Chapter 012: Benefits

Du Fan’s expression turned icy as he snarled, “Catch that city lord and that Hai Xin. I intend to play around with them slowly.”
Seeing Du Fan’s mood, Xiao Yulong quickly said loudly, “My lord, rest assured. I’ve already sent people to encircle the square completely. I guarantee not a single rebel will escape!”
After saying this, Xiao Yulong couldn’t help but wipe a cold sweat. He had found Young Master Du Fan, and if he really died mysteriously in Moduo City, even if he cut off his own head, he wouldn’t be able to explain it!
Fortunately, fate was on Young Master Du Fan’s side, and those Temple Knights fought to the death to protect him. Otherwise, things would have been extremely troublesome this time!
The fleeing soldiers were surrounded by the Temple Knights outside the square, and none could escape. Some tried to resist but were killed on the spot. As for those captured alive, most were injured.
Nearly half of the nobles in the square were killed. Moduo’s upper class suffered heavy losses this time, while almost all the commoners died. Those who survived were injured and barely alive, but they were as good as dead.
The bodies of the sacrificed Temple Knights were also found, but they were no longer recognizable as human forms. The city lord and Hai Xin were also captured alive and brought before Du Fan and Xiao Yulong. They knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, unable to utter a word.
Xiao Yulong was about to say something when Du Fan waved his hand, stepped forward, ordered their heads to be lifted, and sneered, “My lords, do you still have anything to say now?”
Hai Xin opened his mouth and said, “I failed to recognize your greatness… Please spare my life…”
Du Fan frowned but waved his hand casually. With a “snap,” Hai Xin’s head flew into the air, and blood gushed from the cut like a fountain, dyeing half of the people around him red. Yet the Temple Knights didn’t even blink.
Du Fan took out a silk handkerchief to wipe himself before calmly saying, “Arrange this Hai Xin’s head and hang it in the center of the square. As for his body, throw it outside the city to feed the dogs… Also, cut off the heads of all those rebel soldiers and hang them in the square too. Throw their bodies out to feed the dogs as well!”
The Temple Knights behind Du Fan hesitated, but Xiao Yulong’s expression changed abruptly as he made a quick gesture.

Immediately, a group of Temple Knights rushed out, and soon cries of agony could be heard. In less than a moment, hundreds of still-hot heads were thrown onto the ground. The city lord had fainted countless times watching this scene, but each time Du Fan would personally go over and kick him awake to force him to see those hundreds of steaming heads. Despite the city lord’s many crimes, he had never witnessed such a scene before. His face was filled with despair, and he could barely speak a word. Du Fan didn’t originally want to do this, but thinking of the sacrificed Temple Knights and the suffering of the civilians, he decided not to spare a single one of them. As people used spears to prop up those heads in the square and others dragged away the corpses, priests from the temple rushed to save those who were not yet dead. After watching for a while, Du Fan sighed and said to Xiao Yulong, “Sir, please ensure these civilians are given a proper burial. After all, they were all implicated because of me.” Xiao Yulong nodded slightly without saying much, and naturally, someone was sent to handle it. Du Fan glanced at Ling Yin, shook his head slightly, then walked over to the city lord, knelt down, and smiled faintly, saying, “Lord, do you find what’s before you pleasing?” The city lord showed an expression even uglier than crying and said, “Pleasant… pleasing…” Du Fan smiled again and said, “Then I’ll ask you a few questions. If you don’t answer honestly, I’ll send you to join them, okay?” The city lord only nodded. Du Fan said calmly, “Very well. First, where did your soldiers come from? You probably can’t train such skilled soldiers on your own, right?” The city lord shrank back and muttered, “It’s… it’s… the governor…” Du Fan nodded and asked, “Then why can you mobilize the governor’s troops?” “Because… because…” At that moment, the city lord’s face turned dark, his body convulsed, his eyes widened, and he died. Du Fan snorted, opened his mouth to take a look, stood up, and said, “Dead.” Xiao Yulong asked from behind, “What happened?” Du Fan turned to look at him and said, “He committed suicide by poisoning… Lord Xiao, think about it—would it be normal for a city lord to personally lead troops to help his brother?” “Not normal…”

