Chapter 371: Ruthless

Perhaps fearing Hua Erniang’s gaze, the inn workers who picked up the blades—just like the bamboo-thin worker before them—chose to strike from behind.

Duan Chen indeed concealed their presence, making it impossible for Hua Erniang to detect their movements.

Leading the charge was a stout cook. Just as he raised his blade, aiming for Hua Erniang’s lower back, a cold gleam flashed before his eyes.

The next instant, a young boy appeared in front of him, also gripping a dagger, its tip stained with crimson.

With a thud, the stout cook collapsed, clutching his throat. In his dying moments, his gaze was filled with confusion and unwillingness.

He seemed unable to comprehend—when there was a chance to survive, why would this young boy choose to play the hero?

“If anyone dares take another step forward, you will end up like him!”

The young boy tightened his grip on the dagger, his eyes burning with determination as he stood protectively behind Hua Erniang, facing the crowd of workers head-on.

The inn workers—who had known him as a mild-mannered boy—were utterly shocked.

None of them had expected that this usually friendly youth would strike with such ruthless decisiveness, killing the stout cook without hesitation.

On the other side, the middle-aged couple exchanged glances, as if making a final decision. They picked up the blades on the ground and approached Hua Erniang.

As they neared, the young boy cast a cold glance at them. “The innkeeper has tolerated you time and time again, helped you again and again—and you still choose to betray her?”

Hearing this, the couple first kowtowed three times toward Hua Erniang before standing up again.

The dark-skinned man forced a bitter smile. “Innkeeper Hua, we are not worthy of being called human… our conscience has been devoured by dogs… We just want our child to live.”

The middle-aged woman, her voice choked with sobs, whispered, “Innkeeper Hua, forgive us…”

“Pah!” The young boy spat, his voice filled with rage. “Heartless, soulless scum! I dare you to take another step forward—I’ll cut you to pieces!”

The dark-skinned man sneered and turned to the hesitant inn workers. “What are you all waiting for?”

“Are you really scared of some brat who hasn’t even grown all his hair?”

“There’s almost ten of you—why fear one kid?”

“Go together! Don’t hold back, or we’ll all die here!”

Spurred on by his words, the hesitant workers gritted their teeth and charged at the young boy.

Up ahead, Hua Erniang—who had wanted to stop all this—suddenly felt her vision blur, as if an overwhelming force was pressing down on her.

Forcing her head up, she was stunned to see a massive, pitch-black cauldron hovering above her.

The cauldron had three legs, its surface covered in eerie, intricate patterns. From its mouth, countless wailing spirits roared and shrieked—black mist-like figures, men and women, young and old—all struggling to crawl out, howling with despair.

The cauldron emitted a dark radiance that bathed Hua Erniang, instantly weighing her down with an unbearable pressure.

It felt as if an entire mountain had come crashing down on her!

“A’Wu… Let them… do it… You too…” Hua Erniang gritted her teeth, struggling to form a complete sentence.

Hearing this, the boy called A’Wu let out a hoarse, anguished cry. “Even now, the innkeeper is still thinking of protecting you bastards!”

“You beasts!”

“I’ll kill you all!”

“Die!”

In an instant, A’Wu charged into the crowd like a wrathful god, fighting with reckless abandon.

Blades flashed as he hacked left and right—within seconds, three workers had already fallen.

Seeing this, Duan Chen’s brows furrowed.

He had suppressed Hua Erniang precisely so she could witness the kind of people she had been protecting.

Yet, among them, there was actually someone unyielding, fearless of death.

If he intervened now, it would only solidify Hua Erniang’s belief that she had made the right choice all along.

“You… go help them kill that brat.”

The lanky inn worker, groveling on the ground like a lapdog, immediately responded with a “Got it!” He grabbed the blade by his side and joined the fray.

In this mortal struggle, the young boy fought against many, and though his momentum did not falter, he had never trained in martial arts. Fueled only by the fire in his chest, he could not achieve the kind of slaughter that only exists in storybooks.

