Chapter 15 I Choose to Be Imprisoned

The three of them—Vice-Dean Chih-Meng, Vice-Island Lord Fanxi, and White Prison Guardian—changed their expressions slightly upon hearing this.

"He really has lost control," White Prison Guardian sighed.

"Chih-Meng, Wu Ming is from your Primordial Research Institute," Vice-Island Lord Fanxi said softly. "You handle this."

Vice-Dean Chih-Meng nodded slightly, looking at Xu Jingming. "Junior Brother, haven't you realized that you've lost control?"

"May I ask the three of you, where have I lost control?" Xu Jingming looked at them.

"You should be very clear about how much you've done in the past six years," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said. "Let me just mention a few things. First, the Ning Lu case..."

"Was I wrong in the Ning Lu case?" Xu Jingming retorted.

"Nitrogen Chen's Seventh Prince, Yu Xi, lost a bet and, as punishment, completely slaughtered the indigenous civilization of a private planet under his control."

Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said that the slaughter of the indigenous people on the private planet was carried out by the Yu Xi Prince's personal guards disguised as space pirates.

"Haha," Xu Jingming laughed. "The annihilation of an indigenous civilization was actually due to losing a bet! Don't you three find it ridiculous? The most ridiculous thing is that he's the Seventh Prince of a mid-level cosmic civilization's royal family. When he decided to slaughter an indigenous civilization, he didn't even think to eliminate them completely. Over the years, this private planet had given rise to a group of cosmic lifeforms."

"These cosmic lifeforms had left the planet and were serving the Seventh Prince. But what about him? He casually slaughtered the private planet because he lost a bet, never realizing that many of these cosmic lifeforms had relatives and friends living on that planet. So, these people became rebels," Xu Jingming said with emotion. "This prince probably didn't think much of these small figures, so before slaughtering the indigenous civilization, he didn't think to deal with those cosmic lifeforms first. Only after suffering did he belatedly catch them."

"He still didn't think to kill them, but instead made them slaves." Xu Jingming said, "Ning Lu was one such cosmic lifeform whose family was killed, civilization destroyed, and was captured to be a slave. His entire life afterward was for revenge." Xu Jingming said, "Was I wrong to help him get revenge?"

Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said, "Prince Yu Xi himself, the big merchant who bet against him, and the personal guards who carried out this action—you killed all of them, leaving no one alive."

"Yes," Xu Jingming nodded. "739 people, not a single one left."

"Prince Yu Xi deserved to die," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said, "But the big merchant who made the bet only ordered the killing of a certain number of people; there was no need to slaughter an innocent civilization. According to the law, the big merchant didn't deserve the death penalty."

"A merchant who makes someone kill a billion people just because he lost a bet—why not kill him? What's the point of keeping him alive?" Xu Jingming sneered. "Yu Xi was violent by nature, and his personal guards had strict military rules. With a single order, they had to carry out his orders, or they would be executed by the enforcement team," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said.

"So, the personal guards were carrying out military orders; they didn't dare disobey, so they shouldn't be killed?"

"Knowing Yu Xi's violent nature, why didn't they leave the personal guard earlier? They willingly acted as his lackeys—they deserved to die," Xu Jingming said coldly.

Vice-Dean Chih-Meng nodded slightly. "Let me ask you again. The second case, the Cang Fu case."

Xu Jingming also recalled one of the people whose pain he had empathized with over the past six years—Cang Fu.

"Cang Fu was betrayed by his friend Ze Fang, resulting in the deaths of his entire clan of over a thousand people. Cang Fu's hair turned white overnight, and he vowed revenge," Xu Jingming said softly. "Cang Fu made a comeback and eventually took control of the Qing Kingdom, while Ze Fang fled to the opposing Xun Kingdom. After more than ten years of war, Cang Fu finally defeated the Xun Kingdom and was about to capture his enemy, Ze Fang. But at this moment, an adventurous cosmic spaceship discovered this planet, and this indigenous planet entered the cosmic era."

"This planet was bought by a large family, and Ze Fang was smooth and quickly latched onto them, soaring to great heights," Xu Jingming shook his head. "Cang Fu, however, was tormented by Ze Fang. Ze Fang didn't bother killing him; instead, he tortured him day and night. He was in hell, but he could never see the end. It just so happened that I passed by this life planet, observed the emotions of all the beings on the planet, and discovered the intense pain on him," Xu Jingming said with a smile. "I fulfilled his wish."

"In the Cang Fu case, you killed 1,132 people," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said. "Some of them deserved to die, but most of them didn't. After all, before the cosmic spaceship discovered that planet, the conflicts and grievances between the countries on the planet were difficult to distinguish right from wrong. After integrating into cosmic civilization, it was supposed to be written off. You shouldn't have killed because of the grievances from the indigenous era."

"Integrate into cosmic civilization and write it off?" Xu Jingming shook his head. "Did Cang Fu and his clan of over a thousand people die for nothing? Did the more than 100,000 innocent people harmed by Ze Fang die for nothing?"

"...The indigenous era and the cosmic civilization era are different stages," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said. "The struggles and grievances between indigenous countries are intertwined and cannot be clearly explained. The laws of the Cosmic Human Alliance do not trace back to the grievances of the indigenous era."

