Chapter 235 – Mu Lin: Nice Proposal—Now It's Mine

Yan Yunyu was not alone. She had gathered together with some disciples from Jade Lake, Crane Mountain, and Dragon Roaming Dao Academy, as well as another group of people.

If Mu Lin had been nearby, he would have recognized some familiar faces among them.

Qin Yuan, once a disciple of Master Meng Rui, and Zuo Li, who had previously invited him to join the Savior Organization, were standing alongside Yan Yunyu and the others, confronting the woman who was washing her long hair with lake water.

However, unlike the Corpse Tree, the two sides were not fighting. In fact, Qin Yuan, Zuo Li, and the others were even trying to persuade her.

“Pleasure Maiden, we are not enemies. You should cooperate with us. Those vile followers of the Evil God have nothing but violence, enslavement, madness, and slaughter in their minds. Staying with them will not allow you to enjoy the path of pleasure.”

Hearing this, the Pleasure Maiden, who had been focused on grooming herself, did not respond directly. Instead, she giggled and spoke to the lake surface: “Hehe, did you hear that, servants of the Wild Hunt, Black Mountain, and the Crows? Someone is calling you madmen and demons.”

“And what’s more, they want to join forces with me to deal with you. What do you think about that?”

At some point, the calm lake surface had transformed into a mirror.

Several figures (?) were conversing with Pleasure Maiden Shu Rong through the mirror formed by the water.

Seeing them, Qin Yuan and Zuo Li’s pupils contracted sharply, and their group grew visibly restless.

While they were tense, the three servants of the other Evil Gods remained remarkably calm.

Upon hearing the Pleasure Maiden’s question, they showed no urgency at all.

“Violence, madness, slaughter… Such descriptions are not insults or slander—they are praise. Violence is everything; might makes right!”

“Kekeke, I believe schemes and enslavement are the most beautiful things in the world…”

Some paid no heed to human accusations and insults, while others responded to the Pleasure Maiden’s latter statement.

“What do we think? We think we’ll just watch. Our great masters will eventually descend upon this world and rule over all. Unless you are utterly foolish, you should know that humanity has no future. Cooperating with these lowly ants is nothing but seeking your own death!”

Before the Pleasure Maiden could respond, Qin Yuan couldn’t help but speak up.

“It is you who deserve to die! Humanity will ultimately triumph, and we will cleanse every last one of you from this world!”

“Oh…”

Such furious words finally drew the attention of some.

Among them, the servant of the Crow God spoke mockingly: “You believe humanity will surely win, but not everyone thinks so.”

As he spoke, he casually beckoned, summoning a group of humans before him. These humans immediately knelt and prostrated themselves before the Crow God’s servant.

Pointing at them, the servant of the Crow God wore an even more scornful expression.

“See? You do not represent all of humanity. In fact, the offerings that brought us here were provided by humans themselves. Kekeke…”

“Those scum are not worthy of being called human.”

The shameless Cultists filled Qin Yuan, Zuo Li, and the others with rage.

However, while they believed the Cultists were unworthy of being called human, the latter thought otherwise.

“You are the fools. The great masters will descend, and we are merely recognizing the inevitable.”

“That’s right. We are the ones in the right. Your futile resistance will only hasten humanity’s demise…”

The shameless words made Qin Yuan curse out at the cultists.

This scene also made the Pleasure Maiden giggle.

“You see, you can’t even convince your own people. Cooperating with you doesn’t seem like a good choice.”

These words made some people’s expressions grow even heavier, but Zuo Li, the leader of their team, was not among them.

“Don’t take the choices of some individuals as representative of all humanity.”

“In a large forest, there are all kinds of birds. I don’t deny that humans have some spineless individuals, but we are the rulers of this world, and our position as rulers didn’t fall from the sky.”

At this point, Zuo Li looked at the Pleasure Maiden Shu Rong and said word by word:

“In the struggle for supremacy, we faced countless dangers and challenges, but in the end, they all perished, and only we humans stand at the peak of the world.”

“Among them were some forbidden lords equivalent to Evil Gods, but they too failed to take away humanity’s position as rulers. You are not as strong as you imagine!”

