Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

"The government won’t handle it, so how can we, the gentry of Anhe City and scholars who have received the Emperor’s grace, simply stand by and do nothing? This action of ours was to eliminate a hidden threat! We were enacting Heaven’s justice for the peace and prosperity of the city’s people!"

"Yes, yes!" The portly young master beside him chimed in. "We were doing a good deed! Although... although our methods were a bit extreme, our intentions were good! Besides, according to Daqian Law, refugees are as worthless as weeds. And ’propriety does not extend to the commoner, nor punishment to the nobleman.’ We’re truly innocent!"

They spoke with such conviction, one might think they hadn’t just been murdering someone for sport, but had been conducting some kind of sacred ritual.

Listening to this, Su Ling’er was so infuriated she actually laughed.

What a fine "for the sake of peace."

What a fine "our intentions were good."

She looked at the pack of animals in scholars’ robes before her. They read the books of sages, wore the finest silks, and spoke of grand principles for family and nation.

But at their feet, a bloody, severed head lay with its eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace—a silent accusation against their so-called "grand principles."

They killed without reason, without consequence, and without even a shred of guilt.

Simply because of a flimsy piece of paper—a household registration—and a single phrase, "punishment does not extend to the nobleman," they could, with a clear conscience, classify their fellow man as no better than pigs or dogs. Then they could slaughter them for entertainment and even have the audacity to call it a meritorious deed!

How could these be called human? They were clearly monsters, clad in beautiful human skin, but with souls that had long since rotted and turned foul.

Wickedness was whitewashed as virtue by the rules, and brutality was packaged as justice by privilege...

Su Ling’er felt a chill creeping ever higher in her heart.

"Miss Su..." Zhang Ao was furtively watching her face, and as it grew livid, his heart sank. He had a feeling his explanation hadn’t been convincing.

He quickly switched tactics, beginning to kowtow frantically until his forehead bled. "Spare me, Miss Su! Spare my life! Even if we were in the wrong, our crime isn’t punishable by death!

"The righteous immortal sects have always made it their duty to slay demons, vanquish evil, and protect the common folk! Your sword, Miss Su, should be used to execute those wicked Demonic and Evil Cultivators, not pointed at mortals like us who are too weak to even truss a chicken!"

"Even if our actions were a little outrageous, that’s a matter for mortal law to handle! We haven’t broken any taboos of the immortal sects! We’re not demons, we’re not monsters—we’re innocent citizens!"

"If you kill us today, Miss Su, you’ll be slaughtering the innocent! You’ll be using an Immortal Technique to butcher mortals! Is... is that something a righteous cultivator would do?! The righteous sects have always been merciful and never kill the innocent without cause! We truly are innocent! We swear we’ll never do it again! We’ll go back and give porridge to the refugees! We’ll pay compensation! We’ll pay any amount!"

He was making a gamble.

He was staking his life on the limits of this so-called "righteous immortal’s" principles.

As long as she hesitated, as long as her hands were tied by the concept of the "righteous path," his life would be spared!

However—

"WHAT A LOAD OF SPIRALING, CURVING BULLSHIT!!" a furious roar exploded.

The nearby [Kill One Man in Ten Steps], fearing that the immortal might actually be persuaded, hopped on his feet, rushed in front of Su Ling’er, and pointed at Zhang Ao’s group, activating max-level instigator mode. "Miss Su! Don’t listen to their bullshit! This gang of Evil Cultivators is trying to trick you!"

"Innocent? Good citizens? I see right through them! They aren’t human at all! They’re a pack of Evil Cultivators in disguise!!"

His words stunned everyone present.

Zhang Ao was dumbfounded. "Huh? I... I’m an Evil Cultivator? How come I didn’t know?"

"Shut up! Of course you don’t know, you’ve been body-snatched! Vile Evil Cultivators, possessing an innocent member of the gentry!"

"I can see it clearly! The Demonic Qi in your bodies is surging to the heavens! The bodies of these original commoners were stolen by you long ago! Surrender at once and return the bodies of these innocent gentlemen! What, you still refuse? Sigh, there’s no other choice. Miss Su, please act quickly and grant these poor gentlemen release!"

Zhang Ao and his gaggle of young masters listened, utterly dumbfounded. They were completely stupefied.

’What... What is he even talking about?! Body-snatching? Evil Cultivators? Returning our bodies? These accusations are beyond ridiculous! This is a goddamn frame-up, pure and simple!’

"You... You’re spouting nonsense!" Zhang Ao trembled with rage, pointing at [Kill One Man in Ten Steps]. "I am the eldest young master of the Zhang Family! My father is Mr. Zhang! I’ve lived here my whole life! What body-snatching?! This is slander!"

He looked at Su Ling’er in terror, pinning his hopes on her wisdom to see through this crude fabrication.

But what he received was...

"In your eyes, your own kind without power are nothing but beasts. In my eyes, then—you, who lack a Spirit Root yet possess a demonic nature, are nothing more than a pack of talking mad dogs."

"And you don’t need laws to kill a dog."

The sentence was passed.

Zhang Ao looked at the immortal’s expression, and the terror of impending doom shattered his composure. Only a single thought remained in his mind.

Run!!!

The instinct for survival gave him a burst of unprecedented strength. He scrambled to his feet and turned to flee into the depths of the forest.

THUNK—! THUNK—!

From behind him came the sickening thuds of a blade cutting into flesh, followed by the sound of spraying liquid.

Zhang Ao had barely taken two steps when warm blood splattered across his back. He instinctively glanced back, only to see that the sycophants who had just been trailing behind him shouting "Mr. Zhang is mighty!" were now all decapitated.

And the black-robed immortal, carrying a dripping Wooden Sword, was now walking toward him, step by unhurried step.