Chapter 33 Who to raise the knife to
The flames pierced the gloomy night, and resin flowed from the torches and dripped onto the dirty road. The believers holding torches gathered in the square, and the priests wearing eye-shaped badges faced the crowd and shouted a loud proclamation.
"Brothers and sisters! I just returned from the Great Wizard's Chapel and learned two pieces of great news. First, Lord Adari, out of compassion for the hardships of all living beings, has specially bestowed upon us a wet tea blessed by the gods. Drinking this tea will imbue us with the blessing, allowing us to withstand the light poison for longer!"
The priest's men distributed bowls of tea, and the faithful expressed their gratitude. Most of them understood that this poison was incurable. Lord Adari, truly unlike a charlatan, never offered empty promises of a "cures for light poison." They drank the tea. Gulping. It warmed them within, and a sudden heat tingled through their skin. Much better. Much better.
Seeing that everyone had drunk the tea, the priest nodded slightly, then put on a gloomy expression, with deep hatred and malice in his eyes.
"And the second piece of news isn't good. I desperately want to keep it locked in my heart forever, letting it sink into the mud with my flesh and blood after death. But it's too evil, and it's causing me so much torment. I must tell you the truth immediately, or I'll have trouble sleeping all night. That secret also concerns the light poison that's been spreading recently!"
The priest scanned the faces of the crowd. Every one in the firelight was confused and focused. He gritted his teeth in anger. "Don't you think it's strange? This curse suddenly appeared from the swamp! There was never any sign before! It's not like this. We saw the light poison long ago. The last time it came, it turned the swamp into a river of blood!"
The priest pulled a photograph from his pocket, squeezing it so hard he practically ripped the paper. The photo showed a blonde girl with her back to the corpse-strewn ground. In her right hand, she held a shadowy greatsword, her left a shield stained red with blood. Hundreds of eyes stared at the shield, at the familiar glow. It was the same glow as the glowing corpses.
"Why did the Knight of Disaster come as soon as the Light Poison appeared? Because the Light Poison is her power!" The leader spitted. "Last time, she used the Light Poison to block the divine punishment and took away the gods of the swamp. This time, she will use the Light Poison to corrode the flesh of her believers and take our lives!"
The believers shuddered at the words. The same light, the same disaster, the same words spoken by the divine messenger—there must be a connection. After figuring it out, they were filled with anger, yet also with a sense of powerlessness. No one dared to stand against the Scourge Knight, not even one person. Gulping nervously, they drank the tea, their bodies growing warmer. Strength grew within them.
"I heard the oracle conveyed by the great wizard. To eliminate the poison, we must start from the source. As long as we kill the Disaster Knight, the light poison will disappear! Everyone can be saved!" The priest looked at the people who were in high spirits due to the effects of the medicine. "Don't be afraid, think about your families!"
The word "family" was like a spell, igniting the believers' courage to resist. Their faces turned blood red from the wet tea. They gripped their torches tightly and followed their leader out in a line, roaring in unison with the leading man. "Kill the Scourge Knights!" "Exterminate the Light Poison." "Drive them out!" "The cursed ones, leave!"
The residents who did not dare to attend the rally were so scared that they closed their doors and windows, and cried while hugging their family members who had turned into zombies. However, more people were infected by the enthusiasm of the gathering and went out to join the team fighting against the disaster.
The procession grew larger and larger, sparks coalescing into a rampaging dragon of fire. In the midst of the excitement, the dragon rammed through the resurrection troops' stronghold. Thinking of their families, this was divine will, this was for everyone. The power of the medicine surged through their veins, and with various justifications, they rushed into the building, determined to perish together with the source of the disaster.
"Where is the Knight of Disaster!" "Get out!" "Kill her!"
The lights were on, but there was no sign of life. They didn't find even a scrap of paper.
The building is deserted.
·
"It should be okay." Chu Hengkong put down the telescope. The evacuated team members slumped on the ground, each of them still feeling terrified.
