Let Your World Burn

The entire manor could hear the Viscount's out-of-control voice.

The bad news can no longer be kept secret.

Even if the viscount concealed the fact that the treasure room had been looted, it would be pointless.

Because other things cannot be hidden.

Many people have seen it.

Young Master Lynch is dead; he was blown to pieces in front of the Viscount.

The mercenary squad that came to their aid was completely wiped out.

The military camp was burned down.

The knight was killed.

The butler was captured.

Fear is spreading.

Even more terrifying was the Viscount's reappearance, his face indifferent and calm.

Everyone was on edge, even the arrogant wizard Richard dared not say another word; no one wanted to provoke a beast that had just lost its cubs.

Samuel convened a meeting and issued new orders.

His tone was calm yet forceful, and his logic was extremely clear.

"Sir Ron, recall all the knights, soldiers, and disciples of Richard who are patrolling the territory, and gather them at Glimmering Sand Castle."

"Sinil Senior, disguise yourself and leave the city. Go to the stables in Rock Village, fetch a fast horse, and travel as fast as you can to Raging Waves City. Go to the Mercenary Guild there and hire any mercenary squads you can find..."

"Rupert, disguise yourself and go to the horse farm in Gus Village to fetch a fast horse. Take a shortcut to the High Ridge Watchtower in Broken Leaf Town, and light the signal fire. I made an agreement with Lost that if anything happens, we should raise the signal fire; he's searching in that direction... Go and call him back!"

At this point, the mage Richard became restless and said, "Knight Lost is going to capture..."

Before he could finish speaking, Samuel gave him a sinister look.

The monk's words were stopped by those eyes.

Even a powerful spellcaster was intimidated by the look in the other's eyes at that moment.

Mad yet restrained, angry yet calm, seemingly rational, yet having lost all reason.

"I said, call him back."

Master Richard shut his mouth.

Samuel said, "Because that Cathayan is the most pressing enemy we need to deal with right now. He's a madman, but a rational and intelligent one. If we leave him alone, he'll definitely cause even more destruction. We must kill him, otherwise, even if we capture the princess, we'll be in constant turmoil!"

He leaned towards Richard and said menacingly, "Do you want to live forever in fear of being shrouded in his Shadow? Do you want to constantly be paranoid, never knowing when he might jump out and do something?"

Master Richard remained silent.

In fact, the spellcaster still held the so-called "Joker of Cathay" in contempt.

In his view, it wasn't that the Cathayan were so terrible, but simply that the Glittering Sand people were too incompetent.

But under the Viscount's gaze, he did not voice his thoughts.

Because through the Viscount's eyes, the sorcerer Richard had already understood.

This man, seemingly calm, was actually insane. His explanations were plausible, but the root cause of his actions—calling back Lost and hiring more mercenaries—stemmed from hatred.

The man named Samuel had lost his mind; madness had taken over his thoughts.

He cannot find peace unless he kills his enemy.

--Just you wait, you bastard, I'll report your incompetence to the Crown Prince.

He thought to himself.

But verbally, he still echoed Samuel's statement.

The monk asked, "What are your plans?"

"Plan?"

Samuel said coldly, "Haven't you figured it out? That Cathayan has been avoiding us, attacking places we can't predict, leading us by the nose. It's a brilliant tactic, but it exposes one fact: he's weak!"

"At least for you and me, he's weak!"

"Because he is weak, he cannot confront us head-on, so he avoids it! Therefore, he can only act like a cunning and despicable dog, running around aimlessly! He leads us to one place, then attacks another, which only exposes his weakness!"

"Since that's the case, I'll withdraw all my power. If he wants to play, then let him play with the entire Glittering Sand Viscounty! If he wants to go on a killing spree, then let him go and slaughter those lowly people at will!"

"And I will withdraw all my elite forces back to the castle."

"You and I, along with our elite knights and soldiers, will hold this place and defend against any invading enemy. If they have the guts, let them come and attack!"

Viscount Samuel declared resolutely, "Two days! At least one day, at most two days! Lost will return, and more mercenaries will come! The only reason we can't deal with him now is because we lack high-level combat power! Once Lost and his mercenaries arrive, we will definitely be able to kill him!"

--In that case, you should have Lost capture the princess. That way, we'll have a hostage and be able to find a way to lure him out.

The thought flashed through Richard's mind.

But he didn't say it aloud.

