Chapter 224: A Fate Worse Than Death

“Is your village just ahead?” At this moment, a man dressed in brocade armor, riding atop a fierce beast, asked coldly while pointing forward.

“Yes, Your Highness, it’s right ahead.” A man riding beside the young master respectfully replied.

“Good. If the item truly exists, I shall grant you a lifetime of wealth and luxury.” The brocade-clad man, Zou Sheng, had a glint of coldness in his eyes. If the item were authentic, it would serve as a significant advantage in his quest for the throne.

In the Qin Shen Dynasty, there were dozens of princes. To stand out among so many contenders required not only strategy but, more importantly, power.

“Your Highness, then may I bring up the conditions I previously mentioned…” The guide, though timid, was filled with excitement at the thought of future wealth and honor.

“Hmph! Once I obtain the item, you won’t be left out. But if you dare deceive me, you should know the consequences.” Zou Sheng, one of the princes of the Qin Shen Dynasty, was determined to seize the throne. A villager had blocked his procession, claiming he knew of a treasure and hoping to exchange it for rewards.

To Zou Sheng, such rewards were trivial. He hadn’t expected to find such a treasure in a remote village, which seemed almost unbelievable.

“Yes… yes, Your Highness. I assure you, every word I’ve spoken is true, not a shred of falsehood.” The man hurriedly replied.

“Good. Then let’s proceed.” Zou Sheng nodded and waved his hand. “Advance.”

A large group of black-armored knights, exuding a sharp aura, followed behind Zou Sheng.

At the entrance of Yan Village, a group of children were playing joyfully when suddenly a large group of black-armored riders appeared before their eyes.

Some of the older children immediately ran back to inform the adults.

Upon hearing the news, the village chief hurried over and, upon seeing the approaching troops, his face changed dramatically. Among the crowd, he spotted someone he dreaded most.

“You ungrateful son, how dare you return!” The village chief shouted, his face flushed with rage.

The man among the black-armored riders lowered his head in fear, avoiding eye contact.

Zou Sheng, riding atop a fierce beast, smirked coldly. “Hand over the item…”

…

Dozens of miles away, Lin Fan was flying through the air when he suddenly felt something was off. It was one thing for him to be wandering through these remote mountains, but who were those people he had just encountered?

Moreover, they seemed to be heading toward Yan Village.

The more Lin Fan thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Immediately, he turned around. Regardless of what was happening, he had to confirm the situation for himself. If nothing was wrong, at least he could rest assured.

Since fate had brought him here, he might as well go back and check. If everything was fine, he could leave again.

As he drew closer to Yan Village, Lin Fan suddenly noticed the sky seemed to turn red, and a strong stench of blood filled the air.

His heart shuddered, and his brows furrowed. Could something truly have gone wrong? Without hesitation, he sped up.

Soon, cries of agony, curses, and shouts reached Lin Fan’s ears.

Looking down, Lin Fan felt a surge of anger rise within him. He gritted his teeth and muttered a few words.

“Beasts.”

…

“Old man, hand over the item willingly, or this child’s life will be forfeit.” Zou Sheng sneered coldly, his sword pressed against the child’s neck, as if ready to end the child’s life at the slightest refusal.

“You damned beasts!” The village chief roared in fury.

“Hmph…”

In an instant, a head soared into the air. With a flick of his wrist, Zou Sheng sent a sword beam slicing the floating head into pieces, scattering blood into the air in a horrifying scene.

“Old man, quickly hand over the item to the prince, and you’ll enjoy wealth and honor. Don’t you dare die too!” The guide’s face turned pale. He hadn’t expected the prince to be so ruthless.

“You wretched son, stop this at once!” The village chief glared red-eyed at Yan Xiong.

“It seems you still refuse. This young girl, barely thirteen or fourteen, seems delicate enough. Black Mountain, she’s yours.” Zou Sheng sneered cruelly.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” At that moment, a black-armored soldier stepped forward with a lecherous grin. His tall, bear-like frame and predatory eyes fixed hungrily on the terrified girl cowering on the ground. With a loud laugh, he dragged her toward him.

“You are devils.”

…

“It seems you still refuse. Indeed, you have a heart of stone.” Zou Sheng cruelly smiled, and then a flash of light appeared.

The young girl, pinned beneath the soldier, suddenly had her head severed from her body. A jet of blood shot into the sky, splattering everywhere, her death horrifyingly gruesome.

“I’ll die fighting you damned beasts!” The village chief roared and charged forward, but in Zou Sheng’s eyes, he was no more than an ant.

A sword pierced through the village chief’s shoulder, then another lifted him high into the air before slamming him hard onto the ground far away.

Screams of agony continued unabated. Yan Xiong, standing aside, trembled in fear.

“Prince, that is my father, please…” Yan Xiong was terrified.

“Hehehe… From now on, you’ll enjoy endless wealth and honor. What need do you have for this old man? Do you want him to kill you?” Zou Sheng’s dark eyes gleamed with a cruel smile. The feeling of controlling everyone’s life and death was simply exhilarating.

“Y-yes… Your Highness speaks wisely.” Yan Xiong trembled.

Yan Xiong was the son of the village chief. He had long known that the village possessed a treasure passed down through generations, always safeguarded by the chief. Driven by greed, Yan Xiong had schemed to steal the treasure and sell it in the city for wealth and honor.

After several failed attempts, he was discovered by the village chief and beaten severely, eventually exiled from Yan Village. He then arrived at the Qin Shen Dynasty, hoping to sell this secret.

To Yan Xiong, the treasure must be something extraordinary. Finding someone ordinary to help would be useless, and he couldn’t reach the rulers of the dynasty. Eventually, he set his sights on Prince Zou Sheng, who often appeared in the city.

“Stop!”

At that moment, a streak of light shot rapidly from the horizon.

Lin Fan looked at the scene before him, his heart turning cold. Could such atrocities truly be committed by humans?

Over a hundred villagers had been brutally slaughtered, their dismembered bodies evidence of the work of beasts who deserved death.

“Master…” The village chief saw Lin Fan, and his bloodshot eyes suddenly lit up with a light never seen before.

With great effort, the village chief crawled to Lin Fan’s feet, his trembling hands tightly gripping Lin Fan’s pant leg.

“Master, there is a treasure passed down through generations that I have guarded. I now offer it to you. It is hidden beneath the floor of my wooden house. I only beg you, Master, to avenge the entire Yan Village, every one of its hundred souls!” The village chief cried out in anguish, his eyes bulging before he breathed his last.

Lin Fan stood there, trembling with rage, his eyes tightly shut.

But in the blink of an eye, the wind and clouds shifted, and an unprecedented aura erupted from Lin Fan’s body.

“Very well. I will make you all suffer a fate worse than death…”