54: Chapter 54 Enter my Flower City, and you will become a citizen of my Flower City!

"This City Lord sentences you — — to death!"

"Do you accept this verdict?"

Zhou Yun's voice echoed through the courtroom, carrying undeniable majesty.

Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

Death.

It really was death.

They had known this would be the result long ago.

Yet, when those two words truly fell, it still left them feeling suffocated.

Inside and outside the courtroom, there was complete silence.

Everyone was waiting for their answer.

Liu Dashun opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found he couldn't make a sound at all.

His throat felt as if it were blocked by something.

Accept the verdict?

How should he answer?

Say he didn't accept it?

What right did he have to not accept it?

He had indeed poisoned the water, and had indeed almost killed everyone in the city.

Death was what he deserved.

But... his mother's aged face flashed through his mind, followed by his younger sister's innocent smiling face.

They were still in the hands of the Lord of Han City.

If he died, what would happen to them?

Thinking of this, Liu Dashun's heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife.

But he knew these were not excuses.

He had done something wrong, and he had to bear the consequences.

This was only right and proper.

"This commoner..."

Liu Dashun's voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of trembling.

He bowed deeply, his forehead hitting the ground heavily.

"This commoner accepts the verdict."

Sun Weiwu also kowtowed, his voice choked with sobs.

"This commoner accepts the verdict."

The two men's voices were not loud, yet they clearly reached everyone's ears.

Inside and outside the courtroom, a low murmur of discussion arose.

"They accepted the verdict..."

"They pleaded guilty..."

"It should have been this way long ago..."

The expressions of the citizens were complex.

There was anger, a sense of vindication, and also some indescribable emotions.

Since Zhou Yun became the City Lord, everyone had personally experienced his kindness and benevolence.

He gave them food to eat and places to live.

He abolished the execution line, letting them no longer live in fear.

He produced miraculous medicine, letting the disabled regain a new life.

It had always been about bestowing grace and showing tolerance.

This was the first time he was going to execute citizens under his rule.

But... this was right.

This was how it should be.

For some reason, everyone in their hearts let out a long sigh of relief.

Although the City Lord was benevolent, he did not fail to distinguish right from wrong.

He would never be soft-hearted toward those who deserved to die.

This kind of City Lord was the one they were willing to follow.

In the courtroom.

Zhou Yun looked at the two men kneeling on the ground and nodded slightly.

"Since you have accepted the verdict..."

His voice was calm, yet it carried a power that could not be ignored.

"Then, what I need to talk about next is another matter."

Another matter?

Everyone was stunned.

There was another matter?

Could there be other poisoners who hadn't been discovered?

Wan'er and Lei Lie exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Zhou Yun ignored everyone's reaction and continued:

"I already mentioned it just now."

"Although you did something wrong and poisoned the water..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone inside and outside the courtroom.

"But the root of the evil does not lie with you."

"It lies with the Lord of Han City."

Everyone was taken aback.

That's right, the City Lord had indeed mentioned this point before.

At the time, everyone thought the City Lord was making excuses for these two.

Could it be... that wasn't the case?

Zhou Yun's voice continued to ring out, every word clear and resonant.

"Therefore, today's incident may look like you poisoned the water."

"But in my heart, he is the true culprit!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar inside and outside the courtroom.

That's right!

If the Lord of Han City hadn't coerced them, why would they have taken this desperate path?

If the Lord of Han City hadn't seized their families, why would they have taken such a risk?

In the end, the Lord of Han City was the true culprit!

Zhou Yun's gaze fell on Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu, his voice steady and powerful.

"And you, since you have entered my Flower City, you are my Flower City citizens."

"Your families are, of course, also Flower City's families."

"The Lord of Han City used my Flower City's families to threaten my Flower City's citizens."

A flash of cold light crossed his eyes.

"This debt, this City Lord will settle with him personally!"

When his voice fell, there was pin-drop silence inside and outside the courtroom.

Everyone was stunned by Zhou Yun's words.

The City Lord was going to... settle the score with Han City?

Before they could digest this information, Zhou Yun's voice rang out again.

"Besides that — —"

His gaze fell on Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu again.

"Since they are Flower City's families, their safety is naturally the responsibility of this City Lord."

"Within five days — —"

His voice suddenly raised, resounding through the entire courtroom.

"This City Lord promises that I will definitely bring them safely to Flower City!"

Once these words were spoken, the whole place was in an uproar!

Everyone finally understood!

It turned out that when the City Lord mentioned Han City and the root of the evil at the beginning, he wasn't trying to make excuses for these two.

Rather, at that very moment, he had already decided to settle the score with Han City!

He had decided to rescue the families of Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu who had been coerced!!

So that was it!

So that was how it was!

An indescribable emotion welled up in everyone's hearts.

They were completely shaken by Zhou Yun's magnanimity.

The families of these two poisoners were clearly not in Flower City and were not official Flower City citizens yet.

Yet, the City Lord treated them as part of Flower City.

What kind of broad-mindedness was this?

What kind of spirit was this?

"City Lord..."

Someone cried out first, their voice trembling.

"City Lord is benevolent..."

Immediately after, more and more voices rose.

"City Lord is broad-minded!"

"City Lord is wise!"

"We are willing to die for the City Lord!"

The shouts rose and fell, resounding to the skies.

At this moment, Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu, who were kneeling in the center of the courtroom, were completely unable to speak.

The City Lord... was actually going to save their families?

When the death sentence was pronounced just now, their tears had already stopped.

Because they knew they were doomed to die, and crying was useless.

But now... tears suddenly gushed out, as if endless.

They wept heart-wrenchingly, their hearts breaking.

It was not because of fear.

It was not because of despair.

It was because of gratitude.

Because of hope.

They had thought that their deaths would implicate their families.

The Lord of Han City would not let them go.

Their mothers and their sisters would all be killed to silence them.

This was where they were most desperate.

But now... the City Lord said he would go to save them.

Within five days, he would bring them safely to Flower City!!

"City Lord... City Lord..."

Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

They just kept kowtowing, again and again, their foreheads striking the bluestone floor, making dull thuds.

Blood seeped out, staining the floor red, but they were completely unaware.

Tears and blood mixed together, sliding down their cheeks, dripping onto the ground, spreading into a stain.