Chapter 450 I Was Wrong! I'll Do It Again Next Time! (8500, Yesterday's Third Update)

--Wrong?

--What's wrong?

--Is God saying the judgment just now was wrong?

--Then the judgment just now was indeed wrong.

Few people could understand Su Zhou's words.

When the majority of Sunset City residents heard their Lord say those words on the execution platform, what flashed through their minds was this:

--Since God says it's wrong, then it's wrong.

Why is it wrong? Unclear. But since God has said it's wrong, then it must be true. Perhaps a divine official will explain it to us later.

In fact, people with such thoughts were in the minority, because they at least still wanted an explanation.

But the residents who came to watch the judgment were all believers of the Lord of Judgment. They were devout, and in awe of adjudication and judgment, especially those with the Blood of Judgment manifested, or those who had received some help from believers of the Lord of Judgment in their past lives. Their piety didn't even need Su Zhou to explain right or wrong.

They revered the Lord of Judgment, so when Su Zhou appeared before their eyes, their hearts were filled with only joy and excitement.

--Ah, Lord, it's the Lord! He has descended!

--The divine descent of a few days ago was indeed real! I missed it… If I had persevered, I might have been the first to meet the Lord!

--I must remember this scene, paint it when I get home, and leave it for my descendants!

These were their true and genuine thoughts.

So, since the Lord of Judgment said that the judgment just now was wrong, then it must be wrong.

"That's right, this little girl is innocent!"

"Yes, she is innocent, we should pardon her!"

"Fool, since she is innocent, then we can't pardon her! She should be released on the spot, and then apologized to and compensated!"

For a time, such voices, such thoughts, spread throughout the square.

Some people had even begun to take action—they wanted to follow Su Zhou's words, ascend the execution platform, and gloriously release that Wind Clan girl, to prove their piety.

However, a gentle force blocked them, preventing these people from stepping forward.

Su Zhou stood on the execution platform, silently gazing at everyone before him, his eyes full of disappointment—a disappointment in himself, and in the people before him.

"Why do you believe everything I say so easily?"

He muttered to himself, but his voice echoed throughout the city, the divine voice lingering in everyone's ears, with a tone of confusion and incomprehension: "Where is the doubt? Weren't you all praying before, praying for me to judge her, to kill her with lightning?"

"Why, as soon as I open my mouth, do you all completely believe me?"

No one answered.

Everyone was as confused as Su Zhou.

--Otherwise?

Even God has said so, so could there still be something wrong?

They simply couldn't understand Su Zhou's train of thought, because in the eyes of these Sunset City residents… no, in the eyes of the residents of the Samsara World, God was the embodiment of absolute correctness.

Question God? Why? Wasn't it God who allowed them to live and work in peace, and who restrained the evil of human nature with the Code of Divine Precepts, making the entire world revere goodness and love?

Just like that, Su Zhou waited for a while, but still didn't hear the voice he longed to hear.

The youth could hear the thoughts of the people below the stage—they still couldn't figure out why.

So Su Zhou knew that he probably wouldn't get an answer.

--Where there is rule, there are masses. Where there are masses, there is blind obedience. Where there is blind obedience, there will be no independent thought.

And the religious rule of a True God, using morality, culture, and faith as standards and suppressors, coupled with the 'ultimate interpretation right' of possible divine descents, such rule is the most powerful rule.

So, Su Zhou could only let out a long sigh.

"Elias, you were wrong… Although I still don't know how exactly you lead this world, there's no doubt that you were at least half wrong."

"Such rule may make them happy, make them equal, make them love each other… but it will also only turn them into a group of ignorant people who only know how to worship gods."

"If the gods are always correct, there might not be a big problem—but, if the gods make a mistake, there will no longer be any power in this world to restrain the gods, to advise the gods!"

So, he took a step forward.

Su Zhou stood on the judgment platform, facing the tens of thousands of people before him, and the even greater number of Sunset City residents who were hurrying over because of the 'divine descent', lowered his voice, and said seriously: "To kill without teaching is tyranny. To eliminate a person with violent means without trying to educate or change them, such an action is tyrannical and wrong."

"I don't actually know if this child believes in me or not, but even if you really dislike unbelievers, then why not try to educate them, to make them become like you?"

