Chapter 724: The Final Holy War

On the first night of the next cycle, I stood before Sister Siwei with a dagger in my hand. If I could just kill her here, everything would be alright, wouldn’t it?

This was my first time killing someone. My entire body trembled.

I wanted to protect her, so I had to kill her. Could someone tell me if this was right or wrong? Why had I never heard of such a thing before?

But it didn’t matter. As long as I could bring back Sister Siwei’s “thoughts,” nothing else mattered to me.

If she could forget all of this… it would be the happiest thing for her.

I must never escape this “prison.” I was waiting to die, but Sister Siwei was different. As long as this little swallow had never seen the “Happy Prince,” she wouldn’t stay here.

Whether it was Uncle Wan, me, this family, or everything that had happened over the years—I couldn’t forget, but she could.

I didn’t know what sins I had committed in the real world, but here, I was about to commit an unforgivable crime. I wanted to kill Sister Siwei, the one who loved me most in this place.

Before, I had always waited for a chance to escape. But now I understood—I could never leave. So it didn’t matter if I killed someone. Let the memories of Sister Siwei become the deepest secret in my heart. Only I needed to remember them.

As I pressed the dagger to her neck, her scent suddenly shifted. Then, her eyes opened.

In the silent darkness, her gaze was unusually bright, gleaming with an eerie light as she stared at me. A terrifying scent radiated from her—one I couldn’t even name.

“Si… Sister…” I choked out. “Don’t be afraid… I’ll kill you… and everything will be okay…”

“There’s no need,” she said softly. “Put the knife down and sleep.”

“But, Sister, you—” My hands shook as I held the blade. I knew the only way to end this was to kill her. Otherwise, the next time she opened her eyes, she’d be someone else.

“I’ll take care of it,” she said.

“What…?”

“I’ve thought of a way. Let me handle this.” She gave a bitter smile. “Hero, I’ve found a way to free us both.”

“Really?” My voice cracked at her words.

“Really.” Sister Siwei nodded. “Soon… you’ll be able to ride your bike wildly through the streets, shout and laugh as much as you want, do everything an eight-year-old dreams of. No one will control you anymore.”

“Sister…”

She smiled and patted my head. “Hero, just remember this—no matter how foul my scent becomes, I could never hurt you.”

“Mm.” I nodded.

“So now, all we can do is wait,” she said. “Just one opportunity, and I can change everything.”

“What opportunity?”

“One that Zhou Zhenglong will give us.”

Later, though we stayed in our room, we could feel the weight of Zhou Zhenglong’s tyranny reshaping the world outside. He formed an enforcement squad, dedicated to violent control, and rewrote the “house rules” on a massive scale.

At first, the family members who came for my “judgment” in the mornings bore injuries but carried no scent besides “fragrance.”

Then, fewer and fewer people came for “judgment,” and those who remained reeked of anger.

Every time, Sister Siwei would step forward, using her ability to heal their wounds before whispering words of comfort in their ears.

Those she comforted would leave with their anger dulled—only to return the next day even more furious.

Was this the era Wan Cai had spoken of?

He said the “Age of Order” would give way to the “Age of Chaos,” but Brother Gu Yu and Sister Siwei had turned that chaos into the “Age of Heroes.” Yet the third era would never change.

The “Age of Collapse” was coming.

One ordinary night, shouts and the clashing of weapons erupted outside our cell. A rebellion had begun.

Sister told me that if force could rule this city, force could also overthrow it.

The sounds of “fragrance” being unleashed, of fighting, filled the air. But Sister and I sat silently in the corner, listening to the upheaval without expression.

Was this the “opportunity” she meant?

Yet I feared Yucheng would simply get a new ruler—and we’d still be the prince and the swallow.

Just as I expected, Zhou Zhenglong crushed the first few rebellions. All involved were bound and sent to Sister Executioner’s arena to die.

Over two years, countless rebels emerged, only for nearly half to be executed. The number of people I “judged” dwindled daily. Sister said they no longer had time for anything else—landing only to form factions, wage war, and slaughter. Dragging opponents to the execution grounds, forcing them to gamble their lives, was the surest way to weaken them.

But something felt off. If they knew they couldn’t defeat Zhou Zhenglong, why did they keep throwing themselves to their deaths?

Then, one night when I was close to despair, the door to our storage room was smashed open. The glare of torches outside stung my eyes.

“Hero and the Saintess are saved!” a woman shouted, turning back. “We’ve won!”

A crowd surged in, dragging Sister Siwei and me—our faces blank—outside. They were all wounded, yet they cheered and howled like madmen.

Sister squeezed my hand and whispered, “In this sick city, neither brainwashing nor brute force brings stability. Only faith does.”

Then she let go and stepped into the crowd alone, raising her arms. “The Holy War is won!”

The mob echoed her: “The Holy War is won!”

I barely recognized her. Now… how was she any different from Wan Cai?

Amid the family’s adoration, she ascended to the throne. She preached the “Holy War” and worshipped the “Hero.” But I knew the truth—she was in power now. Another Wan Cai.

After Wan Cai, Zhou Zhenglong, and countless others, it was finally Sister Siwei’s turn.

What would the future hold?

Sister stood in the hall, surrounded by her followers. With a gentle gesture toward me, the crowd lifted me high, tossing me into the air.

Amid the cheers, I rose and fell, over and over, never stopping.

I turned to look at Sister Siwei. Her face was blank. Her scent was foul.

And like my body, my heart soared with the “Holy War’s” triumph—only to crash down under her rule.