After accomplishing his goal, Lin Yun slowly walked over to Fang Yu'er's side.
"I promised you before that if you cooperated with me, you would live. I have now fulfilled my promise. And now, I will give you one more great gift."
"This man," he said, gesturing to the broken figure on the ground, "is meaningless to me. If you wish it, his life or death is now in your hands."
Fang Yu'er looked at Fang Wenhe in the distance, for a moment at a loss for words. She knew this was Lin Yun's way of offering her an unshakeable pledge of allegiance. As long as she personally killed Fang Wenhe, she would have completely and irrevocably severed her ties with the Crimson Ghost Sect.
After everything that had happened, Fang Yu'er had finally come to understand herself. Although her fate had been tragic, it did not mean she was powerless to choose her own destiny. If not for Lin Yun's help this time, she still didn't know what she would have had to face.
Now, looking at Fang Wenhe's miserable state, it all seemed like just desserts. Fang Wenhe had committed countless evil acts, never even sparing those closest to him. For him to meet such an end was simply the wheel of karma turning.
"Thank you."
Fang Yu'er nodded and walked, step by step, toward Fang Wenhe.
At this point, he was grievously wounded and lying on the ground, completely unable to move. Seeing her approach, all he could do was struggle, trying to push himself backward as he pleaded, "Fang Yu'er, no matter what, I am still your elder! How can you strike me down here? If we work together, we can still get out of this alive! That man clearly values you. Saving my worthless life would only take a single word from you, right?"
Fang Wenhe was terrified. He had cultivated so hard to reach this point, all in the hope of one day changing his destiny. But looking at Fang Yu'er now, it seemed she had no intention of giving him that chance.
"Only now, at a time like this, do you say such things to me? Do you really think I would believe your nonsense?" A contemptuous smile touched the corners of Fang Yu'er's lips. "Give up. Just admit that you are a demon who doesn't know life from death, one who pushed himself, step by step, into this endless abyss. And now, no matter what price you pay, it is the result of your own choices."
After speaking, Fang Yu'er drew a dagger and raised it high. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, she plunged it directly into Fang Wenhe's chest. A moment later, all they could hear were his shrill, miserable screams.
Lin Yun paid no mind to Fang Wenhe's fate. The moment he had first seen the man, he had already seen the turn his destiny would take.
Taking this opportunity, Lin Yun glanced at his own panel.
[Name]: Lin Yun
[Realm]: Spirit Cauldron Realm - Stage 1
[Destiny Template]: Sword Master (Purple)
[Attributes]: Immaculate Sword Physique (Purple), Asura (Purple), Pure Sword Heart (Blue) [Fate]: Travels to the Purple Bamboo Forest in the Southern Frontier… (is ambushed and tragically killed by Prince Zuo Cheng's men).
[Recent Turning Point]: Heads to Maoshan to intercept the Crimson Ghost Sect, but is ambushed by the sect, who knew of his plans in advance. He suffers heavy losses and escapes, grievously wounded.
Seeing this, Lin Yun was extremely surprised. He was certain he had been exceptionally careful throughout the entire process, exposing no weaknesses. Yet the Crimson Ghost Sect already knew his every move. This was a serious problem.
Could it be that someone escaped during the previous battle?
At this thought, Lin Yun summoned one of the lieutenants. "Sir, what are your orders?"
"Did you see a single disciple of the Crimson Ghost Sect escape just now?"
The lieutenant was taken aback, then frowned and thought for a moment. "Replying to you, sir. All of the Crimson Ghost Sect disciples from Maoshan Village are accounted for. Absolutely no one escaped."
If that was the case, then the Crimson Ghost Sect must have some other method. They could sense everything that happened in this village. The moment Lin Yun's forces decided to act, they must have detected it and begun to lay their own trap. And if Lin Yun continued to charge forward so brazenly now, he would likely walk right into that ambush, just as the panel said.
But for the current Lin Yun, simply stopping was not enough. He had to find out where they were laying this ambush.
"Let's return to the village for now."
Lin Yun led everyone back. The villagers who had been left behind were finally safe. When they saw that Lin Yun and the others were an army dispatched by the imperial court, they finally found the confidence to tell the entire story.
Several months ago, a group from the Crimson Ghost Sect had suddenly visited. At the time, the villagers had no idea that these people were the universally reviled demons of the cultivation world and had even treated them with hospitality. The result was predictable. Faced with these kind and simple people, the beasts of the Crimson Ghost Sect showed no mercy.
They rounded up all the young, able-bodied men in the village. Then, using their families as hostages, they forced these young men to work for them, excavating the tomb. As for what they were trying to accomplish, that was beyond the villagers' knowledge.
Hearing this, Lin Yun's fists clenched. Although he knew the Crimson Ghost Sect was plotting something in secret, this outcome was still different from what he had imagined. It seemed they must have encountered something of great importance.
Lin Yun had no choice but to find some of the village elders, hoping to get some maps from them. At the very least, it would help him determine where this ambush was likely to be. Since the Crimson Ghost Sect had already set a trap, he would naturally have to set a counter-trap and wipe them out in one fell swoop.
Fortunately, some of the old men in the village, who were also frequent hunters in the mountains, were still around. They were the most familiar with the local terrain. Hearing Lin Yun's request, they immediately found a path that was the most likely place for an ambush.
And, to Lin Yun's surprise, as if it were fated, while this path was indeed the easiest to ambush, its two sides were also filled with hidden dangers. If one knew of the enemies hiding above, one could use long-range attacks to destroy the cliff walls on both sides. This would inevitably cause chaos among the enemy, and Lin Yun could use that opportunity to annihilate them.
Lin Yun studied the map for a long time and quickly made up his mind.
"This path is the most likely spot for their ambush. Although we can't be certain they will be waiting for us there, we cannot just sit by and wait to be killed."
"I'll make the first move. Check."