Choice

For a moment, just as the burly servant viciously swung the long whip in his hand with a whoosh, sending it hurtling through the air with a piercing howl toward the man lying on the ground, barely clinging to life—

Whoosh!

A figure flashed over in an instant and grabbed the whip, stopping the servant from continuing his assault.

"Even if you are the lords here, there should be a limit to your extortion and plunder. You abduct people's wives and daughters, and now you want to kill someone too. Don't you think you've gone too far?"

After seizing the whip, no matter how hard the burly servant tried to yank it back, he could not pull it free. The blond young man spoke calmly.

"Who are you? How dare you meddle in the affairs of our Zijing Territory? Do you know where you are? Do you know who I am? This is my family's territory. Even if His Majesty came, he would have no right to interfere with my family collecting taxes. What do you think you're doing? Are you looking to die?"

Seeing someone actually dare to stop his family from collecting taxes, the young nobleman watching from nearby immediately approached with two guards, his face full of malice and cold laughter.

"Does it matter who I am? When you see injustice on the road, you draw your blade to help. Isn't that what any decent person would do?"

The blond young man gave a disdainful sneer. With a sudden tug, he forcibly ripped the whip from the burly servant's hand, sending him sprawling flat on his face.

"How outrageous! You dare insult me!"

If any decent person would step up to help, then wasn't that saying he, who committed all kinds of evil, was not a person? The young nobleman immediately flew into a rage, fury blazing in his eyes as he roared.

"Get him! If you want to play the hero, let's see whether you have the ability!!"

Following the young nobleman's furious command, the burly servants raised their weapons and charged at the blond young man with angry shouts.

Yet faced with the approaching group of servants, the blond young man neither dodged nor retreated. He merely sneered.

For a moment, a series of sharp cracking sounds suddenly rang out from the blond young man's body, as though his bones were constantly snapping and shifting.

Then, the blond young man's body rapidly grew taller, his muscles swelled, and countless silver-white wolf hairs burst forth all over him. His hands became sharp Wolf Claws, his head transformed directly into a savage wolf's head, and a pair of pitch-black fleshy wings unfurled from his back.

Roar!

After transforming into a Wolf Oni, the blond young man swept his cold, scarlet beast eyes over the servants before him. He bared a mouthful of razor-sharp fangs and, with a low growl, instantly shot forward like a silver bolt of lightning.

"A Soul Master?!"

Seeing the blond young man suddenly turn into a Werewolf with a pair of strange black fleshy wings, a clear sign of Martial Soul Possession, the once-ferocious servants were frightened out of their wits. They desperately tried to halt and turn around to flee.

Though they were vicious and cruel, they were still ordinary people. Bullying the weak was one thing, but how could they possibly be a match for a Soul Master?

Unfortunately, it was already too late!

After transforming into a Wolf Oni, the blond young man—or rather, Michael Corvinus's clone—had already shot out like a silver bolt of lightning. Amid violent growls, silver flashes streaked through the air as he leaped and darted about, slapping and kicking every burly servant in his path flying.

"So you're a Soul Master. No wonder you're so confident!"

While Michael swept through the servants, the young nobleman still stood with his arms folded, sneering.

But so what if he was a Soul Master?

The two guards beside him were Soul Masters as well. Anyone who would stand up for these peasants was at most a Soul Master from a peasant background. How strong could he possibly be?

Just as Michael was mowing down the servants—

Upon realizing that Michael was a "Soul Master," the two guards beside the young nobleman shouted and summoned their Martial Souls before charging forward.

A flash of light passed, and an iron staff and a saber appeared in the guards' hands. One white Soul Ring and two white Soul Rings respectively rose beneath their feet.

Clearly, one guard was a Soul Master, while the other was a Soul Grandmaster.

"Hehe!"

Seeing his two guards charge in as well, the young nobleman sneered, as though he could already see the overconfident blond Soul Master being beaten down by his guards.

But before long, the young nobleman's smile froze on his face.

The moment his two guards collided with Michael, two dull thuds rang out, and both guards were sent flying backward while vomiting blood.

Bang!

Bang!

"What?!"

He had never expected his guards to be no match for Michael. The young nobleman was terrified, but before he could say anything or even dodge, Michael rushed up and sent him flying with a single slap, blood spraying from his mouth.

"Leave the people behind, then get lost!"

Realizing that they were completely outmatched by the blond Soul Master, the burly servants and two guards struggled to their feet and hurriedly helped up the young nobleman.

Then the group fled toward their carriage as though their lives depended on it, hastily driving away.

"Benefactor, thank you! Without you, my daughter would have been taken from us!"

After Michael drove off the young nobleman, the rescued man rushed over in excitement and embraced his abandoned daughter. Then, pulling his daughter and wife along, he knelt before Michael and repeatedly kowtowed through choked sobs.

"Benefactor!"

At the same time, many other villagers who had suffered misfortune gathered around as well. They all knelt before Michael, each overwhelmed with gratitude.

"You don't need to thank me. I can only help you this once. As long as you remain here, those people will return sooner or later. Have you thought about what you'll do from now on?"

Michael merely waved a hand at the villagers' gratitude and spoke calmly.

Michael's words immediately left the villagers speechless. Thinking of the future, they looked at one another, their eyes filled with deep sorrow and despair.

"Benefactor, we don't know. We want to run too, but the lord of our Zijing Village is close with the surrounding nobles. We truly can't escape!"

"If we flee and are caught and brought back, we'll be hanged on the spot!"

One villager spoke in utter grief.

Hearing this, Michael fell silent for a moment. But soon, an inexplicable glint flashed through his scarlet beast eyes, and he suddenly laughed in a low voice.

"Hanged? That only means you aren't strong enough! If you were powerful enough, what could they possibly do to you?"

"Actually, I do have a way to help you—help you change your fates. It's just that... you'll need to pay a small price."

He could help them change their fates? And they only needed to pay a small price?

Hearing Michael's words, the villagers were momentarily stunned.

Then, longing quickly filled many of their eyes.

Clearly, no one did not wish to gain great power and change their fate, even if it meant paying some price!

"Benefactor, is what you said true? Can you really give us great power and change our fates? If it's true, I'm willing to pay any price!"

One villager immediately spoke to Michael in great excitement. Then he dropped to his knees and deeply kowtowed before him.

Afterward, many other villagers eagerly echoed him.

"Of course it's true. I can indeed give you great power and change your fates. But... the price is becoming monsters like me—becoming bloodthirsty Wolf Oni!"

Michael extended his sharp Wolf Claws, the corners of his mouth splitting into a grin that revealed a mouthful of razor-sharp fangs. His scarlet beast eyes brimmed with meaning as he sneered.

"As long as you become Wolf Oni, you will possess great power. No matter who it is, no one will be able to bully you so easily!"

"And I can tell you that even after becoming Wolf Oni, you will still retain your current consciousness. If you're lucky, you might even be able to return to human form like me."

"But after becoming Wolf Oni, you will become my kin, and everything must be done according to my orders."

"I won't force this choice on you. Choose for yourselves!"