Chapter 358 - 342: Kill, Kill, Kill
No wonder... No wonder their superiors had sent an urgent order, telling them to retreat after this batch of "goods," abandon this stronghold, and move to Pingyang City.
’Could it be because Anhe City has been targeted by the demonic path? Has the official road between Pingyang City and Anhe City become unprofitable? Is that why they’re abandoning this place?’
Gazing at the demonic figure, Guo Tu seemed to realize he was too late to run.
THUD!
Guo Tu acted decisively, dropping directly to his knees.
"Senior, spare my life! Spare my life! I was blind and failed to recognize your greatness, I didn’t know a demonic power like you had arrived!"
"I’m willing to surrender! I’ll submit to you right now, Senior! No matter what sect you’re from, from now on, I will follow your every command!"
However, his answer was a blurry afterimage.
Su Ling’er’s figure flashed, and she appeared behind a chubby thug who was trying to escape.
CRACK—!
There were no fancy moves, only pure violence. Su Ling’er kicked out, and the fat man’s thigh instantly emitted a crisp snap. His entire leg twisted a bizarre 360 degrees, the broken bone piercing through his flesh.
"AHHH!!!"
The scream had just begun when Su Ling’er’s figure vanished again.
Seeing this, another thug was scared out of his wits. He turned and scrambled for the top of the wall.
PFFT—!
A slender hand wreathed in black energy plunged into the thug’s back, directly piercing through his chest.
When the hand emerged from his chest, it was gripping a bright red heart that was still beating violently.
"Did you ever think this day would come?"
Su Ling’er’s fingers clenched shut.
POP!
The heart exploded.
At the same time, the Sword Refining Skill and the several streams of cold, sinister energy within her began to circulate greedily.
The vital essence and resentful energy contained in the corpse instantly transformed into a crimson torrent, surging up Su Ling’er’s arm and into her body.
Visibly, the corpse rapidly shriveled into a desiccated husk, while the black mist and bloody light around Su Ling’er grew thicker and more demonic.
These villains, who usually killed without batting an eye, were finally experiencing what "retribution" truly meant.
But in their hearts, a deeper feeling arose: a shudder from the depths of their souls. Mortals before a Cultivator truly were as fragile as ants.
Even with knives and iron rods in their hands, before this female demon, they were nothing more than chickens waiting to be slaughtered.
In the corner, the eyes of the victims, once numb, now showed a flicker of emotion in their deadened gaze.
It was the satisfaction of seeing their great enemies brought to justice, but even more so... it was a deeper fear.
They watched the ghoul in the center of the yard crush a head with one hand, their bodies trembling. Some even felt a twisted sense of pleasure bloom in their hearts.
’As for whether this female demon wreathed in black smoke would kill them too after she was done?’
’So what if she did?’
’For them, with their limbs severed and their dignity stripped away, living was nothing but endless torture and begging.’
’If this demon god before them had truly come to reap their lives, it would be a release.’
’Kill them... kill them all... Even if she takes us with them... it would be better than barely surviving in this living hell...’
「Jiang Stone’s Livestream」
[Whoa! Is this what they call the arrogance of the strong?!]
[The fuck? Wasn’t this the masked heroine? Why the sudden style change into some peerless demon lord? Sucking out vital essence? That’s a textbook Evil Cultivator!]
[What’s wrong with being an Evil Cultivator? An Evil Cultivator who kills bad guys is a good Evil Cultivator! Kill, kill, kill, kill!]
[This... why do I feel like she looks a little familiar from before she transformed? Doesn’t she kind of look like that Immortal from the Su Family?]
Jiang Stone, who was playing dead, also stiffened at the sight.
’Wait, don’t tell me the questline I’m on is the Evil Cultivator route?’
...
As their companions turned into desiccated husks or clouds of blood mist one by one, the remaining villains completely broke down.
Some wailed that they were only accomplices, while others, so terrified they lost control of their bowels, collapsed to the ground to await their deaths.
Guo Tu watched this, and deciding to go all out to survive, he shouted to Su Ling’er:
"Senior! Stop killing! I’m useful! Keep me alive, I’m useful!"
"I know where to find lots of people around here! As long as you spare me, Senior, I’ll offer you a tribute of three hundred... no! Five hundred living people for blood-food every year... no! Every month! Whether it’s young boys and girls or strong men, I’ll get them for you! I only beg you..."