“Just like now, your situation is not good. Relying on some despicable, spineless individuals, you have indeed descended into this Illusion Realm, but now you have been discovered.”

“It is you who should be afraid.”

Hearing this firm reply, the Pleasure Maiden Shu Rong once again giggled without speaking.

However, while she remained silent, another Servant of the Gods, the follower of the Wild Hunt, could no longer hold back.

“It is you who cannot see yourselves clearly!”

“Lowly humans, do not compare some insignificant ants to our great masters. You will ultimately be conquered, and this place will become my master’s hunting ground.”

“And, are these the reinforcements you rely on? They are nothing but trash.”

As he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and several people, bound and restrained, were brought before him.

If Mu Lin were here, he would recognize that those captured this time were disciples who had entered the trial with him.

Clearly, some had been unlucky and caught by these so-called Servants of the Gods.

Seeing this, Zuo Li narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing. However, the captured disciple, panicked and terrified, cried out: “You cannot harm me! I am from the Chai Family of Yuling City. If you kill me, my family will surely seek revenge!”

“And the Jade Lake Dao Academy, the Yuzhou Demon Suppression Division—they will not let you go either…”

Splat!

The disciple tried desperately to intimidate the follower of the Wild Hunt, but before he could finish, his head was crushed by the servant’s slap.

“How dare you!”

This brutal scene sent a chill through Qin Yuan and the others. Not only them, but even the Pleasure Maiden Shu Rong and the cultists were taken aback.

Especially the latter—while surprised, they were also extremely anxious. These cultists had some understanding of human power.

Although they did not believe humans were a match for the Deities, they knew humans were more than capable of dealing with them. This was also why they had captured most of the disciples without killing them immediately.

“You actually killed him directly, Tie Xun. Aren’t you afraid of being hunted down by humans? According to that human, his background is quite significant.”

Though anxious, the cultists could do nothing more than fret in the face of the Servants of the Gods.

As for the Pleasure Maidens, they could be questioned freely.

Faced with such inquiries, Tie Xun did feel some apprehension, but not much.

First, he was not a mindlessly brutal and savage individual.

  Though he enjoyed killing and relished the hunt even more, he clearly understood that when Mu Lin and the other Dao Palace disciples fell into the Secret Realm, he and his kind had already stepped into a trap.

Once their identities were exposed, they would undoubtedly be hunted down by humans. This had nothing to do with whether they killed Mu Lin and the others, nor was it related to whether the Aristocratic Families were benevolent or not.

Whether it was the imperial family of the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty or the Aristocratic Families, as the foremost powers in the world, they absolutely did not want another master—or rather, a group of masters—above them.

Especially when these masters were cruel, ruthless, and insanely bloodthirsty.

Therefore, unless absolutely forced, neither the imperial family nor the Aristocratic Families would surrender.

In such a situation, Tie Xun naturally had two choices. One was to comply with the intentions of the mastermind behind the scenes, thoroughly kill the scions of the Aristocratic Families who had entered, and completely sever ties with humanity, leaving no room for reconciliation between the two sides.

The other was to spare Yan Zhanpeng, Chu Hongxuan, and the others, implementing a policy of appeasement.

Almost without hesitation, Tie Xun chose the latter.

In doing so, Tie Xun had his own considerations. He clearly understood that he and his kind had come to conquer and **. No matter how much they appeased, it would never make the Aristocratic Families submit or force them to relinquish their power, interests, and territory.

Therefore, appeasement was utterly ineffective.

On the contrary, such a weak move might make humans lose all fear of them, and that would be the beginning of a true disaster.

Thus, he chose another path: kill.

Kill until humans were filled with fear and despair, using boundless Authority and violence to instill in them a sense of invincibility.

Of course, aside from rational analysis, his personality and Authority also influenced Tie Xun.

The former made Tie Xun brutal and bloodthirsty. When faced with decisions, if possible, he always chose the simplest route: meeting violence with violence.

The latter, as a follower of the Wild Hunt, allowed him to gain strength from killing.

This meant that even if it wasn’t the best choice, he would still choose to slaughter extensively to enhance his power.

