangxu raised his fist, signaling a cease-fire.
At this moment, the Storm Shield around the man was already very weak. The rotating white cyclone had become very faint, almost about to dissipate.
The guy himself was pale, half from being frightened by the desperate situation at hand and the other half from the discomfort of excessive consumption of spiritual energy.
Gu Hang stepped forward with just a wave of his hand, an invisible soul blade found the exposed weakness of the Storm Shield and cut it straight open.
The backlash of spiritual energy immediately made the middle-aged man spit out a mouthful of blood.
Gu Hang looked into his face and then said, "Wohan, isn't it? We've met once, when I had just arrived at this planet."
Hearing Gu Hang's words, Wohan's somewhat vacant eyes became slightly more animated, as if he had come to his senses.
Without time to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, he began to speak, "Governor... Lord Governor... I can explain... I..."
At this point, he sort of choked up.
"Hmm? Why not continue? Even don't know what to say for your defense?"
Wohan indeed didn't know what to say.
Lying through his teeth was pointless; he had just stolen some goods, and they had just been delivered back, not even having time to be put into the warehouse, when the Governor's troops had already arrived, utterly defeating the mercenaries he had cooperated with for many years.
Captured in the act, with both the person and the goods seized, how could he possibly defend himself?
"I lost, Lord Governor. I accept all charges against me. I completely surrender to you, begging you to spare my life. I am willing to pay any price..."
As he spoke, he struggled to move a bit and knelt on the ground, bowing deeply to Gu Hang.
He had put his attitude as sincerely as possible.
Gu Hang smiled happily, "When faced with a dead end, you finally think of turning back; it's a bit too late. Wohan, I regret to say that you were once an Alliance Councilman. You should have been a member of the planetary government led by the Governor, potentially becoming an officially recognized imperial official. But you have committed serious crimes, plundering goods, attacking the Governor, deceptive compliance, and... colluding with a cult."
"I fully admit... what? Colluding with a heretic cult? No no no..." When Wohan heard the last four words, his eyes widened.
He was no oblivious commoner, he understood the truth perfectly well.
If it were only the first three charges, he might still have a glimmer of hope. After all, his greatest offense was merely opposing the Governor. Now, he had lost, but not completely.
He still had assets in Revival City, still had influence, and he controlled a very important part of the food trade. These would surely be of value to the Governor, and if he surrendered completely, willing to hand over everything and serve as a loyal and reliable dog to the Governor henceforth, perhaps he really could have a way out. Or perhaps, if he could just get through this tight spot, in a couple of years when this Governor was finished, he might still be a significant figure in Revival City.
However, if he got involved with a cult, that would be the end of him.
Throughout the entire empire, so-called heretics and cults are considered the most significant internal traitors, a crime of extreme severity, unforgivable offenders. Within the empire's borders, there was only one belief—the great Divine Emperor.
On Rage Owl Star, the situation for cults was relatively slightly better—but only just. This was because there were too many factors threatening human survival on Rage Owl Star, leaving little room to carry out widespread purges of heretic cultists.
But that didn't mean there would be any leniency shown to those confirmed as heretical members.
The heretics on Rage Owl Star were essentially equivalent to the 'Primal Owlbeast Sect'.
The name of Rage Owl Star originated from a kind of large predatory terrestrial creature that lived on the planet before the apocalyptic war, bearing a body like a bear clad in feathers, a head similar to an owl, and antlers like a deer's. According to the existing records, this creature looked somewhat silly and cute, with a gentle and docile temperament, but extremely fierce when enraged.
The sect believed that on the once beautiful Rage Owl Star, the Owl Beasts represented a positive image. The first Owl Beast was born with the planet and became a deity, protecting the entire planet. The war that destroyed the world enraged the Primordial Owl Beast, and Its wrath transformed into a Low Energy Storm that raged eternally on the planet's surface, never ceasing until the sins of humanity were redeemed.
The 'Primal Owlbeast Sect' was dedicated to atonement. Aside from their own religious rituals, their most significant act of atonement was to sacrifice sinners who did not embrace their faith to the deity, in hope of 'forgiveness'.
They indeed caused quite a bit of destruction. The horrific blood sacrifices were one thing, as human life on Rage Owl Star was cheap, being eaten by mutated monsters, starving to death, or dying of illness seemed not much different from being sacrificed in a cult blood ritual.
But the key was they didn't target just a few individuals; the goal of this band of cultists was to have the entire planet atone for the deity. They created several events that destroyed entire settlements, they strove to expand the area polluted by the Low Energy Storm, which resulted in less land for farming, made mining veins inapplicable, and ruined factories built with investments.
This made them public enemies.
Regardless of whether it was from the perspective of imperial law or the local situation on Rage Owl Star, Wohan knew, if he were pinned down on colluding with the cult, he would be undoubtedly doomed.
Now, he deeply regretted why he had used the Storm Shield sorcery when the opposition burst through the door.
And he didn't even manage to escape!
He could only try to defend himself in this regard, "Please believe me, Governor! I have not colluded with any cult! I don't even know them! I just... I just... one day I found out that I could use..."
Gu Hang nodded, "I have heard your testimony, and I will verify it. Next, you will be interrogated, reveal everything you know. And finally, I will hold your trial in Revival City and make the final judgment. Don't worry, it won't take long, you will soon receive your due end."
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I've been surprised, chapters 22/23 should have been tomorrow's content, I set the timing wrong...
Consider it a bonus for today, brothers! There will be two more updates tomorrow as usual.
My reserves have suffered a hit...
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