The Last Mercy

From the steward's memories, Kang De gleaned several important pieces of information.

That's all. His mental strength is limited right now, and he can only capture the most important information he wants to know in a short time... But that's enough.

He learned about the little beggar.

Having received Kang De's favor and promising to repay him, he ultimately betrayed Kang De and the Knight Cleveland for fifty silver coins and the status of a knight's squire.

The result was ironic.

Because the little beggar had informed on Glen, the Knight Glenn, wanting to claim all the credit, did not notify the nearby search party. Instead, he decided to lead his men to ambush and kill the prisoners Kang De and Cleveland alone. He was very pleased and promised to take the little beggar as his squire and also promised a reward of fifty silver coins.

But he died, and the entire search party was wiped out.

Before his death, Glen ordered the little beggar to seek help, and the little beggar did indeed bring a search party, but all people found were corpses strewn all over the ground; Knight Glenn and the two fugitives had all vanished.

In other words, no one can prove that the little beggar provided any important clues.

Most importantly, neither the Goth People the Cathayan were captured, and many people were lost in the process.

Unsurprisingly, when the excited yet frightened little beggar approached Glittering Sand Manor, hoping to reclaim the silver coins and status he had gained from betraying his benefactor, he was impatiently kicked out of the gate by the steward who had come to investigate.

If the man had been caught, that would be one thing; Samuel, in a good mood, might have granted the little beggar a chance to change his fate. But now, are you kidding me?

The person wasn't caught, and instead, our side suffered heavy losses, and no one can prove that you actually provided the clues.

--You still want money and status?

There's no need to trouble Samuel with such matters; the butler can decide for himself.

He's just a beggar. Whether he cries, begs, swears, or explains, the steward won't care what he says.

Who would believe the words of a beggar?

There was once someone who knew it, but he doesn't believe it anymore.

When Kang De saw the little beggar, the little beggar bought a few pieces of cheap rye bread, tucked them into his pocket, and carefully and cautiously walked slowly along the corner of the wall towards his home.

After being kicked out of the manor by Butler Glittering Sand last night, the little beggar returned home, filled with fear and resentment, but there was nothing he could do. He fell into a deep sleep in this state of mind. When he woke up early in the morning, he felt hungry, so he took out a few copper coins from under the bricks in the house and went out to buy food.

Grandma was still asleep in bed, muttering in her sleep. The house smelled musty, was cold and damp, and there was no hope. The little beggar felt that his life shouldn't be like this, but he didn't know what was wrong. He couldn't explain it, but he instinctively wanted to get out of this situation. But reality was cruel. He carefully hid the few copper coins and went to buy food for himself and his grandma for the day.

After buying the bread, he headed home, calculating how many days the money he had earned yesterday would last. He listened to the conversations on the street and looked at the worried expressions on people's faces. They seemed to be saying something, but when they saw him, they all showed disgust. The little beggar couldn't hear the conversation.

But that has nothing to do with him.

The little beggar just wanted to go home. He thought about what happened last night, and his heart grew sadder and more melancholy. He was heartbroken that wealth had vanished, and even resented those two people for not dying cleanly. He kept getting stuck in a rut, fantasizing about the glory of having money and becoming a knight's squire. But then he thought about the cold reality, and his heart became more and more depressed.

Then he saw a person come out of the house in front of him.

The little beggar instinctively moved aside to avoid being kicked, beaten, or scolded by an adult in a bad mood, but the next moment, he heard a familiar voice. "Lister."

No one calls him by that name except his grandmother.

No... there's one more person.

The little beggar suddenly raised his head.

He had black hair and a gentle smile, but his eyes were cold.

The bread in the little beggar's arms fell to the ground.

Without a word, he turned and ran, but where could a mere malnourished child run to?

He hadn't run two steps when he was grabbed by the neck, dragged into the unfamiliar house by the Cathayan, and then casually thrown to the ground.