No matter how he reasoned, Tie Xun had made his decision.

This scene was also witnessed by the one manipulating everything.

“Unrestrained slaughter, is it? As expected, you would still make this choice… Was the recording captured?”

“It has been recorded, my lord.”

“Then begin replicating it and spreading it across the world. We must let those Aristocratic Families know that the so-called Evil God rulers never regard humans with respect. Even if they betray their past, they will only be treated as cattle and slaves, to be slaughtered at will.”

“I must ensure that humanity harbors no more illusions!”

…

Unaware of the mastermind’s schemes, Tie Xun, after personally executing the disciples captured by his subordinates, turned his gaze to the Pleasure Maiden.

“Shu Rong, kill the humans behind you.”

“Hehe, you cannot command me.”

Laughing lightly, the Pleasure Maiden did not refuse outright. Instead, she turned her gaze to Qin Yuan and Zuo Li, teasingly saying, “You heard that person’s proposal, didn’t you? He wants me to kill you right here.”

“But you won’t do that. If you attack us, there will be no room for reconciliation between your Pleasure Sect and humanity. I don’t think you want to be hunted by humans forever, constantly hiding and fleeing.”

“Indeed, I don’t. But you are also quite delicious to me. Letting you go would be too great a loss.”

At this point, the Pleasure Maiden hesitated.

Just as Qin Yuan and the others grew tense due to her hesitation, a proposal was suddenly put forward by the Pleasure Maiden.

“How about this: I can spare you and remain neutral in this battle, but if you survive, each of you must offer me ten men and ten women.”

Qin Yuan: “Impossible! Even if I die, I will never submit to you Malevolent Ghosts!”

Qin Yuan’s eyes filled with hatred made the Pleasure Maiden Shu Rong narrow her gaze, but she paid it no mind. Instead, she smiled and looked at the people behind Qin Yuan.

“What about you? Do you think the same? Are you willing to give up your lives for twenty ordinary people?”

“I sincerely advise you to think carefully. You are all geniuses, the future and hope of humanity. Each of you has a bright and promising future ahead.”

“In my view, each of you is worth a thousand, even ten thousand times more than ordinary people. Is it truly wise to die needlessly for the sake of some commoners?”

“If I were you, I would choose to survive for now. This would also be a good thing for humanity…”

The Pleasure Maiden… had somewhat convinced some of the people behind Zuo Li.

It wasn’t that her words were particularly compelling, but as a servant of pleasure, she could easily stir the negative emotions in living beings.

At this moment, she used her seductive voice to evoke fear of death in some of them.

Moreover, the class distinctions in this world were deeply ingrained. Even without Shu Rong’s influence, many children of nobility genuinely believed their bloodlines were noble and their lives more valuable than those of ordinary people.

“Trading twenty lowly lives for my survival—this deal is worth it!”

“The Pleasure Maiden is right. My life holds greater value…”

“If I die, my wife and property will belong to others. No, this cannot happen. I must survive…”

Watching the expressions of those behind Qin Yuan waver, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Shu Rong’s lips.

‘These people are about to fall.’

‘Tie Xun is nothing but a brainless fool, and the followers of the crow are mere schemers who rely on petty tricks. Only our Pleasure Sect is truly formidable.’

‘Fighting and killing are the acts of fools. Infiltrating humanity and manipulating them—that is the most convenient and swift path to victory.’

Her manipulation of human hearts made Shu Rong feel her plan was succeeding.

And she knew well that human corruption knew no bounds. Once they took the first step, their moral boundaries would continuously erode. Eventually, they would be completely under her control.

However, just as Shu Rong was about to reveal a triumphant smile, a voice suddenly echoed from the sky.

“Trading twenty ordinary lives for your own survival?”

“That’s a fine proposal. I’ll take it.”

As the words fell, a half-human, half-dragon figure descended from the heavens and landed before the Pleasure Maiden.

As she looked on with slight surprise, Mu Lin grinned at her and spoke:

“Now, you too have a choice: die here like the other lowlifes, or kill twenty scoundrels to earn your survival!”

(End of Chapter)