The sun had just set, casting the sky into shades of orange and pink that soon gave way to a dark and gloomy evening.
The sinister wind rustled through the trees, carrying with it the sound of flapping wings.
Caw, caw, caw!
A flock of black crows flew in from afar, apparently drawn to the carriage that was making its way down the mountain road. As the crows descended upon the carriage, A crow that was slightly bigger than the rest landed on the roof of the carriage, tilting its head to look at the group of people inside the carriage.
The carriage was filled with a pungent smell of blood, its heavy scent clinging to the air like a nauseating fog.
"Blehhh..." Wei Sang crouched down and started to vomit everything in his stomach, his entire body quivered as he continued to vomit nonstop. His saliva mixed with porridge directly rushed out of his mouth. The vile mixture splattered onto his clothes and the ground, leaving behind a disgusting stain.
Placed in front of Wei Sang was an actual pile of flesh and blood!
The bloody flesh was obviously sliced off piece by piece and placed into a round wooden container. Dark scarlet blood had accumulated inside. There was some pale skin and flesh, along with some strands of intestines mixed in with a lump of brain matter and bones. In the pool of blood at a corner, there were also a pair of lifeless eyeballs with dilated pupils and half a toe floating in it.
The sight was gruesome, and the stench of death filled the air. Wei Sang's face changed color once again as he weakly crawled to the side, his stomach turning upside-down as he vomited on the spot.
The flesh and blood in this container, it was obviously the corpse of a person after being minced into pieces and stuffed in. Naturally, these bodily parts belonged to one of the boys that were traveling with them.
Undoubtedly, the architect of this masterpiece was Wei Wushang.
Right now, Wei Wushang stood in a far corner like a bystander and watched the show with an air of indifference, his face exhibited neither joy nor disappointment.
Nonetheless, Wei Wushang was inwardly pleased with this result, his elder brother was gradually becoming accustomed to the bloody mess before him. But most importantly, Wei Sang had finally crossed his inner moral threshold and taken a life. This marked the beginning of Wei Sang's path of bloodshed, and there was no going back now.
'Taking a life is not a small matter. It is an experience that changes a person forever, a journey that takes them to the darkest corners of their soul. It is something that cannot be undone, something that they will carry with them for the rest of their days. It is a moment of ultimate power and ultimate responsibility, a moment that tests the limits of one's morality and ethics. It is a moment that demands the utmost courage, strength, and conviction. Ultimately, the impact of taking a life can last a lifetime, shaping the person in ways they may not have imagined possible.' Wei Wushang reflected in his heart of hearts, he had also gone through those periods of self-reflection, and deep soul-searching, trying to grapple with the enormity of his actions and trying to make sense of the world around him.
Wei Wushang observed silently for several minutes, his face remaining impassive. But eventually, a flicker of emotion crossed his features, revealing his inner thoughts.
"Brother, that's enough for today. You have done pretty well considering how gruesome it was. Hehe, that was simply brutal, his limbs were spasming in pain the whole time like a headless chicken." Wei Wushang commented playfully with a cruel smirk on his face, he walked closer to Wei Sang and ruffled his hair indifferently.
"Cough, cough.." Wei Sang coughed dryly before shooting a glance at Wei Wushang. He didn't say a word as he quietly stared his younger brother in the eye.
"What?" Wei Wushang's gaze shone as he asked smilingly.
"I killed him, are you satisfied now? Do you want me to eradicate the rest of them? I can do that if that's what you want." Wei Sang's words were eerily calm, the innocence that once shone in his eyes was now extinguished.
Wei Wushang's smile widened as he heard his brother's words, and he gave Wei Sang's shoulder a congratulatory pat. But right after that Wei Wushang quickly shook his head and firmly rejected the idea.
"No need, I already know you are capable of doing it. We did not slaughter for the sake of killing, but to achieve our goal. Let's not lose sight of that, killing them like this won't be helpful to you anymore, it's simply a waste. However..." Wei Wushang ceased talking, noticing the curiosity in his brother's eyes he couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
"How much longer are you going to keep me guessing? Spit it out already." Wei Sang said in a sullen tone.
Wei Wushang let out a sly chuckle, "Listen closely, we're not going to kill them. Not yet, anyway. We still have a few days remaining until we reach the Astral Flame Sect. Your job is to get close to them during that time, but make sure to inform them that their fate is already sealed. Let them know that death is their only escape and that you'll be the one to send them on their way to hell. But at the same time form a connection with them, have genuine heart-to-heart conversations with them."
Wei Sang's eyebrows furrowed as he spoke, his tone packed with confusion and frustration, "Your one twisted sicko. I just killed one of their friends, and now you want me to play nice with them?" He shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts.
"Sigh, I don't know what's your end game here, regardless I'll still do as you say..." Wei Sang had a complex look on his face as these words left his lips.
Wei Wushang was about to speak but Wei Sang quickly raised his hand, stopping his younger brother in his tracks, "Sure, I'm willing to give it a shot, but let's not kid ourselves, it's an impossible task given the miserable state they're in. They don't even feel human anymore, they are hovering on the verge of insanity. It's only a matter of time before they completely lose their grip on reality." Wei Sang's attention was drawn to a corner, and his eyes conveyed a sense of untold pity.
Huddled together in a dark, forbidding corner of the carriage, a group of boys bound tightly with coarse, scratchy ropes. The ropes dug deeply into their flesh, leaving painful abrasions and open wounds. Their legs were broken, and their once-robust bodies had grown thin and scrawny from days of starvation and sleep deprivation. At first, their screams and sobs echoed through the cramped space, but now they lay in a pitiful silence, their spirits broken by the unrelenting torment.