They hadn't actually gone far; they were in an abandoned building on the outskirts of the settlement. The scattered, headless people were only focused on finding people, so they barely noticed the buildings around them. It would be easier to retreat once they returned tired after a night of tossing and turning.
One team member was so frightened that he smoked so hard that he choked. He coughed violently a few times and looked at Chu Hengkong with red eyes: "Inspector, you are too damn smart."
"It has nothing to do with intelligence. More experience will make you more prepared. Once, when I was on a mission in the desert, I felt an earthquake in the middle of the night. I opened my eyes and saw that it was the locals carrying bombs to attack." Chu Hengkong smiled. "You look like a swamplander. What made you want to join the army in the courtyard?"
The young man had dark skin and hair the color of a deep green leaf. He stubbed out his cigarette butt, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it a few times. "I joined the army because I wanted to do something for my hometown... but after three years, I realized it's completely useless. They're not grateful for anything you do! They just give money to scammers and risk their lives! These people deserve to die, their entire family!"
The young man vented his anger and then shut up. The other team members also kept silent. Loud noises would easily lead to discovery, and they were still hiding. Chu Hengkong patted his shoulder and climbed up the rusty iron ladder to the top floor.
Ji Huaisu stood on the roof and looked down at the settlement, watching the enthusiastic people coming and going, with bright flames reflected in his purple eyes.
"I've had enough," she said.
Chu Hengkong nodded in agreement: "It's pretty fucked up."
"Every time I come to the swamp, I wonder why I do this job? Why do I have to risk my life for these people?" Ji Huaisu clenched his fists tightly. "Yes, I am the captain of the resurrection team. I do my job well and I don't care what these idiots think. But every time, every time, they rush to jump into hell. When I kill cultists and demons, they curse me in the back. I come to help them find the antidote, but they put the curse on my head... Is there any way to save these people? I wish I could kill them all!"
Chu Hengkong listened silently. Even standing in the back, he could sense her resentment and anger. At this moment, Ji Huaisu was like a ferocious beast, as if she would leap from the tall building in the next moment and tear the ignorant people at the bottom into pieces of blood and flesh.
This is an overly emotional man who can serve as a police captain in the courtyard for several years, but can also turn the swamp into a river of blood in a fit of rage.
Her roar startled the surrounding searchers, and two flames hesitantly approached the abandoned building. Chu Heng fired two water bombs from the air to create noise, and the people under the flames were drawn away by the sound, as innocent as mice.
"Then let's take action?" Chu Hengkong asked, "I have no objection. People should be responsible for their own choices. Those who want to kill me should be killed by me."
A shadow loomed around Ji Huaisu's hand, a murderous intent etched in the girl's eyes. For a moment, even Chu Hengkong thought the mighty sword was about to be unsheathed, and the beast in the shadow was about to charge into the crowd. But in the end, the shadow dissipated, and she slowly sat down on the concrete floor, hugging her knees and hiding her head, like a wronged little animal.
"How is that possible?" Ji Huaisu said tiredly.
No matter how ferocious she was in battle, she was ultimately a knight wielding the sword for justice, not a merciless killer. She could slay demons and villains, but not those deceived. That boundary was like a clear line etched in her heart; once she crossed it, she was no longer herself.
In reality, Ji Huaisu didn't need to care about any noise or hide. She had already determined that no one in the entire Shengen settlement could hurt her. But behind her were the team members who hadn't retreated, and in front of her were the deceived believers. If she faced them head-on, someone would inevitably bleed. She didn't want that, so she endured it silently.
That's why I'm angry, that's why I struggle, that's why I feel powerless.
Chu Hengkong sat down beside her and scratched his head: "There's no need to set too high standards for yourself."
"You don't understand." Ji Huaisu closed his eyes. "You've only been here for a little over a month. Whether the people here bleed or not is none of your business. But I grew up here. Huilong City is my world and my hometown. I watched it go from prosperity to decline with my own eyes. I watched as the elders who once cared for me turned into dry bones in the grave one after another...
