1 Chapter 1: Punishment

Chapter 1: Punishment

300 years ago, the General of the Demon Slaying department committed a deadly fault.

He had killed nearly ten thousand people in a day.

He wouldn't have stopped if the other gods didn't come by.

He pleaded to the Jade Emperor, begging for his life to be taken away.

He didn't think that he deserved to stay alive. Even if he did, the guilt in him wouldn't want him to be alive.

However, the Jade Emperor took a glance at him, shook his head silently and announced.

"You'll be sentenced to 300 years in isolation. Afterwards, another punishment awaits you."

With a swing of his expansive gold sleeves, the Emperor turned and left.

The helpless god was left in tears, wondering why he was given such a sentence.

A sentence that didn't fit his crime.

=

Three hundred years later, a man dressed in white robes stepped out of a grey building.

He stretched his body, feeling the warmth of the sun on his cold skin as a small smile crept up his face.

Freedom.

Well, not entirely but it was definitely better than being enclosed in a room alone for years.

Two Celestial Guards escorted him towards his final venue, where he would be finishing up his sentence. Along the way, they passed by the Celestial Hall, the heart of Heaven where many gods would gather daily to receive their duties for the day.

Lin He's crime had become a 'legend' among the gods and naturally, his presence earned him some stares and chatters. Almost instantly, he became the talk of the town as he felt eyes all over him and heard his name slip off their tongues passionately.

"It's Lin He, right? The god who caused the wipe out of several towns in the mortal realm."

"Why is he still a god? If I were him, I would have destroyed myself out of shame and guilt!"

Hah. Lin He had once thought of doing that but he was caught almost immediately. The Jade Emperor then casted a spell on him to prevent him from self-destruction.

"Being alive is the only way you can ever, ever make up for the lives lost because of you." The Jade Emperor said that to him after he decided to kill himself from the tremendous guilt that was suffocating him every day.

From then on, he understood what it was like for a person who wished to be dead to continue to be alive.

Eternal suffering.

Maybe that was the real punishment the Jade Emperor had given him.

"Pft, as if he even knows what shame and guilt means! Do you know how he ascended to Heaven? He killed his own Father!"

"What? That's horrible! Why did the Jade Emperor even allow such a person to become a god?"

The chatters faded into silence when the crowd noticed how Lin He had stopped in his tracks to look at them, his face holding a stoic expression.

Hah… his father, the king who murdered his own people. What would have happened if he hadn't killed his father and ascended?

It was the only thought lingering in his mind as he stared at the gods, who were pretending to go about in their days after getting caught talking about him.

"Lin He!" A familiar voice called out to him, catching his attention instantly.

A small smile descended on his face as he caught sight of the voice's owner waving at him from a distance.

It had been a while since he saw his best friend. After he was locked up, no one was allowed to see him and he was completely deprived of socialization. The sight of a familiar face reminded him that he wasn't alone in this vast Heaven after all.

"Wei Yong!" He greeted his friend excitedly before giving him a pat on his back. "It's been a while."

"It has, indeed." Wei Yong answered with a bright smile on his face. "Oh, and I have good news for you!" He chirped happily before looking at his friend, his eyes filled with excitement.

Lin He looked at his friend curiously. "What is it?"

Wei Yong clasped his hands together tightly and beamed. "I have obtained permission from the Jade Emperor to be the one overseeing your sentence in the mortal realm!" He gave Lin He a nudge on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

Lin He smiled softly at his friend and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thank you, Wei Yong."

The gods in Heaven were keeping a close eye on how Lin He would carry out the rest of his sentence in the mortal realm, ready to drag him down further if he ever made another mistake. To them, he was a black stain in a sea of white, a disgrace to the whole of Heaven. It was shocking to them when the Jade Emperor did not banish Lin He immediately, but gave him a sentence instead. However, Lin He wasn't really bothered by their comments and thoughts. He had gotten over them years ago when some mischievous gods would turn up near his cell and shout nasty things about him out loud. Now, he's just an empty vessel - nothing could really bother him as much as his mistakes did.

"Let's go. There are a lot of things I have to inform you about before you leave." Wei Yong said as he threw an arm around his friend.

=

Wei Yong helped Lin He gathered some clothes and money for his long trip in the mortal realm. For this journey, Lin He has to take on a mortal body, a form where his godhood was sealed away, to descend into the mortal realm. He would now possess a body that's akin to a mortal - he could get injured and fall ill yet he possessed immortality. This was the criteria set by the Jade Emperor for Lin He to continue his punishment.

Or to put it nicely, to continue his 'mission', as Wei Yong would call it.

"So, for the remaining part of your mission, the Jade Emperor had specifically asked that you answer the prayers of ten thousand people. The Jade Emperor had tasked the Celestial Court to give you some prayers to answer. You are to help those that the Celestial Court has assigned to you and you'll know it when you see them. Remember, when you hear three rings from the bell, that's the person you are to provide aid. Lin He? Lin He! Are you listening to me?"

