Good People Live in Peace

Ever since arriving in the Mid-Continent, Ji Jue found that everyone looked like good people. Grand Creation and Huanyu Heavy Industries were good people, Tacheng was good people, the Restoration Front was good people, the Empire was good people, and even the dog-fucking Federation counted as good people! There were so many good people even inside the Kingdom of the Woods. The moment they heard their friends from out of town had a need, they lined right up and threw themselves into the line of fire! Watching this scene unfold, Ji Jue could not help humming a cheerful tune. He did not feel the slightest hint of regret. Clearing out his inventory using the Federation's dime—what was there to feel stingy about? He could even take the bill to the military department for reimbursement afterward. The purchase went through the Ring of Taiyi's official military supply procurement channels, and the contract was marked as an expedited rush order, carrying a markup of at least fifty percent. Tonight, all expenses were on Fan's old... Young Master Fan! If not now, when else was he supposed to blow through it with reckless abandon? Ji Jue only wished the rate of fire was faster, the bullets more plentiful, and the efficiency higher. A broke country bumpkin of an out-of-town wolf like Delamelian had never seen the world and couldn't even count properly, but Ji Jue's mind was crystal clear. The alchemy bullets expended over these few minutes didn't amount to a mere one hundred and eighty million, but a solid one-point-eight billion minimum! And that was only after giving face for bulk procurement, applying discounts, and tossing in a buy-five-get-one-free promotion. Once the accounting settled later, after deducting the association's guarantee, cut, and brokerage fees, Ji Jue would pocket at least three-fifths of the net profit! When the payment cleared, he could expand the grounds of the Blessing Industrial Park, and even more blessings could be bestowed! The Lord of the Flies, previously constrained by funds and spiritus supply, could also receive another substantial upgrade. How wonderful it would be to pile even more burdens onto Old Lou! Right now, amid the harrowing scene of roaring autocannons, bloodstorms, and flying flesh and bone, Ji Jue counted the sky-rocketing profits on his fingers, unable to suppress the curl of his lips. The joy of an arms dealer was just that plain, unpretentious, and simple. It was even happier than any other happiness! Wait, that wasn't right—Ji Jue suddenly snapped to attention, his eyes widening. What a waste! He had been so engrossed in tallying the bill that he had completely forgotten to salvage the life, flesh, residual spiritus, and carcasses of so many mutated beasts! [Isi—] Before Ji Jue could finish speaking over the spiritus comms, a cool response came through: [Salvage operations are already underway, sir. You had best slow down your firing rate so the trash doesn't die too far away.] Out upon the muddy road in the pouring rain, wisps of quicksilver shimmer silently spread, taking root and sprouting beneath the deep earth. Slender rootlets coiled around the dying mutated beasts, mercilessly draining every last drop of life and spiritus, purifying it, and sealing it within crystals. A mosquito leg was still meat, no matter how small—not to mention a hundred thousand mosquito legs put together. Even if their properties were chaotic and unfit for major projects, scrap material had its own uses, and it didn't hurt one's teeth. [Phew!] Ji Jue immediately beamed, praising warmly, [You really are the best!] Isis did not answer. She merely glanced through the surveillance feed at Ji Jue's hand, which was still unconsciously stroking back and forth over An Ning's head. She said, [Heh.] *BOOM!* Amidst an earth-shaking roar, a massive boulder that manifested out of thin air was instantly blasted to dust beneath the hail of alchemy bullets. "Delamelian, you motherfu—!" A shrill, agonized scream erupted from the splashing blood mist. Among the mutated beasts, a figure mingled in their ranks had suddenly been identified. Tripping the fire-control system's alarm, it was instantly locked on and subjected to concentrated fire. Countless rounds linked end-to-end, turning into a straight chain of searing light in the gloom that locked onto the battered figure, tearing through all defenses in crushing ruin. Under terrifying firepower exceeding a thousand rounds per second, the corrupted one of the Barren Ruins shrieked, crawling frantically along the ground. Stacking armor faster was completely useless. No matter how high his defense, it could not withstand such high-frequency focused fire. Even a genuine body of iron and stone would be ground down to powder under this frenzied onslaught like a rasp file. An increasingly high-pitched, piercing wail echoed outward. Everyone watched dumbfounded as that mangled figure fell into the mud, only to