Chapter 157
The ancient town of Hongyin, bathed in a dim red light in the darkness, is like a lanternfish lurking in the shadows of the deep sea. Whenever an unsuspecting tourist steps in, it instantly tears off its disguise, opens its blood-red maw, and brutally and greedily devours them.
After these tourists died unjustly, some of them were influenced by their resentment and became accomplices to evil, such as street vendors and theater waiters, who lured more passersby into getting involved and losing their lives.
Some become mindless ghosts, confused and dazed, forgetting who they are and where they came from, with empty eyes and numb expressions, wandering unconsciously in the empty and desolate streets until they disappear.
Suddenly, a golden light pierced the cold night, and the ghosts on the street all turned around to look, only to be frozen in place.
Suddenly, the impenetrable darkness above the ancient town cracked open, and dazzling golden light poured out from it.
The light was dazzling yet not blinding, warm like a spring breeze, instantly illuminating every inch of the street and enveloping all the ghosts in its glow.
The ghosts seemed to vaguely sense something, and in an instant they raised their heads, their eyes blank and fixed on the glory that had been absent for a hundred years.
One.
Two paths.
Three paths.
More and more golden light pierced through the heavy gloom, and finally, at a certain moment, the light roared and overwhelmed the darkness. Thousands of golden lights pierced through the dome with the force of thunder, blooming like dazzling fireworks in the sky, illuminating the world. The cage of rules that had bound the soul of the ancient town for over a hundred years shattered with a deafening roar!
In the darkness, the ghosts sensed that the invisible shackles imposed upon them had vanished.
They remained motionless, their unfocused, grayish pupils reflecting the increasingly intense golden light, as if a thick layer of dust had been brushed away, gradually revealing their brilliance.
They felt light and heat again, and heard the long-lost heartbeat resounding in their dehydrated chests.
"What...that is..."
Having not spoken for a long time, the ghost looked dazed and, relying entirely on instinct, murmured and awkwardly uttered dry words.
"……Light."
At this time, the Red Shadow Theater was in ruins, with broken walls and smoke everywhere.
As the last wisp of soul turned into wisps of smoke and rose into the sky, the painful and shrill cries completely disappeared, and everything finally returned to silence.
Xie Xubai's clone appeared with the distraught Cen Xiangcai, transforming into a stream of light and merging into his main body not far away.
He snapped his eyes open, and what came into view was Yan Shuo's arm. The smooth, muscular contours of the arm bulged out from under the fabric, exuding a powerful aura, encircling his chest and abdomen like an iron clamp.
During the few hours he spent converting the vengeful spirits, Yan Shuo actually held him like this the whole time?
Xie Xubai subconsciously raised his head and met Yan Shuo's deep, dark eyes.
The sensation of being submerged in icy seawater still lingered vividly on the nerve synapses, intensifying the moment our eyes met.
...Xie Xubai moved his fingers, silently pried the latter's arm apart, took a step forward to create distance, faced him, and whispered a thank you.
Yan Shuo glanced wistfully at the arms that Xie Xubai had pried open, feeling somewhat unsatisfied that he hadn't been able to hold them long enough.
However, His composure far surpassed that of his clones, and this slight dissatisfaction was quickly concealed without a trace.
Yan Shuo looked at the police officers not far away: "What are you going to do with those vengeful ghosts?"
He wasn't exactly a man of few words, but he was far from being particularly outgoing or lively. Even when he was in a good mood, he rarely bothered with others unless absolutely necessary, so it was quite unusual for him to take the initiative to speak now.
Xie Xubai looked over and saw several law enforcement officers unceremoniously stuffing several smears of asphalt-like black souls into a container.
Those few wisps of black souls were the remnants of Luo Futu and the others. They had been captured and devoured by vengeful spirits, leaving only a tiny bit of them.
Even though it seems like it could be blown away by a gust of wind, it still retains a little bit of its own consciousness.
One of the malevolent black spirits was extremely restless, banging against the glass, causing the container to shake violently and almost fall off.
The law enforcement officers didn't tolerate it; they coldly took out a stun gun, aimed it at the hole in the middle of the container, and pressed the trigger.
With a loud sizzle, a powerful explosion rang out, lightning flashed and sparks flew inside the container, and the black soul, bathed in the pale white electric current, was blown apart, immediately bursting out a shrill and painful scream, begging for mercy.
“The suffering they endured was not enough to atone for their sins, so you did not use the Golden Fire to redeem them immediately, nor did you destroy them,” Yan Shuo said. “However, if we let it go like this, one day it will find an opportunity to absorb enough resentment and regain its power, which may cause trouble.”
