Chapter 2 – The Green Devil's Dance
It was a night of pitch-black darkness, with clouds veiling the moon and a soft drizzle falling steadily. Jeffrey lay on his straw bed, staring up at the sky through the cracks in his hut's roof. He muttered to himself, "What a miserable night," and took a long swig of wine.
Despite the pain in his back, he tried to relax and sleep. But a rustling sound at the door disrupted the silence. Six tall, broad-shouldered men entered—Green-grade Qi Temperers.
"What now? Any trace of him?" Jeffrey asked.
"Yes. We followed the blood trail. It seems he crossed the farm's border."
"So, the brat joined the caravan?" Jeffrey frowned, then suddenly smirked.
"Don't worry, sir," one of the men said. "From the blood trail, it looks like he wandered into the Blind Forest instead of taking the caravan route. The fool must've gotten lost."
Jeffrey laughed and took another long gulp. "I forgot... boys from the farm never left the borders. Seems his death won't be at my hands—but in the jaws of wolves."
The men visibly relaxed. Jeffrey hadn't ordered a search of the forest, which was a relief.
The Blind Forest was infamous for its impenetrable darkness. Even the Qi flames of Green-grade cultivators couldn't light the way. Let alone an unarmed boy. Worse, the forest was home to the fabled Horned Beasts.
Jeffrey's laughter faded. He turned as a blonde woman entered through the side door. She was sweaty, covered in soot, but her face bore a twisted smile.
"The villagers are all gathered in the square—women and children too. I personally set the fire," she said with pride.
Jeffrey smiled warmly. "What would I do without you, my dear? I would've loved to watch that bastard John and his little family melt in the fire, but the medicine you gave me barely keeps me awake. You take care of things. I'll sleep."
She nodded and left with the others. Who would've guessed that sweet Mrs. Cassie—the woman who once joked with Roy while baking—was the very hand behind the horror that awaited his family?
Minutes later, over 300 villagers had gathered in the central square. In the middle, a large green fire burned, crackling ominously. Cassie climbed atop a wooden platform, addressing the crowd.
"My dear brothers and sisters, we are a tightly woven knot of loyalty and love here in Fang Farm. But if a single strand begins to burn, it threatens the whole rope. Tonight, some among us—those we once called family—have chosen betrayal. They fled instead of standing against the bandits. If we tolerate such treachery, this farm will not survive. So, on behalf of my beloved husband, Jeffrey... I sentence them to death—by fire, so their fate may serve as a warning—"
THUNK.
Cassie's head dropped from her shoulders, blood erupting from her neck.
Silence.
The villagers stood in frozen shock, eyes wide. A woman finally screamed, breaking the trance—and panic exploded. People ran, collided, screamed, wept.
The six Qi Temperers were stunned. Their sharp hearing caught the sound of slow clapping from behind.
From the shadows emerged a pale, shirtless man. His narrow eyes and long nose gave him a fox-like appearance. Around his waist was a belt made of Horned Beast hide.
"What poor manners," he said. "Throwing a barbecue without inviting your guest? You owe me 200 silver coins. Then I'll be on my way."
The men froze. "W-Who... bandits?!"
"This is too soon!" one gasped.
One of them shouted, "And if we say no, you bastard?"
The stranger rubbed his chin, thinking. "Then I'll kill all the men and leave the women, children, and livestock for my crew to collect later."
The six braced themselves. "Don't panic—he's alone. We can take him."
They lined up in front of him, trying to stand firm.
The man smiled and stepped forward. With each step, a blue aura exploded around him. The pressure made the men sweat.
He extended his arms. Blue lightning crackled in the air, condensing into two glowing axes.
"Damn... a Blue-grade Qi Temperer?! And he formed weapons so fast?!"
One of them grit his teeth.
In a flash, he was upon them. One axe cleaved a neck; the others followed with gales and flames.
In just a minute, it was over.
Smoke veiled the battlefield. From within that curtain of ash, a figure emerged. His face was burnt, his chest drenched in blood. In his hand was a cracked, glowing blue axe. His eyes weren't just cold—they were unhinged, filled with bloodlust.
"Damn... I've drained almost all my Qi. Better wrap this up."
He laughed. "Six well-trained Qi Temperers in one farm? Impressive. But it looks like I outdid myself today, haha!"
Villagers stood frozen.
An old woman screamed, "Dear God, is this the end of our farm?!"
Panic erupted again. People ran, tripping over each other.
The green fire Cassie had prepared spread in the chaos, engulfing buildings and animals.
The blue-axe man's face twisted in rage. "YOU FOOLS! You ruined everything! Now all the treasure is burning!"
He snapped. "Screw the treasure. Screw all of you!"
He leapt into the panicked crowd, slicing through men, women, children—even animals—without mercy. It was no longer a battle—it was a massacre.
It was a devil's dance in the green flames of hell.