Chapter 41: A Ray of Hope

Even the King had heard rumors and personally inquired about the devilish shop and the Church of Light.
The King stroked his beard, pondering for a long time, before issuing an order: “Then let’s investigate them separately and see what’s really going on.”
And so, Lu Si Nian found himself facing this situation.
— Facing several of the King’s guards, their tone was gentle yet firm.
“Greetings, sir. We are here to investigate the case of Calderra’s death. We hope for your cooperation.”
At that moment, the shop was empty, and Lu Si Nian was cleaning the shelves alone.
“Master, should we activate the high-alert mode?” asked Rongqing.
“No,” Lu Si Nian quietly declined, standing up graciously to invite them in.
He understood the King’s concerns; it was all for the sake of the country, and he did not want to put the guards in a difficult position.
The guards showed great respect towards him, quickly inspecting all the items but finding nothing unusual.
“Thank you very much for your cooperation.”
The captain bowed and exited the shop in an orderly fashion, preparing to report back to the King.
Lu Si Nian also nodded slightly and sent them off at the door.
He saw from a distance that there seemed to be a dispute occurring in the Temple of Light; the guard noticed it too and quickly rushed over to assist.
Soon after, Lu Si Nian heard from Eber that the Pope’s attitude had been extremely resistant that day, and ultimately, the guards had forcefully broken down the doors of the Temple of Light.
At the deepest part of the temple, they had found countless remains, piles of bones reaching the sky, a foul stench wafting through the air.
The Pope was restrained on the spot, and after several days of torture, he finally revealed the truth.
It turned out that there was no so-called Lord of Light; it was actually a creature known as the “Ice Toad Centipede Monster” impersonating it.
It possessed extremely powerful abilities and could disguise itself as a divine figure in the eyes of people as long as it was offered the corresponding human sacrifices, just like during the battle with Lu Si Nian.
If it hadn’t been for the demon shop’s system severely injuring it that time, a small number of human sacrifices would not have satisfied its appetite, leading the Pope to hasten the sacrificial pace and ultimately leave behind clues that got discovered. Perhaps this bloody, anti-human trade would have continued.
*
In the dark, damp dungeon, the now powerless Pope was shackled and unable to move.
The head guard stood before him, sternly asking, “Tell me, where is that monster now? Is there anything else?”
The Pope had already realized his fate. He lowered his head and chuckled, “I’ll tell you everything.”
“If it weren’t for that cursed durian candy, it wouldn’t be so furious! Everything was fine until that demon came around; it’s all his fault!”
The head guard frowned and struck him with a whip: “Speak clearly, don’t mumble!”
“Uhm…” the Pope groaned, “It loves that candy too much. After the demon ended the collaboration, I couldn’t control it anymore! It… it went off to find food on its own.”
His words gradually turned into mumbles, and the head guard sensed something was wrong and immediately stepped forward to grip his chin, but it was too late.
A thin stream of dark red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Before he died, the Pope laughed maniacally, “Your nightmare is just beginning. That guy escaped long ago; the missing people were the ones I sacrificed. Do you think capturing me is useful? They’ll all be buried with me, hahahahaha.”
The head guard pierced his heart with a sword, and he wore a wickedly strange smile until the very end.
“Quick, go notify His Majesty the King!!”
In an instant, the palace was thrown into chaos.
Perhaps it validated the Pope’s words; the number of deaths had been rising day by day, and it seemed that the Ice Toad Centipede’s strength was also increasing, no longer limited to hunting solitary victims at night, but even appearing in the day.
A group of hunters was formed among the people, all elite warriors, including members of the King’s guard, attempting to kill this monster.
But it was useless… The power accumulated over a thousand years exceeded that of any God; how could humans defeat a divine being?
Screams, pain, wailing, death—scenes akin to hell played out on this land.
*
This day, Lu Si Nian opened the shop as usual, but no one came in; it was as desolate as the day he first arrived.
He simply sat in a chair, waiting for time to pass.
The sunlight gradually sank, and as this day was about to end with zero sales, he stood up, preparing to close the main door.
Lu Si Nian accidentally looked up and was stopped in his tracks by the sight before him.
Countless people were bowing toward the shop, their presence lingering for a long time, and he had no idea how long they had been there.
They were injured to varying degrees; some were even pale from blood loss and still trembling as they stood tall.
It was the civilian hunter group, formed from different social classes, now bowing their heads for a common goal.
Standing in the front was a blond man—Eber.
He bowed his head, placing his fist on his chest, pleading softly.
“Please, help save Calderra’s life. We… will be forever grateful.”
The soldiers behind him simultaneously raised their right hands to their chests, their eyes filled with hope.
A gentle breeze rustled their hair, the air echoed Eber’s plea, but there was no response.
Lu Si Nian remained silent.
Time almost stood still; just as the light in everyone’s eyes began to fade, he finally spoke.
“I’m sorry, but I’m just a merchant.”
Eber stood there, stunned, and the last flicker of hope was extinguished; he felt utterly defeated.
Lu Si Nian quietly gazed at them, watching their wounds, observing their fatigue.