The God of Malice is Watching the Land: Chapter 4 A Glimpse of the Past
After agreeing to help Hua Qingling escort the refugee group of several hundred people, Qin Wen silently followed beside her.
The already numb refugee group didn’t react much to the addition of a tall woman to their ranks, just continued to march forward blankly and mechanically with stiff steps.
Fortunately, Qin Wen had some food with her, and with both her and Hua Qingling present, Hua Qingling could go out to find food at any time without worrying that the refugees would meet misfortune during her brief absence.
This continued for nearly half a month. Qin Wen’s arrival actually saved this refugee group from certain death, allowing them to survive.
When the surrounding scenery gradually shed its grayness, revealing specks of green and scattered wildflowers, their numb expressions finally melted.
Finally, upon seeing the magnificent walls of Dragon City, the refugees shed tears of excitement.
Trekking over a thousand kilometers, even for normal humans, was a huge challenge, let alone across the crisis-ridden Endless Wasteland.
Such a miracle… required at least two or more “Peril” level ability users.
But how many “Peril” level ability users did humanity possess, and how many scattered refugee groups were there?
Miracles were rare. This refugee group was lucky enough to encounter Hua Qingling and Qin Wen.
The refugees, thin to the point of being withered, rushed towards Dragon City excitedly, looking like a group of dried wood condensed into human forms, yet they ran swiftly.
However, the Dragon City guards had clearly received news in advance and silently allowed this refugee group to enter the city.
It was now difficult to distinguish between refugees and ordinary citizens of mega-cities. Countless mega-cities had been destroyed in this disaster.
At this time, Dragon City, as one of humanity’s beacons, couldn’t refuse a refugee group that had successfully escaped through numerous hardships.
Although Dragon City was currently suffering from a Calamity monster tide far exceeding that of other mega-cities, even losing several outer districts, in terms of strength, only Noah could compare.
If even Dragon City fell, there would probably be few safe places left in this world.
However, Hua Qingling didn’t enter Dragon City with the refugee group; she just watched from afar.
The Dragon City guards seemed to see her too, but only raised their hands in a standard military salute.
Clearly, this wasn’t the first refugee group Hua Qingling had saved, nor was it the first time she had helped a refugee group reach Dragon City for refuge.
It was just…
“Aren’t you going over?”
Qin Wen stood beside Hua Qingling like a silent mountain. Although Hua Qingling was almost twice Qin Wen’s age, Qin Wen looked more like the older sister.
“Because of Dragon City… I’m from Yan City, it’s ultimately too sensitive.” Hua Qingling said silently, “Even if Dragon City is willing to accept us, as a descendant of exiled criminals, I don’t like Dragon City.”
“Descendant of criminals?”
Qin Wen showed a surprised expression.
Hearing this, Hua Qingling knew that Qin Wen was ignorant of these things again. But given that this girl didn’t even know that Dragon City didn’t have a large-scale Teleportation Array directly to Noah, she naturally wouldn’t know this obscure history.
“Anyway, you can just understand it as Dragon City and Yan City having some grudges, that’s all.” Hua Qingling glanced at Qin Wen, Wind Spirit Power gathering in her palm. “Hold on tight, now we should go to a mega-city that has a direct connection to Noah.”
Before Qin Wen could say anything, a strong wind suddenly arose, lifting them up, floating low above the ground.
Then, with an instant burst, the strong wind enveloped their bodies, hurtling them forward at a speed of at least one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour.
However, because they were in the eye of the storm, despite traveling at such a high speed, they only felt a gentle breeze brushing against their cheeks.
A flicker of panic appeared on Qin Wen’s face, but she quickly calmed down.
Carefully feeling the air pressure around her, then looking at the violent wind outside the eye, which almost distorted the air, Qin Wen exclaimed in admiration,
“You can actually use it like this? Sister Qingling, your ability is really convenient.”
Unknowingly, Qin Wen, like Luo Yan and Chris, started calling Hua Qingling “Sister Qingling.”
“It just lacks some combat power.”
