Repayment in Blood

"Mom"

Elena sat in the passenger seat, staring at the gun in her arms, utterly bewildered.

You seem very angry?

Glory was focused on driving. She glanced at the militia controlling traffic; the shooting at Black Pit Bar must have reached the warband by now.

She drove onto the side road, taking another small path from the secondhand market in the Dongshan area to avoid the eyes and ears of the patrolling soldiers. The little girl Elena, still persistently kept asking questions.

"We're not related, so why are you dragging me into this murder? Are you looking for a scapegoat?"

The naive and innocent Elena thought the War King had ulterior motives. All she knew was that the Warband and the militia, these violent institutions, held absolute power in Lieyang Fort. Without the Madness Butterfly Sect, the White Shark Association and these armed men had become the righteous rulers of Lieyang Fort —they were the guardians of morality, "exorcising demons and monsters," and naturally had to accept offerings from ordinary people. In the past, she would have had to actively serve and curry favor with these heroes. If these heroes were unhappy and didn't protect a certain neighborhood, the Warband's evil forces would immediately come to wreak havoc.

"Mom!" Elena cried out, "My God, you've pushed me into a fire pit! That militia representative with the Black Key is Julian Sakoev, and his father is the general staff officer of the battle group—I'm doomed!"

"You keep saying you'll avenge me, but how can that revenge compare to the fear in my heart? I just want to live."

At this point, Elena recalled the hatred that suddenly welled up in her heart when she executed the Black Key militia representative. It lasted only a dozen seconds before being overwhelmed by a terrifying and terrified feeling.

These princesses of the Valhalla Palace had always been imprisoned by the White Shark Association. They had no chance to see the Eternal World outside and had no respect for the War King because their instructors and plastic surgeons would repeatedly show them Glory's video tutorials. From body posture to every smile, Elena's life was filled with too many "Glory"—she thought that the War King beside her was also George Joshua's caged bird.

Elena said, "I don't want revenge anymore! I don't even know who my enemy is! I have no enemies! I don't have any! Can you let me go?"

The vehicles slowly passed by each stall and store.

Glory: "You just asked me why I've been keeping bothering you?"

Elena: "Yes"

Glory: "What did you call me?"

Elena: "Mom"

Glory: "That's right."

Elena was on the verge of tears. "What do you mean! I was just joking! My goodness! You're capable of dealing with these troublesome brats, but I'm not tough enough! Once you leave Lieyang Fort, I'll be the first one to suffer! They won't let me off the hook! Just Julian's father alone, he'll make sure I pay for his son's death!"

Glory remained silent, then tossed away a finger. The finger, still stained with dried, dark brown blood, landed on Elena's leg, startling the young girl.

She handed the Black Key militia representative's cell phone to Elena and said solemnly.

"Unlock your phone, open social media, and call Julian's father to come see me."

Elena: "Are you serious?"

Glory parked her car outside the cadre welfare housing area, near the stadium.

"I have a daughter, much younger than you." Her eyes were filled with tenderness as she spoke of Zheng'er. "She's not like you, this little girl who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started calling me 'Mother.' She's my own daughter."

Elena pursed her lips, slowly lowered her head, and hatred gradually took over.

Glory: "Can you feel it, Elena? Can you feel the pain? You should have parents, unlike me, this mother who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They are your biological parents—even if you've lost your memory, you should still be able to feel pain."

The little girl clenched her fists, gripping her fingers and phone tightly, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"I want to seek justice for you." Glory turned off the engine, parked the car, and pulled out the keys. "Because I think this is so unfair. It's very simple, really simple."

"This Julian Sakoev you mentioned, he has two older sisters."

"This family is able to receive higher education, travel, study in Galahad, and hold a clerical position in District 1."

"Even this most disappointing youngest son can stay in Lieyang Fort and serve as his father's deputy."

"A child like you will be separated from your parents, sent to the Valhalla Palace to be sold into servitude, and given a new appearance to resemble me."

"I know this Black Key kid's father. He was originally the third son in his family. The male members of the Mister Fantastic's Battle Group were massacred by the Madness Butterfly Sect a few years ago. He was replaced later, and he got the position of Warband Chief by taking the ashes of his two older brothers."