bounce into the air like a rubber ball under the kinetic impact of the bullets. On the brink of death, he endlessly reinforced his defense and hardness, yet skin turned to black diamond was instantly punched through. Desperately reaching out his arms, he tried to activate a blessing like Immovable as a Mountain to transfer and share the damage, but it was utterly futile. Within Tong Shan's domain, how could he ever be granted such an opportunity? In less than a few blinks of an eye, right beneath everyone's noses, he was literally ground to dust and scattered to the winds. Not a single fragment larger than a thumb was left behind! Only Ji Jue let out a silent sigh. It wasn't out of pity or compassion, but simply feeling that it was somewhat wasteful—yet there was no helping it; one had to make trade-offs. And in the few short seconds while fire was concentrated on the Barren Ruins corrupted one, the other corrupted ones mingled among the mutated monsters had already charged into the convoy's perimeter alongside the surging horde. They no longer concealed their presence. Speeding forward! Just like that, they broke through the final effective engagement distance! As the White Nation wolf pack charged with all their might, their already absurd speed surged further, becoming unbelievably swift. Within a distance of tens of meters, they could practically graze past the bullet chains, evading fire and damage. Blood-red fur sprouted across their bodies, turning them into beasts, shadows, and even swarms of bats. Gathering and dispersing without form, they breached the convoy that stood encircled in a defensive posture. Amid shrill howls, speeding dark silhouettes were already inches away. Though each fought independently, instinct had already divided their responsibilities and assigned zones. It felt almost like an illusion. Ji Jue could actually see a scene of concerted cooperation among a pack of wolves?! They didn't even bother retaliating against the Security Bureau at first. As the shadow of a truck squirmed, a blood wolf materialized behind an autocannon. With a sweep of its razor claws, it effortlessly severed the "greatest threat" at the waist. Immediately after, among the many mutated beasts, Delamelian—who had yet to reveal himself—grinned and spat out a wisp of crimson. The scarlet mist drifted through the air, rapidly expanding into a pervasive blood vapor. Within the blood mist, the illusory silhouette of Shangri-La's giant tree grew increasingly distinct, seemingly right before their eyes. The corruption from the Kingdom of the Woods suddenly billowed outward, rampaging across Tong Shan's domain and forcing him to tangle in battle against this power of Wolf Sin, leaving him with no attention to spare. The melee began. Ji Jue gave a silent sigh. After stalling for so long, these beasts had managed to close in for melee combat after all. Still, as an artisan, he could lie back and do nothing without anyone daring to reproach him. Besides, his team contribution for this encounter had practically capped out; he had done everything he could. If the vanguard squad couldn't win after the enemy had been softened up to this degree, they shouldn't collect a salary from the Security Bureau—they might as well collect condolence payments instead. At least that would be more straightforward! "Garedli, coordinate with me!" Delamelian's voice suddenly echoed beside the strongest blood wolf's ear. "There's definitely an artisan in their convoy! Take him out first, or else—" *Boom!* A giant-like, lupine silhouette shredded the truck before it, casually scooped up a bullet fragment, and took a faint sniff. Its crimson eyes instantly snapped toward the unassuming armored car within the convoy. Still trying to play dead? Garedli grinned. Within a wolf's perception, everything became starkly clear—the exact same spiritus fluctuations and resonance were right there! With just a single thought, a blood-red mark appeared in the vision of all the wolves, branded upon that plain-looking armored car. In an instant, howls rose from all directions. Under the wolves' command, the surviving mutated beasts swarmed forward, clinging densely to the armored car. Sharp mouthparts and talons tore at the armor plating, determined to rip the entire vehicle to shreds. The remaining weapon on the roof fired in futile desperation to no avail. The entire vehicle rocked violently, spewing electrical sparks and thick smoke. Garedli bared his fangs in a soundless sneer. The burly, colossal blood wolf shrank rapidly like an invertebrate, becoming unimaginably small in the span of a breath. Then, it launched itself forward like a bolt of lightning. Midair, razor claws wrapped in nether shadows and bloody light slashed toward the armored car's weakest window. Behind the pane, he could almost see the artisan's terrified expre—wait! Why wasn't he terrified at all? "...Utterly ridiculous." Ji Jue looked away without the slightest