"Wreak massive destruction? No, no, no, my friend, you have it completely wrong. If everything went smoothly, there would be no 'massive destruction' at all, and no one would be hurt because of it. I merely wanted to put on a show—a perfectly harmless show!"
Shen Yulin's eyes widened, his face full of sincerity and innocence. "Who do you take me for, a heartless, born killer? No. Like you, I fight to defend Dragon City's interests, the interests of our respective corporations and lineages, and everyone's interests.
"During the Monster War, the scars left on my body by monster claws and venom are no fewer than anyone else's.
"I swear to heaven that I have never intended to harm the life of even a single innocent person.
"In fact, I transferred the vast majority of guards and miners to the other side of the Crystals Mine precisely to minimize unforeseen casualties.
"Originally, if not for an unexpected variable like you, they would never have caused much trouble.
"They only needed to wander around inside the Crystals Mine, set a few fires that would not spread, collapse a few empty buildings that had been soaked by floodwater and were already on the verge of collapse, steal a few chunks of raw crystal ore from the warehouse, and, most importantly, be discovered and leave behind traces. That would have been enough. That was all I needed!"
Meng Chao fell silent for a moment.
As though weighing the credibility of Shen Yulin's words.
"Fine."
Meng Chao said, "If you weren't planning to wreak massive destruction, then what was the purpose of disguising yourselves as orcs, infiltrating the Crystals Mine, and deliberately allowing yourselves to be discovered while leaving clues behind?"
"The purpose is simple. We hope Dragon City can return to the right