Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 1323: Chapter 1322: Aika’s Tax Evasion Values (And Then Another Twist)

According to the usual movie plot, the final battle with the ultimate BOSS is bound to be earth-shattering and tear-jerking. Both sides exhaust all their skills, and in the end, a few insignificant supporting characters must sacrifice themselves, and only then is victory achieved.

However, for Fang Zheng...is this even a thing?

A mere Spirit of the Millennial Huai Tree, if he can’t defeat it as a Time Dragon and quasi-god, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes!

The Primordial Fire roared.

Blazing red flames shot up to the sky, scaring Nie Xiaoqian into retreating repeatedly. Meanwhile, amidst screams, dozens of female ghosts burst out from the ground, also stained with flames. The fire quickly spread across their bodies, transforming each into a fiery figure in the blink of an eye. Ning Caichen couldn’t help but turn his head with some pity.

In less than half a minute, the entire Old Hawthorn Spirit was reduced to pitch-black charcoal, and most of the female ghosts perished. Only Nie Xiaoqian stood there trembling, not daring to speak.

”Alright, it’s done.”

Fang Zheng extracted the Greatsword from the pitch-black trunk. Strangely, even though it was burnt to ash, the tree maintained its original form. From afar, it looked like a tree in a landscape ink painting. Only when Fang Zheng withdrew the Greatsword did it disperse with the wind, disappearing in an instant.

Added three hours to the time...

Glancing at the maintenance time of the Divine Domain, Fang Zheng nodded. In terms of conversion rate, the BOSS in this world was way more durable than in the previous two. Strictly speaking, just this Old Hawthorn Spirit was roughly equivalent to ten Optimus Primes + Megatrons or five Captain Americas and three Thanos... seems the Immortal Hero world is indeed different. You must know, in the World of the Immortal Sword, this Old Hawthorn Spirit was merely considered a medium BOSS.

If encountered Fahai, Moon-Worshiping Cult Leader, or Water Monster, who knows how long it could burn.

”Brother, is it over just like that?”

At this moment, Ning Caichen cautiously stepped forward to inquire, and Fang Zheng nodded.

”It’s over here, but there’s still more to come...”

Tsk tsk tsk, if just a Spirit of the Old Hawthorn is this durable, then the Old Demon of Black Mountain... hehehe... Fang Zheng was almost drooling.

But at this time, Aika suddenly spoke up.

”Father, what about her?”

”Hmm?”

Hearing Aika’s inquiry, Fang Zheng turned around, finding Aika keenly watching Nie Xiaoqian. Under Aika’s gaze, Nie Xiaoqian trembled, at a loss for words. Seeing Fang Zheng look over, she hurriedly knelt down again.

”Begging Celestial Immortal to spare Xiaoqian’s life, Xiaoqian is willing to go to the Underworld for reincarnation...”

”Yes, seeing her so pitiful, just let her go.”

This time, Zhao Ling’er couldn’t help but plead too, but Aika’s expression remained unchanged.

”Let her go? But she has killed quite a few people, hasn’t she?”

”This...”

Hearing this, Zhao Ling’er was momentarily at a loss for words, and Nie Xiaoqian, frightened, began kowtowing continually to Aika.

”Xiaoqian was forced by Granny, it wasn’t out of her own will...”

”But you killed, didn’t you? And not just once?”

”This... is indeed true...”

Hearing Aika’s persistent questioning, Nie Xiaoqian dejectedly lowered her head, while Fang Zheng stood curiously on the side without saying a word. He watched Aika with interest, wondering what she was thinking. Along the way, Fang Zheng had almost trained Aika to be a programmer, but on crucial issues, Fang Zheng still didn’t see any progress. After all, Aika, being connected to the Origin since birth, had almost no concept of discerning good from evil. For Aika, doing what she wanted was enough; terms like good deeds and bad deeds were foolish mortal definitions. In the Origin, good and evil were one. What was the point?

But now, Aika seemed to have started pondering this question?

However, the way she looked, there seemed to be more of a sense of enjoyment than anything else?

”If you don’t want to kill, you could choose to die yourself, to completely disappear, couldn’t you?”

