The small-scale battle at Rat Extermination Creek—or rather the one-sided trouncing—lasted for just over ten minutes, ending with eighteen cultivators of the Mo Clan either dead or wounded, all captured.

To be honest, the process was a bit tougher than the rabbits expected.

Especially after firing weapons exposed several shooting points, the few Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators from the Mo Mansion organized a small-scale counterattack. Although it ultimately didn't cause any casualties, several Tier Two Defense Talismans were permanently incapacitated.

There's no choice; this was the first batch of cultivators the rabbits have faced head-on so far. All data is extremely crucial, and thus some sacrifices need to be made.

Besides the ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, Mo Lisen also revealed his formidable side.

After all, he is a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer, with extremely rich combat experience.

The kind the rabbits can kill without much trouble but capturing proves difficult.

Upon discovering many clan members were injured and lost the ability to fight, Mo Lisen even tried to escape solo.

Fortunately, the rabbits were prepared for this. With Patriarch Wei's assistance, they coordinated multi-angle shooting with 12.7mm spiritual energy armor-piercing bullets, eventually capturing Mo Lisen alive.

Considering these high-ranking members of the Mo Clan are notorious and cannot escape death, the rabbits decisively destroyed their inner seas one by one.

The inner sea of a cultivator is a very important part, invisible yet existent.

Once the inner sea is broken, it means the cultivator cannot mobilize spiritual energy—this concept is somewhat similar to the concept of Dantian damage in Huaxia martial arts novels, which is basically a hopeless situation.

The injury of the inner sea caused many Mo Clan cultivators to lose consciousness due to pain, but Mo Lisen was not among them.

When brought before Lin Ziming, this 'Master Mo' seemed completely unaffected by the pain in his inner sea, his expression calm and composed.

It was uncertain whether it was due to injuries sustained during the battle, but Mo Lisen kept his right eye open while his left eye remained tightly shut.

Brought before everyone.

Mo Lisen first glanced at Patriarch Wei standing aside, then turned his gaze to Lin Ziming, whose attire was visibly different.

Due to his inner sea being broken and unable to mobilize his divine sense, he didn't realize Lin Ziming was actually a mortal:

"So it was Your Excellency who staged this, quite a masterstroke of deception; the old me still doesn't know what happened... May I ask who exactly you are?"

"The one to bring you to justice."

Lin Ziming gave him a plain glance without much explanation, for there was nothing more to say to someone facing death.

He was about to turn and leave to arrange departure matters when Mo Lisen suddenly called out:

"Wait!"

Lin Ziming turned back: "What else?"

Mo Lisen swallowed, straightened his body, and said:

"I've long heard of the Wei Family in Chixian City for their benevolence and righteousness, never bullying the weak.

The old me, having committed many evil deeds and misjudged people, accepts being caught this time. It's entirely at Your Excellency's discretion how to handle me, and feel free to take Sheepback City.

But the old me only wants to ask one thing clearly: Could you spare the lives of many women and children of the Mo Clan?"

Lin Ziming paused slightly upon hearing this.

To be honest, Mo Lisen's words surprised him a bit.

Given what he knew, Mo Lisen was an exceptionally cruel executioner.

But it's also understandable; as a patriarch, it's only natural to care about bloodline legacy upon facing death.

However, just as 'this person can let go and take up responsibilities, reluctantly a hero' flashed through his mind, Lin Li's voice suddenly came through the headset:

"Colonel Lin, pay attention.

Based on our real-time analysis, there is a discrepancy in Mo Lisen's right-eye frame rate when he speaks, an awkward opposite-sided shift in his gaze and lip corners, and a brief bulging of the lower-right chewing muscle.

Judging from the scenario where he previously attempted solo escape, he is most likely not speaking earnestly.

Experts guess he might be trying to take advantage of our lack of direct understanding, establishing a hero persona in a short time, creating a perception bias.

If our response aligns with principles, he might use some family secrets as exchange conditions to attempt escape.

The Damo Realm is not short of cunning and treacherous people, so be careful—judging by our heart rate monitoring, you might have already been deceived."

Lin Ziming: "..."

Beside him, Yan Shaohua, responsible for commanding the air defense module in this task, also heard Lin Li's words. He first gave a playful look towards his close friend, then brazenly said to Mo Lisen:

"Rest assured, the Mo Clan members in Sheepback City will not be exterminated. Though the truly wicked will not escape death, we will not harm the innocent—it's just that their lives might not be as free thereafter."

Mo Lisen took a deep breath, his face appropriately revealing a mixture of relief, admiration, and emotion—a 0.25-second change of expression, enough for those practice for two and a half years:

"Not... justified..."

