The stars and moon hung high.
A group of riders galloped across the plains.
The moonlight draped the earth in silver, yet it made this endless plain appear even more eerie and profound, as if ferocious beasts were crouching at the horizon, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The wind on this plain was somewhat strong.
The production methods of the Gnoll-kin were a bit too exploitative, leading to severe desertification in many areas.
Aililan lightly adjusted the veil on her face and pointed toward the depths of the wilderness. “Everyone, my sisters once asked me what I saw on this plain.”
“Now, I wish to ask the same.”
“What do you see?”
This question, which had once come from the Saint of Temperance, was very famous within Atester. This was because it represented her will and her ambition for this endless plain.
She had said:
“It is an endless wilderness.”
“It is also a fertile land.”
Knight Captain Renata spoke with a heavy expression. “I see a massive army of Gnoll-kin heading south.”
Milisanel added, “It is an endless tide of Gnoll-kin.”
Captain Qiulaoer said, “It is blood and fire.”
Morphete said, “It is the unceasing clashing on the battlefield.”
Finally, everyone’s gaze shifted toward the person in the group with the most magnificent armor: Fina Nisi.
Aililan had not wanted to bring her along.
But such things could not be hidden.
Fina Nisi managed to show a hint of solemnity. She looked at Aililan, who possessed an incredibly beautiful face beneath her veil, and spoke in a resounding voice, “What I see is Saint Aililan’s army crushing the royal court of the Gnoll-kin. I see the Saintess bathing in their sacred lake, and the light of the Church spreading across every corner of the Endless Plain.”
*Clap, clap, clap—*
Aililan applauded.
“Well said.”
The beautiful eyes beneath the veil curved slightly, and her laughter sounded like a silver bell. “I only hope that we can work together with one heart to turn this endless plain into our back garden.”
The night wind swept past.
They traveled dozens of kilometers deep into the plain.
It was only then that the group encountered the Wolf Cavalry they were meant to meet. A faint aura of slaughter lingered in the surroundings, as if invisible blade-shadows were hidden within the dark of night.
Aililan sneered. “These jackals are still being unruly, I see.”
Renata’s brow furrowed. “Saintess, I feel something is wrong. Why don’t you wait for a moment while I send someone to mobilize the cavalry? What do you think?”
Aililan waved her hand. “No need.”
Even though she did not like Fina Nisi, having Fina Nisi here was truly enough.
This was Aililan’s dilemma. If she mobilized a large force, she wouldn’t be able to hide it from Fina Nisi. But if she brought Fina Nisi, there was no need to mobilize a large force.
*Awoooo—*
Howls echoed under the black moonlit sky.
Before long, hundreds of Wolf Cavalry emerged from the night and surrounded them. Hucli, the Jackal Tribe Chief, rode up on a large wolf with a dark expression.
Aililan asked, “Hucli, what is the meaning of this?”
Hucli burst into loud laughter. “What is the meaning? If you know what’s good for you, hand over the item.”
“Hucli, you certainly have a lot of nerve.”
“Hahaha! Human Saintess, don’t think I haven’t looked into you. Your sisters are all gone. What right do you have to act so arrogant in front of me?”
“Aren’t you afraid…”
Before Aililan could finish her sentence, she was interrupted. “My Jackal Tribe will never be slaves! Besides, if I kill you or kidnap you for a trade, won’t it be so that no one ever knows?”
“You humans are truly naive, thinking a mere Memory Crystal could actually control me.”
“And you, Saintess, are even more naive. You actually dared to come to this meeting with so few people.”
Aililan tilted her head and said calmly, “What suppresses you has never been some Memory Crystal, but… strength.”
Facing Hucli’s betrayal, Aililan acted as if it were nothing more than a bit of wind and frost.
Fina Nisi had already spurred her horse, charging toward the jackal cavalry.
*Swoosh—*
Another sharp sound rang out.
Fina Nisi unleashed a wave of Sword Qi. A deep trench was carved into the soil of the plain by that force. Everywhere the Sword Qi passed, only severed limbs remained.
The wolf howls turned into rising and falling shrieks of agony.
Chief Hucli’s legs went weak. ‘Is my luck really this bad?’ He felt that the previous two Saintesses had already been monstrously powerful, but he hadn’t expected the woman who looked like a mere knight to be just as heaven-defying as they were.
*Crack—*
Fina Nisi struck out directly.
She smashed half a mouthful of Hucli’s fangs.
The lower half of the Jackal Tribe Chief’s jaw collapsed, and his upper face was split open as one of his eyeballs popped out. If Aililan hadn’t given specific instructions, Hucli would certainly be dead meat by now.
*Thud—*
Fina Nisi grabbed him and threw him off his mount.
The surrounding Wolf Cavalry were terrified to their cores. Some scattered, while others watched from a distance, paralyzed with fear.
Aililan stepped forward and accidentally stepped on the eyeball that had fallen out of Hucli’s socket. With another “accidental” step, she crushed it.
“My lord!”
“Saintess!”
“Spare me! Saintess, spare my life! I—I was just playing a joke on you.”
“A joke?” Aililan tilted her head and said, “I’m sorry, but this Saintess doesn’t like jokes very much.”
She casually cast a Holy Light Healing Art, causing the injuries on Hucli’s body to recover rapidly.
But soon, his nightmare began.
Aililan said, “Break every single bone in his body.” As soon as she finished speaking, Renata stuffed a bundle of cloth into Hucli’s mouth to avoid offending the Saintess’s ears. Following that, the dense sound of a beast’s bones snapping echoed out.
Not far away, the Gnoll-kin of the Jackal Tribe trembled as they listened to the sound of their chief’s bones breaking.
Poor Hucli didn’t even have the right to choose death. Every time he was about to die, Aililan would throw a healing spell his way. If she didn’t let him die, he simply couldn’t die.
Several hours later, Hucli was mentally sluggish.
He lay curled on the ground, shivering uncontrollably. It was obvious he had suffered immense terror and torment.
Aililan sighed. “Why bother?”
Hucli’s teeth chattered as he spoke. “I… I, I, I… I was truly wrong. I beg you to spare me. I won’t ever dare again. I’m begging you… waah…”
Aililan said, “Go and bring all your clansmen here.”
Hucli remained silent.
“Before dawn, if your clansmen aren’t here, do you know there is a punishment called Lingchi?”
*Hiss—*
“You might not have heard of it. it’s a punishment I came up with myself. It involves using a fishing net to tightly wrap around you, then slicing your flesh through the holes of the net. There are a total of 3,650 cuts. I guarantee you won’t die until the final cut is made, and you will be kept conscious the entire time.”
Hearing this, everyone present felt a cold shiver run down their spines.
Just imagining it was enough to make one’s skin crawl.
Hucli broke down and wailed, screaming, “Don’t! I’ll go right now and bring all my clansmen here! If you need me to, I’ll even dig up the bones of my ancestors!”
If he had known it would end like this, why had he bothered in the first place?
Aililan had never intended to rely on a mere Memory Crystal recording Hucli joining the Church to completely control them.