Chapter 161: Repent for the Innocents You Slaughtered!

Translation by: Weebsread👹

​

A blazing, violent inferno engulfed the world—a heat so fierce it seemed to scorch even the air, until all color drained away, leaving Lin Wei and Duke Ous suspended in a realm of stark black and white. These flames were nothing like the mana wielded by mortals in their daily lives. This was something ancient, primal, and utterly alien.

​

To Duke Ous, it was as if time itself had been swallowed by a monstrous domain, reality bending and twisting under the pressure. In that monochrome nightmare, only one figure remained distinct—the man he had once dismissed as a mere insect.

​

Lin Wei hovered in the air, his presence overwhelming, battering the senses from every direction. His aura, once invisible, now blazed forth as a surging black-red radiance, crackling with such intensity that no one could draw near.

​

“You… you’re the Demon Lord? Impossible! This can’t be happening!” Duke Ous’s face contorted in utter despair. Though already collapsed on the ground, his knees threatened to buckle further, as if some primal instinct demanded he kneel and worship.

​

How could the Demon Lord—the nightmare that haunted all of humanity—be working with the Holy See, serving under Pope Selena? How could such a being walk among men?

​

Raw terror surged through his heart, wave after relentless wave. The pride of an Imperial noble was meaningless here, reduced to dust before a true apex predator. Even the urge to resist evaporated, replaced by a trembling, animal fear.

​

“You are the first human in this world to learn my true identity,” Lin Wei declared, his voice echoing within the sealed barrier. “It’s been so long… Finally, I can stop hiding and let the weight of my old title speak for itself. Consider it an honor, to meet the Demon Lord before you die.”

​

Lin Wei looked down at him like a bored child studying an ant. Even now, he withheld much of his power—yet it was more than enough to crush any noble the Empire could muster.

​

“Now then… tell me about your dealings with the demons. What is your plan?”

​

The barrier sealed them in, alert to any attempt at intrusion; not a soul could approach without being instantly discovered. Duke Ous, his spirit shackled by terror, stared up at Lin Wei, all pretense of dignity stripped away. What radiated from Lin Wei now was pure, unfiltered menace—the Demon Lord’s true aura, with not a trace of his earlier warmth.

​

“Speak, and I will grant your soul a chance to escape the hells,” Lin Wei said.

​

He flicked his hand. Black-red energy surged from his palm, piercing Duke Ous’s chest. Something long hidden near his heart was wrenched free—the Evil God’s Seed, its malignant aura swelling as Lin Wei’s will locked onto it.

​

“Ugh… aaaaah!” Duke Ous convulsed, agony shredding through his chest as if his very body were being torn apart from within.

​

In a heartbeat, the threat that had haunted him for years was ripped free. Lin Wei crushed the black seed between his fingers, snuffing it out as effortlessly as a candle flame.

​

“Th-that was… an Evil God curse?”

​

For years, it had been the source of his nightmares, a doom he could never dispel. Now, in an instant, it was gone. No more fear of damnation after death. Duke Ous stared at Lin Wei in disbelief. Was this truly the Demon Lord’s power? Even among Ultimate-level powerhouses, the gap was immeasurable—like a newborn before a battle-hardened veteran.

​

“Now, explain everything,” Lin Wei commanded, giving him no time to recover.

​

Legend held that the Demon Lord possessed the keys to the gates of hell. If he could extract an Evil God’s Seed, he could surely bind souls as well. There was no room for negotiation—only obedience. Anything less meant a fate worse than death.

​

“My collaborator among the demons… is Morteir, the Oathsworn Headless, one of the Four Heavenly Kings,” Duke Ous stammered. “He wanted my men to help plunder demon supplies, disrupt the front lines. In return, one-tenth of the gold would go to the demons.”

​

“Morteir…” Lin Wei’s eyes narrowed, his blood-red gaze burning with a dangerous light. He had suspected as much when he heard of the Headless Horseman’s involvement, but hearing the name spoken aloud still made him frown.

​

“My Four Heavenly Kings have fallen so far, reduced to petty theft?” Lin Wei sneered. “Did he ever ask you to gather information about me and report to the demons?”

​

“No. Not once.” Duke Ous shook his head weakly, his strength fading fast despite the healing prowess of an Ultimate body.

