Chapter 20: Return

After the battle, Qingya County’s walls stood dark and battered, with its gates severely damaged. Smoke-stained marks were visible everywhere, and corpses littered the ground. Vultures perched atop trees and city walls, feeding on the dead. These fierce birds, no longer fearing humans after consuming their remains, glared down from corners with crimson eyes, scrutinizing survivors as if inspecting their next meal. Occasionally, they emitted eerie cries that sent chills into the hearts of those below.

Chen Luo returned under the cover of night.

Having achieved the Bone Tempering stage, infiltrating Qingya County again became remarkably easy.

Possibly due to the conclusion of ‘bandit suppression,’ the soldiers guarding checkpoints had relaxed their initial vigilance, allowing Chen Luo to approach without any hindrance.

Shrouded by darkness, Chen Luo concealed himself nearby, waiting for an opportunity to enter the city undetected.

Soldiers patrolled the recently repaired sections of the wall. With the war still fresh and unsettled, martial law remained enforced in Qingya County.

“It’s almost time for the shift change,” Chen Luo silently counted in his mind.

His prolonged observation was not idle curiosity but rather to discern the patterns of soldier rotations.

As expected, shortly thereafter, the relief soldiers arrived. While they chatted casually, Chen Luo’s figure flickered, swiftly slipping beneath the city wall. This was the very breach from which they had escaped earlier. After Qingya County fell, numerous additional breaches marred the walls, making their entry point inconspicuous amidst the chaos.

Perhaps aware of the lax situation, the soldiers appeared relaxed throughout, with their vigilance seeming more for show than actual duty. Consequently, Chen Luo effortlessly blended into the city.

Upon entering the breach, a foul odor assailed his senses.

Several charred corpses lay grotesquely inside, unmistakably the beggars they had encountered during their escape. Once living individuals, they were now reduced to lifeless remains. The sight of their stiff, blackened arms suggested they endured immense suffering before death.

“May you rest in peace,” Chen Luo silently murmured.

Navigating around the burnt bodies, he then slipped deeper into the city with a swift movement.

The inner city defenses were even more lax, with scarcely any people visible on the streets. Compared to its former self, present-day Qingya County resembled a desolate wasteland, utterly devastated. Few lights could be seen at first glance. Near some burned-down houses, homeless civilians mourned by the ruins.

After any military disaster, it is always the common people who suffer the most.

Chen Luo did not consider himself overly compassionate, but witnessing this devastation ignited his fury nonetheless.

How could slaughtering defenseless civilians be justified as human behavior?

Suppressing his anger, Chen Luo hurried towards the alley entrance based on memory.

He planned to check back first, as their departure had been abrupt. After disposing of Wei-gonggong’s body with Third Uncle, they hastily fled without looking back. Now returning, he wanted to see if anyone had come searching since then. If evidence of visitors remained, it would indicate that the matter was far from over, requiring even greater caution moving forward. Conversely, if no one had shown up, it would signify the end of the incident, allowing him to confidently pursue his goals.

Such as removing Qingya County’s County Magistrate’s head!

The power of the Bone Tempering Realm emboldened him. As the saying goes, possessing lethal capabilities stirs the desire for violence!

At present, Chen Luo felt an intense urge to kill.

As he walked through the streets, Chen Luo noticed several corpses lying at various doorsteps. There were men and women, but predominantly elderly individuals and children. The houses themselves were devastated, many burnt down by raging fires. Much of the black smoke seen earlier by him and Third Uncle near Fierce Tiger Stronghold originated from these burning homes.

“Stop crying! How dare you resist, you filthy bitch! Are you trying to become a rebel?”

A voice suddenly echoed.

From a distance, Chen Luo witnessed two drunken soldiers dragging a young girl from a burnt-down house. She appeared no more than twelve or thirteen years old. With terror etched on her innocent face, she clung desperately to the doorframe, tears streaming down her cheeks as the soldiers pulled at her.

The surrounding civilians wore expressions of sheer fear.

Not a single person dared to speak up; those who initially tried were already dead - claimed as ‘rebel’ achievements by these soldiers.

“Quit wasting time! I say we just take care of this stinking wench right here on the street.” The second soldier, growing impatient, stumbled forward.

“Great idea! Let’s do it out here.”

Both intoxicated brutes displayed lewd grins simultaneously, one even starting to unbuckle his pants. The other stepped closer, restraining the frightened girl and tearing at her clothes.

Bang!

Suddenly, a black brick flew from behind. Before the soldier restraining the girl could react, he saw a brick hurtling towards him.

Infused with inner qi, the brick struck like a train engine, crushing half of his head instantly. Brain matter splattered, and blood sprayed everywhere.

The mutilated corpse was propelled backward, slamming into the wall behind.

With two final spasms of his legs, the soldier breathed his last.

Hidden nearby, Chen Luo couldn’t bear it any longer; every extra second these beasts lived felt like blasphemy against the world. After ensuring there were no other enemies on the street, he picked up a broken brick from beside a dilapidated wall and swiftly smashed it into the remaining soldier’s face.

He didn’t even use martial techniques.

Using such skills to kill this scum would be an insult; a brick sufficed perfectly.

“Who’s there?!” The soldier, who had been unbuckling his belt, jolted awake, his drunkenness fading instantly. Instinctively reaching for his weapon, he turned around. However, before he could complete the motion, the bloodstained brick came flying at him again. Darkness engulfed his vision, followed by a deafening roar in his ears, and then all sensation ceased.

The second body crumpled, striking the rear wall and leaving a gruesome trail of red and white, lifeless beyond repair.

With Chen Luo’s current strength, killing these two big-headed soldiers was as effortless as squashing ants, leaving no room for error.

“Make sure to close the door securely. Leave the city after dawn. There’s a gap near the western gate; you should know where it is.”

Chen Luo glanced at the terrified girl standing nearby, left his instructions, and then turned to depart. In adjacent rooms, civilians who had been secretly observing retreated upon noticing his gaze, huddling inside and trembling with fear.

Chen Luo paid them no heed; there were simply too many he couldn’t attend to.

He swiftly reached the alley entrance.

This was where Third Uncle’s home used to be. At this time previously, Old Man Lao Liu would have already opened his noodle stall, but now everything lay burnt and destroyed. Someone had dismantled Lao Liu’s noodle cart, and amidst the wreckage, several unattended corpses slumped against the remains of the stall, emitting a strong putrid odor.

As Chen Luo entered the alley, just a few steps in, he recognized a familiar face.

Nearby, a hunched old man was burning paper offerings, while in front of him lay a figure on a straw mat.

These two individuals were none other than Old Man Lao Liu and his wife, who used to run their stall at the alley entrance. The one burning paper was Lao Liu himself; his injured leg, now limping, had been simply bandaged, with a blackened, crusted wound visible.

Lying on the straw mat was Lao Liu’s wife, Aunt Wang, who sold breakfast at the alley mouth. Whenever Chen Luo bought soy milk and steamed buns from her, she would always give him an extra bun, saying he resembled her own son.

“Chunhua, it’s my fault, my uselessness, my incompetence… You’ve suffered all your life with me, never experiencing even a single day of comfort.”

Unaware of someone approaching behind him, Old Man Lao Liu continued speaking to the corpse before him.

The elderly man seemed drained of vitality, appearing much older suddenly.

If not for the woman he needed to care for, he likely would have chosen to join his departed spouse.