The moment he fell to the ground, the little beggar curled up.

This was a habit he developed while begging on the streets; getting hit would at least lessen his injuries. But then he knew that this defensive stance was no longer effective.

He saw blood on the ground, and when he looked up, he saw two corpses lying on the ground.

The little beggar was breathing rapidly, and his body began to tremble.

It's a dead person.

The Cathayan said calmly, "Don't mistake me for a bloodthirsty killer. This couple both have fresh wounds from last night. I remember one of them; he was burned by a Molotov cocktail, but only a small patch, which is why he survived. The other one had his arm trampled. They're the group I chased after last night, the ones who attacked us. Most of the people in this town were involved."

"I didn't stand guard at the pharmacy, poisoning and setting it on fire, torturing everyone who came for treatment until they wished for death, because the ringleader hadn't been eliminated. I couldn't be bothered to waste time on idiots. After all, Samuel and his gang were bad, those people were just stupid. But if I need to borrow a house, that's a different story."

"Do you understand?"

He moved a stool over and added some firewood to the stove in the room, where something was burning. Kang De sat down in front of the little beggar. "If you understand, let's begin."

The little beggar lay prostrate on the ground, trembling, and said, "Don't kill me, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Kang De sighed.

"Don't be afraid, really, don't be afraid."

He said this.

His tone was calm and gentle, without a trace of harshness or resentment.

He said slowly, "I'm here today mainly to talk. Of course, I won't scold you or criticize you. When I capture Samuel and the others, I might reason with them, scold them a few times, and condemn them. But I won't do that with you, because you don't understand reason. You're just a beggar. No one has taught you how to be a person. You don't understand anything."

"According to my ancestors, you are not human, but a beast, an animal, a barbarian."

"It's simple. If you get bitten by an animal, would you blame it for biting you? It's pointless, because animals can't understand you. All you can do is hit and kill."

At this point, the little beggar's body trembled even more violently; he wanted to beg for mercy.

"Don't beg for mercy, shut up, shut up, listen to me, let me finish."

Kang De's words were calm and steady, without the slightest fluctuation.

"You probably don't know what you've done... so let me finish."

He smiled and said, "You know what? If you hadn't betrayed us last night and lured those who had already left back, we would have escaped this town successfully, avoided a fierce battle, and he wouldn't have died. So do you understand what you did? You directly caused his death, and you've made me what I am now."

I'm very angry, really angry.

"Why? Why? I helped you, and you said you wanted to repay me. I don't need your repayment at all. I just need you to shut up, be quiet, and go back to your home. I didn't intend to hide in your house, I didn't want you to draw away the pursuers. I just want you to act like nothing happened."

"But you betrayed us, fifty silver coins, and the title of squire."

"I understand you, really, I understand. In our society, everyone is very humane and knows how to put themselves in others' shoes. I know you really want to change your life, and I know that a few silver coins are nothing compared to this. I understand, really, I understand."

"But even if you understand, what then?"

Kang De said earnestly, "My friend is dead! I've gone mad!"

Do you know how much I hate you?

He reached out and patted the little beggar's head. "I want to torture you with every cruel method I can think of, to make you wish you were dead, to make you live a life as lowly as dust, to die in endless pain and regret. Really, really, I'm so angry."

His words remained calm, very calm.

But the Flame it contained almost burned the little beggar's soul to ashes.

"But."

He said, "You killed him, not me."

"I'm here today to seek revenge on his behalf, not on my own."

"So, if he were here, he certainly wouldn't approve of my methods of revenge."

"He was a knight, a good man, and a fool, you know? Last night, when you left, I wanted to kill you, but he stopped me. He saved your life, but he also killed himself and made me like this. I should curse him, but I can't bring myself to do it. So I've come to settle accounts with you."

"Therefore, I have come to seek revenge on Cleveland."

"As a knight, I offer you revenge."

The little beggar's body trembled violently.

Fear, fear, and more fear.

