Chapter 196 – Harvest and Return, The Long-Delayed Curtain Falls - Part 1
A flash of steel, and a head flew from its shoulders, landing in a shallow puddle with a splash. Fresh blood trickled from the severed neck. The eyes on that lifeless face were still open wide, filled with equal parts piety and fanaticism, yet curiously devoid of fear.
“They’re just ordinary people,” Yan Mu lamented, gazing upon the fallen devotees of the Immortal Worship Cult. “If we took them into custody, perhaps they could recover. Maybe they could go back to living normal lives.” He sighed, then managed a self-mocking laugh. Despite his misgivings, he had no choice but to carry out the executions.
Seeing his nephew’s compassion, Li Yuan reminded him, “We’re at war, you mustn’t hesitate.”
Yan Mu exhaled heavily. “They never truly wanted to hurt anyone. They’re just driven by some sinister power. These people had families...parents, children, homes. Maybe...”
Noticing Yan Mu’s torment, Li Yuan cut him off with a sharp call of his name. The young man snapped out of his thoughts and apologized.
“I’ll do the killing,” Li Yuan offered. “You stand aside if you have to. You don’t need a burden on your conscience.”
After a moment of silence, Yan Mu shook his head. “No need. I’m not that weak.”
Their exchange was brief. Splitting up, they resumed searching for and taking down cultists according to their strategy. Unlike the others, Yan Mu showed visible pain each time he struck, as though slashing his own flesh. Every kill deepened the smoldering anger in his eyes. If anyone listened closely, they would hear him muttering, “Damn it...damn it...”
Li Yuan threw him a worried glance. He knew his nephew was a good man, someone who genuinely embodied a hero’s heart, a quality that might get him killed far too easily in times like these. It was a miracle he had even survived his earlier escapades in the Jade Capital.
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Above them, Elder Zhu soared through the sky, overseeing the sweep of Westplain County. Having broken through to the fifth rank, his perception covered a span of more than five kilometers in detail, with a vague sense extending beyond that. From his vantage point, it was easy to spot any sign of movement.
On the ground, seven other experts thoroughly scoured the area. This county, serving as the front line, had indeed concealed numerous undying husks. But in a situation where one wrong move meant death, the weaknesses of these wretched beings stood out starkly.