Chapter 459: Faith

Scarlet blood flowed from the dismembered torso, staining the expensive velvet carpet red. Zong Wen could clearly feel his life force draining away, yet he was powerless to stop it.

Liu Qingyan's fingertips traced his hand, slowly moving up his arm. His skin began to peel away smoothly, revealing his bloody palm and forearm muscles, as if a flesh-colored garment were being removed.

There was no trace of color left on Zong Wen's tortured face. This was undeniably a flaying torture, and watching his own flesh being stripped away was a visually shocking scene that assailed his sanity.

He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse:"Spare... me...""I... I'll give you your freedom... please...""Anything... you want..."

Liu Qingyan's fingertips glided across his shoulder, as if meticulously sculpting a bloody work of art. Facing Zong Wen's pleas, she shook her head slightly:"No."

"Why...?"

"Because he doesn't like you."

Liu Qingyan said softly, "Therefore, you must die."

"He...?"

"He has already left the main city. If I kill you now, it won't implicate him... When he returns next time, he won't have to see your repulsive face ever again."

Liu Qingyan released her fingertips. By now, most of Zong Wen's skin had been peeled off, leaving only an old face covering his bloody body, looking sinister and strange on the crimson carpet.

As if he suddenly realized something, he spoke haltingly:"Envoy...??"

Zong Wen saw Liu Qingyan's hand reaching for his face, his will to live reaching its peak. He pleaded with all his might:"Why... are you helping him kill me...? He clearly... doesn't care about you... But I! I... I elevated you to the pinnacle of Red Dust Main City... I am your benefactor!"

"Someone like you wouldn't understand..."Liu Qingyan's fingertips gently touched Zong Wen's terrified brow. With a casual flick, his wrinkled face-skin was peeled off and floated down onto the bloody carpet.

Zong Wen, completely without skin, knelt in a pool of blood. The dim candlelight flickered in the room. In the mirror opposite him, typically used by girls for touch-ups, his appearance was clearly reflected... At this moment, he was a bloody mess, his face gory, indistinguishable as beautiful or ugly, old or young—only endless terror remained.

The black-clad figure slowly stood up, her skirt hem already stained with blood, which dripped steadily downwards.

Liu Qingyan calmly looked down at Zong Wen, now a bloodied figure. She clasped her hand around his throat, and in his terrified, despairing eyes, she slowly spoke:"He is not just my benefactor...""He granted me salvation, gave me faith; he is the only Red-Clad God on my desolate ruins."

*Snap!*As Liu Qingyan's words ended, Zong Wen's terrified head was instantly broken.

As Liu Qingyan released her bloody hand, Zong Wen's head slumped forward, like a sinner kneeling in a sea of blood, completely devoid of life.

He had never imagined that after dominating Red Dust Main City for so many years, he would ultimately die in his private room where he indulged in his collections, before that soft, comfortable bed... He had sought to ravage a beautiful rose, only to have his throat slit by its sharp thorns.

The dim candlelight flickered in the room. The girl's face was devoid of expression. She stood gazing at Zong Wen in the blood for a long time before slowly turning her head towards the direction of Red Dust Main City's gate...

Her vermilion lips curled slightly upward. Her eyes, like water, gazed into nothingness. She lightly lifted her skirt with both hands and knelt on one knee, facing the direction Chen Ling had departed.

Like a devout worshipper.

Her black skirt bloomed amidst the bloody ground, like a cool, aloof rose. Her lips parted slightly, and she murmured:"This humble servant, Liu Qingyan, presents a small token of respect... seeing Lord Chen Ling off from the city."

Audience Expectation Value +3Current Expectation Value: 78

Two lines of notifications flashed before Chen Ling's eyes. He paused, slightly startled, his black trench coat halting at the edge of the Red Dust Domain.

Chen Ling looked back towards Red Dust Main City. Much time had passed since he left the main city, and its outline was now blurred... But in the dark of night, it felt as though something was happening.

"The expectation value increased again... What's going on?" Chen Ling muttered to himself.

An unprompted increase in expectation value usually signaled trouble. Chen Ling meticulously reviewed recent events in his mind, but couldn't foresee any hidden dangers.

"Eek?"To avoid attracting too much attention, Chen Ling had covered the stack of banknotes with a black cloth. The clown now sat on top of it, swinging its short legs and looking at Chen Ling quizzically, as if asking why they had stopped.

"...Nothing," Chen Ling shook his head and continued forward.

The current increase in expectation value was likely related to the situation in the main city. Chen Ling pondered, considering the conflict between the Big Dipper Conglomerate and the Metropolis Conglomerate, the Jian Changsheng duo, Liu Qingyan, the Huang Conglomerate... all seemed possible.

Although he had now left the main city, the turmoil he had stirred up during his stay wouldn't simply vanish with his departure. Chen Ling had a premonition that the situation within the main city would be quite turbulent for some time to come.

The note Chen Ling left for the Huang Conglomerate before leaving wasn't some world-changing secret method; it was merely a reminder.

As a special envoy of the Golden Society, Chen Ling was at the center of the conflict among the five major conglomerates. He was highly sensitive to the main city's prevailing trends; in fact, he had personally instigated the clash between Big Dipper and Metropolis, and their conflict had reached an irreconcilable point.

Chen Ling knew very well that the Metropolis Conglomerate, weakened by his machinations, would certainly be no match for the Big Dipper Conglomerate. Even with Zong Wen's struggles, the collapse of the Metropolis Conglomerate was only a matter of time.

"When a whale falls, all things grow." The downfall of the Metropolis Conglomerate would inevitably release a large amount of resources. Chen Ling's reminder to the Huang Conglomerate was for them not to fear the Metropolis Conglomerate's power, but to quickly begin dividing or even annexing its resources. If they waited too long, the other major conglomerates would intervene, and smaller conglomerates would also come to feast, leading them to miss a prime opportunity.

Although Chen Ling didn't know how much benefit the Huang Conglomerate would gain from this opportunity, it would certainly be more than the money he had swindled from them, effectively repaying a favor. Moreover, if the Huang Conglomerate genuinely seized the opportunity, it would be a conglomerate he had personally supported, potentially becoming a significant asset in the near future.

Chen Ling mentally assessed the situation in Red Dust Main City, considering most of the variables. Pushing a mountain of banknotes, he slowly disappeared into the horizon under the cover of night.