Chapter 346: You Must Learn to Seize the Moment

"Hah!"

He exhaled a deep breath of foul air, gathered the Mountain and River Map, and his awareness enveloped the entire Wuqiu Mountain.

At this time, Wuqiu Mountain was already deserted, perhaps after Wu Su and Su Ningxue were killed, those experts had already sent all the disciples away from here, leaving it empty.

Stretching lazily, Shen Yu directly tore through space, casually choosing a direction to leave.

When his figure reappeared, he was not far from a city, but upon arriving, Shen Yu's brow furrowed involuntarily.

The city not far from him seemed to be sealed by some power; thus, those inside could not escape if they could not break the seal.

Although this seal was not particularly strong and lacked the ability to seal space, with his own power he could move through it freely.

But being able to seal an entire city's populace inside was not something an ordinary person could do.

Directly tearing through space from afar to pass through this seal and step into the city, what met his eyes was an even worse situation—everywhere was looting, smashing, robbery, and arson.

Those causing the disturbance appeared to be ordinary townsfolk; the people here seemed to have gone mad, venting wildly.

Moreover, Shen Yu clearly sensed that these townspeople were not corrupted by any other mental power, but were simply venting purely.

"I beg you, I beg you, let me go!"

At this moment, a soft, fearful cry suddenly came from his ear, accompanied by the sound of clothes being torn and a man's wild laughter.

"Let you go? Grandpa has served your family as an ox and horse for so many years; it's time to collect some interest. These years, your father has ordered me around, and never once treated me as a person!"

"Anyway, we're all going to die; why not try this young lady's taste before death? It wouldn't be in vain."

"Father, save me, save me!"

"Save you? Look at whether your father can still save you—he might want to!" A cold voice came, sounding utterly devoid of emotion.

"I just want your father to watch with his own eyes how his most beloved precious daughter suffers and cries beneath me!"

Following the voice, Shen Yu saw a guard-like man pressing a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl to the ground, his hands continually tearing at her clothes.

Beside him, a middle-aged man lay in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open, filled with hatred and urgency; he wanted to crawl up, but could summon no strength.

He could only stare helplessly at the opposite side, besides showing a resentful gaze, there was nothing else he could do.

His life had reached its limit; he could collapse at any moment.

Seeing the girl desperately resisting, the guard-like man grew dissatisfied and wanted to raise his hand to slap her twice to make her behave.

But just then, a hand suddenly appeared, gripping the hand he was about to swing down.

"Who dares meddle in Grandpa's affairs!" Turning his head, he saw the suddenly appearing Shen Yu; the man showed no fear, instead his attitude was extremely arrogant.

Perhaps in his view, a young master-like figure could be easily killed by him.

Before, he might have feared such a young master's background, but now, since everyone was going to die anyway, what was there to fear?

"Kid, I see you're looking for death!" He casually picked up a nearby broadsword and wanted to slash at Shen Yu, but immediately felt a sharp pain from his arm.

"Ah!" The man then let out a painful howl, as if his arm were about to be crushed.

In fact, his arm was indeed crushed; Shen Yu never showed courtesy to such people.

"In broad daylight, you have great gall—speak, who gave you the gall!"

"Grandpa, spare my life, spare my life!" Knowing he had met a tough opponent, this man was also clever and immediately began to soften.

"Grandpa, you also know, since everyone is going to die anyway, why not enjoy oneself before death? If Grandpa likes this girl, you can have the first broth!"

"I'll go!" Upon hearing this, Shen Yu directly kicked the man over, stepping hard on his other hand.

According to Shen Yu's own estimate, that kick should have also crippled the man's other arm; the broadsword in his hand also fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Ah!" The painful howl rang out again; the guard-like man writhed in agony on the ground, while the little girl clung to her torn clothes, continually shrinking back.

"I ask, you answer! You know you still have legs and feet; answer one word wrong, and I'll cripple your remaining legs and feet!"

"Grandpa, Grandpa, you ask, you ask!"

"What place is this?"

"Grandpa, this is Santu County, you don't know?"

"Santu County? So it's this place!" Shen Yu had been to Santu County before; he remembered the County Magistrate was Chen Zhao.

At the time, he thought this County Magistrate was somewhat weak, but other places were still passable.

But how long had it been since he left this place, and how had Santu County become like this? It no longer resembled the former prosperous and harmonious Santu County; it clearly looked like rebel troops and bandits were about to pass through.

"How did this place become like this? Why did you suddenly start burning and killing indiscriminately? Who gave you the courage?"

"Grandpa, this, everyone knows this!"

"I'll have you speak!" He stomped hard beside him, and the man's leg was immediately crippled; the painful howl rang out again.

"Grandpa, spare my life, Grandpa, I'll speak, I'll say everything. It's because we're all going to die, everyone will die, so everyone in the city has become like this."

"Since we're all going to die anyway, why not vent a little before death?"

"How do you know you're going to die?"

"Because yesterday, a blood-red notice was posted at the gate of Santu County; today at the巳时, they will take the lives of all the city's people, so everyone knows they will die!"

"Just because of a notice?" His eyes narrowed slightly, killing intent coiled around Shen Yu's body; obviously, there was something here he didn't know.

"Grandpa, you don't know?" Enduring the pain, the man gave Shen Yu a doubtful glance, but quickly withdrew it.

Otherwise, his other leg might not be saved either. The pain of having his limbs directly stepped on and broken was something he truly did not want to experience again. Even if he died, could he not die so painfully?

"Grandpa, a few days ago, in Qinghe County not far from us, such a notice was posted, and as a result, during the time on the notice, not a single person in the entire county survived."

"Later, another such notice was posted in Jiuye County, and then the next day, during the time on the notice, the people there died to the last."

"It seems, it seems heard that someone killed all the people in a city, not a single one could survive."

"And now, such a notice has appeared again in Santu County. When the notice appeared, someone wanted to escape, but couldn't."

Speaking to this point, the man raised his head; the despair on his face could make one's heart inexplicably thump.

"The city gate is clearly there, yet no one can leave; everyone has tried every method, all failed."

"We are all trapped here, just like pigs and sheep bound and waiting for the butcher's knife. When today's巳时 arrives, everyone must die, everyone must die, no one can survive, no one!"

"Since we're going to die, why not vent before we die? Not just me—starting from last night when everyone fell into despair, everyone has been doing this!"

"I just did what I had always wanted to do but dared not do before dying—everyone else is doing the same!"

Hearing the other's words, Shen Yu fell silent, his awareness spreading to cover all of Santu County. The entire Santu County seat had truly long since descended into utter chaos.

As this guard said, everywhere was burning, killing, looting, and plundering—the baseness of human nature displayed in full measure at this moment.

"Ah!" At this moment, the little girl beside suddenly shouted loudly, picked up the saber dropped by the guard beside her, and then fiercely stabbed it into his chest.

When this guard, after struggling for a while, completely lost his breath, the little girl then let go and burst into loud, near-collapse sobs.

Shen Yu merely watched this scene silently, without stopping it, only gazing upward at the sky.

"Si hour—isn't that just about to arrive!"