51: This is not the only solution!

When unarmed villagers are pushed to their limit, even a Bandit leader can only perish under the assault of countless fists.

Lin Yue watched this scene quietly, walked to the Bandits' horses, and tossed the stolen property and grain, bag by bag, at the villagers' feet.

Next, he gathered all the Bandits' weapons and threw them onto the ground with a loud clang.

The rage-filled villagers finally came to their senses; the Bandit leader was dead as could be, having met a truly miserable end.

And they, without realizing it, found their hands drenched in dripping blood.

How was such behavior any different from that of the Bandits?

Many began to wail in pain, curling up on the ground, lost and helpless.

"Shut up!"

Lin Yue shouted, his gaze like that of a man-eating beast, causing everyone to freeze in shock.

"Take the goods, and take the weapons!"

"I don't know if more Bandits will come later. The grain will let you continue to live; the weapons will let you protect yourselves."

"If you don't even have the courage to live on, then cry. After you're done crying, slit your throats with a blade. Otherwise, when the next batch of Bandits arrives, you'll still die. It's all just a matter of time."

...After saying these words, Lin Yue turned his back and walked toward the village exit.

Watching Lin Yue leave the village without looking back, the villagers finally snapped out of it.

They retreated from their confusion and recovered from their self-blame and pain, supporting each other as they picked up everything they owned, including the weapons on the ground.

Huddling together for warmth, they summoned their courage.

This is the only weapon the weak have against the strong.

Light descended from the Void Realm. Before Lin Yue could even reach the village entrance, he was enveloped and vanished from everyone's sight.

"Ding! You have completed the Courage Trial. Seven Gods Trial progress: (2/7)."

Hearing the System's prompt, Lin Yue remained expressionless as the Valkyrie wielding a greatsword walked over.

"Adventurer, your method of clearing the trial was eye-opening. You truly possess a powerful heart and are filled with courage. You may now proceed to the next stage."

Having gained the God of Courage's approval, Lin Yue didn't rush to leave. Instead, he said calmly, "Actually, there was another solution to this stage."

"Oh?"

The God of Courage showed an amused expression, her red lips curling up slightly of their own accord.

"Adventurer, let's hear it."

Lin Yue suddenly smiled. "Actually, from the beginning, I didn't need to face any Bandits at all. After all, with the frail body you gave me, I would have been doomed against them if not for my special talent."

"Is that so? What would you have done?"

The God of Courage listened quietly, her eyes flickering occasionally.

"What I would do is simple: persuade all the villagers to take up arms and resist. At the moment of life and death, if everyone unites as one and finds the courage to face the Bandits, the trial would be considered passed. However, there is one drawback to doing it this way..."

Lin Yue's eyes were as calm as water, and his words were terrifyingly serene.

"What drawback could such a good method have?"

The light in the God of Courage's eyes brightened; her interest had been fully piqued.

"You forget that the villagers are cowardly by nature. Even if you forcibly pump them up, they will still feel fear when actually facing a dozen Bandits. At that moment, the only thing that could make them find their courage is the death of their loved ones!"

At this point, Lin Yue stopped talking. In contrast, the God of Courage had already begun to clap.

"You are very much to my liking. What you said is exactly what I was thinking."

"It's not hard to make the weak summon courage, but the difficulty lies in how to turn that courage into power. Pain is precisely one such way."

The God of Courage's words were not without merit, but Lin Yue shook his head.

"What, do you think I'm wrong?"

Seeing Lin Yue shake his head, the God of Courage was somewhat displeased.

"You are right, but you are looking at things from the perspective of a god. I am looking at it only from the perspective of a human. This is undoubtedly the worst outcome."

"The worst outcome? This is clearly a very good outcome. Adventurer, are you joking with me?"

The God of Courage was confused. Clearly, this approach would allow the villagers to protect themselves and even defeat their enemies; how could it possibly be the worst consequence?

"In that case, let me ask you: where do Bandits come from?"

"Bandits, naturally, they are..."

Suddenly, the God of Courage's words halted. She looked at Lin Yue in surprise, a hint of shock in her gaze.

She suddenly understood Lin Yue's meaning. Aren't Bandits precisely transformed from these villagers who felt despair toward the world and had the last trace of their humanity extinguished?

Just as the God of Courage wanted to ask for further clarification, Lin Yue had already left her with only his back as he walked toward the gate of the third stage.

"A person can chant the Buddha's name for years, yet fall into the path of a demon in a single thought."

This was the last thing Lin Yue said before leaving.

The God of Courage was stunned, her large, beautiful eyes filled with disbelief. As she watched Lin Yue, she murmured to herself.

"What a line: 'A person can chant the Buddha's name for years, yet fall into the path of a demon in a single thought.' I actually got lectured by a Mortal."

In truth, Lin Yue's words had pierced the God of Courage's heart. Where did those Demon Gods come from? Weren't they just the fallen versions of gods who claimed to be upright and kind?

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A massive sound echoed, and the God of Courage's eyes turned resolute.

The first stage was about to collapse. Seeing Lin Yue pass the trial, the God of Courage gripped her greatsword tightly and turned to enter the first stage.

After passing through the second door and arriving at the third, what greeted him was a middle-aged man with a kind expression.

"Come here quickly, Adventurer. You must be exhausted. Here, wipe off your sweat."

A towel was handed over. Lin Yue looked at the man in front of him with some speechlessness and reached out to take the towel.

No need to think twice; this guy was definitely the God of Kindness.

"Allow me to introduce myself. As you've likely realized, I am the God of Kindness. Are you ready for my trial?"

"Bring it on."

Lin Yue actually wiped his sweat and returned the towel to the God of Kindness.

As the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling face. Since the other party was all smiles, Lin Yue didn't say much else.

"Very good. The next process might be a bit strenuous, so please bear with me."

As he spoke, a burst of white light emanated from the God of Kindness's hand, and then both Lin Yue and the God of Kindness disappeared simultaneously.

Meanwhile, in the hall of the first stage, the God of Courage, who had just rushed in, was shocked by the scene before her.

The Hell Cerberus that the God of Cunning had transformed into was being brutally beaten by a black giant. Two of its three heads had already been smashed, and the last one was struggling in its death throes.

"Another toy has arrived. I wasn't having enough fun yet. Come here and take your beating."

The black giant stopped its movements and looked at the God of Courage with a playful expression.

"The Sword of Courage fears no Demon God."

Flames suddenly appeared on her greatsword as the God of Courage held it with both hands and rapidly closed in on the Black Mist Giant.

The God of Cunning spat out blood and shouted urgently.

"Don't be reckless! He's not a projection—he's a Clone!"