"Fifty silver coins, and the title of squire."

You want money, and you also want a new identity to change your destiny.

"Then I'll give you these."

Kang De took a slightly dirty set of clothes from the side and tossed it to the little beggar. "Put these on."

The little beggar stared at the clothes in front of him and subconsciously reached out to touch them. It was a fabric he had never touched before, and it was a garment he could never have dreamed of.

Kang De said, "Hurry up... or I'll throw you into the fire."

The little beggar hurriedly did as he was told; for him at that moment, the clothes in front of him even overshadowed the fear of death... He had never worn such clothes in his entire life.

"Well."

After Kang De saw him finish dressing, he nodded and said, "You look very smart. Clothes make the man. You look very handsome. Do you know, this is an outfit for a young nobleman. From now on, you are a nobleman."

"You are the youngest son of a viscount. You are well-behaved, clever, eloquent, and charming. Your elder brother has secured a good position in the Capital. You may inherit the family business and become a viscount yourself. Countless townspeople will worship you, and they will do whatever you ask."

As he described it, the little beggar looked on with longing and envy.

"Glen said he would reward you with fifty silver coins and hold a grand enshrinement ceremony for you. He's dead, but the ceremony must still take place, so I've arranged it for you."

"From this moment forward, you are no longer just a knight's squire; you are now a nobleman. Although I will be absent from your grand ceremony, the Viscount will be present to witness it all."

He grabbed the little beggar, forced him to sit on a chair, took out a rope, and tied him to a heavy, cold iron object.

The little beggar asked anxiously, "What... what is that?"

Kang De said, "A gas cylinder, the kind we use for cooking where I'm from. Of course, it has other uses too, like, explosions. One explosion like that can blow you to pieces, the kind you can't even put back together."

The little beggar then remembered the threat of death, and he began to tremble again.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Don't you want to be someone superior, someone who is an aristocrat? Then I will grant your wish. I will dress you in aristocratic clothes, give you the status of an aristocrat, and let you know what your so-called aristocracy will face, what you will endure, and what you will encounter."

"From this day forward, you are a nobleman."

"Soon, many people will come here, many knights and guards, who will treat you as their young master, and the esteemed Viscount, who will treat you as his son."

"You will explode, you will die, you will be pulverized."

"Your father will be devastated and will weep bitterly."

"And you, your shattered body and flesh will be gathered together and buried with noble rites in your family cemetery, to rest there forever with the remains of your ancestors, and then..."

Kang De brought his mouth close to the little beggar's ear.

"Then I... threw them all away."

The little beggar's fear surged infinitely. Kang De neither hit him nor scolded him, but he still felt a fear that penetrated to the bone, and struggled and cried out.

"Spare me, please spare me! I don't want to be a nobleman anymore, I..."

"Don't talk, don't talk, it's not over yet."

Kang De said softly, "You betrayed us for silver coins and status, and now you've gained nothing. Haven't my friends died in vain? Therefore, I'll give you noble status, and I'll also give you money..."

He took the iron pot off the hot stove.

Silver was being smelted inside.

"Fifty silver coins? Damn, I'll have to rob someone else."

He extended an iron rod and stirred it inside. "I've melted gold before, though I'm clumsy, I have some experience, I'll do a good job... Lister, these fifty silver coins will turn into silver thorns, eternally binding your body, locking your soul, and remembering your betrayal and despicable deeds."

"Wait a minute, it's a bit hot. I'm afraid you'll die. Let me let it cool down a bit."

"--Wait a moment!"

The little beggar suddenly struggled and cried out, "Sir! Sir! Please grant me one request! Just one! Please let me go back to see my grandmother! She's blind and will be all alone from now on. I at least need to tell her where the money is hidden!"

Kang De paused for a moment.

Then he shook his head.

"No."

He said, "Because Cleveland called out 'Mommy' before he died."

Soon, the little beggar's muffled groans of despair and pain came from inside the house.