"Perhaps her parents are pirates, but what about the child? Has she committed other crimes, such as murder, robbery, or participated in accomplice crimes?"

"I'm not letting her go just because she's a young child—if she murders, robs, abuses others, does great evil, then she is not a child, but a beast. You can completely judge and adjudicate her based on these crimes, and I would only applaud. But why use unbelief as the reason?"

The Lord's voice echoed through the heavens and the earth.

Aemon knelt in place, his mind still recalling the divine power of the God that seemed to pause time, and the great power that easily shattered the lightning tribulation, striking a hole in the clouds in the sky.

"So powerful, is this the Lord of Judgment? My Lord clearly has such great power, but was still able to enjoy delicious food with ordinary people in a small shop before… Is this the Lord's compassion and love?"

Although he thought so in his heart, for some reason, Aemon still had some doubts in his heart.

He was the only one who saw the Lord respond to the prayer, unleash power, send down lightning punishment, and punish that old man who spread the plague.

So, Aemon found it difficult to understand why, after that, the Lord clearly didn't unleash power, but lightning punishment still descended—and afterwards, the Lord shattered that lightning punishment, and proclaimed that the judgment was wrong.

Why? He found it difficult to understand.

Why? There were actually many whys in his heart. But most of the time, he suppressed these whys in his heart, and placed layer upon layer of seals on them.

So, when the Lord asked everyone present in confusion, asking one question after another.

He didn't know why, but Aemon suddenly stood up.

From his original kneeling position.

"My Lord!"

The moment he stood up, this gray-haired divine official felt that tens of thousands of people in the entire square were simultaneously staring at him—doubt, incomprehension, shock, fear, dissatisfaction… many, many kinds of gazes converged on him.

He could even hear voices not far away saying 'Kneel down quickly! You are disrespecting God!' 'Aemon, what are you doing?!' such reprimanding voices.

For a time, Aemon's heart beat very fast, because of fear, and also because of a kind of uncontrollable feeling… He himself knew that it was confusion, a confusion that had been hidden for a long, long time, ever since he first saw the Lord of Judgment, saw God.

So, even though he was bearing the faintly hostile gazes of tens of thousands of people, the divine official still forcibly calmed his tone, and said loudly: "Why do you want to protect this unbeliever?"

Saying this, Aemon almost went all out, he said loudly: "I, I have received your grace! My entire family almost lost their lives because of some unbelievers, some who didn't obey the Code of Divine Precepts. It was you, it was your adjudicator who brought fair judgment to me, allowing me to survive from unjust framing."

"So when I learned that I also had the Blood of Judgment, I was extremely excited, that proved that I could approach you—approach your Dao! I firmly believe that your Dao can judge all evil, all unbelief, and make the world a better place!"

"And those unbelievers, they frame and deceive, they deceive the good, they simply don't follow the Dao of Good… When they abandon the covenant you made with us, they are already the embodiment of evil!"

"Good!"

Aemon originally thought that he would be rebuked by God—how normal that would be, God had just said that the girl was innocent, which meant that she must believe in the Lord.

In that case, his accusations just now had no basis at all.

But, after hearing that, the Lord said again that He actually didn't know whether the other party believed in Him or not, and this strange feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart, making him unable to hold it back.

But, Aemon didn't expect that the Lord's first response was actually excitement, an encouraging approval.

"Well asked, Aemon."

The divine official could hear the Lord on the judgment platform looking at him, it was a warm gaze, far surpassing the sun, it was focused on him, as if making him the focus of the entire audience.

And then, the Lord responded to his question.

"But, you still haven't understood—punishment is not for destruction, but to make people live better!"

"The reason I punish evildoers is because if I don't punish those evildoers, other good people won't be able to live—of course, my own disapproval is also a reason. But, if evildoers aren't so evil that others can't live without them dying, then I won't hate them to the point of having to kill them."

Saying this, the Lord reached out his hand, he pointed behind him, at that Wind Clan girl who was still unconscious: "You ask me, why do I want to protect this unbeliever—but you are wrong, I am not protecting 'unbelievers'. I am just protecting someone who I don't yet know if they have made mistakes."

