Chapter Fifty-Nine: Just Kill

“What?! We’ve been discovered?!” As soon as the news was relayed, Li Qinglan exclaimed in astonishment.

“They probably haven’t found our exact location yet, but it’s clear they know we’re somewhere inside the City Lord’s Mansion. If we just stay here and don’t get out, it won’t be long before they track us down,” Yue Qi said gravely.

“How did they discover us? We’ve been discreet the whole way!” Li Yuan frowned, puzzled as to how Wang Chao and his men had managed to close in.

“I don’t know. But from the look of things, their main force has already entered the mansion. They must have sensed our presence. Since that’s the case, we must be ready for a fight at any moment!” Yue Qi replied. The sword he usually carried on his back was already drawn, and Bai Lian now stood at his side, her sword in hand, waiting for the enemy to appear…

“Brother, what’s going on today? Why did the boss send us to clear out the City Lord’s Mansion in this downpour?” The vanguard, numbering several dozen, trudged through the rain. One man, holding a spiked mace and covered in a rain cloak, asked the man beside him.

“Who knows? The boss has long wanted to clear out the mansion, but never made a move because of the sheer number of zombies inside. But I heard it’s because of what happened last night—the boss suspects it was deliberate, and the culprit is hiding here in the mansion. That’s why he sent us to search!” the other replied, clearly better informed.

“No way! Who could pull off something like that? Stir up so many zombies and then escape to the mansion? We didn’t see anyone on our way here, and those zombies out front were only distracted by the thunder and rain—otherwise, we’d never have made it this far,” the man with the spiked mace scoffed.

“Who cares? It’s just a bit of rain. The zombies seem much slower in this weather. As long as we’re careful, there’s not much to fear,” another shrugged indifferently…

At last, the group reached the building near the barracks, but suddenly, the team came to a halt.

“There’s a corpse here too!” called the small, agile man leading the group—he’d been assigned as a scout because of his nimbleness.

“We’ve seen several corpses along the way, all with their skulls split by sharp weapons, some with their heads completely smashed in!” The leader, a burly man named Liang Chuan—one of Wang Chao’s favored lieutenants—wielded a pair of spiked clubs with formidable skill. He appeared approachable, but his thin mustache gave him a somewhat odd look.

“That up ahead is the barracks, right? If someone really escaped here, it’s impossible they passed through unnoticed. Mouse, go up and check—don’t go too deep, just see if there are any zombie corpses at the entrance, then come back and report,” Liang Chuan ordered. “Mouse” was the nickname of the agile scout, and without a word he hurried off.

“Liang, sir! No zombie corpses ahead, but past the entrance, their numbers increase dramatically!” Mouse reported all he’d seen upon his return.

“Is that so?” Liang Chuan paused, thoughtful. Don’t let his brawny appearance fool you; he was sharp as a tack.

“So they’re still here…” Liang Chuan muttered, then called out, “Everyone, search thoroughly! If you find anything, the boss will reward you handsomely!”

As the saying goes, heavy rewards make for brave men. Spurred by the prospect, the group was instantly energized. In these times, riches and jewels no longer tempted them, but a good weapon could greatly improve one’s chances of survival!

Eager, everyone fanned out to search for any trace of intruders, ignoring the odd stray zombie. In groups of three or five, some headed toward the building where Yue Qi and the others were hiding.

But just then, everything changed.

The already oppressive sky turned a murky gray-black, as though night had fallen in an instant. Worse still, the dark clouds above seethed with terrifying lightning, as if ready to descend at any moment.

“What’s happening?!” Liang Chuan stood rooted in place, both shocked and furious. The storm above was unnerving, and it seemed to target their group directly.

Yet even so, the others didn’t slow their pace. The few heading for Yue Qi’s building hurried even more, eager to reach shelter.

Suddenly, a deafening crash split the air. Everyone looked up in horror as a bolt of purple lightning burst from the clouds like a roaring dragon, plunging toward them.

Perhaps because of the rain, Yue Qi’s Thunder Array was more powerful than ever before; the abundance of lightning energy in the storm made it so. What was normally a snake-thin bolt was now as mighty as the dragons in ancient legends.

