Chapter 40: Pitiful Man

The poor captive also fell to panic, his mouth started emitting strange noises and his body began to struggle like a fish out of water.

Mo Guang simply ignored that commotion, not even feeling the need to slash him as a reminder to keep calm. Rather, he looked over the crowd, calm as always, and that look alone made some of the beasts tremble.

"If it were our old ways, he would've been feed on." He said quietly, but distinctly to everyone in the current silence.

"But that won't do anymore. The Emperor ordered me to declare a new order." His voice rose.

"No more we eat our captives, from now on they are killed swift and cleanly, through decapitation. The ways of old shall be abandoned; eating those who have mind shall be the greatest sin, be it a human or a fellow intelligent Spirit Beast. Do you understand?"

Everyone who had a head nodded, as if a fear, or maybe hesitation was preventing them from roaring.

"I see, you understand…" Whispered the wolf and put his machete to the neck of the man. He was still struggling, trying to stretch his head as far as he could from the iron bloody edge. Like with anyone on their death bed, his eyes were wandering around the crowd, searching for something, whatever it was that could save him.

And he found; a young boy, white hair, white robe, half-hiding under the legs of a large turtle with a head of a toad. The thought that he shouldn't call him out laster less than a second; yes, he might put the boy in a danger, both of them may die, but who thinks like that when steel cutting your neck? The gag got loose because of blood and saliva; he spit it and screamed:

"Boy, boy save me! Save me, please! Agh!"

Xin stood still and abandoned his unconscious retreat. It's now or never, he still may be able to hide under the turtle-toad or whatever it was, or, he might come out. He might confront Mo Guang with that little flag he was clenching, he might expose himself as human, and what chances he and Maha will be safe then? For the wolf king, it will be similar to a rejection of his plan. Or maybe not, however right now he couldn't think of any of that. Right now, there was only one thought.

"Is he worth saving?"

If he is, he will try to save him. Hard to admit, but that kind of person he still was, no matter how hard he was trying to get rid of that heroic urge. But what if he isn't? He's a killer, right? He's killed many green monkeys and birds; sounds mild but some of them might have been intelligent.

So, should he save him?

Stupid questing.

"How can you prove he did it?" Rang a young voice, like a bell struck by a drop of rain.

A boy walked forward out of the crowd of beasts, a little blue flag waving in his hand, blue like the sky of some other day, for today it was cloudy.

"Prove?" Asked Mo Guang, looking at him with wonder. Obviously, he had noticed the demon-boy long ago. He was thinking why he would be here. To observe? For fun? To judge their ways? Seems like neither.

Xin nodded and gulped, and trying to sound as possible as Maha said:

"You said he is a killer. But you have not provided any proves. Why?"

Like Maha, right... She would have probably been insulted had she heard that. He tried to imitate the calm intonation and the slow but steady pace of her voice; the hoarseness he left out for it would have been too silly.

"Who are you! How dare you speak why lord Guang is delivering the order of his majesty! Gh!"

A solitary wispy voice sounded out of the crowd, and a dark teen mole slowly walked, pointing a wooden stick at Xin and coughing. All the other beasts stepped back as if trying to distance from him. Everyone else could see the blue flag in Xin's hand, and that was enough to make them silent.

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"You, you! Gh."

"Relax, Geng." Said wolf, looking down at the mole.

"He's a special guest. Manu, right?" His eyes focused on Xin.

"Manu? Ah, yes, Manu." The boy nodded.

"Special guest? Oh, no, I'm sorry, gh, please forgive me!" The stick of the mole trembled and he fell to the ground, kneeling with his face half-burrowed into the earth.

"Nothing, just return into the crowd."

"Yes, yes, right away. Gh!" The dejected Mole ran away with a surprising swiftness, seems like he didn't need his stick anymore.

"Prove…" The wolf, meanwhile, started thinking, putting his machete down.

Xin looked around. All the eyes were avoiding him like a plague. Seems like that little blue flag and the Special Guest status were really important in the animal's minds.

"What proof do you need?" He redirected the question.

"You… you said everyone has died. But if so, how could he be captured? You said the birds and monkeys were killed off but then… why no one else was? Who captured him? Why they were fighting with no help. Right."

The last word was useless, but even so, Xin felt warmness or more like a fire inside after listing all the problems. He though up them on the spot, after all, and listening to his own voice, they really did sound reasonable.

Maybe he's clever. Ha.

"Questions and proves… I see; humans have something like that, a trial they call it. To determine a lie." The wolf scratched his chin. Xin, meanwhile, tensed once the "humans" sounded, but quickly let off.

"Your kind have something similar?"

"Yes." He said maybe a bit too fast.

"I want a trial."

"It can be done." The wolf lifted his gaze, thinking about something. Slowly, his expression changed.

"I have read that once, long ago, when you still ruled these lands you, demons, had a special way of dealing with such occasions. When any crimes were committed, you were using your techniques to see directly into the mind, am I right? Is that what you wish to do?" Asked Mo Guang, as if probing.

"No." A problem, a terrible problem. How should he deal with that? Before the wolf's gaze could change, he blurted.

"Not me, I am too weak. Let's do it by looking over the evidence."

"Evidence; that will do." For some reason, the tone of the wolf also become more hurried.

"So, what evidence do you wish to see?"

"Him." Xin pointed a finger at the man, who had his eyes closed and face red.

"I want to hear what he has to say."

"The human?" Mo Guang slashed his machete, the rope hanging the man was cut and he fell to his head and then back, a scream of pain followed.

"You may, but I see no reason. He will lie, he as a human, after all. They always lie."

Thanks, though Xin and walked to the man. He slowly crawled to his knees and lowered his head.

"Thank you, thank you…" He hugged Xin's legs and started crying his face out. Literary, as if it was melting. Seems like he was wearing a mask. But why? What a strange person. Xin almost scratched his head but felt that move would be inappropriate for a demon. At least judging my Maha. However, him crying like that is kind of embarrassing, even with that kind of crowd.

The boy asked.

"Can you say what happened?"

"They…" the man gulped, looking around while covering his head with palms.

"I was adventuring, wandering, but they captured me, put in chains, these Monsters! They feed me with leftovers, they terrible. And now they wish to kill me, me! Monsters, all of you are monsters! Ah!" The man burrowed deeper into the Xin's boots when a large raccoon growled at him.

…Is that truly a man? Is that worth saving? Xin shook his head. Well, at least now he isn't the most pathetic one here, helps to increase self-esteem.

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