only god

Chapter 561 The Pain of Reason
After wandering for nearly 20 years, Jon finally found the source of the so-called family curse. He could finally return to his hometown, overturn all the false accusations against him, and lead a clean life.

In the early morning, the sun slowly emerged from the horizon, and the world in front of him ushered in dawn.

On the day of saying goodbye, Jon, who was holding the donkey, kept crying. The nobles didn't understand why he was so sad, so they comforted him and sent blessings one after another.

In this way, Jon embarked on the road back to his hometown. Although he still had to evade pursuit along the way, his mood had never been so happy. Even after so many years of living in the open, everything was worth it. Not only would he regain his With the new life, the family curse that has been troubled for many years will also be broken.

There is no word to describe how excited Jon was. On the way back home, at night, when there was no one around, he yelled like crazy, like an ape, and the strong wind on the hillside carried his cry. If you go to an extremely far away place, no matter how good the wild horse is at running wildly, you will not be able to catch up.

After yelling, he knelt on the ground and thanked fate from the bottom of his heart for finally returning his innocence. Early the next morning, he even risked being arrested and went to the temple. Offerings were offered to various gods.

Every day on the road back to his hometown, Jon looked forward to flying home immediately. He missed the smelly stables, the hungry hounds, the knights who were keen on fighting, the hard-working citizens, and the people in the temple. There are statues of gods surrounded by flowers and steps that have been worn by time.

He even missed his brother and the priest, even though they had persecuted him, but after so many years, Jon's edges had been smoothed away, and the anger of the past had long since disappeared, replaced by endless nostalgia.

Jon didn't hate his brother and the priest. With his current appearance, there was no hatred. Being able to recover his innocence was already a blessing from the gods.

The journey back home is not long, only about three or four months, but for Jon who can't wait to return to his hometown, it is like a year.

No matter how long the days passed, the road had to continue. After three or four months of waiting, Jon finally saw his hometown after more than ten years of absence. The tip of the castle was on the hillside at the other end.

"I'm finally back."

Jon muttered to himself, tears suddenly flowing out.

He wiped away his tears, rode his donkey, and hurriedly headed towards the castle. He met several familiar people along the way. He greeted them, but the latter looked at each other, feeling very strange that they did not know this person at all. A beggar-looking person.

Unknowingly, Jon finally arrived at the gate of the castle. The guards stopped him and questioned this unknown person.

"I'm here for Olo Murray! Let him come out to see me!"

Jon did not identify himself directly.

He was afraid that if he said who he was, he would be arrested.

The guards did not let him in, but they looked at me, then I looked at you, and finally they all turned their attention to Jon.

Jon noticed that the guards had strange looks in their eyes.

"what happened?"

Jon couldn't help but feel an ominous premonition.

"You said you were looking for Oluo Murray?

But that adult...is no longer alive. "

One of the guards spoke slowly.

Jon froze in place.

His brother...is no longer alive.

After reacting, Jon hurriedly said:

"So...where is Beluxel? Where is the priest Beluxel?"

Another guard replied,
"The priest returned to death a month ago.

You beggar, why are you asking these things? "

Hearing the news of the death of the two people one after another, Jon was suddenly struck by thunder, and his whole body froze in place, motionless.

In a state of confusion, he subconsciously said:

"I'm not a beggar...I'm Jon Murray...I'm Jon Murray..."

The people who framed him are all dead. Logically speaking, he should be happy and cheer that evil is rewarded.

But the problem is...

Those who falsely accused him are dead, and those involved are no longer alive, so he can't prove his innocence!

Everything has become unproven, those grievances have been completely confirmed, and there is no possibility of escape.

"Jon Murray, why is this name..."

The guard lowered his head and thought for a moment, then widened his eyes and said:
"That disobedient!"

This exclamation was like an arrow passing through the calm woods, startling countless birds. The guards all turned their heads, and Jon also reacted. He turned around and ran away.