Hua Qingling curled her lip. She had witnessed Qin Wen’s abilities these past few days. The so-called Seven Apertures Sword Heart, simultaneously controlling seven specially refined longswords, the destructive power of her sword formations was simply terrifying.
And Hua Qiling’s Wind Spirit Power could only assist Qin Wen, acting as support.
“But why didn’t you use this ability to take those refugees away directly?”
Qin Wen curiously reached out, intending to touch the strong wind outside.
However, as soon as she touched it, her finger was cut by the wind blades carried by the wind, and she quickly retracted her hand.
Hua Qingling glanced at her, sighing inwardly that this reckless girl really dared to try anything, but composed herself and replied,
“You’ve seen the eye of the storm where we are. Only within the eye are we unaffected by the strong wind… But the range of the eye is limited, at most accommodating two or three people. To expand it, I would have to expand the range of the strong wind, which I clearly can’t do.”
Pausing for a moment, Hua Qingling continued,
“Moreover, even within the eye, these refugees might not be able to withstand it…”
The gentle breeze was only for these two “Peril” level ability users. For ordinary people, it might be equivalent to a level nine gale.
“I see.”
Qin Wen nodded thoughtfully, but Hua Qingling always felt that she didn’t seem to understand.
This Sword Saint successor seemed clueless about everything except swords. It was said that she was even worse before; Miss Luo Yan had complained about Qin Wen’s fierce and violent appearance when they first met.
But these past few years… she should have changed quite a bit.
Suddenly, Hua Qingling thought of the girl with long silver-white hair, whose stunning beauty was almost demonic yet didn’t cause revulsion, and whose occasionally eccentric personality left a deep impression. But after parting in Lannister, no one knew her current situation.
Hua Qingling inexplicably missed her, not the kind of longing day and night, but just wanting to meet, lie together, and chat aimlessly on the bed at night like before.
Except for Miss Luo Yan’s cooking, she still cherished the short time they spent together.
Thinking of this, Hua Qingling took out a slightly yellowed photo.
Forgive her for constantly traveling in the Endless Wasteland during this time; some items kept close to her body inevitably aged severely.
In the center, the most striking figure was the silver-haired girl, Miss Luo Yan. Her hands rested on the shoulders of a petite, frail pink-haired little girl, and the gentle smile on her face was unforgettable.
“Cecilia…”
This timid little girl, who only dared to hide behind Miss Luo Yan, clutching her skirt and trembling, she wondered how she was doing now.
And Chris, that super-rich noble girl, also her big client.
After looking at it many times, Hua Qingling finally realized that this little girl was actually secretly looking at her, her eyes clearly aiming lower despite being next to her.
The girl jumping high like a sparrow beside her was the little sister Anna she picked up in the Endless Wasteland. Her exuberant, excited smile was hard to associate with the refugee girl in Hua Qingling’s memory.
Perhaps it was because of little sister Anna that she felt compassion for these fleeing refugee groups?
Hua Qingling caressed her own image in the photo, this elegant, faint smile that even she couldn’t understand. Somehow, Hua Qingling couldn’t recall what kind of mood she was in at that time.
The sorrow of parting?
Or…
Now, only the impression brought by the gentle breeze remained.
“Eh, isn’t this Miss Luo Yan?”
Just then, Qin Wen leaned over, saw the silver-haired girl in the photo, and said in surprise.
“Mm, after she left Yan City, she stayed with me for a while.”
Hua Qingling subtly put away the photo. For some reason, she didn’t want others to look at this photo, even if it was Qin Wen.
Perhaps subconsciously, she didn’t want to share these deeply buried memories with others.
“I… haven’t seen her in a long time either.” A hint of reminiscence flashed in Qin Wen’s eyes. “I only heard from Master that she went to Noah later, and there has been no news since.”
Yes…
Hua Qingling’s eyes flickered slightly.
That dreamlike silver-haired girl had thus disconnected from the world, and it was unknown whether she could reappear in the present world.
Or perhaps, she was just a dream…
“Where did you meet back then?” Qin Wen asked.
She had quietly left Yan City after the war ended and knew nothing about what happened afterwards. She only learned by chance that Miss Luo Yan was still alive.
