Translator: CinderTL
In an instant, some clenched fists suddenly relaxed, while others froze, leaning back in their chairs, their faces ashen.
Without further hesitation, the man at the head of the long table announced the resolution, "According to the decision of the Elder Council, starting at 24:00 today, we will carry out an indiscriminate purge of all individuals within the containment facility who have been corrupted."
"The order of the purge will be based on the current level of corruption, from highest to lowest."
"Regardless of which family they belonged to or what status they held before being corrupted, from the moment this resolution is issued, they are our enemies."
"After the purge is completed, the containment facility will be permanently closed, and the identities and histories of all those purged will be erased."
"They will not appear in family genealogies or any records."
"But we will forever commemorate their contributions to us."
The man slowly stood up, raising his left hand and placing it over his chest, his demeanor solemn and sacred, "I watch in the darkness, hoping that more will sing of the dawn."
Moments later, more and more people stood up, raising their left hands and placing them over their chests, just like the man.
Some trembled, while others softly wept.
They fully understood how many lives would be lost once this resolution was carried out, and these individuals had once been the pride of their respective families, the undisputed elites.
"I watch in the darkness, hoping that more will sing of the dawn."
"Bang!"
Just as everyone was mourning the impending loss of heroes, the dark Gate was violently pushed open, and a figure stumbled backward, retreating from outside until they were inside the meeting room.
Finally, they staggered and fell to the ground.
Moments later, a middle-aged man in a lead-gray suit walked in through the door, a scar on the corner of his mouth. Though his appearance wasn't particularly fierce, he looked quite formidable.
"Gong Zhe!" Upon seeing his face, one of the elderly attendees immediately recognized him, his expression abruptly changing.
Compared to his name, those present were more familiar with his former nickname in the Night Watchers.
The Bone Carver.
A man who killed as easily as cutting grass.
"What are you doing here?" Another elder seemed displeased with Gong Zhe's arrogant demeanor. This was the highest council of the Night Watchers' Execution Department, not a place for lunatics to cause trouble.
The middle-aged man named Gong Zhe didn't seem bothered. He calmly extended his left hand, which had been hidden in his sleeve, turned it over, palm up, and slowly opened it.
Everyone's eyes froze.
In his palm lay a ring.
"I am here to attend the council," Gong Zhe said as he straightened up, his voice soft but clear enough for everyone to hear, "on behalf of the Xia family."
"Twenty years ago, Xia Yuan relinquished his seat on the Elder Council and withdrew from the Night Watchers. He has no right to participate in the council of the Execution Department," one elder slammed the table and shouted.
"I am not representing Mr. Xia Yuan, but his heir," Gong Zhe replied, "Miss Xia."
"If Xia Yuan has no right, what right does a young girl who hasn't even grown up yet have?" someone laughed in frustration, thinking Gong Zhe must be out of his mind.
"Back in the day, there were 13 families who founded the Night Watchers, and the Xia family was one of them. Why don't they have the right?" Gong Zhe retorted. "Moreover, the oath we took back then was that once you step in, you can never leave. It's passed down through generations, and the only way out is if the family completely disappears. Have you all forgotten that?"
Some people exchanged uneasy glances. What Gong Zhe said was true, but if he were allowed to participate in the vote, it could very well lead to unforeseen changes.
And that was something they absolutely could not allow.
After a few subtle glances were exchanged, someone nodded in secret.
Hands began to reach for the weapons at their waists.
Gong Zhe withdrew his hand that was clutching the ring, then let his right arm drop slightly. With a flick, a large folding knife slid out from his sleeve and was firmly grasped in his hand.
An eerie atmosphere began to spread through the meeting room, and almost simultaneously, strange transformations started to appear on several of the elderly participants.
Veins bulged on their foreheads, some arms twisted unnaturally at the joints, and one lean old man's upper body swelled up as if inflated, his neck muscles bulging like a bull's.
Without exception, their eyes turned a deep crimson.
An ancient and solemn aura descended, and the faint sound of a grand bell echoed in their ears.
They were all owners of the Gates.
The Gate was a poison, but at the same time, it was also a cure against threats, diseases, and even the passage of time.
It was by relying on the power within the Gates that they had managed to live this long, with physical strength surpassing even that of the young.
It was a forbidden power, sealed by a curse.
But at the same time.
It could resist time.
However, what they didn't expect was that Gong Zhe showed no fear. Instead, he took a bold step forward, the overwhelming aura he exuded making it hard for many in the room to breathe.
"Enough," the man at the head of the long table suddenly spoke.
"You're right," the man exhaled deeply. Someone immediately tried to interrupt him, but he paid no heed. "Xia Yuan may not have the right to vote, but the Xia family does."
"Our topic today is how to deal with those Night Watchers who have been corrupted. Their corruption is irreversible, and perhaps for them, killing them is the greatest mercy."
"Everyone here knows the consequences of corruption. We are all the same; the moment we accepted the Gates, the gods abandoned us."
"We too will one day be corrupted, so the decisions we make for them today will eventually be repeated on ourselves."
"But there's no other way. To fight the devil, you must first become the devil. To resist the curse, you must swallow an even more terrifying curse."
"I've said my piece," the man looked at Gong Zhe calmly. "Now it's your turn to make a decision, Mr. Bone Carver."
"Gong Zhe!" someone shouted. "You need to understand that your decision could undo all the efforts we've made so far!"
"Those who have been corrupted are no longer the comrades we once knew. We have no way to help them; we can only try to contain them."
"If a large-scale disturbance occurs and they escape into our world, do you know what will happen?"
"You will be the sinner of history!"
"History will depict you as the most savage and foolish demon! It was your momentary lapse in judgment that led to all these disasters!"
Gong Zhe faced the Night Watcher emblem on the high wall behind the long table and displayed the ring belonging to the Xia family. "The Xia family opposes this proposal."
"Gong Zhe!!" someone's eyes turned red with anger.
The man at the head of the long table, who was also the chair of this council, seemed to breathe a huge sigh of relief as he slumped into his high-backed chair.
"The resolution is not passed. Council Order No. 143 is hereby revoked," the man finally announced. "The containment facility will maintain its current status."
(End of the Chapter)
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