The Repayment of Virtue

“Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of brethren…”

“Tear him to shreds…”

The buzzing, echoing roar, earth-shattering and dizzying, was no exaggeration from the Huhuhu Beast King. “Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands?” Judging by the surrounding hordes, he could likely summon a million or more brethren!

Encircling them in dense layers of Huhuhu Beasts, Steve nudged Du Chen in the ribs. “Third Sister, are you really close with this Huhuhu Beast?”

Du Chen rubbed his nose, shaking his head. What was going on? A colossal beast had suddenly appeared, bringing a massive horde of brethren to back him up. Had he forgotten a Huhuhu Beast friend from the past?

He carefully scrutinized the Huhuhu Beast King.

Its gargantuan tail went without saying, but this particular Huhuhu Beast’s head was remarkably “small”—less than half the size of a six-rank Huhuhu Beast’s skull. Such a ‘tiny’ head was almost negligible compared to its colossal tail.

However, this Huhuhu Beast King’s head differed from others. Starting from its forehead, a putrid wound arced over its skull, extending all the way back to the base of its tail. This wound, a palm’s width across, was severely decomposed; in some places, bone was visible, and a constant stream of green liquid oozed from it…

Glancing at the shattered barrier nearby, a puddle of green liquid hissed. It seemed the Huhuhu Beast King had used this very substance to assist Du Chen earlier.

After three careful observations, Du Chen stated with certainty, “I definitely don’t know this Huhuhu Beast… Hmm, perhaps he knew me before his mutation?”

At that moment, Thirteen knitted her brows and asked, “Huhuhu Beast…”

“You shall address me as the Huhuhu Beast King, Emperor Pieres!”

“Very well, Emperor Pieres!” Thirteen, gazing at the overwhelming tide of Huhuhu Beasts, softened her tone and deliberated, “Your Majesty and the Huhuhu Beasts enjoy human flesh. One could say everyone present is merely food in your eyes. Given this, why would Your Majesty assist Alex, a mere morsel? Do you prefer to consume your food live, fearing we might spoil it?”

Thirteen offered a jest to ease the tension and bridge the gap. Internally, she assessed: *Although this Huhuhu Beast King is merely around Tenth-rank peak, his Soldiers are truly innumerable… Even my master would likely suffer a headache upon encountering this!*

“Why? Hmph!” The Huhuhu Beast’s cold gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Du Chen. “Alex, do you remember me?”

Du Chen forced a wry smile. “Your Majesty, did we… know each other before?”

The wound on Pieres’ back pulsed with green liquid. “That day, at the Brockman estate, my hide was stripped from my back, and I was placed on a platter, awaiting consumption. Yet, your wife refused to eat me, and you granted me a path to survival, allowing me to escape to the Mother Goddess’s Well… This act of mercy and salvation, I have cherished in my heart ever since!”

Gazing at the scar atop Pieres’ head, Du Chen suddenly understood. He whispered to Eldest Brother, “I remember now! This is the Huhuhu Beast the Brockman servants gave Xue Ji that day. He’s here to repay his debt of gratitude!”

Steve muttered under his breath, “Damn it. From now on, when I’m bored, I’ll just casually release a few ‘foods’ for fun…”

Pieres thanked Du Chen, then turned and bellowed to the Huhuhu Beasts, “Listen up, all of you! Alex is a Heh-gakka Violet-Blood! He has never eaten a single Huhuhu Beast! His wife, his Eldest Brother, they are all very Heh-gakka! No one is permitted to eat them!”

“Oh, Heh-gakka King, we obey your command!” The Huhuhu Beasts roared in response, thrashing their tails and shouting, “Alex, Heh-gakka!”

Pieres commanded the Huhuhu Beasts to part, carving a path. He instructed Du Chen, “Bring your Eldest Brother and wife over to my side! Let me see who dares to make a move!?” His arrogant gaze swept over Thirteen and the others.

“Praise be to Emperor Pieres!” Du Chen offered a faint smile, hurrying with Eldest Brother towards the unconscious Xue Ji, though his eyes darted towards Thirteen and her companions.

Seeing this situation, Thirteen grew anxious. *My master’s orders were to capture Alex alive or kill him, but now he is protected by Huhuhu Beasts. In this City of Penance, if Alex escapes safely today, when will I ever complete my master’s command!?*

Under these circumstances, we have only one chance to strike. If we fail in one blow, the overwhelming surge of Huhuhu Beasts will drown us! But can a single move kill Alex? Thirteen knew she couldn’t achieve that, but…

There was one other person she could deal with in a single strike, and if she seized her, Alex would have no choice but to surrender!

She subtly signaled Fourteen and Seventeen. Just as Du Chen was halfway there, Thirteen suddenly roared, “Seize Xue Ji!”

The words had barely left her lips when three figures shot into the air, lunging towards Xue Ji. Even the already injured Constantine and Changxi’s team desperately rushed towards Xue Ji.

“Damn it!” Du Chen cursed, accelerating his pace!

The Huhuhu Beast King roared in enraged “Heh-gakka,” flinging his head to launch several streams of green liquid at the three Captains of the Scarlet Army, Constantine, and Changxi’s team.

“Shooting Star!”

“Wind Rend!”

“Mountain Shatter!”

Thirteen, Fourteen, and Seventeen unleashed their most formidable techniques. Du Chen summoned the Precious Lotus Scripture, Steve’s Blade flashed with deadly light, and the Huhuhu Beast King spewed green liquid, instantly plunging the scene into chaos.

