Chapter 171
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Layers Upon Layers of Killing Intent (1)
Do you want to kill people, or do you not want to kill them?
Is killing people a sin, or is it not a sin?
Is the karma of slaughter borne by the executioners who turn criminals into morning dew on the execution ground a sin, or is it not?
Is it a sin to kill the good, but not a sin to kill the wicked?
Even the same act of murder can be interpreted in various ways. The righteous interpret and rationalize it according to justice, while those of the demonic path do so according to their nature. And these two sides can never merge.
Murder!
There's truly so much history wrapped up in that single word.
The Green Lion's Killing Way and the Blind Lion's Warmth are merely two such interpretations.
The Green Lion attached the name "Killing Way" to murder.
The Blind Lion created the concept of "Warmth" from the perspective that murder is a sin.
The Killing Way and Warmth each hold different theories. And both theories are valid. They are two interpretations that can never blend, and neither is wrong.
"Heh heh heh!"
Four Thousand Four laughed.
To understand the Killing Way, one must delve deep into the heart of slaughter.
To understand Warmth, one must be willing to lay down one's own life for others, just like Mencius.
The very idea of fusing these two is absurd.
The Green Lion had no choice but to go mad.
He locked himself in a cave no different from Thunder Prison, suppressing the murderous impulses rising from the depths of his heart.
On the other hand, the Blind Lion paid no attention to the Killing Way.
Then what if one ignores Warmth in turn?
If you uphold only Warmth, you become a Blind Lion. Fuse both, and you turn into the mad Green Lion. Devote yourself solely to the Killing Way, and you become the Green Lion of old... a hidden mad murderer. One who never revealed himself to the world.
'There's only selective choice, no harmony. White and black don't mix into gray. These two are water and fire... the more they meet, the more they wound each other.'
The shock that had surged up like a dream when he vaguely grasped the Blind Lion's Warmth had now completely faded.
There were no murderous impulses either.
He was not a mad murderer. Not some killing maniac desperate to slaughter.
However... what if a person who has let go of the thread of life but hasn't yet departed this world appeared before his eyes? What impulse would arise then? The Killing Way, or Warmth?
If the situation doesn't arise, no action occurs.
Conversely, if the situation does arise, some action will surely follow.
The conclusion is simple: throw himself into a situation where either the Killing Way or Warmth could emerge. Only that will reveal what choice he makes.
But as his thoughts reached this point, another idea suddenly surfaced.
He had delved deeply into both the Killing Way and Warmth. He had plunged into the depths of the Killing Way and burrowed into the core of Warmth. He believed he understood both.
Yet he hadn't gone mad.
Why had his master, the Green Lion, gone mad? Was this really something that could drive a person insane? Was there an element in it that could make someone lose their mind?
'I see.'
This part suddenly became clear.
His master had pursued both the Killing Way and Warmth simultaneously. In other words, he had repeatedly sought out dying people to discover what choice he himself would make.
And that had driven him mad.
'Was it something you couldn't know without trying?'
Four Thousand Four nodded, as if reaching a firm resolution.
Crack! Creak!
The sound of sturdy wood breaking. At the same time, a very small hole opened in one side of the cave.
A narrow gap barely wide enough for a grown man to crawl through.
Four Thousand Four thrust his body into the hole without hesitation.
The Green Lion didn't know there was another exit from this cave akin to Thunder Prison. In other words, he had no knowledge of the breakout diagram that Four Thousand Four possessed.
The breakout diagram Four Thousand Four knew could only be found in the Blind Lion's secret manual. When the Green Lion handed the secret manual to Four Thousand Four, it had already been altered.
The breakout diagram grew ever clearer.
What had been a vague outline now became vivid lines, shapes, and even text.
He planned to escape the Heavenly Annihilation Division.
Before that... he intended to rescue Vanguard and Hanbi, who had come here with him. If he didn't save them, they would bear the stigma of betraying the Heavenly Annihilation Division and be executed.
"Four Thousand Four is on the move."
The first report came in.
"So there was a secret chamber after all."
"We didn't check inside..."
"No need. He'll show up somewhere eventually."
The Heavenly Commander smirked.
The breakout diagram Four Thousand Four knew was something even the Heavenly Annihilation Division's leadership didn't fully grasp.
They knew most of it, but parts were hidden.
The hole concealed in the secret prison was one such part. If they'd known about the hole in the secret prison, they never would have locked the Green Lion there. Who knows when he might escape?
The only one who knew the full breakout diagram was the Blind Lion who created this place.
Four Thousand Four had slipped through the hole. Just as he expected, without becoming a madman or a killing maniac.
But he felt no disappointment. No, he had anticipated this. Four Thousand Four was following the same path as the Green Lion long ago, gradually becoming a mad murderer.
Demonic deviation? That happens in the Central Plains.
He had hoped the Blind Lion's powerful secret manual would take effect quickly, but even if it was a bit slow, nothing would change. In the end, Four Thousand Four would become the Green Lion.
"When Four Thousand Four appears...?"
"Don't block his path."
"He'll try to extract people."
"We have the clauses on our side, and the Demonic Lord is in the minor punishment hall. What is there to worry about? Don't worry."
"Understood. We'll just observe."
"No, mere observation won't do. If he's chosen the Green Lion's path... we need to hasten the change. Go tell Northern Command to sound the drum."