"The law doesn't trace back, but Cang Fu won't forget; he won't forget the blood feud," Xu Jingming said. "So, I helped him avenge this blood feud."

"Junior Brother, have you realized it?" Vice-Dean Chih-Meng looked at Xu Jingming. "You no longer have any regard for the law. You completely act according to your own perception, killing whoever you want. In the past six years, you have committed a total of 701 cases. No matter how noble their identity, you are merciless. According to the law, you only need to be imprisoned for a century, but you kill them directly."

"According to the law, some lackeys were forced to obey orders and are generally only punished slightly, but you still kill them. According to the law, the grievances of the indigenous era are not pursued, but you kill them directly."

"What is the law in your heart? You are violating the law and committing crimes by repeatedly violating it," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng looked at Xu Jingming. "I understand," Xu Jingming nodded.

"You say you are very clear-headed," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said. "You are still violating the law while clear-headed. Isn't this still murder?"

Xu Jingming said softly, "What is the purpose of the law? The law is for the sake of the entire cosmos."

"The Human Alliance has a better order, making people's behavior more in line with benevolent understanding," Xu Jingming said, "Repaying kindness and avenging grievances are in line with people's basic understanding, rather than rigidly following the law. The law is dead, but people are alive. If you don't know how to adapt, people are like machines."

"The law is dead, but people are alive," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng nodded. "So, there are many supplementary clauses to the law, and the law can be gradually improved, but this is not your reason for violating the law."

"Senior Brother, then punish me according to the law," Xu Jingming said. "According to the law, I have high enough authority, and these things I've committed will only deduct my merits, right?"

"Deducting over a hundred million merits will suffice for the cases," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng nodded. "But the cases and the people you killed aren't important. The three of us are here because of something more important—you have lost control."

"I have lost control?" Xu Jingming looked at them. "Where have I lost control?"

White Prison Guardian said from the side, "Wu Ming, you repeatedly violate the law, and you still think you are clear-headed, that you are right, and that violating the law is not wrong. What is this if not being out of control?"

"Before the high-risk pollution, would you have violated the law like this?" Vice-Island Lord Fanxi also said.

Xu Jingming was shaken. "Before the high-risk pollution, I never thought of violating the law. When did I start disregarding the law?"

"Have you realized it? You have long disregarded the law, doing whatever you want and still thinking you are clear-headed, thinking you are right," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said.

"Your explanation has some merit. The law has certain flaws, but to govern the entire 34 cosmos and the massive human civilization, our laws have been improved time and time again. These laws were discussed and confirmed by the three Supreme Realm existences and generations of outstanding figures. Everyone agreed that these are the laws for governing this entire human race. You think you are right, and the law is wrong? Who do you think you are? Are you smarter than the three Supreme Realm existences and all the human predecessors in history?" Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said, "Today, you, Xu Jingming, think the law is wrong. Tomorrow, others will think the law is wrong. If everyone doesn't follow the law, how can the entire Cosmic Human Alliance be managed? This is a balance. All aspects of the law are already relatively perfect."

Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said, "Don't say that you, Xu Jingming, are just a Source lifeform. Even the three Supreme Realm existences could forcibly make laws, but they don't think that what they make is necessarily perfect. So, they also discussed and confirmed the laws with many people in the Cosmic Human Alliance, and they also monitor and improve them generation by generation through the virtual world network."

Xu Jingming was silent.

"After you were infected by the high-risk pollution, you actually killed Lu Na Duo. But at that time, you still revered the law and still knew to submit evidence, determining his death sentence. What about now? You no longer care about evidence. You just directly act based on some so-called truths discovered by observing memories," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said. "Is the truth in people's memories necessarily the truth? When did you become so arbitrary in killing?"

Vice-Dean Chih-Meng looked at Xu Jingming.

Xu Jingming was silent. The three of them looked at him and said nothing more.

"So, this is high-risk pollution," Xu Jingming said in a low voice. "Unconsciously, I even think I'm very clear-headed, but my understanding of the world, my understanding of the law, my understanding of everything is constantly being distorted and polluted. Before the pollution, my actions were naturally within the framework of the law. After being polluted, I occasionally take advantage of loopholes in the law. Others can't do anything to me. But now, I completely disregard the law. I have elevated myself above the law."

"And I think I am right." Xu Jingming looked back at the past. "My behavior has been constantly changing. If I continue like this, I don't know what I will become."

The three of them were relieved when they heard this.

"At least you still know," Vice-Island Lord Fanxi said with a smile, "You finally know what your problem is."

White Prison Guardian said, "That's right."

Vice-Dean Chih-Meng also nodded and said, "Junior Brother, now we will give you two choices. We will treat your one hundred million merits as punishment. First, you must recognize your mistakes and not make them again. Second, if you cannot control yourself and continue as before, we can only imprison you. Choose one," Vice-Dean Chih-Meng said.

Xu Jingming lowered his head and said softly, "I am in a sea of suffering, tormented day and night. If I am not allowed to stir up the waves, I will definitely go crazy. I choose the first one—let me control myself. I can no longer control myself." Xu Jingming raised his head and looked at the three of them. "I choose to be imprisoned."