Chapter 65: Chapter 65

Chapter 65: The Revenge of a Severed Tail, Repaid with a Severed Body

Prosperity, democracy, civilization, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendliness

The malice that Hong Wen could sense, how could Mo Lin possibly fail to feel it.

The Soul-Respecting Banner stuck against its snake scales swayed without wind, as if it had caught the scent of delicacies about to be served on a jade platter.

Mo Lin believed that under the division of its malice, countless villagers kneeling before it wore docile faces, yet secretly wished to tear it into thousands of pieces.

But Mo Lin did not care what they thought.

After all, those in high positions did not need to know the thoughts of those beneath them.

If it were to kill these people now, Mo Lin already had the confidence to double their usefulness, making them excellent offerings to refine the Soul-Respecting Banner.

But that was still not enough.

Because Mo Lin still had one last move left unused.

Only when this final move was played out would this drama truly come to its close.

“Back when I had not yet become a snake demon, I once encountered a father and son. That was my first time stumbling across snake catchers.”

“The son was a novice among the snake catchers. Because he caught a Banded Krait for the very first time, he was overjoyed.”

Hong Wen’s body trembled.

“The father was seasoned and experienced. He noticed a small snake hiding beside them, so the snake catcher’s son struck down with his snake fork, pinning half the little snake’s body.”

“To survive, that little snake resolutely chose to abandon its lower half.”

Without a doubt, that little snake was none other than Mo Lin itself.

Only the villagers did not understand why Mo Lin suddenly brought up its past at this moment.

Only Hong Tianyun looked toward Hong Wen, for he knew that Hong Wen’s first time catching snakes was indeed when he caught a Banded Krait—and had also pinned down half the body of an unknown small snake.

So it turned out Hong Wen had truly recognized Mo Lin back then.

He really had known Mo Lin all along.

Did this not mean that Hong Tianfeng was indeed killed by Mo Lin, just like Hong Sanjiang and the others?

And Hong Wen had always treated Mo Lin as a mortal enemy, not simply because of the resentment of watching his father die from a venomous snake before his very eyes?

At Mo Lin’s thought, all the zombie snakes each picked up a woodcutter’s knife abandoned by the snake catchers and walked before them.

“Clang, clang, clang.”

Seeing the knives fall at their sides, the snake catchers all raised their heads blankly, not knowing why Mo Lin returned the very blades they had discarded.

Only Hong Wen, recalling Mo Lin’s story just now, felt his expression change as a bad premonition arose in his heart.

Mo Lin said indifferently:

“You should have guessed it already. That little snake who severed half its body was me.”

“That day, after escaping death with great difficulty, I swore to my severed half-body: if I survived this tribulation, I would surely repay all snake catchers in the future.”

“And now, it is time for repayment.”

Many snake catchers swallowed hard and summoned the courage to speak:

“Lord Mo Lin, do you mean that as long as we are willing to commit suicide, you would be willing to spare our families?”

“They are not snake catchers. With your merciful heart, surely you could let them go!”

However, Mo Lin merely shook its head.

The snake catchers’ faces darkened at once.

It refused to exchange our lives for our families’ lives?

Then why give us the knives? To make us rebel again?

As the snake catchers wavered, uncertain of Mo Lin’s intentions, Mo Lin spoke once more:

“The grudge of a severed tail must be repaid with a severed tail. Since you have no tails, then sever your lower bodies.”

The faces of Hong Tianxin and the other snake catchers changed drastically.

To sever their lower bodies—yet it was more than just that.

In this era where even wind chills or tetanus could claim lives, Mo Lin was demanding they use rusted woodcutter’s knives to sever their own flesh?

This was no different from ordering them to die.

No—there was a difference.

Mo Lin wanted them to suffer excruciating agony before death.

They would rather slit their throats swiftly in exchange for their families’ survival.

But could they truly harden their hearts enough to mutilate themselves?

As they panicked, driven by instinctive self-preservation, one snake catcher decisively picked up the knife by his side.

Holding the blade in both hands, he aimed it at the root of his left leg.

His left leg was severed at the root.

The violent pain sent Hong Tianxin rolling across the ground, screaming in agony under everyone’s horrified gazes.

His wife and son let out heart-wrenching cries, but their wails only steeled Hong Tianxin further:

“Do not come near! Stay where you are!”

Not yet recovered from the agony of his left leg, he raised the knife once more toward the root of his right leg.

A figure without legs rolled about endlessly in the firelight, while none could bear to look upon the pair of limbs cast aside.

After his cries of agony, Hong Tianxin clenched his teeth and looked at Mo Lin:

“Lord, I have done it. May I beg you to spare my family?”

Even Mo Lin could not help but regard Hong Tianxin with some surprise at his resolve.

As he had said, for the sake of his family, he feared nothing.

It was only a pity...

Such a man—if truly allowed to end his own life—perhaps his heart would bear little resentment.

Mo Lin said nothing, only turned its gaze upon the other snake catchers.

Its silence made them all fall silent as well.

After long deliberation, they followed Hong Tianxin’s example, raising their knives.

First, they severed those unwilling to comply, then gritted their teeth and cut themselves.

None dared let others do it for them, for Mo Lin had made it clear: his demand was “self-severing.”

The snake catchers’ families longed to gouge out their eyes and burst their eardrums, to never again see nor hear the agonies of their household heads.

After one stick of incense, all the snake catchers had “fulfilled the requirement,” looking to Mo Lin with pleading faces—everyone except Hong Wen, who still stood where he was, seemingly ignored by Mo Lin, the instigator of all this.

But in truth, Mo Lin was merely waiting.

Watching an old enemy mutilate himself was never as satisfying as doing it personally.

Hong Tianxin turned to Mo Lin:

“Lord Mo Lin, we have done as you asked. Will you now spare them?”

Mo Lin lowered its head and looked at Hong Tianxin:

“Your name is Hong Tianxin, is it not?”

“I admire your courage, decisiveness, and loyalty. If I were still human, I would surely drink wine with you, become sworn brothers under peach blossoms.”

“Unfortunately, you and I are doomed to be separated—human and demon.”

“Had I no Soul-Respecting Banner, had I no need of Thousand-Soul Resentment Fire, then merely with the courage of your self-severing, my grievance of that year would have long since been dispelled.”

“Alas, there are no ifs.”

Mo Lin’s words froze Hong Tianxin’s obsequious smile, unease rising in his heart:

“Lord, what are you saying? I do not understand.”

“Lord, my family—they are innocent. You promised us, as long as we severed ourselves, you would let them go...”

Mo Lin shook its head:

“Hong Tianxin, think carefully. Did I ever agree to any of your conditions?”

The smile lingered on Hong Tianxin’s face, but suddenly his mind recalled—when they had tried to bargain with Mo Lin earlier, it had only shaken its head again and again, using only its eyes to signal.

At Mo Lin’s gaze, Hong Tianxin thought that by severing himself, he could earn its forgiveness.

At Mo Lin’s gaze, they all thought that by severing themselves, it would spare their families.

Their every action had been performed under the indication of Mo Lin’s eyes.

Mo Lin had only demanded that all snake catchers sever themselves. Read full story at ɴovelfire.net

But it had never once said that after doing so, it would let their families go.

Hong Tianxin’s smile vanished.

Ice surged from his heart.

His pupils contracted sharply!

Even I felt a little afraid writing this myself (rubs belly).

Some things I didn’t dare continue with.

Later in the story I’ll use words like “refine” or “safely in the bag” to describe it, you’ll understand.

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