Purge

The Baron, who had been cowering and trembling in the corner, seemed to have his spine ripped out the instant he saw that puddle of sludge.

He dropped to his knees, clawing desperately at his own hair. What streamed from the corners of his eyes were no longer bloody tears, but murky black mucus.

"That was... that was Mother's vessel! It was the supreme glory that would lead our family into Transcendence!"

The Baron suddenly raised his head. His eyeballs, corroded by Exorcism Powder until only the whites remained, locked onto Lu Yuan.

The skin across his body began splitting apart inch by inch. Countless tiny flesh buds grew wildly, making him look like an inflated balloon.

With the madness of someone determined to die together, he roared and lunged at Lu Yuan.

[You stared directly at a High-Tier Mutated Creature. Sanity check in progress... Check passed.]

In that opening, Lu Yuan finished reloading his Revolver.

"It was you! You did this! I'll tear you to pieces! I'll sacrifice you to Mother!"

Lu Yuan did not meet the trapped beast's desperate assault head-on.

He calmly sidestepped to the left while firing his Revolver again.

"Bang! Bang!"

The two bullets struck the Baron's knee joints with pinpoint accuracy.

"Crack."

The charging Baron's body lurched sideways, and he crashed heavily to the ground.

Yet he seemed incapable of feeling pain. He still clawed at the floor with both hands like a mad dog with a broken spine.

He dragged his ruined body toward Lu Yuan inch by inch, muttering incoherently:

"Mother... look at me... I am your most loyal child..."

But only deathly silence answered him.

No miracle descended, nor was any power bestowed upon him.

That puddle of sludge still lay quietly on the bed, giving off a nauseating stench of rotten fish.

The Baron's crawling gradually slowed.

Lying on the ground, he stretched out a hand toward the sludge, but it ultimately stopped in midair.

"Why..."

The Baron's voice became weak and trembling. Once that madness faded, all that remained was endless emptiness and the despair of abandonment. "Why won't you save me... Why have you abandoned me..."

He finally realized that, in the eyes of his great "Mother," he was no different from that nephew—both were disposable materials that could be cast aside at any time.

"Because you're useless now."

A cold voice sounded above his head.

The Baron's whole body stiffened.

He abruptly rolled over, attempting one final struggle. The hand that had become a claw slashed viciously at Lu Yuan's abdomen.

"Bang!"

The gun fired.

A wisp of blue smoke rose from the scorching barrel.

A bloody hole appeared in the Baron's forehead. The claw drooped limply just centimeters away from Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan looked at the Baron's corpse, now utterly lifeless, and let out a long breath of Turbid Qi. Cold sweat had already soaked his back.

"Phew... Lucky."

Lu Yuan wiped the sweat from his brow, still shaken as he glanced at the Baron's mutated corpse.

Had he been at full strength, a High-Tier mutant like this could have counterattacked even after taking a hit to a vital spot.

Thanks to Old Morgan's Exorcism Gunpowder—Type 3, the high concentration of silver powder and intense light had nearly crippled ninety percent of the Baron's combat ability, leaving him like a blind man who could only rage helplessly.

Otherwise, it was hard to say who would have lived or died tonight.

Lu Yuan crouched down and, suppressing his nausea, rummaged through the Baron's slime-covered formal attire.

To his surprise, he actually felt a slip of paper.

The instant he pulled out the letter, the familiar smell of rotten fish rushed into his nostrils.

By the lingering firelight, Lu Yuan made out its contents:

"While the base is empty tonight, eliminate those Doctors. Also transfer the Hatchling to the dock warehouse. Mother is hungry."

There was no name beneath it, only an emblem of thorns and tentacles intertwined.

Lu Yuan's gaze turned cold as he tucked the letter into his coat.

Was this what Old Morgan wanted?

In truth, Lu Yuan had realized it the moment he stepped into the manor.

The Night Watchers had thrown him out as bait, plain and simple. Thorn Manor's mutation traits were far too obvious.

Unless the Night Watchers were all useless freeloaders, there was no way they could have failed to notice.

"But it doesn't matter. I don't have to pay back the points, and I can squeeze Old Morgan for a little extra too."

As Lu Yuan was thinking this,

urgent whistles and footsteps sounded outside the window.

Hearing those footsteps, Lu Yuan could not help finding it absurd. How long had they been lying in wait? The explosion had barely gone off, and they had already arrived.

He would leave the rest to the professionals.

He holstered his gun and straightened the slightly disheveled collar of his trench coat. Looking over the corpses scattered across the floor, his expression returned to calm.

A few seconds later, amid gunshots and strange howls, a squad charged straight toward the room where Lu Yuan stood.

"Bang!"

With a violent kick,

the heavy Oak Door flew open and slammed into the wall with a deafening crash.

The people who rushed in were not the chaotic, noisy ordinary patrol guards Lu Yuan had expected, but a well-equipped and highly disciplined mixed squad dressed in black uniforms.

Their movements were perfectly coordinated. In an instant, they occupied every tactical blind spot in the room, their Alchemy Crossbows and muskets trained tightly on Lu Yuan in the center.

Leading them was a middle-aged man in a senior guard uniform.

He wore a full beard and looked rough, but his hawk-sharp eyes carried the seasoned killing intent of a veteran.

Lu Yuan keenly noticed that an Alchemy Grenade, not issued to ordinary guards, hung from this "officer's" belt.

One of us?

Lu Yuan reached his conclusion.

The leader's gaze quickly swept across the room.

When he saw the monster corpses, their features ruined by silver powder, and the Baron with his head blown apart,

then finally saw Lu Yuan standing unscathed by the window, his pupils narrowed slightly.

A trace of wariness flashed through his eyes.

Then that wariness became satisfaction.

The Bait Plan had been a great success.

Their eyes met, and in that single second, they reached an unspoken understanding.

"Dammit! What kind of hell is this?!"

The leader suddenly roared in fury, his voice making the windows hum. "The Baron was actually infected by heretics?! What the hell are those people from the Empire doing?! And you, carrying an Alchemy Weapon—take him away!"

"Take him away immediately! Interrogate him thoroughly!"

Upon hearing the order, several ordinary guards behind him, unaware of the situation, immediately moved to rush forward and cuff Lu Yuan.

"Hold it!"

The leader sharply waved a hand, stopping those hotheaded fools.

He turned and assigned a young team member whose eyes were equally sharp and cold. Clearly, this was another one of their own.

"You, take a few men and escort him away! This guy is a suspect, so don't let him escape! Everyone else, blockade the scene. No one is to approach!"

"Yes, sir!"

The young team member strode forward and stopped behind Lu Yuan.

He did not take out any shackles. He merely placed a hand lightly against Lu Yuan's shoulder, his movements carrying even a trace of barely noticeable politeness.

"Let's go, Mr. Suspect."