Chapter 241 – Legend of the Masked Children (XI)

Chapter 241

Legend of the Masked Children (XI)

It hurt.

Oh my God, did it ever hurt.

In the process of trying to save as many people as possible, I’ve incurred about seventy-seven gashes and twice as many nicks, and all so even through the protection of the Lao and Tao. Or, how I started thinking of them as ‘Lt. Ao’. They’d probably kill me if I voiced it, so I never did.

Regardless, I had saved just about eighty or so people altogether, gathering them all and shoving them into the basement, telling them to stay inside until someone comes for them.

It was barely a drop in the bucket, though–screams and cries were like a thunderstorm, and I could only ever catch a glimpse of one or two bolts.

At some point, a strange thing happened: Rayce showed up out of nowhere, carrying a pair of kids with invisible arms just above his head, and ushering them into the basement too.

Honestly, I… I keep forgetting about this kid.

In part, it was because he’d barely spoken, especially after we’d crossed the mountain, but there was something more to it. Sort of like he was ‘naturally invisible’ or something, or at least had a very muted presence.

Even now, he didn’t really speak and instead just joined me in seeking more hurt and helping them. All else aside, the kid worked hard and got hurt even worse than me in the process.

“Are you alright?” I asked yet again, offering him a pill. He merely nodded, took the pill, popped it in his mouth, and stood back up like a robot.

“Where did he come from?” Lao Shun asked.

“He was always with us,” I said.

“… are you sure?” Honestly? No.

“Yes. You are just a bit blind.”

“Huh. Anyway, rest, kid,” the old alchemist said. “It’s all wrapped up.”

“Is it?” we both asked at the same time, just as Long Tao emerged from the nearby rubble. I mean, he’d always been around; I felt it, though I did lose sight of him at some point, so where exactly he was… that was an enigma.

“Yes,” Lao nodded. “The guy who shouted at us retreated. Lady must have driven him back. The few who survived on the side of the attackers have started their retreat, though… well, they won’t get out.”

Huh.

So, really… what the fuck was even the point?

No, seriously, what the fuck was the point of any of this?!

He came, he chatted, he caused thousands of people to die, and… what?

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I’ve already known they were at least nuts if not outright evil, but this… I can’t, for the life of me, rationalize this. Unless the goal was literally for everyone to die for some reason–

–could that be it? Are they so desperate for Life Qi that they not only resort to using parasitic vines to suck it from the people, but they are also willing to toss away over a thousand of supposedly their own followers?

Nah. It can’t be that.

There’s no way in hell it’s that. I refuse to believe it.