It would be troublesome, but not a major one. Even at the height of Hongyin Ancient Town's prosperity, Yan Shuo wouldn't have taken the turmoil caused by Luofu Temple seriously.
Xie Xubai frowned. He had considered what Yan Shuo said.
Currently, law enforcement agencies are in the early stages of reconstruction, lacking experience and technical support, and their monitoring facilities are not yet fully developed, raising the possibility of prisoner escapes.
Given the heinous nature of the Luofu Temple, if it manages to escape and return, it will inevitably cause widespread devastation.
Therefore, even if the probability is as small as one in a thousand or one in ten thousand, as long as there is such a possibility, Xie Xubai would rather be punished for violating the law than not eliminate Luofutu here and nip future troubles in the bud.
As Xie Xubai pondered and hesitated, he met Yan Shuo's eyes and suddenly felt something was off.
Perhaps it was because Yan Shuo was extremely indifferent to Hongyin Ancient Town, or perhaps it was because Yan Shuo's previous image of being aloof from the world was deeply ingrained in people's minds, that Xie Xubai thought he did not intend to interfere.
At this moment, Yan Shuo's killing intent was incredibly intense.
Xie Xubai asked curiously, "You also want to kill them?"
Xie Xubai's question was like a wake-up call, suddenly waking Yan Shuo up.
For a fleeting moment, the man paused, a hint of suspicion that he himself failed to notice flashing across his eyes.
Yes, according to His nature, as long as those filthy fellows don't come over to get in His way, He doesn't care how many filthy things there are in this world.
There is nothing new under the sun. He knows all too well that any injustice that is painstakingly resolved will resurface in the same place within ten or eight years. Even the innocent and pitiful victims of the past will transform into treacherous and cunning perpetrators, and the seeds of evil will take root and sprout again and again, in an endless cycle.
This is not mere speculation.
There was a time when He also intervened in mortal affairs, and many people were sincerely grateful to Him, casting statues of Him, building shrines for Him, and worshipping Him devoutly day after day.
At first, those people only wanted to avert disaster and ensure the well-being of their loved ones.
Then they began to pray for favorable weather and abundant harvests.
Later on, they couldn't help but pray for more blessings, wealth, success, and fame.
But in the end, some humans turned their anger on their own kind. After a horrific infighting, they were devastated, broke down in tears, and turned around to hate and curse Him, calling Him a bewitching demon.
He too has been bewildered, confused, and inquisitive.
The result is that after seeing it too much, getting used to it, and eventually getting tired of it.
The world's accusations are nothing more than mosquito bites to Him, but too many bites without treatment can cause swelling, pus, ulceration, and pain.
After an unknown amount of time, He finally closed His eyes, weary and indifferent.
...
Yan Shuo frowned. Since He had already decided to mind his own business, then who decided to re-enter the world?
Xie Xubai: "President Yan?"
Yan Shuo suddenly came to his senses and gave a reason without expression: "Dark creatures feed on resentment, and I am no exception. But resentment is also divided into levels. The resentment released by a vengeful ghost like Luofutu is the filthiest of filth. If you accidentally ingest it, it will make you feel nauseous."
He answered slowly, and subtle ripples of emotion appeared on his face. Xie Xubai had a feeling that Yan Shuo was hiding something.
But before he could speak, Yan Shuo forcefully changed the subject, his tone cold and unquestionable: "I don't intend to kill them. In fact, I came here to take them away."
The previously relaxed atmosphere instantly froze. Xie Xubai abruptly stopped smiling, straightened his back, and silently stared at Yan Shuo before finally asking, "Why did you take Luofutu away?"
Xie Xubai wasn't questioning, but his tone was more forceful.
Yan Shuo confronted him intently, and after a long while, he said in a nonchalant tone, "Because they are employees reserved by Shengtian Group."
Even Yan Shuo didn't want to be misunderstood as protecting the guilty. Before Xie Xubai's expression changed, he quickly explained, "Employees above the fifth floor of Shengtian Group will have 95% of their earnings donated to a charitable foundation to support the victims they have harmed and their families. The remaining funds will be used for poverty alleviation and local infrastructure development. They are not allowed to own private property or materials, leave the company without a reason, or resign."
"To prevent excessive resentment from growing and nourishing vengeful spirits, thus causing unnecessary disputes, the company will conduct a scheduled liquidation before the start of each quarterly cycle. In your human terms—"
Yan Shuo looked at Xie Xubai, his tone cold and devoid of any warmth: "Call it a massacre."
Author's Note:
Sigh, back to rebuilding and writing again. I'll be giving out 100 small red envelopes as compensation. The next chapter should be the last one, barring any unforeseen circumstances. I'll try to finish it before the end of April!
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