28 THE GREAT SNAKE CULT 7

Minutes late, when they are on their way back to their chamber. Empress Aucelen said

"Lam, there a something I cannot tell you in front of the other."

"what is it?" Emperor Lam asked.

"the man, Touton, from his memory I discovered, he hearing the whisperings." Empress Aucelen said

"well, considerate his master. That is no surprise." Emperor Lam said "tomorrow I'll inform the governor about his new fate, so what are you going to do with him? Have him take to your people tomorrow?"

"I may have to be examine the rest of the cultists first then I will decide." Empress Aucelen said "and Lam, if we about to hunt the monster, then how will we find it? You are the only one who saw it."

"well… actually, I only saw a glimpse when I breath fire at it." Emperor Lam scratching his head.

"can you describe it?" Empress Aucelen asked

"uh… I don't think I had saw all of it, but I can tell that it has an elongate, and scaly body, kind of… like a reptile, uhm… maybe it is some kind of really, really big snake and I think… what I saw maybe just its tail. Because I don't see any eyes or mouth." Emperor Lam said, and let out a long yawn. "oh well, it is too late already, I am craving for a comfortable bed and your warm right now."

"then wash off those mud first." Empress Aucelen said.

"oh, ha ha, I forgot" Emperor Lam smile, look at his muddy lower half "hey, would you mind wash me." He deviously grins.

Without a word, Empress Aucelen just sigh, then she walks into their chamber and proceed straight to the bed.

Morning the next day, while the sky still dark, the sun yet to rise and everyone still snugging in their warm bed. Empress Aucelen being woke up by footstep in their chamber, she opens her eyes and saw her husband was walking in circle the room, with his left hand stroking his beard.

"goodness Lam, not one of your reckless idea again." Empress Aucelen sigh

"huh? Oh! you awake. Well… I have an Idea." he sits down on the bed and say "the report said, before the mid-autumn festival last year, the cultist failed to kidnap someone right. And so a few days late, at mid-autumn festival, a young man got attacked by something in the river, that must be the monster. The cultist failed to bring a sacrifice to it so it follows the river to go hunting on its own. And now we just busted their sacrificial ritual, so now the monster must be hungry, maybe we let the cultist to do their ritual, with me as the offering. To lure the beast to us, then all we need is set up an ambush…" but with the "absolutely not" look, appeared all over his wife face Emperor Lam modify his idea "…alright maybe scratch the part with me as the offering then"

"and … if I use my dragon form it won't be much of a figh…." Emperor Lam stop in mid-sentence, like he realized he just said what he should not say in front of his wife.

"alright, alright, I'm sorry, no transformation then." Emperor Lam smile, holding Empress Aucelen hand comforting her, he can feel her usually warm hand had gone cold with fear for his wellbeing.

"alright, then how do you going to make do cultist to help you slay their holy beast." Empress Aucelen sigh.

"well, I think "keeping one's head" is motivating enough" Emperor Lam smile.

After breakfast they tell the city's governor to bring the cultist before them. And when Touton and his followers brought before them, Touton immediately start rambling on and on about the old gods, and call for the other to repent and reject the fault gods Quelas'Airuth and the Five. Ignoring him Emperor Lam offering the other cultist a deal. "help him slay the monster or the execution block.". Surprisingly they remain silent. But with her sharp Elvas eyes and ears, Empress Aucelen can detected a slight increase of sweat and heavy breathing in one of the cultist.

"Your Majesty, I think maybe the execution block is… too mercy for them, I think… to deserve their crime, maybe Dripping Boiling Oil or a method I heard from Chihan, what does they call it? "Burning Bronze Pile"? yes, that the name, they tied the convicted to a hollow bronze pile, then put charcoal in the pile and set fire to the charcoal, you can imagine the pain." Empress Aucelen said with a cold and almost sadistic voice. "how many families had lost their love one because of them for the past 2 years? let them suffer a little bit before they die." Empress Aucelen stare at them with her icy blue eyes.

"alright, good idea, lord governor." Emperor Lam turn to the governor.

"no, please, mercy Your Majesty." A young cultist yelled.

"silent, do not give in to their threatening. Strengthen your faith, do not falter. The old gods will grant you great reward in the afterlife" Touton yelled as his follower.

"fool of an emperor, if you dare lay harm to the holy beast of the old gods, their wrath will rain down on your empire in form of unthinkable calamities. You willing to put your subjects through that kind of suffering for your fault gods?" Touton said

"yes, yes, old gods this and old gods that. I had done is one already, and they don't seem to mind." Emperor Lam said "I tired of your insults and blasphemies already, lord governor." Emperor Lam signal the governor to take the rest of the cultist back to their cell, leave behind the one that beg for merci. That young cultist stated his name is "Tsun Lin" an immigrant from Chihan, came here to seek a new life, but after failing to keep a stable job due to his gambling habit, he turns to crime, quickly became lackey for Touton. After an hour of persuasion and reassuring, Tsun Lin finally give in and agreed to help them slay the monster. From Stun Lin testimony, the Elvas ruin in the swamp is being use as a sacrificial site while they gathering at a small temple just outside the city walls. And so while the city's governor crack down on the remain hidden cultist, Empress Aucelen starting to mental examine the cultist that they had caught at the ruin and those who being rough up by the governor, to determine if anyone else of them hearing "the whisperings", thankfully there is none. After a public court session, all the cultists except of Touton and Tsun Lin had all being charged guilty of multi kidnaps, multi murders, evil worship, disturb public order and public safety and all of them was sentenced to death by hanging.

Moreover, Empress Aucelen also order men to track down Touton's two daughter. When they being present before Emperor Lam and Empress Aucelen, and learned who had brought their freedom the girls cry their eyes out, and kept kowtowing to Empress Aucelen to show their gratitude. But when they asking for their farther and their infant brother, Empress Aucelen have no heart to have them learn the degenerate state of their father and the cruel fate of their infant brother. So Empress Aucelen lie that their father had been executed with the rest of the cultists to pay for his crime, and their infant brother had die of tuberculosis not long after their father sold them to the brothel. Of course the girls are heartbroken. Oh, how cruel fate had submitted them to this tragedy in such young age. Pity for their fate, Emperor Lam took them in and have them stay at the servant's quarter of the Varlann Imperial Palace, there they will have a comfort life for the time being, until Emperor Lam had men to contact with the girl's grandparent, then he will have them return home safely.