Decision

"Ah~"

Gu Sheng looked at the utterly silent Iron Cloud Ridge, a trace of sorrow welling in his heart. Although none of this had been his intention, and the bandits were bloodthirsty villains who had brought death upon themselves, he still felt somewhat ill at ease.

In this chaotic age, when people could barely protect themselves from one day to the next, it was all too easy to drive someone mad. In a peaceful and prosperous era, so many people would never have taken the bandit’s path, and he would never have needed to commit such a massacre for the sake of self-preservation. The bandits were not innocent, but the other living creatures on Iron Cloud Ridge, as well as the merchants and commoners he might have accidentally injured, were somewhat innocent.

Gu Sheng stood there in silence. With the breeze whistling beside his ears, he gazed at the deathly still scene before him and remained wordless for a long time.

"Hiss, hiss~"

The Jade Azure Serpent Qing Ling seemed to notice that Gu Sheng was in low spirits. Flicking its tongue, it coiled and moved around his arm, occasionally rubbing its little head affectionately against the back of his hand. Its slightly cool tongue licked his skin.

Chu Xin had just finished helping Li Yuan deal with the caravan. Fortunately, Gu Sheng had arrived in time, and the caravan had suffered no casualties or injuries to either people or livestock. However, several people felt dizzy and weak in all four limbs, while a few horses also seemed listless. Apparently, they had still been affected by the snake venom.

"What’s wrong? You don’t look very happy!"

After finishing her work, Chu Xin felt a pang of worry when she saw Gu Sheng standing there silently. She walked behind him, spread her slender arms around him, pressed her head against his back, and asked cautiously.

"Ah!"

Gu Sheng sighed. He turned around, pulled Chu Xin into his arms, pressed his right cheek against her forehead, and said somewhat blankly, "I’m just feeling a little down.

"Just now, I killed a lot of people. Old and young alike. The youngest was probably not even twelve years old. To be so young and already have taken this path…"

"It wasn’t your fault! You were only protecting us from harm. It was self-defense! They were all vicious bandits. Don’t be fooled by their age—you have no idea how much blood was on their hands. If you hadn’t killed them, even more people would have suffered."

Chu Xin spoke firmly. She knew that Gu Sheng was not wavering; he simply needed someone to support him, to tell him that he had done the right thing and reinforce his convictions.

"I know!"

Gu Sheng nodded. That was not what troubled him. "It’s just that they took this path at such a young age. I feel that… it shouldn’t be this way. This world wears people down too much."

Chu Xin’s mood also sank. After coming to a jianghu society that did not exist in the modern world, where one could settle grudges freely and ride across the land unhindered, the freshness had eventually faded. Once reality’s countless helpless hardships had battered her, she discovered that life here was not as beautiful as the novels had made it seem.

As sects grew powerful, the lack of a unified government meant that few cared about people settling grudges as they pleased. The law had collapsed. Those with strength could naturally live high above everyone else, while those without it could only cling to life, never knowing what the next day would bring.

This was the best of times: anyone capable enough could soar into the heavens by seizing an opportunity. It was also the darkest of times. Within the cities, sects and gangs were intertwined in a tangled web, powers rose and fell overnight, and nearly every day saw another gang or organization formed and grow stronger.

The common people outside the cities suffered even more. The lowest-level forces under the great sects were the city guards. The civilians outside the cities who paid no taxes were not included within their sphere of protection. Gangsters and bandits visited the various manors and stockades, using force to collect so-called annual fees.

The various clans fortified themselves into villages for the sake of self-preservation, yet they had no choice but to hand over the so-called annual fees they should never have owed. Nor did they pay only once. Many gangs would cross into one another’s territory to collect them as well.

And that was not the end of it. Those gang forces would also lay hands on their wives, daughters, and families. In this era, women were often sacrificed for the sake of the bigger picture. Every year, bandits abducted women from the various villages, and many villages had been forced to accept it as a regular occurrence.

In the original story, Teng Qinghu’s second aunt—the woman who had been abducted when Gu Sheng descended into this world and possessed him—had been taken by bandits. On the day of Teng Qinghu’s wedding, Hong Zhenjie, the young master of the White Horse Gang, had even forcibly abducted some of the women from Yicheng’s villages in order to attack the Iron Mountain Gang.

Teng Qinghu’s newlywed wife in the original story, Li Luoxiang of Da Li Village, had been abducted during that incident. After being violated by those beasts from the White Horse Gang, she had been killed.

"Xin’er, I feel that I should do something."

Gu Sheng’s gaze was deep. Although he still lacked the power to change this chaotic age, his strength was already sufficient to protect an area, and he was strong enough to rank on the Earth Ranking. At the very least, he was invincible within Yicheng. In the past, he had lacked the ability to act. Now, he felt that he should try.

"I’ll support whatever you decide!"

Chu Xin pressed her delicate face against Gu Sheng’s chest, completely unfazed by the unbearable stench of blood on him. As she held him, she could feel that her man needed support. She supported his decision as well. How could someone from the peaceful environment of the modern world tolerate this chaotic and lawless age?

"Teng, Brother! Miss Li!"

Li Yuan rode over on horseback. He had originally been covering his mouth and nose to prevent poisoning, but lowered his hand as soon as he reached Gu Sheng. With a broad smile, he said, "The caravan is ready. Does Brother Teng need us to find a water source so you can wash up and change clothes before we continue?"

"No need!"

Gu Sheng nodded and carried Chu Xin onto the Black Wind Leopard. Then he rode it like the wind to Li Yuan’s side. "The longer we wait, the more complications may arise. We’ll wash when we make camp. Let’s hurry."

"All right~"

Li Yuan nodded, then turned around and called out to the rest of the caravan.

Early that morning, a caravan of twenty wagons passed through Yicheng along the official road and headed toward the relatively quiet Mount Dayan region. On the broad road, the caravan traveled with ease, completely ignoring the countless gazes from the surrounding mountains that should have made them cautious.

"We’re finally almost there!"

As they neared Teng Village, Gu Sheng’s face gained a few more smiles. This journey through the wilderness had taken nearly two months. He and Chu Xin had set out riding two mounts, but on the way back they had brought a group of powerful Demon Beasts and a caravan of nearly a hundred people. Just thinking about it gave him the feeling of returning home in glory.

"What’s wrong, young lady?"

As Gu Sheng’s mood improved, his entire body relaxed as well. When he saw Chu Xin lying on the ground and gazing at the blue sky with an expression of utter despair, he could not help laughing. He slapped the young woman’s thigh and teased her.

"Get lost~"

Chu Xin was in a terrible mood right now. Her period had come, yet this fellow was still fooling around with her.

"Little Xin’er, when did you get so bold?"

Chu Xin rolled her eyes at this flighty man, feeling somewhat regretful that she had chosen such a man.