"Aemon, you said that you have suffered persecution from unbelievers, but you also know very well, compared to 'punishing the evildoers, but the good people also died', is it better that 'the good people return to normal, but the evildoers haven't been caught yet'?"

"This, indeed…" Aemon nodded subconsciously, but then he realized that something was wrong: "But, if the evildoers aren't punished, then there will be even more good…"

But Su Zhou on the stage simply replied: "Of course I won't let evildoers get away with it, I just want to tell you that compared to punishment, the most important thing is protection, to make the world a better place."

"The purpose of punishment is to make those who are dragging civilization down die, to make those who haven't committed crimes fear committing crimes, and then walk the path of goodness—this is a power that needs to be controlled! Not to say that when you encounter something you don't like, you don't even think about it, and just use the violence of the majority to destroy it!"

"The purpose of punishment and judgment is never destruction! Things that are destroyed can't go towards goodness anymore!"

And after saying these words, Su Zhou himself was stunned.

"—Yes." He thought to himself: "The reason why I have always made it my duty to eliminate evil is just because I am willing."

"The Demon Empire Grand Tutor of the Divine Wood World, the Water God of the Samsara World, and the leaders of the Descendant Spirit Society, the Beast God King of the Beast God World… those monsters, no matter what their reasons, are all existences that, as long as they live, others cannot live."

"The [Evil-Devouring Demon Lord] divine power comes from this—I believe that an existence is evil, then it is evil, I kill the other party, and I will be very happy."

But… this kind of thinking logic is actually very direct and simple.

If it is simply for one's own happiness to kill the 'evil people I recognize', then in the final analysis, what is the difference between myself and this group of ordinary people who, just for their own happiness, demand that the Lord of Judgment punish an 'unbeliever'?

In this world, with the existence of the Lord of Judgment, everyone is an Evil-Devouring Demon Lord.

Everyone is using their own heart to judge the good and evil of another person.

To put it bluntly, for the Fire Clan and the Wind Clan, unbelievers are absolute evil! Even if the [Evil-Devouring Demon Lord] divine power is given to them, they will definitely be able to obtain evil souls by killing unbelievers!

Moreover, the quality of the evil souls will be very high, because the resentment of many believers towards unbelievers is too strong, so that they don't even need the other party to do evil to be able to determine that they are indeed evil.

"The core of the [Evil-Devouring Demon Lord] divine power… is based on these points. The essence of these people's thinking is actually no different from the previous me, no wonder they are my believers."

"So, if I now, deny them here… wouldn't that mean that I was, before…"

"Was, wrong?"

In the personal space.

The scarlet little snake coiled on the Wisdom Tree, its gaze seemed to be able to cross space, gazing at Su Zhou, who was currently confused and at a loss.

The snake spirit chuckled, laughing heartily.

--How is it, my Covenant Keeper? Have you tasted the flavor of realizing that your 'path' is 'wrong'?

Delicious? Confused? Painful? Do you feel that everything you have done before has been denied?

But, this is precisely your unique privilege as a 'strong person'!

"Losers don't have the qualification to admit that they are 'wrong'. A failed person can improve their correctness, but cannot admit their mistakes, because if they admit it, they will lose the courage to face reality, and they will also lose the power to fight against suffering, as a result, they will endure even greater suffering."

"Su Zhou, my Covenant Keeper, precisely because you have come all the way with victory, precisely because you have defeated all your enemies, so now, you have this extremely extravagant qualification to admit that you are 'wrong'."

"You may fall now, but you are still above the losers. You are in pain now, but it is just the struggle before breaking out of the cocoon."

And this, is your trial!

At the same time.

Sunset City, the square.

"This…"

Hearing Su Zhou's words, Aemon was immediately at a loss.

He looked at the unbelieving little girl behind Su Zhou in a daze—to tell the truth, the other party still made him feel disgusted.

As long as he thought about how the other party might not keep promises, not believe in God, the divine official would have a kind of instinctive urge to destroy, like wanting to step on cockroaches, swat mosquitoes, to clean away dirty things, he just hated that point.

But, if he emptied his mind, and looked at her seriously, simply… the other party was just a little girl in her teens, of his granddaughter's generation.