"The suffering this family has endured is not a justification for them to act as accomplices to bully others, nor can it be a privilege to harm others."

Glory helped Elena dial Julian Sakoev's father's number.

"My Ming De have given me power, and the BOSS uses me as a trump card to eradicate pests—I will never stand idly by."

"My heart broke when you called me 'Mom' those few times. Whether you said it was a joke, or you were trying to gain my trust and sell me into the war gang—I don't Elena."

"The thought that my daughter might one day become a commodity, a prostitute in the Valhalla Palace, a giggler on stage, makes me so angry I could grind my teeth to dust."

"She doesn't remember me, she doesn't remember her father's or mother's names, she can't even find her family."

"Elena, the pain is becoming clearer and stronger—you must be able to feel it! Which child isn't a piece of flesh that fell from their mother's body, isn't their father's and mother's precious darling?!"

"Don't be afraid."

The call was connected--

--A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone; it was Julian's father, Juseberg.

Why do you have my son's phone?

As a staff officer in the Guangling Zhixi assault team, Juseberg has received news of his son's sudden death, but cannot find any clues about the murderer.

The Black Pit Bar was completely surrounded by militia and the warband's intelligence teams. The surveillance footage on site yielded no useful information. Glory was, after all, a top-notch intelligence and special operations operative.

Juseberg was already mentally prepared, and thus deduced that the person who called him using his son's phone must be the murderer.

Glory: "Are you at the stadium?"

Juseberg could not forget that voice. As a key member of the regional combat group's assault team, he had to repeatedly study the combat records of various war zones, and the voice that appeared on the anonymous radio channel was all too familiar.

"War King"

Glory: "Playing tennis? I see you. Go change your clothes."

Juseberg's tone immediately softened. "What should I wear? I..."

Glory: "Pick your favorite one."

Juseberg stopped catching the ball, dropped his tennis racket, and headed back to his dormitory. His friend, who had been playing tennis with him, was stunned for a moment before quickly chasing after him and telling the advisor to leave the room, meaning he was refusing visitors.

A few minutes later, a neatly dressed soldier walked out of the stadium.

Glory left the gun with Elena and told her adopted daughter, "When I raise my hand, you shoot him."

"Me? I'll do it?" Elena's face was filled with disbelief. "Me?"

Glory pointed to Juseberg not far away, cupped Elena's face, and made Elena look clearly. "It's because people like him live that you are who you are today. If you can't do it, I'll do it myself."

After saying this, Glory opened the car door and walked towards Juseberg.

The distance was only about twenty meters. After Glory had walked about ten steps, Juseberg first saluted.

--This seasoned strategist, a man of forty-four, had just been changing clothes in his bedroom when, after much thought, he finally realized the cause of his son's death.

But the War King did not respond and continued walking forward.

Juseberg panicked and immediately knelt on one knee, wanting to make his stance clear and wear his loyalty on his sleeve.

"War King of the Nameless Senate! Ming De Death Angel! What brings you to me today?"

Glory still did not respond. When she walked up to Juseberg, the warband's strategist was trembling, looking like he had given up and was about to be executed.

"I killed your son, do you know that?"

"That unfilial son deserves to die at the hands of the War King! It's a great joy for the people of Lieyang Fort!" Juseberg remained kneeling, his hands on his knees, the wrinkles on his face crinkling with sudden rage. "It's also my fault for not disciplining him properly, Your Majesty the War King. I am old and frail, and I have two daughters who are still unmarried. These past few years I've been busy with their marriages, perhaps they'll marry into the capital—this youngest son is colluding with George Joshua's henchmen, and I'm powerless to fight against the young man. I had planned to stay in the cadre resettlement housing in the East Mountain district of Lieyang Fort, so I could be closer and discipline my son, but Julian simply won't listen to his old father."

That's a very well said statement.

First, he used his two daughters as a shield, and now he wants to drag the capital's "future son-in-law" into it. I'm afraid the War King's wrath will fall on him.

Glory neither spoke nor raised her hand.

Juseberg quickly seized the opportunity, opening his arms to reveal the Lieyang Fort Defense Warrior Medal on his chest, as well as the Hero Medal of the former Mister Fantastic's Battle Group —his life-saving charms—and wanted to embrace the War King.

