When Wen Wen grabbed Ning Zhewan before, he had secretly planted the facility's chains within his body.
This was a precaution Wen Wen had casually set up at the time, but it proved effective now, as Wen Wen could see where Ning Zhewan had gone.
After disappearing from Wen Wen's presence, he instantly appeared in a building bathed in dim light, exuding classical charm.
A runic array was drawn on the stone floor, and Ning Zhewan stood at its center.
Opposite Ning Zhewan stood a man in a grey long gown. This man had neatly trimmed mustaches both above and below his lips, a mix of black and white, suggesting he was not young.
He held a yellowed, ancient book in his hands and wore glasses with thick silver frames, intricately carved with dense runes, making the spectacles appear rather peculiar.
This man's name was Xia Weiyi, and he was the one who had drawn the runes in Ning Zhewan's room.
Had he not forcibly taken Ning Zhewan away, Wen Wen's pacification plan might have been completed.
But now, with the pacification halted midway, those seven thousand people also faced the threat of death.
However, Xia Weiyi's actions had also revealed his existence. He had always avoided contact and communication with Ning Zhewan before, making him impossible for Wen Wen to track. But now, he could no longer escape!
Wen Wen stretched his muscles, a smile playing on his lips, and said to Tao Qingqing, "This is more interesting. It's too boring to resolve matters with just words. You stay and protect these people, I'm going to catch the rat!"
"Also, when you protect them, don't go all out. Focus on buying time. Don't let the resentment feel like they can't kill them, nor let them succeed too easily. If it's truly impossible, then..."
"I understand what to do."
Tao Qingqing nodded, understanding Wen Wen's intention.
That is, if these people could not be protected through gentle means, then they would be abandoned.
Otherwise, it would only implicate those who came after, a choice made out of necessity.
Wen Wen trusted Tao Qingqing to manage the situation and then entered the containment facility. The mastermind could leave Ning Zhewan at any moment, so Wen Wen had to quickly track him down.
...
"Uncle Xia, why did you make me leave?"
Ning Zhewan roared at Xia Weiyi, radiating astonishing resentment as he spoke, but Xia Weiyi remained unruffled.
His voice was somewhat hoarse as he said, "The resentments are starting to waver. If you stay there any longer, all our efforts will be in vain."
Ning Zhewan took a step forward, "They're wavering, isn't that good?"
Xia Weiyi snorted coldly, "Good how?"
"I promised you I would sacrifice myself to seek justice for those resentments. But even with justice, they are still just resentments enduring endless suffering in the void. It would be the best outcome for them if their knots could be untangled and their hatred dissolved."
The person most affected by Wen Wen's words before was Ning Zhewan himself.
Although countless resentments gathered within his body, transforming him into a monstrous avenger, his mind remained relatively clear. He knew what choices would be best for those resentments.
He had been willing to sacrifice himself for their revenge before, and now he was willing to make the right choice for them.
Xia Weiyi adjusted his glasses, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, "Fool, you know better than anyone what they did. What's the use of an apology?"
"An apology cannot bring the victims back to life. Only an eye for an eye, blood for blood, can repay their sins!"
"And this is not just for those resentments. Do you think those seven thousand people will stop doing such things in the future just by apologizing?"
"Impossible!"
"Only fear and pain can make humans remember things. By killing all these seven thousand people, those who like to speak ill of others will be instilled with fear, and in the future..."
While Xia Weiyi was still pontificating, Ning Zhewan had already turned around, preparing to leave and find Wen Wen to complete the half-finished transformation.
He didn't care what happened to himself. Before finding his target, he was merely a walking corpse.
Representing those resentments was the most meaningful thing he had ever done in his life, so he wanted to strive for the best outcome for them.
Xia Weiyi lightly covered his forehead. Ning Zhewan's mind was still as obtuse as ever.
Although he had initially chosen Ning Zhewan precisely because of his unconventional thinking, this obtuseness was now beginning to affect him.
Fortunately, Xia Weiyi was prepared for this...
The ancient book opened, flipping to a page automatically. Xia Weiyi then gently tapped the page, and a red runic array appeared on the back of Ning Zhewan's head.
The power of the runes flowed through Ning Zhewan's entire body, rendering him immobile. His body, already a fusion of array and resentment power, offered no resistance to Xia Weiyi.
"Although this is a bit unfair to you, for the sake of my plan, I'll have to trouble you. You won't remember it anyway."
Xia Weiyi walked in front of Ning Zhewan, reached out, and tapped his forehead. The red array behind his head began to glow. Once the array took effect, Ning Zhewan would lose his memory of this period, continuing to be a beast driven solely by revenge.
As the array was about to activate, a voice appeared beside Xia Weiyi: "I'm very curious, what is your plan?"
A clanging sound of chains suddenly emanated from Ning Zhewan's body. Subsequently, Wen Wen's figure appeared beside Xia Weiyi. He kicked Ning Zhewan aside, and the impending array was stopped just in time.
Xia Weiyi's expression changed drastically. He had been meticulously keeping his distance from Ning Zhewan. If he hadn't been on the verge of failure, he wouldn't have met Ning Zhewan. But with this one lapse in judgment, he had been targeted by this demon hunter.
When Xia Weiyi had first seen Wen Wen through Ning Zhewan, he had already harbored deep apprehension towards him, which was why he had remained hidden.
Logically, he had placed runes on those voters to prevent them from transmitting information.
Given the seemingly random nature of the accidental deaths, it should have been difficult for the Hunter Association to notice this incident. Even if they did, they would have likely dispatched only an esper of the assimilation stage to handle it.
But why would an esper whose strength seemed unfathomable care about such a trivial matter and personally involve himself in those votes?
One possibility was that this person was purely bored and had a malicious nature, leading him to see the video.
The second was that the Hunter Association had numerous informants and a watertight intelligence network on the internet!
Xia Weiyi dismissed the first possibility outright. The second possibility sent a chill down his spine. He hadn't expected the Hunter Association to be so terrifying!