Jian Huaishuang presented the seized artifacts. Chen Zhou looked them over one by one; most were unremarkable, save for a small, exquisitely crafted Thousand-Mechanism Lock that caught his attention.
It appeared to be a low-grade sealing artifact. Chen Zhou picked it up and dismantled it with brute force.
With a soft click, the Thousand-Mechanism Lock sprang open. A few faint rays of light escaped from within and landed on the ground, revealing the prisoners inside.
There were three trembling flower demons and a nightmare curled into a ball, resembling a small pink piglet.
The nightmare had a snot bubble hanging from its nose, its sapience yet to awaken. It wasn't even a fiend yet, just a little creature with a weak ability to weave dreams. It looked around with innocent, ignorant eyes, taking in its surroundings curiously.
The three flower demons had extremely shallow cultivation, barely reaching the threshold of the first-stage Qi Induction stage. Their bodies still retained most of their botanical characteristics; one could only faintly see the blurry outlines of facial features and arms on their stems, while several small, differently colored flowers bloomed atop their heads.
"Pfft—"
Lord Rat let out an unceremonious, mocking sneer. In his human form, he stood with arms crossed, nodding toward the small demons with his chin as he spoke to the grim-faced Xing Yue.
"Is this the great achievement of your Blackwater Guard in 'slaying demons and exorcising evil'? Slaying bottom-tier little demons that can't even speak?"
Xing Yue recovered from the shock of seeing the dragon carp. Hearing this, his face turned a pale shade of green and white again.
He knew that capturing such weak demons was no great feat, which was why they were only imprisoned and not yet killed. However, he still stiffened his neck to defend himself.
"Demons are demons! They may be weak today, but that does not mean they won't become a scourge tomorrow. To nip evil in the bud is the duty of my Blackwater Guard!"
"Oh?"
Behind his misty mask, Lord Rat’s crimson eyes narrowed, his tone becoming even more sarcastic.
"What a fine 'nipping evil in the bud.' There are so many great demons occupying mountains and slaughtering villages in Thousand Isles County; which one has your Blackwater Guard suppressed?
"The snake demons of Lakeglow Ridge have occupied Fengdao County for a hundred years, devouring the entire island's human population. Did you go there?
"Aren't you just bullying the weak and fearing the strong, specifically picking on these trash who have no backing and no strength?
"Tell me, if Nie Hailong hadn't had his brain bitten through by Lord Rat, do you think he'd be off somewhere else lording over people right now?"
Xing Yue was left speechless. He only then realized that the black-clad man before him was not human; he was simply a high-level being who had concealed his aura so well that Xing Yue hadn't noticed at first.
He was naturally aware of the snake demon crisis in Fengdao County. It wasn't that the county government hadn't tried to suppress them, but the snake demons were numerous. The first campaign had come at a heavy cost, and a new plan was still being formulated.
Furthermore, the current Thousand Isles County was in a state of turmoil, with demon calamities running rampant. Even if the county government wanted to dispatch more manpower, they were powerless to do so.
But the opponent was a demon. Now that they had fallen into enemy hands, any further argument was futile.
Xing Yue took a deep breath, suppressed his churning blood, straightened his spine, and put on a look of grim determination.
"Hmph!"
"Do with us as you will! Since I joined the Blackwater Guard, I have long since put life and death aside. You evil spirits can forget about breaking my spirit. Lantao City will surely seek justice for us!"
The Blackwater Guards behind him also lifted their heads. Though their faces showed fear, not one of them begged for mercy; they clearly shared the same resolve.
From the day they swore their oaths to become Blackwater Guards, none of them expected a peaceful end.
Lord Rat grinned, revealing forest-white teeth as his demonic qi began to stir. "Want to die? Lord Rat will grant your wish!"
"My Lord," Jian Huaishuang spoke up at the right moment, "the Blackwater Guard is, after all, a direct branch of the county government. If they are all killed, it might draw the attention of Lantao City or even the Thousand Isles County government, bringing trouble to you."
He paused, his voice turning cold. "But if my Lord gives the command, Huaishuang will act immediately and ensure no traces are left behind."
Chen Zhou waved his hand, his tone flat. "No matter. If there is something I wish to do, I naturally do not fear a so-called county government. If anything happens, a god will bear the weight."
Then his tone shifted. "However, since they care so much for City Lord Su Zhiyuan, send them to labor reform. They can sit at the same table as City Lord Su’s inner circle. I'm sure City Lord Su will be very comforted to have so many familiar faces accompanying him down there."
After all, why waste such labor when it delivered itself to his doorstep?
Lord Rat let out a strange cackle upon hearing this. He pointed at the three shivering flower demons and the ignorant nightmare pig and asked, "What about these pieces of trash?"
Chen Zhou looked at the flower demons.
Botanical demons, unless they were carnivorous plants, were mostly peaceful by nature. They disliked conflict and only wished to find a secluded spot to absorb the essence of the sun and moon to cultivate slowly.
These three flower demons clearly belonged to that category. Their cultivation was low, they couldn't take human form, and they couldn't even speak the human tongue.
Their abilities were likely limited to encouraging the growth of ordinary flowers and plants, which was of no help in combat. He didn't know which corner Xing Yue and his men had dug them out of.
However, the little things were quite uniquely pretty. They were colorful and pleasing to the eye.
In line with his principle of making the best use of everything, Chen Zhou also intended to rescue the precarious aesthetics of the City of the Wrongfully Dead's residents, which had somehow been led astray.
Every household was hanging large white lanterns with the character for 'Mourning' written on them—could that ever look good?
"Send them to Lu Cheng. He’s the head of urban development. Many parts of the City of the Wrongfully Dead are still under construction. Giving him a few helpers who can handle the landscaping should make him quite happy."
Weak demon tribes were actually in a situation not much different from the human race; they were both targets to be plundered and devoured by the strong.
Though the flower demons could not speak, they were very sentient. Realizing that they were not only being spared but protected and given roles, they immediately began to tremble with gratitude, their flowering branches swaying.
Lord Rat kicked the nightmare pig with the tip of his toe as it drooled, starting to gnaw on the edge of his shoe while dreaming of dried fish. "And this thing?"
"He’s your kin, isn't he? Send it to Widow Li to keep as a pet. Isn't she managing the ranch? It might be useful once it grows up."
"Who is kin with this garbage!" Lord Rat’s fur instantly bristled as he jumped back a step in disgust, as if he had been defiled.
"It hasn't even turned into a fiend yet. Is a nightmare the same thing as a dream demon?"
Despite his verbal complaints, he didn't actually object.
Jian Huaishuang took the order and personally delivered the flower demons to Lu Cheng, who was currently overwhelmed with urban planning.
Meanwhile, Xing Yue and the other Blackwater Guards, clinging to the last shred of their dignity, were escorted deep into the Wailing Mine.
The further they went, the clearer the constant wailing in the mine and the unique humming of spirit minerals became. The fluorescent ores embedded in the rock walls provided a dim, yellow light, illuminating the busy figures within the tunnels.
Xing Yue endured the searing pain in his internal organs and the dizziness in his head, gritting his teeth as he observed his surroundings.
He had expected to see a group of gaunt, emaciated prisoners working numbly under the lash of a whip.
However, the people mining the ore and hauling the stone—though dressed in tattered clothes—all had ruddy complexions and were full of energy. Their eyes even held a certain... spirited eagerness to perform?
Is this really a place where prisoners are held?
Rate on N.U.