He could tell that Samuel had lost his mind and was no longer willing to listen to reason. Arguing with him would be unwise... and it would be a great injustice to be bitten in the process.

Okay, okay, whatever you say.

Master Richard nodded and said, "Alright."

"Then it's settled!"

Samuel's sharp gaze swept around the area. "Until reinforcements arrive, we must strengthen the defenses of the Glittering Sand Manor around the clock! Every blind spot! Every room! Every doorway! I will personally arrange all of this. Except for controlling the amount of wine served, as for the other food, whether it's meat or spices, you can have as much as you want! Two days! Just two days! Everyone will receive a large sum of money! And land!"

As for you...

Viscount Samuel looked at Wizard Richard: "You must help too! That Cathayan knows how to dig tunnels, and I don't want him to suddenly pop out of some corner like a gopher again!"

Under his gaze, the mage Richard nodded and said, "Don't worry, it was because I wasn't paying close attention before. Now, I will constantly sense the changes in the earth element in the manor. If he dares to dig a tunnel here again, I can bury him in one spell!"

Samuel nodded, then said in a sinister voice, "Your apprentices and disciples must also help! The enemy possesses methods of unknown origin and incomprehensibility, meaning you are also in danger. You must be extremely cautious!"

Wizard Richard replied, "Don't worry, even the most bizarre methods cannot transcend the changes of the elements. Before magic, all strange and unusual things must bow their heads!"

He scoffed, "I'd like to see just how incomprehensible the methods of these Cathayan really are!"

Following the defense conference, the Viscount personally oversaw the reconstruction of the defenses.

Large quantities of meat and wine were brought out, tested to be free of toxins, cooked, and given to everyone on the estate, from servants to maids; everyone was given a new job.

Throughout the manor, a guard stood watch at regular intervals to ensure everyone was within the sight of at least three people. Every house was thoroughly searched to ensure the Joker hadn't secretly placed anything strange inside. All the drinking water and food were gathered together and guarded by several people. Every so often, a mage would perform a purification spell and check for poison.

Rooftops, underground, walls, everywhere.

Leave no blind spot unchecked.

Samuel racked his brains, considering every possibility. With such defenses, it could be said that if the Cathayan dared to break into the manor as before, they would be discovered immediately.

He made sure everything went perfectly.

But the viscount, driven mad by hatred, overlooked one thing.

He was able to become more courageous in the face of setbacks, and was not defeated by hatred and failure. Instead, he was able to calmly prepare for revenge.

But what about the others?

The more thorough his preparations and the tighter his defenses, to the point that he personally oversees everything, the more this attitude of being on high alert fuels the fear in others' hearts, making them uneasy and further demonizing the image of the Joker, allowing fear and wavering to grow infinitely.

What kind of terrifying enemy could drive the great and noble Viscount to such madness?

--Can we really stop him?

--What if he comes?

Without a sound, the entire manor was enveloped in fear.

Some tried to escape, but this was within the Viscount's expectations. All escape routes were guarded by the most loyal knights and soldiers, and the harshest punishments were reserved for those who dared to flee.

Moreover, everyone was assigned tasks and ordered to monitor each other. For those who reported others, servants, maids, and soldiers were dispersed and reassigned to ensure that no one would collude.

The Viscount had considered almost every problem.

Except for a few people, no one was assigned work.

Ever since the butler was kidnapped in front of her, this noblewoman had become somewhat neurotic. She needed to be with many people to feel safe, but this sense of security didn't last long. The knights and soldiers were conscripted by her father, and when Hannah mustered up the courage to object, she was slapped and ordered to go back to her room or stay in the hall.

Hannah became increasingly distraught, feeling that Kang De could jump out from any corner. She would glance at the ceiling every now and then, walk cautiously around corners, and prefer to stay in open spaces. When in her room, she would frequently open the closet to look around, and even lie on the floor to look under the bed.

She's become somewhat neurotic.

After a hasty dinner with the servants, she felt even more panicked. Then she remembered the wine, the wine she had brewed herself. She suddenly wanted to drink because she was so afraid and wanted to numb herself.

Some poisoned wine should also be prepared.

She felt a chill run down her spine when she thought about what Kang De had said to her.

If she were to fall into his hands... she would rather die.

She walked cautiously upstairs to the second floor. Before today, this pampered woman probably never dreamed that she would be afraid to walk in her own home.

