When Mercy Breaks—and the Devil Knocks

They did missions.

When they weren’t doing missions, they aimlessly wandered the city.

Half a month had already passed since they fell from the sky.

Li Wangyan and Chu Jiao seemed to have adapted to this kind of life.

They roamed various places throughout this large city.

They went to expensive restaurants, pretending to be a couple to eavesdrop on officials’ conversations.

They went to brothels to listen to music, investigating members of other intelligence organizations.

They even infiltrated the royal palace to probe military intelligence.

There was no mission they didn’t dare take.

As a result, their contribution points grew rapidly.

A few days ago, they had already used these points to entrust the Wind and Rain Pavilion to investigate information regarding the fallen object and the fallen persons.

But after making the request, the two tacitly did not stop.

Instead, they continued accepting missions as before, doing what they had been doing.

Perhaps it was because neither of them knew what to do if they stopped.

During the mission process, maybe they themselves would find the Greenbeard Fiend.

Time passed bit by bit—the two couldn’t help but grow somewhat anxious.

Once the Greenbeard Fiend recovered to a certain degree, aided by some medicines, he could recover extremely quickly in a short time.

By then, the Greenbeard Fiend might very well slaughter the entire city.

But what else could they do?

This city was so vast…

As a Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivator, a city like this—Chu Jiao’s divine sense could sweep over it in an instant, see everything clearly, determine life and death, omnipotent.

But as mortals, this city felt despairingly large.

* * * *

On the twentieth day, Chu Jiao got up as usual.

She enjoyed cooking for Li Wangyan.

Though it was just some ordinary porridge, she had begun experimenting with various recipes.

Starting from simple millet porridge to meat porridge, lotus seed porridge, etc.

She would even ask mortals about different preparations.

This always made her recall the past.

She felt it was actually quite nice.

She felt that losing her magical power this time might not be a bad thing.

Her sword path… might have been wrong.

Righteous Dao Sword—was it truly right?

What she saw before her was the rolling mortal world.

It wasn’t just the righteous path.

No, or rather, it wasn’t just about good and evil.

Having lost her power, unable to act immediately when she saw someone doing wrong, she instead saw a more complex side.

Those street ruffians and down-and-outs who formed gangs to bully the common folk—in the past, she would have simply drawn her sword and acted.

But with Li Wangyan, she also saw these scoundrels and hooligans, for the sake of a so-called “righteousness,” get hacked to death.

The courtesans in the brothel, or members of a certain intelligence organization… she ended up discovering one was working to protect this nation.

The head eunuch in the royal palace kicked a young eunuch, sending him rolling several times, unable to get up.

Yet he knelt before the Empress Dowager begging for the boy’s life.

He said, “Let him wish for death but be unable to obtain it, wish for life but find it unbearable,” then turned around and drove the person out of the palace.

It was complicated.

She hadn’t seen so much when she was a great knight-errant.

She hadn’t seen so much when she was an immortal.

It was now, at her most destitute moment, that she saw scenes she had never witnessed before.

Had what she did in the past been right?

She didn’t know.

But perhaps—she needed to think of a new answer.

If only they could continue like this…

* * * *

Unexpectedly, Li Wangyan was already sitting at the table waiting for her.

“The food isn’t ready yet. It’ll be a little while.” She said gently.

Li Wangyan shook his head.

He suddenly said, “Our time is running out.”

“But right now, there’s not a single clue about the Greenbeard Fiend.”

“When the time comes… we really will die here.”

Chu Jiao was slightly taken aback.

She no longer reacted as intensely as before.

Though somewhat bitter, she still forced a smile and said, “We’ve already tried our best.”

“If it really doesn’t work… should we just flee for our lives?”

“Would you leave with me?”

“…No, I won’t.”

Silence spread between them.

After a long while, Li Wangyan let out a heavy sigh.

“Listen, Senior Sister, I know you’ll oppose this.”

“But I have an idea.”

Chu Jiao originally thought Li Wangyan was going to bid her farewell.

After all, he was a resilient person.

That he had accompanied her this long was already very gentle of him.

But he said he had another idea?

An idea she would oppose?

“You might as well say it.”

“Before the Greenbeard Fiend acts, we kill everyone in the city first.”

“…What did you say?”

Chu Jiao thought her hearing had weakened since becoming mortal, so she asked again, “Junior Brother, what are you saying?”

“Haven’t the messages we’ve gathered been enough to piece together this fact?” Li Wangyan said calmly.

“The army from beyond the western frontier bordering this nation has already reached an agreement with the border generals.”

“Several hundred thousand troops will march straight in.”

“They will arrive here in at most ten days.”

Yes, they had gathered such intelligence.

“If we, the two of us, assist, this city will fall.”

“After the city is taken, we launch a night raid on the western army’s camp, kill their commander.”

“I, your junior brother, know some disguise techniques.”

“We can then order the city to be massacred.”

“Leave no one alive.”

He stated his idea.

“At that time, the Greenbeard Fiend will have to reveal himself.”

“This is the simplest way for us to find him.”

His words were icy and cruel.

The light in Chu Jiao’s eyes slowly faded.

“Back in the secret realm, was it also based on this kind of thinking that you cooperated with the demonic sect?”

“To save you, to save me… you let hundreds of thousands of common people be slaughtered?”

“If the Greenbeard Fiend reveals himself early, then there’s no need to kill that many people.”

“Li Wangyan!” Chu Jiao shouted his name loudly.

“A million people!”

“These past days, haven’t you seen their lives?”

“The aunt next door taught me different ways to make porridge.”

“The waiter at the restaurant you often go to greets you warmly, gives you a complimentary small dish, he even wished us an early birth of a noble son!”

“At the market, everyone haggles, using every trick, you also said it was interesting…”

“They live such vivid lives… you… can you actually watch them die?”

“No… you want to kill them with your own hands!”

Li Wangyan looked at the agitated Chu Jiao, his gaze lowered.

“You’re not wrong, Senior Sister.”

“I plan to send them to their deaths.”

“Because I want to live.”

“I want to ascend the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao.”

“After all, they are just mortals, like leeks.”

“Harvest one crop, another will grow.”

“A Golden Core stage existence can easily destroy this city.”

“What about Nascent Soul? Spirit Transformation? Tribulation Crossing? Immortals?”

“Couldn’t they destroy a continent with a casual flick of a finger?”

He stood up.

“As for you, Senior Sister.”

“The Greenbeard Fiend slaughtered the royal city you once belonged to.”

“Have you already given up on avenging them?”

“Those people you knew, your parents, your friends, your righteousness, your wife!”

“Have you forgotten them all?”

“Since the people of your royal city could die for the Greenbeard Fiend’s cultivation, then to take revenge on the Greenbeard Fiend, killing the people of this one city, can’t Senior Sister do that either?”

“Think of those killed by the Greenbeard Fiend!”

“If we don’t kill the Greenbeard Fiend here, these people will still die, and more people from cities like this will die!”

“They will die regardless!”

“So why not let us take action!”

“Kill the Greenbeard Fiend here!”

“Sever this evil!”

“How much does Senior Sister cherish her own feathers?”

“Or is it that Senior Sister speaks so nicely, talks about being irreconcilable enemies with the Greenbeard Fiend, but in reality… it’s just empty talk?”

“Just foolishly seeking death, never truly thinking about revenge?”

“Senior Sister… can’t bear the hatred of those past deceased souls, those wailing souls within the Ten Thousand Soul Banner?!”

“No! That’s not me! I…”

Sophistry.

This was pure sophistry from Li Wangyan, the talk of heretical paths.

He must have learned this twisted doctrine while mingling in the demonic sect.

There were many points to refute.

This was definitely wrong.

Only…

She couldn’t speak.

Because the one who challenged the Greenbeard Fiend was her.

If she hadn’t challenged the Greenbeard Fiend, they wouldn’t have fallen in this city, and this city wouldn’t face such a crisis.

It was her, for the sake of her personal vengeance, who brought possible destruction to the people of this city.

It was her weakness, her inadequacy, that led to all of this.

Junior Brother should have been shining brilliantly on the battlefield against the Life-Severing Sect.

He had an Immortal Artifact like the Mystic Maiden Mirror; this was his opportunity.

In that great war, he should have seized the moment to break through to Golden Core.

It was because of her that Junior Brother was here.

The reason she couldn’t truly refute Li Wangyan’s words was because Li Wangyan proposed this suggestion for her sake.

If he were fighting the Greenbeard Fiend alone to this extent, he would have surely fled long ago, using the Immortal Artifact to conceal his aura, escaping from this city.

It was because she refused to leave, because she insisted on a fight to the death with the Greenbeard Fiend—that he proposed this suggestion.

Because her staying meant certain death.

It was for her to survive that he said these words, words that would make her detest him.

All of this… was because of her…

An intense self-loathing welled up from the depths of her heart.

She didn’t know what this Righteous Dao Sword she cultivated really was.

She didn’t know what results her years of perseverance had ultimately led to.

Her stubbornness and obstinacy might have caused many people, many things, to go wrong…

She didn’t deserve to be called Righteous Dao Sword.

She…

“Junior Brother… you… take me away, please?”

Tears streamed from her eyes.

At least now, she had to make the right choice.

For that, she had to give up, abandon her hatred, let go of her obsession with Mo Ling.

She couldn’t let Li Wangyan die with her.

She…

“Senior Sister! You… I’m sorry…”

Li Wangyan couldn’t help himself and embraced Chu Jiao.

Chu Jiao’s body trembled slightly but she did not push him away.

“What a fine lad! How could you not be one of my demonic sect?!”

Suddenly, an old man with a green beard kicked open the courtyard gate and strode into the house.

“Greenbeard Fiend?!”

“If I hadn’t decided to risk injury and strike first, you would have slipped away…”

“You investigated me, not knowing that beggars are the most well-informed in a mortal city.”

The Greenbeard Fiend said with a smile.

“When you asked the Wind and Rain Pavilion to investigate me, little did you know, that gave me the chance to find you!”

“I just needed to see who was investigating me to learn your information!”

The Greenbeard Fiend laughed heartily.

“Righteous Dao Sword Chu Jiao? Who would have thought, such a delicate and weak young woman.”

“Truly astonishing.”

“This old fiend is lacking a maidservant.”

“It’s not impossible for you to serve.”

“If you satisfy this old fiend, I might even bestow some opportunities upon you.”

“Right? Lad.”

“Why don’t you introduce what that treasure of yours is?”

Just as Chu Jiao decided to give up, the greatest malice had already descended upon them.