Zhang Lexuan, When Did I Ever Say I Represent Justice?

Moonlit night.

Several figures darted through the darkness.

Flying toward the brightly lit Earl's Estate.

"Senior Sister, why are we running to someone else's estate in the middle of the night?"

One member of the Shrek Inspection Corps, who had been summoned for the mission before understanding the situation, asked in confusion.

The leading woman was strikingly beautiful, with an outstanding temperament that was dignified and mature.

Her long black hair was tied into a neat, capable ponytail.

She was the leader of this operation to eliminate evil soul masters.

She was also one of the rare people in the Shrek Inner Academy who could make Ma Xiaotao, known as the Inner Academy's living volcano, willingly submit.

The Inner Academy's senior sister, Zhang Lexuan.

Zhang Lexuan gave a simple explanation:

"According to the information we've confirmed."

"Earl Wang has been cooperating with evil soul masters from the Holy Spirit Cult, secretly collecting children over a long period to supply to the Holy Spirit Cult."

"In return, those evil soul masters eliminated his political rivals for him."

"Our informant learned that the evil soul master would meet Earl Wang tonight."

"This is precisely the time to capture them all in one stroke."

Zhang Lexuan spoke calmly.

She was no greenhorn; she had already participated in numerous operations to hunt down evil soul masters.

She was thoroughly familiar with such work.

"But..."

"Senior Sister, it seems we don't need to do anything anymore..."

One of the male Shrek Inspection Corps members raised a trembling finger.

"Hm?"

Zhang Lexuan's beautiful brows furrowed slightly.

She followed his gaze.

Her pupils suddenly contracted.

At the entrance to the Earl's Estate, beneath the golden lights.

Two guards were kneeling on the ground.

Their mouths were stretched wide open.

Lush branches and leaves bloomed from within.

They resembled two humanoid trees planted at the entrance of the estate.

Zhang Lexuan suddenly recalled the strange ways those evil soul masters had died during one of her previous extermination missions.

They were exactly the same as these two guards!

Wait!

Zhang Lexuan sensed something unusual.

Silence.

It was far too quiet!

It was normal for an estate to be quieter at night.

But it could not possibly be completely soundless.

With Zhang Lexuan's spiritual power, she could not even hear the normal breathing of anyone inside the estate.

Something was wrong!

There was movement!

Zhang Lexuan paused, her gaze landing on a room at the center of the estate.

"Move!"

She called softly.

Then she took the lead and hurried toward the central room.

Along the way.

Strange little trees identical to the two guards at the entrance, with sprouts emerging from their mouths, could be seen everywhere.

The entire Earl's Estate seemed like a bizarre garden.

"This..."

The horrifying, bizarre sight turned the faces of the several Shrek Inspection Corps members, who had never experienced anything like this before, pale.

Fear rose in their hearts, and their bodies trembled slightly.

"What exactly happened here?"

Zhang Lexuan did not answer.

She had already arrived at the door to the central room.

Soul Power surged throughout her body.

Then she pushed open the door before her.

With a creak.

The scene inside came into view.

A black-robed figure wearing an emerald mask held a handkerchief and leisurely wiped his hands.

In front of him.

Two figures knelt on the ground.

Their eyes were wide open, still carrying the fear and despair they had felt before death.

From their open mouths grew the same strange branches as those outside.

"Oh?"

"People from Shrek?"

Bai Luo's gaze fell upon the insignia before Zhang Lexuan and the others, and he immediately understood their identities.

Behind Zhang Lexuan, the other Shrek Inspection Corps members instinctively retreated several steps when they saw him look over.

Clearly.

The bizarre scene within the Earl's Estate must have been the work of the black-robed man before them.

Zhang Lexuan did not retreat.

Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Bai Luo.

It was as though she wanted to see through the emerald mask and glimpse his true face beneath it.

"Calamity Ancestor?"

Though phrased as a question, Zhang Lexuan's tone held little doubt. It sounded more like certainty.

After witnessing that bizarre scene during the previous operation.

She had conducted extensive investigations.

And obtained certain results.

She knew that this strange method of killing came from the leader of the Life Association, Calamity Ancestor, a peculiar assassin organization that had suddenly emerged!

However, this was Zhang Lexuan's first time truly meeting this mysterious figure who had stirred up the underground world.

Although he was concealed beneath a broad hood and mask.

Zhang Lexuan's instincts told her that the person before her was definitely not very old!

"Looks like you came to deal with this evil soul master as well."

"You can leave now. I've already handled it for you."

"No need to thank me."

Bai Luo grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth beneath his mask.

"Why did you kill them?"

Zhang Lexuan did not understand.

According to the intelligence she had received, neither that evil soul master nor Earl Wang seemed to have offended the Life Association.

Why would Calamity Ancestor personally take action?

"Someone paid to commission it, so we did the job."

"The Life Association is an assassin organization. Surely this lady knows how that works?"

Bai Luo said as though it were only natural.

"Besides, more than one or two evil soul masters have died by my hand over the years."

"Why make such a fuss?"

Upon hearing Bai Luo's words.

Zhang Lexuan fell silent for a moment.

She recalled some of the assessments made of the Life Association.

This special assassin organization, which had the best public reputation among the masses.

Really did seem to have done things similar to the Shrek Inspection Corps.

They had killed many evil soul masters who brought disaster upon others.

The difference was.

The Shrek Inspection Corps only targeted evil soul masters.

But the Life Association did not stop there.

Their butcher's blade was aimed not only at evil soul masters, but also at ordinary criminals and lofty nobles.

"Miss from the Shrek Inspection Corps, don't tell me there's some rule saying only members of your Shrek Inspection Corps are allowed to kill evil soul masters?"

Zhang Lexuan was just about to answer.

But a male Shrek Inspection Corps member behind her pointed at Bai Luo and accused him:

"Then why did you kill the other people in the Earl's Estate?"

"The guilty have their own debts to pay."

"You're slaughtering innocents!"

"Slaughtering innocents?"

As though he had heard some ridiculous joke, Bai Luo let out a scornful laugh.

His emerald-like eyes coldly glanced at the male student who had spoken.

The chill in his eyes made the young man shrink his neck, suddenly feeling uneasy.

Bai Luo chuckled.

His laughter was filled with mockery and disdain.

"In this vast Earl's Estate, where are the innocent?"

"How many people in this estate handled the collection of children from all over and sent them to the Holy Spirit Cult as tributes?"

"Were they deceived, or did they willingly do it out of greed? I hardly need to explain that, do I?"

The young man's face turned pale, then flushed.

Yet he still stubbornly argued:

"Then what about the children in the Earl's Estate?"

"Children?"

"The children too young to remember anything have been taken back to the Life Association to be properly raised, so they can atone for their forebears in the future."

"As for those older children who understand what happened..."

"The condition for not implicating one's family is that one's family did not benefit."

"Since they enjoyed wealth and glory built upon the lives of other innocent children, they have incurred karmic debt."

"Taking their lives merely settles that debt. This..."

"What is wrong with that?"

"That's sophistry! What you did is absolutely not an act of justice!"

"When did I ever call this an act of justice?"

"You!"