The Sorrowmender

Chapter 64 – Crime deserves punishment

Xu Qingzhou fell silent for the first time, rubbing his chin in thought, while in reality, he opened the Worry-Free General Store to take a look.

Lin Shuo's injury wasn't some difficult-to-treat hidden ailment; it was merely a few meridians broken by external force.

Treating it wasn't difficult.

All it required was a single Spirit Essence Pill, but the price was steep—3000 Merit Points.

Though Xu Qingzhou was already a millionaire in terms of Merit Points, spending a mere three thousand was affordable.

Yet, if he truly spent it, it would still be quite painful.

Hence the dilemma.

"Well, well, Heaven gave me the Worry-Free Book, intending for me to help the world, to save people from disaster."

"Saving one is saving, saving three thousand is saving, saving the people of this city is also saving."

"As long as Lin Shuo lives, Linfeng will have a master, and there won't be chaos, sparing the common people some suffering. I'll take a bit of a loss."

Xu Qingzhou asked himself if he was a good person, but he wasn't a bad person either.

He was a transmigrator, always inclined to weigh the pros and cons, treading carefully.

Because this world was always an unknown to him.

However, as a transmigrator, he had received a good education, especially being born in China, where from a young age, he was subtly influenced.

Whether it was knowledge from textbooks or Chinese mythology, certain values were always instilled.

Such as punishing evil and promoting good, upholding justice, helping the weak, saving people from disaster...

So, the injustices of the world and the suffering of the masses, if unseen, were one thing, but seeing them inevitably stirred righteous indignation.

Especially now that he had the Book of Forgetting Worries, doing good deeds and relieving worries for nearly half a year, his nature had been subtly changed.

Perhaps even he didn't realize that he already had a heart to help the world.

He just hadn't noticed it yet.

Having grown accustomed to saving people, he found even standing by coldly to be anxiety-inducing, let alone doing evil.

The book said that a true strong person should always maintain a heart of compassion for all things in the world.

Thinking this, Xu Qingzhou was about to communicate with the system to purchase the Spirit Essence Pill.

But at that moment, the wooden door was suddenly pushed open with a bang.

The wind rushed into the room, unrestrained.

Xu Qingzhou was startled, pulling back his thoughts, and looked toward the door.

The one who entered was Meng Xiao, who closed the wooden door again and walked towards Xu Qingzhou. As he approached, he didn't forget to glance at Lin Shuo on the bed.

Then he respectfully said to Xu Qingzhou:

"Meng Xiao apologizes for the intrusion, Mister. I unintentionally overheard your conversation with City Lord Lin. I know of a young lady who would definitely want City Lord Lin to live."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingzhou had yet to react, but Lin Shuo was already grabbing Meng Xiao's arm in disbelief, urgently asking, "Really, who?"

Meng Xiao glanced sideways at Lin Shuo, gathered his energy, and with a shake of his shoulder, forcibly shook off the other's hand.

Lowering his voice, he said:

"City Lord Lin, please conduct yourself with dignity."

Lin Shuo, ignoring the pain in his hand, looked at Meng Xiao in confusion, dumbfounded.

He wanted to scold, but the words got stuck in his throat.

Times had changed; though he was still the city lord, it was now in name only.

Moreover, Meng Xiao was no longer a dog at the Lin family's beck and call.

Behind him stood this enigmatic young mister.

Xu Qingzhou was naturally pleased to hear this.

The intelligence of a death warrior was generally reliable; if Meng Xiao dared to speak, he must have some confidence.

He wouldn't lose his composure like Lin Shuo but calmly asked:

"Can the person be found?"

"The person is in the city. With just a word from you, Mister, I can bring them to you in less than half an hour."

"Good, then go!"

"Please wait, Mister!"

Meng Xiao retreated, the door opened and closed.

Lin Shuo kept staring at the door, his expression extremely complex.

Xu Qingzhou slowly got up, approached the bound person, untied them, and gave them clothes.

The person, regaining freedom, knelt to express gratitude.

"Thank you, Mister, thank you, Mister, thank you for saving me."

Xu Qingzhou quickly helped him up, patted his shoulder, and in the man's anxious gaze, softly said:

"You've suffered, now go."

The person thanked him again and hurriedly left the room.

The wind and rain persisted as Xu Qingzhou took out the "Strange Tales of the Vast and Righteous World" and continued reading.

Half an hour, neither long nor short.

But the deep night was hard to endure.

However, waiting was worth it; if it was as Meng Xiao said, he could save a fortune.

The wind gradually subsided, the rain quieted, and the candlelight dimmed as the oil ran low.

"Does Mister think I'm a failure?"

Xu Qingzhou's hand paused in turning the page, but he continued reading.

"Why does the city lord say that?"

Lin Shuo gave a bitter smile, full of self-mockery, "Once the lord of a city, above millions, yet ending up like this, unable to think of a single person who truly wishes for me to live, not even one, ha."

His tone was desolate, filled with endless sorrow and pain, yet also repentance and regret.

Repentance for his life's mistakes, regret for his life's arrogance.

Xu Qingzhou turned another page, seemingly indifferent, but his words were profound:

"Those who accumulate goodness will have blessings, those who accumulate evil will have calamities."

"You, Lin Shuo, are not a good person. Though not notorious, your infamy is widespread. The things you've done have led to your current situation. Do you think you're wronged?"

Lin Shuo's face was already pale, and Xu Qingzhou's merciless sarcasm made his thin face look as if he had eaten something foul.

He wanted to retort but didn't know how.

Because what Xu Qingzhou said was an undeniable truth; in Linfeng City, he was outwardly glamorous, but he knew how dirty he was behind the scenes.

As Mister said, his current plight was deserved.

Lin Shuo fell silent, his gaze tightened, a sense of guilt repeatedly surged in his chest.

Nearly suffocating him.

"Do you know why I want to save you?" Xu Qingzhou suddenly asked.

Lin Shuo was puzzled, looking at Xu Qingzhou, his eyes full of confusion.

Xu Qingzhou suddenly closed the book in his hand, his gaze falling on Lin Shuo, yet it was completely different from before.

His eyes seemed to be coated with a layer of gray, chilling to the bone.

Like the abyss of hell, devouring everything.

At this moment, Xu Qingzhou was no longer an immortal, more like a demon.

"To be honest, if I had a choice between you and Mo Shengge, I'd rather let Mo Shengge live."

"Mo Shengge sharpened her knife against the strong, while your knife mostly targeted the weak."

"But she wanted to kill me, so I had to kill her."

"And letting you live is only because Linfeng City cannot go a day without a master, so I save you because she is dead. She dies, you live, that's all."

Xu Qingzhou's words, like his gaze, were chilling, making one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

Lin Shuo felt a cold shiver down his spine, unable to meet his gaze.

He had guessed Mo Shengge was dead, but hearing it from Xu Qingzhou's mouth made it seem heavier.

Yet Xu Qingzhou's words did not stop there, continuing on.

"Three years bedridden, enduring cold stares, you've tasted much of the world's suffering. Perhaps starting over, you can become an ordinary person."

"No need to be upright and incorruptible; mediocrity is also a blessing for the people."

With a pause in his speech, his eyes deepened, the chill intensified, and his tone grew more sinister, he added:

"Of course, you can also defy fate, continue doing evil, and see if Heaven will take you."

...