Wei Wushang denied them even the briefest moments of rest, he sang them lullabies as he ruthlessly slapped them awake, forcing them to stay awake for days on end. The scarcity of sleep had eroded their minds, they were slowly turning into something inhumane.
As of now, Wei Sang could see the agony etched on their gaunt faces. As they cast their bloodshot and desperate gazes upon the container filled with the blood and flesh of their former friend, their eyes held no pity or sorrow for their fallen ally. Instead, their eyes seemed to glaze over with a frenzied hunger that overrode any vestiges of humanity. Their mouths drooled through the cloth that gagged them, and at this moment, it was impossible to say which was worse: the physical pain they endured or the agony of knowing what they had become.
It was simply a sad sight to witness.
Wei Wushang had not inflicted suffering on the group without reason. While revenge may have been a part of his motivation, it only played a minor role in the grand scheme of things. The true purpose of his actions was to uncover the real reason for the assault he had suffered.
Despite putting the perpetrators through extreme suffering, he had yet to find any meaningful answers. This left Wei Wushang feeling a bit puzzled, he was entirely sure that these children had not acted out of personal animosity. But he also believed that if these children had been instructed to commit the assault, they would have revealed everything by now under the pressure of his tactics. This was a tricky situation he was facing and he had no clue how to further his investigation.
That is when Wei Wushang's interest in these children diminished, but then he thought of using these youngsters to further Wei Sang's mental growth. The first step was already done, Wei Sang had successfully killed one of them. This was a massive step for Wei Sang, but Wei Wushang wasn't all that fulfilled.
So Wei Wushang came up with a plan and this plan deeply focused on Wei Sang's current mindset, this was a plan that would really push Wei Sang to the extreme.
This plan required Wei Sang to form a closer bond with them and get to know them better, but why do something so useless?
It was surely not useless. According to Wei Wushang, even though Wei Sang had undergone a tremendous mental transformation, Wei Wushang was sure that his brother was still not okay with killing 'innocents'.
This was not surprising, as people's capacity for change varied greatly from individual to individual. While some may transform after experiencing just one traumatic event, others may remain unchanged even after experiencing countless trials and tribulations.
From Wei Wushang's perspective, Wei Sang had taken a life, but the boy he killed was not entirely innocent. Wei Wushang's speculation was right on the mark, just as Wei Wushang had reckoned, Wei Sang had secretly justified that he was killing an evildoer, it was to be expected.
It's common for people with high moral standards to find ways to avoid the consequences of their actions and justify their behavior as righteous to alleviate the guilt in their hearts.
However, this is not to say that the boy who got killed was completely innocent. The boy had caused great harm to Wei Sang's younger brother by beating him to a near-death state, and Wei Sang had simply delivered justice.
But first of all, what is this justice exactly?
In the Fallen Rooh World, Justice was a tool used by those in power to maintain control and keep the masses in check. A game played by the powerful, where the rules were bent to serve their own interests. Their justice would change from time to time, depending on the circumstances.
Wei Wushang couldn't really give a damn about justice and whatnot, he only wanted his elder brother to have the courage to face the consequences of his actions head-on, without any sort of double standard.
That's why Wei Wushang wanted Wei Sang to form a bond with those children, to understand their experiences and pain, and to learn that there are always different perspectives to consider. Life is not always about what's right or wrong, good or bad, but about the consequences of our actions and how we handle them.
Wei Sang needed to realize that life was not always black and white, but a thousand shades of grey. Sometimes, It's about doing what needs to be done, it's about winning and losing. It's about being either the victor or the vanquished.
As for worrying about whether those children would bond with Wei Sang or not, Wei Wushang wasn't worried in the least. He knew that Wei Sang was their only hope and that if they were shown a glimmer of hope, they would grasp onto it with every fiber of their being.
A dying person will always fight to cling to any chance for survival, and in their case, Wei Sang represented that chance. And once they form a connection, no matter how weak. It'll be much harder for Wei Sang to kill them and justify his actions at the same time. And that is just what Wei Wushang hoped for.
"Tsk, it seems you're underestimating the resilience of the human body. Look, they're eyeing that container. Why don't we give it to them so they can fill their bellies and take a day's rest? With a bit of nourishment and rest, they will be good to go the next day." Wei Wushang spoke nonchalantly as he pointed to the bloody container.
"You're joking, right?" Wei Sang asked in a grim tone, his expression full of disbelief. "You can't seriously plan on feeding them 'that'."
"Joking? Why, of course, I'm just pulling your leg. I was merely planning on feeding them some rocks and seeing how that goes. I'm sure they'll manage just fine." Wei Wushang replied sarcastically, he then went on saying, "I'm serious. We don't have enough rations to spare. How else are we going to feed them? Maybe we could cut off your and Uncle Ye's portions completely, and then they might be able to make do somehow. But I'm sure you and Uncle Ye could manage to survive without food. After all, who needs food when you have such excellent company?"
"You!!" Wei Sang stood up in anger, his eyes fixed on Wei Wushang. Wei Wushang, for his part, didn't even seem to notice his elder brother's anger, as he picked his ears with a look of boredom.
Wei Sang continued to stare at him with a fierce glare, before finally declaring in frustration, "Do whatever you want, I don't care." and directly stormed out of the carriage, leaving Wei Wushang to his own
"The notion of morality is a frivolous indulgence, we cannot afford such luxuries. The sooner you grasp this reality, the better it will be for both of us." Wei Wushang muttered under his breath as he watched Wei Sang step out of the carriage from the corner of his eye.
Once he was gone, Wei Wushang let out a soft sigh and turned his attention to the gruesome scene before him. The floor was covered in a chaotic mess of blood and vomit. With another sigh, Wei Wushang took it upon himself to begin cleaning up the carriage.