Chapter 224: Justice and Evil

As they descended further, the air grew increasingly cold, damp, and heavy with a putrid smell that lingered persistently. The tallow candles on the walls flickered dimly.

Rayan steadied his mind and walked into the prayer room.

Everything in the prayer room was as it had always been. The pedestal in the center was covered with incomprehensible inscriptions and candles. The only difference was that the portal on the prayer table had disappeared, replaced by three Holy Light artifacts placed in sequence.

As Rayan approached the prayer table, the three Holy Light artifacts immediately emitted a resonant hum and trembled.

"Strange, isn't it?"

A sinister laugh came from behind him.

Rayan turned back cautiously and saw Martha, who did not appear hostile. On the contrary, she seemed to have aged decades, as if any gust of wind could end her life.

Rayan reminded himself not to feel pity. The Martha before him was no longer the innkeeper who once gave him cakes.

Seeing Rayan remain silent with tightly closed lips, Martha let out a dry laugh. Accompanied by a few long coughs, she hunched over and slowly walked to the prayer table, using her frail body to block the direct connection between the Holy Light artifacts and Rayan—the resonant hum of the Holy Light artifacts ceased immediately.

"See, the Holy Light sees you as an enemy," Martha said.

Rayan's heart sank, and he opened his mouth to argue, "I just have traces of demon race aura on me."

Martha shrugged indifferently, "Say what you will—by the way, did you get the last Holy Light artifact?"

Rayan hesitated briefly, then pulled out the fourth Holy Light artifact from his bag.

A flash of clarity appeared in Martha's cloudy eyes. She excitedly took the final Holy Light artifact with her bony hands, murmuring, "I knew it, I knew it! You wouldn't disappoint me!"

Just as Martha was about to laugh aloud, the Crow Sword silently rested against her age-spotted neck.

Rayan, with an icy expression, said, "Don't try to deceive me. In your current state, I can kill you anytime."

"Yes, I can sense your killing intent—"

Martha appeared relieved. "But rest assured, what I'm doing poses no threat to you. Besides, I promised to give you a mysterious quest reward. If holding the Crow Sword to my neck makes you feel more at ease, I don't mind, as long as I can move and complete the ritual."

Without waiting for Rayan's response, she turned around and placed the fourth Holy Light artifact in sequence.

Martha then began chanting, her withered fingers swiftly moving back and forth over the four Holy Light artifacts—instantly, the dim candlelight in the prayer room flickered without wind, and even Rayan felt a chill on his back, causing his fingers gripping the Crow Sword to flex involuntarily.

After a few more seconds, Martha's low chant turned into a loud incantation. The flowing light on the Holy Light artifacts moved quickly under her fingers, reaching an almost extreme state, as if about to burst out of the artifacts.

When all the light gathered under Martha's palm, a massive skull suddenly appeared in the center of the prayer table, covered with Holy Light inscriptions, yet unable to hide its sinister demonic nature—

The demon skull of the Dark Demon Lord! Rayan looked at the empty eye sockets of the demon skull, feeling a sharp pang in his heart. Previously, he had tried his best to avoid contact with demonic entities, even though he knew the demon skull's consciousness had been sealed by the dragon race and God Race, rendering it like a dead object. Still, its inherent demonic nature made Rayan's mouth dry.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

Rayan steadied his mind, pressed down on his wrist, and the Crow Sword in his hand immediately cut a blood mark on Martha's neck. He warned, "Be careful with your actions, Martha. I can cut your throat anytime."

"Of course, of course."

Martha seemed unconcerned about her neck. "You can kill me anytime you want—but aren't you curious? Don't you want to see the Dark Demon Lord's imprisoned thoughts? Under the influence of such a great king, perhaps you could become someone like the first Dark Emperor."

"What!?"

Rayan's Battle Qi surged abruptly. "So you want to use the flowing light on the Holy Light artifacts to lift the seal on the demon skull! Yet you lied to me, saying it was to honor your husband and son!"

"Yes, this has always been my husband's wish. Fulfilling his wish is equivalent to honoring him and my son."

At this point, Martha's expression and movements became incredibly resolute, "And you, Rayan, will one day thank me for this quest reward I've given you!"

Rayan's brows furrowed deeply. The power of the demon skull was unfathomable, capable of influencing even a Holy Light envoy to become the first Dark Emperor. If it influenced him, it would be terrifying.

