“Purification of the Holy Light!”
Su Nian whispered the incantation, her voice clear, cold, and ethereal, yet carrying an undeniable force.
It reached the ears of every villager in the square with absolute clarity.
The power of Holy Light had the ability to inspire and calm, and it somewhat steadied the crowd on the brink of collapse.
After all, what stood before them were Undead Creatures.
The fact that these residents didn’t flee in panic was already commendable.
Su Nian, of course, did not expect these people to fight.
Moreover, she had already slain the Necromancer.
A mere handful of low-level Undead Creatures were nothing!
Brilliant, dazzling golden Holy Light poured down from the sky, precisely enveloping the few newly transformed Undead Creatures.
In an instant, they seemed to be thrown into a furnace, writhing and struggling in unbearable pain.
Their ashen-gray skin sizzled under the Holy Light, melting away rapidly like snow under the blazing sun, releasing thick, rolling black smoke.
Having already become Undead Creatures, they were essentially “dead.”
Instead of wandering like mindless corpses, it was best to grant them release.
The Purification process was astonishingly fast.
Within mere breaths, the Undead Creatures—still radiating death and savagery just moments before—completely lost their forms, leaving behind only pools of thick, foul-smelling black liquid bubbling faintly on the ground.
The square fell into a deathly silence.
Sunlight glinted sharply on the remaining black stains.
After a moment, the survivors in the crowd erupted like a boiling pot, bursting into deafening cheers and cries.
“Th-This is already over?” The villagers could hardly believe what they had witnessed.
“Saintess! Saintess, you’re incredible! A miracle!”
“The Goddess of Light has not abandoned us! She truly hasn’t abandoned us!”
The townsfolk stared at the scene—like divine punishment descending and then immediately subsiding—with a mixture of shock and joy.
The fear that had seeped into their bones was completely washed away by ecstatic reverence.
Many had heard of the nearby town’s tragic situation, where over half the population had died.
If it hadn’t been for the timely arrival of the Morsen Family Knights, the town would have long since become a true land of death.
They had expected Bai Shui Town to meet the same fate, to die in despair or wait hopelessly for the knights’ arrival.
Who could have imagined that this mysterious “Saintess” would appear?
Not only did she miraculously cure the deadly Plague, but now she wiped out those terrifying monsters with a mere wave of her hand!
Countless eyes converged on Su Nian standing on the wooden platform, filled with indescribable excitement, gratitude, and fanatical awe.
Yet, Su Nian’s brows didn’t relax at all.
Within the depths of her clear sky-blue eyes, a layer of icy vigilance had crystallized.
Things were never so simple.
She clearly remembered that during the earlier battle inside the church, once the Necromancer Mal Morsen was killed, the Undead Creatures he controlled immediately became lifeless heaps of bones.
So why did these Undead Creatures appear again?
Wild Undead Creatures were unlikely.
Someone must be manipulating everything from the shadows.
Who could it be?
Su Nian’s beautiful blue eyes shifted as she began to ponder.
For a moment, she even thought of that bastard Horn Demon who both terrified and infuriated her.
But she quickly suppressed the thought.
‘It probably wasn’t him.’
That bastard Horn Demon, though perverse and prone to bullying her, had indeed been locked in combat with the Terrifying Knight summoned by the Necromancer.
There was no way they were accomplices.
Su Nian shook her head gently, casting aside the unconfirmed suspicion.
The most likely scenario was that the Necromancer she had killed had unknown accomplices.
Someone hidden even deeper, perhaps far more dangerous.
***
“Saintess, you are majestic!”
“Long live the Saintess!”
“May the Goddess of Light bless you!”
On the square, the townsfolk—whether those just struggling back from their sickbeds or those who had anxiously stood by—could no longer contain their excitement.
They spontaneously knelt, bowing devoutly to the figure on the wooden platform, tears and joy mingling on their faces, repeatedly shouting “Saintess!”
Their voices were hoarse but full of fervor and reverence, as if the figure before them were a deity walking the mortal world.
However, just as this atmosphere of gratitude and worship reached its peak, before the sacred glow had completely dissipated—
Outside the square came the sudden sound of galloping hooves, approaching rapidly.
“Clatter-clatter-clatter… clatter-clatter-clatter…”
The thunderous pounding of dozens of warhorses storming in, their hooves drumming the ground like a torrential downpour!
In the next moment, without allowing anyone time to react, a group of knights burst into the square amidst swirling dust, exuding fierce momentum!
They wore gleaming Heavy Armor that reflected a cold, piercing glare under the sunlight.
In their hands, tightly gripped lances stood like a forest of spikes.
Beneath them, their muscular warhorses snorted loudly, nostrils flaring.
The speed of the Knight Battalion was astonishing; they showed no intention of slowing down despite entering a crowded gathering place, charging forward like an unstoppable war machine.
“Ah!”
“Get out of the way!”
Several who were still immersed in joy and gratitude hastily fled at the sight of the charging warhorses, some stumbling and falling to the ground, groaning in pain.