Su Ling’er’s movements paused.
She turned, her crimson eyes locked onto Guo Tu, the killing intent within them not diminishing but intensifying.
"Blood-food?" she said, walking toward Guo Tu step by step. "You think... I’m doing this for that?"
Watching the demonic shadow approach, Guo Tu’s teeth chattered. "S-Senior, what do you want? Money? Territory? Just say the word..."
Su Ling’er reached out and placed her hand on Guo Tu’s forehead. "Tell me, who is your superior? Who is backing you?"
How could Guo Tu dare to hide anything now? The words spilled out of him. "I... I don’t know the specifics! We have a single line of contact! I only know my superior’s codename is [Puppet]! I don’t know anything else!"
"The retreat is because... because a message from above said the profits from Anhe City were about to dry up, and there might be a major upheaval. They told us to quickly deal with this batch of goods and go to Pingyang City to lie low... Senior, spare me! I’ve told you everything I know! From now on, I’ll be your most loyal..."
Su Ling’er silently committed the codename to memory, but the unease in her heart grew stronger. ’Anhe City... what’s going to happen there?’
She looked at Guo Tu, who was still chattering endlessly, begging for mercy and even promising to help her catch people to eat, and a red light flashed in her eyes.
BANG—!!!
Su Ling’er’s fingers clenched violently as her Spiritual Power erupted.
Guo Tu’s head exploded like a ripe watermelon! Red and white matter splattered everywhere, only to be instantly vaporized and absorbed the moment it touched the black mist around Su Ling’er’s body.
The last of the ringleaders had been executed. With this round of slaughter, Su Ling’er felt the Spiritual Power barrier within her loosen, bringing her one step closer to Late-stage Foundation Establishment.
...
The slaughter was over.
The black mist around Su Ling’er gradually dissipated, and the red glow in her eyes faded, returning her to the image of the cold, black-clad, masked heroine.
She turned and looked at the righteous beggar tied to the pillar.
Jiang Stone was already awake. He had witnessed Su Ling’er’s entire massacre. To avoid being casually "farmed" like a monster mob by the blood-crazed heroine, he hadn’t dared to move, even purposefully holding his breath and pretending to be dead.
It wasn’t until he saw Su Ling’er return to normal and begin to handle the aftermath that he finally breathed a sigh of relief and tentatively moved his one remaining arm.
"Cough... uh, Heroine? Is it over?"
Su Ling’er saw that he was still alive, and looking at his tragic state with his severed limbs, she sighed.
She took a jade bottle from her storage pouch, poured out a few fragrant medicinal pills, and began to distribute them.
"These are medicinal pills. They can’t regrow severed limbs, but they can stop the bleeding, disperse blood stasis, and preserve your vital energy."
However, Jiang Stone looked at the pill and directly stored his in his inventory.
’Are you kidding me? This pill won’t regrow my limbs. I’d have to keep playing the game as a cripple. Wouldn’t it be better to just find a place to die later? Aside from losing a bit of EXP, I’ll revive at full health, won’t I?! I wonder what kind of quests I can get after this...’
With a flick of her fingertips, Su Ling’er used her Spiritual Power to dissolve the remaining pills into medicinal energy and send it into the mouths of the surrounding victims.
As the medicinal energy took effect, the bodies of the crowd, who had been struggling on the verge of death, were no longer whole, but some color finally returned to their pale faces.
From the shadows, the cages, and the pools of blood... the people who had been too afraid to move finally became convinced of the black-clad woman’s goodwill.
’As long as she was their savior, what did it matter if she was an Immortal or a demon?’
SHUFFLE...
Countless broken figures, dragging their mutilated limbs and enduring excruciating pain, laboriously shuffled and converged toward Su Ling’er from all directions.
They couldn’t even stand, able only to press their foreheads to the blood-soaked earth:
"Thank you, Immortal maiden, for giving us a new life!! Thank you, benefactor, for saving our lives!!"
Just as Su Ling’er was about to make arrangements for these victims, suddenly—
BEEEEEP—!!!
Another whistle suddenly rang out.
But this time, the sound didn’t come from nearby, but from the distant... direction of Anhe City.
Su Ling’er’s expression changed in an instant.
’Why is something happening in Anhe City now, of all times?!’