”Truth be told, Xiaoqian’s ashes were buried in this Lanruo Temple after she died, and because of this, she was controlled by Granny, committing murders. Xiaoqian thought of resisting, but I, a weak woman, how could I possibly resist a millennia-old Great Demon...”

What Xiaoqian said was indeed pitiful, yet Aika merely looked at her with a beaming smile, as if watching a monkey show.

And at this moment, Lin Yueru stepped forward.

”I think we shouldn’t be so harsh. Indeed, Miss Qian killed many people, but those people weren’t good people! You saw it, didn’t you? Every time Miss Qian killed, she used beauty or gold to lure the person in. If the person, unlike this silly scholar, didn’t fall for it, she wouldn’t force it. Thinking of it this way, those people who were killed by Miss Qian were greedy for her beauty or wealth, and I think they deserve it!”

On this matter, Lin Yueru was clearly more aggressive than Zhao Ling’er. Apparently, in her view, those who were killed by Nie Xiaoqian deserved it...

After hearing Lin Yueru’s words, Aika blinked, then looked at Ning Caichen.

”What do you think?”

”Me?”

Suddenly asked by Aika, Ning Caichen became a bit nervous, staring at Nie Xiaoqian. After a long silence, he sighed.

”Right and wrong, good and evil, I can’t discern them. But as Miss Lin said, those people might indeed have evil thoughts, and getting harmed is the cycle of the Heavenly Dao, retribution. But Miss Qian hurting others, even if not out of her desire, she indeed harmed lives. Ah... I don’t know what to say, but as Buddha says, ’The sea of bitterness is boundless, turn back is the shore,’ please give Miss Qian a chance...”

”So, you mean to let her go?”

”That... is indeed what I mean.”

Ning Caichen bowed to Aika, but Aika clearly wasn’t easily convinced.

”You want me to give her a chance, but do those she killed get a second chance? If, as you say, one just needs to repent to be forgiven, can I also kill thousands, then weep before everyone, and act as if nothing happened before? Meaning, I can just go back to my good life, and those people died for nothing? Is that what you mean?”

”This...”

Faced with Aika’s question, Ning Caichen was finally speechless.

This time, Nie Xiaoqian once again lowered her head, kneeling.

”As the Celestial Immortal says, Xiaoqian knows her sins are great; please grant Xiaoqian death...”

”You just want to die like that? Do you think that after killing so many, dying yourself will offset those lives?”

”This...”

Ah, so that’s how it is.

Seeing Aika like this, Fang Zheng finally understood what she was doing. It was clear that Aika still couldn’t understand good or evil, but she noticed people were troubled by these concepts. And right now, what she’s doing... it’s just playing!

Indeed, for Sajou Aika, she lacks a moral compass on good and evil, so what Nie Xiaoqian did, how many she killed, she couldn’t care less. But Aika was beginning to care about others’ moral views, and she seemed delightfully amused by toying with them... In a way, it could be seen as finding joy in others’ suffering?

Now, Lin Yueru believes Nie Xiaoqian’s crime doesn’t merit death, and Zhao Ling’er feels the same. Ning Caichen is out of the question, but Fang Zheng still hadn’t expressed his view.

”Father, what do you think?”

”Hmm...”

Faced with Aika’s question, Fang Zheng decisively flipped open the criminal law.

”According to Article 28: For those coerced into committing a crime, penalties should be mitigated or waived according to the circumstances. Because the coerced party has a passive role in the crime, not wishing for the resulting harm but compelled due to threats to personal safety or others’ life and property...”

”Is this really okay, Father?”

”Nothing in this world is perfect.”

Facing Aika’s inquiry, Fang Zheng shrugged.

”There’s no law that is fair to everyone nor an ending that pleases all. Simply put, fairness and justice lie in the heart of people. You decide... and I’ll leave it to you.”

”Alright, Father.”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s answer, Aika blinked, then looked at the kneeling Nie Xiaoqian before her.

”Though you were forced to kill, you did end many lives. So I’ve decided... to keep you by Father’s side, as a servant.”