Across the country, people gathered in their city plazas, where they saw a group bound with special ropes and displayed on a wooden stage. There were people wearing government and army clothes at their sides, holding sharp wooden swords. Their expressions were cold and aloof, ignoring the calls from those bound by ropes. 

The people below spoke to each other, confused as to what was happening. 

“I could hear anger in the voice of Lady Heavenly Willow. I guess these people messed up badly.”

“Yeah. Didn’t you listen properly? They somehow dared to mess with Lady Heavenly Willow’s children.” 

“They messed up enough to be called for execution. I guess we will hear about it now.” 

“Public execution… Isn’t that a bit barbaric?”

“What do you know? If people didn’t mess up, why would they be executed?”

“What if the crime is not as bad as they made it seem? They might abuse this and kill us all!”

“Are you all lacking in brain development? Why would a World Tree even bother with us? She will be alive long after your great-grandchildren die. For Lady Heavenly Willow, we are nothing. Please stop judging Lady Heavenly Willow’s actions by our standards.” 

Some clashing opinions collided in the crowd, but it didn’t escalate to the point of creating significant conflicts. When the sun was high in the sky, the representative on each plaza spoke while holding a paper with a prepared speech.

“Today, we’ve gathered everyone to reveal many things. With these revelations, we also ask everyone not to panic and to think about the implications of their future actions slowly.”

Everyone stopped speaking and listened quietly. 

“For the last thousands of years, Ceperet has been part of a global, lasting war. That changed after Lady Heavenly Willow bloomed and her canopy reached for the sky. With her unmatched strength, Lady Heavenly Willow spread her roots with unstoppable momentum and stopped the war that had taken innumerable lives across millennia of history.”    

Those listening remembered their family members who were lost during the conflicts. The number of affected was so high that almost everyone had a story. It wasn’t a rare thing for a child to be parentless, for a woman or man to be widowed, or for people to have mental scars from participating in the conflicts.

“With the fall of the Abyssal Void Nexus, the world has welcomed Tianlian Liu Shu, the Heavenly Willow, as the True World Tree. Some of you might think that the Azure Rose Confederation, the Celestial Lotus Empire, and the Verdant Sanctity Covenant might oppose this statement and declare war on us.” 

Many frowned, agreeing with that statement. Declaring such a thing so openly was bound to make enemies. But the speakers didn’t meet those expectations.

“Now I tell you, without a single shred of exaggeration or doubt, that those ideas are wrong. Lady Azure Rose, Lady Celestial Lotus, and Lady Verdant Skyflower regard Lady Heavenly Willow as the true ruler of the world.”

A commotion spread through the crowds gathered throughout the country. Some didn’t believe it, some exclaimed with joy, and others felt confusion as to why they would give up easily. For those confused, the following words cleared many of their doubts. 

“Sadly, while this is a matter of celebration, it is not a statement that should bring us relief. Instead, it is the beginning of the true struggle ahead of us.” The speakers spoke with a firm expression, their tones frank and direct. “After unifying the World, that will expose us to a broader stage. Today is the day that all of you, who have been blinded by the width of the pond we live in, truly look up and see the vastness of the sky. Beyond our Ceperet World, there are many other worlds with intelligent life in them.”   The source of thɪs content is N()velFire.net

When the statement spread out from the speaker, almost everyone’s eyes opened wide. Even those bound by the ropes on the stage looked at the speakers with surprise. Not because they didn’t know, but because they were surprised that even while knowing, they dared to act against them! 

The speakers didn’t care about the gazes and continued. “We, as people from Ceperet, should be united from now on. Anyone attempting to instigate inner turmoil will be considered a traitor and judged accordingly. Of course, anyone we dare point our fingers at and call a traitor won’t be executed without evidence. From now on, we swear to openly tell the public the reasons for punishments related to treason, so that we never abuse this loose yet powerful term. You will all know exactly what each person condemned as a traitor has done and how they will be punished.” 

