104: Chapter 104 Hate is useless, ruthlessness is boundless

【Hatred is useless, the heart cannot be at peace; ruthlessness is infinite, the heart has already gone mad.】

After Qin Xiaogan approached, he slowly crouched down, attempting to see clearly what the woman held in her arms.

At this moment, a gentle breeze blew by, lifting the woman's messy hair and revealing what she held in her arms.

It was a little girl of about five or six years old, her eyes filled with tears, those crystal-clear teardrops tracing two distinct paths down her dirty little face.

Her eyes were filled with fear and confusion, and her small body trembled incessantly, like a little flower shivering in the cold wind.

Qin Xiaogan fixed his gaze on her, and a smile inexplicably appeared on his face.

"Little girl, what is your name?"

The little girl bit her lip and answered tremblingly, "My name is... An... Anlan, I am six years old, and I live at No. 38 Yuhe Lane in Ti City."

"Very good."

Qin Xiaogan looked at the pitiful Anlan and smiled, "Anlan, do you want to become like your mother?"

Anlan pouted, her eyes reddening, and she shook her head vigorously with a look of grievance, "Big Brother, I don't want to."

"Big Brother... is my mother dead?"

Anlan looked up, gazing at Qin Xiaogan with tear-blurred eyes, her expression full of helplessness and fear, a sight that made one ache with pity.

Qin Xiaogan nodded casually, "Mm, I killed her."

Anlan's tears burst forth instantly.

Her small hands clenched tightly into fists, wanting to rush up and hit Qin Xiaogan, yet she dared not approach due to fear.

Qin Xiaogan said indifferently, "You may go. My kitchen knife does not kill the old or the young."

A look of confusion appeared on Anlan's face, her small face filled with bewilderment.

Immediately after, she realized what was happening and hurriedly broke free from her mother's embrace, her movements panicked and urgent.

"Pfft!"

A shocking spray of blood erupted, the crimson blood tracing an arc through the air, carrying a warm scent, and it splashed directly onto the soul of Princess Murong Waner not far away.

Princess Murong Waner's soul shuddered violently, her eyes staring in disbelief at the head in Qin Xiaogan's hand.

"Mas...ter, th...this is."

Qin Xiaogan casually threw away the head in his hand and said indifferently, "But I have another small knife, specifically for killing the old and the young."

"A person who doesn't even have the courage to throw a punch at their enemy might as well be killed."

Having said this, Qin Xiaogan turned his head and stared fixedly at Princess Murong Waner, smiling, "Hatred is the most useless thing in this world. You must be ruthless, ruthless enough to make everyone in the world tremble, ruthless enough that no one dares to be your enemy, ruthless enough to stand alone throughout the ages."

Princess Murong Waner hurriedly knelt on the ground and said tremblingly, "Master is absolutely right! Master is supreme throughout the ages!"

"Hahahaha." Qin Xiaogan stood atop the ruins of Ti City, laughing wildly and unbridled.

The laughter echoed through the empty ruins, like the screech of a night owl, filled with madness and abandon.

He spread his arms, as if to embrace this scene of destruction.

A fierce wind howled, blowing up his robes, his messy snow-white hair dancing wildly in the wind.

"Let me see what heights the citizens of the Great Xia Empire can help me reach!" Qin Xiaogan's voice was hoarse and filled with malice, his eyes bloodshot, revealing endless madness.

Princess Murong Waner knelt on the ground, her body trembling slightly, her eyes tightly shut, not daring to look up at Qin Xiaogan even once.

She was afraid.

Afraid of angering this capricious master.

Afraid that she wouldn't even be able to maintain her soul.

---

Lan City.

A massive hand from the heavens, like dark clouds blocking out the sun, carried endless pressure as it blotted out the sky and descended. In an instant, the people were devastated, and corpses lay everywhere. Lan City, destroyed.

...

Zuoshui City.

A blazing furnace, like a demon god descending from the heavens, emitted a bone-chilling heat as it pressed down. In an instant, flames soared into the sky, and heat waves rolled forth. Zuoshui City, perished.

...

Moyun City.

A sharp blade of light, just like lightning cutting through the long night, arrived through the air carrying a bone-chilling cold. In a flash, frost and snow flew, and the cold bit into the bones. Moyun City, shattered.

...

Qingfeng City.

A violent burst of spiritual energy struck instantly, like a storm of the apocalypse, sweeping in with an aura that destroyed all things. In the blink of an eye, sand and stones flew, houses collapsed, and trees snapped. Qingfeng City, ruined.

【Absorbed tens of millions of souls】

【Attribute points + 6 million】

---

Capital of the Great Xia Empire — Huacheng.

Deep within the solemn and majestic palace of the Great Xia Empire, in the resplendent Imperial Study, Emperor Xia sat on the dragon throne that symbolized supreme power, his brows furrowed, and his expression grave as he reviewed the memorials in his hands.

At this moment, a guard with a panicked expression jogged through the vermilion palace gates, not bothering to wipe the bead-sized sweat from his forehead, and rushed straight into the Imperial Study.

"Your Majesty, it's bad!" The guard knelt on the ground with a thud, his voice trembling as he said, "Your humble servant must report a shocking event to Your Majesty."

Emperor Xia lifted his head slightly, looking at the guard with a sharp gaze, and said in a deep voice, "What is the matter that has caused such panic? Speak quickly!"

The guard took a deep breath, trying to calm his rapid breathing, and said, "Your Majesty, just now, Ti City, Lan City, Zuoshui City, and other places have all been destroyed! Tens of millions of subjects have turned into withered bones!"

"The number of memorials from the garrisons of other cities could already be piled into a mountain."

"This is a matter of national destruction, Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xia stood up abruptly, the memorial in his hand dropping to the ground, his face full of shock and anger.

"Destroyed 60 cities in a row?! How is that possible?!" Emperor Xia bellowed, "Who exactly did this? To have such heaven-defying means, daring to commit such monstrous crimes on my land!"

The guard replied tremblingly: "Your Majesty, it has not yet been determined which force is responsible, but according to reports from the front lines, these cities seem to have suffered immediate annihilation, with no power to resist."

Emperor Xia paced back and forth, his hands clenched into fists, "Pass on my decree: immediately summon the ministers of the court to discuss countermeasures! We must find the culprit as soon as possible and bring justice to the subjects of Great Xia!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The guard replied hurriedly.

Afterward, the guard hesitated for a moment, then said tremblingly: "Your Majesty, the... the Princess was also in Ti City at the time."

"What?"

Emperor Xia's tiger eyes widened, his eyes instantly bloodshot, veins bulged on his forehead, and his hands clenched tightly into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The guard knelt on the ground with a "thud," his voice filled with a crying tone: "Your Majesty, the Princess was in Ti City at the time, and her life or death is still unknown!"

Emperor Xia's body swayed, as if struck by a heavy hammer, and he nearly lost his footing.

"Quickly, send people to search! You must find the Princess! If she is alive, I want to see her; if she is dead, I want to see her corpse!" Emperor Xia shouted hoarsely.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The guard received the order and hurriedly withdrew.

In the great hall, Emperor Xia gazed at the gloomy sky outside the window and muttered to himself.

"My Great Xia's century-old foundation, destroyed in an instant."

Having said this, Emperor Xia's voice was hoarse, seemingly carrying a trace of an inexplicable crying tone.

"Tens of millions... tens of millions of my Great Xia subjects, in one morning..."

"I have failed my ancestors, and I have failed the common people of this world."

Emperor Xia's body trembled slightly, his eyes filled with pain.