The Cleanup

Hu Lin'er came before Su Qing and, upon hearing her words, gave a slight nod.

"What do you wish for me to do, Miss?" she asked.

Su Qing looked at her and fell silent for a moment.

Initially, Su Qing had intended to have Hu Lin'er kill those people. But on second thought, she felt that such a task was something she should do personally to truly vent her anger.

Thus, she spoke, "I need you to help me brew some medicine... Here is the prescription."

Su Qing handed the medicinal recipe to her.

"That is no problem, but why do you suddenly wish to brew medicine, Miss?" Hu Lin'er naturally would not refuse any task Su Qing assigned. She was simply curious about Su Qing's objective.

Hearing this, Su Qing gave a light laugh and said, "I need to save a few people, and then kill a batch of others."

"You intend to kill, Miss? This... why not leave it to me? If you do it yourself, wouldn't it soil your hands?" Hu Lin'er was slightly stunned, then spoke up. She had no aversion to killing; in fact, she was more than willing to handle those who deserved to die for Su Qing. This was one way for her to demonstrate her value.

Su Qing smiled and shook her head. "Normally, I wouldn't mind letting you help, but this group... I want to kill them with my own hands."

"It seems these people have truly angered you, Miss," Hu Lin'er said with a nod. From Su Qing's words, she knew these people had likely done something terrible, genuinely provoking Su Qing's ire. After all, Su Qing was not someone who enjoyed slaughter. She was usually the type to avoid lifting a finger if she didn't have to.

And yet, now... she wanted to kill them personally. That alone spoke volumes.

Su Qing nodded. "Yes, these people have indeed infuriated me... so killing them myself will be more satisfying."

"In that case, I will complete the task you've assigned, Miss," Hu Lin'er said with a bow. "By the way, when do you plan to return? I should know when to prepare dinner."

"There's no need to prepare dinner. A dark, windy night is the perfect time for killing. Though I want them dead, I won't go so far as to do it in broad daylight before a crowd," Su Qing shook her head. "In any case, brew this medicine according to my instructions first. I hope it is ready by the time I return."

Seeing this, Hu Lin'er said no more and simply nodded. "I understand, Miss. I will wait at home for your return."

Su Qing gave a soft 'mm' and turned to leave the courtyard.

As Hu Lin'er watched Su Qing depart, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of people could make the usually good-tempered and easygoing Su Qing this angry.

"Well, it doesn't matter. They're just dead men walking anyway."

Hu Lin'er shook her head after a moment of thought, smiled to herself, and turned to begin the tasks Su Qing had assigned.

Su Qing left the house and soon arrived outside the establishment the troupe had mentioned. It was a simple, rustic inn, and the price for lodging was naturally very low.

Su Qing performed a quick divination with her fingers, confirming that those people were indeed inside.

She did not rush to act. Instead, she pinched a hand seal to hide her form with an invisibility spell, quietly waiting for nightfall.

However, after waiting for a while, she felt that simply standing around was a waste of time. She decided to see if there were other victims within the troupe.

With her profound cultivation, she could walk right past the old man without him sensing a thing. Thus, Su Qing moved among the group completely unhindered.

She quickly discovered the old man's other 'masterpieces.'

People kept in jars. People turned into dogs. All sorts of individuals twisted by vile spells were not uncommon within this troupe.

The more she saw, the greater the fury in Su Qing's heart grew.

If not for the fact that she had cultivated for many years and was highly skilled at controlling her emotions, she might have truly struck then and there, regardless of the consequences.

She exhaled a breath of turbid air, her gaze turning several degrees colder.

"One victim would have been enough to justify this fellow's death... but now, it seems dying several times over wouldn't be enough."

With these thoughts, Su Qing left the troupe's quarters to wait for darkness outside.

Time trickled by. For the first time, she felt time was moving slowly. Perhaps it was because she was so angry and truly wanted to sweep these disgusting creatures from the face of the earth.

Fortunately, though her perception of time was skewed, it continued to pass nonetheless. Finally, the sky gradually darkened.

Other unrelated guests in the inn gradually departed, leaving only those staying the night, along with the innkeeper and the workers.

Seeing that there were still innocent bystanders, Su Qing cast a spell to cloud their eyes, making them fall into a deep sleep more quickly. She also implanted false memories in their dreams to ensure they wouldn't notice what was about to happen.

With that finished, Su Qing began to handle the real business.

This time, she had no intention of doing anything extra, nor did she plan to exchange harsh words with the troupe. Tonight, she was there simply to kill.

Humans are fragile. Even those on the path of immortality are incredibly vulnerable before reaching high realms. Moreover, most of the people in this troupe were mere mortals without a shred of cultivation.

Even so, Su Qing showed not a hint of mercy. She did not leave a single person alive who deserved to die.

After all, these people clearly knew what was happening. To know and not report it—to even aid such villainy—was a sin in itself.

Su Qing struck swiftly. In nearly an instant, she claimed their lives. There was no pain, no sensation; they simply died in silence. Not even a ripple was left behind. This was perhaps the last bit of mercy Su Qing would show them. Of course, it was also because she didn't want to waste time on them.

After killing the mortals, Su Qing arrived in the room of the troupe leader.

The old man was currently sleeping soundly, completely unaware of what was about to occur. Su Qing flicked her finger, and an invisible force suddenly choked him, lifting him into the air before her.

The sensation of suffocation caused the old man to wake abruptly. He struggled to open his eyes, staring intently at Su Qing. In the darkness, he couldn't see her face clearly and didn't recognize her as the woman from earlier that day.

