"It is my fault, A-Ancestor..." Yuldra Alstreim looked at Ancestor Dian Alstreim as she spoke, still sobbing for her son even while the fear of death was still present in her heart.
Everybody looked at Yuldra Alstreim’s confession, and Daniuis Alstreim frowned.
That was all it took for her to admit it? He felt skeptical, but he still watched while his eyes were narrowed in scrutiny. He hated this woman and her son, and that hatred was nothing but bone-deep.
Ancestor Dian Alstreim amicably nodded his head, indicating for her to continue.
Yuldra Alstreim sniffled, and despite her grandfather’s silent protest that was still directed at her with hopeful and pleading eyes, she still opened her lips.
"I was the one who used my grandfather to my advantage. I made him contact Disciplinary Hall Elder Jaxon and used them to hide my son’s crimes. Furthermore, I was also the one who used grandfather to contact the Grand Elder of the Tripartite Alliance’s Alstreim Family Faction, telling him to ruin Daniuis Alstreim’s life."
"It was all my fault..." Yuldra Alstreim’s bosoms heaved as she still wept.
"Please let my son go..."
She went on her knees and shed tears as she clutched her necklace as if praying to the heavens or the person’s image that was etched on the necklace.
Davis pursed his lips before he lightly shook his head. It was the case of an overprotective mother who would go even far as to overlook the crimes of her child and shower that child with much love as possible.
Honestly, he felt that Luth Alstreim didn’t deserve such a mother. Perhaps, if Luth Alstreim was an upright, talented, and skillful man, Yuldra Alstreim would’ve been the happiest mother right now.
However, reality ordained that Luth Alstreim was a scum, bringing dishonor to his mother with his disgusting deeds. In the end, all that motherly love seemed to be spent on absolute trash.
However, Davis digressed.
Parental love was like this, sometimes selfless and all-encompassing, even if children were in the wrong. In the future, if his own children were to commit a heinous crime, would he punish them or protect them?
Davis felt that he would punish them, but would he actually be able to do that when push comes to shove?
He didn’t possess the answer to that as he had no children right now, and furthermore, he was a selfish prick who liked to prioritize himself and his people.
Ancestor Dian Alstreim possessed a blank expression on his face. It was unknown what he thought as the hall became silent, but he finally opened his mouth.
"Luth Alstreim, as per his the crimes listed on his head, will be sentenced to two hundred years of imprisonment in the Lower Dungeon, receiving a hundred flails each day."
"Yuldra Alstreim, as the one who orchestrated the cover-up and blindly encouraged her prodigal son, will be sentenced to five hundred years of imprisonment in the Nishia City Women’s Spirit Stone Mine, have her cultivation base sealed partially, and will work twenty hours a day, mining High-Level Spirit Stones for the family."
"Runnim Alstreim will have his Elder position stripped, his cultivation base sealed partially and also be sentenced to two thousand years of imprisonment, mining Peak-Level Spirit Stones in the Peak-Level Spirit Stone Mine near Nishia City for the same duration per day."
Yuldra Alstreim and Runnim Alstreim’s mouth turned agape, and their expressions became aghast as they heard their sentences. Although it didn’t claim their life, the sentences hammered on their head were still enough to deplete one-third of their remaining lives.
"I assume that there is no objection to my verdict?" Ancestor Dian Alstreim looked at Daniuis.
Yuldra Alstreim and Runnim Alstreim started to shake their heads in disbelief.
Ancestor Dian Alstreim’s meaning was exact. He was not asking for their opinion.
"Ahhhh!"
Yuldra Alstreim broke down, shedding tears while looking at her son.
How would her son be able to endure a hundred flails each day? How would he be able to endure that for two hundred years?
Even now, she didn’t think of her own sentence and rather worried about her son, who displayed no reaction since he was still unconscious.
On the other hand, Runnim Alstreim increasingly trembled. His eyes revealed hatred that he never possessed before as he looked at his granddaughter and great-grandson, Yuldra Alstreim and Luth Alstreim. He wished so much that he could rip them apart to pieces with his own hands.
He wished that he hadn’t listened to them and bribed the Disciplinary Hall Elder, as well as bribing the Tripartite Alliance’s Alstreim Family Faction’s Grand Elder.
Nothing would’ve happened if he just did his job as an Elder and disciplined them according to the family rules!
"You ungrateful mother and son!" He spat out from his teeth as he grunted in hatred.
However, he understood that any words said now would be used against him to extend his sentence. He kept his mouth shut, but from the impending imprisonment awaiting him, he started to leak blood from his mouth. The circulation of his energy became chaotic because of the helplessness and internally injured him.
Daniuis looked taken aback. But even though disbelief was still apparent on his face, he became excited that he got justice at the next moment! It was something he didn’t expect at all when he came here!
Instead, he felt that it wouldn’t be surprising if he got arrested instead. Perhaps, it was because of the Ancestor’s presence; no one dared to act as if they owned the Alstreim Family and dared to be against him.
As for the verdict, he was enormously satisfied.
Two hundred years, five hundred years, and two thousand years! What kind of time period is that!?
Even he had only lived for around two hundred years. It is simply nothing short of immense suffering! Perhaps, at one point, they would think that it is better to die than live.
However, he possessed a confused expression on his face.
"Are you wondering why the punishment duration is differing for each other when they are all in this together?" Ancestor Dian Alstreim asked.
Daniuis possessed another question in mind, but he still nodded his head.
"Although it is partly because of their difference in cultivation bases that has given them a differing lifespan, none of this would’ve happened if the elders had disciplined their juniors. Instead, the elders themselves support these kinds of actions themselves and resort to nepotism is some cases."
"It is common for the younger generation to err, and the parents and grandparents have to let them walk in the right path. None of this would’ve happened if Runnim Alstreim disciplined his descendants from continuing their wrongs, but he didn’t and even supported them."
"Hence, without Runnim Alstreim, nothing of tragedy would’ve befallen you even if Yuldra Alstreim possessed hatred against you for crippling her son’s future. With this logic in mind, I made it so that Runnim Alstreim spends two thousand years instead of a thousand years, redeeming himself while working for the family."
’So that’s how it is...’ Daniuis nodded his head, and just before he could ask the question he had in mind, it got answered.
"As for the last person who I have yet to give a verdict..." Ancestor Dian Alstreim rubbed his chin before he moved his mouth.
"A Disciplinary Hall Elder possesses a greater position to punish others and the right to detain suspicious individuals. It is unthinkable for them to become corrupt and wrong in their duty. The only time we can forgive them is if they had made a mistake for the first time."
"Krax Alstreim, capture Disciplinary Hall Elder Jaxon Alstreim, and if his degradation in his duties just wasn’t once, execute him."
"As you command, revered Ancestor." Grand Elder Krax Alstreim bowed.