The butcher's knife, in the hands of its wielder, is only fit for slaughtering pigs and slicing meat.
Yet, in the hands of the cult leader, Cendrarsa, it transforms into a formidable weapon, capable of cutting through iron as if it were mud.
Initially, these individuals would have met their demise by her poison with ease.
However, her displeasure brewed within her, fueled by her anger at Zagonnas for leaving without a word and for penning a letter of separation on her behalf.
Though she couldn't comprehend the extraordinary reason compelling him to abandon her, they were married!
As spouses, shouldn't they face challenges together?
With a weary sigh, Cendrarsa rose from the ground, the bloodied butcher's knife still in hand.
Around her, those clad in black lay motionless in pools of blood.
The accumulated snow on the village road had melted away, stained by the crimson.
She stepped upon the barely breathing leader of the black-clad men and lowered her gaze, a slight smirk curling her lips.
"Who sent you? Why are you searching for my husband?"
"Y-you, who are you exactly?" The leader of the black-clad men possessed formidable skills, clearly worthy of being dispatched to kill Zagonnas.
"I? Hah, it's nothing you can't know. Pay attention: I am Cendrarsa."
At the mention of her name, the leader's eyes widened in disbelief.
He could not fathom why Zagonnas would marry Cendrarsa—the two most notorious figures in the world, once opposed, now united. What did that portend for the world?
"It's your turn now. If you wish to die painlessly, tell me the truth, or you shall become fodder for my poison."
The cult's methods were infamous; the black-clad leader desired a swift demise.
"It's the Wen family. The sect leader dispatched us to eliminate Zagonnas."
"Why?"
"Lupan seeks to become the leader of the martial world, to be the strongest."
"Strongest? Hmph!"
Cendrarsa echoed his words with a cold scoff and lifted her foot.
"Go back and inform Lupan that I, too, aspire to claim that title. We shall meet at the Demon-Slaying Conference in two months. Furthermore, let it be known: anyone who dares to touch this village shall face my wrath upon their entire family."
Casting a disdainful glance, Cendrarsa turned away.
The black-clad leader astonished that he was still alive, hastily mounted his horse and fled, fearing that this madwoman might change her mind.
As the sound of hooves faded into the distance, Cendrarsa finally sank to her knees, deflated and powerless.
Her false identity was shattered; her existence in this mountain village had come to an end.
On the first day of the New Year, she had taken the lives of thirty-two individuals.
And she had sullied Dave's butcher's knife in the process.
What would Dave do for slaughtering pigs from now on?
The more she pondered, the more sorrowful she felt; the deeper her grief, the colder her body became.
Hugging her arms tightly, Cendrarsa wept once more.
"Madam?"
At that moment, Zagonnas's student retrieved the cotton coat that Cendrarsa had carelessly tossed aside and gently draped it over her shoulders.
Cendrarsa turned her head to face him, unable to articulate a single word through the lump in her throat.
"Please don't cry, Madam. If you cry, Master will feel heartbroken."
The student lifted his arm, using his sleeve to wipe away her tears.
Cendrarsa sniffed, took a deep breath, and finally managed to speak between sobs.
"Your master has abandoned me; he wouldn't care about my sorrow."
"Not at all! Master has told us, 'If two souls are fated to be together, even death will not part them. I would choose to be a pair of mandarin ducks rather than envy the immortals.' Master said, as long as one can be with their beloved, becoming a fish or a bird is far better than being immortal."
Looking into the student's clear, innocent eyes, Cendrarsa reached out to ruffle his hair.
"Really? Did he say that?"
"Yes, indeed."
"Haha, how did he come to teach you such things? He truly is an unorthodox master."
Forcing a smile, Cendrarsa finally stood up from the ground.
By then, the villagers had all emerged.
They had secretly witnessed the scene when Cendrarsa had taken lives a short while ago.
To their eyes, Cendrarsa was no longer the living Buddha; she had transformed into a living Yama, the god of death.
Yet, despite their fear, the villagers still possessed a sense of conscience, clearly distinguishing between good and evil.
"Get a few men with shovels; let's bury these bodies."
Dave broke the awkward silence, and as he called out, the villagers of all ages followed him to deal with the corpses.
Seeing Cendrarsa tremble, Auntie ran over to adjust her coat.
"On such a cold day, how can you remove your coat? Second Girl's mother, go prepare ginger soup."
"Alright, I'll do it right now."
"Quickly, go inside and warm up. Don't worry about things outside." The village head's wife joined in, supporting Cendrarsa to lead her back inside.
However, even after drinking ginger soup and soaking her feet in hot water, Cendrarsa still fell ill.
She downed bowl after bowl of bitter medicine; her temperature would rise and fall repeatedly.
She understood the notion that doctors often neglect their health.
After a tumultuous three days, when her fever finally subsided, she had lost a significant amount of weight.
The Poisonous Phoenix gazed at Cendrarsa, who was just recovering from her illness, with great concern.
"Leader, your husband's departure must have had its reasons. Why not seek him out and ask for clarity?"
"Indeed, some matters need to be clarified," Cendrarsa said, retrieving the letter of separation and the red packet from beneath her pillow.
"Let us leave today."
She intended to slip away unnoticed; however, as Cendrarsa and the Poisonous Phoenix reached the village entrance, the villagers all came out to bid farewell.
Zagonnas's student had tears in his eyes, looking like a small rabbit.
The aunts and sisters were all dabbing at their tears.
The village head, leaning on his cane, approached Cendrarsa.
"Cendrarsa, you are the one who destroyed the Black Wind Stronghold, are you not? You are the saviour of our village! I do not know when we shall meet again; on behalf of Maple Village, I thank you."
As the village head spoke, he was about to bow.
Cendrarsa quickly steadied him, shaking her head, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Village head, it is I who must thank you all for taking such good care of me and my husband."
After saying this, she turned to look at Zagonnas's student.
"Take care of your grandmother."
"Dave, I owe you a knife."
"To everyone, I am Cendrarsa. If any evildoers threaten again, simply invoke my name. No need to send me off; I am leaving now."
With a smile, Cendrarsa expressed all she wished to say.
She mounted her horse and cast one last glance at the place imbued with countless beautiful memories.
Ultimately, she urged her horse forward.
Two months flew by in the blink of an eye.
Yet, within that brief span, the world had changed dramatically.
Zagonnas, the Xiu Shui Sword, single-handedly challenged every faction aligned with the Wen family from Jiangnan.
Overnight, he became the most notorious figure in the world, a target of universal condemnation.
Additionally, a rumour spread like a wildfire across the world.
It stated that Zagonnas had married Cendrarsa, yet the two seemed to have turned love into hatred and had already divorced.