--If this little girl doesn't disbelieve in God from the bottom of her heart, but is simply because she has never been exposed to God's grace, so she doesn't know that there is such a thing as believing in God?

Just like babies, babies also don't have faith at first, not because they are born with original sin, but because they don't yet know what is evil and what is good.

Somewhat, similar. He suddenly thought so.

Just like his wrongly accused family in the past…

At that time, he was presumed to be a rebel even though he had done nothing, and was almost about to accept adjudication and die—if it hadn't been for an adjudicator who insisted on finding out the truth, his fate would have been no different from this little girl's.

Perhaps, indeed—we should determine whether the other party is evil, whether they believe in the Lord, and then carry out judgment and adjudication…

Aemon fell into thought.

Su Zhou exhaled irritably, he turned his head, and looked at the others.

Su Zhou could sense that Aemon's heart was still tangled in the meaningless point of belief and non-belief.

But, being able to start reflecting, being able to dare to stand up and ask questions, was already pretty good.

But unfortunately, in the hearts of the others, he didn't feel even a bit of something that could be called 'thoughts'.

Everyone was still kneeling on the ground, constantly worshipping him.

Su Zhou could see that in the distance, ordinary people were rushing over from all parts of the city, divine official priests were rushing over from the port temple, and fishermen were rushing over from the docks, all of them approaching the square where he was with fervor, and then starting to worship him.

They couldn't hear what he was saying, they just defaulted that he was right, without thinking about why he was right.

Even if he said that there was no need to take medicine when a malignant plague was spreading, because 'it's just a common cold', they would probably believe it.

"…Why is it like this…"

Because he realized his mistake, he clenched his fists a little dejectedly.

And the blind faith of all the believers present was even more unbearable for the youth.

Su Zhou waited for several minutes more, he waited for someone to stand up and ask him questions like Aemon, questioning why he was doing this—

But still no one did.

Compared to these, they were more willing to continue kneeling, showing that they were more devout than others.

"Stop kneeling! Stand up!"

On the judgment platform, Su Zhou once again announced to everyone, his tone stern.

The usual Su Zhou was not such an impatient person, but now, perhaps because of the fact that he had realized his mistake, he felt particularly impatient at this moment.

And most people just raised their heads blankly—they didn't know why God was asking them to do this, and still didn't dare to stand up.

So in the end, Su Zhou gave up explaining.

He was also tired of others kneeling to him—kneeling to the wrong him.

--Buzz--

Su Zhou closed his eyes, and then, invisible soul fluctuations began to spread in all directions from its center, like ripples on water.

Everyone who was touched by this fluctuation, except for Aemon, all fainted.

For a time, the entire square, more than 50,000 people, all fainted in an instant.

No one was injured, Su Zhou's power ensured that everyone fainted safely in place—they would wake up in ten minutes, and by that time Su Zhou would have already left.

And at this instant, Su Zhou suddenly sensed that a chain that bound his personal space was shattering just like that.

The golden chain formed from the Power of Wishes dissipated, it shattered, turning into light fragments in the soul space, and finally dissolving into the void, turning into nothingness.

Just like before, when Su Zhou refused to provide the Power of Wishes to that power that demanded judgment, this chain of the Power of Wishes was not really disappearing, but it shifted the direction of the link, linking to the other end of the spirit world, to another huge existence.

Perhaps, that was the location of the real 'Lord of Judgment'.

Without a doubt, Su Zhou had now found a way to clear these chains of the Power of Wishes—as long as he continued to walk in this world, ignored the prayers and expectations of the many believers of the Lord of Judgment in this world, and allowed everyone to entrust the Power of Wishes to that Lord of Judgment, he could easily gain freedom.

--But, can he give up?

Su Zhou opened his eyes, he silently looked at the people who had fainted before him… Yes, the blind obedience of these people was indeed infuriating, and even communication was difficult.

But to ask Su Zhou to give up on them? To allow these people to continue this kind of judgment, continue this kind of tyranny of the majority, and continue to live a life restrained by the teachings under countless precepts?

How could that be possible!

"I will not abandon you, you are all children with my blood."

Muttering so, Su Zhou turned around, he prepared to take the Wind Clan girl down from the cross, and then take her away, his tone was somewhat low: "But what should I do?"