interest and picked up his teacup. At that exact instant, Garedli saw the armored car crouching on the ground reach out a "palm" toward him. Beneath peeling armor plating, a giant hand that had waited who knew how long assembled amid shifting mechanical parts, firmly seizing his outstretched paw in a crushing grip. Amidst an ear-piercing screech of friction, muffled crunches of fracturing bone rang out. The wolf's claws and fangs failed to leave a single scratch upon the giant hand, unable to scrape off even a speck of paint before they were crushed to powder. Immediately after, Garedli saw the armored car's front intake grille split open from the center toward both sides, slowly gaping like a bloody maw. Without breaking a sweat, it shoved the snack delivered straight to its door into its "mouth." And snapped shut. *Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!* As the vehicle's front opened and closed, bizarre, crisp crunching sounds spread outward, with only a trail of bloody froth spilling from the corner of its mouth, slowly dripping down. A final, shrill scream and venomous curse issued from within the giant maw: "Dela—!" Unfortunately, time was too short. He didn't even get to finish cursing. Even if Delamelian had heard it, he wouldn't have cared in the least. Wolves mass-converted like this were inherently defective scraps. Aside from making up numbers and dying, they were utterly useless. Yet every single one of them was arrogant to the extreme, looking down on everyone else. Had they been even slightly vigilant, they wouldn't have fallen to such a state. Still, Garedli had fulfilled his mission admirably. He had drawn enough attention. He had created a vital opening for Delamelian. At that instant, amidst the agonized shrieks, the Wolf of the Heart successfully seized the opportunity. His shadow-like body grew even fainter before erupting. In an eye-blink, he pierced through all defenses, bursting straight into the carriage where Tong Shan resided! Just as the domain was locked in a stalemate with the Kingdom of the Woods, by the time Tong Shan detected the Wolf of the Heart's presence, the enemy was already inches away! Within three paces: the wolf and Tianyuan. At this critical juncture, victory and defeat seemed already decided! In fact, by the time he laid eyes on him, it was already too late. The naked eye could not track a wolf's transmutations. When Tong Shan registered the Wolf of the Heart's presence, Delamelian had already breached the space right before his face. Between the splayed five fingers of his right hand, an inch-long black bone blade broke through flesh, revealing its razor edge. Compared to so-called speed, transformation, stealth, and ambushes, this was the true finishing blow. A reward bestowed upon subordinates by that Wolf of the Heart before departure. Once activated, it would rapidly wither and fade, impossible to preserve and even harder to control. Yet in the fleeting instant before it withered, anyone who touched it died! Die? Amid a bizarre sense of confusion and blankness, Delamelian finally caught Tong Shan's gaze. There was no reaction whatsoever—only indifference and contempt. It was as if... He was looking at a dead man? In that final fraction of a second, reflected in those pitch-black pupils, he finally saw his own hollow, smiling face—and a thread of afterglow that had pierced his throat at some unknown moment... Flying Light? —Flying Light! The instant realization struck, Delamelian's eyes widened in despair. Instinctively, he wanted to roar, bellow, denounce, and interrogate. He could not understand why the hell a Hunting Finger Flying Light was hiding inside the Security Bureau's convoy?! Unfortunately, there was no time left. And it was destined to go unanswered. *Crack—* Cracks spiderwebbed across the pitch-black bone blade. Together with Delamelian, it dissolved into flying ash. Gone forever. First Garedli, who led the pack from the White Nation, and then the old wolf Delamelian—with the two strongest leaders dispatched almost back-to-back, the wolf pack, scenting the stench of death, instantly fell into chaos. Losing their integration, some even began to flee. Even the pouring rain that had clung relentlessly to the heavens sensed that something was amiss. It wanted to escape. Unfortunately, it was already too late— Now, the question was no longer whether it could flee, but whether Tong Shan was willing to let go! Under the domain constraints of the Calamity Prevention Codex, the continuously rampaging Living Water Calamity was thoroughly pinned down, struggling in vain. Amid rolling thunder, the rain grew sparser, yet far in the distance, cold sweat drenched the Decaying Wind corrupted one hidden in the dark. Najara's face turned deathly pale. He couldn't stop. It was easy to summon a deity, but hard to send one away. Utilizing the secret arts of Decaying Wind to draw the natural disaster here and harness its