14 Sowing the Seeds of Faith

Rui Yin stood dead on the gallows, her heart pierced by a fatal wound. She did not die by my hand, yet she certainly died because of me.

Vailin and the others crowded around me, their eyes filled with such devotion and gratitude that it seemed as if simply gazing at me brought them comfort, satiated their hunger and thirst, and eased their exhaustion, as if I were their deity. Vailin no longer craved my affection or kisses; merely being near me, near my soul, was enough to send her into a frenzy of ecstasy.

How did it come to this? Just last night, we were merely friends drinking beer and partying, with at most a flicker of youthful affection on her part. But now, why...

Was it gratitude and love that transformed her? Was it hope and light that baptized her?

No. It was guilt, fear, greed, and desire.

She had killed the village leader with her own hands—she had killed her own mother. She knew she had committed a grave transgression; she was acutely aware of her own impiety.

Driven by guilt, she needed someone—someone she trusted implicitly—to tell her she had done nothing wrong.

Driven by fear, she needed someone—someone powerful and iron-fisted—to protect her from being killed.

Driven by greed, she needed someone—an accomplice in her villainy—to bestow upon her the rights that once belonged to her mother.

Driven by desire, she needed someone—a symbol of supreme authority—to lead her toward the future she dreamed of.

I was not worshipped for doing what was right; rather, I became a god for leading them down a wicked path.

Yet, this was the optimal outcome. Wailing Village transitioned from one ruler to another without descending into chaos—at least for now—and the vast majority of the villagers remained alive.

I focused my mind to project my Thought Blade, radiating an aura of power. I could not shake a hundred people to their cores as Helsin or Missouri could, but the effect of the blade filled me with vitality, allowing me to pass for a formidable leader.

I spoke aloud: "Lady Rui Yin committed a crime and has paid the price!

"As a leader, she should have devoted herself to the villagers until her dying breath, yet she cared only for her own longevity, refusing to share health and wealth with those she led. This was her first crime!

"Faced with a great crisis, she cowered and waited for death. Had Reilin not brought us here, the village would have surely perished. She was unequal to her responsibilities, holding her position while failing to serve. This was her second crime!

"After we defeated Sokan, she refused to honor the promises she made, breaking her word and prioritizing her own power. This exposed her selfishness, and this was her third crime!"

Suddenly, a stocky, white-haired old man led a group of armed men into the square. He roared, "Move aside! If you don't want to die, get out of the way! Hand over that traitorous woman!"

Vailin turned deathly pale and hid behind me, whispering, "It's Mr. Takagi! He’s the former village chief!"

Takagi shouted, "Everything you’ve said is utter filth! Rui Yin was murdered! And the killer is her own daughter! Hand her over to me! I will have her torn to pieces!"

Vailin pressed closer to me. She realized that only we could protect her. Because she was afraid, she had no choice but to rely on me.

But Takagi was not afraid enough. This village was not afraid enough.

I said, "Mr. Takagi, you must be quite old."

Takagi yelled, "I am sixty years old! There is no one in this village more qualified than I am! I even knew the village's great founder, Mr. Glenn!"

I replied, "Then do you recall a day thirty years ago when a purple-skinned female demon appeared in this village?"

Takagi fell silent. His cunning, suspicious eyes darted left and right before he shouted, "So what?"

I said, "You humiliated that demon! You made her pregnant!"

The crowd erupted, their gazes locking onto Takagi. He screamed, "You... you are slandering me! I am an upright man! I would never lay a hand on a demon!"

Though he sounded righteous, I knew he was lying. He must have been the local tyrant, taking the best food and clothing for himself; otherwise, he could not have reached such an age. Once he was well-fed and clothed, he could not control his appetites. He was no humble, virtuous Orchid; he was merely a crude, thuggish wretch.

Vailin summoned her courage and cried out, "You are a piece of scum! You took wives and concubines in this village, and no one dared to stop you! If not for your age, you probably would still be acting the same way. But things are different now! Mr. Longinus is here, and he is our savior!"

Driven into a frenzy, Takagi raised his gun to shoot at Vailin. He was still far away, and the bullet's force diminished; Broken Bell stepped forward, waving his hands lightly to deflect the bullet entirely. Vailin's followers erupted in surprised cheers, while Takagi’s men wore expressions of cowardice.

I said, "Then let me tell you what truly happened with Sokan! Sokan was the child born to that demon woman. The reason he killed the villagers was to avenge his mother, who was cruelly abused to death! I only want to ask you one thing: do you believe that the ringleader who tortured that demon woman was Takagi? Should he not be held accountable for the deaths in this village?"