​

“Our partnership… it was the Cult of the Evil God who introduced us, who encouraged the deal. Morteir never asked about the Demon Lord—he just set the terms. Honestly, I had no idea you were hiding among men. The Holy See suspected, but they weren’t sure… I never imagined it was true!”

​

If the Demon Lord was infiltrating the Holy See, what was his goal? And if the demons were allied with the Cult of the Evil God, shouldn’t the Demon Lord be their ally as well? None of it made sense.

​

“So Morteir never sought me out…” Lin Wei murmured, recalling the letters Afuduo had sent to the demons. His gaze grew colder as he fixed Duke Ous with an icy stare. “Then what of your arrangement with the Cult of the Evil God? Who else is involved?”

​

“I… I only wanted to use their power to create a crisis, so I could reclaim the privileges the Empire once granted the Holy See—restore my family’s honor among the nobles. There are many involved, but I don’t know their names!” Duke Ous blurted out, desperation in his voice. He wasn’t lying. As an Imperial noble, this was all he truly knew.

​

When the Cult first contacted him, he had been too afraid to cooperate. Only the promise of ever-greater rewards—and the knowledge that higher-ranking nobles were already involved—had swayed him.

​

“I was just a minor piece in their plan, one whose interests happened not to conflict with theirs. All contact went through the Cult of the Evil God. I don’t know their true motives, but since they wanted me to cooperate in assassinating Commander Alfron, it’s obvious their target is the Holy See.”

​

“They even provided credentials only members of the High Council possess. That’s all I know—I joined because our goals aligned, nothing more. The rest… even I am in the dark.”

​

So that was it. Duke Ous’s aim had been to build prestige by striking at the Holy See, cleanse his family’s shame, and—if fortune smiled—earn a seat on the High Council. That explained his obsession with wealth, his willingness to slaughter villagers, anything to claw his way to power.

​

Lin Wei’s gaze hardened. If all this was true, it meant the Cult of the Evil God had deep roots within the Empire, perhaps even among the High Council’s nobles. Their ultimate objective, aside from undermining the Holy See, remained shrouded.

​

And the demons… those Afuduo corresponded with were searching for the Demon Lord. Yet Morteir, the subordinate Lin Wei himself had resurrected, showed no interest in finding him. Was it distrust of Duke Ous, or had Morteir simply given up hope?

​

“Giving up the search is just as well,” Lin Wei muttered. “Whatever trouble the demons have gotten into after my departure, it’s no longer my concern. As a Clergy Member of the Holy See, it’s none of my business.”

​

Duke Ous had outlived his usefulness.

​

“You’ve answered well,” Lin Wei said.

​

As Duke Ous waited in silent despair for death, Lin Wei lifted his hand. The Evil God’s Seed, crushed only moments before, now reformed in his palm—its faint blackness pulsing, threatening monstrous growth.

​

The energy it radiated was suffocating, on the verge of detonation. Even looking upon it sent chills down the spine.

​

“Here. You can have this back.”

​

Before Duke Ous could react, the seed shot back into his chest, faster than thought. But this time, it did not lie dormant; it erupted to life, rampaging through his body like a berserk Transcendent.

​

“AAAAAAHHHHH!”

​

The pain was indescribable, as if his heart were being devoured from within. Even one resigned to death could not endure such terror—the sensation of something clawing to seize control of his body.

​

“Y-you… Demon Lord, you liar! You promised—!”

​

Thick, oily blackness seeped from his pores, spreading like a living disease. The Evil God’s power corroded his flesh, melting his skin away piece by piece. His mana boiled madly, and in seconds his body twisted into a grotesque, formless abomination—no longer even remotely human.

​

“When did you ever get the impression the Demon Lord keeps his promises?”

​

Lin Wei removed his mask, the blood-red barrier dissolving around them. Duke Ous’s screams echoed as his body collapsed, consumed by the Evil God’s energy. Lin Wei felt no guilt for deceiving such a man.

​

“Repent for the innocent villagers you slaughtered.”

​

Lin Wei seized what remained of Duke Ous and, with a single motion, soared toward the Imperial Capital. As Duke Ous’s body was devoured by the Evil God’s energy, Lin Wei became a streak of light, vanishing into the heart of the Empire.

​

Time to wring the last drop of value from this wretch.