Yet the knights paid no mind, not even turning their horses’ heads, their cold eyes not lingering for a second on those who had fallen.
As knights of the battalion, they cared nothing for the thoughts of these lowly townsfolk.
Their eyes revealed a deep-rooted, unhidden contempt.
The wailing villagers on the ground were nothing but dust and ants to be trampled at will, unworthy of a glance.
Leading the charge was a particularly tall and burly knight, towering nearly a head above his comrades.
He rode a massive warhorse, pitch-black and clad in heavy barding, its eyes glowing with fierce red light.
The knight himself was clad in an ornate silver full plate armor that almost flaunted its splendor.
On the center of his breastplate shone a lifelike Griffin Emblem, wings spread as if ready to take flight—the illustrious symbol of the Morsen Family.
At his waist hung a longsword inlaid with pigeon-blood red rubies, its hilt and scabbard engraved with intricate and exquisite patterns.
He resembled a moving Steel Fortress, radiating a heavy, oppressive aura that sent chills down the spine.
This man was Leon Morsen.
“Ha—!”
He suddenly tightened the reins, and the black warhorse let out a loud, piercing whinny, lifting its forelegs high before stomping down heavily, shaking the ground beneath.
Leon Morsen sat steadily in the saddle, looking down arrogantly over the entire square.
Beneath his haughty and disdainful expression burned an uncontrollable fury!
Just moments ago, as his team stormed into the town, the corner of his eye caught the final scene—
The woman standing atop the makeshift, shabby wooden platform, cloaked in a large mantle that concealed her face, had completely turned to ashes the very Undead Creatures he had “carefully prepared” for his heroic performance!
The Knights had raced day and night from their base precisely to stage the perfect “Knight Battalion heroically saves Bai Shui Town” spectacle for these wretched villagers!
And yet?
All the groundwork, all the schemes…
Had been “snatched away” by a meddlesome woman who popped up out of nowhere from some forgotten corner?!
Leon Morsen’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the reins, his jaw clenched tightly, the anger twisting his face beneath his helmet.
He felt like the protagonist of a grand performance who found the stage torn down and the audience stolen just moments before stepping on.
This rage clogged his chest, nearly ready to explode!
How could he not be furious?
The burning anger inside him almost pierced through his splendid armor.
This was not merely about stolen credit—it could even affect the promotion path he had meticulously paved.
Leon Morsen had clawed his way up from humble origins to become captain of the Knights.
How much had he sacrificed?
All those days spent wallowing in mud and blood, those humiliating moments of flattery and servitude—would they now be in vain because of this suddenly appeared woman?
Under his rough gauntlet, his fingers cracked as he clenched them.
His eyes, deep within the shadows of his helmet, fixed unblinkingly on Su Nian, who was surrounded by ignorant villagers and cloaked tightly in her wide mantle.
“I am Leon Morsen, Captain of the Knights, sworn to the Morsen Family!”
Leon Morsen abruptly swung down from his towering black warhorse with a soldier’s crispness, yet with deliberate arrogance.
His heavy metal boots struck the weathered stone slabs of the square with a resounding clang, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
The sound was not loud, but like an invisible hammer, it slammed hard into the hearts of the villagers who had just survived a nightmare, causing them to shrink back instinctively.
Faced with the fully armored knight, the residents felt an instinctive fear.
Ignoring the fearful gazes around him, Leon strode toward the simple wooden platform, each step seemingly measuring his own authority.
He deliberately slowed his pace so the metallic clanging of his armor echoed through the quiet square, creating an intangible pressure.
His voice was cold and authoritative, like a frozen winter river, without a trace of warmth:
“Who are you?”
Alarms rang loudly in Su Nian’s heart.
The timing of this knight battalion’s arrival was far too coincidental.
Just after she purified those strange Undead Creatures…
Yet these people clearly looked tough to deal with; it was better not to stir trouble.
“I’m merely a Light Magic user passing through.” She bowed her head slightly, tightening her cloak, her thick eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, concealing her suspicion.
Since the Undead were dealt with… and the source of the Plague eliminated, perhaps the best choice was to leave immediately.
She had already killed the Necromancer and saved these townsfolk.
The mess left behind could be handed over to this suddenly appeared knight battalion.
“A Light Magic user?” Leon Morsen let out a short, cold sneer.
“In such a godforsaken backwater town where there aren’t even a few decent inns, a noble Light Magic user just ‘passing through’?”
He had schemed and courted favor with the Great Lord for this moment, all to earn merits and become… “nobility,” soaring to the top!
No longer needing to bleed and sweat for merit, finally becoming truly above all others.
Leon Morsen understood very well that this might be his last chance.
The Great Lord’s patience was limited, and he had heard the lord would soon leave the Morsen Family’s territory.
Miss this chance, and who knew when he’d see such “easy” merit again.
But now…, all ruined by a “passing” mage?
He would never accept this!