Chapter 773 - 767: Nato Punished
Wa Huang’s Palace.
Wa Huang, the Demon Lord, and the Buddha, three great Primordial Spirits, gathered together.
The Buddha gazed intensely at the void, everything happening in the void was within his sight.
"Wa Huang, Nato has let the Peacock Great Ming King go!" the Buddha said slowly.
Wa Huang, unconcerned and smiling, replied, "Isn’t all this part of our plan?"
At that moment, the Demon Lord smirked mockingly, "While we’re acting, Nato is doing it for real!"
"The disciples of Wa Huang’s Palace are truly devoted and loyal, daring to betray their sect for their brothers."
The Demon Lord’s sarcastic words clearly mocked Wa Huang for poor discipline.
"Hmph!" Wa Huang snorted coldly, retorting, "Being devoted and loyal is better than being heartless and cruel demon brats."
The Demon Lord was sarcastic, but Wa Huang directly insulted the Demon Lord.
"Wa Huang, who are you talking about?" the Demon Lord pointed at Wa Huang and shouted angrily.
Wa Huang sneered, "Whoever jumps out is the one I’m talking about."
Seeing Wa Huang and the Demon Lord about to clash again, the Buddha hastened to mediate.
"You two, stop arguing!"
"Nato letting the Peacock Great Ming King go is a great thing for us."
"Without Nato helping us stage this scene, releasing the Peacock Great Ming King would be quite a challenge."
"As for how to deal with Nato, that’s an internal matter for Wa Huang’s Palace, Demon Lord, you shouldn’t interfere!" After saying this, the Buddha turned to Wa Huang, "Wa Huang, some punishment is still necessary."
"Otherwise, this act could raise suspicion!"
Wa Huang nodded, replying, "I naturally understand the reasoning behind this."
"At Wa Huang’s Palace, rewards and punishments are clear; merits are rewarded, faults are punished."
...
...
In the void, Nato watched the Peacock Great Ming King leave.
He calculated the Great Ming King’s pace, and after confirming he had returned to Heaven and Earth, Nato headed back to Wa Huang’s Palace.
When Nato returned to Wa Huang’s Palace, he saw that the brothers who had been guarding the Great Ming King with him were already awake and hung at the entrance of the palace.
"I ask you all, where did Nato and Kong Xuan exactly go?" Just then, Wa Huang directed his question at the disciples hung up.
The disciples of Wa Huang’s Palace were all clueless and confused.
They were in a deep sleep from the sleep bug, and when Wa Huang lifted its effect, they found themselves hanging here.
Now, regarding Wa Huang’s questions, they knew nothing at all.
"Master, we’re wronged, wronged!"
"We really don’t know where Senior Brother Nato and Senior Brother Kong Xuan went!"
"We just fell asleep in a daze!"
...
...
The disciples of Wa Huang’s Palace, each defending themselves, were all spouting nonsense.
Nato had arrived outside the hall, witnessing the feeble state of his fellow disciples.
Although appearing as a child, Nato was deeply emotional.
Besides his emotional depth, Nato was brave and responsible.
The act he committed should not implicate his fellow disciples.
Nato stepped forward boldly, confronted everyone, and admitted, "Master, it was I who stole the sleep bug, knocked out my fellow apprentices, and released Senior Brother Kong Xuan."
"This issue is solely my responsibility, and has nothing to do with other disciples."
"If punishment is needed, punish me alone!"
Nato stood in front of his fellow disciples, indicating he was willing to bear all the consequences alone.
Upon hearing Nato’s words, the hung disciples finally understood the events.
"Senior Brother Nato, you’ve really troubled us!"
"That Kong Xuan is a traitor, why did you let him go."
"You released him, but miserably implicated us!"
...
...
The disciples hung at Wa Huang’s Palace shouted and blamed Nato.
Originally, after Nato accepted sole responsibility, Wa Huang’s intention was not to punish the other disciples anymore.
After all, they were involuntarily made part of this grand act.
But witnessing Nato offering mercy to release the Peacock Great Ming King, bearing all responsibilities alone showed remarkable character.
Observing the other disciples, shirking responsibility and blaming others irritated Wa Huang.
Initially, she didn’t plan to punish the disciples, but now, they also faced inevitable discipline.
Wa Huang frowned, reprimanding Nato, "Nato, you have quite the audacity, daring to release Kong Xuan privately."
"Nato, do you still regard me as your master?"
Nato kneeled with a "thud," his expression somewhat ashamed, but his gaze was firm.
"The Palace Master taught me magic, raised me, treated me with immense kindness."
"But Senior Brother Kong Xuan also saved my life multiple times, without his repeated rescue, I would have long perished."
"If I didn’t release Senior Brother Kong Xuan, it would betray his life-saving grace."
"If I let Senior Brother Kong Xuan go, it would betray the nurturing and teaching from the Palace Master!"
"Though Senior Brother Kong Xuan bears multiple offenses, I, Nato, shall bear them for him!"
"Master, whatever punishment is exacted, I will have no complaints!" Nato’s words were sincere, evoking admiration.
Regardless of being good or bad, everyone likes befriending ethically upright people.
Because friendships with such people offer endless benefits without harm.
No matter what, they won’t harm you.
Just at this moment, Xi Huang stepped out, collaborating with Wa Huang to carry this act forward.
"Little sister, Nato is still a child, being deeply emotional is not wrong."
"It’s merely a child’s heart which can’t distinguish right from wrong."
"His loyalty to our Wa Huang’s Palace is unquestionable!"
"Even facing the Peacock Great Ming King, a traitor, he treated him sincerely; in the future, do we even need to question his devotion to our Wa Huang’s Palace?"
"In my opinion, Nato’s offense doesn’t warrant death, a punishment will suffice." Xi Huang spoke out, pleading for Nato.
Xi Huang holds a position in Wa Huang’s Palace second only to Wa Huang.
With Xi Huang’s plea, the other disciples of Wa Huang’s Palace also started pleading for Nato.
"Senior Brother Nato’s crime doesn’t deserve death, please spare his life, Master."
"Junior Brother Nato’s crime doesn’t deserve death, please spare his life, Master."
...
...
Practically every disciple at Wa Huang’s Palace, whether Nato’s seniors or juniors, pleaded for him.
In this way, it provided Wa Huang an exit.
Wa Huang, with a stern face, stated, "Nato privately released Kong Xuan, deserving of death by whipping; for your pleas, the punishment is thirty strikes."
"The other disciples acted negligently, derelict in duty, each punished with ten strikes."
Originally, Wa Huang hadn’t intended to punish the other disciples.
However, seeing them only evade responsibility without any accountability irked her.
So they too will be whipped, giving them a lesson to remember.