"You have to be the bad guys?"
Yaxiu asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Black Crow replied, "I am a Judgment Retainer of the Kill-All-Crows Cult. Outsiders call us 'Black Crows' because outside the cult, we always maintain the image of villains."
"Why?"
"Because evil men do not fear the good," Black Crow said. "A kind-hearted powerhouse, a rule-abiding good person, a sorcerer who loves small animals and likes helping the weak... none of them can deter the madmen who seize every opportunity to do evil.
"Therefore, we must be sufficiently hideous, ferocious, unruly, ruthless, and even devoid of humanity. Only then will scoundrels tremble when they see a Black Crow; only then will butchers panic when they hear of the Kill-All-Crows."
Yaxiu hesitated. "Then—"
Seeming to realize what he wanted to ask, Black Crow took the initiative to explain, "Within the Kill-All-Crows Cult, besides Judgment Retainers, there are also Blessing Monastics. Just as the retainers are called 'Black Crows,' the Blessing Monastics are known as 'White Crows.' The basic configuration of a Kill-All-Crows squad is one retainer paired with one monastic. If the mission is particularly difficult, it might be multiple retainers with one monastic...
"Retainers are responsible for slaughter and destruction, while monastics handle healing and comfort," he said. "All the work of aiding and saving others falls to the White Crows.
"The more terrified evil men are when they see a Black Crow, the more overjoyed good people are when they see a White Crow. Thus, White Crows cannot kill, and Black Crows cannot save. The line between them is distinct, yet each fulfills the other.
"All hatred and fear are borne by the Black Crows; all gratitude and love are received by the White Crows.
"The Black Crow proclaims death, and the White Crow proclaims life. Such is the rule of the Kill-All-Crows."
Yaxiu said, "So that's why you acted so cold just now?"
Black Crow nodded. "Furthermore, the colder and more merciless we Black Crows appear, the more those we rescue realize our justice is not something to be taken for granted. When they subsequently receive aid from the White Crow, they will cherish it all the more and feel far deeper gratitude."
"Carrot and stick," Igola remarked lazily. "A rather rudimentary psychological trick."
"One handles the face, the other handles what's beneath," Yaxiu said thoughtfully. "So you foresaw from the beginning that we would leave behind food?"
Black Crow nodded once more. "Back when I partnered with a White Crow, she handled these matters. Now that I am traveling with you, since you are willing to practice the benevolence of a White Crow, I will naturally continue to uphold the malice of a Black Crow."
Yaxiu asked, "Doesn't it bother you that people will only fear you, avoid you, and even despise you?"
"Of course not. From the moment I became a Judgment Retainer and donned the mask, I was already prepared for that." Even the distortion in Black Crow's voice could not conceal his pride.
Igola suddenly asked, "Do those who become White Crows possess such resolve as well?"
Black Crow looked at the Swindler. "What are you trying to say?"
"I imagine you think a Black Crow bears a far heavier psychological burden than a White Crow, but that isn't the case," Igola said. "Not having to save anyone means you are spared from witnessing parting through life and death. The White Crows, however, must clean up your messes. Those you accidentally injured, those you failed to save in time, those who were targeted for revenge after being saved... The hardship you face is nothing more than an unfinished kill, while what a White Crow faces is an irreversible tragedy.
"A Black Crow can at least rely on the holy mindset of a martyr to offset the mental strain, but a White Crow can find no such excuses. They have to watch with open eyes as tragedy after tragedy unfolds, yet they still have to uphold your cult's facade and greet tomorrow with a smile.
"You aren't the only one suffering." Igola stared ahead, murmuring languidly, "Others have hearts too."
Watching Black Crow hang his head as if he had frozen up, Yaxiu sighed.
It had been more than ten days since they entered the territory of the Four Pillar Cult to hunt down the Silver Lantern.
Lately, Tamashi had been reminiscing about his past with noticeable frequency. For instance, although he had not mentioned who his White Crow partner had been just now, everyone could guess it was the former Mercury Trojan.
Yaxiu could not understand why he insisted on dredging up such painful memories. He had tried to interrupt him several times, only to be stopped by Igola.
*"Once a wound scabs over, if you tear off the scab, it will never heal,"* Igola had explained to Yaxiu. *"That crow isn't just ripping off the scab; he's deliberately widening the wound so he never forgets the pain."*
Yaxiu finally understood Tamashi's thinking.
After all, catching the Silver Lantern meant directly confronting the Four Pillar Cult. That would likely be the best opportunity to assassinate the Mercury Trojan. Thus, Tamashi continuously dwelled on the fond memories of the past so that when he finally stood face-to-face with the Mercury Trojan, his strike would be all the more decisive and ruthless.
Because the meeting back then had been so beautiful, the hatred today ran so deep.
The members of the party held differing attitudes toward Black Crow's mindset. Harvey was indifferently supportive; the necromancer's view was, 'What's wrong with living entirely for revenge?'
Igola, on the other hand, opposed it.
The Swindler did not necessarily think Black Crow shouldn't immerse himself in vengeance; he simply disliked Tamashi, a fact obvious even to Yaxiu.
At this point, Yaxiu himself was somewhat bewildered, having no idea how the two had become so hostile toward each other in the first place...
As a Mind Sanctuary sorcerer, Igola's methods of manipulation were naturally exquisite. All he needed to do was listen carefully to Tamashi's recollections and raise a few doubts, plunging Black Crow into deep confusion.
Under Igola's prodding, Tamashi began to realize that the memories he took pride in had long concealed contradictions and undercurrents. Yet he had no way of finding answers anymore, as he was now one of the only two remnants of the Kill-All-Crows Cult.
Even though Igola acted out of malice, Yaxiu did not intervene.
Every time Black Crow fell into bewilderment, he would emerge the next day sharper and more resolute. The Swindler's words were like a whetstone, grinding the blade keener and deadlier with each pass.
Every time Yaxiu withdrew from the Void Realm and opened his eyes to see Black Crow, he couldn't help but worry whether Tamashi would brand him a wicked crow and hack him to pieces over his messy love life.
*Rumble!*
After traversing the rugged, mountainous terrain, Yaxiu and his companions soon arrived at their destination. A colossal crater abruptly emerged on the distant horizon, and the closer they drew, the more boundless it seemed.
Reaching the edge of the crater, they saw that the deep pit contained the ruins of an entire city—skyscrapers, paved roads, and corroded, tangled wreckage of vehicles, all clearly visible.
Yet what drew the eye most was the abundance of symbols and scripts inscribed everywhere.
Every inch of wall, every patch of ground, every single brick—wherever the eye fell—was etched full of symbols and glyphs. Some could barely be identified as written script, but others seemed entirely invented, utterly incomprehensible.
The entire city looked as though it had been blanketed in tattoos, without a single clean patch remaining. One could not help but wonder who could have been bored enough to expend so much effort defacing a city.
"You're late."
The four turned their heads and saw an unfamiliar female sorcerer spreading a pair of gold and silver wings as she flew up from the depths of the pit.
"Though, you could also say you arrived just in time." The Mercury Trojan smiled, her eyes brimming with unfathomable depth.
"The Silver Lantern is already under the control of the Four Pillar Cult."
Chapter 611