"You are my comrade-in-arms, and the gunsmith is also my child's teacher. I have just lost a child, and my heart is broken—does Your Majesty, the War King, still question my loyalty? I am just an old man who wants to stay in this land of Lieyang Fort, playing ball and tending to my flowers with my friends in the officers' quarters every day."

Before he could finish speaking...

--Glory finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted angrily.

"You shameless bastard! What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Juseberg was forced to shut up by the overwhelming Inspiration Pressure.

Glory's eyes were red. The nylon track of the stadium stretched all the way out, and suddenly a layer of frost appeared, making Juseberg's knees ache from the cold.

"What are you saying? You old bastard! What nonsense are you spouting? Your son is causing trouble in Lieyang Fort, isn't it all thanks to his father's reputation? Does he think he's some kind of fighter? Is he the gunsmith's prized student?!"

"If he was that capable, how could I have killed him in a single exchange?"

Glory laughed in anger--

"--You can't control him? Ha! All the lousy, disgusting things he does have nothing to do with you? Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Juseberg! Look me in the eye!"

"If this kid could fire a few shots at me, I'd think he became a militia leader because of his real skills!"

"But this little beast has no intention of fighting back. If you arrest the militiamen who work as traffic police on the highway, maybe they'll have the courage to shoot at me and fight me for a few rounds!"

"Not because of your father? How did he get to that position? Explain yourself! Explain yourself!"

Juseberg's face darkened. He thought he had given the War King ample face, but finally dropped the pretense and revealed his true colors. "I have lost a child! Lady Glory!"

Glory: "Because of you, you beast! How many parents have lost their children!"

Juseberg: "Both of my older brothers died for Lieyang Fort, and our whole family has shed blood for the Warband!"

Glory: "This is no excuse for condoning your children's crimes! Juseberg! You don't deserve to be a father! Did I kill your son? No! You pushed your child into the fire with your own hands! You turned him into a monster! You killed him! You killed your own son!"

Juseberg then pointed to the medals on his body—

--Glory pointed at the advisor's nose, the meaning of which was self-evident: if he dared to make another move, he would be reporting to the King of Hell.

"You want me to pay with my life? To pay for your child's life? You're blaming me? I killed your son, this beast who ate at the same table with cannibals, and you're using the medal the boss gave you to criticize me?"

Juseberg immediately panicked, his survival instinct kicking in. "No, I didn't mean that. I..."

Glory grabbed Juseberg's hair.

"Old man! Letting a stupid and incompetent leader command the troops! Then who will pay for the lives of the militiamen who died in battle?! Who will pay for their lives?"

"You tell me now, explain yourself clearly! Who will pay for the lives of ordinary people's children?"

"Who will pay for the lives of innocent people? How should this debt be settled? How can it be settled fairly?"

"When George Joshua was sending assassins to the train station system, why didn't you apologize and resign your post? You're still living in the cadre resettlement housing, and you still want to play ball? Want to grow flowers? Have you ever thought about how many people in Lieyang Fort are homeless! How can you sleep at night?!"

"When the gunsmith died, did you ever think about why he died? When my military dog died, did you ever think about why it died?"

"The Qingjin Wolf Mother cubs have risked their lives for me, even a dog is more loyal than you, and you're still arguing with me, trying to get an explanation! Give me back my comrade's life!"

Juseberg was ashen-faced as he was dragged off the ground by the War King's monstrous strength. Blood streamed from his scalp, but he dared not resist. He only hoped that this cold-blooded Death God could calm down and release his inner rage through words.

But the chance is gone.

--The War King took Juseberg's phone, and the pinned chat messages in his social circle were intimate interactions with his old friend Koruyaf.

Glory raised her hand, Elena immediately raised her gun.

The girl hesitated for a moment, worried that the gun was not pointed accurately enough and that she needed to aim carefully before firing. She was afraid that her will was not strong enough and that she might hurt her mother.

"Bang!--"

Glory broke off a new finger and got a new cell phone.

Juseberg's head was cracked open, and many bone fragments hung on the stadium's wire mesh.

Glory got back into the car, taking Elena, and headed to another location for the execution, following the trail of clues.