Du Chen, already halfway there, was the first among all those targeting Xue Ji to reach her body. But just as his hand closed around her arm, Thirteen’s Shooting Star light arrived.

Du Chen inverted the Precious Lotus Scripture, shielding himself within. However, Thirteen’s myriad starlight blasts impacted the Lotus’s back, shaking Du Chen’s internal organs violently. He immediately vomited blood, splattering it onto Xue Ji.

Gritting his teeth fiercely, Du Chen clutched Xue Ji’s arm. With a swift turn, the Precious Lotus Scripture shrank to its smallest form, and he frantically fled towards the Huhuhu Beast King.

The Huhuhu Beast King Pieres was now in an absolute frenzy of rage. He was a dignified King; how could his words be treated as mere farts and not provoke fury? He roared to the heavens, “Kill! Slaughter all these Heh-gakka bastards for me!”

The Huhuhu Beasts surged forward, a roaring tide!

Did Thirteen still intend to turn and confront Du Chen? He was gone, and before her now were only the razor-sharp teeth of the Huhuhu Beasts!

Constantine was gravely wounded, attempting to rise and flee for his life, but where was a path? Before his eyes were nothing but the colossal tails of Huhuhu Beasts!

One member of Changxi’s team, trying to be clever, assumed Huhuhu Beasts couldn’t fly and soared into the air. But no sooner had he ascended than a sky-darkening horde of Huhuhu Beasts plummeted upon him, tearing him to shreds—some Huhuhu Beasts had even evolved wings!

“Heh-gakka! How dare you disrespect me!? Heh-gakka!”

The Huhuhu Beast King Pieres stomped and roared, shaking the earth. “Kill! Kill them, I tell you! I’ve already said it: anyone who dares to harm Alex shall be torn to shreds by a million Huhuhu Beasts of the City of Penance!”

Looking down from above, the originally black and gray arena was instantly filled with purple and white hues. An ocean of Huhuhu Beasts swallowed everything…

How did the Divine Emperor die? He suffered grievous injuries from the Fiendkind’s human wave tactics back then, and later succumbed to their lingering effects.

How was Bonis defeated? The Pontiff used hundreds of thousands of McAllen Imperial Guards in a series of relentless assaults to wear him down.

Even the Divine Emperor and Bonis couldn’t withstand human wave tactics, let alone a mere handful of Scarlet Army Captains!?

In mere moments, Thirteen’s already injured left arm had another chunk of flesh bitten off by a Huhuhu Beast. Fourteen was bleeding profusely, and Seventeen—who Xue Ji had just praised for his impressive legwork and mastery of “Wind Rend”—was left with only one leg.

Du Chen tended to Xue Ji within the Precious Lotus Scripture, while Steve floated beside the Huhuhu Beast King’s small head, watching the spectacle. He kept craning his neck, grimacing, “Tsk tsk, savage, truly savage! Oh, Seventeen has already lost one leg, why don’t you leave him the other one… Oh dear, Brother Seventeen, my family wholesales prosthetics, would you like to pre-order two?”

His voice was loud, carrying far to Seventeen, who had just lost his second leg. But Seventeen offered no verbal reply; another of Steve’s eerie cackles confirmed his situation.

“Emperor Pieres, Seventeen has already lost two legs. Could you perhaps ask your brethren to show some mercy and spare his… ‘third leg’?”

Pieres snorted, “We Huhuhu Beasts… aren’t picky eaters!”

Thirteen roared amidst the Huhuhu horde, “Quick, run!” She grabbed Seventeen, called out to Fourteen and the Eighteenth Constantine, and fled desperately in one direction. As for Changxi’s team, she no longer had the energy to concern herself with them.

They needed to find a place where the Life Shortcut could access the inner wall of the Life Tree. Only then could they escape safely…

Seeing them flee, Pieres sneered, “In this City of Penance, you won’t escape my grasp!”

Steve softly reminded, “Your Majesty, they didn’t enter through the Central Atrium. They might possess some Secret Technique for entering and exiting the City of Penance. You should act swiftly…”

Pieres nodded. “You’re right, brethren! Intensify the pursuit; don’t let a single one escape!”

A dense swarm of Huhuhu Beasts gave chase, spreading across the City of Penance like a vast carpet.

Even with the majority of Huhuhu Beasts engaged in pursuit, the number remaining by the Huhuhu Beast King’s side was still uncountable. Du Chen checked Xue Ji’s body, realizing she had over-expended her life force, an injury not easily healed. He carefully placed Xue Ji within the Precious Lotus Scripture, then approached the Huhuhu Beast King to offer his thanks.

“I am greatly indebted to Your Majesty today!” Du Chen, imitating the Huhuhu Beast’s tone, gave a thumbs-up. “You, Pieres, Heh-gakka!”

Pieres swelled with pride, laughing haughtily. “A Heh-gakka Pieres is naturally Heh-gakka!”

Du Chen joined in the hearty laughter.

“Help, save me!” A sudden cry for help interrupted Du Chen’s laughter. “Mr. Alex, save me, Chek!”

Du Chen looked back to see that the remaining Huhuhu Beasts weren’t being idle; they were licking their lips, preying on the survivors and entities within the arena! Chek, in particular, was pinned to the ground by several Huhuhu Beasts, about to be devoured!

Du Chen hastily said, “Emperor Pieres…”

Before he could finish, Pieres’ expression turned cold, cutting Du Chen off. “Today, I brought my brethren here to eat people. Saving you was merely repaying a favor along the way. These Violet-Bloods are food! You saved me; they did not! They *must* be eaten!”

What? The Brockman Family is to be eaten too?