Chapter 23: The Treasure Vault

"Do you think we aren't monsters ourselves?"

Xu Lie’s words left Chen Jian momentarily stunned, but upon reflection, it did indeed seem to be the case.

Right. Were they not monsters, too?

He had always focused on the fact that they possessed greater strength and faster reflexes, never stopping to contemplate whether, beneath that human exterior, there was still a human core.

It was a form of cognitive inertia. But in reality?

To withstand greater impact forces, their skeletal structures had to be different from those of ordinary humans. To provide explosive power, their muscles must have undergone fundamental changes. To sustain a super-high metabolism, their blood vessels, organs, glands, and even their brains could no longer be classified as "human."

They were monsters as well, merely monsters draped in human skin.

Chen Jian let out a long breath. In that moment, he realized his understanding of this world was still somewhat superficial.

Still, so what?

As he had told Xu Lie, the reason they had to eliminate these villagers was because the villagers had struck first. As for the "monster" issue, it was, at most, a secondary concern.

Chen Jian’s mind cleared, and the lingering traces of self-doubt dissipated.

He stopped paying attention to Xu Lie. After leading his team to higher ground, he immediately ordered He Shuo to lower the drone’s altitude and begin a comprehensive reconnaissance of the reservoir and the unknown life form lurking beneath it.

Due to the insulation of the lake water, the monster’s thermal signature was completely undetectable. Yet, even relying solely on low-light imaging, he could clearly see the creature’s massive size.

It had a streamlined body, like a fish, but the distinct, stubby limbs visible on its frame suggested something akin to a frog. Chen Jian did not know where the carbon dioxide sediment beneath the lake originated, but he was certain it had to be related to this monster.

After observing for a moment, he saw the monster fail to surface; instead, it thrashed about a few times before sinking back into the depths.

Chen Jian maneuvered the drone over Xiamatown, where the four Blood Saints were currently locked in an intense conflict with the residents. It was his first time witnessing Xu Lie fight against "normal enemies." He had to admit that as a "scout," his techniques were incredibly refined.

Stealth, concealment, assassination, and vanishing—it was all done in one fluid motion. He had pushed the utility of his sensory abilities to the absolute limit. Even while nursing his own injuries, every movement he made exuded a sense of professional and efficient beauty.

"And he said that about us? They’re killing even more ruthlessly than we are," Shen Yue remarked with a sneer from the side.

"It’s different. They were surrounded and had no choice," Chen Jian replied, shaking his head.

Shen Yue added thoughtfully, "So it’s not just these few residents; everyone in Xiamatown is compromised."

"The man mentioned they had ties to the Mechanical God Cult. What kind of ties exactly?"

"We'll have to let those Blood Saints provide us with the answer."

Chen Jian’s gaze shifted slightly as he continued, "Xu Lie didn't give us all the information, which leaves two possibilities. Either they don't know, or they are intentionally hiding it from us. Regardless, neither possibility directly proves they are malicious. But in any case, they owe us an answer. Let’s go. They’re about finished. Down the mountain—we’re going to wrap this up."

Twenty minutes later, in Xiamatown.

The four Blood Saints had finished cleaning up the battlefield, and the dozens of surviving residents had been gathered in the town square. Chen Jian’s team arrived with the innkeeper in tow. Xu Lie approached them, his expression one of helpless resignation.

"We’re in big trouble now. At least 40 people died in this conflict, and the vast majority were civilians..."

"Wait a moment." Chen Jian interrupted him, delivering an unwavering verdict on the conflict: "From the moment they started plotting against us, they stopped being civilians."

Xu Lie was left speechless, eventually nodding. "It’s too late to turn back now. I will report this to the Holy Blood Palace and have them find a way to resolve it. But I think you should have notified us before taking action. After all, we know the rules here better than you; even if they had to be dealt with, there could have been more leeway."

"There was no leeway to be had," Chen Jian replied, shaking his head. "Furthermore, are you aware that the people here have close ties to the Mechanical God Cult?"

"I am not." Xu Lie’s expression turned to one of shock. Realizing the accusatory tone in Chen Jian’s voice, he hurriedly explained, "Chosen One, we are not omniscient. If I had known these people were linked to the Mechanical God Cult, I would never have brought you here. The Mechanical God Cult has always been dedicated to unearthing pre-Cataclysm technology. If they catch wind of you—wait, were all these people miners?"

"Correct."

Chen Jian nodded slowly. To his surprise, Xu Lie’s expression shifted instantly from worry to wild ecstasy upon hearing the confirmation.

"Then it all makes sense! I wondered why they occasionally had supplies and equipment that even Jiling City didn't have, and how this town of only a hundred people managed to survive for so long! They are miners... of course, only miners from the Mechanical God Cult would establish a stronghold in this godforsaken place. They must have good things they didn't have time to ship out—we need to hurry! These survivors are a massive headache; we need to find a way to deal with all of them!"

"You just said we were in trouble," Chen Jian said, throwing up his hands helplessly.

Xu Lie’s face lit up with excitement. "Not anymore! Like you said, they are miners, they are people of the Mechanical God Cult! Even if we wipe them all out, so what? At most, this is just an internal conflict between the Holy Blood Palace and the Mechanical God Cult. We don't have to worry about the prestige of the Holy Blood Palace, nor do we need to worry about the believers losing faith. Enough of this—hand him over to us. I have ways to make him tell us everything!"

Xu Lie looked at the innkeeper, who was pinned to the ground by Lei Jie, his eyes filled with anticipation. Chen Jian didn't hesitate; he nodded at Lei Jie, who shoved the innkeeper toward Xu Lie’s feet.

The interrogation began immediately, lasting less than two minutes.

Two minutes later, the battered innkeeper led the group of five into the inn's basement. After opening two heavy stone doors in succession, the underground space finally revealed itself to them.

Gazing at the various items scattered throughout the basement, the four members of Chen Jian’s team drew a collective breath.

"Truly a treasure trove," Shen Yue said.

Chen Jian nodded calmly, adding, "A pity that it is already a rotting one."