The saying “two fists cannot defeat four hands” held true no matter the circumstances.

If not for Little Lian rushing forward, wailing as she stopped her parents, delaying their charge, the young boy might have already been overwhelmed.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the lanky inn worker managed to land a sneak attack, slashing the young boy’s legs. Exhausted, the boy instantly collapsed to his knees.

To show his worth, the lanky inn worker planted a foot on the young boy’s chest and barked, “Kowtow to Hero Duan a few times, and we’ll leave you a whole corpse!”

“Alright! Alright! Alright!” The young boy nodded frantically, responding eagerly, “Don’t kill me, I’ll kowtow to every one of you!”

“Hahaha!” The lanky inn worker laughed heartily, lifting his foot off the boy’s chest. Looking toward Duan Chen in the distance, he grinned as if seeking praise. “Hero Duan, this brat has surrendered… kowtow~ kow—”

His words abruptly stopped. Blood spurted from his mouth as he stared in disbelief at the young boy before him. His own throat was slit open, the wound gaping like an upturned lip. He managed to utter a final, hoarse “kowtow” before collapsing lifelessly.

Now, the only ones left standing were two inn workers—one tall and one short—as well as the middle-aged couple who had been delayed by Little Lian.

“He… he really fights like he’s throwing his life away!” The tall worker said, his voice trembling.

The short worker added, “Only four of us left… who’s going in?”

The tall worker shuddered. “Whoever wants to can go. I’m not!”

The short worker nodded. “Me neither!”

“If you won’t go, then what good are you to Lord Duan?”

A sinister voice rang out behind them—it was the dark-skinned man.

Before they could even turn around, they felt a sudden warmth at their throats. Without even having the chance to scream, both men collapsed, lifeless.

The dark-skinned man strode forward, while the young boy, completely drained of strength, bared bloodstained teeth and cursed hoarsely, “Even if I become a ghost, I won’t let you off!”

Bang!

The dark-skinned man said nothing. He simply kicked the boy’s blade out of his hands, then grabbed him like an iron vice and dragged him toward Hua Erniang.

Once he was close, the dark-skinned man shoved a blade into the boy’s hands, wrapped his own hands around them, and ruthlessly stabbed Hua Erniang in the back—four times in a row.

After finishing the deed, he gave his wife a look. She immediately understood, grabbed a blade, and together, they forced the boy to kneel before Duan Chen, pressing his forehead to the ground in submission.

“Lord Duan! Please take us in—we are very useful!” The dark-skinned man bowed deeply.

Duan Chen glanced at the middle-aged couple and clicked his tongue. “You people are truly ruthless—no less than many demonic cultivators.”

[Author’s Note]

[Recently, some readers have expressed dissatisfaction with the fate of the Great Wu officials, feeling that Zhongshan¹ glossed over their punishment and skipped key moments of satisfaction.]

[Zhongshan carefully reviewed the story, analyzed the situation, and would like to explain why the scenes in the private chamber were written that way.]

[First: The officials of Great Wu committed countless atrocities, lost all their wealth, and died without ever understanding why. This is their karma. Some may think that was too lenient, but if they knew they died at the hands of a True Immortal, might they feel a twisted pride in their final moments, thinking it an honor to perish by such an extraordinary being? By not letting them know, Zhongshan believes they don’t deserve that awareness.]

[Second: The Void Emperor’s wife is an extremely intelligent woman. After her moment of blindness, she sought to reduce some of the Void Emperor’s karmic burden in her own way—or, rather, she wanted to prevent Gu Ning’an from blaming the Void Emperor. That’s why she took decisive action, eliminating everyone who deserved to die—including her own younger brother.]

[This was the Void Emperor’s wife’s choice. She is a character with limited screen time, but this decision aligns with her character traits.]

[Lastly, Zhongshan sincerely thanks everyone for following this story and offering feedback. There is still a long road ahead, much to learn, and if there are any shortcomings, I ask for your patience and understanding…]

[The long road of the mortal world stretches ahead—let’s walk it, watch it, and listen together. I hope to share this journey with you all…]