Lin Shu turned and walked down the ridge, stopping in front of the others.
He flicked his palm, and the blade—its hilt stained red with blood—shot up with a ringing clang before settling into the sheath at Chang Yi's waist.
"Next time, either don't draw it, or just get on with it and strike." Lin Shu casually wiped the filth from his palm on his sleeve.
From what the Fierce Wolves had said earlier, it was clear that—
someone knew Black Charcoal's background, so they wouldn't dare attack him lightly. They'd only wanted to drive him away.
But the notification that he was worth eighty-two Virtue Coins had subtly revealed Chang Yi's final choice.
They weren't related, so Lin Shu didn't feel it was his place to judge.
At least in the eyes of the captured civilians, this young boy must have been an exceptionally good constable.
"I was afraid they'd take advantage of me while I..." Chang Yi finally came back to himself after witnessing that horrifying scene.
"People aren't immortals. Who can account for everything and make sure every matter ends perfectly?"
Lin Shu wiped both palms clean. A few roguish notes crept into his voice as he continued, "If you know something can't be done, but you just can't get past it and insist on throwing your life away, then... killing one means you break even. Killing two means you come out ahead."
To put it bluntly, they were all going to die anyway.
If you were willing to throw your life away, you shouldn't have to take abuse on top of it. That would be a terrible bargain.
At those words,
Chang Yi looked dazed.
He glanced at his waist and reached for the sticky hilt of his blade.
The first lesson was to know what