This was not something that a country with an absolute ruler should do. Usually, this gave the public an idea that they could challenge said absolute authority. However, Liu Shu didn’t care. As a World Tree, she was not a passing rule, but a permanent one. Her lifespan was nearly endless in comparison with other beings, so there was no chance to lose certain values as generations passed.

The limitation with honest rulers was that, as time passed and generations took over different positions, corrupt ideas would inevitably flourish. Nevertheless, with the very top remaining uncorruptible, those at the bottom who became crooked would be struck down and pruned from the system. 

This was a calculated risk, taken because the nature of a World Tree could make it possible, even if idealized. Of course, Liu Shu didn’t doubt that some problems might arise from it, but she also knew that most of the Arborarchy would work with determination and loyalty with the single goal of making the Golden Sap Arborarchy grow.

After the declaration, the speakers began explaining the crimes of each person bound, using the evidence Liu Shu had gathered over the last week to substantiate their charges. 

“First Traitor’s Personal Information is…”

“Charges are the following: Using deception, he colluded with traitors who wanted to take over the Golden Sap City’s government. For that, he helped create an array that blocked the <Lignified Tree>’s ability to communicate with Lady Heavenly Willow, her mother. Sentence: Death.”

SLASH!

Thud.

A head flew off, and the body fell forward, blood splashing on the ground. The soldier behind the bound person didn’t even flinch while he swung his sword horizontally, moving two steps to the right behind the next bound person. 

The speaker ignored the blood that splashed on his pants and stepped to the side as well, reading out the charges against the next person.

“Second Traitor’s…”

“Charges are the following: He knowingly provided materials to construct the muting array formation that bound the <Lignified Tree>. Additionally, he swore allegiance to the Explorer Association before the Golden Sap Arborarchy. Sentence: Death.”

SLASH!

Thud.

“Third traitor… She helped in designing part of the secret paths inside the <Lignified Tree>, ignoring the proper protocols. Even after knowing that the modifications were being done unlawfully, she never reported it. Sentence: Death.”

SLASH!

Thud.

“Fourth traitor…”

SLASH!

Thud.

“Fifth traitor…”

SLASH!

Thud.

SLASH!

Thud.

SLASH!

Thud.

SLASH!

Thud.

…

As heads flew one after another, the people spectating became numb. Their hearts were full of fear, because some of the charges were not that heavy. There were some people who were decapitated for just knowing about the secret passages and never reporting them.

“Thirty-seventh and last traitor of our current branch. His personal information is…”

“Charges are the following: He, in a fit, injured the <Lignified Tree>. Sentence: Death.”

The bound man shouted. “You lunatics! How can you kill someone just because I injured a tree!? Are you all crazy!? This is abuse of power, you insane monsters!”

The speaker looked at the person speaking and spoke coldly. “Every single <Lignified Tree> is a child of Lady Heavenly Willow. They are, by birthright, creatures with potential without equal and importance incomparable to any other creature.” 

He added. “Moreover, all <Lignified Trees> serve our civilization as our cottage, as our home, as the house we return to and take care of us. There has not been a single person complaining of being abused by their house in the several decades of the existence of the Golden Sap City.”

His cold tone gained a touch of anger as his tone was coated with fierceness. “Such gentle creatures, who even understand that some people are just venting when pounding their walls and furniture, complained. A being whose first instinct is not to be resentful but to take care of the people living within them…. Complained about abuse! You filth!” 

The last few sentences were almost yelled at the top of the speaker’s lungs, as his face was wrapped in anger. Who in Liu Shu’s empire has not been comforted by their house? Preparing tea, using their inner branches to gently tuck them to sleep, hearing their complaints, and much more. 

Each <Lignified Tree> had hardcoded in its genetic behavior its existence as a place of rest and calm for its inhabitants. When a creature like that complained, the chances that it was making up things because it didn’t like an individual were virtually zero. 

The speaker didn’t give that person the chance to speak, as he repeated loudly. “Sentence: DEATH!”

SLASH!

The guard behind that man didn’t decapitate him this time around, but bisected him from bottom up. The two halves fell in different directions, splashing the place with the man’s entrails. Regardless, there was not a single shred of pity on the people standing on the platform. 