Several people were on duty on the second floor, which gave her a little courage. She pushed open her door, intending to get some wine from the wine cabinet, but after opening it, she suddenly froze.

In the wine cabinet sat a rose, its stem tied in a familiar and beautiful knot, with a few petals seemingly scattered haphazardly. Hannah's body trembled slightly.

A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

This is... an agreement.

Her secret code for meeting Glen.

See you at the usual place tonight...

Glen... Glen is still alive...

Why doesn't he come back? Why doesn't he show up?

Subconsciously, she wanted to tell her father about it.

But the next moment she hesitated. Whether it was the rough push during the day or the slap tonight, her father's indifferent yet crazy appearance was still fresh in her memory.

Glen... Glen...

Already extremely neurotic Hannah was eager to escape Kang De's nightmare and had lost her usual composure and wisdom, concocting many reasons in her own mind.

Glen must have realized how terrifying this Cathayan, which is why he dares not return, dares not oppose him. But he still thinks of me, good, good, he's still somewhat useful. He wants to come and get me, that's wonderful, wonderful. I must leave; staying here will surely lead to my death. He will definitely not let me go...

Holding the rose, she whispered like a madwoman.

Then a decision was made.

The usual place... See you at the usual place...

Hong San was also idle.

He was placed under house arrest, but the people who had imprisoned him were also transferred away. The viscount still didn't trust him, but he wouldn't kill him first. Hong San was simply imprisoned in solitude.

He sat in the chair, lost in thought, and couldn't help but shiver.

Hong San already knows what happened last night, and he also knows what happened today.

He spent an entire bag of money to find out this.

Ironically, this bag of money was given to him by Kang De yesterday.

"Hong San, your clansmen are truly far more capable than you."

These were the words the guard said to him before he was transferred, and his tone was complicated.

Hong San thought for a moment, then muttered to himself, "Master Kang, sir, I really didn't expect this to be a massacre... I had no idea the Viscount was going to target you. I even unintentionally reminded you to be careful of the eldest young master, the second young master, and the eldest young lady, so I deserve credit. You're a reasonable man, sir, you can't kill me... If the Viscount's family is doomed this time, who will I become a servant to? I wonder if Master Kang would be willing to take me in?"

He thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, no, I have to..."

Hong San hesitated for a moment, then seemed to have made up his mind, and pulled a wire from his hair.

Everyone has their own plans.

Everyone has their own fears.

Everyone is on guard.

Everyone is waiting.

They were waiting for someone to arrive, yet they didn't want him to come.

This kind of waiting is the most torturous.

As night fell, bonfires roared everywhere in the Glittering Sand Manor, their flames soaring into the sky and illuminating every corner. Trees around the manor were felled and used as fuel.

This night was extremely difficult.

Everyone was on high alert.

Time silently passed into the early morning.

What people don't know is that the person they are waiting for and fearing is not in this world at this moment.

Instead, it's in a place called Earth.

He walked out of the shopping center, pushing a heavy cart piled high with boxes containing sweet candy, laundry detergent, soap, and all sorts of other things. The cart was piled high with an enormous quantity of goods.

He has already made two shipments.

Pushing the cart, he walked towards the main road.

He then took out the medicine he had on him.

Strength potion.

Dou Qi Inspiration.

The surging power was enhanced threefold, giving him immense strength and greater explosive power in a short period of time, enough to lift very, very heavy things.

The net has been pulled in.

Now for the most interesting part.

Let your world burn.

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PS1: Second update, 4,000 words! One more chapter to go! By the way, Hong San won't die; he's still useful. (Shows the smile from Chapter 11 PS2)

PS2: Something happened. In my launch message, I mentioned that some people were laughing at me every week, and then this blame was conveniently placed on Shenwu Liuliu's head. Yesterday, he came to me crying, and I was quite puzzled. According to him, he was stunned when he looked at the comments this morning. He saw that the backend was filled with the sentence: "The culprit who mocked the top student has been found. It's Shenwu Liuliu."

PS3: This really isn't him, really. I need to explain for him. Although he sometimes talks a lot of nonsense, it's really not him. Oh, he was so aggrieved that he came to me crying and begging, even becoming a leader in the alliance, which made me feel embarrassed. In the end, he revealed his true colors—he wanted a chapter recommendation.

PS4: So let me recommend a friendship chapter, "The Invincible Me Doesn't Need to Do It Myself," those who are interested can check it out...