But the guards would not give him a chance to escape. They held the spears in their hands and ran wildly before pushing Jon to the ground. No matter how hard Jon struggled, they did not let go.

"Let me go! Let me go!
I am not guilty, I am not a disobedient! "

Jon kept shouting, but no one paid attention to him. The guards held him firmly down, each one showing an ecstatic smile.

Quicksilver Priests hunt down fleeing disobedients everywhere, and promise generous rewards, not only a large amount of money, but also a leap in status.

If a commoner catches a disobedient, he will be granted knighthood. If a noble catches a disobedient, he will be granted more territory. If a serf catches a disobedient, he will be given a large area of ​​tax-free land.

No one was willing to listen to Jon's excuse. The guards were overwhelmed with joy. Who would have thought that a disobedient would fall into the trap himself? It was like gold delivered to his door.

On the night of the third day, the mercury priests came to the residence of the guards. Jon was finally arrested and was officially handed over to the hands of the mercury priests.

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Not every disobedient must be sentenced to death.

The punishment of disobedient people is determined by their specific crimes. However, most of the disobedient people have committed serious crimes such as murder, so mortals who do not know the truth think that all disobedient people will die.

Jon was one of them. He originally thought he would be sentenced to death, but in the end, he escaped death.

Priest Mercury hastily checked the local files and found that he had only committed two minor crimes. Even if he fled in fear of crime and the crime was increased to one degree, it would not be enough to execute him.As a result, Jon was sentenced to exile in the extremely cold land and guard the border fortresses and walls for his kingdom for 30 years.

In order to prevent the rebellious man from committing suicide in various ways in order to seek relief, the mercury priests not only cast a spell on him that prohibited suicide, but also extended his life for 40 years through rituals, striving to make him serve the full term of his sentence. The Mercury Priests are determined to root out the disobedient.

Soon after, Jon was pushed to the frontier, and the joy of surviving the disaster lingered in him.

Even though he knew that he had to guard the border for 30 years, he was filled with hope when he thought that in 30 years he would be innocent and free, and that he would have ten years of life in vain.

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Before going to the border, Jon sometimes thought that extending his life span by 40 years, being exiled to the border, and guarding the border might be a punishment that was too light for a disobedient.

Especially extending life span by 40 years, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like a punishment, but more like a reward.

Staying on the frontier for 30 years may be an extremely painful punishment for a nobleman who is used to a prosperous life and servant service. As the saying goes, it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. However, I have long been accustomed to it. He was forced to live a barren and miserable wandering life and was sent to the frontier. It was just a transition from frugality to frugality, from one barren star to another.

No matter how poor the border is, there is a bottom line, which is definitely better than wandering around.

Jon was confused and uneasy about this. Wasn't this... not achieving the purpose of punishment?
Would those mercury priests who were loyal to their duties and cold-faced and selfless really treat a disobedient so kindly?

While being escorted to the border, Jon was sometimes worried and sometimes thankful. As the wind and snow gradually appeared on the journey, Jon's worries became more and more intense for some reason. He always felt that things were not that simple.

There is a saying that ominous premonitions are often very effective.

When Jon was finally pushed to the far north border, he finally understood what it was like to wait for his punishment.

His duty on the border was to serve as a sentry at the beacon tower.

The beacon tower is not big, only a few dozen square meters. It is like a short and sturdy bunker, hidden in the wind and snow. Every seventh day, someone will come and bring a week's worth of meals and firewood for the daily use of the sentry. The sentry must light up the smoke every seven days as a rule to prove that he is still at the outpost.

Constant wind and snow, bad weather, and poor food are not the heaviest punishments.

The heaviest penalty is...

He was the only one on that beacon tower.

There are no books or musical instruments in the beacon tower. There are only training wooden figures, heating stoves, cold weapons, and simple shrines. There is no entertainment here, and it is reminiscent of the plains of sighs in the underworld.