Wei Yong trailed behind the taller male, his arms hugging onto a bulky bag filled with things he had packed for his friend. Lin He, on the other hand, had been listening to his non-stop reminders for so long that could vomit out word for word the things Wei Yong had been repeating to him.

The duo finally arrived at the Portal to the Mortal Realm after a series of nagging from Wei Yong about how Lin He should take care of himself properly while he was down there.

Wei Yong smiled at his friend once again. Although he was trying to keep the mood light-hearted around Lin He, Lin He could clearly see the hint of sadness behind his friend's smile.

"The prayers you are going to receive are likely related to demon slaying. The demons are causing havoc like always." Wei Yong said with a sigh while rubbing his temple. "Although it might be inappropriate to say this, thankfully you were a Slayer when you were a mortal. I mean, even when you are a god, you've done a lot of demon things so that would definitely be helpful. I'm sure all of this will end quickly." Wei Yong added before passing a bag of belongings to Lin He.

"Thanks, Wei Yong." Lin He said as he strapped the bag behind him. "Oh, and sorry if this is late but congrats on being part of the Elders. I overheard the guards talking about it earlier on."

Wei Yong flashed a bashful smile before scratching his head. "Thanks. Oh! If you need help, use the mirror I've left in your bag to communicate with me. I've placed a communication spell on it. Just in case of an emergency."

Lin He gave a nod and smiled at his friend.

Wei Yong has been his guide and best friend from the moment he first stepped foot into the Celestial Palace, teaching and helping him around when he first ascended as a god. He knew how much Wei Yong yearned to be part of the Elders, a group of gods who work with the Jade Emperor to oversee all matters in the realms. Their main purpose was one thing: to ensure peace and order across the three realms - Heaven, Mortal and Hell. To be a part of the Elders was a dream come true for Wei Yong, since he had a huge admiration for the Jade Emperor.

And Lin He truly believed his best friend deserved it, after all the hard work he had put in.

"I'll visit you whenever I can!" Wei Yong said before giving his friend a tight hug.

After bidding goodbye to Wei Yong, Lin He was led to the gates by one of the guards in-charge of the Portal to the Mortal Realm. One step into the blue portal and Lin He walked down to the mortal realm immediately.

Lin He then began his journey. According to Wei Yong's small intel, the Celestial Court would be assigning him prayers at random and specifically from the mortals within his vicinity. Hence, his friend had suggested for him to head for Prayer City, a sacred city built in the last century where people would travel for days to pray at the numerous temples there. It might be a great spot where Lin He could get prayers quickly.

=

It has been almost two weeks since Lin He first descended into the mortal realm. Since then, he had answered the prayers of three mortals successfully. However, things were not what he had anticipated.

He was expecting some tough jobs like saving mortals from the grasps of vicious demons or fighting thugs and robbers - something that sounded tough and tiring. But all he got was either helping an old grandma find her missing chickens or helping a child find the strongest cricket for his cricket war against his friends.

Lin He couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed. He was expecting a lot more for his punishment, something that was… more fitting to fit for his crime. Instead, he got a lot of simple tasks.

Was the Jade Emperor pulling a prank on him?

Lin He ended up taking a rest at a tavern after a long day of looking for the 'best cricket' in the grass fields for the young boy and his friends. He became well-known overnight after the young boy's new cricket won the cricket war and emerged as a winner. His body felt like he had been bruised all over his back and legs, throbbing in soreness and pain. It has been way too long since he had done any form of strenuous physical activity.

"Hey, excuse me, mister." Lin He called upon the waiter who had served him his food. "Do you know where Prayer City is?"

The waiter gazed up and down at Lin He, noting how he had his luggage and a sword with him before breaking into a smile. "Are you a Slayer?"

"How do you know?" He asked, surprised by the waiter's good observation skills.

"Of course I know! Many Slayers always wander around with a sword in their hand and a bag across their back. That's exactly you right now, isn't it." He chuckled, tossing the table cloth on his shoulder. "So, are you a Slayer heading for the Slayers' Gathering at Prayer City?"

Lin He looked at the waiter, his brows raised slightly upon hearing the news. Prayer City was a rather new place to him, since it didn't exist during his time. While Slayers' Gathering… he hadn't heard of one before.

Maybe it was the same as the one he had attended in the past - the Exchange Ritual, where Slayers from different Sect swapped students for a day to learn new things from each other.

Lin He gave a small nod at the waiter.

"I heard there's going to be a huge rite a few months from now. However, some powerful demons had appeared in that vicinity recently and many Sects would be there to protect the people during the huge rite. If you want to meet up with your Sect there, I'll advise you to start making your way to Prayer City soon." The waiter said before giving a small bow and left to carry on his job.

A huge rite? That sounds like a lot of prayers for Lin He to answer.