Not long after, a letter arrived at the Glittering Sand Manor.

Samuel was smarter this time. He left the mage Richard at the manor to prevent a third raid, while he led his men to the house—after all, it was his son.

The knights and guards blocked off all the nearby streets.

An archer is mounted on the wall.

Everyone was on guard against the attack of the Joker of Cathay. In just one or two hours, the fear and death he brought had swept through the Glittering Sand Viscounty, and everyone was on high alert.

The door was wide open.

The viscount and his entourage proceeded cautiously, and then they saw the Little Boy inside the house.

With his head down, wearing familiar clothes, it was Lynch.

A look of worry flashed in Samuel's eyes, but he didn't rush in. The letter said it was for negotiations. He called out, "Kang De! Come out! Didn't you say you wanted to talk?!"

There was no answer. He gave a wink, and two guards, swords and shields in hand, cautiously stepped into the house.

Then, flames erupted and burst forth.

A terrifying shockwave spread outwards.

Samuel's body emanated a powerful Dou Qi, far surpassing that of Glen and the butler. Even from a greater distance, his Dou Qi was sufficient to ensure his safety from such an impact.

But it couldn't protect his heart.

He watched helplessly as the unparalleled power suddenly exploded.

His child, his Lynch, was instantly blown to pieces, blood, flesh, and pieces of cloth flying everywhere, still burning, reduced to dust.

He opened his mouth wide and made a hoarse sound.

Then, it let out a howl like a wolf.

From afar, Kang De listened to the explosion and the Viscount's shouts.

"It's definitely much stronger than I imagined..."

He wrote it down in his notebook.

Then he turned and went into a house.

He recognized this place; he had been here before.

This is the little beggar's home.

The room was damp and smelled musty. An old woman lying on the bed sat up at the sound of the noise and said tremblingly, "Lister... no, you're not Lister. Who are you? There's no money or food left. Look for whatever you want..."

Kang De looked at her and remained silent for a moment.

An elderly woman who is blind and unable to do anything, relied on her begging grandson for survival. Now that she has lost her grandson, she is all alone. Her future is uncertain.

He said coldly, "I am a knight of the Glittering Sand Viscounty, and I am here on the Viscount's orders to inform you that your grandson, Lister, has rendered meritorious service to the Viscount's domain. The Viscount has decided to appoint him as a squire. The ceremony will begin tomorrow, and today he will remain at Glimmering Sand Castle for etiquette training..."

"Really... really?"

The old woman struggled to her feet. "Sir Knight, please sit, please sit. There's nothing here, I'm so sorry. Lister is a good boy, if only he could do something for the lord..."

Kang De stepped forward and helped the old woman, who was groping to get out of bed, calmly saying, "Grandma, please lie down. Once Lister becomes a squire, he will bring you to the castle. Just wait one more day, and tomorrow he will come back for you. You can then enjoy your life..."

A happy and expectant smile appeared on the old lady's face, and she nodded gratefully.

Kang De supported her with his left hand and raised the nail gun with his right.

Pull the trigger.

Enchanted with Sharpness, it strikes vital points without pain.

The old woman's body trembled slightly before she collapsed, a happy smile still on her face.

Kang De closed the old woman's eyes, laid her flat, and made her lie down comfortably.

Rest in peace, you poor stranger.

I reserve my last shred of pity for you; from this day forward, I will have none left.

He took a few steps back, then turned and left.

Is this enough revenge, Cleveland?

I avenged you.

And then, all that was left was my hatred.

Don't worry, it'll be done soon, almost time to close the net.

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PS1: Third update, a long chapter of 5,000 words! Today's update was 12,000 words!

PS2: I didn't catch up with the schedule as promised, I'll do it tomorrow. By the way, the hostility in the comments was indeed a bit too much. I think even revenge should be tasteful and classy. It shouldn't be sensational or use gore to attract attention. I think this kind of revenge is fine. What do you guys think?