This is a prison for one person.

Jon was stunned by the life in the beacon tower. He had just realized that extending life was not a reward, and the quicksilver priest would not treat a disobedient so kindly.

Extending lifespan is just for better punishment.

Even though he was terrified, at this point, Jon could only accept this punishment. At first, he was relieved that he only had to stay and endure for 30 years. Anyway, he was already used to being alone.

And after going out, he can still get ten years of life in vain. How many wise kings in history wanted to live for ten more years, but he easily got what they dreamed of.

In the first month he spent at Beacon Tower, Jon had a good time. He felt that he had worried too much before. Time passed faster than he imagined. Time flies. It won't be long before 30 years will fly by. fleeting.

During this period, although there was loneliness and boredom, Jon was a person who was very good at entertaining himself. He was very good at fantasizing and always imagined all kinds of weird stories in his mind. He felt that relying on his endless Imagination, don't say stay for 30 years, even if you stay for 300 years, there is no problem.

In addition to imagining, he can also practice wooden figures to hone his body, communicate with people who deliver supplies every seven days, and build snowmen in the wind and snow... As long as he is poor and happy enough, this beacon tower will There are countless things to do to pass the time.

This feeling lasted for about three months.

Three months later, loneliness gradually revealed its terrifying abilities.

In the cold wind and snow, Jon often sat in the room in a daze. In the first month, although he would also be in a daze, it was only an occasional thing. More often, he was full of energy and full of expectations for 30 years later.

But starting from the second month, his daze time became longer and longer, and the times became more and more frequent. He gradually felt that time passed slower and slower.

From time to time, he would climb to the highest point of the beacon tower and look at the cold land, amidst the ice and snow, covering a hundred miles in radius. Looking up, he could see not only no human beings, but also trees laden with snow, and no life at all.

Here, there is endless loneliness.

He tried to cheer up again, talking to himself crazily in the wind and snow. He began to use pain to stimulate himself, leaving himself covered with bruises. However, there was a time when the crazy talk to himself stopped, and there was a time when the bone-piercing pain became numb. In the sixth month, he no longer talked to himself or hurt himself. His consciousness was sometimes clear and sometimes chaotic.

Jon finally felt what it meant to live like a year.

In order to spend the day faster, Jon can only stay in bed all day long. He will sleep for fourteen hours at a time, just like some hibernating animals. Although he can sleep for fourteen hours, the rest of the day What about ten hours?How should he spend those ten torturous hours?

A year passed and Jon finally wanted to die.

He plucked up the courage and tried to commit suicide, but the forbidden spell cast by the mercury priest had an effect. No matter which way, he could not commit suicide. Now he just can't die!
Jon often wonders, how do those solitary animals spend their long lives?Aren't they lonely?

He hoped to live like an animal, but he found that he simply couldn't do it.

But humans are not animals. Human beings are rational, and they are much more rational than animals.

This isolation from the world,
It is the pain of reason.

Of course, animals can also be lonely, but if they can live by instinct, they will not feel the loneliness of being isolated from the world, but humans cannot do this.

He once wanted to entertain himself, and he once wanted to spend 30 years by constantly fantasizing in his mind and making up all kinds of weird stories.

Looking back now, this all seems so ridiculous.

People are limited,
The infinity of imagination is but an illusion,
Limited things will always run out.

He overestimated people's imagination and his own patience with loneliness.

At the beginning of the next spring, he couldn't stand the endless boredom and loneliness, and decided to escape from the beacon tower. Although he had no map and couldn't tell the direction, he couldn't escape at all, but he couldn't control that much.

After hasty preparations, Jon escaped, and as expected, he was captured just a month later. The Mercury Priests had already guessed that he would escape, so they laid a tracking mark early.

After he was caught after escaping, his punishment was also increased.

The mercury priests extended his life for another ten years, allowing him to live for 50 more years, and he would watch the beacon for a full 40 years...

(End of this chapter)