He immediately commanded sternly, "Stop, Martha. If you continue this madness, I'll have no choice but to cut off your head! I mean it!"

Martha ignored Rayan's words, accelerating the fusion of the flowing light and the demon skull. As the light entered the demon skull, the Holy Light inscriptions on its surface began to disintegrate at a visible rate.

"Using Holy Light to counteract the Holy Light's seal, truly a good idea—"

Martha cackled, "Just give me a little more time, and the Dark Demon Lord's will can fully recover! Humanity will gain true freedom!"

Rayan's anger surged, and he coldly rebuked, "You're wrong. I won't give you that chance."

With that, the Crow Sword swung forcefully, mercilessly beheading Martha.

Pale blood weakly oozed from the neck wound, and Martha's head rolled to the ground, her cloudy eyes wide open, with a mocking smile on her aged lips.

Her body stiffened for a few seconds before collapsing heavily. The Holy Light artifact and the half-unsealed demon skull rolled down as well.

Once everything settled, Rayan slowly sheathed the Crow Sword and said to Martha's corpse with guilt, "I'm sorry, but I can't allow the Dark Demon Lord's will to be freed, so I had to kill you."

He glanced around and continued, "I'll bury you and the Holy Light artifacts here. I hope you, your husband, and your son can rest in peace under the dragons' watch."

Rayan angrily thrust his sword into the icy ground, creating a crack. Before it could close, he placed Martha's body and head inside, followed by the four now lightless Holy Light artifacts. He silently watched as the ice sealed, until Martha was no longer visible.

This was undoubtedly a tragedy, a family's tragedy. It was not about justice or evil; Martha only sought revenge for her loved ones and went further down the path of vengeance. Rayan had to kill her to stop her madness.

Rayan felt dejected. When he finally composed himself and tried to deal with the Dark Demon Lord's demon skull, he found it missing.

He was startled, searching the prayer room several times but couldn't find the demon skull.

The demon skull was large, nearly twice the size of a human skull, and without limbs, it couldn't have walked away. How could it be gone?

Rayan couldn't help but wonder if he had made a mistake and accidentally buried the demon skull with the Holy Light artifacts in Martha's grave—if that were the case, it would be fine, as the demon skull should stay in the "prison" built by the five great dragon kings.

But Rayan was still uneasy, as he rarely made such mistakes, especially in crucial situations. He searched the prayer room again, confirming that the demon skull was not left behind. He then walked out of the prayer room, gathered Battle Qi and sword gang power on the Crow Sword, and performed a Twin Crows Dance against the cellar's pillars.

With the Twin Crows' impact, the cellar began to collapse. Rayan calmly ascended the steps, exited the hidden door, and returned to the inn's hall. The roaring and shaking behind him were intense, lasting a long time before ceasing, and the hidden door disappeared completely.

Ensuring no one would discover the cellar, Rayan finally left the Pigs and Whistles inn.

A few days ago, he arrived here with Sola, and even recruited a somewhat mediocre bounty team. Now, he was alone, the Crow Sword stained with unavoidable blood.

He had no mood to summon the Emerald Fire Thunder, wandering aimlessly through the bustling streets.

Passersby recognized Rayan, making way and saluting, shouting "War God," but Rayan felt no joy. From this Holy Light artifact mission, he only gained frustration and inexplicable sorrow, nothing else.

Martha's promised mysterious reward was actually the Dark Demon Lord's skull. How could such a thing, which he wished to avoid, be a reward?

After wandering for a long time, Rayan stopped. He found himself in a slum area outside the main city. Everything here seemed gray—the low shacks, the dirty streets, even people's faces.

The slum was full of slaves abandoned by their masters and poor people driven to desperation by taxes. For various reasons, they were extremely wary of outsiders, especially seeing Rayan's attire, which intensified their hostility.

Rumor had it that the vast and fortified Stonerock City had two kings: the high and mighty Lion King and the thief king hidden in the slums.

Rayan was curious to see how the thief king made even the Lion King wary with just some underfed, poorly clothed slaves and poor people. But it was late, and Rayan had other matters to attend to, not wanting to cause more trouble. He turned and left the slums, heading back to the main city.

By rights, the Holy Light artifact matter was over, and he should seek Lady Spring Rain. But before going to the Firebird family to find Lady Spring Rain, there was one more thing he had to do—

Eileen must die!