Now we're the only ones left who can fight. I also think this job is shitty, but if I don't go, who will? Is Dad supposed to be the security captain while he's spitting blood?
"You can protect something more worthwhile."
"Zhongting and Bize are both Huilong City." Ji Huaisu said in a low voice, "They are both my home."
Chu Hengkong was completely speechless. He found this person awkward, yet also felt admiration for her. She was, in fact, a person in the same miserable situation as Jie An, shouldering too much responsibility, doing things she "had to" rather than "wanted to." The only difference was that she was Niying, able to shoulder more responsibility, and therefore suffer more harm, which was unbearable to watch.
At this time, Ji Huaisu stood up again, slapped his cheeks a few times, and said loudly as if to encourage himself: "Okay! Let's think of another way!"
"You're deceiving yourself." Chu Hengkong shook his head, "As if you can really adjust."
"There's no other way but to deceive myself. I have to deal with the Fire Corpses and kill the cultists. My father is still waiting for gold to save his life. He has no time to complain." Ji Huaisu put on his raincoat again. "I'll go and take a look around. If the crowd disperses, we'll retreat early. Now let's go back to the courtyard first."
Chu Hengkong didn't get up. He was recalling the past, trying to find useful experiences in his memory. He found some useful fragments, but it wasn't comprehensive enough... Simply "saving" was useless. Helping without explanation would only cultivate ungrateful people...
When he saw Ji Huaisu put on his yellow raincoat again, an idea came to his mind.
"Hey, your face says 'I have a bad idea'," said Ji Huaisu.
"I've been thinking about something." Chu Hengkong seemed to be lost in thought. "If you can't make people worship you like they worship God... then why not make them fear you like they fear God?"
·
Ten minutes later, at the Shengen settlement square.
The believers who had been searching gathered again, expressing their frustration. The priest, having failed to complete his mission, was anxious, but he didn't blame the believers. He waved a torch to encourage them, saying, "Don't lose heart! Our devout faith has worked. The Scourge Knights have fled, and the light poison will gradually dissipate. In short, everything will be alright!"
The chief's words became a shrill cry of pain, and a dark shadow descended from the sky like a hawk, crushing his head to the ground. The visitor stood up, stepping on the chief's back and standing in front of everyone, his coat obscuring the firelight like a shadow.
"It's...it's a messenger of God!" the believers exclaimed.
It was undoubtedly Chu Hengkong, the apostle of the Omniscient God. His silver tentacles formed a ring in the air, and a wave of air erupted in a circular pattern, extinguishing all the torches. The crowd suddenly fell into anxiety. Without the illumination of the flames, they also lost their courage. In the darkness, only Chu Hengkong's eyes shone brightly, but they were filled with murderous intent.
"Listen carefully, don't misunderstand me. I will convey God's will to everyone." Chu Hengkong narrowed his eyes. "The God of All-Knowledge is unwilling to descend because the sins of the swamp are deeply rooted in everyone's heart. The sins of ignorance and ruthlessness have made even the Dragon God unwilling to cast his gaze upon the swamp! Now, the god's wrath has turned into disaster!"
A golden light pierced the darkness, transforming into a large shield held in the knight's hand. In her other hand, she held a massive sword, ready to unleash a bloodbath. The figure stood before everyone, behind Chu Hengkong. Instantly, cries of terror echoed from the crowd: "The Disaster Knight! It's the Disaster Knight!!"
They had been so courageous during their earlier patrols of the city, but now they were so cowardly after seeing me. Fear nearly drove them all to flee. And in the moment before their flight began, a cold, stern declaration pierced their hearts.
"Carry the oracle throughout the swamp. In three days, the Dragon God's judgment will come. On that day, all the wicked will die in pain, and only the blessed good will be liberated from the light!"
(End of this chapter)
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