Those observing from below felt a strange feeling of fear. There were quite a few people who had started treating their houses a bit roughly to vent stress. Only now did they realize that they had been lucky and ignorant.

It was true that the <Lignified> houses they lived in were understanding. So, you could mistakenly confuse them with pushovers when, in truth, they were just gentle and understanding. Many people made sure to remember this and go back and apologize.  

“Ant Workers, you can come up.”

Everyone lost in thought frowned and looked over. Seeing several ants moving from the sides and picking up the corpses, a few ideas sprang to their heads as to why they had come over. When those ants left in the direction of the nest entrance, everyone understood what would happen to those who died after being sentenced to death. ‘Ant food. Traitors become ant food.’  

After the ants cleaned up the stage, the speaker smiled at them. “Thank you for your work.” 

Then, he turned around to look at the public and spoke with a composed tone and cold eyes. “This concludes the executions in our district… except one. For this last execution, I will relegate the responsibility to the one and only, Song Muse Harmonixia Songtree.” 

Everyone felt a surge of surprise. Then, they looked to the sky and noticed a single woman floating down with ethereal grace. Her blue-purple shifting hair and eyes shimmered like amethysts and sapphires, while her tall stature and beauty eclipsed almost everyone present. 

Once her feet touched the ground, the light purple dress gently followed her descent, covering her shapely legs while emphasizing her wide and mouthwatering hips. 

The woman smiled and spoke to everyone, her melodic and pleasant voice as calming as a slow tune. “Thank you for coming. For our last execution, I will be the host. After all, this person is a bit special.”

Looking to the side, Harmonixia lifted her arm, and with the gesture, a red curtain flew to the sky. In the middle, they saw someone who was easily recognizable. 

“Is that… Lord Adam? How is that possible!?”

Adam was tied to a pole, ropes binding all his limbs and mouth. So, the only muffled sound that escaped him was his attempts at shouting. What he was trying to shout, Harmonixia didn’t know, nor did she care. 

“Personal Information: Adam Maier, 182 centimeters tall, male, human. He grew under the tutelage of the previous Golden Sap City Explorer Association Leader, Lord Wert. Following his steps and showing incredible promise, he rose to prominence and ruled over the Association with both intelligence and efficiency. Sadly…” 

Harmonixia ignored the man’s increasingly loud, muffled screams and smiled. “His crimes are even more severe than his accomplishments. He communicated with people from outside Ceperet and was the mastermind trying to take over all <Lignified Trees> that the Explorer Association controlled. He planned to create a separate influence that he could then use to suppress and control Lady Heavenly Willow.”

Harmonixia spoke ruefully. “His intentions were not to betray Lady Heavenly Willow, so he was able to keep his titles, and nobody noticed. After all, what he wanted was not Heavenly Willow’s demise, but ruling above her.” Harmonixia smiled. “That’s the highest treason and the most blasphemous thing you can do. Hence… Sentence: Fertilizer.”

Everyone’s hearts dropped to their stomachs, while Adam looked at Harmonixia with widened eyes. Then, after registering his sentence, he began thrashing without care for getting hurt by the ropes. “MMPH!! MMMPHHH!!”

A root appeared from the middle of the stage, a very familiar root for everyone in the city. Its sleek appearance and glowing blue veins were those of the Heavenly Willow. Looking up, everyone suddenly realized that the gargantuan World Tree was looking in their direction. This caused a chain reaction of almost everyone hitting their knees against the ground. 

Liu Shu spoke, her voice spreading throughout her domain thanks to her utilization of ternary essence and her root net. “What I ask of you, as my citizens, is not much. Just follow the rules and don’t betray me or the Arborarchy. I haven’t worked on the systems in place to make them convenient for the citizens, so you can ignore them and do as you please. This public execution was a warning… and a threat. Behave.” 

Then, Liu Shu dragged Adam underground and closed her eyes, returning to her peaceful self. 

Everyone couldn’t stand up right after, feeling the actual weight of consequence when living under a relatively active World Tree. 

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep