Usk shook his head. "No!" he insisted. "Kill the kid!"

“He admitted his mistake!” Yin Ban reminded them.

“That’s right, he even went so far as to kill his former brother to prove it!” said a short, plain-looking servant of the gods, wearing a half-helmet of iron.

Usk slowly approached. "That guy's death should be blamed on me!"

"Haha, we all saw it, you couldn't wait any longer," Yin Ban mocked.

Upon hearing this, Lin Mo's heart tightened suddenly. "They all know... I know He Xiao!"

“Kid, we are servants of God. You think you can get away with flirting with this guy without our noticing?” Yin Ban laughed. “But since you chose to kill him, it means you sincerely repent.”

For that reason alone, your master will forgive your past!

“Hmph, don’t forget, he’s a bugged host!” Usk said bluntly. “General Mo, I have no liking for him.”

“We all know he’s a bugged host,” Mo Qing replied calmly, “but so what?”

Usk glared fiercely at Lin Mo, but ultimately had to back down.

Afterwards, at the site where He Xiao died, they carefully built a pyre with pine needles, shrubs and broken branches, and burned his body on the spot.

Some of the wood was still alive, so it burned slowly and produced plumes of black smoke that rose and blended into the clear blue sky.

"Where are we going?" Lin Mo asked.

"Holy City!" Mo Qing announced!

~~~

They crossed the mountain ridge in silence, without flags fluttering or bugles sounding. A deathly stillness enveloped them, broken only by the gentle murmur of the distant river and the steady rhythm of their horses' hooves.

High above, an eagle spread its vast, grey-blue wings, surveying the procession below. Its gaze pierced through the crowd, the dogs, the horses, and even the mysterious Moonshadow Tiger.

The horse's hooves trod lightly, kicking up pebbles that then rolled down the slope with a soft clatter.

The slight movement seemed to startle the horse beneath Lin Mo, which let out a low neigh, as if expressing its unease. Lin Mo immediately stroked it gently, speaking softly in a soothing tone, and the horse gradually calmed down and returned to its peaceful state.

However, Lin Mo's inner unease was far from being easily calmed. The emotions surging within him were like stones rolling down a slope, constantly tumbling and colliding, difficult to quell.

A bugged host with a missing arm rides alongside a group of divine servants whose mission is to capture bugged hosts. "I'm actually traveling with them, with these former enemies!" Lin Mo thought with a mix of emotions. "What's even more ironic is that they also took one of my hands!"

Usk followed closely behind Lin Mo, while Yin Ban was in front of him.

Clearly, this was Usk's arrangement; he was wary of Lin Mo and ready to keep an eye on this restless fellow at all times.

“Kid, if you try anything funny, I guarantee I’ll make your bones softer than firewood,” Usk whispered threateningly into Lin Mo’s ear before they set off. A smug smile appeared beneath Usk’s crooked teeth, visible through his helmet.

"Can you stop talking nonsense!" Mo Qing couldn't stand it anymore.

Lin Mo discovered that Mo Qing could lead them, but could not rise above them.

Lin Mo found this system incredible!

Usk then glared fiercely at Lin Mo, "Kid, you can fool others, but you can't fool your master. He'll see right through your disguise. And then, I'll peel open your soft belly and rip out all your internal organs!"

Lin Mo's left hand opened and closed repeatedly, his fingers burning under the glove, seemingly itching to move.

"See? This kid's trying to attack me!" Usk noticed the subtle change in Lin Mo's expression.

“That’s his freedom!” Yin Ban said. “According to the master’s rules, he can challenge you at any time!”

"Hmph!" Usk snorted heavily. "And I also have the freedom to hunt him down!"

As Usk spoke, he turned to look at Lin Mo, "Freedom is a dangerous thing!"

"Before that, we must obtain the master's explicit instructions!" Mo Qing's voice carried a hint of seriousness. He glanced at Lin Mo and continued, "Boy, you don't understand the master's rules yet; you need to learn them slowly!"

Lin Mo nodded silently, his mind churning with thoughts. Yes, he did know very little, but that didn't mean he would give in. He would observe secretly, listen to every detail, and gradually uncover the secrets within.

One day, when he finally uncovers the truth behind it all...

He will make these people pay the price for their actions!