power had always been an unfailing technique—when had he ever encountered such an absolute nemesis? He had invested too much and taken too long; his soul had become intertwined with the rainstorm, inseparable. Caught in a three-way tangle, it had become a hopelessly tangled mess. Yet while the Living Water Calamity could not overcome Tong Shan while bleeding out, did that mean it couldn't handle him? Even if this was merely a fragment split off from the majestic natural disaster, that single shard was enough to suck him dry into an empty husk through repeated rampages. Wails continued unabated. Until the final thread of his soul and life was completely dissolved by the living water. Amid the storm, countless torrents of living water converged into one and violently erupted! Forcibly breaking through the shackles of the Calamity Prevention Codex, a wisp of vapor danced, about to ride the wind away—only to finally notice the Zhanlu spiritus essence that had been hanging high in the sky, waiting for who knew how long. By the time the spiritus essence, swollen into ball lightning, wobbled its way back into the Thunder Pool, Ji Jue felt as though he had gorged himself to the point of vomiting. Tianyuan's payouts had to wait on billing cycles, whereas the White Stag settled accounts without a second's delay. The wolves' speed, however, was even faster—especially at this critical juncture where they hungered to catalyze a third vile entity! The clash had barely ended when feedback from the Kingdom of the Woods arrived! Perhaps it might fob off filthy outsiders with petty crumbs, but when it came to its own wolves, it was genuinely generous. Amid illusory perception and resonance, Ji Jue heard howls echoing from the deepest recesses of his consciousness. An endless torrent of bloody light surged out of nowhere from within his soul like a waterfall, instantly swallowed whole by his vile fiend incarnation. The pitch-black Hole was like a bottomless pit, accepting all comers. In a flash, resources sufficient to forcefully engineer several converted wolves were completely devoured by the thorns, silently growing by half an inch and becoming increasingly translucent. Immediately following that was a rapid elevation of Ji Jue's perception. Though he hadn't done anything, the moment he focused slightly, time seemed to slow down considerably. His brain operated at blistering speeds, entering a state of subjective time dilation without even requiring the aid of transcendent vision. And this was merely a trivial side effect. Within this seemingly decelerated perception, his vision, hearing, and sense of smell advanced further. Every shift in the environment registered with absolute clarity; every detail was laid bare. Amid the roar of gunfire, he could even discern scurrying footsteps and heavy panting from the scattered wails in the distance. Right nearby, An Ning's heartbeat sounded faint and low, rising and falling soundlessly like the tide. The scent of shampoo and body wash lingered in the air, drifting around his nose with utter distinctness. There was also an indescribably sweet fragrance—beneath a cheek perpetually radiant with vitality and joy lay a slender neck, a delicately pulsing vein, and the soundless circulation of luscious blood, just inches away. Ji Jue froze for an instant. The moment he realized this, what welled up was a visceral, heartfelt hunger and greed. An uncontrollable urge seized him to reach out, violently rip apart that defenseless flesh, and feast gluttonously, gorging without restraint. *Snap!* In that instant, the sound of something shattering rang from within his soul. Chunjun flared with fury. A blade of spiritus amidst pure light flashed and vanished, slashing down toward the bloody glow. In an instant, all delusions and desires that did not belong to Ji Jue were crushed to dust, dissipating entirely! That dog-fucking Shehri! With that fleeting change, Ji Jue's gaze turned dark. The insidious influence of the wolf was truly terrifying. Even though the Kingdom of the Woods' corruption had been completely erased, his eyes had still involuntarily strayed toward that exposed, fair neck. He had even felt an impulse to lean closer— "What's wrong, Brother Ji Jue?" An Ning, who had been playing on her phone, looked up curiously. "No, nothing." Ji Jue thought for a moment, nodded, and sighed from the bottom of his heart. "I just suddenly felt that these wolf things really do bring endless harm to people!" "Huh?" An Ning looked even more bewildered. Unfortunately, no answer came. Ji Jue had already walked toward the devastated battlefield. Leaving her alone in place. Tilting her head. Wolves? "Heh heh..." She raised a finger to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and while she was at it, pulled her collar down just a little further. Unable to hold it back, she smiled smugly. Hands on her hips. A wolf wouldn't keep staring at a girl's neck like that, would it?