That was during the Noah incident, when the image of Luo Yan sitting on a Holy Knight’s shoulder traversing Noah was seen by many and left a deep impression.
“Where… it was quite a coincidence,” Hua Qingling suddenly smiled, her gaze drifting into the distance, “It was our destination this time, the mega-city that leads to Noah—Lannister.”
The long-unseen Lannister, the first mega-city where the Church of the End Gods reappeared in human sight, also the very beginning of this catastrophe.
She had met Miss Luo Yan again there and left deep memories.
But this time, the silver-haired girl’s figure was no longer there.
However…
The final answer would still be in Noah.
“Miss Qin, this trip to Noah, I’ll go with you.”
Hua Qingling finally made up her mind, her eyes no longer blank, but shining with determination,
“When we parted before, I told Miss Luo Yan that the time to go to Noah hadn’t arrived yet.
“But now I think… it’s time.”
“This is keeping an appointment.” She lowered her eyelids, the gradually blurring memory suddenly becoming clearer. “…It’s my promise with her.”
……
“…Granny Zoya.”
“Cough cough… you’re here, Norian… boy.”
The aged old woman coughed violently, each cough bringing up dark blood, a shocking sight.
She leaned against the bed, and many tissues were scattered beside it… but these tissues had been corroded almost into black ash, as if splashed by aqua regia.
Norian stood solemnly beside the bed, silently looking at this “Destruction” level ability user who had guarded Lannister since he could remember.
Back then, Norian wasn’t the Chief Magistrate, and even the family he relied on was gradually declining. No one paid him any attention.
But Granny Zoya saw him and stood by his side.
From a grassroots official assigned to the suburbs, step by step towards the Council of Elders, finally taking the position of Chief Magistrate, shaping a brand new Lannister with iron-fisted methods.
All this… without Granny Zoya’s behind-the-scenes help, even with Norian’s immense talent, he could only die unfulfilled.
But now, she was dying.
Three days ago, a wave of Calamity monsters attacked Lannister, breaking through its outer defense system with lightning speed, and rapidly approaching the core area… or rather, the “Ember” Furnace.
The energy possessed by the “Ember” Furnace was like poison to Calamity monsters, but once the “Ember” source was contaminated by “malice,” the poison would instantly turn into honey, further strengthening the monster tide.
But for the people of Lannister, it was a catastrophe.
No matter what, these monsters had to be eliminated in the outer districts, regardless of the cost.
A great battle thus began. Lannister mobilized almost all its forces, deployed all its ability user squads, and Granny Zoya personally took action, only barely managing to repel this Calamity.
But Granny Zoya was too old. She couldn’t compare to the Twelve Saints, not even the two “Destruction” level leaders of Dawn.
Shadow, who was about the same age as her, was still a youthful beauty, while Granny Zoya was already showing signs of old age, which proved that her strength was indeed only at the bottom of the “Destruction” level, her lifespan far shorter than others of the same level.
Extreme aging, coupled with the special nature of “malice,” this old woman who had guarded Lannister for most of her life finally fell before “malice.”
“Don’t worry, Norian boy,” a pained smile appeared on Granny Zoya’s wrinkled face,
“I’ve already suppressed… the spread of ‘malice.’ Next, you just need to stuff a vacuum bomb into my body, then throw me into the Endless Wasteland, and you can completely kill me.”
Vacuum bombs, currently the strongest explosives mastered by humanity, their power comparable to the full-strength strike of a “Peril” level ability user, a terrifying existence that even “Destruction” level ability users couldn’t ignore.
However, the manufacturing process of this bomb was quite complicated, similar to “Philosopher’s Stones.” Lannister had already consumed quite a few in this war, and the current stock was probably no more than a hundred.
“A vacuum bomb will tear you into pieces, it will be unsightly.”
Norian whispered, his head lowered, his expression hidden, his tone seemingly deliberately suppressing fluctuations.
“…I’ve always been an old hag, being unsightly is just being unsightly.”
Granny Zoya closed her eyes.