“Ah!” Someone screamed. Liang Chuan instantly dropped to the ground, but he saw it clearly: those who remained standing were struck by the lightning, their heads blasted apart, their bodies charred black.

“Get down! Now!” Liang Chuan shouted desperately, but several men stood frozen. The lightning did not relent, striking again and again until every standing figure had fallen. Only then did the storm clouds slowly disperse.

“Who did this?! Who?!” Liang Chuan got to his feet, staring in agony at the scorched corpses littering the ground. Of the vanguard of over fifty, fewer than ten remained alive. He simply could not believe this was just a natural disaster.

“Mouse! Get back! You must tell the boss what happened—have him send reinforcements! Go, now!” Despite his fury, Liang Chuan knew time was precious. He turned to the still-living Mouse, who immediately took off running. The zombies behind had been cleared, so he faced little obstruction.

Just as Mouse escaped, a figure emerged from a nearby house. The rain blurred his outline, but to Liang Chuan, he seemed impossibly tall and imposing, someone he could never hope to match.

“Who are you?! Who are you?!” Liang Chuan screamed hysterically at Yue Qi.

Yue Qi did not reply, advancing on Liang Chuan step by step. Liang Chuan retreated, unwilling to face this demon alone. The few survivors behind him stood rooted to the spot, unable to believe that the thunder and lightning they’d just witnessed had been summoned by a youth who appeared no older than his teens.

“Sins committed yesterday must always be repaid,” Yue Qi said softly as he reached Liang Chuan, who by now had collapsed into the mud.

“What are you talking about? What sins? I don’t know anything!” Liang Chuan shouted frantically, but it was no use. Yue Qi’s sword was already out, its tip pressed to his chest.

“Stay in hell for a while—don’t be in too much of a hurry to reincarnate…” Yue Qi closed his eyes, a wicked smile curling at his lips as he murmured.

“Why… why?” Liang Chuan was at a loss, his mind dulled, seemingly under the sway of Yue Qi’s spiritual power.

“Because… in a few days, you’ll meet your boss Wang Chao in hell!” With those words, Yue Qi drove his sword straight into Liang Chuan’s heart—without pause, without hesitation.

“Why wasn’t he soaked by the rain?” This was Liang Chuan’s final thought. He’d heard Yue Qi’s words clearly, but he would never have the chance to ponder them…

Blood mingled with the muddy water, forming a strange, sinister shade of brownish-red that was both evil and oddly beautiful.

The remaining survivors were frozen with terror. Someone let out a scream, and in an instant, they all scattered in every direction, as if the devil himself had risen from hell and staying a moment longer would mean their doom.

Yet Yue Qi stood unmoving, watching as the survivors fled, shrinking into black dots and finally vanishing from sight.

“Aren’t we going to chase after them?” Bai Lian had somehow found an oil-paper umbrella, which she now held over Yue Qi as she walked up to his side.

Yue Qi had already withdrawn his spiritual power; the rain battered his face as if the heavens themselves were slapping him. Though Bai Lian quickly shielded him with the umbrella, he was already drenched to the skin.

“There’s no need. Letting them go is just as well—better not to shed more blood than necessary…” Yue Qi closed his eyes, trying to calm the turmoil within. For some reason, at the very instant he killed Liang Chuan, an intense wave of pleasure surged through him—a wild, almost uncontrollable urge to slaughter everyone present.

Bai Lian nodded silently. She could see how troubled Yue Qi was, and it was best to give him space to sort out his thoughts.

Yue Qi exhaled softly, suppressing the bloodlust that threatened to consume him. If he’d given in and killed them all, he knew he would have become nothing more than a demon addicted to killing, lost to sanity forever.

“Let’s go back…” he said, taking the umbrella from Bai Lian and gently taking her hand as they returned to the house.

“You’re really not worried they’ll come after us?” Bai Lian couldn’t help but glance back, but the survivors had long since vanished.

“If they come…” Yue Qi smiled faintly, his voice cold but resolute. “Then we’ll kill them, too…”