Only Killing Absolves Sin

“A divine ability?” “Inner Breath Like River?!” “Kill him—he's only one man!” “Impossible! He was already strong enough without Inner Breath. Now that his Inner Breath is Like a River—we've lost for sure!” In an instant he cut down the leader. The remaining four Demon followers fell into chaos at once—some wanted to flee backward, some let out a wild roar and lunged at An Jing, and some collapsed to the ground, crouching and trembling. “An Jing! Never mind the others—I never mistreated you!” The only one still able to speak watched as An Jing, silent once more, swung his sword and cut in two the Demon follower who had lunged at him. Breaking down, he roared, “Was I not good to you?!” Seeing the face of the man before him—and because the man had not attacked him—An Jing halted his sword. “Yes. It truly was good.” He nodded slightly and answered softly, “I still remember you gave me an orange candy once. That was my favorite flavor.” An Jing's memory truly was good. Beyond the orange candy, he also remembered that this Rider had once secretly slipped dried meat to him when he'd been overtraining, and had passed candy to the other children as well. But An Jing had also heard his voice on that rainy night, and knew that he, too, was one of those who guarded the East Mountain Farmstead and oversaw the children who were slaughtered and made into Great Medicine. So how exactly had he managed it? To be warm with them by day, then go slaughter by night, one by one, the very children who had perhaps still been thanking and looking up to him that same day? Because of this curiosity boiling in his heart, even knowing it wasn't the time, An Jing still halted his sword and quietly voiced his doubt. And the Rider spoke his true thoughts: “From the moment the Divine Sect bought you, I already considered you dead. Everything I did was to comfort you before you died.” “But when it's your time to die, you die. You were always meant to die—by storms, droughts, heavy snows, earthquakes, or at the hands of others. How is being killed by me any different? This is your fate!” “And when we eat you, it's as if you've joined us—we live on in your place, living your share for you. What's so bad about that?!” “Believe me, An Jing! I strike quickly—they won't feel a thing! It's far faster than starving or freezing to death!” “Not to mention, An Jing, you're still alive, aren't you? It was never your fate to die—you were never meant to die! You're different from those dead children. You are different. You bear Heaven's Mandate. You're not like that pack of failed mortals...” The Rider spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world, utterly candid. He truly believed it, and his comfort and care were sincere too. Even as he knew the truth of the Blood Pills and the sacrifices, he pitied these Children of Calamity from the bottom of his heart, and so he wanted to be a little kinder to the children before they died. How very human. This was what An Jing loathed most, what made him want to vomit—that the Demon Sect's followers were still human, that they could still be human beings! If they had been pure evil, that would have been one thing. But why did they have to be like people? —Just what kind of wicked world could turn people into such monsters?! “You're a good man... haha—a good man of the Demon Sect!” Emotions far too complex for words churned in his heart. An Jing lowered his head, but no tears fell. And when he raised his head again, the youth's eyes blazed with a fierce, murderous flame, white steam rising from beside his pupils and wisping away from the corners of his eyes: “If you'd been born in an age of peace, perhaps you really would have been that kind of good man.” He clenched his jaw until the taste of blood filled his mouth. “So treat me as a natural disaster, too! Because I must kill you—I will wipe you all out, every last one!” “Only killing absolves sin! Your sin, all your sins—I will bear them all! But I... will not let you go on sinning any longer!” The next instant, An Jing channeled the strength of his waist and shoulders together and swung his fiend sword with all his might. The power of his whole body fused into one, becoming a keening blood light that slashed toward the Demon follower, who was likewise roaring and drawing his blade. The sword light grew larger in his eyes, larger and larger... And then—total darkness. The blood light flashed. Having slain all the Demon followers, An Jing raised his head. He saw that the Red Armored Guards, who had chased down the Demon Sect squad, had already cleanly thrust their spears and pinned the fleeing Demon follower to the ground, dead. “Who's this?” The guards raised their heads as well, gazes hidden behind their helmets turning with puzzlement toward An Jing, who had helped them intercept the Demon followers. Then their expressions shifted slightly: “A youth?” “A Qi weapon?!” The three Red Armored Guards were no slouches in skill, and no weaklings in strength either. They sensed at once how extraordinary the Blood Killing Aura sword in An Jing's hand was, along with An Jing's own strength: “Inner Breath Like River... Inner Breath Like River at this age? What kind of monster?!” “Stay sharp, stay wary—this one is no trifling matter. Call for reinforcements!” “Wait, Captain...” One of the Red Armored Guards seemed to think of something and said in a low voice, “The Tianyi Demon Sect's sacrificial rites—aren't the offerings always young boys and girls? Could their rite have failed, and the offering turned on them...?” “The one we're meant to rescue, Commander Gu's granddaughter, should be among the sacrificial procession...” “That strength... and according to the intelligence...” From so far away, even an ordinary Inner-Breath Martial Artist wouldn't have been able to hear them. But ever since cultivating Tranquil Sword Contemplation, An Jing's five senses had grown ever keener, so he could make out their hushed whispers: “Red Armored Guards? Their target is to rescue Commander Gu's granddaughter?” “Commander... Observation Commissioner? Or Military Governor? I'm no good with history... Come to think of it, who is the Commander of our Northern Frontier's Hanhai Circuit?” “That youth over there.” After a spell of wary exchange, the leading Red Armored Guard's tone shifted, and he said, quite mildly, “Are you called An Jing?” “Hmm?” This left An Jing—who had been silently waiting, ready to strike at any moment—utterly baffled: “How do you know my name?” But he quickly caught on: “So that's it. There really are moles inside the Demon Sect—even my name has been leaked.” “Yes,” he answered, though the fiend sword in his hand did not lower. “We are the Great Chen Red Armored Guards, come to rescue you.” The leading captain removed his helmet, revealing a plain, square face. He signaled his squad to put away their weapons as a show of goodwill: “Since you are An Jing, do you know the situation of a girl named Gu Yeqi?” “Where is she now?” —It really is Ye Qi? This left An Jing stunned. He'd had his suspicions the moment he heard the Commander's surname was Gu, but he hadn't expected it to truly be Gu Yeqi. Wasn't she a medicine manor's daughter? Back then, her father had been just an ordinary man adrift in the Northern Frontier—she didn't look anything like a high official's daughter... Could it be—an illegitimate son, and a granddaughter? But that shouldn't be the case either... “Gu Yeqi?” Just as An Jing sank into brief thought, a somewhat puzzled voice came from behind him: “What a familiar name...” An Jing turned his eyes slightly and saw several youths who had just escaped from the dungeon. Clutching the weapons of the Demon Sect Instructors and Demon followers An Jing had killed, they had summoned their courage and pushed open the manor gate, wanting to fight alongside him. This was clearly a little late—though perhaps An Jing had simply killed too fast. In any case, when they found that there were no Demon Sect enemies left besides the Red Armored Guards, they were somewhat at a loss. And it was under these circumstances that they heard the name Gu Yeqi from the Red Armored Guards. Their leader—the girl named Yi Qing, the very first one An Jing had rescued—recalled it and couldn't help exclaiming in sudden realization: “Oh, right! Isn't she Senior Brother An's follower?” “A follower?” An Jing could feel it directly—the gazes those Red Armored Guards turned on him had instantly grown fervent.