Yet before he could finish his sentence, Yan Shaohua interrupted him:

"Not justified for the Wei Mansion, indeed magnanimous and righteous, the old me is deeply impressed—wasn't that what you were going to say?"

Mo Lisen's expression froze.

"Next, are you going to say, 'Your mansion is powerful yet does not kill the innocent, so are you willing to make a deal with me? I will reveal all the secrets of the Mo Family in exchange for a chance to live, and afterward, I'll become a mere mortal, no longer doing evil'?"

Mo Lisen: "?!"

Then Yan Shaohua, with an expression as if he had a scriptwriting team behind him, waved his hand dismissively:

"Give it up, old Mo, don't use those tricks with us; no one will fall for it. We don't care for your secrets either, so just prepare to meet your end honestly."

Seeing his little scheme unveiled, Mo Lisen could no longer put on an act. A trace of ferocity appeared in his eyes, and a snarling growl like a beast came from his throat:

"Who are you people exactly??!!"

Yan Shaohua shrugged at him again and said:

"People who usually ask that question end up killed; I won't set myself up like that. Here, you might try asking that big-browed fool over there. Maybe he's drained his intelligence with so much blood-drawing and isn't afraid to say a few more words to you."

Then he turned around to arrange the retreat of the air defense modules.

But after taking a few steps, Yan Shaohua seemed to remember something and turned back to look at Mo Lisen seriously:

"However, what I said before is indeed true—those who have not committed evil deeds, we will not harm; this is our principle."

As Yan Shaohua finished speaking, Special Warrior Liu Ming—the one who earlier conducted the spatial bag ping pong experiment—came over with several other people to Lin Ziming's side:

"Colonel Lin, with Yang Hengjun's assistance, we have cataloged all the captives' names and cleared the battlefield. Here is the list of all personnel, including those at the Foundation Establishment..."

As Liu Ming was reporting, Mo Lisen suddenly noticed someone behind him and let out an earth-shattering roar:

"Yang, Heng, Jun!!!!!!!"

Even though his internal sea was long damaged and his entire body had no Spiritual Power left, this roar echoed throughout Rat Extermination Creek like a magic amplification.

Mo Lisen's right eye glared ferociously at Yang Hengjun, seemingly wanting to devour him alive.

Of all those who captured them, including Lin Ziming, Mo Lisen resented Yang Hengjun more for betraying them all.

Because although the former laid the trap, their own strength was not weak, and Mo Family would not necessarily lose in frontal combat, the trap was to reduce war damage.

The latter involved matters of human nature and loyalty.

In any world, traitors are always the most despised—except Chen Peisi.

Therefore, with Yang Hengjun's appearance, Mo Lisen's fury instantly focused on him.

Seeing his former patriarch and master now madly raging impotently like a dog without a home.

Yang Hengjun suddenly remembered many years ago, in a similar position, where another kind-faced elder cursed him fiercely:

"Yang Hengjun, our Tian Family treated you well, saved you from despair, entrusted the great iron mine secret to you, but you helped the tyrant, willing to become Mo Family's evil dog. I, Tian Ping, curse you never to die in peace! Never to die in peace!!"

Elder Tian's face gradually overlapped with Mo Lisen in front of him, which made Yang Hengjun slightly uncomfortable as he shifted.

He didn't think he wronged, considering the chaotic times, living better while some irrelevant people died was not a big deal?

If you're not for yourself, heaven and earth will destroy you.

Now with assurances from Lin Ziming and others, promising to spare him afterward, he'd simply change his allegiance—the future looked bright. Of course, this promise was given after he concealed Tian Mansion matters.

According to his understanding over these days, Wei Mansion Main House kept their word quite well, though they seemed to value civilian lives particularly.

If they discovered he betrayed and butchered over thirty people in the past, there'd surely be trouble.

Back then, Elder Tian spat on his face, though missed slightly, landing on his chest.

That spit carried a lot of heart's blood, thus felt warm, just like his chest right now... huh?

Yang Hengjun suddenly felt something was off and looked down.

To his shock, there was a large hole in his chest.

He struggled to look towards Mo Lisen, who had opened his tightly shut left eye, yet it was empty inside, filled with blood.

Yang Hengjun's ears caught Mo Lisen's jubilant yet bitter laughter finally.

This laughter gradually changed pitch in his now-blurred perception, like a ghost pursuing its victim for revenge…

His chest grew hotter, his breathing more difficult, and finally, he collapsed heavily to the ground.

And breathed his last.

...

Note:

Two updates today.

Yesterday due to rushing for the bus, there were quite a few typos, now corrected, hopefully none today~

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.