Chapter 38 Sacrificing One's Life for Righteousness

A faint glimmer flashed through Chen Mu's eyes and vanished. When he looked up again, he had already grasped the current situation.

The Cat-Faced Old Woman had already fallen, the old dog was locked in an endless struggle with the black cat, Blind Li was dazed and confused, and Liu Ziming could barely move due to his leg injury.

Chen Mu stood up immediately, his gaze cold, instantly locking onto the black cat.

If this demon is not eliminated, it will surely become a future threat.

Whether for the innocent people of Sangye Village who perished, for this old dog that loyally protected its master, or because of that phrase "Beimang Sect" in the dream realm, he could absolutely not let it escape.

A flash of silver light appeared as his longsword left its sheath; he flew forward, intending to join the fray.

However, the moment he drew near, Chen Mu found himself in a dilemma.

The cat and dog were locked in such an incredibly intense struggle that the battle circle was in a state of extreme chaos, making it impossible to separate them.

Chen Mu circled with his sword, his eyes constantly searching for an opening to strike.

Several times, just as he had spotted an opening in the black cat and was about to thrust his sword, the old dog would suddenly shift its position to block the black cat's path.

Or, the black cat would catch a glimpse of the cold light of the sword and cunningly tuck its vital points under the old dog.

The longsword hung in mid-air, but he was forced to withdraw it.

Suddenly, an extremely hoarse and weak, yet exceptionally clear voice resonated directly within Chen Mu's Sea of Consciousness.

"Strike... do not hesitate..."

Chen Mu paused, looking toward the center of the field in surprise and suspicion. The one who had made the sound was actually that old dog, which was already on the verge of death!

In the brief moments between its struggle with the black cat, it had managed to turn its head with great difficulty and cast a deep look at Chen Mu.

Immediately following this, an even clearer voice echoed in Chen Mu's Sea of Consciousness.

"This cat... is no ordinary creature; it is a minion of the Beimang Sect... and there is more than one..."

"If you let it escape... it will surely attract the attention of its companions... within a hundred miles... there will be a catastrophic disaster..."

Minion of the Beimang Sect?

Chen Mu's pupils contracted sharply.

It seemed the threat made by the Cat-Faced Old Woman before she died in the dream was not empty, and judging by the old dog's words, the forces behind it were also terrifyingly powerful.

"My... Origin has withered... I am only holding on through sheer obsession... my time is already up..."

"It would be better... to use my body... to help you eliminate this fiend... and end this future threat..."

The old dog's consciousness grew weaker, yet its cloudy eyes revealed an incredibly human emotion—it was the deepest attachment and reluctance to leave its master.

"My master... his mind is broken... I hope you will take him away... find him a place to stay... do not let him... be left to rot in the wilderness..."

The transmission of its consciousness had become as thin as a gossamer thread. The old dog looked at Chen Mu one last time, its eyes filled with a determination to die and a sense of trust.

"Quickly... this is the best opportunity... take me with it... do not go soft!"

The knuckles of Chen Mu's hand gripping the sword had turned slightly white. He looked at the old dog on the field, which was covered in wounds but still biting tightly onto the black cat's hind leg, and then looked at Blind Li, who was completely unaware of everything and laughing foolishly to himself.

The information provided by the old dog was truly shocking; the Beimang Sect, not just one, a catastrophic disaster... these words all foretold even greater trouble and calamity.

And this old dog, willing to die to create an opportunity to kill the black cat—this loyalty and determination were truly moving.

Finding a place for Blind Li to stay was not difficult, but to personally slaughter a loyal dog...

Chen Mu frowned and pondered.

As Martial Artists, our duty is to slay demons and protect the people; how can we leave behind endless trouble due to a moment of soft-heartedness?

Once his mind was clear, when Chen Mu looked up again, there was no longer any hesitation in his eyes. His figure darted out like a ghost, leaving only a lingering afterimage in his original spot.

Just as the black cat lunged at the old dog again, exposing the side of its neck due to its frantic biting.

The sword light had arrived!

There was no earth-shattering spectacle, only a cold light so fast it was almost impossible to capture, which struck with absolute precision into the battlefield where the cat and dog were locked in struggle.

The sword tip was aimed not just at the black cat, but encompassed the old dog and the parts of its body that were in close contact as well.

"Meow—"

The black cat's vertical pupils constricted suddenly. The extreme danger caused the fur all over its body to stand on end, and it let out a shrill, piercing scream.

It wanted to escape, but the old dog's bite, infused with its final life force, had become shackles that imprisoned its life. And Chen Mu's sword edge was too fast, too cold, and too resolute, leaving it no room to dodge at all.

"Puff!"

The sword light flashed past, blood splattered everywhere, and two large heads fell to the ground one after the other.

The black cat's expression was still full of resentment and horror. It rolled on the ground a few times, its blood-red cat eyes instantly losing their luster, with only its body still twitching slightly.

The old dog did not let out a cry of agony; its head rolled toward Blind Li. In the final moment of its life, its cloudy dog eyes seemed to clear for an instant, looking one last time with attachment at Blind Li, who was still oblivious to everything, before they completely lost their luster.

Blood slightly soaked the ground at Blind Li's feet.

[Killed Century-Old Cat Demon, plundered Lifespan: 135 years]

[Killed Psychic Black Dog, plundered Lifespan: 0 years]

The cold notification sound rang out again, but it could not stir even a ripple in Chen Mu's heart; he simply leaned on his sword, half-kneeling on the ground.

The Mental Energy consumed in constructing the dream realm had not yet recovered, and having immediately overdrawn all his energy to kill the cat demon, he was exhausted, his breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

And the two headless corpses lying side-by-side before him made his mood even more complex.

The black cat had been executed, which was gratifying, but the death of the loyal dog was truly lamentable.

Just at this moment, Blind Li, who had been squatting in front of the kiln, completely unresponsive to all the bloody slaughter outside and lost in his own fantasies, suddenly shuddered. As if sensing something, he tremblingly reached out to grope at his feet.

Until he touched that large, still-warm dog head.

"Old... old friend?"

Blind Li's voice was hoarse and dry, trembling with disbelief.

He tremblingly picked up the head, holding it tightly in his arms, stroking the old dog's withered fur over and over. He opened his mouth wide but could not make a sound, his facial muscles twitching frantically.

He remembered; scene after scene of the truth that he had forcibly forgotten, twisted, and tampered with, broke through the fragile barrier he had desperately built, crashing into his conscious mind!

The cold despair of the Death-Abandonment Kiln, his son's determination and cruelty, his wife's shrill screams, the terrifying sound of flesh being chewed, the heavy panting of the old dog dragging him out of the cave, the day-after-day of raw rice and rotten meat...

"Ahhh—"

Blind Li finally let out a heart-wrenching wail, his entire body curling up like a shrimp, yet he still held onto the old dog's head tightly, refusing to let go.

Blood soaked through his clothes, but he was completely oblivious. Tears gushed wildly from his already dried-out eye sockets, falling drop by drop onto the old dog's head, into the old dog's eyes, and then flowing out again, as if it were also shedding tears.

Chen Mu and Liu Ziming watched silently, not stepping forward to disturb him.

Blind Li cried for a long time, until his voice was hoarse, until he could no longer shed a single tear, until he could no longer support himself and collapsed onto the ground.

After a long time, he struggled, using all his remaining strength to crawl back up.

Tear stains still remained on his face, but there was a hint of calmness—it was a hollow, vacant look of one whose heart had died from overwhelming grief.

He no longer spoke madly; he simply used those withered hands to dig, bit by bit, with great difficulty into the ground.