"In any case, I'll go find Elias first, he is a competent Lord of Fire, but he's probably a little too competent…"

But at this moment, Aemon's voice came,

"Wait a moment, My Lord!"

That was a rare voice, with a hint of astonishment, and also a hint of anger and questioning: "My Lord, why?!"

Su Zhou turned his head, he looked at this only divine official who had not been knocked out by him, and who was also the only one who had questioned him, the youth's tone was gentle: "What why, Aemon? If you have any questions, you can ask them."

But facing his Lord, his God, Aemon first opened his mouth, he took a step forward, and then, said with some difficulty: "My Lord, if you were not my God…"

"No, it's because you are my God that I feel astonished!"

Saying this, the gray-haired priest stretched out his hand, he pointed with trembling fingers at everyone who had fainted in the room, and then looked at Su Zhou, Aemon met Su Zhou's eyes.

The cyan dragon eyes met the cyan-purple dragon eyes, the successor of the Blood of Judgment, and the originator of the Blood of Judgment met.

Then, they questioned.

"My Lord, you can clearly spend time to persuade everyone—you are God, you are our Lord, our protection, you are our truth, if you want to tell us some profound concepts, then we will learn diligently."

Saying this, Aemon lowered his hand, he lowered his head somewhat weakly, and muttered to himself: "Why do you have to give up teaching us… Are we really that disappointing to you?"

"We have clearly been following your Dao, wanting to walk on the path of righteousness… If you are dissatisfied, why don't you point it out?"

"You clearly just said, 'To kill without teaching is tyranny', so why not choose to educate us, but directly take action, making everyone faint?"

"Why?"

The divine official muttered to himself, but couldn't get an answer, and then fell into great frustration.

He put his hands together, bent his knees, seemingly wanting to kneel down to Su Zhou, just like in the past, when he was confused, he would pray to God.

However, just like every time.

When Aemon wanted to kneel, an invisible force held him up, making him only able to stand.

"Why…"

Then, he heard the Lord's calm answer, with a hint of apology: "Because I was wrong."

Aemon raised his head in surprise, looking at Su Zhou at this moment, he saw that the youth was lowering his head at this moment, he apologized and looked around at everyone present, and then sighed: "I'm sorry, Aemon, I was wrong."

"I really shouldn't have been so impatient… Yes, I myself just said, to kill without teaching is tyranny, but in the next instant, I myself failed to do it."

"Although it was because my emotions weren't very stable at that time, you are right, I shouldn't have done this."

Saying this, Su Zhou shook his head slightly, he looked at Aemon, who didn't know how to answer, and said in a low voice: "So, my apostle, you must learn to question, right?"

"Anyone can be wrong… Even God, is the same."

And when he said this, Su Zhou was silent for a moment, he didn't notice the shocked expression on the divine official's face because he had admitted his mistake.

He fell into thought.

Then, the youth suddenly laughed.

"Haha, that's right. Even the Great Existence can make mistakes."

At first, Su Zhou first chuckled softly, mocking himself.

But soon, his laughter grew louder and louder, to the point of being full of joy: "Haha, indeed, even the Great Existences can make mistakes—the entire Multiverse is the seal of these existences!"

"In that case, why should I pretend to be a noble gentleman, pretend to be a philosopher king who never makes mistakes?"

"If I make a mistake, I make a mistake, what's there to be depressed about, what's there to be anxious about—I'll just improve next time, right?"

Slowly withdrawing his laughter, Su Zhou's expression became solemn, he raised his hand, stared at his palm, and then clenched his fist, muttering to himself in a deep voice: "Now I am wrong, and I will be wrong in the future."

"That's right, I will always be wrong, always make mistakes. At the same time, always improve, always progress!"

--Surpass oneself, constantly surpass oneself.

--Find one's own mistakes, explore one's possibilities, explore the boundaries ahead.

Then, he raised his head, Su Zhou looked around at the Samsara World of this new era, this beautiful world, but with too many fallacies, too many distortions.

Then, he looked up at the sky, his gaze seemed to be able to cross the spirit world, and see the God of Judgment on the other side.

--All my life I have not cultivated good fruit, I only love killing and arson.

The limit of the Evil-Devouring Demon Lord lies here.