The Heavenly Commander smiled faintly.
The moment Four Thousand Four escapes the Heavenly Annihilation Division, the fall from grace begins.
Vanguard and Hanbi would have been captured alive.
The ones blocking them were Jaja and Fox, but behind them were countless watchful eyes.
Even if Vanguard and Hanbi defeated those two, they would ultimately be taken alive.
Which meant... Vanguard and Hanbi were in Thunder Prison.
The breakout diagram didn't mark Thunder Prison.
In terms of the overall framework and structure, Thunder Prison was as insignificant as the grime under a fingernail on a human body.
It was impossible to know what each section was used for.
Fortunately, he carried the secret maps Zhuge Xiaozi had given him. Unlike the breakout diagram, these were intelligence gathered by spies and detailed the current Heavenly Annihilation Division quite accurately.
'Thunder Prison...'
Four Thousand Four meticulously examined the secret maps Zhuge Xiaozi had given him.
Some could be skipped over. In cases where he knew more than what Zhuge Xiaozi had provided. Of course, when it came to finer details, there were more unknowns.
Zhuge Xiaozi's maps were immensely helpful.
'A place from which no one can possibly escape... It wouldn't make sense for a prisoner locked in the Heavenly Annihilation Division to break out... They must have built Thunder Prison in such an inescapable spot. In that case...'
Four Thousand Four pinpointed one location among the many marked on the maps.
A place surrounded by all sorts of trap formations, perfect for an ambush by Heavenly Annihilation Division assassins... The most heavily guarded corner of the Martial Camp that Vanguard, Hanbi, and Jaja had once taken pride in.
"Ugh!"
Suddenly, a faint groan escaped.
Like yawning with mouth wide open but no sound... a groan so quiet it was barely audible.
The warrior opposite seemed to glance over for a moment.
"Ah!"
The glancing warrior's mouth gaped open.
Not to say anything... just moving his lips idly to pass the boring time.
The warriors fell silent.
A dagger-thin, razor-sharp hidden weapon, no larger than an arrowhead, had pierced their throats and lodged in their brains, yet the two warriors seemed vividly alive.
Shadowless Dart had surpassed Eight Stars.
Without specially training in Shadowless Dart or encountering any special opportunity.
Swoosh!
Four Thousand Four brushed past the two warriors.
He had just encountered a situation. And he made the choice only he could.
The two warriors were guarding the path to Thunder Prison.
There was no way to reach Thunder Prison without dealing with them. He had to break through or retreat.
Breaking through... acupoint strikes would be ideal.
However, Four Thousand Four couldn't use Shadowless Dart for acupoint strikes. It worked for killing, but not for precise hits on vital points.
This was separate from how far he had cultivated Shadowless Dart.
In the end, he had to decide between killing them or retreating.
So, what to do? For this murder, was the Killing Way appropriate, or Warmth? Using Warmth while deliberately killing someone didn't make sense, leaving only the Killing Way... but killing to save others violated Warmth.
What choice would he make?
He unleashed Shadowless Dart, guiding the two warriors to the swiftest death.
In one situation, he made one choice. He took the action required by siding with the Killing Way.
The choice between Killing Way and Warmth didn't require seeking out the dying. For a warrior... it could arise anywhere in daily life.
He sought to maintain a state of no-mind.
He justified killing the two warriors as an unavoidable choice. He had no other option.
A murder he would have committed thoughtlessly in the past now approached like shackles, one by one.
Maintain no-mind, and his heart grew calm.
He could pass by the dead warriors as if it were nothing, as if nothing had happened.
"Mm!"
"Wha...?"
One let out an extremely faint groan, the other began a question but trailed off.
Both froze as if struck in the throat.
Those guarding the entrance to Thunder Prison had to be killed. He could have subdued them without killing, but any gap would ring the alarm.
That would require killing even more people.
It was far better to kill these two than to face those rushing in at the alarm.
Swoosh!
Four Thousand Four slipped past them into Thunder Prison.
"Four Thousand Four has appeared in Thunder Prison."
"Number One Thunder Prison or Number Two?"
"Number Two."
"Wrong place. Open the path to Number One. Set guards only at positions Seven and Nine, withdraw the rest."
"Seven and Nine?"
"Those correspond to the throat. It would be suspicious not to guard such places."
"When he reaches Number One... do we release everyone?"
The Heavenly Commander nodded.
"Understood. Oh! One more thing to report. His Shadowless Dart is approaching Eight Stars... surpassing the Green Lion's level, as you said."
"Is that so? Remarkable progress in such a short time. Heh heh!"
The Heavenly Commander laughed.
If Blood Moon judged it from the corpses, her assessment would be correct.
Surpassing the Green Lion's realm... it sounded like the makings of someone worthy of the fall from grace.
"Well, that's it. Is the picture coming together properly?"
The Heavenly Commander asked the young master seated opposite.
"If it's certain that Four Thousand Four is becoming the Green Lion... then yes, the picture I envisioned fits."
Northern Command Blood Blade replied politely.
"Four Thousand Four... we won't have to wait long. He'll soon change as desired, so don't miss the timing."
Clap!
Instead of replying, Northern Command clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"By the way! Are you just going to leave Blood Moon like that? If you plan to make four people, you need to do something."
"For now... we're waiting."
Northern Command gave a faint smile.