“Well, after learning my identity, they still want to kill me to silence me. Is that normal?”
“Not normal… unless…”
Du Fan let out a low sigh and asked, “Unless what?”
“Unless someone doesn’t want Lord Du Fan to leave the North Country alive.”
“Is that so?” Du Fan smiled faintly. “Well, we’ll see who exactly doesn’t want me to leave.”
“Lord Xiao, there are a few things I need you to do. First, report today’s events to me exactly as they happened, without any changes, whether it’s to the Empire or Lord Anthony. Second, there’s no need to cover up what happened today, including my order to execute those hundreds of people. You must tell everyone honestly. Finally, I need you to raid this city lord’s home, capture all his family members, and interrogate them thoroughly. As for what to ask, that’s up to you. But make it seem like I, Du Fan, like to eliminate all traces of my actions!”
“Yes, but Lord Du Fan,” Xiao Yulong frowned slightly. “Our Holy Church doesn’t have much influence in the North Country. Other things might be okay, but I’m afraid this last task…”
“Not enough influence?” Du Fan glanced at the piles of heads and smiled oddly. “I’ve been in the North Country for some time now, and I’ve learned one thing: the power structures here are extremely complex. In such a place, the methods used in the capital or the South Country definitely won’t work. Only force is the real source of influence here. With those hundreds of heads on display, who would dare underestimate our Holy Church? Besides, that governor, to avoid suspicion, wouldn’t say a word even if you turned this city upside down… Lord Xiao, take this opportunity to do many things you usually can’t, like capturing those who are unfaithful to the gods, labeling them as accomplices, and killing them. It doesn’t matter. I, Du Fan, will take responsibility for everything. I’ve already killed so many; I really don’t care about a few more…”
“Still,” Du Fan said with a mocking smile, “everything about this matter seems strange. No matter how I look at it, it’s our Holy Church that benefits in the end. If it weren’t for the fact that I’m also part of the Holy Church, I might even suspect you, Lord Xiao, of being behind this!”
Xiao Yulong’s skin prickled, and he immediately knelt down. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Du Fan chuckled and said, “Is that so? But Lord Xiao, you’ve arrived just in time!”
Suo Yulong’s forehead broke out in sweat. He looked up at Du Fan and said earnestly, word by word, “Young Master Du Fan, I knew you were in danger simply because as soon as you had a conflict with someone, several Temple Knights who had been following you secretly went back to report to me. By the time I received the report, I already had an idea of what might happen, which is why I led my troops here. If I had learned about it a little later, Young Master Du Fan, you would have been in danger.”
Du Fan laughed heartily and helped Suo Yulong up, saying, “Lord Xiao, you’ve worked hard. I was just joking with you. But you must complete the task I assigned before dawn. I really want to see how many people will come to visit me tomorrow!”
Suo Yulong nodded slightly but didn’t dare say much. He immediately freed Du Fan and, this time, refused to let him stay at an inn. Instead, he took Du Fan to the largest cathedral in Moduo City for rest and sent hundreds of Temple Knights to surround the cathedral. Only then did Suo Yulong leave to handle the tasks Du Fan had assigned.
Du Fan went to check on Taylor and the others, then pretended to pray in the cathedral for a while before returning to his prepared room in the middle of the night.
In the room, Ling Yin sat there expressionlessly. When she saw Du Fan enter, she merely glanced up but said nothing.
Du Fan smiled faintly and said, “Well? I personally killed that Hai Xin for you. Are you satisfied now?”
Ling Yin snorted and said, “If it weren’t because you were afraid I’d use magic, you would have sent me away long ago, right?”
Du Fan smiled oddly and said, “How could I bear to do that?”
Ling Yin replied calmly, “Stop talking nonsense. You didn’t kill him for me. You just sensed something was wrong and had no choice but to make this decision, didn’t you?”