Chapter 495 - 293: The Lei Family Village Massacre

Chapter 495: Chapter 293: The Lei Family Village Massacre

"What’s this sword called?"

Lin Loulan was gasping for breath, his words ragged. He struggled up from the ground, propping himself up with his left hand while his right clutched the wound in his abdomen. He knelt, half-supported, and looked up at Leng Wuque in his wheelchair.

"Black Sword."

Leng Wuque said coolly.

"That name... It doesn’t sound like something you or that Vice Minister Liu would come up with. I’m guessing it was Su Xing’s handiwork. How... uninspired."

Lin Loulan said with a laugh, but the movement of his lips caused more blood to gush from his mouth. He clearly didn’t have long to live.

"COUGH COUGH... COUGH COUGH COUGH..."

Leng Wuque was suddenly seized by a violent coughing fit. It took a long moment for him to recover. His body, it seemed, could no longer withstand the strain of the recent days of battle. His eyes, however, remained as sharp and piercing as ever.

"It seems your body is in worse shape than I imagined after that incident. I hope I don’t see you in the afterlife a few years from now."

Lin Loulan said, looking at Leng Wuque. Though his words were a jest, his tone was completely serious. It was clear just how poor Leng Wuque’s physical condition had become.

"Heh, that would still be a few years from now."

Leng Wuque shook his head. "Better than you, who’s about to go right now."

"Sharp-tongued."

Lin Loulan chuckled, seemingly unbothered by Leng Wuque’s mockery. He then said with a sigh of emotion:

"If that incident had never happened, your accomplishments would have surpassed even Liu Hai’s by now. He is your lesser."

"But of course, in the end, I still lost to you."

"I had help from capable people like Ling Zhongxing, Su Xing, and Li Ye. It was hardly a fair victory."

Leng Wuque shook his head.

"Victory requires using any means necessary. How can any victory be called unfair?"

"Besides, the Sea Fish Organization was in development for years before you ever set foot in Lei Family Village. I had even prepared hidden moves far in advance. I held the advantage from the very beginning."

Lin Loulan also shook his head with a faint smile.

"After you die, Xia Country will not allow Jile Valley to exist, not after all the atrocities it has committed."

Leng Wuque stated.

"..."

Lin Loulan fell silent at his words. He had lost, and this was a consequence he had to accept. Still, he said:

"Ye Fei is my guard. He joined this battle only because he owes me a great debt. He has nothing to do with Jile Valley."

"I understand."

Leng Wuque nodded. "But he still participated in this battle. If he’s skilled enough to escape, we won’t hunt him to the ends of the earth."

"..."

Lin Loulan nodded. "Since the resurgence of Spiritual Qi, the situation in Xia Country has grown increasingly chaotic. There may be another hand guiding events from the shadows. You must be careful."

"..."

Leng Wuque was silent for a moment before saying, "Lin Loulan, you were once a member of my special organization. If you had just stayed on that path, you never would have ended up in this tragic state."

"Life is short. Why not risk universal condemnation? In my life, I helped one person reach the very heavens. That alone is enough for me to die with a smile on my face!"

Lin Loulan let out a great laugh, then suddenly spewed a mouthful of blood. His body crashed to the ground with a dull THUD. And just like that, Lin Loulan, the enemy whose intellect was said to be second to none, met his end on Sea Fish Island.

"Team Leader Leng!"

Just then, Su Xing’s voice called out. A moment later, his figure appeared abruptly beside Leng Wuque, followed by Li Ye, Qiu Wudao, and Zhan Wuxing.

"First Senior Brother, Ling Zhongxing is spreading the news of Lin Loulan’s death throughout the Sea Fish Organization’s main lair. The criminals have lost their leader; when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter."

Qiu Wudao said.

"COUGH COUGH... He certainly has an excess of faith in me."

Leng Wuque said with a light cough and a smile.

"But that Ye Fei fellow got away. He’s a Swordsman renowned for his Body Technique, after all. First Senior Brother, should we give chase?"

Zhan Wuxing said with a frown.

"There’s no need. The battle for Sea Fish Island is over..."

Leng Wuque shook his head, but his words had barely faded when the sound of footsteps came from behind them. The heavily injured Ye Fei had reappeared before the group.

Staring at the unexpected sight, everyone froze for a second before Qiu Wudao immediately cursed:

"Profound Bird Ye Fei!"

"You dare show your face again?!"

"..."

Ye Fei stared at Lin Loulan’s body. He didn’t draw his sword or say a word, simply gazing blankly, his thoughts a mystery.

Perhaps he was blaming himself for his weakness, or perhaps he was cursing his failure to protect Lin Loulan. In any case, he did nothing, merely standing there in a daze.

"Let him go... He isn’t a member of Jile Valley. Besides, he’s lost the will to fight."

Leng Wuque recalled his promise to Lin Loulan and let out a sigh before speaking slowly.

"He may not be from Jile Valley, but he was still involved in the Lei Family Village incident! And he’s incredibly powerful, we must..."

Zhan Wuxing interjected at once.

"What about the villagers of Lei Family Village, and all those disciples of the Sea Fish Organization? They are all guilty of wrongdoing. Are we supposed to kill every single one of them?"

"We came here to end this war and destroy the Jile Valley’s schemes, not to kill every single person caught up in this game."

"Besides, while this may be a bandit suppression operation, in ancient warfare, the sins of the conflict were placed upon the leader. Now that Lin Loulan is dead, we would do well to follow that ancient precedent."

Leng Wuque explained. While his words didn’t entirely appease Zhan Wuxing, he had to admit that his First Senior Brother had a point.