"Who... who are you? Why do you want to kill me? I don't recall... offending you..."

The old man was being strangled, and his words came in gasps, making him look as if he were on the verge of death.

"Indeed, you haven't offended me. But you have committed a monstrous wrong, and naturally, you must be punished. And now, I have come to deliver that punishment," Su Qing said coldly.

Her tone was exceptionally frigid, lacking any of her usual gentleness or restraint. It was like a cold blade, sending shivers down one's spine.

"A wrong?"

The old man clearly still didn't understand what Su Qing was talking about. This only displeased Su Qing further. She gave a cold laugh and said, "Do you still not understand? Fine, if you don't, you don't. Regardless of whether you understand or not, you deserve to die."

With that, Su Qing wasted no more words and instantly crushed the old man's head.

In a moment, red and white matter flew everywhere. But before it could hit the ground, Su Qing's Samadhi True Fire burned it all away, leaving not a trace behind.

Su Qing had originally intended to torture him properly. But on second thought, she gave up on the idea. There was no need to waste too much time on this wretch. It was better to kill him quickly and then save the victims.

That was why she had decisively crushed his head.

However, she wasn't finished yet. She could let the souls of those mortals go to reincarnation; the judges of the Underworld would settle their sins and punish them accordingly. But this one was different. He was the mastermind, the source of it all. As such, he could not be allowed to reincarnate so easily.

She reached out her hand as if grasping the air. With a single pull, she caught a soul in her palm. Looking at its features, it was indeed the old man's soul.

Su Qing glanced at the soul, then pinched a hand seal and spat out a breath of Samadhi True Fire. Immediately, the soul became the fuel for the fire. In extreme agony, it was slowly worn away. For a time, blood-curdling screams erupted from within the flames, enough to make anyone's skin crawl.

Su Qing looked at the fire and couldn't help but shake her head with a smile. "Heh, I suppose this counts as a form of torture after all."

She truly hadn't intended to torture him; this was just an 'accident.'

Su Qing smiled, letting the Samadhi True Fire continue to burn. She turned and left the room. It was time to save those who could be saved. As for the Samadhi True Fire? Let it burn for a while longer. What? Screams? She couldn't hear them.

Su Qing found the victims and brought those who could still be restored to her side. As for those who were beyond recovery, she killed them without hesitation and sent them to the Underworld to be reincarnated.

Su Qing did not have such deep obsessions. If they could be saved, she saved them; if not, she sent them to their next life. Regardless, it was far better than living as a half-human, half-monster abomination.

"Woof!"

"Thank... you."

After Su Qing killed several of the unsavable victims, the dog she had seen during the day walked up to her and spoke in human tongue.

Hearing this, Su Qing gave a light smile and said, "No need for thanks... I cannot save everyone. For those who couldn't be helped, I could only kill them."

The dog nodded upon hearing this and looked up to ask, "Can you... kill me as well?"

Su Qing shook her head and said, "If you wish it, I can certainly kill you. However... you still have a chance to become human again. Do you want to give up just like that?"

"I... can I really... really become human again?" The dog spoke haltingly, clearly having gone a long time without speaking human words properly.

Su Qing nodded and said, "Of course you can. But the process will be quite painful... it depends on whether you are willing."

"I am willing," the dog answered without a moment's hesitation. She had originally thought there was no hope of becoming human again, which was why she had asked Su Qing to kill her. But now that she knew there was a chance, her desire for death vanished.

"Since you want to be human again, then follow me obediently," Su Qing said with a smile.

The dog nodded and followed behind Su Qing. Su Qing surveyed the surroundings, and once she was certain there were no more people needing to be sent away or taken with her, she pinched a hand seal and used Samadhi True Fire to burn everything down.

Not even a speck of ash was left behind, making it seem as if none of this had ever existed—as if those people had never come here at all.

Before leaving, Su Qing cast another spell to ensure the locals wouldn't find the troupe's disappearance strange. Then, she led the 'animals' back to her courtyard.

By the time they returned, the night was already very deep. Hu Lin'er was still there waiting for her. Or rather, everyone was waiting for her.

"You've worked hard, Sister Xiao Qing. But next time something like this happens, you mustn't keep it from me. I'm more than happy to accompany you to kill people," Jin Xin said with a smile as she took Su Qing's hand.

Su Qing smiled and pulled her hand away, saying calmly, "I was in a hurry today, and I was quite angry at the time, so I didn't consider much. By the way, Lin'er, where is the medicine I asked you to brew?"

Hu Lin'er nodded and turned to bring over the medicinal broth.

"Good. Since it's ready, help me bring a bathtub over," Su Qing instructed further. "And get some hot water—just use a spell to heat it, we're in a hurry."

Su Qing wouldn't hesitate to use magic when it was appropriate; after all, the point of cultivating spells was convenience. It would be foolish not to use them.

Hu Lin'er set about the task diligently. Ao Yiyi and Jin Xin asked if there was anything they could do to help.

Su Qing shook her head and said, "There's nothing to help with; just watch from the side. But Yiyi, the coming scene might be a bit bloody... if you can't stomach it, go back and rest."

"I've studied medicine with you for so many years; what could I not stomach?" Ao Yiyi shook her head. "But I am curious about these animals and jars... what exactly is going on? I know they are the reason you left to kill, but I don't understand what these things are."

Su Qing thought for a moment before saying calmly, "They aren't things... they are people."

"People?" Ao Yiyi was stunned. Clearly, she couldn't accept this fact immediately.

Su Qing nodded and gave a quick, simple explanation of the entire matter.