It is a divine power that can only be used by an individual, a 'demonic divine power' that is free-willed and uses one's own heart to represent the heart of heaven.

If the existence that holds it is a person, then they can naturally take revenge and carry out the justice in their heart.

The strong use their knives to cut down the world, to correct the evil qi of the world, this was Su Zhou's wish in the past.

But, if it is a society, a civilization, it is absolutely impossible to progress according to this kind of concept.

Precisely because Su Zhou knew that he was just a free-willed Evil-Devouring Demon Lord, he understood that if he really wanted to make all the evil in this world disappear, and make goodness and love, correctness and progress pervade every corner of the heavens and the earth, then not everyone could be an Evil-Devouring Demon Lord, not everyone could be free-willed.

There must be a standard, a guideline.

A… [Correctness].

"And what is my correctness?"

Muttering so, Su Zhou shook his head indifferently: "It's not too late to slowly find this kind of thing, anyway I have already realized my mistake—failure is the mother of success, similarly, if I can't realize my mistake, it's impossible for me to find the correctness."

"Isn't that right, Yala?"

"Yes."

And at this time, the scarlet snake spirit appeared on the youth's shoulder at some point.

He nodded in satisfaction at this time, and praised:

"Just like back then, when you first awakened the [Evil-Devouring Demon Lord] divine power, you accepted that you were an evil person so quickly… you are still the same now, and you can still accept your mistakes so quickly."

Yala replied with a chuckle, He was filled with emotion: "Precisely because of this, precisely because of your nature, so, you are being watched by many Great Existences. The Lonely Lord, Fate, the Vanguard, and even me, are all like this."

"But They are all wrong, Yala, including you."

To this, Su Zhou replied calmly: "At least not completely correct, and I'm afraid I can't find the 'completely correct' path either."

"Yes, and, I am different from Them. They want to make you become Them."

Saying this, coiled on Su Zhou's shoulder, Yala shook his head slightly: "And I, only want to make you become you."

"Very good, next, it's time to take action—the plan remains unchanged, I want to go find Elias first, and ask what the hell is going on in this world, how he designed the order."

"And then ask this kid, how exactly did he create such a Lord of Judgment."

At this moment, after hearing Su Zhou frankly admit 'I was wrong', Aemon had been in a state of bewilderment.

"God, admits that he is wrong?"

He was somewhat at a loss, as if he had heard something incredible.

"How could it be? If God is not correct, then the Divine Precepts, faith, and even everything we have, could it all be wrong?"

He found this concept difficult to understand. Believers have always found this kind of thing difficult to understand.

So, Aemon stared blankly at the Lord laughing loudly, talking to himself, staring at a scarlet little snake suddenly appearing on the Lord's shoulder, staring at the Lord untying the Wind Clan girl from the cross behind him, and then letting her float in mid-air, following behind him.

And finally, he saw that the Lord raised his hand to him, making a gesture to 'come over'.

"What are you waiting for, Aemon."

He heard the Lord say so: "Walk with me—if you are willing, willing to follow me, a God who makes mistakes."

"Then come along."

He didn't speak.

The gray-haired divine official's expression gradually changed from bewilderment to relief, and from relief to calm.

Immediately afterwards, it changed from calm to firm.

Then, he raised his footsteps, stepped forward, and gradually accelerated.

Aemon followed behind that figure.

"The Lord is not correct."

He thought so in his heart. As if something was shattering, like a pillar in his heart suddenly collapsing, suddenly disappearing.

However, another peculiar feeling welled up from the deepest part of his heart, turning into a brand-new pillar.

"But… so what?"

At least, he could already confirm the Lord's goodness, the Lord's power, the Lord's beliefs, and the Lord's will to admit his mistakes.

These were all real things.

And the questioner will always follow behind the incorrect.

The witness, waits.

He becomes correct one day.

--At the same time, along the coast of Cheerful Sea.

Just as the Sunset City Judgment Day ended.

A pirate ship with a strange flag was slowly sailing in the wind and waves.

Ah, the early foreshadowing of the plot is over, alas, it was written a bit long, but I sped up the explosive updates to finish it, and didn't drag it on for too long.

Although it's a bit late, this is yesterday's third update.