Not long after, the golden light drew near, and within it, two figures could vaguely be seen.
"Lord Shi Mo."
Upon seeing those two, the crowd erupted into even more enthusiastic cheers, though no one bowed. According to them, Shi Mo had told them not to.
"Lord Shi Mo brought an elder from the Divine Body Heavenly Mansion this time!"
The young man was especially excited.
"Is everyone here?" Shi Mo asked.
"My Lord, we're all here."
"I was out cultivating, but I rushed back specially."
From within the city came countless voices, each one brimming with excitement and joy.
"Good." Shi Mo nodded with satisfaction, then swept his sleeve. A wave of barrier force enveloped the entire city.
"A barrier?"
"Why has Lord Shi Mo set up a barrier?"
Seeing this, the crowd was confused, because the last time Shi Mo came, he had never set up a barrier.
They didn't press the matter, but what Shi Mo said next left them feeling as though they were caught in a dream.
"Everyone, let me tell you something."
"The truth is, I, Shi Mo, have another identity."
"I am a member of the Hell Sect."
The moment those words left Shi Mo's lips, the once-noisy city fell silent in an instant.
"Lord Shi Mo, you must be joking."
"You're definitely joking."
"A member of the Hell Sect — despicable, cunning, ruthless, merciless, utterly devoid of conscience and humanity."
"And Lord Shi Mo sends us resources every year, sends us pills."
"He even goes through the trouble of helping us integrate those pills into our bodies more effectively. How could such a good person have anything to do with the Hell Sect?"
The city's residents spoke up one after another.
"Exactly! If it weren't for the pills Lord Shi Mo sent, my illness would've killed me long ago. I wouldn't have held on until now."
Even the young man's father chimed in.
"Neither would I have held on for so long."
From inside the house came the frail voice of the young man's grandfather.
"A bunch of fools."
At that moment, the old man standing beside Shi Mo suddenly spoke — an insult. With that, he tore the robe of the Divine Body Heavenly Mansion from his body and ripped it to shreds.
Beneath it was the robe of the Hell Sect.
Seeing the Hell Sect robe, the faces of everyone in the city drained of color, and for a moment they didn't know what to do.
"You really thought those pills were for your own good?"
"Those pills are what Shi Mo uses to cultivate. Fed through flesh and blood, they're far more effective."
"The only drawback is that when it's time to harvest the pills, the nourishing flesh and blood must be fused, and the donors must be sacrificed."
"But you lot of useless trash — breathing is a waste of air. Contributing to my cultivation is the most useful thing you'll ever do. You should be honored."
The old man finished speaking and looked toward Shi Mo.
"Shi Mo, do it."
"As you command."
Upon hearing this, Shi Mo bowed respectfully to the old man.
"Lord Shi Mo, could it be that you—?"
Seeing that Shi Mo, who wore the robe of the Divine Body Heavenly Mansion, was bowing with utmost respect to a man clad in a Hell Sect robe, the crowd realized something was terribly wrong.
Perhaps this wasn't a joke?
And at that very moment, Shi Mo formed a hand seal, and without warning, a bizarre formation materialized out of thin air, blanketing the sky above the city.
"Aagh~~~"
In the next instant, everyone in the city — everyone except Chu Feng — twisted in agony.
They felt it.
They felt the strange force inside them devouring their flesh and blood.
"Lord Shi Mo, it hurts so much, I feel awful, please stop!"
"Lord Shi Mo, this joke isn't funny at all!"
Yet even now, some clung to the hope that it was all just a prank.
Chu Feng had no intention of stepping in to save them right away.
Words could never teach a lesson as well as experience.
If Shi Mo hadn't appeared, even if Chu Feng had told them the truth, they would have most likely accused him of lying.
Even now — even after Shi Mo had shown his true colors — there were still people who believed he was a good man, who insisted this was all a joke.
They needed to feel pain. Pain sharp enough to cut through the lies and reveal the truth.