The resentment long buried within the villagers exploded. They shouted, "It was Takagi! It could be no one else!" "He has always been the most lecherous and barbaric!" "Takagi and Rui Yin brought us disaster and danger, while Mr. Longinus brought us justice and safety!"

Without a trial, Takagi was already condemned, and he was given no chance to prove his innocence. The voices of the people drowned out his defenses and curses. Panic-stricken, he and his cronies aimed their guns at the angry mob, shouting, "Back! Get back!"

I said loudly, "You are sentenced to death, you bully!" As I spoke, I pointed at him. It was merely a performative gesture; I did not activate my Thought Blade, nor did I use any shadow arts. Yet, above Takagi’s head, space distorted briefly, and in the shadows, I saw Sokan.

I was shocked myself—how was he here? Had I thrown a Poké Ball?

The pitch-black demon revealed a pale cheek and a grin of pure malice. Takagi looked up, his face contorted with the shock of a man electrocuted by a heart attack. He shrieked, "What are you?"

Sokan said, "I recognize that face. You were in the crowd that day, standing right at the front! Thank you for the summons, Longinus!"

He extended his corpse-hammer, from which giant worms emerged. Takagi’s men tried to flee, but the worms bound them all in an instant. Afterward, it seemed the lesser demons cast a spell, and Takagi and his cohorts were dragged into a wormhole, vanishing without a trace.

Sokan said I summoned him? How did I manage that? Had I opened some kind of rift?

Now was not the time to look for answers.

The crowd remained immersed in the shock of that moment; fear was etched upon their faces and into their hearts. They would forever remember that I had punished Takagi's crimes and summoned the demon Sokan. I symbolized justice, and I also symbolized disaster.

I told them to be quiet, and they fell silent.

I said, "By our agreement, this place now falls under the rule of the Black Coffin. I appoint Vailin as the magistrate here, acting on behalf of the Black Coffin to govern this land. She reports directly to me, and anyone who defies her defies me and the Black Coffin! Sokan shall watch over this place forever!"

Vailin and her followers applauded with all their might, loudly manufacturing an atmosphere of support. In an instant, the people accepted this transition.

After the commotion lasted for most of the day, I dismissed the crowd. Vailin followed me like a puppy, asking, "Mr. Longinus, when will you return?"

I replied, "I truly must go, but within two months at the latest, I will return."

They all said, "We will miss you, sir!" "Sir, please, do not abandon us."

Their warmth was something I wasn't used to, yet wasn't this exactly what I had hoped for? I was still worlds away from ruling the Black Coffin, but at least I ruled Wailing Village.

We reached the truck, where Christina was waiting beside her massive coffin.

I realized with guilt that I had kept her waiting for a full day. "My lady, I am terribly sorry; we were occupied by urgent matters..."

Christina replied, "It is no matter. The only thing I have in abundance is time."

If every vampire had a temperament as pleasant as Christina’s, I would not mind becoming their slave.

She placed the coffin in the back and sat in the front with us. There were eight hours left until dawn, and we had to be wary of demons. However, with Christina by our side, we were essentially invincible, free to charge ahead.

She asked about what had happened in Wailing Village. I told her in detail, and she remarked, "It is unwise for you to leave now."

I said, "Of course, we will return as soon as possible, but I have already cowed them; they will behave."

She asked, "Is that Vailin a capable leader?"

I looked at Broken Bell, Broken Bell looked at Solace, and Solace looked at me. I said, "She has a group of people helping her."

Christina sighed, "From your description, they are merely impulsive youths, each with their own ideas, and the relationships between them are half-lovers and half-friends. A system built on nepotism cannot last. They need a strong hand to teach them what to do."

I said, "I have summarized the laws of the Black Coffin for them. With faith, they will follow them."

She asked, "Faith? In what do they have faith?"

I replied, "They have faith in me. They believe that following me brings benefits, and defying me brings punishment."

Christina laughed and said, "Very well, that is not bad at all."

I pondered my own answer carefully, realizing that I could never truly untangle myself from this. The situation in Wailing Village was created by me, and I would have to be the one to manage it. It was almost a twin sister to the Waterless Village, having endured similar experiences and facing the same problems at the same stage. If Orchid had not discovered the statue of the Sun-Infected, I might have been pushed into the highest position, just as Vailin was.

Wailing Village believed in me, so I should treat it as my second home, my spiritual anchor. The Black Coffin chose Wailing Village as its first step in expanding its territory; with its favorable location and resources, it possessed all the conditions to become the core city of the future Black Coffin Empire.

I would make it into what it was meant to be. Vailin and the others believed I could lead them to conviction, and I had to prove that their faith was not misplaced.

My own past dreams did not necessarily have to be realized within the Black Coffin. Now, Wailing Village was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.