Outside Bai Shui Town, dust swirled in the air.
“Huff—”
Heavy hooves struck the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
On horseback, three knights dismounted almost simultaneously, their movements sharp and precise.
The leader of the group was tall and burly.
He wore a magnificent silver armor that gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight, dazzling anyone who dared to look directly at him.
Emblazoned on his chest was the Morsen Family’s griffin emblem, vivid and lifelike.
At his waist hung a longsword set with red gemstones; the intricate patterns carved on its sheath clearly signified his rank and status.
This was none other than Leon Morsen, captain of the Morsen Family Knights.
His weathered face was now alight with pride and arrogance, as if entertained by some private joke.
“Captain, this mission of ours is truly a walk in the park.”
One of the knights beside him chuckled, his tone laced with dismissiveness, even a hint of contempt.
To him, Bai Shui Town was a remote backwater, and this was just another “routine” mission they had executed several times before.
It would be effortless.
Almost too easy.
“Don’t be careless, and especially don’t let those lowlifes find out the truth.” Leon Morsen snorted coldly, his eyes brimming with disdain for the townsfolk, as if they were mere ants to be toyed with at will.
“Captain Leon, I understand. We’re to defeat the undead creatures, then use the ‘Holy Water’ we brought to save those miserable wretches and complete the task!”
The accompanying knight paused, a greedy glint flashing in his eyes, a cruel smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“Of course, we’ll be collecting a hefty sum from the townspeople, and maybe… bring along a few ‘willing’ servants and pretty girls with us…”
He deliberately dragged out his words, his tone full of playful mockery.
Another knight smiled knowingly upon hearing this.
Having followed Leon for so long, they knew exactly what kind of man he was.
Greedy, cruel, lustful—but…
Stick with him, and you’ll have food on your table and women at your side!
“This time, we’re going to be the ‘heroes’ who rid the people of their troubles!”
One knight immediately flattered him with a sycophantic grin.
“Hahaha…” Leon Morsen laughed arrogantly, his voice as grating as an owl’s screech.
After several similar exploits, his rise had been swift.
He had even been granted the Morsen surname.
This only fueled his ambition further.
Perhaps, once this mission was complete, he could leverage his merits to become… a noble!
At this moment, Leon Morsen seemed to already see the day he would become a noble, rising swiftly, surrounded by countless gold coins and beauties flowing toward him.
He would stand at the pinnacle of power, looking down on all living beings!
“Once we finish this mission, it will be a glorious addition to my record! Saving the people of Bai Shui Town, repelling the undead creatures’ attacks… and healing the people with Holy Water… The lowlifes will worship us as heroes. What a perfect script.”
Leon Morsen spoke while gesturing with his hands, as if painting a beautiful picture.
“Let’s go—don’t keep those ‘lovely’ undead creatures waiting too long.”
With a wave of his hand, Leon snapped himself out of his daydream and led more than twenty knights deeper into Bai Shui Town.
The sound of hooves stirred up dust wherever they passed, leaving a series of deep imprints.
Their official purpose was to eliminate the undead creatures and save the residents of Bai Shui Town.
But in reality, this was nothing more than a staged play.
The so-called undead creatures were “prepared” by the Necromancer Marl Morsen, and the plague’s spread was tacitly permitted.
When the plague-stricken town was on the verge of collapse…
The Morsen Family Knights would descend like saviors to “rescue” their lord’s subjects.
All they had to do was put on a show in front of the townspeople, pretending to fiercely battle the “terrifying” undead creatures.
Then they would reveal pre-prepared “Holy Water” to publicly “heal” the “infected” townsfolk, causing the ignorant villagers to shower them with gratitude.
This way, the Morsen Family solidified the loyalty of the territory’s people and better maintained their control.
The knights naturally gained merits and credentials, collected a large sum of money from Bai Shui Town, and took away a few “willing” servants and girls.
This satisfied their vanity and lust.
The Necromancer obtained a batch of “materials” and could freely come and go within the Morsen Family’s lands, facilitating his pact with the Demon King regarding the “Soulfire of Eternity.”
As for the townsfolk—those “lowlifes” in the knights’ eyes—they were, as expected, the sacrificial lambs in this filthy transaction.
They were toyed with like pawns, completely unaware, and even grateful to those who brought about their suffering.
However, Leon Morsen had yet to realize that his plan was about to be thoroughly disrupted.
All because of the arrival of Su Nian and Chu Tian.
***
Inside Bai Shui Town, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.
Su Nian stood on a makeshift wooden platform, her brow furrowed tightly, her stunning sky-blue eyes locked on the undead creatures before her.
Their skin was a strange grayish-blue, like decaying corpses, making them appear especially grotesque and terrifying under the sunlight.
Their originally cloudy eyeballs had turned blood-red, flickering with a bloodthirsty glow, like twin ghostly flames dancing in their sockets.
“Roarrrr!”
“Hoho…”
Low, hoarse roars echoed from deep within their throats—no longer human sounds.
“Damn it!” Su Nian cursed under her breath, her heart heavy with regret.
These undead creatures were easy enough to deal with; the real challenge was uncovering the mastermind behind them.
The Necromancer was dead, so who else could be controlling these abominations?
If only she had spared the Necromancer earlier—at least she could have questioned him about possible accomplices.
Though she wasn’t skilled at interrogation, she could have had that bastard horned demon do the dirty work; perhaps she might have extracted some useful information from the Necromancer’s mouth.
But now, it was too late.
After killing the Necromancer, she had already set a Temporal Anchor to prevent unexpected incidents.
Even if she activated Destiny Reversal, she could only rewind to the moment after the Necromancer’s death, unable to change the present situation.
“Saintess, be careful!”
The townsfolk were terrified out of their minds, their faces pale, trembling and cowering in the corners.
They wanted to step forward and help but were frozen by the death aura emanating from the undead creatures.
All they could do was watch helplessly as Su Nian faced the horrifying monsters alone.
“Step back! This is my fight!”
Su Nian no longer hesitated; she took a deep breath and raised both hands, gathering her magic.
In an instant, golden light erupted from her body.
This was… the power of Holy Light!
At the same time, Leon Morsen, still fantasizing about his noble ascent, arrived at the predetermined spot, preparing to “heroically” defeat the undead creatures.