To truly destroy someone, one must not only take their life, but also shatter their spirit.

“Nayuta, I’m home!”

Chen Shang pushed open the door, hauling a large suitcase, and leisurely took off his shoes.

“Big brother!” Nayuta came running out of her room barefoot, not even bothering to put on her slippers.

She rushed to Chen Shang and started patting him all over, asking anxiously, “Are you hurt anywhere? Did you run into any danger?”

“I’m fine,” Chen Shang reassured her, patting his little sister’s head before handing her a bag of specialty snacks from the Kunlun District. “I brought you some local treats.”

Last night’s massive explosion in the Kunlun District had dominated the headlines across all major media outlets, with TV stations broadcasting live coverage of the rescue operations around the clock.

Though the so-called rescue missions were mostly for show; the search teams sent by the conglomerates seemed far more concerned with retrieving confidential files left behind in the sects.

Ever since the night of the incident, Nayuta had nearly blown up Chen Shang’s phone with her calls, forcing him to book a ticket home for the following morning.

Luckily, his companions weren’t eager to linger either. Chiyo Yashuangyi had been picked up by someone from the Tokugawa Corporation that morning; Black Calyx had only sent a mechanical body to Kunlun, so she simply disposed of the remaining mechanical head.

As for the “Midnight Headsman” Chu Jianlai, he said he was heading to Gusu Town to handle the aftermath and would be in touch once he was done.

After soothing his sister, Chen Shang returned to his room and checked his phone.

As expected, the topic “Kunlun District Explosion” had already surpassed “Jinyu Chuang” and become the hottest trend on Weibo.

However, media coverage was limited to the explosion itself; there was no mention of the Midnight Headsman’s massacre of the sects. Clearly, the conglomerates had issued a gag order. Otherwise, those unscrupulous reporters who would do anything for a scoop couldn’t possibly have failed to dig up any leads.

“Well, let’s fan the flames a bit more, shall we?” Chen Shang yawned and dialed Black Calyx.

“Hey, Blackie, are you busy right now?”

“...” There was a long, eerie silence on the other end before she finally spoke. “I’ve told you—don’t call me Blackie.”

“Are you mad?” Chen Shang asked.

He knew, of course, that Black Calyx wasn’t really angry; otherwise, her favorability wouldn’t have remained unchanged.

“What do you want?” Black Calyx asked flatly.

Chen Shang cleared his throat. “Do you think the Kunlun incident should just end here?”

“Not entertained enough yet?” Black Calyx’s end was filled with the sound of rapid typing.

“Of course not. I think things could get a bit more interesting,” Chen Shang replied.

The tapping abruptly stopped, and Black Calyx let out a strange chuckle. “Let’s hear it—?”

“The Chu family massacre back then involved more than just the three major sects,” Chen Shang reminded her. “Tell me, do you think the Midnight Headsman will wipe out all those minor sects too?”

“Probably.” Black Calyx’s voice was accompanied by the sound of metal joints stretching. “After all, hatred like that—if you want it utterly erased from this world—there’s only one way: the opposing side must die, every last one of them.”

Given the Midnight Headsman’s strength, those minor sects were like untrained children facing a veteran boxer.

As for Chu Jianlai’s claim of “handling the aftermath,” it was clear what he meant—wiping out the minor sects.

But there were at least a hundred small sects scattered across the Kunlun District; to kill them all one by one could take an eternity.

“That’s why I think I need to stop him,” Chen Shang said. “Murder is the crudest form of revenge, and it’s terribly inefficient. Besides, the Midnight Headsman must already be a top-priority target on the conglomerates’ wanted lists. If he keeps acting on his own, he’s bound to be hunted down in earnest.”

“So how do you plan to stop him?” Black Calyx asked with curiosity.

“It’s simple. Just send every minor sect a threatening letter,” Chen Shang replied, snapping his fingers crisply. “If they don’t reveal the truth of what happened ten years ago, the Midnight Headsman will do to them what he did to the three great sects—something like that?”

“Would that even matter?” Black Calyx retorted.

Chen Shang thought for a moment before continuing, “These minor sects aren’t deeply tied to the conglomerates. Wiping them out wouldn’t do the conglomerates much harm—in fact, it might even make the conglomerates look like victims of a serial killer and earn the public’s sympathy…”

“So instead of killing them all, why not force them to expose the truth and deal a far greater blow to the conglomerates?”

“Aha, I think I see where you’re going with this,” Black Calyx laughed. “I’ll do it right away.”

After hanging up, Chen Shang called the Midnight Headsman.

“What are you doing now?” he asked.

On the other end, a fierce wind howled, as if the speaker were standing atop a speeding aircraft. But by Chen Shang’s estimation, Chu Jianlai was simply running at high speed.

“I just wiped out a sect and am heading for the Tiger-Taming Sect,” Chu Jianlai replied matter-of-factly.

“No need,” Chen Shang said. “I have a better plan.”

The wind noise faded as the man seemed to stop in his tracks.

Chen Shang explained his plan. After a long silence, Chu Jianlai replied, “I’ll give you two days. If your plan fails, I’ll continue to wipe out the sects myself.”

“And if it works?” Chen Shang asked with a smile.

“As repayment for helping me take my revenge,” Chu Jianlai answered without hesitation, “my sword will be at your service from now on.”

“Agreed,” Chen Shang laughed.

…

Since the explosion at the three great sects, all other sects in the Kunlun District had been on high alert.

They weren’t fools. With the slightest investigation, they could deduce from the traces left behind that all of this was the work of the Midnight Headsman.

And they suspected his true identity was none other than the last surviving remnant of the Chu family from ten years ago.

That monster, who had somehow survived… sooner or later, his blade would come for their necks.

Panic spread through the Kunlun District. Many disciples from various sects resigned and fled of their own accord.

At midnight that very day, all the sects received an anonymous email:

“To whom it may concern:

I am the sole survivor of the Chu family massacre. I am the vengeful specter who is about to settle scores with you.

The Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian sects have already been annihilated. You are next. I will become the sword hanging over your heads. No matter where you flee, you will pay for the atrocities you committed ten years ago.

However, I am willing to give you a chance. If you expose the full truth of what happened ten years ago, I may spare your lives.

Perhaps…

…”

As soon as the sect leaders finished reading, the email deleted itself automatically.

Most of them slumped into their chairs in deep thought, then picked up their phones.

They knew the letter was a threat from an unknown sender, but not one of them dared question its authenticity.

Otherwise, their fate would be the same as the three great sects.

The next day, hundreds of Kunlun sects simultaneously posted an official notice:

“An Apology for What Happened Ten Years Ago”