Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Chapter 204 When the Dead, 18.

The mouse only moved forward a little bit.

He leaned forward, seemingly hesitant, but remained silent, lost in thought.

Rong Si continued cursing:

"Stop your hypocritical faces! We fought our way through, not to end up like you, putting ropes around our necks and acting as dogs for others!"

"What pills and elixirs? Didn't you get enough of being in the mines? Now you want to switch to a different cage? If that's the kind of life we ​​want, why would we have rebelled!"

Different.

Zhu Wuyao thought to himself.

She keenly sensed the movement within the crowd.

Some people have already had this idea.

It's been incredibly difficult to get to this point. These people have lived in darkness for far too long. If they can eat well and live well, and see the light of day again like Zhang Liao and others, for some, it's just like having a dog leash around their necks—not something they can't accept.

Not everyone is willing to give up the "freedom" that is within reach for the sake of empty pride.

They had once wielded weapons, supporting each other along the way, and were nearing the exit. But this very exit was the true test of life and death.

Zhang Liao continued:

"You'd better think this through, I only have eighteen pills on hand."

As these words fell, more people behind Zhu Wuyao stirred slightly with unease.

Zhang Liao's persuasion to surrender continued. He said to Zhu Wuyao:

"Although you are just a junior in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, you have great talent to have come this far. If you were to work under City Lord Xuan, you would definitely be highly valued. If you make meritorious contributions, reaching the Golden Core stage is not out of the question. What do you say?"

"If you are willing to surrender, one of the pills in my hand is for you."

"What will you choose: life or death?"

Zhu Wuyao snapped out of his reverie.

After hearing Zhang Liao's choice, she smiled and asked in return:

What do you think I would choose?

"If you are a smart person, you should understand that when a person is dead, all talk of dignity is just empty talk."

"What would I choose..."

It turned out to be the case.

Zhu Wuyao chuckled, but when she looked up again, her smile vanished, and a faint chill emanated from the Wufeng Sword, as if trying to extinguish her anger.

The next instant, the bladeless sword in his hand suddenly shot out, leaving a trail of white light as it flew—

Someone's head rolled.

The direction the sword blade slashed was towards the person she had protected behind her all the way.

The head rolled in the dust, its eyes gradually losing their light. In its last moments, its eyes, wide open, held a mixture of greed and astonishment.

The deceased numbered eighteen.

Those who are untrustworthy and ungrateful when faced with personal gain deserve to be killed!

Today they are shackled, tomorrow they will raise their butcher knives. Those who act as accomplices to evil should be killed!

Those who betray their comrades by fighting for survival and ultimately turning on each other, even plunging a blade into the chest of their own, deserve to be killed!

A gasp came from behind. No one had expected this turn of events, and no one had anticipated that Zhu Wuyao would suddenly make a move at this moment.

"what are you going to do?!"

What should I do?

When Mu Changying fought her way here, she faced the same choice: she trusted her sworn comrades.

Eighteen chances to survive.

There are at least several hundred people who followed Mu Changying in fighting bloody battles and made it this far.

Are only eighteen people interested in this way of survival?

In the face of death, everyone is a companion to whom one can entrust one's life; but when faced with a limited chance of survival, they become enemies.

If Mu Changying survives, Zhang Liao cannot possibly remain alive after receiving the pill. To seize the pill, Mu Changying must die.

Therefore, it was her companion's dagger that was plunged into her heart.

After her death, those people killed each other in a fight for the chance to be someone's dogs. Perhaps some tried to escape in the chaos, but because they were already in complete disarray, they were easily slaughtered like chickens by the cultivators waiting outside the door.

It's nothing more than the old story of "two peaches kill three warriors".

Mu Changying never stepped out of the small cave; she died because of betrayal.

But Zhu Wuyao wouldn't make such a mistake, not only because she had calculated the divination, but also because, given the short time that had passed, she hadn't yet established a deep bond with the people in the mine.

Zhu Wuyao has never trusted these people.

She was facing an enemy.

If Zhang Liao is allowed to sway people's hearts, she will also have enemies behind her.

The bladeless sword circled once and returned to Zhu Wuyao's hand. Red blood slowly slid down the black blade and finally dripped to the ground.

She didn't turn around, but simply said:

"Those who covet elixirs shall die."

Rong Si's anger towards Zhang Liao was stuck in her throat; she opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

She witnessed firsthand how the mouse saved its companion during the crisis. She wanted to ask Zhu Wuyao if he had killed the wrong person, but she said nothing.

Asking these questions at a time like this is unwise.

Rong Si remained silent, but others were angered—

"You never intended for us to live, so why won't you let us find our own way to survive!"

The moment he finished speaking, his body stiffened abruptly. He stared at the broken black sword across his neck, his neck almost touching the blade. He could almost feel the killing intent and chill emanating from the sword. He swallowed hard, cold sweat seeping from his messy hair.

He swallowed back all the words he wanted to say, remaining silent.

Only when the sword that had been held to his neck turned away did his legs give way and he collapsed to the ground.

"Oh, trash."

Even if you take those eighteen pills, you cowardly coward won't survive. How dare you make such a fuss?

Zhu Wuyao did not kill the person behind him again.

She knew the real problem lay in the eighteen pills before her.

The moment the sword returned to her hand, Zhu Wuyao immediately turned around, drew her sword, and struck forward. The object she was about to cut was the white porcelain bottle in Zhang Liao's hand. From drawing her sword, to sheathing it, and then suddenly slashing forward, her movements were fluid and without the slightest hesitation.

Zhang Liao was a man who feared death.

He instinctively stepped back.

With a "crack," the porcelain bottle in his hand shattered, flames erupted out of thin air, and the eighteen pills were completely reduced to ashes.

The moment Zhu Wuyao made his move, the people following behind Zhang Liao also protected themselves.

Zhang Liao's composed demeanor in persuading others to surrender was completely thrown into disarray. He drew his sword to block the attack and looked up to meet those eyes, which were as still as a deep pool.

He suddenly thought of Mu Changying.

He thought of those sincere, unwavering eyes, those eyes that kept him awake at night, eyes he feared to dream of.

Zhang Liao had wondered what kind of rebels would come here when it was his turn to persuade them to surrender.

Perhaps there will be a pair of fierce eyes.

Perhaps it was filled with overwhelming murderous intent.

Perhaps it is cruel, cold as iron.

Perhaps when you see your comrades-in-arms turn on each other with knives, you will feel the same shock, despair, anger, and disbelief...

The ancient, black broken sword vanished, and in the next instant, a sense of crisis washed over him. A chilling killing intent seemed to suddenly attack from his side and rear. He was startled and quickly retreated.

However, the sword suddenly appeared in the rebel's hand and was chasing after him.

It seems as heavy as a thousand pounds, yet as light and swift as the wind.

Zhang Liao saw her eyes clearly; they were silent eyes.