Chapter 866 – I Can Stand a Little Higher (2/2)

Even now, he did not even glance at the magistrate.

The magistrate's complexion fluctuated for a few moments, but he finally raised the front of his official's gown and prostrated.

Xiao Zhang did not kneel, as he didn't have the strength. Of course, even if he were brimming with strength, he would not kneel to Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng had been the Pope for three years now. His prestige on the continent had risen higher and higher, especially with his recent reappearance and the matter of the Cinnabar Pill.

In Xiao Zhang's eyes, he was still that talented youth with a tough-enough personality that he met in Xunyang City, but also just as boring and uninteresting as Wang Po.

In brief, he saw Chen Changsheng as a junior, so why should he kneel?

Xiao Zhang asked, ”How did you turn up here?”

Chen Changsheng replied, ”I just happened to be passing by.”

This was naturally an excuse. Nobody would believe it.

Xiao Zhang asked, ”What do you want to do?”

Chen Changsheng answered, ”I want to pardon your crimes.”

After saying this, he raised the Divine Staff.

All that was needed now was for Xiao Zhang to kneel, and then he would use the top end of the Divine Staff to lightly touch Xiao Zhang's head thrice, and the pardoning ceremony would be complete.

”Hold!” The magistrate suppressed the fear in his heart and asked in a trembling voice, ”When was the Li Palace able to involve itself in matters of the court?”

According to the laws of the Great Zhou and a few old and unwritten rules, the Li Palace normally did not involve itself in political affairs.

Chen Changsheng finally glanced at the magistrate, but still he did not speak to him.

”According to the Memorial on Punishment of the Great Zhou Laws, other than for crimes of treason, His Holiness the Pope has the right of special pardon.”

Hu Thirty-Two had at some point arrived on the scene. He gave the magistrate an impassive look and said, ”Just what rank did you get in the Grand Examination that you don't even know this?”

The magistrate's face turned abnormally unsightly. He was familiar with the laws of both the church and the Great Zhou, and so he naturally knew that the Pope had the right of special pardon. However, the previous Pope had never used it once in his centuries of rule, so let alone him, even the dukes of the court had probably forgotten about it.

Those words he had said earlier had carried such force and vigor that they had seemed to make a sound when they struck the ground, and even now seemed to be echoing.

”You slaughter innocents. Not even ten thousand deaths would atone for your crimes.

”Thus, you are wicked beyond redemption.”

But not long after he had said those words, the Pope appeared and said that he wanted to pardon Xiao Zhang's crimes.

This was the special right of the Pope. 'Even if ten thousand deaths would not atone for your crimes, even if you are wicked beyond redemption, if I want to pardon you, you are free of sin.'

Tang Thirty-Six had also arrived. Pointing at those blue-clothed Daoists, he said, ”If the Orthodoxy cannot involve itself in matters of the court, why do these Daoists of the Monastery of Eternal Spring dare to kill someone on the street? My lord magistrate, shouldn't you have these people arrested and sent to prison first?”

The blue-clothed Daoists appeared unaffected, but the magistrate's complexion continued to worsen.

At this moment, Xiao Zhang suddenly said, ”I certainly won't kneel to you.”

If he refused to kneel, how could the ceremony of pardon be completed?

No one could have expected that just as the matter seemed about to resolve itself, a new problem would appear.

Tang Thirty-Six was prepared to say a few harsh words to Xiao Zhang, but was stopped by Chen Changsheng.

”I can just stand a little higher.”

Chen Changsheng walked up a few steps, then turned around.

He was now a few steps higher than Xiao Zhang, at just the right height.

Without any need for Xiao Zhang to kneel, he could raise the Divine Staff, stretch it level like a ruler and touch Xiao Zhang's head.

Without any sound, the tip of the Divine Staff lightly touched Xiao Zhang's head thrice, completing the ceremony.

From start to finish, Xiao Zhang said nothing, and no one could see what his expression was beneath the white paper. Was he astonished or furious?

After a while, he rubbed his head and said, ”A little itchy.”